"What the hell is this?!"
Seth stared at the scene before him, his prosthetic eyes narrowing in disbelief. "No way. What kind of nightmare is this?!"
His panic was palpable as he raised his gun to fire at David again.
But he never got the chance.
Lucy turned her head sharply, her calm azure eyes shifting to an intense crimson in an instant.
A cacophony of distorted electromagnetic interference followed as Seth froze mid-motion. His body twitched violently, sparks flashing from his prosthetic implants. His artificial eyes rolled erratically, scanning the air for nonexistent threats.
"You... you're a hacker!" Seth stammered, his voice trembling with fear.
Top-tier hackers were the apex predators in this cyberpunk world. The best of them didn't need physical strength to incapacitate their foes—they could take down a fully cybernetic opponent in seconds, crashing their systems with nothing but their minds.
And Seth had just encountered one of the best.
Lucy didn't waste time.
With a swift motion, a golden monomolecular wire extended from her wrist. The micro-rotors in her prosthetic legs activated, launching her forward at a speed that left afterimages in the dim garage.
Before Seth could process what was happening, Lucy was in front of him.
The monomolecular thread wrapped around his neck like a serpent, and with one powerful tug—
Blood sprayed in every direction as Seth's head was severed cleanly from his body.
The head hit the ground with a sickening thud, rolling across the floor like a macabre ball. It came to a stop, facing upward, its lips still twitching as residual neuron activity faded.
David stood frozen, staring at the grotesque scene. A single prosthetic eye rolled to a stop at his feet, its artificial lens staring blankly up at him.
Lucy didn't hesitate. She raised her boot and stomped down hard on Seth's severed head. The sound of bone and metal cracking echoed in the garage as his head was reduced to a gory mess.
"Even dead, you're annoying," Lucy muttered, her voice laced with disdain. "Typical scavenger scum."
David blinked, his mind struggling to process the brutal efficiency of Lucy's actions.
"When did this girl get so... intense?" he muttered under his breath.
"David, are you okay?"
Lucy's voice pulled him from his thoughts. When he looked up, the bloodthirsty anger on her face was gone, replaced by a calm smile.
"Uh... yeah, I'm fine," David stammered, still trying to reconcile the two sides of her.
"That's good," Lucy said with a relieved sigh. "I was really worried there for a second."
David's confusion deepened. Was she angry because she was worried about me?
Unable to resist, he let a small smile creep onto his face. "Haha, I guess you could say I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Mysterious Eastern power, you know?"
Lucy raised an eyebrow, her smile widening. "Oh, is that what it's called? Sure, let's go with that."
Before either of them could say more, the sound of revving engines echoed through the garage.
The noise grew louder, accompanied by the distinct roar of motorbikes.
"Crap," Lucy muttered, her expression darkening. "Seth's friends are here."
She grabbed David's hand, her grip firm. "We need to go. Now."
David nodded, allowing her to pull him along as they sprinted toward the main road.
They hadn't made it far when shouting erupted behind them.
The voice was guttural and filled with rage.
"Why the hell did you drag me out here? I was busy, damn it!" another voice growled.
Two gunshots rang out, echoing ominously.
David glanced back, catching a glimpse of the scavenger leader, Oris. The man was tall and broad, his body heavily augmented with bulky, outdated cybernetics. He was holding a smoking pistol, which he'd clearly fired in a fit of anger.
"Boss! There are two of them running up ahead!"
A younger scavenger with spider-like prosthetic eyes pointed in their direction.
"Which way?" Oris snapped, his eight mechanical eyes focusing and adjusting.
The scout extended a finger. "That way!"
"Then go after them!" Oris bellowed, firing several more rounds into Seth's lifeless body.
"You useless piece of trash! Couldn't even handle a simple job!"
The roaring engines intensified as several scavengers mounted their bikes, slamming down on the accelerators.
David and Lucy raced through the dimly lit streets, their footsteps echoing against the concrete.
"Keep up!" Lucy called, glancing over her shoulder.
"I'm trying!" David replied, his breath coming in short bursts.
The distant roar of motorcycles grew louder, and David's heart pounded in his chest.
"Do you have a plan?" he asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
Lucy smirked. "Don't worry. I always have a plan."
"Forgive me if I'm not reassured by that," David muttered.
As they turned a corner, Lucy abruptly pulled David into a narrow alley.
"Here," she whispered, pressing him against the wall. "Stay quiet."
The sound of the bikes grew deafening as the scavengers tore past the alley, their shouts fading into the distance.
David exhaled in relief, but Lucy wasn't done.
"They'll circle back soon," she said. "We need to find a better hiding spot—or a way to deal with them."
David nodded, his mind racing.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of their trouble.
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