Rogue’s tone took on a more intriguing edge. She was even more curious now, wondering just how Leo would convince her.
“Sure, the total cost is more than I can pay in one lump sum right now,” Leo said. “But for the Queen of Fixers in Night City, it’s a drop in the bucket. All I need is a bit more than a month, and I can cover the shortfall. It’s not just a deal – it’s an act of faith. You may not trust , but considering I’ve already wired you hundreds of thousands, I think you could at least try.”
Rogue nodded slowly. “Hm. You’re pretty persuasive.”
“So…what do you say?”
“All right. I’ll give you two months to repay the rest.”
“Thank you.”
“No need for thanks,” Rogue said, her expression softening into a more genuine smile than before. “I nearly forgot to tell you—I might not trust you personally, but I do trust my old friends: Padre, and Regina… I’ve known her since before she started digging up corporate scandals. They speak highly of you. Don’t disappoint them—more importantly, don’t disappoint .”
She leaned back. “Keep at it, rookie. Once I track down everything you asked for, I’ll have it delivered.”
…
A few days later, an unremarkable van pulled up at the base of Leo’s apartnt in the Glen. The vehicle bore a local ho-renovation company’s logo. Several “workers” hopped out, hauling heavy bags and crates inside. Leading the group was Emrick, the sa bouncer who always guarded the entrance of the Afterlife.
Because there were so many supplies, they took two trips on the elevator to carry it all upstairs. Thirty minutes later, they returned empty-handed, got in the van, and drove away.
After seeing them off, Leo made calls to the people he knew, letting them know that he’d be holed up in his apartnt for a while—“closed-door training,” so to speak. If they absolutely needed him, they could call; otherwise, he’d prefer not to be disturbed.
He switched his apartnt’s panoramic windows to solid steel mode and locked down the elevator’s access. Then he headed into his weapons mod shop.
Glancing at the stash of materials Emrick’s crew had delivered, Leo took a mont to roll his stiff shoulders and massage his cheeks. “All right. Ti to get to work.”
…....
..
.
**Half a month passed.**
The door to the weapons-mod shop opened for the first ti in two weeks. Leo erged, carrying four custom-made combat outfits—two in each hand. He hung them all on a rack in the living space and snapped his fingers. A voice-activated light flicked on, banishing the darkness.
He frowned slightly and cycled through various colors until the system switched to a warm, storybook-like glow. Only then did Leo step back with hands on his hips, admiring the fruits of his labor.
On the rack from left to right:
1. **A white trench coat and work pants** – made for himself.
2. **A leather jacket and jeans** – made for Jackie.
3. **An off-shoulder white jacket, black high-cut bodysuit, and white shorts** – made for Lucy.
4. **A long red dress** – made for V.
These four custom bulletproof outfits had occupied him day and night for the entire half month, aside from the few hours he stole for sleep. Now they were finally done.
They weren’t just knockoffs of Nantō’s bulletproof cassock. Although Leo had used a similar principle—lding subdermal armor onto fabric—he’d opted for **fourth-generation** subdermal plating rather than Nantō’s third-gen. Lighter weight, better durability, and it didn’t impede the wearer’s movents.
More importantly, the interior of each combat outfit was lined with a prototype “**thickening fluid**,” a new material Leo had conceptualized when he acquired the custom combat armor blueprint.
It was unique in Night City; no one else had it.
Under normal conditions, the fluid remained liquid, keeping the fabric comfortable and flexible. But when struck—be it a slash from a blade or the impact of a speeding bullet—the fluid would instantly harden, drastically increasing the outfit’s toughness. At the sa ti, it would disperse force across the material, reducing pressure on any single point. Once the impact ceased, the fluid would revert to liquid form, returning the outfit to a soft, pliable state.
Rather than invest in Trauma Team mberships for everyone—paying tens of thousands of eurodollars each month—Leo felt it was better to upgrade their gear and skills. After all, even a Platinum Plan could fail if Trauma Team’s response ti was too slow, and “safety guaranteed” in Night City was never truly guaranteed. These four outfits, on the other hand, would see them safely through many a rcenary contract.
Leo was eager to see how Jackie and the others would react to such a gift. He quickly called Jackie. Within seconds, Jackie picked up, his loud voice ringing across the holo-display.
“Leo! You’re out?”
“Yeah. Where are you guys? I’ve got sothing for you.”
“, V, and Lucy—we’re all at El Coyote Cojo. Hurry up and get here!”
“I’m on my way.”
…
**Ten minutes later**, Leo pushed open the door to El Coyote Cojo. He exchanged greetings with Chihiro, who was wiping down a table.
“Hey, Miss Chihiro.”
Chihiro no longer looked like a forr soldier or assassin. Had he not known her history, even Leo would have mistaken her for just another polite waitress.
“Don’t be so formal, Mr. Leo,” she said, flustered. “Just call Chihiro. Would you like a drink on the house?”
Leo gave a small wave. “Then please, just call Leo. And don’t worry about the drink—you look busy. By the way, where are Jackie and the others?”
After scanning the bar and not spotting them, Leo asked, “They said they’d be here.”
Chihiro nodded. “They’re in the alley out back. Jackie said if you arrive, just head straight over.”
Leo thanked her and slipped through the bar’s rear door. Checking left, then right, he soon spotted Jackie, Lucy, and V gathered in a narrow side alley.
Jackie waved him over, looking excited. “Hey, Leo—over here!”
“What are you three doing?” Leo asked, noting the large shape behind them, hidden under a dust sheet. “And what’s that?”
Jackie’s tone was all smug secrecy. “It’s a present for you.”
“For ?” Leo frowned in surprise. “What prompted that?”
Jackie smirked. “We’ll explain later. First, why not guess what’s under here?”
Leo feigned deep thought, but with his tactical optics, it would’ve been easy to scan the object directly. “Is it…a motorbike?”
Jackie’s eyes went wide. “How’d you guess right away?!”
Lucy and V exchanged a glance and chuckled. Lucy brushed her white hair behind one ear. “Jackie, next ti you want Leo to guess sothing, rember to ask him to take off his ‘tactical optics’ first.”
Jackie smacked his forehead, feigning outrage. “Dammit—you were cheating, Leo! You sly little—!”
The n clowned around; the won laughed so hard they were nearly in tears.
“All right, quit ssing around,” Lucy teased.
Jackie huffed. “Should be telling him that.” He mock-sulked, as though complaining about how Leo kept slipping his grasp. It almost seed he’d tried to grab Leo, only to find Leo moving as if he had ice skates on his feet…
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