Prologue: The Man in Black and his stupid Cat!

"Need any help with that?" 

Officer Lenny leaned casually on the counter, watching the beautiful woman typing on the sleek desktop.

"No, sir, I'm good. I wouldn't want to tire you out," Kara replied, returning the smile. "Being part mechanical myself, I can handle this better than a human like you. No offense."

Lenny chuckled, appreciating her humor. It was clear she enjoyed his company, her cheeks tinged with a hint of red.

'Just a bit more, and this damn sexy Synthetic is gonna end up under my damn bedsheets.'

Lenny mused, taking a sip of his coffee.

The entire building buzzed with joy. They had achieved what no one in this New World had done before.

Successfully busting a deal at a gang bar, they retrieved a Data Card containing crucial information about the looming threat that had already taken lives in their world.

The original card was securely sent to their higher-ups, but they kept a backup copy just in case.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we both worked on it? You know, like they say, together you can move a mountain? Well, I know we can't actually do that, but still," he said with a wink.

A loud meow echoed from the upper floor. Lenny glanced back but decided to ignore it.

"I doubt you've got the stamina for this. My mechanical part can keep me going for hours, while you might end up snoozing on the floor," she chuckled, typing away.

Lenny sensed she was playing with him. Having spent enough time around her, he knew her well. She was just teasing him.

"You can't be so sure about that, can you? I might handle machines better than you think. Maybe it's the other way around. Perhaps you're the one who can't handle me. I can be quite a beast."

He said, flashing a sheepish smile at her. Kara tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear.

"Why not give me a chance to prove it then?" he suggested.

"Alright. If you can prove that you can keep up with me, at work of course, I'll... buy you a coffee. Deal?" Kara proposed.

"Deal!" Lenny answered eagerly.

Another meow echoed from the upper floor. Lenny and Kara both glanced up, then shrugged it off.

"So tonight? After work?" Kara asked.

"Sure," Lenny agreed eagerly.

'Yes! I'm gonna score tonight. Oh, thank you, whoever's up there. It's about time. I was getting literally blue balls.'

As a loud siren blared, Lenny and Kara snapped to attention.

"What's happening?"

Lenny quickly unholstered the gun from his side.

Robots, Synthetics, and humans swiftly armed themselves, gathering in front of the door with their weapons at the ready. 

Another meow echoed throughout the entire building, the only sound apart from the blaring alarm in the background.

Lenny glanced up at the floor above.

"Call for backup!"

He ordered, and Kara reached out to touch the emergency switch on her table. But before she could, a small round object came flying through the window.

It bounced off the ground and landed right in the middle of the group. A red light began blinking in rapid succession.

"EMP!"

Lenny shouted, but it was too late as the device detonated.

Boom!

Lenny's entire body went rigid as the electromagnetic pulse surged through him, knocking everyone in the vicinity out cold.

His gun clattered to the floor as the lights flickered and shut off. Robots collapsed like sacks of potatoes.

Synthetics, including Kara, slumped down, struggling to hold onto something as half of their bodies shut down.

EMP's weren't supposed to affect them, according to the Authority, but this one worked exceptionally well.

"Kara!"

Lenny screamed just as a roaring sound emanated from behind the door. Suddenly, the double metal doors burst open, and a black car, as dark as the night, rolled through.

The car belonged to a bygone era, a vintage beauty that he had seen in Arcanum.

'A Boss 429, 1969 edition.'

Lenny marveled at the sight. Centuries had passed, and yet, here it was.

But his amazement turned to horror as he saw a large, metal cylinder with sharp spikes attached to the bumper. It was dripping with blood and bits of flesh, a gruesome sight.

Adding to the shock, a machine gun was mounted on the hood of the car.

Suddenly bullets poured down like rain from the the machine gun. Each shot tore through the robots, their metal frames shredded like paper, sending sparks flying as they slide agaisnt ground in a twisted heap.

The Synthetics, already struggling to maintain their balance, were hit next. The bullets ripped through their synthetic flesh, leaving behind gaping holes and spraying blood in all directions.

Some stumbled and fell, their movements jerky and uncoordinated as their systems struggled to cope with the damage.

Humans, caught off guard and frozen in shock, were not spared either.

Bullets pierced through flesh and bone with sickening squelches, leaving behind gruesome wounds as they slammed into bodies, sending them sprawling to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs.

Lenny leaped over the counter, pulling the struggling Kara with him as they sought refuge under a nearby table.

Bullets pinged on the other side, ricocheting off the glass, furniture, and walls, filling the room with chaotic noise and destruction.

He watched helplessly as his people were shredded into pieces, a surge of rage building within him. But more than rage, fear gripped Lenny.

He refused to meet his end here, not in some senseless way like this. He was supposed to go out in style, not as a victim of a Cyber Psycho.

Suddenly, the assault came to an abrupt stop.

Lenny stayed put for a minute, uncertain of what to do next. Peering through a bullet hole in the counter, he held onto Kara, who trembled in his grasp, tears streaming down her face.

White smoke billowed from the machine gun, filling the air with the acrid scent of blood, burning plastic, and metal. The entire office was engulfed in the unsettling mixture of odors.

The metallic door of the car clicked open, and out stepped a young guy, maybe nineteen, his face smeared with blood, crimson eyes piercing through the mess, and black hair clumped with gore.

Dressed entirely in black – overcoat, boots, cap, the whole deal. Hanging at his side, a black katana in a bloody sheath, its tip oozing a dark substance. And, on his left side, a sleek revolver.

Lenny observed as the boy strolled through the wreckage he had unleashed, confidently positioning himself in the center.

"Byte! I'm here. Come out!" the boy shouted.

'Byte? Who the heck is Byte?'

As if a spell had been cast, a synthetic lying on the ground suddenly lurched to its feet, its body covered in blood and gore, standing merely a meter away from the boy.

With a grotesque determination, it raised a gun with its remaining functional hand.

In the blink of an eye, the scene unfolded in a blur of motion. The boy swiftly unsheathed his katana, the blade glinting ominously in the dim light.

In one swift, merciless stroke, he severed the synthetic's head, sending it flying through the air in a spray of blood. The decapitated body crumpled to the ground, lifeless and inert.

"Byte! Nano Byte!"

He shouted again, the word echoing through the chaos as he unsheathed his katana. From upstairs, a meow pierced through the turmoil.

A smile, innocent and bright, spread across the boy's face for the first time.

"You're alive, aren't you? I'm coming for you."

He ascended the steps to the upper floor with a quick jog, disappearing behind the door. A few gunshots echoed from within, followed by a brief pause.

Then, he emerged, cradling a small black cat in his arms. The cat clung to him with its claws, purring contentedly and rubbing its face against his.

Lenny recognized the cat immediately. It was the same one he had captured from the bar.

The boy was on the verge of stepping into the car when he abruptly halted. A sudden turn brought his gaze toward the counter where Lenny was concealed.

Panicking, Lenny held his breath and edged backward.

'He saw me. Goddammit. Goddammit!'

The boy stared at the counter for a full minute, motionless. Then, without warning, he drew his gun and fired at the desktop.

Lenny closed his eyes, clutching Kara tightly. The onslaught of bullets and the shattering sound of the computer being destroyed filled the room.

Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, the boy vanished. The door slammed shut, the car engine roared to life, and he was gone.

Lenny remained still for a moment, trying to calm his racing thoughts. He didn't dare to make a sound, afraid that even his breath might betray his hiding spot.

With caution, he emerged from beneath the table, carefully laying Kara on the ground.

He surveyed the devastation before him, tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them away with a trembling hand.

"All this chaos... for a stupid cat," he chuckled in disbelief.