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Ding-a-ling—
The alarm clock shrieked first, followed by the apartment's TV snapping to life. Stanley's irritating, high-octane voice filled the room with the daily "Dead Man's Lottery" segment.
"Good morning, Night City!"
Jax instinctively reached out to slap the clock into silence. Even in 2076, these "standard issue" apartment alarms were designed to be as obnoxious as possible. The worst part was that the skyscraper's management hard-coded them into the lease—if you didn't pay the utility fee, you didn't even have the right to turn the damn thing off. It would just keep ringing until you lost your mind or your eddies.
Jax sat up, rubbing his eyes, and looked at the figure still in bed.
Sasha was sitting up, her back to him. Her skin was fair and smooth, save for the sleek silver line of a high-grade neural interface running down her spine. A few faint bruises marked her skin—reminders of the "intense training" from the night before.
"You're up?"
Sasha pulled the blanket up to her chin, then playfully tossed a corner over Jax's face. By the time he pulled it down, she was already sliding into her Netrunner suit. To maximize cooling during deep dives, the suits were designed with minimal fabric—a sleek, black one-piece that left very little to the imagination.
She stood by the bed, reaching for her undergarments. She didn't shy away from his gaze, though her movements were uncharacteristically clumsy. She slipped on a pair of pink-patterned briefs, then realized she'd already fastened the bottom of her suit. She let out a soft huff of frustration, unbuttoned the suit, and started over.
Despite her "teacher" persona from the night before, she was clearly flustered.
"Get up. Eat," Sasha pouted, catching him staring. She gave him a playful nudge toward the kitchen.
As she walked toward the nutrient cabinet, she suddenly winced, her hand drifting to her lower abdomen. It really hurt. Her sister had told her that men in this "fast-food" era were usually quick and efficient—her brother-in-law certainly was. But Jax? Jax was like a marathon runner.
Why is he like a donkey! Sasha thought irritably, slamming the microwave door a little harder than necessary.
Jax got dressed and watched her fuss with the breakfast packets. "I say... for someone who claimed to be so experienced, you seemed a bit out of your depth."
"So?" Sasha turned, her eyes narrowing into a dangerous cat-like smile.
"...Nothing. Just an observation," Jax said quickly.
He'd learned a lot from Braindances back at Lizzie's, and while the "equipment" was the same, the emotional weight was entirely different. If the system hadn't changed his life, he'd probably be a high-end joytoy at the Moxes right now. Susie Q had trained him well, even if she'd kept him "off the market" until he was an adult.
After a quick breakfast, Jax's phone buzzed. It was Maine. The crew hadn't slept a wink; after the adrenaline of the Badlands and a million-euro payday, nobody could close their eyes. Maine wanted to head to Viktor's to handle the upgrades and Jax's custom weapon request.
As Jax and Sasha walked out of the apartment, their neighbor's door opened. Gloria Martinez emerged, looking exhausted, followed by David in his Arasaka Academy uniform.
"Good morning, Mr. Jax," Gloria said, offering a tired smile before fussing over David's collar.
David's gaze, however, was locked onto Sasha. He looked between the two of them, a hint of adolescent shock in his eyes. Didn't they say they weren't a couple? But she's leaving his place at seven in the morning...
"Heading to school?" Jax asked David, his mood exceptionally bright.
"Yeah. Today's the day I test the software Mr. Viktor fixed for me," David said. "I hope the Academy's AI doesn't flag it."
"Good luck. If anything feels off, call me," Jax said, patting the kid's shoulder.
David waved and headed for the elevators. Sasha watched him go, her expression turning serious as she leaned against the hallway wall.
"What was that about?" she asked Jax.
"He's using a pirated tuner to bypass the school's software fees. Viktor cleaned the code and removed the viruses," Jax explained.
Sasha's brow furrowed. "I'm not questioning Viktor's skill as a Ripperdoc, Jax, but... are you two serious? That's Arasaka Academy."
"Huh?"
"Arasaka's security isn't just about viruses," Sasha said, her tone clinical. "Their firewalls are more advanced than most corporate headquarters. They have high-tier Netrunners monitoring the school network 24/7. Even if the software is clean, if the version number or the digital signature doesn't match their encrypted server, the AI will flag it as an intrusion instantly."
She shook her head. "I'll hit a Biotechnica server any day, but I stay clear of Arasaka. Their equipment is world-class. That kid is walking into a trap."
Jax paused. A memory from the anime flickered in the back of his mind—a scene of a classroom, a short-circuit, and a massive fine that started David's downward spiral. But before he could piece it together, the elevator opened.
"Jax! We're here!" Maine's booming voice filled the hall.
Maine, Dorio, Rebecca, Kiwi, and Jackie spilled out. They looked like a group that had just won the lottery—which, technically, they had.
"Sasha! You're back! Perfect timing," Maine cheered. "Let's move. We're heading to Viktor's. Pilar is meeting us there with the salvage. Jax, you can pitch him your weapon ideas while the Doc works on us."
"Let's go," Jax said.
But as they walked toward the elevators, that nagging thought about David wouldn't go away. If the software fails... everything changes today.
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