Cyberpunk 2077: V

Chapter 70: The Heist

An hour went by. Then two. Then three.

V and Jackie passed the time by reading, looking at memes on the Net, and watching TV. After a while they couldn't stomach the endless stream of ads, so they turned it off. Jackie let V switch on Royal Blue Radio, agreeing that what they needed right then was to chill. The jazz seemed to help.

At one point, Jackie moved to stand by the window, watching as light flickers of rain patted against the hotel room glass.

"Whaddya think? Why'd he give it all up?"

V blinked, startled out of her near-trance from staring at the perpetual, swimming fish hologram on the coffee table.

"Hm? Who gave up what?"

Jackie looked over at her from the window, arms crossed.

"Yorinobu Arasaka. Gave up the good life, I mean."

He sighed and turned fully toward her, shaking his head and planting his hands on his hips.

"Old news, I know..." he continued. "Just... got to thinkin', is all. Like - think about it. You got everythin', right? Eddies, education... Your pops can snap his fingers and turn half the fuckin' planet into a nuclear wasteland." Jackie let out a small snort of disbelief. "But instead you're like, 'Nah, fuck it,' and whaddya go do?"

Jackie waved his hand around. "Start a fuckin' gang! Steel Dragons or some shit! You ghost from your fam, chip some RealSkin and play gang leader for a few years. For what?!"

V thought for a moment, watching Jackie shift from foot to foot, then plant his hands on his hips again, sighing with frustration. She considered Yorinobu Arasaka and the history they knew of him.

"Maybe he just wanted outta the system," V offered softly.

"So then why'd he come back?" Jackie retorted immediately.

A pang of understanding shot through V's chest, and she realized suddenly that she had more in common with Yorinobu Arasaka than she thought.

She shrugged, then murmured, "Tough to ditch the system when the system's your own family..."

Jackie sighed and shuffled back to the window, gazing out at the rain.

"Black sheep's still a sheep, huh?" he huffed.

V swallowed and looked down at her feet.

"Sometimes..."

Jackie didn't pick up on the sliver of hurt in V's words. He suddenly kicked at the base of the window, his shoulders tensing. Turning around and pacing back and forth against the wet glass, he growled, "Crawled back on all fours, tail between his legs... fuckin' cheap-ass rebel. Fuckin' tourist."

V was shocked at the vitriol in Jackie's voice. Before she could process it and think of a response, however, T-Bug suddenly jumped on the line, her voice excited.

"Aaand we are back in biz! Penthouse security is completely neutralized."

Jackie's demeanor changed immediately, the anger transforming into a sly, approving smirk as he hummed, "Mmmm, perfecto. Let's start the show!"

He strode forward, gesturing for V to come along. She slowly rose, a ball of ice in her throat, but she swallowed it down. As they made their way to the hotel room door, Jackie called out, "Hey, Bug... were, uh, were you on comms that whole time?"

"Three and a half hours," T-Bug replied knowingly.

Jackie looked at V sheepishly over his shoulder. "Ehh... about that stick up the ass..."