.Military Grade Cyber Weapon (Lucy X F.OC).

-Before The End-

"Well choom, seems like you've met your limit." Ripper told me.

"No, can't be possible." I shook my head. "Not possible, I still need to get Arasaka."

"Why are you even so hellbent on those corpos? Militech was not enough for you?"

"It's not that." I shook my head, arms crossed.

"Then what? You are going to flatline yourself if you keep this up Zizy, cyberpsychosis is nothing to scoff at."

"I know that Ripper, I know that."

"Then why push forwards when your mind and body screams to stop? You are my best client, a pain to lose you."

"You only care for my Eddies." I joked with a dry laugh followed by a sigh. "But I need to do this, for me and Lucy."

"But. Why. Is. That?"

"Arasaka is where Militech got the idea for the Zybervistan project, there are gigs we need to refuse with the danger of them tracking Lucy down and catch her like they did with that Faraday guy, she is constantly in danger since corpos never forget and will want revenge and I want them gone so they can feel the pain I felt because of them, they need to die like Militech."

"You know there is more corpos around the world and in Night City too? A big fish dies and gets replaced by another."

"I know but our target is Arasaka only, the others shouldn't even care for us."

"So, you are basically doing this for a girl you love even if it tears your body apart?"

"You could say that I want her safe in this accursed city and this is the only way. The fact I can fry their systems as revenge for having such an idea is just bonus."

He sighed, looking through his messy workshop.

"Here, three times your usual dosage." He said while handing my way bags of the green vials that I put in my hip pouch.

Usually, Ripperdoc's only care for money and he would love to believe that he does too.

"Well... I'll be going." I said as he did not face me, sorry Ripper, this must be done.

"If you croak those chromes are mine got it? Militech shit will sell for gold after what you did to it." He said before I could open the door, I looked back.

"After all these years of service to my cause they are rightfully yours." I said with a smile, exiting the shop. "Thanks for taking care of me." I only heard a 'tsk' as I closed the door.

I will make sure you get your part Ripper if something happens to me.

I looked around, spotting the familiar pastel rainbow hair colour.

"Hey." I called out.

"Come on." She waved me after her and I simply followed.

She walked us to the Afterlife bar.

I sat up on one of the many railings outside of it, legs propped up on the level under it.

We got out money, but we lied to the client his son had been shot in a standoff, he deducted our pay for his treatment but honestly did not want to argue.

I grabbed my face, dammit Zyber I thought you were better than that.

"Here's yours." She handed me a drink, coming back with two.

"Thanks." I easily popped the cap of the bottle by simply using my fingers.

She leaned against the railing next to me, looking ahead.

It was awkward, it had been a while since it felt awkward with her.

"Luc--" "I thought we'd say we'd slow down." She cut off my attempt to chat, glaring ahead of her, grip tight on her drink. "I thought we'd be careful."

"Lucy." I sighed. "I am sorry, I don't know why without any stimulus it keeps getting worst."

"Because you refuse to downgrade, no one was meant to have as much cyberware in them."

"Smasher did it." I took a swig. "So, I must too, Arasaka's head of security would kill us without breaking a sweat without all this chrome to help me."

"Stop talking about Arasaka..." She shook her head, hanging it so head hair was in the way. "This is like that day all over again, neither of you wishing to back down, you are just going to get yourself killed like him."

"Lucy." I swirled the drink in the bottle, watching it slosh around. "You are not losing me that easily, after Arasak--" "BUT THERE MIGHT NOT BE AN AFTER!" She yelled.

Silence fell over us despite the music blaring in the background.

My eyes wide as tears rolled from hers and down her face.

"Dammit idiot, there might not be a next time, an after Arasaka, an after all this, Night City doesn't have happy endings and I don't want another bad end dammit. Revenge on Arasaka was my dream and someone else is once again dying for my dream..."

"Lucy." I lifted a hand, tilting her head up with the tip of my fingers and a soft smile. "Your dream is my dream, my freedom is being with you, and you are trapped, as long as Arasaka looms you will be in danger, and I can't have that." I wiped the tears with my thumb. "Yes, my dream was freedom, but it means nothing without you."

"My dream means nothing without YOU. Night City and Arasaka will do everything they can to make it a bad end for us and I don't see an out."

"NC might be a city of bad ends, a city where you become a legend not by how you live but how you die, a city of corruption and death.... But a happy ending is not impossible."

"It is almost impossible though." She shook her head free.

"Well, we only need one happy end." I grinned, leaning my elbows on my knees. "I like my odds on that."

"You idiot." She shook her head and despite it all a smile made it on her face. "Always optimist."

"I promised to take you to the moon with me, I can't die before I do that."

"You better keep that promise... I will not bare it be broken once again."

"Don't worry Lucy, I fight to the end to get back to you."

"You better."