"Two hundred thousand? For this thing?!"
V's voice rose in disbelief as she stared at the iguana in Jack's hands.
"Of course," Jack replied with a grin, holding the small creature up like a prized possession. "The big shots in Night City love exotic pets. And this little guy? A rare, mutated red species? It's like finding a golden lottery ticket."
Jack's eyes gleamed with excitement. He'd owned a pet shark once, though it had been short-lived due to the high costs of keeping it. But this iguana—this was on a whole different level. Green iguanas were practically extinct in the cyberpunk world, and finding a red mutant like this was unheard of.
"But still," Jack sighed, his excitement dimming slightly. "We'll only end up with about a hundred thousand euros after all's said and done. The priest has to handle the middleman and find a buyer, and he'll take his cut."
"Come on, Jack," V said, crossing her arms. "How many gigs would we have to take to even get close to a hundred thousand? Be happy with that. It's a hell of a lot more than the twenty thousand we would've gotten if we'd just handed the case over without question."
She wasn't wrong. The payout for most jobs in Night City barely covered the basics—rent, repairs, maybe a half-decent secondhand car. Even their last job together had barely netted them fifty thousand euros, most of which had gone straight to the family.
Jack scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Fine, how about this? Tomorrow, Peter, you and V come with me to meet the priest. We'll split the money there."
Peter nodded, and Jack gave him a knowing smirk as he headed for the door. As the door clicked shut behind him, Peter let out a breath, knowing Jack was treating him like one of his own now. That smirk? It was Jack's way of showing trust—a far cry from the brash, arrogant attitude he'd had when they first met.
"Oh, I've been running around all day. I'm gonna shower first," V said, stretching as she headed to the bathroom.
Peter nodded absently and collapsed onto the bed. For the first time since he'd arrived in this world, he was lying on an actual mattress. Clenching his fists, he felt the overwhelming strength coursing through him—a strength he barely understood but instinctively knew how to control.
Looking at the ceiling, Peter made a silent promise. "V, I'll make sure we have a good life in this city."
Closing his eyes, Peter let the exhaustion of the day take over. While his body didn't feel tired, his mind had reached its limit.
"Peter, what are you—"
V's voice cut off as she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel, only to find Peter already asleep on the bed.
The corners of her mouth twitched in annoyance. "This brat doesn't even know how to cover himself with a blanket."
She grabbed the edge of the quilt he wasn't lying on and gently pulled it over him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she looked at Peter's sleeping face, her expression softening. Memories of their childhood flashed through her mind, reminding her of the bond they shared.
At some point, V leaned back against him, her eyes closing as sleep overtook her.
---
Morning
Peter blinked awake, staring groggily at the cracked ceiling of the motel. He shifted slightly and froze, realizing his arm was trapped. Glancing to the side, he found V sound asleep, her arm wrapped around his.
His face flushed. Don't panic. Don't move.
The last thing he wanted was for the towel she wore to shift, creating an awkward—or potentially dangerous—situation. He stayed perfectly still, pretending to be asleep, until he felt her stir.
Peter waited for the sound of the bathroom door closing before sitting up, running a hand through his hair. A faint warmth lingered on his arm, and he smiled faintly, his protective instincts toward V growing stronger.
A few minutes later, V emerged, fully dressed. Her casual demeanor betrayed no sign of embarrassment. "You fell asleep last night without showering, Peter. Go clean up—we've got to meet the priest soon."
Peter grabbed his backpack and hurried into the bathroom, grateful for the excuse to escape the awkwardness.
---
Standing under the shower's spray, Peter glanced at himself in the cracked mirror. His reflection showed a man with a perfectly proportioned physique, lean and muscular, but not bulky. It was the kind of body he'd always dreamed of having in his previous life, though no amount of exercise had ever gotten him there.
Drying off, Peter stepped out of the bathroom to find Jack lounging on the sofa in their room.
"Finally! Hermano (brother), you're out. I've been waiting forever!"
"Sorry," Peter muttered. "I was exhausted last night and passed out before I could clean up."
Jack smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Busy night, huh?"
Peter raised an eyebrow, catching the implication immediately. He glanced at V, who seemed oblivious to the remark, and gave Jack a pointed look.
Jack grinned but didn't push further. "Alright, let's head out. Time to meet the priest."
V grabbed her jacket, and the trio made their way downstairs. As they stepped out into the streets of Night City, Peter couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.
This wasn't just about the money or the rare iguana. It was the first step toward building something bigger—a future where he and V wouldn't have to scrape by just to survive.
And Peter wasn't going to let anyone stand in the way of that future.
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