The decrepit sight of Old Bridge City was like looking through a window into the past.

Pre-Imbibe.

The city had buildings no taller than thirty meters, decayed and withered. There was an exception, and that was an old treasury building, about sixty meters in height.

Old Bridge City was connected to Bridge City via a bridge, not like people used it anyway.

Travelling through the Skylanes was the best form of travel, but it wasn’t for everyone. The asphalt flaked and crumbled as the wheels of my Xenotis rolled on through the broken streets.

The Antillean Federation claimed they had plans for the old city, to turn it into a museum, or a low powered city, where the homeless could live in peace.

Out of sight…out of mind. The thing is, politicians said all the right words and did all the wrong actions. Wrong, for the people, but right for themselves.

The number of scandals that were swept under the rug as if they were an eyesore had been was mind-boggling, but what could citizens do? Riot? Protest? They could only go so far.

I guess that’s why there’s a Riot taking place right now. I mused to myself. That’s the problem with democracies with vaguely interpreted laws. No one was there to take accountability.

This is how I felt about Old Bridge City, an Old World, living in the new, painted with neon colours.

As I traversed the streets, buildings on either side, at varying heights peered through glassless windows at me and the Xenotis with a hallowed gaze. With nothing but beams from the Xenotis to light my way, it seemed as if the street could go on forever.

The buildings looked like concrete slabs stitched together. I couldn’t imagine living here. However, with wandering eyes peeping through glassless windows I knew that people still lived here.

Anything to get away from the Federation.

“Try Rex again, Nova,” I said, feeling my sides ache with each word. I watched Rex’s avatar flash in the corner of my eye till it disconnected for the tenth time.

I’d been trying to reach Rex regarding my investigation and to get more information on these Hannya Boys. The information I had was none existent. I barely knew who they were, because Zade described to me in detail back at the station.Other than that, nothing was available. Hell, not even a picture of Akatani, just known as “associates”. UGH...this was Frustrating! As. Ever.

I didn’t only need him for my investigation, but to tap into the feed Nova hacked. He was an expert in backtracing feeds, especially temporary ones such as the ones my assailants used.

“Damn it, Rex, pick up!”

He didn’t answer.

“Fine…call Jix, let’s see if he’s available.”

The phone rang out.

“Alright…I’ll have to handle this on my own then.”

I pulled the Xenotis into a nearby alley and pinged Shedrick’s Transponder Code. This time, it led him to me, and he arrived in two minutes. Perfect timing.

“Cypher!” He said, tone calm as ever.

“Kid…thanks a mil. You don’t even know how you’ve saved me,” I told him.

“Think nothing of it.”

Shedrick began unstrapping the briefcase strapped from the back of his Hover-Scooter. It was heavy, based on the shattered glass and powdered stones he racked up, bringing it to me.

The briefcase was black and had two locking mechanisms at the side, where I punched in my codes. A hiss of compressed air sneered and I snapped it open to the scent of fresh metal and gunpowder.

In the briefcase was the BZ Scorpio B12, A Modular Weapons System Submachine Gun, MWSSG for short. It was compartmentalized into three different modules. A foldable stock, the BZ Scorpion receiver which could accept both incendiary and armour piercing rounds and an SMG suppressor, for noise cancellation.

Overall, it looked sleek, fierce and compact, enough to get the job done, I hoped. I pocketed the submachine clips into my pockets for now. It was sleek, had a nice grip and was expressive, all in one.

To the side, where the BZ Scorpio B12 was lying in the briefcase two motion sensors, incendiary and armour piercing rounds lied in their slots within the briefcase.

As they had a cybernetic face, it might be smart for me to just end them in quick succession, which was the plan anyway.

“That bad?” Shedrick asked.

“Look at me, Kid. I’m dirty as hell.”

“I see, what happened?”

“Chased me all over Underwent, that’s what happened.”

“That’s crazy, what did you do em?”

“The less you know, the better, now get the hell out of here, Kid.”

Shedrick didn’t even hesitate; he sauntered off to his Hoover-Scooter and floated into the air, bolting back to the city. Good. Time to get to work.

I walked back to my car, and thumbed the under guard of all my wheels, hoping to find this tracker. Nothing. I checked underneath the side skirts, which was harder because the car was so low, virtually five centimetres off the ground.

“I can’t find this tracker, Nova, where is it?”

“It’s on you, sir, check your jacket or pants pocket.”

I shuffled through my pants pocket finding nothing, then checked my stained jacket. I felt a cube-like object in my jacket and pinched it free. “Interesting,” I said. “Can you backtrace it?”

“There’s no need to worry, sir, I’ve been pinging the source signal”

“Why didn't you say anything?”

“You were preoccupied.”

“Not the point, Nova.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Anyways, is the source of the signal coming to me?”

“No, Sir…but a few relay transponders are following.”

“They must’ve gone for backup. Good. I plan to end this. Tonight.”

As I waited for the trunk of my car to open, I heard a rock rattle across the Asphalt and spun my BZ Scorpio B12 brandished, in the direction it came from.

It was a dog, standing in the middle of the road with its head tilted in innocence; it bared its teeth at my weapon, then ran off in the other direction. Guess I’m the bigger dog tonight, i thought ruefully.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I rolled off my jacket and slid on the flak jacket I had in my trunk. Funny how I told Jix how I didn’t want to be in the Waste with a Carbine strapped to my flak jacket, yet here I am, in Old City, with a submachine strapped to my flak jacket. Irony Is not funny.

In the right corner of my trunk, was the ace of diamonds I had for situations like this. I placed my hand on the safety box scanner and waited for the ding. It snapped open and I pulled the bag from within and began rummaging through it finding two motion sensors, a contact lens and two microphone earplugs.

I outlay the digital keypad of my cybernetic arm and typed in the contact lens’ code. I slid the contact lens in my right eye and waited for the synchronization process to begin.

“How far off are they, Nova?” I asked.

“Fifteen minutes out.”

“Damn it!”

The synchronization process was completed with a yellow line and the word ‘complete’ flashing across both my cybernetic and natural eyes. Perfect.

The aquamarine coloured HUD display on the cybernetic eye was mirrored onto the contact lens I wore. I then flipped through the three different optical options I had, Night Vision, Thermal Vision and Echo-Sight.

Echo-Sight, without the earplugs, was useless. So I slid those in and awaited the earplugs to synchronize to my HUD as well. I checked my surroundings watching as the world turned blue. I around everything that moved, rippled in the form of sound waves, it was confusing as I hadn’t used the tech in months.

Like I had a reason to.

You see, the way Echo-Sight worked was through the microphones of my earplugs. Whatever sound that resonated within thirty meters of me, was turned into a signal feeding straight into my HUD and Contact Lens, in the form of a ripple-like effect indicating where it came from and how noisy the sound was. Quite effective for a Mercenary such as myself, I thought, smiling ruefully.

Now that I knew my earplugs were in tiptop shape, I stomped the ground and watched the ripples flutter in a crooked wave, for eight seconds then dissipated into nothingness. Good.

“Nova, take the Xenotis somewhere far…and fast. Ensure no one can get in without my say, and do it quietly. I don’t want anyone in Old City trying to break in.”

“Yes, Sir.”

The Xenotis’ spherical wheels reclined and revealed the boosters that made it fly. After a minute, when the engine was warm enough it slowly ascended into the sky with a loud spooling noise, then shot in the direction heading north.

It was noisy but better than giving my position away.

I scoured the alleyway looking for any opening into one of the buildings and found a tattered window covered in plywood a few hundred meters from where the Xenotis was originally parked.

I sent my cybernetic arm through the wood shattering it instantly and huffed my way into the window. The pungent odour of rat shit smothered my nose, halting my progress.

I eyed the room through the blue optics, noting how much trash it was covered in. Styrofoam crates, plastic forks, shattered bowls, plastic bottles and shattered glass.

I placed a motion sensor under a table, on the right of the staircase, then stalked myself up the stairs ignoring the first floor as it was closed off with two bleached sofas.

The second floor was another dump site for garbage, but with mannequins scattered across instead of plasticware. The floor looked like a mass gravesite for mannequins. They may not have been real, but their dotted eyes and slashed smiles made them creepy enough to upset my stomach. I slapped another one of my sensors beneath them.

I made my way towards the third floor, slapped another sensor on the bannister as I passed. The third floor was devoid of anyone but had five barrels of fire scattered with smoke wafting in the air. “This is someone’s home,” I said aloud, noting the lack of stench here, compared to the first two floors.

I hugged the BZ Scorpio and slowly traversed the floor, eyeing for any quick movements.

“No one’s here…Maybe I could.”

I ran back to the second floor as quiet as I possibly could, picking up three mannequins that weren’t completely shredded. I huffed up to the third floor, placing them haphazardly around the room, and attached motion sensors to each of them.

I slid the Hannya Boy tracker down the last one’s throat and hid her in the darkest corner at the back of the room, giving her thanks by patting her forehead, before moving back to the second floor. ,,

As I made my way back to the second floor a roaring engine came thundering down the street and scraped to a stop. I peered through the window and saw three vans with graffiti art splashed across the sides.

The doors swung open and a total of five men exited each van. Dust flaked into the air from each step they made. It was like a scene from a movie where the good guys were about to kick some ass. There was only one problem, this was no movie.

Four had submachine guns, whilst eight had pistols tucked into their waist. Three had shotguns. “Dynamic,” I whispered.

“COME OUT, CYPHER, WE KNOW YOU’RE HERE!” One of them shouted.

I didn’t answer.

“What are you doing, moron? Let’s just get him.”

“Yeah, man…let’s just get 'em. Akatani wants him alive anyway.”

“Fuck Akatani! Peolon’s dead because of his petty revenge.” A loud crack of thunder bellowed across Old City. What little glass that remained on some of the windows crashed to the ground, shattering.

A Hannya Boy dropped to the ground with his arms flailing. His face was shredded metal with blood and matter oozing out of the casing that was once his cybernetic face.

“Cypher killed him, understood?” The red hooded Hannya boy said, holding a shotgun.

The remaining thirteen didn’t say anything; they just started walking towards the building I had found myself in. I considered going to the top floor but finally settled on staying where I was.

The five pillars that pierced the floor could provide good cover. It wasn’t devoid enough for me to feel comfortable, but at least the mannequins could provide an illusion I needed.

The first sensor went off on my HUD, and then I heard plywood crumpling beneath their boots. Someone’s testing for booby traps. I counted the twenty-four crunches my assailants made towards me.

The second sensor went off by the third floor. I stopped counting their steps and focused on my Echo-Sight, watching as the ripple effects rumbled louder the closer they got to me.