Zaz
I ran. I ran through the dimly lit streets, heart pounding in my chest, praying I'd lose them. The sounds of footsteps echoing in the distance only fueled my panic.
Whew! Looks like I lost them... for now.
I slowed my pace, trying to catch my breath, but then—
Bam!
A sharp impact hit my back, and before I knew it, I was pinned against the cold brick wall. The air was knocked from my lungs, and I gasped, trying to struggle free.
"Where did you think you were going?" a voice hissed from behind me, the words barely audible over the pounding of my heartbeat.
A second voice emerged from the shadows, smooth, menacing. "Well, well, what do we have here?" The man's grin was audible in his tone.
I tried to pull away, but it was no use. There were two of them now, and I was trapped.
"Look," I began, my voice trembling but trying to stay calm, "I think we got off on the wrong foot here."
The man who had me pinned chuckled darkly. "The wrong foot, huh?" He seemed to ponder for a moment. "Perhaps we can correct that... and cut off your right foo—"
POW!
The sudden bang of a gunshot rang out, interrupting him mid-sentence. His grip loosened just enough for me to spin around and glance in horror at what happened next.
"What the hell was that?" the guy holding me exclaimed.
I looked around, my heart racing even faster now. The shadows shifted again, and before I could even process what was happening, a body dropped to the ground. The guy who had been holding me crumpled lifelessly, falling like a ragdoll.
I froze for a split second, my breath caught in my throat. Was I next?
"Sup, dude?" The voice came from the shadows, cool and unbothered. The figure stepped into the light, a familiar smirk playing on his face. "You okay?"
It was Kane.
Kane
I wandered through the streets, heart pounding from the chaos I'd just left behind. My left arm was still a mess—severed clean off at the elbow by some overzealous psycho, and I had no time to deal with it. I had to find Zaz.
F.R.E.D.D.Y, I called out internally, hoping the AI would guide me.
"Where am I? And where's Zaz's place? I need a fixer."
Zaz's place is located twenty minutes from your location. Just head down the street, make a left, then another left, and you'll be there in no time.
"Got it. Thanks." I muttered to myself, grateful for the response.
I jogged through the alley, the sound of my boots echoing off the walls. Then, a crash. The unmistakable sound of someone being thrown around.
I peered around the corner, and there he was—Zaz, pinned against the wall by two guys, struggling for air. One of them was yelling something, but I didn't stick around to listen.
Using my illusions, I cloaked myself, disappearing from their sight. I crept behind the one in the shadows, barely making a sound, and without hesitation, I shot him in the head. Pow!
The other guy spun around in confusion, but I had already set another illusion—footprints moving in one direction while I snuck up from behind.
With a swift motion, I grabbed the guy by the head, twisting it with a sickening snap. He dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.
I turned to Zaz, dusting myself off.
"Hey, what's poppin', Zaz?" I grinned. "As you can see, I need a new arm, and fast. You know, I saved you from whatever gambling assholes you were hanging out with. How about you let me pay you later?"
Zaz
I didn't know how he always found me when I needed him most, but there he was, as usual, saving my ass. I sighed in relief, but there was no time to waste.
"Ah, hell. Fine. Let's go." I waved him in, not even bothering to ask questions. "What happened to your arm this time?"
Kane
"Overgrown religious psycho," I muttered under my breath. "And you? Who were those assholes?"
Zaz
"Same old shit," he shrugged. "Gambling ring buddies."
Kane
I laughed bitterly. "Ah, I see." The words hung in the air as I stepped inside the garage, the familiar scent of oil and metal filling my nose. I hadn't been here in a while.
"Is Plunder here?" I asked, scanning the room.
"Nah," Zaz replied. "He went out for groceries."
"Figures," I said, walking over to a workbench. "So, any new arms premade?"
Zaz tossed me a glance but didn't answer right away. Instead, he shuffled over to his computer, and that's when I made my mistake.
Curious, I leaned over and hit the spacebar, and—without warning—a spicy video began playing loudly on the screen.
"Well, uh… I think I'm aroused?" I said, turning to Zaz, who was already scrambling to close the tab.
"It was Plunder, I swear!" Zaz protested, his face flushing.
"NO! It wasn't!" I shot back. "I don't believe you for a second, Zaz!"
Plunder walked into the room, his heavy footsteps echoing on the concrete floor. He wasn't your typical shop-hand—more like a force of nature. Standing nearly seven feet tall, his scaled body shimmered in a dark, iridescent sheen, hues of deep crimson and black catching the light like a living fire. His horns, long and jagged, curved backward over his head, framing his face with an intimidating elegance. A sinuous, muscular tail flicked behind him, and his large, leathery wings, folded at his sides, rustled faintly as he moved. His sharp eyes, a glowing yellow, scanned the room with an air of casual authority, always aware, always calculating.
"Oh, Kane!" he growled, his voice deep and smooth, carrying the weight of someone who knew their worth. "Nice to see you."
His claws clicked against the metal floor as he approached, tail swishing as he settled into the room. The air seemed to grow warmer with his presence, a faint crackling sound humming around him like distant thunder.
"Same," I said, feeling a little awkward but brushing it off. "I'm here for a new arm. How's business?"
Plunder stretched, his tail flicking. "It's going fine, but we've got some trouble with the new gang on the streets, the Stix."
Zaz
I grimaced. "The Stix? Those guys are nothing like the Roses. The Roses were honorable, but they got wiped out, remember?"
Kane
"Yeah, I heard. It's a damn shame," I muttered.
Zaz clapped his hands together. "Alright, the arm's ready." He handed it to me with a serious look.
"Take care of it," he said, his voice softer now.
"I will," I nodded, taking the arm from him. "I'll take care of it."
Zaz
I was already looking at the next job, but before I could speak, Kane was already heading for the door.
"See you guys next time," he said over his shoulder, a grin tugging at his lips. "Maybe we can take care of the Stix together."
Plunder gave a slow nod. "Someone oughta."
Kane
With the new arm finally in hand, I quickly got to work. The metallic limb clicked into place with a satisfying snap. The fusion of tech and flesh was seamless—just how I liked it. As the lights in the garage flickered to life, I flexed my new arm for the first time, testing its range.
"Perfect," I muttered under my breath. "Time to put this thing to use."