Neo's hand shot out, and his fingers closed around a soft, slender wrist.
When he turned to look, time stopped.
The girl he'd caught, the pickpocket on the metro, was none other than Lucy, the heroine of Edgerunners 2076.
Short, ice-blue and white hair that shimmered under the metro's harsh lights.
A flash of crimson eyeshadow that framed a pair of glowing sapphire cyber-eyes.
Her body — graceful yet lethal — wrapped in daring, skin-tight streetwear that screamed both rebellion and allure.
Neo couldn't help but laugh softly.
So it was true.
This Night City wasn't just the Cyberpunk 2077 timeline, it was a fusion of the game and the Edgerunners anime.
Lucy, who by all rights should have been active in 2076, was right here in 2077, caught red-handed, stealing chips from passengers in the metro.
It felt surreal.
These past few days, Neo had been tracking the city's news.
No cyberpsycho outbreaks.
No NCPD firefights.
No trauma teams deployed.
Meaning… David's mother was still alive.
If she hadn't died, then David wouldn't have gone down that doomed path — wouldn't have turned into the chrome-fueled tragedy that ended beneath Adam Smasher's fist.
If David could be saved, then Lucy, Rebecca, and the entire Edgerunner team might never have to die.
And Adam Smasher… oh, that bastard could still be sliced into a thousand shining pieces.
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
Lucy, however, didn't seem too thrilled.
It wasn't her first time stealing chips on the metro, but it was her first time getting caught, especially by someone who didn't have a single implant on their body.
"Come with me," she said suddenly, grabbing Neo's arm and dragging him toward a quieter corner of the car. Her voice dropped to a sharp whisper. "Who are you? Whose crew are you with? Why are you messing with my work?"
Neo blinked. He had planned to greet her, maybe say something cool. But Lucy had flipped the situation on him before he even had the chance.
He sighed. "Look, I don't care that you're stealing from these passengers. But you came up behind me, a guy with no implants, realized I had no chip, and still decided to rob my wallet instead. Don't you think that's a little much?"
Lucy froze, lips tightening.
Neo continued, deadpan: "And when I caught you, you didn't make a scene. So tell me, are you just curious about me?"
Lucy's eyes gleamed with mischief. She suddenly raised both hands and cupped his face, her fingers trailing downward, slow and deliberate.
"You noticed me," she purred. "Caught me. Didn't alert anyone. Maybe you do have a thing for me, huh?"
"Lucy," Neo said evenly, though his tone was faintly amused, "you're gorgeous, no doubt. But maybe don't grope strangers in public cars? It's… unbecoming."
He didn't move to stop her.
Lucy blinked — shocked.
This green-haired stranger… had just called her by name.
That wasn't possible.
No one was supposed to know who she was.
Not without a trail. Not without surveillance data.
Her work depended on anonymity — on moving faster than cameras could focus, faster than sensors could lock on. Even the best corporate trackers couldn't dig up her real ID.
And yet, this unaugmented man had not only caught her in the act… he knew exactly who she was.
He wasn't supposed to exist.
"You could've stopped me," Lucy said, her tone calm but her voice low. Her hands were still on his face, though they'd stopped moving. "Why didn't you?"
Neo tilted his head slightly. "Because I didn't want to."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're strange."
He smirked. "You're the one feeling up strangers on the metro."
Lucy's lips curved into a faint smile. "Fair."
She dropped her hands. "What's your name?"
"Neo," he replied. "Or V. Whichever you like."
"Neo, huh?" She studied him. "Alright, Neo. How about this — want to work with me?"
"Work with you?" Neo asked, eyebrow raised. "You mean… stealing chips?"
Lucy nodded, serious now. "In Night City, even the beggars have implants. Chrome's not just survival — it's identity. We team up, I'll take seventy, you take thirty. Fair cut. Once we sell what we grab, I can hook you up with a good ripperdoc. Get you some decent chrome. Upgrade you from… what did you call it? A 'purebody.'"
Neo stared at her for a long moment — her blue eyes reflecting the flashing lights of the city, her confident smirk daring him to refuse.
Then he smiled. "That's generous of you, Lucy. Really. But no thanks. Past, present, or future — I don't need chrome."
Before she could respond, Neo suddenly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.
She gasped — not from fear, but from the sheer pressure of his grip.
He leaned close to her ear, his voice a low murmur. "You've been touching me for a while now. I figured a quick hug wouldn't be too much. Go on — try breaking free. Use your implants."
Lucy didn't move.
Didn't even try.
Because the moment she felt his strength — the effortless control in his arm — she understood something terrifying.
This man, this unaugmented, flesh-and-blood man, was stronger than any chromed merc she'd ever met.
It wasn't possible. But she felt it.
Neo released her gently, stepping back.
"Let's make a bet, Lucy," he said.
She blinked, still processing what had just happened. "A bet?"
"Yeah. Simple game. Next car over — we each pick a train car. Whoever can collect all the passengers' chips first wins."
He pointed toward the next cabin, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"The loser gives two-thirds of their haul to the winner — and has to grant them one favor."
Lucy studied him for a long moment. The neon light flickered in her blue irises as she finally smiled — sharp and dangerous.
"Alright," she said. "But I'll tweak the stakes. If you lose, all your chips are mine."
"Deal." Neo smiled back.
As the train roared through the tunnels of Night City, the two of them stood side by side, the hum of electricity and the rhythm of the tracks between them.
The thief and the swordsman.
The girl of chrome and the man without it.
And in the reflection of the metro window, neon colors danced across their faces — the first sparks of a story that was about to shake the city to its core.