Cyberpunk 2077 – Cyber Dogs

"Please... let me be part of your gang," David said, his voice tight with desperation. 

A lot had gone down since Gloria slipped into that coma. First, David was kicked out of the Arasaka Academy. The school assumed—with cold corporate logic—that if Gloria wasn't working, she couldn't pay tuition. They never even brought up the fight with Katsuo. Turns out Katsuo's old man couldn't care less about his punk of a son. 

Then came another call—this time from EMTs. Not to give news about Gloria's health, but to inform David that she'd been fired. No ceremony. Just another worker cut loose. Like she never mattered. 

We tried helping David find gigs, legit ones. But in Night City, "legit" was a joke. Places didn't hire strangers off the street, not when half their staff were boosting inventory on the daily. I considered taking him to El Coyote for a dish-washing gig, but he stiffened up every time he saw Mama Welles. Maybe she reminded him too much of his mother. 

Weeks passed. David grew more tense, more hollow by the day, until one morning he stood before all of us—me, V, Jackie, and Lola—with that request. 

"Kid, do you even know what you're asking?" V asked, arms crossed. 

"I do," he said firmly, eyes locked onto V's with unsettling clarity. "I know exactly what I'm asking." 

"David," I said, stepping forward, "this isn't just about not finding work, is it?" 

He flinched, gaze dropping. His hands were clenched so tight I thought he'd draw blood. 

"Something happened," Jackie said. "I can see it all over your face, ese." 

Silence. 

"With everything that's happened, you've been holding it together," I said, eyeing him. "But I'm guessing this is about that blue-haired brat." 

David's jaw twitched. He looked up, face burning with rage. 

"Called you, didn't he?" I guessed. "Said something nasty?" 

David nodded. "He said... he said he hoped my mom would die. That everything she did for me was a waste. That she'd never get me through the Academy." 

Jackie swore under his breath. 

"Look, I get why you're mad," V said, "but what's that got to do with joining our crew?" 

More silence. 

I leaned in. "You want revenge, don't you? Use the Sandevistan and knock that smug little corpo into the ground." 

David looked startled, but not because I was wrong. 

"How did you—?" 

"Doesn't matter. Point is, you didn't do it. You held back. That's a good thing, kid. Shows restraint. You're already in a bad spot—don't make it worse." 

David exhaled slowly. His hands unclenched. "Yeah... yeah. You're right. But I still want in. I'm tired of being useless." 

"Our work is dangerous, David," V warned. "You mess up, you die. It's that simple." 

"Then I'll use this," David said, pulling the Sandevistan from inside his yellow jacket. 

Everyone went quiet. The cyberware gleamed like a death sentence. 

"David..." I stepped forward. "That's not just chrome. That's military-grade Sandevistan. Installing it is like putting a target on your back. Your mom probably stole it from her workplace to pay your tuition—it's got a buyer. It's tagged. Hot property." 

David froze, realization dawning. His mom hadn't just sacrificed a job—she'd risked everything. 

Still, he didn't back down. 

"I'm grateful for everything—all of you. You helped save my mom, you tried to find me work. But I'm done waiting for Night City to throw me a bone. Nobody's hiring, and the jobs I do get pay peanuts. I'm practically homeless. You're the only people I trust. Please—let me join the Cyber Dogs." 

I looked around at my team. 

"What do you think? Should we bring him on?" 

Jackie was the first to speak. "Let him join. He reminds me of me, back when I was flying solo. At least this time we can give him training, backup, a chance." 

"Under normal circumstances, I'd say no," V said, "but he's already fallen. Hitting rock bottom in Night City... it's not rare. Surviving it is." 

"And you, Lola?" I asked. 

"Woof!" she barked. Then again. "[I'm hungry.]" 

"Not exactly helpful." 

"Woof! [He can join.] ... Woof! [Also, I want a cheeseburger—with extra bacon.]" 

I smiled. "Well, it's settled. Welcome to the Cyber Dogs, David. But remember: that Sandevistan is hot tech. You install it, you take full responsibility." 

David nodded. "I will." 

"Good. But follow Vik's instructions to the letter. We'll help you train, but this won't be easy. You're not exactly packing muscle—and I doubt your stamina's great." 

David scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Y-yeah..." 

"Then let's get started—with cheeseburgers first." 

Day 1 – Vik's Clinic 

"Here, take some painkillers. No cyberware use for a couple of days," Vik said as he wrapped up the post-op. 

"Thank you, Vik." 

"Don't thank me yet, kid. This isn't a game—you screw up, you're dead." 

David nodded and followed me out to my sports car, walking stiffly. 

"How you feeling?" 

"Tired... and there's an itch on my spine. But I'm okay. Ready to start training." 

"Not yet. Let your body adjust first. Vik doesn't hand out warnings for fun." 

I thought back to how the anime handled it—Doc butchering him in a back alley without anesthesia. David got lucky in our timeline. 

Day 4 – In the Hideout 

"Stop. Twelve seconds is your current limit. Any more and you'll scramble your brain," V instructed. 

David leaned against a pillar, drenched in sweat. 

"Ugh, I feel sick. How do you handle this, V?" 

She glanced at me. I nodded. 

"Because mine doesn't have a limit," she said simply. 

David blinked. "What?" 

"My Sandevistan slows time to 90% for 30 seconds. One-second cooldown." 

David's jaw dropped. "Where the hell did you get that?" 

V pointed at me. 

I smiled. "If you want one, start saving. I only sell, not donate. And hey, friend discount." 

Day 7 – Sparring 

"Nice hit, kid," Jackie said, rubbing his chin. 

"Ow! Is your head made of concrete?!" 

Jackie laughed. "You hit me, and I didn't feel a damn thing. That's 'cause of this." He flexed his Gorilla Arms. "Latest version. My skin's like armored concrete now." 

David shook out his aching hand. "Next time I'm bringing brass knuckles." 

Day 11 – Rescue Gig 

"I said don't move!" David shouted, gun trembling in his hands. 

The Maelstrom grunt laughed. "You ain't got the balls, choom—" 

CRUNCH. 

I teleported behind him, kicked him square in the crotch. The guy screamed, launched into the ceiling like a ragdoll. 

"You alright, David?" 

"I... I froze. I couldn't pull the trigger." 

I put a hand on his shoulder. "That doesn't make you weak. It makes you human. Most who don't hesitate? They enjoy it. Killing gives 'em power." 

"But—" 

"When the moment comes where it's kill or be killed, you'll act. Until then, we'll train. For now, you get a bat." 

Day 17 – Running 

"Can we stop here? I'm... dying," David panted. 

"Here." I tossed him a bottle. 

He chugged it. "This stuff is amazing. Where'd you get it?" 

"It's from my world. Gatorade. Hydration tech." 

I gave him 15 minutes before we resumed. 

Day 23 – Driving 

"Keep going, David!" 

We were mid-chase, bullets pinging off my reinforced car. V and Jackie were in the back, returning fire. 

"Go right!" 

David turned sharply. The maneuver gave V a clear line of fire. Two enemy vehicles lost their tires and crashed hard. 

"We lived!" David cheered. 

"Yup. Now we feast." 

Day 30 – First Solo Gig 

"You've got guts, kid. Walking into Maelstrom turf alone," said a grunt, sneering. 

David stood relaxed, a baseball bat slung across his shoulders. Seven gangers surrounded him. 

"I don't have time for this. I've got tech classes to attend." 

"The hell are you talkin' about?!" 

Whirr. 

David activated the Sandevistan. Time slowed. He swung the bat in rapid, pinpoint arcs. When it resumed, the seven thugs went flying—into walls, through crates, one even landing upside-down in a chair. 

Inside, the leader had a gun to a kid's head. 

"Don't move or I'll kill this brat!" 

David activated the Sandevistan again, disarmed the guy mid-sentence, and slammed him into the wall. 

"It's okay, kid. Your parents sent me." 

"You bastard!" the leader roared, lunging with a knife. 

David raised his gun. "Don't move." 

He hesitated. But when the man took a step— 

Bang. 

"Agh!" 

The leader screamed, clutching his leg. 

"Try to stand and I shoot the other." 

The Valentinos later arrived to collect the thugs. David delivered the child safely and earned his first payout. 

Back at the hideout, we threw a party. 

"Not bad, kid," Jackie said, clapping his back. "Next time I got a gig, you're coming." 

"He's still raw," V added, smirking. "But with one of us around, he could probably handle fifty enemies." 

"From rookie to veteran in one month," I said, raising a drink. "You've come far, David." 

He smiled, eyes glassy. "It's all thanks to you guys. Thank you—for everything." 

And with that, the party continued long into the night. 

End of Chapter