"We're rich again!"
Vito was too worn out to watch the rest of the fights. He'd been going all day and wanted to rest.
Just as they were heading out, Liying and her friend ca out of the venue too. She was planning to take her friend sowhere decent to celebrate.
Liying and her friend spotted Vito and Jackie. Liying waved hard at Vito.
"Hey! Hey! Vito! Over here!"
Vito smiled and walked over.
"I see you. Don't shake your chro loose. You know ?"
Liying laughed.
"That's a dumb question. I have to know a fighter's na before I bet on them. I'm Liying Wesley. This is my best friend, Cami Watson."
Vito shook both their hands.
"I'm Vito. This is my buddy Jackie Welles. Want to grab so late-night food?"
Liying spread her hands.
"Sorry. Tonight is girls-only. No plans for guys. Next ti you co to Lizzie's, I'll buy you a few rounds. See you!"
Liying and her friend got into an old Thorton Galena and drove off into the night.
"Looks like Ms. Liying isn't interested in Mr. Vito! Hahaha! First ti I've ever seen you co up empty, Vito."
Jackie put his arm around Vito's shoulders.
Vito watched the creaking old Thorton rattle away and made a face.
"If only that old wreck had broken down right there. Unfortunate. Just Mr. Vito and Mr. Welles for the late-night food hour."
Jackie laughed.
"Mr. Vito is very wrong about that. Mr. Welles is spending tonight's joy with Ms. Misty. Vito, I'll drop you ho. Can I borrow the car?"
Vito did the sa hand-spread Liying had done.
"Sorry. In that case, I'm taking my car for a drive. But my plans always have room for a good friend. Have a great night, Mr. Welles. First Afterlife commission and everything."
Vito tossed Jackie the key card.
"Thanks, Vito. You know — any ti I've got sothing to celebrate, I have to tell Misty about it."
They called the car over and were just getting ready to leave when Armored Car showed up with a few 6th Street recruits and surrounded them.
"Think you're walking away? Not that easy, you little brat. You worked over pretty good in there."
Armored Car drew a Malorian revolver and pointed it at Vito.
Vito and Jackie exchanged a look. Both of them resigned. This was Night City. There was no such thing as a quiet mont.
Vito snapped his fingers. Through the interface, the Magician's newly installed turret activated. The Type-31 heavy machine gun extended. Its muzzle stared at the 6th Street group like a demon's eye.
"Relax, Armored Car. Big brother is watching. Put your little gun away. Don't cause yourself trouble."
Armored Car looked at the Type-31, then at Vito and Jackie, then put the Malorian away with visible effort.
"Looks like your leg didn't wreck your brain after all. Anything else? If not, Mr. Welles and Mr. Vito need to be going."
Armored Car listened to Jackie's parting shot and nearly ground his teeth to powder. But he swallowed it.
"Hell. We're out."
Vito got in. Jackie stood outside with the Golden Hellcats in hand and watched the group walk a decent distance before getting into the driver's seat.
Once they'd moved far enough, Vito connected through the personal interface and fired the turret once in the direction Armored Car's crew had gone.
A wrecked car nearby erupted in sparks. Armored Car and the recruits threw themselves flat and scrambled for cover.
"Good night, Armored Car. Good luck."
Vito's voice ca through as the Magician pulled away. The group didn't dare raise their heads until the car was long gone.
"Arrogant bastard. One day."
One of the recruits spat on the ground.
Armored Car looked at the hole in the wrecked car and couldn't help a shiver.
...
After dropping Vito off, Jackie took the Magician and drove happily to get Misty. Tonight he'd brought her a gift: a custom tarot deck.
Vito got ho and found himself lying on the bed with a restless, unsettled feeling, unable to sleep. He hadn't intended to find anyone. But seeing Liying today had sohow lit sothing in his flat, numb heart and body that he hadn't expected.
Vito shook his head and got up. He got dressed.
"Ah, can't be helped. Armored Car, today you just happened to step into the line of fire. Here's hoping your head exploding is the cure for my insomnia tonight."
Vito put on the Cube Man face-spoofing mask. Tonight, Cube Man was going out again. Not to remove a cancer from the city. Tonight it was because Cube Head had insomnia.
Vito hacked an old car parked on the street. He chose an old Thorton Galena, started it, and drove toward 6th Street territory.
When he got close, Vito slowed down. He spotted a few 6th Street mbers on the side of the road extorting soone.
"I already paid! I really did! I'm the hot dog vendor across the street, you should know !"
The 6th Street mber kept his gun on the vendor's head.
"You paid? I didn't see it. If I didn't see it, you didn't pay. But I'm in a good mood tonight. Give half and we'll call it done."
The vendor was almost in tears. He'd had to go out that night and had the misfortune of running into these people.
The 6th Street mbers knew perfectly well this was the hot dog vendor who paid every penny on ti. But they didn't care. They'd lost everything tonight and needed to recoup sothing.
The old Thorton pulled up beside them.
"The hell is this junk? Never mind, still worth sothing. You! Get out of the car and empty your pockets."
The gun swung toward the Thorton.
The door opened. Vito stepped out.
"Holy hell! It's Cube Head!"
The 6th Street mber saw the square screen across Vito's face with Night City's skyline flowing across it, and knew imdiately this was the real thing. Not so gonk doing a cosplay.
Vito drew Punishnt and put six rapid shots through the heads of six small-fry mbers. Only the leader and the shaking vendor were left.
The leader pointed his gun at Vito.
"Don't co any closer! You've used your six shots!"
Vito's voice ca through the voice changer, like a scratched vinyl record dragged across old grooves. To the leader's ears, it was the voice of sothing wrong.
"Good thing I have two guns."
Vito pulled out the Nine Tails and leveled it.
"And your bullets can't penetrate anyway."
The leader's legs gave. He crumpled to the ground.
Vito gestured with the barrel. The vendor scrambled away on all fours.
"Tell where Armored Car is. You have ten seconds."
"Crying? Crying counts as ti too, you know."
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