The rain shield flickers above the rooftop booth. Mara Quell and the courier remain at Selene’s shop with the evidence, while Euran sits across from Selene over steaming ramen.
A middle-aged woman steps through the shield carrying a compact camera and sealed data wafer. Her silver-streaked hair is cropped close, and a yellow raincoat shines with rooftop water.
the do-gooder reporter
Euran Cross. I recognize the jacket, the hand, and the expression of a man who has not slept since the city almost ended.
The reporter notices Selene beside him and pauses, lowering the camera before taking another step toward the booth.
the do-gooder reporter
Selene Nyx. I am not chasing another conspiracy story. The exposed network is documented, mirrored, and already being fought over by lawyers.
the do-gooder reporter
I want permission to publish something human instead. A piece about the people who helped Night City survive, before the city forgets who stood in the rain.
Euran Cross
That sounds dangerously close to making us look respectable. But if Selene is willing to hear it, I am willing to listen.
“No! There will be no pictures no tories released and no names used. Period. I don’t do what I do for fame or infamy. Publish everything but keep me and Euran out of it.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled -2)
“No! There will be no pictures no tories released and no names used. Period. I don’t do what I do for fame or infamy. Publish everything but keep me and Euran out of it.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Selene Nyx
No. There will be no pictures, no stories about us, and no names used. Period. Publish everything else, but keep Euran and me out of it.
The reporter lowers her camera completely. Rain ticks against the shield while the ramen steam curls between the booth and the city lights below.
the do-gooder reporter
Understood. The evidence stays public, but you and Euran remain unnamed, unpictured, and outside the story. I will make that binding with my editor.
She removes the data wafer from its sleeve and places it on the table without activating it, treating the boundary like another security protocol.
Euran Cross
That is the right call. Let the facts carry the weight. We do not owe Night City our faces just because we helped expose its rot.
the do-gooder reporter
Then the network gets the light, and you get your lives. I can publish the documentation without turning either of you into a symbol.
The reporter seals the wafer again and steps back from the booth. Outside, the city keeps shouting, but this part of their lives remains theirs.