Chapter 28: I Still Have a Chicken to Chop at Home!
Arthur froze for a moment after hearing Placid's mocking words. His cigarette burned between his fingers, and the sting of sarcasm rang louder than the gunfire still echoing in the distance.
What's going on? he thought. Is my plan that obvious? Even Placid, Night City's walking brick, can see through it?
No, that didn't line up with Arthur's long-standing impression of Placid. The man was pure muscle—less hacker, more human bulldozer. Maman, the matriarch of the Voodoo Boys, was the brains of the gang. Placid? He followed orders, broke bones, and occasionally barbecued cyberpunks for fun. But now, he was acting unusually sharp. Arthur eyed the smoke-filled street and muttered, "Is that lug trying to take Maman's throne?"
"Lucy," Arthur asked, puzzled, "is my plan really that obvious?"
Lucy nearly choked on her own breath, spinning toward him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Are you serious? He was joking, dumbass! You really can't pick up on sarcasm?"
She ducked as another hail of bullets whizzed past their cover. "If you've got time for stupid questions, maybe try firing back! Those psychos are closing in. And I swear to God, I've never regretted anything more than agreeing to help you. Mann warned me, Dorio reassured me... and now here I am, practically writing my own obituary!"
As she ranted, Lucy reflected bitterly on how this had started with an innocent favor. Dorio had said Arthur was "reliable in his own messed-up way." What a joke. This wasn't girls supporting girls, this was girls dragging each other into the flames. And Lucy was burning.
Meanwhile, Arthur raised his voice and shouted toward Placid. "So, you figured it out, huh? Don't tell me your neurons finally synced up. Or is this you auditioning to replace Maman?"
Placid stood tall in the distance, arms folded across his massive chest. For a brief moment, he appeared shocked. Did Arthur really call the NCPD? That thought alone nearly cracked his stone-cold façade.
But instead of reacting, Placid sighed, turning away with a grunt. "Arthur's body came back from the grave, but his brain must've stayed buried."
He muttered something to his men, then waved them forward. "Kill him. And bring me something to prove it's done. I've got a chicken thawing back home, and I'm not about to miss lunch because of this idiot."