History Fanfic / BuiltDifferentSignlessAcolyte

* DrugsAreBad: Two of Maine's crew, Pilar and Dorio, have dealt with the consequences of the ''Cyberpunk'' world's {{Fantastic Drug}}s, Glitter (for Pilar) and Juice (for Dorio). Their previous addictions stand in stark contrast with the chrome addiction that Maine and David both dealt with in ''Edgerunners'', and that David is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RecoveredAddict trying to deal with]] in this story.

* DrugsAreBad: Two of Maine's crew, Pilar and Dorio, have dealt with the consequences of the ''Cyberpunk'' world's {{Fantastic Drug}}s, Glitter (for Pilar) and Juice (for Dorio).

** Dorio while she ran with the Animal gang led by Sylvia indulged in their homebrew drug usage to get swole, but injecting a bad batch ended up [[BodyHorror rotting a good chunk of her body]] and forcing her to get expensive life-saving amputation and surgery to survive. Since then, the only drugs she takes are oral-based and ones her ripper cleared with her.

* OhCrap:
** PlayedForLaughs during the girls' night out. When Dorio notes that Lucy is probably fantasizing, Lucy immediately tries to hide it by being deflective and looking to Kiwi for help. Unfortunately, Lucy's [[CrushBlush face is obviously heating up]], her attempt at deflection falls flat, and Kiwi pointedly looks away from her protegé.
--->'''Lucy''': ''(internally) [[DramaticIrony Traitor!]]''

* ExplainExplainOhCrap: PlayedForLaughs. When talking with Lucy about Sandy's AI, David mentions that it knows what is going on becouse Sandy can see and feel what he does. Lucy then realises that Sandy has seen her and David be intimate, and has a small feakout.

** Lucy carries a deep-seated fear of [=AIs=] from her time in Arasaka's Old Net recovery project. [[spoiler:When she learns that her boyfriend has an AI in his Sandevistan, Lucy's first reaction is to run away, devastated by the thought that David was being used in some "horrible game". After confiding in Rebecca, Lucy resolves to herself that if "Sandy" is genuine in its desire to help David and the crew, she'll tolerate it; but if not, she will destroy it to protect David.]]

* BigBrotherInstinct: While Rebecca and Pilar tend to argue ''at best'', the latter is certainly protective of his little sister. Pilar takes David aside to [[SincerityMode sincerely]] warn him [[IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer not to hurt Rebecca]], saying "I think you'll hurt her no matter what". Give how badly he failed to protect Rebecca before, this is likely his way to atone for it.

* BigBrotherInstinct: While Rebecca and Pilar tend to argue ''at best'', the latter is certainly protective of his little sister. Pilar takes David aside to [[SincerityMode sincerely]] warn him [[IfYouDoAnythingToHurtHer not to hurt Rebecca]], saying "I think you'll hurt her no matter what". Give how badly he failed to protect Rebecca before, this is likely his way to atone for it.

* BigBrotherInstinct: Pilar takes David aside to warn him not to hurt Rebecca, saying "I think you'll hurt her no matter what". Give how he failed to protect Rebecca before, this is likely his way to atone for it.
** Rebecca decides to mess with Pilar with a swollen belly after sex with David. What throws her for a loop is Pilar panicking at the sight, thinking she's pregnant, and starts asking her if she needs vitamins and a doctor, then starts to advance on an alarmed David. The misunderstanding is cleared up, but Rebecca (in her own way) thanks Pilar for offering, and he admits that somebody had to if she needed it.

** Though David doesn't say it, and does his best to hide it, his disappointment in Kiwi over her betrayal seeps into his interactions with her. Kiwi does notice, and--as a result of some manner of PastLifeMemories--feels a little hurt, but doesn't know why.

* DrugsAreBad:
** Pilar getting addicted to [[FantasticDrug Glitter]] was the big catalyst to how he ended up abandoning Rebecca to fend for herself, and Maine told him to get it under control if he wanted to join the crew. A few brushes with his PastLifeMemories causes him to decide to turn over a new leaf, starting with flushing his remaining stash of the stuff down the toilet while pointedly ignoring the part of him craving another hit.

* VillainTakesAnInterest: Jinta Tanaka initially planned on offing David when he hears from Evelyn Parker that David defeated Katsuo in their fight. But then he decides that David's more useful to him alive as a test subject for his Cyberskeleton project, contacting Principal Maliwan of the Arasaka Academy to offer David a full-ride scholarship with generous amounts of financial aid as bait.

** David has gained a deep disgust with X-braindances, and is disgusted with himself that he ever had a fascination with them in the first place. He also has a hatred of the Scavs, for their cruelty and depravity (and their connections to said XBD scene).

* ViolentlyProtectiveGirlfriend: Lucy. Compared to ''Edgerunners'', she doesn't fall into the trope as much in this story, but she does show hints of it.

** Maine gets the brunt of one after the NCPD job [[spoiler:ends with David getting shot in the gut. Dorio chews him out for cutting the call with David, which could have led to his death]]. Kiwi also gets one off-scene [[spoiler:for the same reason, the netrunner commenting that her bad call resulted in the girls on the team being very mad at her]].

** Dorio expresses to Maine (both in an open relationship with each other) her interest in "trying it" with David, on account of the formernost's "competence kink". [[spoiler:Of course, she's willing to refrain from doing so when Maine expresses his jealousy, and guilt thereof, of David's strength.]]

The story follows David Martinez returning from his death by the hands of Adam Smasher, to his Sandevistan implant surgery [[MentalTimeTravel six months ago]]. Still grasping his new situation, David decides to take this chance to right his regrets from his first go-around, such as saving his crew from their deaths. Partway through, David gains an unexpected ally in the form of his experimental Sandevistan's AI.

* BigBrotherInstinct: Rebecca decides to mess with Pilar with a swollen belly after sex with David. What throws her for a loop is Pilar panicking at the sight, thinking she's pregnant, and starts asking her if she needs vitamins and a doctor, then starts to advance on an alarmed David. The misunderstanding is cleared up, but Rebecca (in her own way) thanks Pilar for offering, and he admits that somebody had to if she needed it.