"That's..."
"The legendary V!"
"Damn, and there's A!"
"Isn't that Rebecca? And Mann... Is Spark Team making a comeback? Why do they have a robot with them?"
"Comeback, my foot. They're now the big shots in Dog Town, no need for any gigs anymore."
The chatter around made V's lips curl into a smile involuntarily.
Mercer couldn't help but laugh: "Haven't heard anyone call me A in ages."
"Ha, the legendary V~" Rebecca teased, nudging V with her elbow: "Careful not to get suckered into some gig later."
"Get outta here, I'm not dumb!" V rolled her eyes and elbowed back, the two nudging at each other, while Lucy quietly stood beside Mercer, holding his arm.
When Rebecca turned around, she found her spot taken and glared fiercely at Lucy, while Lucy merely smiled nonchalantly.
"You're getting as annoying as V now!" Rebecca puffed up and hurriedly occupied Mercer's other side — as for V, she certainly wasn't about to encircle Mercer with other girls at Rebirth.
She could only act nonchalant, swaggering into the bar: "Yo! Rogue! How come you're not inside today?"
"You'll soon take over Rebirth, what would I be doing inside?" Rogue laughed, then stood up from her seat, eyeing Mercer and extending her hand: "Long time no see, Mercer, you've certainly changed a lot."
"You're just as before... I'm here today with a gift for you, how about a discount on today's tab?"
Mercer slyly tilted his head toward the silent robot beside him, giving a hint.
Rogue glanced over, sizing it up: "What kind of new robot is this? Doesn't look particularly special... Hmmm, still gives off a strangely irritating vibe... Whoa, did it just glare at me?"
"Get lost! Rogue!" The robot suddenly spoke, and Rogue was taken aback: "Why does the voice sound like that dumbass..."
Johnny Silverhand couldn't hold back anymore, flipping a middle finger: "You're the dumbass!"
"Whoa..." Rogue's eyes widened: "Johnny!?"
"That's right... I'm back!" Though the robot's face showed little expression, Johnny Silverhand's tone and small gestures exposed a somewhat obnoxious smugness, which Rogue instantly picked up.
Without a word, she walked over, hugging the robot Johnny tightly, and pounded his back twice: "You bastard!"
"These old-timers are even less civilized than us?" Rebecca muttered softly, joking with a grin: "I thought it'd be a bit more touching..."
"Yeah, if I knew, I would've armed the robot with a big cannon..." Mercer joked too.
The few suppressed their laughter, watching Rogue and Silverhand express their longing with expletives.
"Hey! Mercer!"
A lively voice called out from afar as Pan'an walked over laughing, spotting Mercer sandwiched between Lucy and Rebecca, leaving her unsure of what to do, her raised arm instinctively lowering.
But Mercer merely smiled, raising his arm to warmly embrace her first.
"You really have a knack..." Pan'an said in a complicated tone by his ear, then boldly gave him a big hug, and indicated with a nod.
"Sol's over there, Daichi's here too."
After Pan'an spoke, Mercer turned his head and saw Daichi, now looking like a man, along with Leon, old cowboy, Scorpion, Mitch, Sol, and others, waving at him from a booth not far away.
Mercer waved at them with a smile: "Thanks for coming all the way from the Evil Land."
"Not tiring at all, once they heard we were coming to Rebirth for a drink, the Adcardans wanted to come along..." Pan'an laughed.
"V! A! Long time no see!" Claire at the bar also raised her hand with a smile, proactively saying: "The usual?"
Mercer smiled back: "Yeah, extra cold — send it to the Adcardo side, I'm gonna chat with them first."
"Alright! You do your thing!" Claire enthusiastically took out a can of mini Coke: "What about the others?"
Jack, Mann, and others were already ordering their favorite drinks as usual, sitting at the bar, casually chatting with Claire.
Rebecca also took a seat at the bar, while Lucy and Mercer sat with the Adcardans.
Sol stood up, smiled, and shook hands with Mercer.
"Mercer, long time no see, I haven't had the chance to thank you face-to-face... The Adcardans will always remember your help."
Mercer smiled, shaking hands with him, then giving a shoulder bump hug: "It was the right thing to do, I feel like I'm half-Adcardan at heart."
"Mercer!" Daichi and Leon couldn't hold back any longer, once the exchange with Sol ended, they eagerly embraced him too.
Then Leon teased looking at Mercer and Lucy: "Have you two... gotten together?"
"Ha~ How did you tell?" Mercer said, his smile becoming even more radiant, glancing at the slightly flushed Lucy.
"She wouldn't get this close to you before and openly cling to your arm... but..." Leon's gaze floated towards Rebecca in the distance, wanting to say more, Daichi draped his arm around his neck, letting him sit down and shut up with tactful words.