Cybergate 2027 - A Baldur's Gate 3 / Cyberpunk 2077 Crossover

XIII

Baldur City University was an academic palace, a tranquil complex, dedicated to higher learning, in the midst of the bustling megapolis. The cultivated gardens and lean roads between its structures stood in stark contrast to the dense urban areas around its brick walls. The administration & faculty building, filling most of its space, was a monument to past architecture with tall marble columns, slanted shale roofs, and—at that hour of night—bright yellow lighting.

Lae'zel crossed the gardens and fountains with little care for the view, hurrying to the massive stairs at the front entrance. Wyll matched her steps but gazed frequently to the sides, especially at the female students, many of whom wore the plaid short skirts of BCU uniforms. She wasn't jealous—of course not! Only a sense of decency drove her to tell the detective to keep his eyes in front.

"I'm simply appreciating the many benefits of university life."

Lae'zel snorted. "How juvenile." Her eyes drifted toward the tight behinds of a male sports team. A mental image of herself squishing their bare muscles sent a thrill through her body.

"You're doing the same thing," Wyll said with a smug smirk. "Why is it alright for you?"

"It's not! I mean, it is—I mean, shut it!"

Two athletic female students walked past them, giving Wyll seductive glances, and he smiled at them like an utter fool. Lae'zel emitted a low growl, then pulled on his arm so the little strumpets would think he was taken.

"Slow down, Enforcer. It's such a delightful night, with barely a cloud in the sky—we should savour it."

Indeed, the lack of pouring rain was refreshing, but clear weather could also entice the two killers. "Should I remind you why we're here, Detective?"

Wyll sighed. "I just think we deserve a little break..." His gaze trailed toward a female student who was jumping for joy, squeaking to her friends about passing some test. Her red-and-green skirt glided upward each time she rose in the air. Lae'zel swivelled his head back to the correct posture.

"Break's over," she said, dragging him through the entrance into the enormous, bustling lobby. A fleeting thought that one or both killers could be there made her increase the pace, forcing Wyll to stay focused or lose her in the crowd. Their contact waited on the third floor, down a row of notable faculty members' offices. A golden plaque by the glass-and-wood door said, "Professor Gale Dekarios, Department of History and Futurism." She entered with a rudimentary knock.

Inside the office, between a mahogany desk and a packed bookshelf, stood a dark-eyed man with shoulder-length brown hair and stylish stubble, wearing a double-breasted purple suit over a silvery silk shirt. A thick, leather-bound tome sat in his hands, and a curvaceous blonde, wearing a white V-neck shirt and the uniform skirt, was leaning on his arm. He shut the book and smiled at Lae'zel.

"Enforcer Crèche'Kliir, I presume." His voice was clear, and he pronounced her name with an almost perfect Githyanki accent. His lips weren't too bad, either.

"In the flesh," Lae'zel said, glancing unkindly at the blonde.

The professor noticed and turned to his student. "I'll see you later, Mitzi." She obliged him with a fawning giggle, but glared at Lae'zel on the way out.

"I don't usually do this," she said when they were alone, "but Marcus vouched for you."

"I can say the same," Gale said as he placed the tome in his bookshelf. "He mentioned a murder case, though, piquing my curiosity." He tapped on a wall panel, and a green light switched on. "May I offer you some tea?"

"I'm afraid we both prefer coffee," Wyll said before she could answer.

"How tragic." The professor cleared his throat and tapped again on the panel. "Tea, Earl Grey, hot, and two espressos."