Sasha lowered her gaze and slowly sank into the single-seater armchair.
She sat exactly where Rogue had just been, but their auras couldn't be more different—if Rogue was a tiger descending from the mountain, then Sasha was more like a fluffed-up kitten, moments away from hissing if provoked.
Leo didn't hide his scrutiny, silently watching her as he waited for the hacker girl's response.
The atmosphere in the booth stiffened.
Jack and V exchanged glances, clearly settling into the role of onlookers.
Sasha's gaze gradually focused on the overly youthful fixer sitting across from her. Her hands, resting on her knees, slowly clenched.
"What's wrong with NeuroCalm?"
Leo noticed her tense body language. While calmly sipping soda, he pulled up the information he'd prepared and replied in a gentle voice:
"NeuroCalm is a problematic drug. While it effectively suppresses post-op pain, it has a high likelihood of inducing degenerative neurological disorders, eventually leading to death."
"And by the way, this side effect was discovered during clinical trials. They just didn't recall the drug—because profit was more important."
As his words landed, V—who knew a bit of the story—already looked visibly pained.
Sasha's reaction didn't even need describing—her expression fell apart entirely. Her mouth hung open in shock, eyes hollow with disbelief.
She looked like a fish washed up on shore, struggling to breathe but powerless to stop the slow suffocation.
Worse still, her struggle only made the pain last longer.
"No… That can't be!"
Sasha desperately tried to hide her reddening eyes, but her trembling voice gave her away.
"What proof do you have!?"
Leo watched her calmly, unbothered by her breakdown. "If you want the drug data and experiment records, they're all stored in Biotech's data center."
"So you're just making things up! You have no evidence!"
Sasha clung to that one lifeline, flailing in denial.
"I don't have the data, true. It's not useful to me anyway." Leo took another sip. "But... the evidence is already in your head, isn't it? You saw the changes in your mother's condition after she took NeuroCalm."
"…"
Sasha's anger evaporated. She sat frozen.
Her clenched fists bulged with tension, then slowly relaxed in defeat.
Leo knew—her defenses had crumbled.
Seeing the girl curl into herself, both V and Jack looked uncomfortable.
Especially Jack. With his mother being his only family, just imagining her death made the big guy fidget in his seat.
Leo gave Sasha some space before continuing, "Dwelling on the past won't change anything. But if you want to uncover the truth yourself—and seek justice for your mother—then join us. We share a common goal."
"…What do you mean?"
Sasha looked up, her eyes clouded and unreadable.
"I imagine you're already planning to infiltrate Biotech's tower for intel. Coincidentally, I'm interested in their tech too."
"Joining us is a much better option than going at it alone."
Leo's voice was smooth and confident.
Even without a scanner, he could see Sasha wavering.
As the seconds ticked by, she finally seemed to pull herself out of her emotional spiral. As long as she didn't see hard proof, she could still lie to herself… pretend it was all uncertain.
But eventually, she spoke: "I want a promise. That you'll definitely take action against Biotech."
Leo smiled. "That's easy. Here's my promise—within one month from today, we will move on Biotech. Our first operation will be intel-gathering, but the heavier stuff will come later."
That was better than Sasha had hoped. She'd even brought everything she owned, prepared to either buy intel or... buy her way out if the deal went sour.
She stared at her palm, as if still seeing the memory of placing the medicine into her mother's hand.
She remembered that gentle smile, and the words—"Everything will be okay..."
"Sasha… Miss Yakovleva?"
Leo's voice seemed to come from far away.
She came back to herself, bowed slightly, and said, "As long as you stand against Biotech, I'm willing to join your crew."
"A wise decision."
Leo gave a few light claps, entirely unsurprised by the outcome.
After all, if you can't win someone over even after learning their deepest secrets and desires, then the problem lies in your execution—not the circumstances.
Thus, the four-person strike team was officially formed.
Next came quick introductions.
Leo: "Just call me Leo. During missions or more formal situations, you can call me L."
V: "Vivienne. But just stick with V—I'm Leo's bodyguard."
Jack: "Jack Wells. Just Jack is fine, chica."
All three of them came off friendly, helping ease Sasha's nerves.
"Sasha Yakovleva. You can call me Sasha."
After exchanging contact info, Leo clapped to get their attention.
"This founding team will start with us four. For future jobs, we'll recruit other edge-runner crews based on the mission. Sasha, the Mamen squad still has four people, right?"
Sasha nodded.
"Good. We'll bring them along when we raid Biotech—eight people makes for a smoother op."
He paused, then circled back to an earlier idea:
"Next—naming the team. Any good suggestions?"
Still a bit reserved, Sasha stayed quiet and looked to the others.
Jack, who first suggested the idea, didn't hold back: "How about 'Big Shot Squad'? Sounds pretty badass, huh?"
V rolled her eyes. "Not really. You can't call yourself a big shot—you gotta earn that."
"Oh yeah? Got any better names?"
V thought for a moment. "Ace Squad? Champion Team? Those sound pretty tough, right?"
"Yeah, tough and overused." Jack shot back. "Yell that in the Afterlife lobby and a dozen crews will turn around."
The two bickered back and forth, shooting down each other's ideas. They were getting nowhere.
Sasha abstained, which handed decision-making back to Leo.
Looking around the room, he realized—besides himself, everyone here could be considered a "legend." Especially Sasha and Jack. Their stories matched the naming tradition of Afterlife's drinks—
First you die. And the more dramatic the death, the better.
Leo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said quietly: "I thought about calling us 'Team Legend,' but… that word carries too much weight. I'd rather we all live long, safe lives. So instead… let's go with Team Immortality."
"Immortality? That's such a cliché. You rich folks really are all the same," V quipped.
Leo jabbed her with an elbow in revenge. "What's wrong with immortality? Infinite life means infinite potential. Or think of it this way—'Immortality' as in eternal survival. Not a bad meaning, right?"
"…Hmm. That doesn't sound too bad. Fine, no objections from me," V agreed.
Jack, of course, backed his bro: "Team Immortality. Kinda rolls off the tongue—I like it."
"I don't mind." Sasha was still in passive mode.
And so, Leo finalized the name—
Team Immortality.
The four raised their drinks.
May Leo's ambitions come true.
And may they all survive… forever.
---
Read Up To 30+ Advanced Chapters in pat/reon.com/KyokaSuigetsu