Cyberpunk: The Magnet fruit

Lucy pulled David and ran all the way to the main road.

Without looking back, she asked, "David, can you drive?"

"Uh, a little. Not much," David replied instinctively, though confusion clouded his face.

"That's enough. Just follow me!" Lucy urged, glancing around before pulling David toward a sleek luxury car parked by the roadside.

David saw the car and immediately understood Lucy's intention.

Stealing a car?

This was classic GTA behavior—straight out of a video game. But then again, this was the City of Night. As long as you had the courage and the skills, nothing was truly off-limits here.

The two reached the car. The moment they did, the red garbled characters in Lucy's cyber-enhanced eyes began to dance.

With a soft click, the car's electronic door lock cracked open.

"Get in!" Lucy ordered, sliding into the passenger seat. "I'll need a moment to break through the driving system. Once it's done, you drive!"

David hesitated for only a second before slipping into the driver's seat and closing the door. His heart raced as he gripped the steering wheel. "Got it."

VROOOM!

At that exact moment, the roar of approaching engines shattered the fragile calm.

A gang of motorcycles, led by the scrappy scavenger boss Oris, burst out from the alley behind them. Without a shred of concern for the pedestrians crowding the main road, they gunned their engines and sped recklessly toward David and Lucy.

"There they are, boss!" one of Oris's men, his prosthetic eyes glowing red, yelled over the noise.

"Don't let them get away!" Oris bellowed, firing a few shots into the air with his machine gun.

The gunfire sent pedestrians scattering in a frenzy, screaming as they ran for cover.

The scavengers, undeterred, howled with laughter as they twisted their throttles, closing in on the car.

David's hands tightened on the steering wheel as the sound of the roaring engines grew louder and louder. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest.

In movies or anime, David had often seen the protagonist being hunted down by enemies like this. Those scenes never seemed tense to him because he always knew the protagonist would survive.

But now, sitting in the driver's seat and living the experience firsthand, he felt an oppressive weight bearing down on him.

The fear of not knowing whether he'd live or die in the next few seconds consumed him.

This wasn't a scripted event with guaranteed survival. This was real life, and here, being the protagonist didn't mean you were invincible.

Everyone might be the hero of their own story, but not every story had a happy ending.

Some became legends.

Others were just faceless corpses on the side of the road.

David's abilities, his magnetism power, were still new and largely unrefined. He had only unlocked them less than a day ago, and while they had already saved his life once, his control over them was rudimentary at best.

Could he block bullets? Maybe.

Could he handle the full assault of the scavengers' heavy firepower? He wasn't so sure.

"Damn it," David muttered under his breath, gripping the steering wheel harder. His hands trembled slightly, a mix of adrenaline and sheer terror.

Not far from the chaos, in a high-end café, a group of socialites sat chatting leisurely.

"Guess what? I'm starring in a new movie with Arasaka Films tomorrow," one of them—a sharply dressed man—bragged loudly. "And I'm the protagonist! My face will be all over the big screens in Night City!"

His companions clapped and showered him with compliments, their envious gazes stroking his ego.

For a moment, he was the center of attention, the undisputed protagonist of the café.

But outside, chaos erupted.

CRASH!

A loud collision shattered the tranquility inside the café.

The socialites turned toward the window, startled.

"Oh, God! Those cyberpunk street racers are at it again!" someone exclaimed.

"Such lowlifes! They ruin everything about this city!"

"Wait, that car looks familiar," another muttered, squinting at the luxury vehicle in the distance.

The sharp-dressed man's face fell as he recognized the vehicle.

"That's my car!" he screamed, bolting for the door.

Back on the road, the scavengers had caught up with David and Lucy. Motorcycles swarmed the car, slamming into it from all sides. Two scavengers leaped onto the trunk, their fists pounding on the rear windshield.

David's knuckles were white as he clutched the steering wheel, every fiber of his being focused on keeping calm.

"Got it!" Lucy's voice rang out as the car's driving system unlocked. "Floor it, David!"

Without hesitation, David slammed his foot on the gas.

WHAM!

The car jolted violently as it slammed into a telephone pole behind them.

"Reverse gear?! Seriously?" Lucy snapped, clutching her seatbelt as the impact threw the two scavengers on the trunk off, sending them tumbling across the asphalt.

"Uh, sorry! Just a small mistake!" David stammered, flustered.

Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I can tell you can barely drive."

David forced a nervous laugh, shifted into drive, and stomped on the accelerator.

VROOOM!

The car surged forward, speeding down the main road. The sound of the scavengers faded behind them, though stray gunfire cracked through the air.

Back at the café, the sharp-dressed man stormed out, shouting at the scavengers still sprawled on the ground.

"Get away from my car, you freaks! Do you know who I am? I'll call the Mobile Terror Squad on you!"

Oris, still perched on his motorcycle, spat in disdain. "Get out of my way."

Before the man could respond, Oris pulled out his gun and fired.

BANG!

The man crumpled to the ground, blood pooling beneath him. He gasped weakly, his voice barely audible.

"Call... the trauma team... I'm... Chris... the protagonist... of tomorrow's movie..."

Meanwhile, in the car, David finally felt the pressure easing as the scavengers fell farther behind.

"Nice driving," Lucy remarked, a rare hint of approval in her tone.

"Thanks," David replied, though his hands still trembled on the steering wheel.

He glanced in the rearview mirror, spotting Oris and his gang still chasing after them in the distance.

"This isn't over yet," Lucy warned, pulling out a small device from her bag. "We need to lose them for good."

"Got any ideas?" David asked, his voice tight with tension.

Lucy smirked. "Oh, plenty. But let's see if you can keep this car on the road first."

David forced a laugh, his nerves still raw. He tightened his grip on the wheel, the roar of the engine drowning out everything else.

This was Night City, a place where danger lurked around every corner. And for now, survival was the only thing that mattered.

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