To Sasha, Rebecca was like a younger sister—a fiery, energetic girl who acted tough but was incredibly kind at heart.
It wasn't that Rebecca couldn't help; even if she were capable of hacking into Biotech's systems, Sasha wouldn't allow her to take the risk.
"Oh, fine! Do whatever you want!" Rebecca huffed, crossing her arms. "Just don't expect me to be the one collecting your corpse."
She wasn't used to people patting her head, but since it was Sasha, she endured it without swatting her hand away.
"I'm really curious about this mission you took," Peter said, sipping his drink.
"Ah, Mann accepted a job to steal some information from a biotech company. He said the risk was too high for a full team, so he decided that only a hacker should go in. That means Sasha is going alone," Rebecca grumbled, clearly displeased.
"Biotech?" Peter frowned. "I remember that company uses security bots for night patrols. If you get caught, it's game over."
"Yeah, but we can't turn down the payment," Sasha admitted.
"Huh?" Rebecca suddenly perked up. "Wait, Peter—you know hacking too, right? I saw it in that braindance of yours when you wiped out those sickos from the Uzumaki Gang in one go."
"I'm decent," Peter said modestly. "Maybe a million-dollar hacker at best."
"Perfect! Then you can go with Sasha and help her steal the data!"
Rebecca's bold suggestion caught Sasha off guard. The job was already dangerous enough, and now she was trying to drag Peter into it?
"Rebecca!" Sasha scolded, lowering her voice. "Mann will be furious if he hears this." She then turned to Peter, her expression apologetic. "Sorry, Peter. Rebecca doesn't always think before she speaks. Just ignore her."
"But it makes sense!" Rebecca insisted. "If Peter helps, Sasha will be way safer. Mann would totally agree!"
Rebecca had a point. Mann might have been ruthless in battle, but he cared deeply for his team. Unlike most merc leaders, he didn't let his crew take unnecessary risks. He was fair with pay distribution and always prioritized their safety.
"I'm actually interested," Peter said, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I wonder which company's security system is better—Biotech or Cyan Bi?"
"You're insane," Johnny Silverhand suddenly chimed in, his voice laced with amusement. "You're as crazy as I was back in the day."
"Spare me the history lesson," Peter shot back in his mind. "You managed to get caught by Adam Smasher after nuking a building. Some legend you are."
Johnny scowled but didn't respond.
"So, does that mean you'll do it?" Rebecca asked eagerly.
"I'm free these days, so why not?" Peter shrugged. It wasn't like he was getting any new job offers—middlemen were still wary of him after the Zubi Building incident.
"Wait," Sasha hesitated. "Our mission is stealth-based. If we attract too much attention, the whole operation could be compromised."
She wanted to uncover the truth behind her mother's death, and if the data got moved before she could retrieve it, all her years of investigation would be wasted.
"Don't worry," Peter reassured her. "If I want to sneak in, Biotech's security system won't even know I'm there."
Rebecca grinned. "See? This is perfect! I'll call Mann right now—he'll agree for sure!"
She quickly dialed Mann's number.
"Hello? What is it, Rebecca? I'm busy."
Mann's voice sounded slightly breathless, as if he had been working out.
"It's about the mission tomorrow! I got Peter to help out, so Sasha will be safer—"
"What? Peter?!" Mann's tone changed instantly. "I have no objections, but what about payment? I doubt we can afford him."
"I don't need payment," Peter interjected, having overheard the conversation.
Mann was silent for a moment before exhaling in relief. "Well, if that's the case, I won't complain. Just make sure the job gets done and everyone stays alive."
In Mann's mind, Peter's involvement was simple—he was interested in Sasha. Sure, he already had V and Lucy hanging around him, but that didn't mean he wouldn't add another girl to his list. Night City wasn't a place for long-term commitments, after all.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you guys. I need to get back to work."
Mann hung up, and Sasha let out a sigh. "I can't believe he agreed so easily."
"See? Told you it would work!" Rebecca grinned. "With Peter around, there's nothing to worry about!"
Sasha shook her head, still unsure about letting Peter join. "Fine. Since Mann approved, you can come. But I'm heading home—I've had enough drinks for the night."
She grabbed her handbag and left the bar. If she had her way, she would've snuck in tonight. Unfortunately, the client still had to provide certain programs necessary to bypass Biotech's systems, so the job had to wait until tomorrow.
Watching Sasha leave, Rebecca sighed. "Why is everyone going home so early tonight?"
Then she realized something—this was the perfect chance to be alone with Peter.
"I'm sorry, Sasha," she thought with a mischievous smirk. "I totally misjudged you."
Now, it was her time with Peter.
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