#Lexa and Johnny 2.0: How it started

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When Johnny was still just an engramm in Lexa's head he one day randomly started to play some songs while she was preparing to dive into the net.

He was kinda bored and didn't think any of it, allthough he already learned that usually before netrunning she liked it quiet, so she could focus more.

But this was different. Lexa liked listening to him playing. To her and his suprsise, it help her to relax and focus, which Johnny also felt.

None of them spoke that out at first of course. But from this day, he always played for her when she was netrunning. Lexa liked that she felt less alone, when she was in the net. She always heard him playing in the distance and knew he was there.

And Johnny, allthough technically knowing that she didn't need him, liked that he kinda had a purpose there. That for once he was not a stress factor, but a help. He felt useful again.

He played a lot of different stuff. Sometimes his own songs, sometimes he just jammed and sometimes he played songs from the time he was first alive and from bands he liked back then.

Also later Lexa tried to find a solution for her and Johnny's situation by herself. She absolutely didn't trust Hellmann or Hanako and not even Alt and she also refused to believe, that his or her death were inevitable. So she started to dive deeper into the net, than ever before and even explored the Blackwall to find a cure. During this Johnny's play and his singing became some kind of an anchor for her. It was like no matter where she was, he helped her find her way back.

And even after Johnny got his body back, he sometimes would come with Lexa and sit next to her, while she was netrunning and kept playing for her.

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When Johnny appeared for the first time he tried to hurt Lexa, even tried to kill her. He was disgusted by her. Disgusted being in her head. But he was also scared, desperate.

Lexa hated him from the second he opened his mouth for the first time, but like him, she was also scared. But allthough she was weak and hurt, she was not helpless. She was a Netrunner. A good one. A ruthless one. So she fought back and sent an electric shock through the Relic. It hurt them both, but Johnny much more than her. It gave her enough time to take the blockers and silence him for a while.

And that was also Johnny's first lesson, that Lexa was indeed not a helpless victim with whom he could do whatever he wanted.

Part 2 -> X

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Honestly Lexa was also not thrilled about these, how Johnny rightfully said, roach infested flophouses. But as long as she could get a hot shower or even an antiseptic bath in her comfy and clean apartment after the job it was kinda ok. And there was absolutely no way she could not take this opportunity and make fun of this badass Rockerboy being a little sensitive over this.

That was until she spotted her worst nightmare of course. She hated basically almost every insect, bug or whatever ugly beast, but for a limited amount of time, she could handle it. But spiders were where she drew the line! These fucking monsters were unbearable and the fuel of nightmares!

Lexa did everything to hide this from Johnny though. Surprisingly she managed not to instantly freak out. Her pride definitely beat her fears, because she knew, Johnny would make relentlessly fun of her then. She simply didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

Johnny on the other hand knew V hid something from him the moment she agreed with him. She never agreed with him on anything! But she was good at hiding what it was, which of course made him only more curious. But also whatever it was she didn't want to tell him, it made her leave this disgusting place, so for now it was fine. At least till the next flophouse.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4

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Johnny knew this was going to be exhausting. He indeed thought V was a little bit dumb and way too stubborn to accept his help. Even if... when he knew better what to do, she would probably ignore him.

Getting V to do what needed to be done would be difficult. Not impossible of course, but not as easy as it was with Rogue for example back then. Also he was really not keen of another electric shock and that chick was crazy and ruthless enough to not care, what kind of damage she might cause to herself.

Lexa knew guys like Johnny. How he talked to her, talked about Rogue... He reminded her of manipulating, controlling assholes in her past and she would be damned to let aynone treat her again the way they treated her back then.

So until she would be able to get rid of the chip and Johnny, Lexa would make him behave. With force if necessary. She didn't care indeed if she hurt herself, but she was in control, not him and he would do what she wanted. Also she definitely didn't need help from that relic of bygone times.

Part 1 -> X

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Lexa was absolutely not looking forward to this. Letting some kind of whore AI into her head? Under normal circumtances not in a million years.

But these weren't normal circumstances and Johnny was right (who would have thought), the only way to get into Clouds and to get maybe infos about Evelyn would be to play along.

Knowing this Lexa didn't feel less uncomfortable though. Which of course Johnny could feel as well. And allthough he despised places like this, he still thought her unease was kinda funny.

One thing they had in common, but would never admit, was how they dealt with situations, who made them uncomfortable. And a situation, that made them uncomfortable was for both one they couldn't control.

Johnny being nothing but an engramm on a data stick in some chick's head and Lexa being the involuntary host of that terrorist engramm was definitely something, that none of them could control.

So both reacted either with agression and insulted each other or with sarcasm and irony.

Lexa hated every single second in this room. Letting someone near here, sharing her thoughts and fears with someone was nothing she liked at all. So that a doll, this computer programm, knew about her fears was too much and she ended the session immidiately.

Johnny didn't really care how V felt, allthough he could understand her feelings towards all of this. But he was glad that they didn't waste more time than actually necessary here. He hated this place and actually thought about how he could bring V to burn it to the ground.

Clouds wasn't a complete waste of time but also not the most helpful either. At least they had another hint where Evelyn might be. So after finally getting out of there and after the first of many painful Relic malfunction which wasn't fun for Johnny either, he decided to tell V about Mikoshi. At least a little bit.

After the disappointment of not finding Evelyn and leaving her breakfast in the elevator after that Relic malfunction, Lexa was just tired and not in the mood to argue. So she let Johnny talk and hoped it wouldn't cause even bigger headaches.

She listened about this soul stealing prison thing Mikoshi, about someone named Alt Cunningham and how both were supposed to be the solution to all her problems. Sounded pretty crazy, but she has seen and done some weird shit as Netrunner. So Arasaka stealing the souls from people, wasn't really too unbelievable. She also remembered back in Militech there were rumors about such a thing among their Netrunners. So yes, she believed Johnny about Mikoshi and what it was.

It seemed to be at least something to maybe go after. If Johnny someday decided to tell her everything. Because as much as he tried to make it sound, like he only told her to hopefully save her, Lexa knew better. He was a very good liar, but besides being in her head, he also couldn't hide his excitement about having maybe another chance to screw Arasaka. And honestly she couldn't even blame him. Not after what they did to him and what they're doing in Mikoshi. She just cared much more about her own survival than his revenge fantasies.

Johnny was surprised that V really listened to him. He also knew, she was just exhausted, but he took what he could get. Also maybe she was able to understand the things he told her about Mikoshi, because as far as he could tell, that at least when it came to netrunning, she was bril... kinda good.

He actually was really a little bit sorry for her. Like him, V didn't ask for this, but it was her life, her soul that was at stake. Like him she was one of Araska's victims. Allthough on the other hand no one forced her to put an unknown data stick into her head. Maybe he should rethink the good Netrunner part again.

Anyway, could Mikoshi, could Alt help her? Maybe. Or maybe not. Johnny wasn't sure. But it was a chance for her. And if not a chance to save her life, but to continue his fight. Johnny at least got a second chance and he would not waste it.

So, yes, when helping her matched with his own goals, he hoped he could help her to survive this. But V's survival was not his priority. If Johnny had to decide between saving her or destroying Mikoshi or even Arasaka itself, than V would lose. He was absolutely ready to sacrifice her if he had to.

But for fuck's sake, could she please stop looking at him like a little puppy, he just kicked?!

Part 1 -> X Part 2 -> X

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This was probably the first time Johnny showed real emotions. For the first time he wasn't the sarcastic asshole, Lexa hated so much.

He showed compassion towards the poor guy who was used and chewed out by Militech and who in the end didn't see any other way than to shoot himself.

From the few glimpses Lexa got from Johnny's past until now she had a clue why he felt that way. He was used as well. He had his ideals and corporations used these to manipulate him and so many more to fight their wars for them. She knew, why he hated the corpo world so much, but she was surprised how much sadness was mixed into this hate.

But she got it. Lexa was born into the corpo world. Was basically raised in Militech. And yes, she liked her life, liked her work for Militech. She was never idealistic enough though to not know, despite her powerful family, she wasn't more than a very useful tool, but that was ok for her. "Unfortunately" in the end she was way too rebellious and had way too many problems to follow orders, so they kicked her out.

And allthough she didn't mourn her lost corpo life anymore, Lexa knew very well, that if it wasn't for Jackie back then, there was a possibility this ex soldier here, could have been her.

And she kinda... felt for him.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5

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Johnny wasn't a fan of this room either, but he forgot that, cause V hated this a lot more than him and she made fun of him a while ago, for exactly this reason. And of course he did not forget that.

He thought it was funny, how miserable she was and he let her know.

Also although Johnny thought it was disgusting here as well, he would of course sucked it up. There was no other option to stay and they had shit to do the next day.

But V's refusal to even consider sleeping here just confirmed to him, that despite being a merc now, she was still that little spoiled corpo princess. You just can't get that out of anyone.

But fuck! There it was again. Her puppy look. And Johnny almost felt like apologizing for even existing.

Lexa knew she would not be able to close an eye this night. She only could guess, what kind of crawling monsters were hiding here. And the spots on the mattress? She really didn't want to know!

And Johnny couldn't shut up. Of course not. And honestly she wouldn't either in his position. But he'll regret mocking her soon. Right now though Lexa even was too miserable to be really pissed at him.

She wanted to go home and seriously considered, that Hellman might be not worth to go after. Yes, dying didn't seem that bad right now compared to the possibility to touch anything in this room.

But in the end, Lexa stayed. Not in this room. But she went to Panam's truck and slept in there for the night, which was suprisingly very comfortable. And much, much cleaner!

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6

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Johnny tried to understand V. He wanted to kow who he dealt with. But honestly, she was confusing. Not in the usual way, like all women were confusing. But he was seriously wondering about her.

She shot the son to make the father suffer. Johnny got it. They deserved it. That made sense to him. But tomorrow she'll probably hang out at Totentanz again with Dum Dum and the rest of the freaks. And fuck, the things these bastard were capable of were beyond everything.

As far as Johnny knew, V never participated in the typical Maelstrom "fun", but of course she knew about it. And yet she was totally fine with it. But the moment non Maelstrom guys did the same things, she killed them, because they were bad people? In which world did that make sense? Not in his at least.

But Johnny had to admit, V was kinda sweet in her own dumb way. Not his type though, but still. And yet from one second to the other, it was like she could turn a switch and become an ice cold killer. Which at least meant, she wasn't some sensitive little girl, who just played merc. That was good. He could work with that. Still Johnny couldn't wrap his head around that disparity.

Yet. But he'll figure her out somehow.

Part 1 -> X Part 2 -> X Part 3 -> X

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Lexa and Johnny both saw some small, tiny, very tiny (!) things of themselves in the other. One thing they definitely had in common was their stubborness. Allthough both wouldn't call it stubborness but more strong-willed.

And allthough Lexa didn't share Johnny's, well let's call it, idealism to fight corporations to maybe change the world, she kinda enjoyed pissing corpos off as well. And when that aligned with their goals, it even felt better.

So they started to annoy each other less and maybe even started to... kinda... like the other... wait, nah they wouldn't go this far. But at least they tolerated each other and their bickering became less serious and hateful and more fun and friendly.

Part 1 , Part 2 , Part 3 , Part 4 , Part 5 , Part 6 , Part 7