Cyberpunk: Becoming a Legend from Dogtown

Rebecca rested her chin in her hands, eyes vacant.

Hungry. Miserable. She missed the little Koko-Cola cans from Japantown vending machines—that icy, tongue-tingling hit.

This dump didn't even have fresh Maxtac Plantain Chips. Everything was expired.

"Maine! Maine!"

Rebecca's brother, Pilar, burst through the rusty gate of the abandoned building. He seemed to be enjoying Dogtown—plenty of scrap tech lying around for him to tinker with all day.

Maine and Dorio sat near the makeshift bonfire they used for light, the radio playing Body Heat Radio's smooth tracks.

"So, get away…"

The love songs only soured Rebecca's mood further. She couldn't care less about romance when all she wanted was a Koko-Cola or some other fizzy drink.

"Stay put," Maine ordered Pilar. "Barghest could be lurking."

Pilar shrank back. He respected Maine—the undisputed leader of their crew.

"Ugh… Maine, have you made up your mind?" Rebecca grumbled. Lin Yue said their whole crew had to agree, and if they backed out later, leaving Dogtown would be even harder.

Sasha had already tried reaching out to fixers, but no one was crazy enough to take jobs in Dogtown right now. The only alternative? Rack up a fat criminal record with the NCPD and hope Barghest conscripted them.

Maine scratched his head. "I'm getting the feeling that kid's boss is with the corps."

Rebecca muttered, "How would I know? Plenty of people know our names in Night City. Can't interrogate everyone to see if they're Barghest or corps."

"She's right," Dorio agreed. "Maine, whoever Lin Yue's working for, we can't die here."

"Sasha's out there alone. She's worried sick."

Maine sat quietly for a while. "Fine, let's hear Lin Yue out."

Dorio nodded. "Honestly, we're the ones who screwed him over. Barghest wants him dead."

"Yeah! That jerk yelled at me too!" Rebecca pouted, remembering how Lin Yue told her to get lost. She couldn't really blame him.

Pilar loaded his gun. "If this guy sells us out, we're screwed. Better be ready."

Rebecca glanced at her shotgun. She didn't want to use it as a last resort warning, but…

Screw it. Blow it all to hell.

She didn't care anymore.

"Pilar, stand guard. Be polite," Maine instructed. He knew dealing with fixers and gangs required tact. No point making Lin Yue hostile now.

But they couldn't drop their guard either. What if Sasha gave them the wrong number? Or worse—what if Lin Yue was out for revenge?

Incoming Call: Unknown.

Rebecca's eyes lit up. She shared the call with the crew.

"So, I'm outside Longshore Stacks. You guys ready to work for my boss?"

Dorio shook her head.

"Uh… we can pay," Rebecca offered.

"Oh? Cool, guess I'll hang up then. Stay safe out there," Lin Yue replied flatly.

Rebecca panicked, yelling from the window, "Hey! We can pay! Name your price, asshole!"

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" she fumed.

Lin Yue sighed. This girl's intense…

"My boss says: you work, you leave Dogtown. Simple."

Dorio and Maine exchanged glances. Why would Lin Yue's boss need their small-time crew? Afterlife was full of bigger names—mercs who'd survived worse.

And their crew wasn't exactly top-tier. Poor mercs who didn't know Lin Yue picked them because he did know them.

He only needed to keep an eye on Kiwi—the netrunner. Not that Lin Yue knew she wasn't in the crew anymore.

Maine's crew wanted what all underdogs did: to claw their way up Night City's food chain. Fame, respect, power. They'd installed chrome endlessly, chasing strength and status—perfect prey for cyberpsychosis.

David Martinez embodied their ambition—a kid trying to prove himself at the top. Simple motivations. Perfect for Lin Yue's plans.

"Call me an idiot one more time, and I'm hanging up," Lin Yue warned. Rebecca was impulsive, but he knew how to break this crew in.

Bosses gotta train their employees, after all.

"Maine! Say yes already! Quit nodding like a mute!" Rebecca snapped.

Lin Yue chuckled. She's… kinda cute.

"I'm Maine," the gruff voice answered.

Straight to the point. "We don't trust you, so we had Rebecca call. No offense."

"None taken," Lin Yue replied. "I promise: you get out, my boss sends jobs your way. Market rates…"

"One more thing—when my boss gives you a job, I'll run with you. Deal?"

Maine was stumped. This boss gave Lin Yue way too much freedom. Since when did Pacifica have a fixer with this kind of pull?

But the deal was perfect. Lin Yue would be with them on every job, sharing their risks. If something went south, he'd go down with them.

That was all the assurance Maine needed. Lin Yue's boss must be legit.

Maine had no choice. His crew was running on fumes. He was their leader—he had to keep them safe.

"You're good at this, Lin Yue. We're in. I'll send the location. We'll secure it and verify your ID. Fair?"

"Fair."

Rebecca cut in, sounding sickly sweet, "You better come, Lin Yue. I'm dying… I need a Koko-Cola…"

"Enough, Rebecca," Dorio sighed, smiling despite herself. "We'll wait for Mr. Lin."

Call ended.

Lin Yue shook his head. Full of energy when cursing, whiny when begging. What a handful.

He was already heading to Longshore Stacks when Rebecca called. Passing a dilapidated mall turned slum, he suddenly doubled back.

A bloodstained vending machine, barely functional, flickered nearby.

"Little Koko… Kola%￥… Love on… your tongue!"

Lin Yue's eyes brightened as a slightly chilled can rolled out.

Wiping off the grime, he checked the date—still good. Perfect.

Guess this little menace earned herself a treat.

...

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