By the time classes ended, I was done with all of it. The academy emptied around me in the usual way, the rich kids talking too loudly, the teachers being annoying, and Security by the doors watching everybody. I walked out of school; my apartment was close enough that I didn't need a ride. Just a few blocks from school, in one of those clean buildings where nobody raised their voice unless they wanted a strike against them. The kind of place built to feel above the city without ever actually leaving it.
I crossed the street with my bag over one shoulder and my jacket half open. I made my way to my apartment building, and the desk woman looked up when I came in. "Afternoon, Damian."
"Yeah, afternoon." That was enough for her, I didnt want to waste my breath more than I needed to. I headed for the elevator, and it opened right away. I stepped in and rode it up. I watched the floor count rise and tried not to think about anything. The elevator opened, and I stepped out onto my floor and walked the hall. Thick carpet, low lights, and my door was at the end of the hall. I touched the panel, and my access tag opened it. The first thing I saw was the kitchen light, which was Odd cause i didnt leave it on when I left. The second thing I saw was the glass on the counter.
I closed the door behind me and stood still, the apartment was too quiet. I set my bag by the wall and moved farther in. Mr. Vale was sitting at my counter, and I felt a headache coming on. There was a tablet on the counter. He looked up when he heard me. "Damian."
"You let yourself in," I said, annoyed. "Yes." He acted as if it wasn't even a problem. "You should have called." He ignored that as he stared at me. Vale had been around too long to waste energy reacting to me. He was the one who showed up for things my grandparents didn't bother doing themselves, such as school forms and legal notices. schedule changes along with discipline meetings. He handled all the little parts of my life. He looked me over once. "You look tired."
"School was boring, not like I could get much stimulation from it." He glanced at the empty seat across from him. "Sit." I didn't and just stared at him. "What's this about?"
He looked unbothered as he spoke. "That depends on whether you've forgotten the date." I leaned one hand on the back of a chair and looked at him without sitting down. The date had been in the back of my head for years. You don't forget something like that. "Didn't forget, not like I could with you breathing down my back, gonk," I said.
"Good, then this should be easy." He tapped the tablet once. Four headers opened in my vision.
RESIDENCE TERMINATION
ACADEMIC SPONSORSHIP CLOSURE
ACCOUNT ACCESS SUNSET
CONTACT DIRECTIVE
I looked at the headers and closed them without even opening them. Vale watched me do it before adding. "You should read those." I gave him a look. "I know what they say. It's not like we don't do this every year as a reminder. The apartment goes away along with the school access. Along with any guilt money I've been getting from the family."
"Support ends," he corrected. "What remains yours remains yours." I almost laughed at that. "So generous." I mocked. "Don't start." He said with a tone that was trying so hard to sound tough. I looked at him, and I dropped my academy jacket over the back of the nearest chair and walked to the water dispenser, filled a glass, and drank half of it. The apartment was spotless. It always was, I made sure of it.
"At least you kept the place in order, unlike your mouth," he said. "That's your version of praise?" As I eyed my glass of water. "It's an observation." I leaned against the counter across from him. "When exactly are you gonks going to do it?"
"Midnight on your eighteenth birthday." I nodded once. At least they didnt change the date like every other year. "Your student record remains viewable for seven days after termination, if you even plan to make something of yourself. Family-linked services through your internal agent will be scrubbed at the same time."
I looked at him. "Family-linked." I rolled my eyes. "Yes." He said unbothered. "So the things I never used anyway." I snorted, trying to get under his skin. Vale slid the tablet a little closer and tapped again. A new list opened in my optics.
RETAINED PERSONAL PROPERTY
— personal independent funds
— basic installed cyberware presently integrated into the body
— verified self-purchased personal tools and media equipment
— clothing worn upon departure
That made me pause; unlike those kids from school, I had the cheapest version of cyberwear. "Basic installed cyberware," I said. "They're leaving it." He made it sound like it was a mercy. "And the BD gear?" He met my eyes. "You purchased the recorder and editor suite with independent funds. They are yours." I looked away from him for a second. That was more than I expected. I looked at the jacket on the chair. The bag by the wall. The room around us. The apartment had always looked like one of those places from an ad. Nice view. expensive furniture. shelves filled with books. It all felt different now. I looked back at the list in my vision.
"Clothes worn upon departure."
"Yes." He started sounding annoyed, like he was talking to a fool who just didnt seem to understand. I laughed once. Couldn't help it. "You people really sat down and typed that." I set my water down before I cracked the glass. "You came all the way here for this?"
"I came because you've dismissed every reminder sent to your internal inbox for the last two weeks."
"I saw them." I walked away from the kitchen and stopped by the window. Street below. Cars. people. "You know what's funny," I said. "For a city this big, people really like pretending they're not kicking kids loose every day."
"That is not what's happening here." He seemed offended. I looked over my shoulder. "No?"
"No. What is happening here is the conclusion of a temporary arrangement you were informed of years ago." I turned back to the glass. Vale always did that, smoothed the truth down until they sounded legal. Made it harder to argue with cause by the law, it was true. He kept going. "You are not being put out today. You have three days to get your affairs in order."
"Real generous." I snipped back as I gave a mocking bow. "That is not for debate. It is a fact." He commented as he fixed his suit. I looked at him again. "Your favorite kind." His mouth shifted a little. "Your grandparents have met every obligation expected of them."
That one got me to turn fully, letting more emotion than I had ever planned come out. "Expected by who?" He held my gaze. "By law." I laughed under my breath. "Yeah. Shelter, food, and school. And this shitty apartment. Guess that covers it."
"This conversation is not about emotional satisfaction." He eyed me like I was acting like a child. "That's the first honest thing you've said." I slowly got my emotions back under control; it wasn't worth letting him get under my skin. He picked up his drink and took a small sip. I looked around the apartment. Vale rested one hand beside the tablet. "There is one more point."
I looked at him. His tone flattened even more. "You are not to contact the Haldane family after today." I stared at him for a second. I honestly thought I'd heard wrong, and then I laughed. "The Haldanes, I've never reached out for anything from those gonks, and I won't start after today."
He folded his hands and continued as if I hadn't even spoken. "Do not call, do not message, and do not attempt contact through school channels, public records, or intermediaries. Do not present yourself at any Haldane residence, office, or affiliated event. After your termination date, they want no further involvement." I looked at him and kept my face neutral.
I shrugged once. "Good thing they never gave me the last name, then." Vale looked tired again. Just tired like he'd had this conversation in different forms with too many people over too many years. "That decision was made before my involvement."
"Convenient." I acted as if it didnt bother me. I opened the fridge just to do something with my hands. "So what, you're here to make sure I don't walk off with a lamp?"
"I'm here to make sure there's no misunderstanding." He corrected.
"There isn't, not like I want anything from this place anyway. I was always planning to leave."
"I'm not sure that's true." His hands moved to rest under his chin. That got a look out of me. "You think I thought they'd change their minds?" My grip on the fridge door tightened
"I think people behave badly when life forces them to change." I leaned against the counter and crossed my arms. "You ever get tired of doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Being the body people use when they don't want blood on their own shoes." His jaw shifted once. "I do my job."
"Yeah. Heard that line before." A siren cut through the street below, faint through the glass. Somewhere overhead, an AV passed by. Vale broke the silence first. "How much have you saved?"
"That's not really your business."
"Damian." He gave me a look of disappointment. I looked at him for a second, then answered. "Two thousand four hundred." He nodded once. "That is not enough, but it should at least help you get your feet on the ground."
"Really. I thought I was set for life." I looked away from him and back toward the city. He wasn't wrong. That was the problem. I knew what 2,400 meant in Night City, and that was nothing. A few weeks at best. "I'll manage."
"Yes," he said. "You probably will." That made me look back at him. It almost sounded like he believed in me. I pushed off the counter and walked back around to face him. "You done."
"Almost." Of course, there was more. He slid the tablet toward me. "Thumbprint acknowledgment." I stared at it. Paperwork. That was how it ended. I pressed my thumb to the reader. One by one, the notices opened and cleared. The tablet flashed green, and Vale pulled it back. "That's all."
I looked at him. "Then get out." He stood picking up the glass and took it to the sink. Rinsed it out before setting it down, then straightened his cuffs. "You don't need to keep coming by," I said.
"I wasn't planning to, Damian." He picked up his jacket from the stool. At the door, he stopped. "One last practical note. Any family-paid subscriptions attached to your neuroport will be severed on schedule. Your base internal agent and neckport remain functional. Emergency city channels remain functional. But you will have to set up a new line and number." I looked at him. "Was worried you'd leave without being a dick and pointing out the basic." He almost smiled. "Do not make the exit difficult."
I gave him a flat look. "You done now?"
"Yes." Then he left. The door slid shut behind him, and the apartment went silent. I stayed where I was for a few seconds and looked around, then I walked to the bedroom. I let out a slow breath through my nose. I didn't have to stay the full three days. I could leave today. I got up and headed for the bathroom. Second shower of the day, but I didn't care. I needed to wash the day off. I stripped out of the uniform and dropped it piece by piece. The shower came on as I stepped in. Steam filled the glass fast. I stood under it with one hand on the tile and let the water hit the back of my neck. I scrubbed soap through my hair and shut my eyes. What could I do? Hotels, Capsules?
Could I crash with David? No, I can't do that; we are not that close. Maybe Rita? Not that she ever let me hit, but maybe she would know something. I rinsed off and stayed in the water a little longer, just thinking. Then I stepped out, and I had to wipe the mirror to look at myself. I dried off and went to the closet. Most of it wasn't mine. Maybe none of it in a way that would matter. Didn't matter. I wasn't staying. I picked what I wanted on my back.
Black shirt.
Dark jeans.
Worn jacket.
Boots.
Silver chain.
I got dressed slowly and then grabbed the BD editor kit, then slid it into the inside pocket of my jacket. I stood in the middle of the room and looked around one more time, and my internal feed blinked.
David: You still coming?
I stared at the message, then I typed. : Can't. Something came up.
The typing bubble showed almost right away.
David: What kind of something?
: Just Family crap.
David: You good?
I typed back fast before I could think. : Yeah. Just not in the mood.
David: Aight. You need me, ping me.
I looked at that line. Then I closed the thread without answering. I stood there in the silence with his message still sitting in the back of my head. Need me, ping me. Easy for him to say. I turned away from the room and went to the kitchen. I walked over to the chair and looked at the academy jacket. I wouldn't miss that school, not like I could use what I learned there now. I dimmed the lights myself instead of letting the apartment auto-cycle into night mode. Then I headed for the door. I checked my pockets. Account access. burner stick. recorder. editor. a little cash shard. Everything that was mine. I sent one more message before I left.
To Rita.
You're working today.
R: Mostly. Why?
Coming by.
R: You in trouble, Kid?
Yeah, something like that.
R: Get here in one piece.
I put the thread away and opened the door. The hall outside was quiet with the low lights on. The elevator came quickly. On the way down, I watched my reflection in the steel. The lobby was the same as always. Soft music, polished floor, and a front desk lit warmly. The woman behind it looked up when I crossed. "Going out?"
"Yeah." She gave me the polite little building smile. "Have a good evening." I looked at her for a second. "You too." I kept walking. The front doors opened, and Night City was still the same. I stepped onto the sidewalk and didn't look back. I cut toward the avenue and took the air train. Quicker that way. The platform was crowded. Workers heading home. club kids heading out. Some students between them all. The rails hummed under everything. The train came fast, doors opening sideways with a hiss. I got on and stood by the window.
The city slid past in pieces. Midrises. ads. old buildings squeezed between newer ones. lights coming alive in windows. bars starting to fill. people moving in groups and alone and everywhere in between. The train carried me across the city, and an odd thought came to my mind. "What's the point of being born, if my own family doesn't even want me. I shouldn't have been born.."
By the time I got off and made my way down into the street, the neighborhood had already shifted into night. More neon. more bodies. more noise. Music leaking from half-open doors. smoke in the air. People laughing too hard or fighting. I walked the last block with my hands in my pockets and my jacket open. A guy tried to sell me something off a glowing tray. I kept going. Two girls in Mox colors brushed past me, laughing about somebody dumb enough to get flatlined over a bad implant deal. A tourist froze under a holo sign and nearly got shoulder-checked into traffic.
Then Lizzie's came into view. Pink and blue light spilling onto the street. People are coming and going with bouncers at the door. The bass already reaching outside. I stopped at the curb and looked at it for a second. I crossed the street. One of the bouncers recognized me and stepped aside. "Damian, don't go causing trouble today." She ruffled my hair, and I went inside. The heat hit first.