Vash opened the takeout box and unpacked a few small bowls — two dishes and a portion of rice.
Grilled salmon, finished with lemon and dill yogurt, plus a warm quinoa bowl piled with roasted vegetables. The moment he lifted the lids, steam rolled out, carrying a clean, bright aroma that didn't belong anywhere in Night City.
Judy hadn't been all that hungry, but the smell hit her and her eyes widened.
"New health-food craze?" She pointed with her fork, "I recognize the salmon… but what's this? Veggies with… what, grains?"
Ever since yesterday's hotpot, she'd been craving real vegetables. Still, the pale grains in the bowl made her frown in confusion. Quinoa was the kind of thing that barely existed anymore in the robotized Night City.
Even back in the old world, cooking like this took skill. In 2077, where most people lived on kibble, prepack meals, and nutrient slurries, hardly anyone even knew what "real food" looked like — let alone something assembled this carefully, with fresh herbs and roasted veg.
"Eat first." Vash said, "This stuff's a tragedy when it goes cold."
Judy immediately put her rig into standby and dug in. A second later her expression softened, taste buds practically singing.
"V, you should quit merc work and become my personal chef." She said around a bite, "I can make eddies editing braindances."
Vash grinned, "Should I take that as an invitation to be your kept man?"
Judy snorted, "On second thought… yeah, you'd better stick to being a merc."
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Good moments never lasted long. The easy warmth in the room cracked the instant Evelyn walked in.
Evelyn's gaze flicked over the scene — then settled on Vash. The guy was getting more and more shameless.
"Hi, Evelyn." Vash said, all innocence.
Evelyn: "V, since you're here, we're getting down to business. First, you need to experience a standard braindance — then the editor's mode."
Vash: "That's why I came."
"Hold up." Judy paused mid-bite, eyes moving from Vash to Evelyn, "Ev… the merc you hired is V?"
That morning, Evelyn had shown up early and dropped new material in her lap, demanding it be processed fast. Judy hadn't realized what it was until she started scrubbing the footage — Arasaka all over it.
Given their relationship, she hadn't pressed Evelyn for details. But she hadn't imagined the hired muscle was Vash.
Just last night they'd been eating hotpot at the same table. Now the walls were back up, like none of it mattered.
Judy's expression cooled, "So that's why you wouldn't tell me what this BD was for all day. It's this kind of thing."
The braindance captured Evelyn's private meeting with Yorinobu Arasaka — Arasaka's heir. From Evelyn's perspective, she was casing his suite, mapping the room, and hunting for a hidden chip.
Evelyn went quiet for a beat, then said, "Judy, you don't need to worry. Nothing's going to go wrong."
"Of course nothing happens to you." Judy shot back, her voice sharpened, "Because everyone else is carrying the risk. Everyone in Night City knows Arasaka's rep. You want V and Jack rummaging through that Megacorp heir's stuff — are you trying to get them flatlined? Militech, Kang Tao, the NCPD, the gangs… tell me, which one of them dares to challenge Arasaka in the open? This is you sending them to their deaths. And you'll be in danger too. You really think you can keep it quiet? Ev, you weren't like this. Why are you going this far?"
Judy was genuinely furious. She lived in this basement because the city above had chewed up whatever humanity people had left — sold it off for a handful of eddies.
That was why she kept outsiders out. Before this, she'd had Evelyn and a few Mox friends. Now Vash and Jackie were in that circle too.
And because of Evelyn's ambition, she'd set a trap that put them on a collision course with Arasaka itself. In Night City, that wasn't "risky". That was suicide with extra steps.
Vash stayed quiet. In the original run of things, his first time in this BD was his first time meeting Judy — back then, she'd only been worried about getting caught in the crossfire.
Now it was different. He was already her friend.
Forcing Judy to watch a friend walk into a job that could kill them… that was cruel.
Evelyn didn't argue. After a long pause, she said softly, "Judy… I promise this is the last time. Once it's done, I'm out. No more games in Night City. Just help me — one last time."
Vash felt the irony twist in his chest.
Judy — the cool, tough big sister type — was practically begging, eyes bright with emotion, and Evelyn still put ambition first. In the end, she'd pay for that choice.
Judy stared at Evelyn for a few seconds, then turned away. She picked up a finished BD shard and looked only at Vash.
"V, you come back alive." She said, "I can't go back to living on whatever garbage passes for food when you're not around."
Vash held out his pinky.
Judy blinked, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Something I picked up back home." He said, "A pinky promise. We hook fingers, it seals the deal — and then I follow through."
Judy's pinky hooked his.
Hmm. Yeah… that felt nice.
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T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)