Cyberpunk: The Magnet fruit

David caught her. Lucy's charming expression vanished as quickly as it appeared. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she muttered under her breath, "So, I've been caught…"

She feigned nonchalance and shrugged. "Alright, I'll give it back to you."

Lucy opened her hand, her tone casual. But there was nothing casual about what happened next.

With a flick of her wrist, the few chips she held suddenly glimmered under the light and shot into the air like scattered coins.

David's eyes widened in shock.

"Seriously?" he growled.

The maglev train was crowded with passengers coming and going—corporate workers rushing to their destinations. If those chips hit the floor, there was no telling how many might get scooped up in the chaos.

The sleek Arasaka-branded chips were valuable, and if any of these desperate workers got their hands on them, he'd never see them again.

Lucy flashed a sly grin, her cat-like eyes glinting with mischief. She clearly planned to use the commotion as her chance to slip away.

Her free hand moved subtly, and David caught the gleam of golden threads—her cybernetic wrist, fitted with weapons as thin as spider silk but sharp and deadly. It could kill without a sound, but it could also snatch those chips midair with ease.

She's planning to grab them in the chaos, David realized.

But Lucy's confidence didn't last long.

What happened next left her frozen in shock.

The chips, which had been flying toward the train's ceiling, suddenly stopped midair as though caught by an invisible hand. Then, with unnatural precision, they floated back toward David.

He calmly extended his hand, and the chips returned to his palm like obedient pets responding to a whistle.

Lucy's eyes widened in disbelief.

David smirked, pocketing the chips as the train's automated announcement chimed overhead:

"Dear passengers, please note: when the train starts, do not lean against the doors to avoid injury..."

The train smoothly started again, gliding along its magnetic track.

David released Lucy's wrist and stepped back, settling into an empty seat behind him.

He exhaled a breath, looking as casual as if nothing had just happened. "Phew, good thing I ate breakfast today. That could've been exhausting."

He leaned back and gave Lucy a pointed look. "Hey, could you cut it out with the tricks? Just hand things back properly next time, alright?"

Lucy was stunned.

She stood there, rooted to the spot, her expression torn between disbelief and frustration.

This boy—who she'd tried to rob, no less—not only wasn't angry but was now sitting there like some kind of elder lecturing her.

Lucy's brows furrowed.

What's wrong with this guy? she thought.

She studied him. He couldn't have been much older than her—maybe 17 or 18, if that. He might even have been younger.

Her thoughts swirled. She'd tried to trick him, and instead, he'd turned the tables without breaking a sweat.

Was he really just a normal, unaugmented boy?

Lucy's mind raced, but her body stayed frozen, her instincts struggling to process what had just happened.

David chuckled softly as he watched her.

The Lucy standing in front of him now seemed so different from the one he knew from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

In the anime, she was a seasoned edge runner—calculated, deadly, and enigmatic. But here and now, Lucy looked caught off guard. Vulnerable, even.

David's smile softened. He couldn't help but think of her future, of the tragedies she and David Martinez would face in the story he'd loved so much back on Earth.

She hasn't met him yet, David thought. She hasn't met David Martinez.

And that meant her path hadn't been written yet.

In Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, their story had been destined for heartbreak from the start. It was a cruel world with no room for happy endings.

But this time?

David clenched his fist. He refused to let things unfold the same way.

Lucy's voice broke his thoughts.

"You…" she started, her tone filled with disbelief. "You're not normal."

David shrugged, smirking. "I've been told that before."

Lucy frowned, still clearly unsettled.

"What are you standing there for?" David asked, patting the empty seat next to him. "Aren't you tired? Take a seat."

The train hummed softly as it continued its journey, sunlight flickering through the glass windows in flashes.

For a moment, there was only the sound of the train, the gentle sway of its movement, and the soft murmurs of the passengers around them.

Lucy hesitated, her sharp eyes locked on David. She didn't move, still suspicious of his intentions.

David raised an eyebrow. "What? You're just gonna stand there the whole ride? Your legs are gonna give out if you keep it up."

The corners of Lucy's mouth twitched. She couldn't tell if he was serious or just trying to mess with her.

For a girl who had spent her life on the fringes of Night City—always calculating, always staying one step ahead—this level of casual kindness was jarring.

As the train sped on, the scene between them held an inexplicable harmony.

Neither of them spoke for a while, yet the silence wasn't uncomfortable. It was as though the world outside the train had faded, leaving only the two of them in this fleeting moment of calm.

David leaned back in his seat, seemingly unfazed.

Lucy finally broke the silence. "Who are you, really?"

David smiled faintly. "Just a guy trying to survive in Night City."

Lucy didn't respond immediately. Her sharp gaze lingered on him, as though trying to peel back the layers and see what lay beneath his calm demeanor.

What she saw confused her even more.

He didn't seem like a corporate worker. Nor did he carry himself like the usual street punks or mercenaries she'd come across.

There was something different about him—something she couldn't quite pin down.

David, on the other hand, was quietly reflecting.

He knew their meeting was significant. Lucy was no ordinary person, and neither was he—especially now.

In another timeline, David Martinez had failed to protect Lucy.

But this time, it was David who had the chance to make a difference.

"I'm not letting that happen again," he murmured softly, almost to himself.

Lucy tilted her head. "What?"

David shook his head and smiled. "Nothing. Just thinking about breakfast."

Lucy raised an eyebrow but said nothing, her lips curving into a faint smirk.

The train continued its journey, the future stretching out before them like the ever-changing skyline of Night City.