Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077

Leo blocked the katana slashing in from the right.

As for the blade swinging in from the left, he had no sword free—and didn't need one. He simply reached out his left hand, the Powered Arm Bracer clamping onto the blade.

The Ripper, completely unprepared for this development, looked shocked. He tried pulling with all his might, but no matter how hard he yanked, he could not pry the katana free from the bracer's grip. Both men were locked together, straining for an advantage. Whichever side gave out first would be cut to pieces.

Just then, Leo—only an arm's length away—smiled at him. In the next moment, he drove his forehead forward in a vicious headbutt.

The blow left the Ripper reeling. Leo released the katana, then shoved the dazed enemy to the ground. Lifting his right hand with its Powered Arm Bracer—glistening in the cold downpour like a cross of judgment—he hammered it down onto the Ripper's skull.

The Ripper's head slammed into the pavement, forming a spiderweb of cracks. Blood splattered across both the ground and Leo's bracer, only to be washed away by the rain. Leo kept pummeling him like a pile driver, fist after fist, until the Ripper's head was gone completely. His corpse lay there like a mound of raw meat, devoid of life.

People hiding in nearby shops and buildings stared in stunned silence at what had just transpired. Even the Trauma Team leader and the medic, who had been saved by Leo, felt their throats tighten in shock.

A shop owner trembling behind his counter had just called NCPD moments earlier. Seeing the Ripper reduced to paste, he changed his tune, stammering into his phone,

"If you guys are busy…y-you really don't have to come."

Noticing Leo about to leave, the team leader finally shook off his daze and hurried over.

"Wait, please—hold on!"

Leo turned back to look at him, causing the leader to shudder despite himself. He knew this man had saved his life, but he could not escape a certain underlying fear.

"You saved us. I owe you."

With that, the leader transferred several thousand eurodollars. "I know it's not much, but it's all I can manage."

Leo confirmed receipt of the payment, then walked away without further delay. He left behind the wide-eyed stares of the team leader, the medic, and the onlookers huddled in nearby buildings.

---

Outside Lucy's apartment door:

"All right, I'm heading out," Leo said.

"Wait." Lucy's voice came from behind him. "You're soaked. Why don't you come in and take a shower first?"

In 2077, people still hadn't eradicated common colds or fevers. The poor, who couldn't even afford Trauma Team's cheapest plan, sometimes died of plain old pneumonia.

Leo thought for a second and accepted Lucy's offer.

While Leo showered in the bathroom, Lucy slipped out to buy him some clothes. After all, his were thoroughly drenched by the rain. He couldn't just wear them again straight out of the shower.

She returned soon enough—there was a small clothing store just downstairs.

"I left the clothes outside the bathroom."

"Thanks."

Once he was finished showering, Leo changed into the outfit Lucy had bought and stepped out, towel in hand, rubbing his hair dry.

"I've got a hair dryer," she said.

"It's fine. A towel works, and my hair isn't that long anyway."

But Lucy had already fetched the dryer and grabbed him by the hand. "Sit."

Leo offered no resistance, seating himself obediently. Lucy started blow-drying his hair.

Unable to move from the chair, Leo's gaze wandered around Lucy's apartment. The layout was more or less the same as the last time he visited, except for a bathtub filled with ice in the corner and an old poster on the wall. He recalled that neither item had been there when she first rented the place, so that faded poster must have been Lucy's own addition.

Sensing his curiosity, Lucy tried to act casual. "How does it look?"

"That poster? Looks like one of those old recruiting prints they put out back when they were colonizing the moon—trying to get people to head out there and do manual labor. That was quite a while ago."

"Yes, exactly. So?"

"You want to go to the moon?"

"Mm-hmm."

Lucy did not deny it. She had a secret, buried deep within. Ever since she escaped Arasaka's facility, she had been afraid of being found again. Arasaka's reach was everywhere, so she never dared stay long in any one place. In Lucy's eyes, nowhere on Earth felt safe. Maybe only on the moon would she finally be free.

"Sounds pretty great to me."

A faint smile curved Lucy's lips. Even if Leo was simply humoring her, it made her happy.

Still, she said coolly, "If you're just saying what you think a girl wants to hear, that doesn't make me feel any better."

"Not at all. I mean it."

Living in space? He had always found that idea awesome. Before he came to Night City, Leo had loved sci-fi and the stars. If this were his old life, he would have been the type to back "Star Citizen" or pre-order Bethesda's "Starfield." Truly a dream come true.

"There—it's done," Lucy said, setting the dryer aside. She walked to the fridge. "Want something to drink? Cola again?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Lucy pulled out a beer for herself and a cola for Leo. She usually only kept beer on hand, but this time, there were a few bottles of soda as well. She handed Leo the cola, and they sat quietly, sipping their drinks in silence. 

As their glasses ran low, Lucy suddenly stood. "I've got something to show you."

She took out what appeared to be a pair of sporty earphones. 

"Ever tried one of these?"

"That's a braindance wreath, right?" Leo eyed the device in her hand curiously. "C'mon, I live in Night City—everyone's done a braindance at least once. So, what're you about to show me?"

"You'll see." Lucy gave him a sly smile, placing the braindance wreath in Leo's hands. Then she told him to lie down on the bed.

Next, she grabbed a pink pouch—one of those small "umbrella" packages, as some people jokingly called them—and tore it open, revealing a BD chip that she inserted into Leo's wreath. Lucy also donned a wreath of her own, then lay beside him.

"Some parts of this still need editing. Hold on… Let's see. If it's someone's first time diving into this kind of braindance, these parameters need to be dialed down. And here…maybe let's keep this setting. It won't break immersion—actually, it'll enhance it…"

While Lucy fiddled with the settings, Leo watched her profile. Compared to her delicate features, even Night City's neon skyline seemed to lose its splendor.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face?" Noticing his gaze, Lucy turned, sounding amused.

"No, it's nothing."

After a flurry of adjustments, Lucy finally finished calibrating the BD. "Ready?"

Leo gave her a nod.