Chapter 12
A week had passed, and the city never stopped moving. Asuka rode her Yaiba Kusanagi through the neon-lit streets of Night City, the night air whipping around her as she made her way to Lizzie’s Bar. The bike purred beneath her, a sleek pink blur as she cut through traffic effortlessly. When she pulled up in front of the bar, the familiar thrum of music and neon glow surrounded her like a second skin. She hopped off the bike, parking it just outside before stepping into the club.
Inside, the place was alive as always—pulsing beats, flashing lights, and a crowd of regulars filling the place. Asuka spotted Jackie almost immediately, sitting at the bar, laughing with a couple of the Mox girls. Asuka walked over, raising an eyebrow at the grin on his face.
“What’s so funny, Jackie?” she asked, slipping onto the stool next to him.
Jackie turned to her, still grinning like a mischievous kid. “Oh, nothing… just heard an interesting rumor about you, chica.”
Asuka narrowed her eyes, suspicious but curious. “Rumor? About me? What’s the deal?”
Jackie chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, turns out the girls here at Lizzie’s have started calling you something.”
“Calling me what?” Asuka asked, leaning in.
Jackie took a breath, his grin growing wider. “Pink Pillow.”
Asuka blinked, caught off guard. “Pink Pillow? The hell does that even mean?”
Jackie couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer, his deep, booming laugh echoing through the bar. “Apparently, it’s ‘cause your boobs are big and soft—like pillows! The girls say you’ve got the best ones to sleep on.”
Asuka’s eyes widened in shock, her cheeks flushing red. “What?!”
Jackie was practically in tears at this point, slapping the bar as he laughed. “Yeah! Word is, a couple of them ended up passed out on your chest after a wild night, and now they’re calling you ‘Pink Pillow.’ Guess you’re famous for it!”
Asuka groaned, covering her face with one hand. “Oh, come on! I’m out here being a preem merc and that’s what they decide to call me?”
Jackie wiped away a tear, still grinning like a fool. “Hey, don’t look at me. I just think it’s funny. Could be worse, right?”
Asuka sighed, though a small smirk crept onto her face despite the embarrassment. “I guess there are worse nicknames, but still…”
One of the Mox girls nearby overheard the conversation and chimed in with a grin. “Oh yeah, Pink Pillow’s definitely a thing. You should be proud! Not everyone gets a nickname like that.”
Asuka rolled her eyes but couldn’t help laughing along with them. “Alright, alright. Fine. Guess I’ll just have to own it.”
Jackie clapped her on the shoulder, still grinning. “That’s the spirit, Pink Pillow. Now, let’s grab a drink and enjoy the night, huh?”
With a laugh, Asuka shook her head and motioned to the bartender. “Yeah, let’s get a drink. But if anyone else calls me that, you’re the one buying, Jack.”
As the laughter died down, Asuka leaned in closer to Jackie, her expression shifting into one of mock-seriousness, though there was a playful glint in her eyes. “Alright, Jack,” she said, her voice low but clearly teasing, “if you ever mention that nickname outside this bar, I swear to the Blackwall, I’ll make sure the whole city starts calling you Jackie Nodick.”
Jackie, mid-sip of his drink, nearly choked with laughter. He set his glass down, trying to regain his composure, but Asuka’s threat was too much. “Jackie Nodick?!” he sputtered, still laughing. “You wouldn’t!”
Asuka grinned wickedly, crossing her arms. “Oh, I would. And trust me, the Valentinos would love it.”
Jackie held up his hands in mock surrender, still grinning ear to ear. “Alright, alright! You win, chica. No ‘Pink Pillow’ talk outside Lizzie’s. Deal?”
Asuka raised an eyebrow, her grin growing wider. “Deal. But just remember, Jack—‘Nodick’ sticks a lot harder than ‘Pillow.’”
After a night of drinking, laughing, and dancing at Lizzie’s Bar, Asuka and Jackie found themselves at one of Night City’s infamous parking lot parties. The lot was packed with chrome, neon, and thrumming bass, the air thick with the energy of the night. Asuka had rolled in with her new Yaiba Kusanagi, catching the attention of everyone there, including some familiar faces.
After the fun at Lizzie’s, Asuka and Jackie made their way to a parking lot party to show off her new pink Yaiba Kusanagi. The crowd was thick with edgerunners, street punks, and mercs looking for a good time. The thumping bass of electronic beats filled the air as people danced and partied among a sea of souped-up bikes and cars.
Asuka’s bike, with its neon pink glow, immediately caught attention as they rolled up. In the crowd, Maine, Dorio, and Pilar were hanging out near their own rides. Dorio was the first to spot them.
“Look, it’s that pink chick again,” Dorio said with a grin, pointing toward Asuka as she parked the Yaiba.
Maine, towering and broad, leaned against his vehicle and smirked. “Oh, them again. Heard they had a rough go trying to klep a Militech convoy, but they’ve been pulling in some solid gigs since then.”
Asuka was soaking in the attention, smiling as the crowd admired her new ride. Jackie was grinning too, enjoying the vibe. But then, as usual, Pilar, the tech-obsessed creep, couldn’t help but make things weird. His eyes lingered on Asuka as he tried to sidle up, muttering something sleazy.
“Hey, mamacita, that bike as nice as the—”
Before he could finish, Dorio clocked him across the jaw with a hard right hook. Pilar went down instantly, knocked out cold on the pavement.
“Keep it in your pants, creep,” Dorio muttered, shaking her head in disgust.
Just then, a small but fiery figure entered the scene—Rebecca. With her tiny frame and big attitude, she marched over, clearly a few drinks deep. “About time someone knocked his dumbass out,” Rebecca said with a slurred laugh, looking down at her brother. “He deserved it.”
Asuka, standing next to her bike, raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. “Who’s this kid?”
Rebecca’s face turned red with anger, her drunken state only making her more aggressive. “Who you calling a kid, you big-tits joytoy?!”
Asuka’s eyes narrowed, her own temper flaring at the insult. She took a step forward, ready to put Rebecca in her place. “What did you just call me?”
Rebecca, never one to back down from a fight, squared up despite the clear size difference. “You heard me! Let’s go, you chrome-plated joytoy! Think you’re better than me?!”
Things were about to go south fast. Just as Asuka and Rebecca were about to lunge at each other, Jackie stepped in, wrapping an arm around Asuka’s waist and pulling her back. “Whoa, whoa, chica! Not here, not now!”
At the same time, Dorio, calm but firm, grabbed Rebecca by the shoulders. “Settle down, Becca. Don’t need you causing a scene over this.”
Rebecca squirmed in Dorio’s grip, still angry but not able to break free. “Let me go, Dorio! I’m not scared of her!”
Asuka, restrained by Jackie, was still fuming but starting to cool off. “You’re lucky, kid,” she spat, still glaring at Rebecca. “Otherwise, you’d be eating pavement right now.”
Jackie chuckled nervously, trying to defuse the situation. “Alright, enough of the drama. We’re here to party, not to start a riot.”
Dorio let go of Rebecca, who crossed her arms and pouted, still glaring at Asuka but clearly not willing to take it any further.
“Yeah, yeah,” Rebecca muttered. “Next time, big tits.”
Asuka rolled her eyes but finally relented, shaking her head. “Whatever. Let’s get some drinks, Jackie. This place is wild enough without a brawl.”
After grabbing their drinks, the atmosphere around the party seemed to calm down—at least for a moment. Asuka leaned against her Yaiba, taking a long sip from her drink, while Jackie chatted with a few of the other edgerunners. But her eyes kept flicking back to Rebecca, who was throwing daggers her way from across the lot.
Rebecca, still tipsy and clearly holding onto the earlier fight, was pacing around like a caged animal. Her fiery temper, mixed with a few too many drinks, made it clear that she wasn’t done with Asuka just yet. The tension between the two was thick, and it didn’t take long before Rebecca started making her way toward Asuka again.
“Hey, big tits,” Rebecca spat, her voice loud enough to turn a few heads, “you still think you can talk down to me?”
Asuka, who had been trying to keep her cool, set her drink down slowly and turned to face Rebecca, her eyes narrowing. “Kid, you don’t want to do this.”
Rebecca stepped closer, her tiny frame brimming with aggression. “Oh, I do. You think just ‘cause you’re all chrome and big boobs, you’re better than me? I’ve taken down bigger bitches than you, joytoy.”
That last word hit like a spark to a powder keg. Asuka felt her blood boil. She set her jaw and took a step toward Rebecca, towering over her, but Rebecca didn’t back down. The crowd around them began to murmur, sensing that things were about to explode.
Jackie, noticing the shift in energy, glanced over with a sigh. “Ah, shit. Not again.”
Before anyone could intervene, Rebecca swung her arm back and threw her drink in Asuka’s face. The liquid splashed across her, catching Asuka off guard for just a second. But that second was enough.
With a growl, Asuka lunged at Rebecca, the two of them colliding in a flurry of fists. Rebecca may have been small, but she was quick and scrappy, throwing punches with surprising strength. Asuka, with her cybernetic limbs and sheer size advantage, quickly overpowered Rebecca, grabbing her by the arm and pushing her back toward a car.
Rebecca, wild and unrelenting, struggled against Asuka’s grip, spitting curses as she swung her legs up, trying to kick Asuka off. “Get off me, big tits! I’ll kill you!”
Just as Asuka was about to land a solid hit, Jackie rushed forward, pulling Asuka back before the fight got out of hand. “Asuka, chill! You’re gonna crush her!”
At the same time, Dorio stepped in, grabbing Rebecca and restraining her, though it took some effort. “Rebecca, enough!” Dorio grunted, trying to keep the feisty girl under control. “She’ll tear you apart if you don’t cool it!”
Rebecca, still kicking and shouting, looked like she wasn’t about to give up, but Dorio’s grip held firm. “I don’t care! I can take her!”
Asuka, held back by Jackie, glared at Rebecca, her fists clenched, but she was starting to cool off now that Jackie had stepped in. “You’re lucky, kid,” she muttered, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “Next time, don’t start shit you can’t finish.”
Rebecca struggled a little more before finally stopping, breathing heavily as Dorio loosened her grip. “Yeah, we’ll see about that, big tits,” she snapped, still glaring but clearly done for the moment.
Jackie, always the peacekeeper, shook his head with a sigh, his hand still on Asuka’s shoulder. “Alright, no more fights tonight. Drink, dance, whatever. But no more brawling, got it?”
Asuka huffed, her anger finally subsiding as she grabbed her drink again. “Yeah, yeah. I’m good,” she muttered, casting one last glance at Rebecca. “Just keep your child away from me.”
Rebecca, though still visibly fuming, grabbed her own drink and stormed off, muttering something under her breath. Dorio gave Asuka an apologetic look before following her.
The tension remained, but the party continued, and Asuka couldn’t help but shake her head. She knew she’d probably see Rebecca again, and when she did, the girl would still have that fire in her eyes. But for now, the storm had passed—barely.