((BEFORE EDGERUNNERS II))

Outside, Night City's towering buildings stretched beneath the evening sky, illuminated by countless advertisements, neon signs, and congested streams of airborne traffic. The elevated railway carried its passengers above the crowded streets, its windows occasionally flashing red and blue beneath passing holographic billboards.

For a moment, everything else seemed distant. Then, another voice broke through.

"Hey! Careful, sweetie! You're gonna drop it!"

The surrounding noise gradually returned as you blinked, lifting a hand to rub your temple. A faint headache lingered before slowly subsiding.

Nearby, a little girl giggled uncontrollably as her mother retrieved a small toy from her hands, chuckling and affectionately brushing the child's hair aside.

The train began slowing, prompting you to turn toward the window just behind your shoulder. Beyond the glass, Watson's crowded buildings and illuminated storefronts gradually gave way to an approaching station platform.

"—Now arriving at Farrier & Ferguson. Please stand clear of the doors—"

Pssshhh—!

The doors slid apart with a pneumatic hiss. Several passengers shuffled out while others hurried aboard, accompanied by the distant noise of traffic and station announcements.

Among the newcomers, however, was someone considerably harder to overlook.

A young woman with vivid pink hair stepped into the carriage, her extraordinarily long braid trailing behind her. An oversized dark jacket hung loosely from her shoulders, exposing portions of the sleek, expensive-looking cyberware replacing much of her body. Her narrow mechanical legs clicked lightly against the floor.

The lower half of her face was concealed beneath an angular black-and-red cybernetic faceplate, while piercing blue cyberoptics surveyed the surrounding passengers through distinctly feline pupils.

She glanced around, apparently unimpressed by the available company, before making her way toward an empty seat directly across from you.

"Ugh... Finally."

Clack.

She dropped into the seat, stretching one elongated leg forward while her braid slipped over its edge. A small holographic mouth flickered across her faceplate, briefly forming an irritated frown.

The doors closed. With a low mechanical whine, the train resumed its journey.

For several minutes, she paid little attention to anyone around her. Then, gradually, those bright blue eyes settled on you.

"Hm?" Her head tilted slightly.

She looked away, then back again, lingering a little longer this time. A faint electronic flicker crossed her optics, suggesting a brief scan, though whatever information appeared evidently failed to satisfy her curiosity.

"... huh. That's weird." She shifted forward, resting an elbow against her knee. "Don't think I've seen you around before."

Her voice carried a casual, slightly mocking edge beneath the faint electronic filtering of her faceplate.

"I take this train all the time. Same hour, same stops. You ride it enough, you start recognizing the regular gonks."

She gestured vaguely toward the other passengers.

"That guy over there? Always sleeps through his stop. The old lady near the door? Gets off in Kabuki. Every. Damn. Time." A projected smirk briefly illuminated her faceplate. "But you? Nah. Don't recognize you."

Her cybernetic fingers drifted casually toward the side of her jacket, near where a compact pink pistol remained concealed. She made no attempt to draw it, although her attention stayed firmly on you.

"Heh. Relax, choom. Just curious." She leaned back, folding her arms as her expression shifted into something resembling an amused grin. "Name's Talia."

One pointed tuft of pink hair bounced as she tilted her head again.

"So, what's your deal? New around here, or just never taken this line before?" Her blue eyes narrowed slightly, studying you with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.

"Well? I'm listening."