"No doubt about it, you two did a damn good job this time. Karl, Johnny, I got what I needed, and no one was alerted. Nicely done," Rogue's voice carried a rare note of praise.
Johnny Silverhand looked like he wanted to say something, but under Karl's warning glare, he held his tongue. For the sake of getting his smoking and drinking modules, he forced himself to suppress his bragging. This uncharacteristic restraint didn't go unnoticed by Rogue, who glanced at him curiously.
She'd expected that the moment she said, "Nicely done," Johnny would puff up and go on about how awesome and badass he was. But now? Johnny was quiet. Had he actually learned something from this gig?
"Well, guess that's it for now," Karl said. "Johnny, you staying here with Rogue or—"
"Hell no! I practically begged you—get me those smoking and drinking modules, now!" Johnny Silverhand cut in, impatient as ever.
"Fine." Karl nodded toward Rogue with a helpless expression. "We won't stay and chat. If anything comes up, you know how to find us. We're just heading out for a drink."
"Smoking and drinking, huh... figures," Rogue chuckled. "So that's why Johnny's been so quiet today. Tell you what—consider tonight's drinks on me. Call it a bonus for the mission. And make sure you pack a few bottles for this impatient mutt."
"I don't need you to say it," Johnny grumbled.
As Karl and Johnny hurried out, Rogue watched the door close behind them, then picked up the package they'd delivered and began making calls. Their job was done—but for Rogue, things were just getting started.
When Karl and Johnny reached the bar counter, the rest of the crew had already gathered. After checking out the festival, they'd all come straight to Afterlife upon getting Karl's message. Karl glanced around and noticed someone missing.
"Where's Misty?" he asked Jackie, taking a seat.
"We watched the petal rain together, then she went home. My mom wanted to have dinner with her," Jackie shrugged. "Nowadays, Misty gets more quality time with my mom than I do. She's been complaining lately—makes me wonder who's the real child."
"She did say that to me the other day," Karl laughed. "She invited me, V, Oliver, and T-Bug over, said it'd been too long since we all had a proper sit-down."
"Been what, not even a week?" Jackie chuckled, then noticed Johnny hopping onto the seat next to him. "So how was your first job, Johnny?"
"Pfft, please. You think some small-time gig could stump the great Johnny Silverhand?" he said, puffing his chest and then turned to V and T-Bug. "Karl said you two can hook me up with a working taste module and smoking feature. He's footing the bill. Can you help me out? I'll even beg if I have to. Watching everyone drink while I can't—pure torture."
"No problem," V nodded. "Karl already told us. It won't be hard."
"As long as you don't stink up the whole place," T-Bug added.
"Relax. Once I've got my gear, I'll drink and smoke on the damn rooftop if I have to," Johnny promised.
Just then, Claire approached them. "What'll it be?" she asked, her eyes sweeping over Johnny with complete nonchalance. Clearly, a talking dog no longer fazed her.
Jackie grinned. "I'll have a Johnny Silverhand. Haven't had one in a while."
"Classy," Johnny said proudly. "That's how a real man drinks."
"Or maybe that's just how you like it," V teased, then turned to Claire. "Anything new on the menu? I'm in the mood for something special."
"How about a 'Glass of Allen'?" Claire suggested.
"'Allen'?" V raised an eyebrow. Then it clicked. "Oh, you mean the guy who offed Saburo Arasaka, right?"
He shot a sly look at Karl. "Wasn't he a Militech guy? Corp dogs tearing each other apart—do you put all of them on the menu here at Afterlife?"
"Doesn't matter who he worked for. The fact is, he took down Saburo Arasaka," Claire smiled faintly. "And our menu doesn't list him by his corp name. It lists him as 'Allen'—the name of the man who killed Saburo. Even if it was an alias, it's one hell of a name, don't you think?"
She gave Karl a knowing look. "It was actually Karl's suggestion. He even came up with the entire cocktail menu. Some folks used to complain about it, but when they found out it came from Karl? Not a single peep."
After all, if even the legendary KK thought the name deserved to be on the menu, who was anyone to argue? It's not like Saburo Arasaka could climb out of his grave and protest.
"Allen, huh... I probably owe that name," Oliver said, smiling with a hint of nostalgia. "If not for 'Allen,' I might still be rotting in some corpo dungeon."
"I'll have a 'Glass of Allen' too," he told Claire, curiosity in his eyes. "Let's see what kind of drink Karl came up with."
Claire smiled like she'd expected this. Clearing her throat, she began in a near-poetic tone:
"The nameless, the ordinary, the ones at the bottom—when they sip a drink bearing the name of a legend, they convince themselves they've lived through that brilliance. Lost in the haze of alcohol, they chase the dream, until dream and reality blur."
She paused and glanced around the room before continuing:
"That was the recommendation Karl included with the menu. He added: 'If you're going to savor something, why not savor this drink named after a false legend? Ordinary greatness doesn't need alcohol to numb the senses—it's satisfying on its own.'"
As her voice faded, a subtle silence lingered in the air. Johnny raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Tch, this guy... always has a way with words."
Jackie chuckled and raised his glass. "Sounds pretty poetic. What about my Johnny Silverhand—doesn't it deserve a fancy tagline too?"
"The name is the tagline," V smirked. "Who else knows how to drink themselves into oblivion better than Johnny Silverhand?"
Johnny scoffed but didn't argue. Instead, he turned to Claire. "Come on, you gotta have something special for my drink, too."
Claire grinned and leaned in. "The Johnny Silverhand? Its tagline is—'One sip, and you're a legend.'"
"Now that's more like it," Johnny nodded in satisfaction.
Oliver swirled his glass of Allen and whispered, "Nameless, ordinary... he really knows how to hit you right in the feels."
V raised his own glass and clinked it against Oliver's. "To the nameless. To the ordinary."
"To those people," Oliver echoed, their glasses chiming softly in the air.
Karl sat quietly, watching the moment unfold, a faint smile on his lips. He didn't say much—just took a sip of his own 'Allen.' The warmth of the liquor slid down his throat, leaving behind a subtle buzz.
He knew the drinks weren't the real point of Afterlife.
It was the stories behind those names that mattered—the memories, the tributes, the legacy. That's what gave these drinks power. They were symbols, comforts, even sources of strength.
They were part of Afterlife, part of Night City, and part of the lives of everyone gathered there.
Watching Karl and the others sip their Allens, Claire studied them in silence—the last true legends of Night City.
"Another 'Allen,' please," Oliver said, breaking the stillness.
Claire nodded and began to mix, the liquor swirling in the glass like a spell—drawing everyone deeper into a world of fantasy and forgotten truth.
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🔥 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS
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🔥 THE STORY DOESN'T STOP HERE. NEITHER DOES HE.
Night City breaks people every day.
Some crawl away.
Some disappear.
And some simply refuse to stop.
Cyberpunk: The Relentless has 500+ chapters ahead available for readers who want to keep going.
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⚡ NO BRAKES. NO MERCY. NO TURNING BACK.
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Every victory creates another enemy.
Every enemy leads to something bigger.
And Night City always wants another body.
🔥 500+ CHAPTERS AHEAD.
👉 Why stop now?
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