"There must be conditions. Otherwise, why would I do such a thankless thing?"
Peter shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't the type to help others out of pure goodwill.
"Then tell me your conditions."
"Help me with my work."
"Do things for you? Is it that simple?"
Johnny was surprised. He had braced himself for something far worse—maybe even slavery—but Peter's request seemed lighthearted.
"What else? Should I get you a female robot shell so you can go find Kree?"
Peter rolled his eyes at Johnny. When he first transferred Johnny's consciousness into his own mind, it had been out of curiosity. He wanted to see how the Johnny from the game compared to the real one. He had no intention of just dumping Johnny into a machine body, only for him to become an unpredictable nuisance.
"You even know about Kree?"
"Your memories are still in my mind. I basically know everything about you."
Peter crossed his arms. "So? Do we have a deal?"
Johnny fell silent for a long moment before asking another question.
"Is it possible to bring back... Otto? I mean, in the way you just mentioned."
Although Johnny never claimed to regret his past, there was someone he felt indebted to. Either Otto or Rogge.
"I don't know," Peter admitted. "Otto's situation is different from yours. Your consciousness was stored in a chip. Otto was directly placed into Mikoshi. After so many years, there's no telling how much of her self-awareness remains."
If the Otto here was anything like the Otto in the game, bringing her back would be nearly impossible. The game version had been reduced to mere data, a fragmented entity. The Otto Johnny wanted to see was long gone.
"If there's a chance, I'd like you to try."
There was a rare plea in Johnny's voice, surprising Peter.
"Alright," Peter agreed. "I'll find time to look into it."
"Thanks."
Just then—ding!
Peter glanced at the caller ID. Judy.
Once his conversation with Johnny ended, Peter picked up the call.
"Judy, what's up?"
"Peter, do you have time today? I've been wanting to do a BD recording for a while."
Hearing that, Peter immediately knew what was coming. The Pyramid Song quest had finally triggered.
It didn't matter what else he had planned—he could be on the verge of taking over the military tech headquarters, and he'd still make time for Judy.
"Oh? Even you are interested in recording Mewtwo? Now I'm curious." Peter feigned seriousness. "I'm just interested in diving, that's all. Very simple. Just diving."
"Really?" Judy chuckled. "Great! Then I'll save you a spot. I'm already getting ready. See you in the afternoon!"
She hung up before Peter could reply.
Johnny snorted. "Damn, man. Three girls in your apartment, and you're still going strong? Are you pretending you weren't drained just now?"
Peter shot him a look. "What are you even thinking? I'm a gentleman. If a friend asks for help, why would I refuse?"
Johnny rolled his eyes. "Sure, boss. Whatever makes you sleep at night."
And with that, Johnny vanished.
---
Afternoon - Coronado Lakehouse
Peter sat on the wooden steps of his lakeside cabin, waiting for Judy. The place had a certain charm—tranquil, far from the chaos of Night City. If not for the pollution, it would've been an ideal spot to live.
For now, he'd set his phone to Do Not Disturb. The last thing he wanted was a call interrupting his—ahem—diving session.
Judy soon arrived, stepping out of her car with a grin.
"Peter, you're early. Help me unload the car."
Together, they carried two sets of diving suits and the equipment for recording the BD. Judy adjusted the gear while chatting.
"This place used to be beautiful," she said with a sigh. "But then the corps decided to build a reservoir here and use it as a landfill. Now, look at it."
"I can tell," Peter replied.
"To be honest, when Jackie first brought you to my studio, I thought you were just another street punk." She glanced at him. "But since then, you always show up at the right times—whether it's Mewtwo or Evelyn, you somehow pull everything off perfectly."
Judy paused, then added, "You're like an angel sent by God to help me."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "An angel?"
Judy laughed. "Your methods are more like a messenger from hell, but when it comes to your friends, you're an angel."
"Well, I'm honored to receive such high praise."
Judy shook her head. "It's not praise. Just a fact."
After checking the equipment, she turned to him. "Want something to eat? I bought ingredients."
"Sure."
The cabin was surprisingly neat, which caught Peter's attention.
"You cleaned this place up yesterday, didn't you?"
Judy nodded. "Yeah. When I took Evelyn to Oregon, I stopped by and tidied up."
"Oh? You were that confident I'd agree to this?"
She smirked. "It was worth trying. I figured you'd be interested."
"And you usually don't say no to things that interest you, right?"
Peter chuckled. "Fair point."
Judy disappeared into the bathroom to change. When she returned, even Peter—who had seen plenty of beautiful women—couldn't help but stare.
She looked nothing like her usual edgy self. Instead, she had the effortless charm of the girl next door.
A simple white T-shirt hugged her frame, paired with casual shorts that left her long, toned legs exposed.
She noticed his stare and grinned. "What? Surprised?"
Peter shook his head with a smirk. "No, just appreciating the change of pace."
Judy rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's eat before we get started."
---
Nightfall - The Dive
The two stood at the edge of the lake, suits on, equipment set. The water was murky, but it had a strange allure.
Judy took a deep breath. "Alright, let's do this."
Peter gave her a nod before stepping forward and diving in.
The cold hit him first, but then he adjusted, letting himself sink into the depths.
Through his visor, he caught glimpses of submerged structures—remnants of a town swallowed by corporate greed.
Judy swam beside him, her voice coming through the comms.
"See that? Used to be a school."
Peter followed her line of sight to a collapsed building, eerie in the dim light.
"Hard to imagine kids running around here," he mused.
They swam deeper, navigating through the remnants of the past. A sunken church stood in the distance, its bell tower partially buried in silt.
"This place had a history," Judy murmured. "And now, it's just... forgotten."
Peter reached out, touching the worn surface of a submerged statue. It felt cold, lifeless. A symbol of what once was.
Judy's voice softened. "You know, I never got to share this with anyone before."
Peter glanced at her. "I'm honored."
For a moment, they simply floated there, surrounded by the silent echoes of the past.
Maybe this was what made Judy different. She wasn't just another mission, another objective.
She was real.
And for once, in the middle of all the chaos, Peter found himself wanting to stay in the moment.