"You know that mother and son?"
V's tone was more a statement than a question.
Leo nodded, then shook his head. "I just think that boy has potential. Maybe I can bring him on as a fighter."
V rolled her eyes. "Ordinary families break their backs to send their kids to Arasaka Academy, hoping to change their fate and land a proper job. And you? You want to snatch him up to be your thug? Do you even hear yourself?"
"What's the difference? Working for a corp or working for me—both are jobs. It's not like I'd shortchange his salary," Leo said, sipping his soda. "And hey, he can still study and become a high-IQ bodyguard!"
He glanced at V, wondering if she was one of those fabled 3-IQ warriors.
V's fists clenched. That look in his eyes—absolutely disrespectful!
After two days of close observation, Leo had a decent read on V's temper and quickly switched strategies, stroking her ego instead. "Didn't you say your intuition is amazing? What's your read on that pair?"
V was successfully baited and began seriously recalling them.
"From his build and bearing, the boy seems physically capable, well-educated too. He's clearly not like those street rats left to fend for themselves. As for potential—unless someone's a mutant, it's hard to tell just by appearance.
"That woman must be an EMT from the med center. Her yellow jacket was standard uniform. But something about her… felt off."
V squinted, digging into her memory. "Yeah. Not dirty in a 'bad person' kind of way—more like someone straddling both sides of the law, taking private gigs. Pretty normal in Night City."
Leo looked at her with newfound respect. "You can tell all that?"
He knew Gloria's background from "the plot"—how she sometimes snatched implants off corpses for cash.
But V? She figured that out just from a glance or two.
Her instincts were seriously something else.
V grinned proudly, having forgotten her earlier irritation.
"I could also tell their finances are tight. Sending the kid to Arasaka Academy is probably no small burden."
"True…"
Leo tossed his empty bottle and ended the topic.
David was someone he had big plans for. Once the story hit its beats, he could save Gloria's life, putting David deep in his debt.
Then he'd reel him in with cold hard cash, earning his loyalty and molding him into a gold-star enforcer.
That was the plan!
After resting a while, the two left the Arasaka building.
Everything was fine—except for the endless flow of foot traffic, which made it hard to chat privately.
At the entrance, they retrieved their weapons.
V ignored the wary glances from passersby, twirling her beloved gun before tucking it back at her hip. "Finally… Not carrying a weapon feels like walking around naked."
Leo, predictably, imagined V walking around naked. Before he could get to the details, he felt a murderous glare pierce through him.
"What are you thinking?"
"…What to eat for lunch."
"You'd better be thinking that."
V clearly didn't believe him, but intuition had its limits. She could sense he was thinking something naughty, but not what exactly.
Leo, fearing she'd press further, switched the topic. "Still a bit early for lunch. Wanna wander the plaza a bit?"
"What's there to see?" V grumbled.
"Hey—we're already here."
He cast one of the Four Great Spells of the East.
Effectiveness: Legendary.
V paused, then reluctantly nodded.
They strolled toward the center of the plaza, admired a massive koi projection in the sky, bought two coffees, and found a bench to sit on—blending in like typical corporate folk enjoying a midday break.
Well, Leo enjoyed it.
V, not so much. She squirmed like she had ants in her clothes.
The setting clashed hard with the rough streets she knew. Not to mention, all the cuddly couples nearby made her visibly uncomfortable.
Especially since they happened to be… one guy, one girl… in a couple-dense area…
"Hey… why are we just sitting here? Let's walk around. Eat. Go home."
"Why not savor a moment of peace? Let your soul breathe."
Leo tried to talk philosophy.
"Speak human!" V raised her fist.
"You wouldn't get it—your cultural literacy is way too low…"
"Right. You and your high cultural literacy. Let's see how long you'll cry after I punch you."
They bickered, but V, to her credit, still didn't beat up her employer.
Leo's attempt to build rapport had utterly failed. Time for a different tactic.
And sure enough—there's no quicker way to a woman's heart than through her stomach.
At least for V, it worked.
Once she had real Chinese food in her stomach, her mood lifted immediately.
"This is way better than the stuff in Little Chinatown!"
Leo nodded as he munched on what looked like a heavily modified General Tso's Chicken.
After lunch, the two returned to their apartment in Heywood.
It was just past 1 PM. Leo thought for a moment, then brought out two sets of combat gear. "I've mostly recovered. Teach me some fighting skills?"
"You sure?" V's grin slowly stretched.
Leo noticed her expression turning ominous but nodded anyway. He really did need hands-on training to avoid becoming dead weight.
"I'm sure. I can't stay completely helpless, always a hostage risk."
"Good mindset. Then I won't hold back."
V's smile bloomed fully. She strapped on her blue training gloves.
A good meal, a chance to stretch and hit something? What a perfect afternoon.
"Take this!"
V pounced like a tiger, launching into left hooks, right hooks, spinning kicks—and a groin strike.
"Wait! Wait a second!" Leo backed off in panic, arms over his head. "What kind of cheap move is that!?"
V didn't even blink. "You think street fights—or real close combat—follow rules? You win by dealing the most damage, as fast as possible."
"If you cover your head, I'll go for your legs. If you leave a weak spot open, I'll strike it. That's what real combat is. Enemies won't show you mercy."
"Still want to go? Or should we stop here? Judging by how you flinch and close your eyes when hit—I bet you've never even been in a real fight. Probably lived in a nice, safe bubble your whole life.
"If it's too much, just stay in the back from now on. Don't join battles."
Leo did want to stay in the back, honestly. But this world didn't play fair. He might avoid one fight—but not all of them.
"I'll fight! But—don't hit my face or the family jewels, okay? Take it easy. I'm here to learn, not die!"
"Your technique sucks, but that mouth's tough enough." V snorted. "Fine. I'll switch to training mode. Let's start with the basics."
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