⁕ A broken world

A young man watched apathetically as paramedics inspected the body of a dead man on the sofa. The room was filthy with a sea of trash and the man's clothes were dirty enough to garner empathy from a homeless person. On a corner of the room stood the deactivated pleasure robot which was dirty and stained with bodily fluid. On the other corner was the television, still broadcasting the news as if nothing happened. 

[News lady] - "...The events which befell Italy yesterday were still unexplained. Our prime minister has declared concern for the possibility of further incursion of that mysterious force of unknown origin into the European continent. Minister Chester, our minister of foreign affairs, has blamed China for being the secret sponsor of the fleet which crossed into the borders of Italy while our defence minister was considering a possible state of emergency in the next few days- "

Karson coldly shut off the television screen with a click of the remote before throwing it into a pile of chips. As he turned around, a paramedic approached him with a tablet in his hands. 

[paramedic] - "Lad, I'm sorry to inform yah that yar father has unfortunaytely passed away. "

Said the paramedic in a thick Scottish accent. 

[Karson] - "Bloody bury him or somethin' I don't really care what ye do with that old' drunk. "

Said Karson with an annoyed expression. 

[paramedic] - "Well, lad, we've got a few options. Yah can cremate him, bury him or donate him to science. "

[Karson] - "Fuck do I know? Which one's the cheapest? "

[paramedic] - "Well, donating him to science prob' be dah best option, lad. Them doctors could salvage somethin' from him, make him useful, yah know. "

Said the paramedic in a display of cruel comedy. '

[Karson] - "Do that then. "

[paramedic] - "I heard yah, but that service would require 1200 pounds. "

Karson's eyes widened as he heard what the man said. 

[Karson] - "Are ye takin' the piss at me, mate? I donate his body to science and you ask of me 1200 pounds! "

[paramedic] - "Or yah can leave his body here. Either way, yah still owe me 1000 pounds for this visit. "

Said the paramedic with a smug smile. 

[Karson] - "Ye must've lost yer marbles if ye think I'm playin' all that shit! "

The paramedic laughed before abruptly pulling a pistol out of his pocket. 

[paramedic] - "Freshly dead body can still be harvested for organs, yah know, lad. "

Said the paramedic with an evil grin. 

Karson was flabbergasted by what he was seeing. He couldn't believe that he was robbed at gunpoint by a paramedic. 

[Karson] - "Fine! I'll pay that 1200 pounds! "

Said Karson in a panic. 

[paramedic] - "Oy, oy, not so fast, lad. Yah forgot to tip me for mah service. "

Said the paramedic as he showed Karson his tablet with the option of 40%, 60% and 100% percent displayed on the screen. 

As Karson reached for the 40% option, the paramedic once more raised his gun at his head. Left without a choice, Karson moved to the 60% option but the gun remained pointed at his head. Finally, Karson swallowed before pressing the 100% button. 

[paramedic] - "Thank yah for your generous donation. We'll take good care of yah father. "

Said the paramedic with a satisfied smile before backing away. 

Karson held his breath as he watched his fat father's massive body being lowered onto a mechanical stretcher. Just before the paramedic and his workmates left the place, he reached forward and shot the floor in front of Karson. As Karson jumped and fell into a pile of half-finished noodle bowls, the paramedic cackled cruelly before slamming the door behind him. Karson, meanwhile, was left soaked in spoiled soups and filth. 

Later that day, Karson reported the incident to the police but the best answer he got from them was that they would look into it. With that, Karson exited into the street while smelling like a homeless person who hadn't watched or changed in months. As he walked, he came across dozens of homeless tents on every street in London which often forced him to walk on the roads. 

After a few minutes, Karson stopped and almost threw up as he saw a homeless person's decomposing body on the ground. After overcoming the extreme stench, Karson's heart was filled with a sense of despair as he realized that the hospital was just a few steps away from the dead man's corpse. Despite all the traffic in and out of the hospital, not even nurses or doctors would stop to check on the man. 

What has this world become? In the city centre, away from where the homeless camped, the atmosphere was one of prosperity and advancement. People were mostly sporting apathetic or depressive expressions, yet all the billboards and advertisements showed pictures of happy people and colourful merchandise. As Karson walked into the richer area of the city centre, people began to walk around with a headset around their eyes. Unlike the ones he met earlier, these people were happy and smiling with their eyes behind a virtual reality. 

[Karson] - "Maybe stayin' in the illusion is better than reality. "

Said Karson as he passed by a mob of businessmen in virtual headsets. 

After finally making it to his destination, a small animation studio, Karson finally breathed a sigh of relief while he was greeted by a bunch of familiar faces. 

[Elise] - "Blimey, look who has arrived. "

[George] - "Ah, Karson, yah tardy wanker. Have you overslept again? "

Said George in a friendly mocking voice while leaning against the wall.

Karson slowly put away his trash-stained jacket before showing his friend the middle finger. 

[Karson] - "Yeah, so what if I did? "

Said Karson with a smirk. 

[George] - "I ain't judging, bruv. It ain't my fault if your sorry arse gets fired. "

[Karson] - "Fuckin' hell, just get on with the program. What's on the board for today? "

Said Karson before gagged at the stench coming from his hands. 

[Elise] - "Nothin' too special. Got a general meeting with the team at Twelve, so don't be late. "

Said Elise as she rushed back into her office. 

[George] - "So, bruv, how's the GCI animation on your end? "

[Karson] - "I've done it and added a few extra effects. "

Said Karson with a sigh as he began to walk alongside George. 

[George] - "What's wrong? You seem quite disturbed, bruv. "

[Karson] - "It's nothin', I don't feel talkin' about it. "

Said Karson as he wiped his dirty hands on his pants. 

Meanwhile, outside on the busy streets, Kadyn bit down on a cone of ice cream while leaning against Mike on the sidewalk. With a serious look, Mike observed the streets which fluctuated with cops and surveillance vehicles. Ever since Sniper's speech, censorship and surveillance grew exponentially inside the city. In contrast, Kadyn slurped on her vanilla cone in complete ignorance of her surroundings. 

[Mike] - "I wished they were as efficient with running the country as they are with their censorship effort. "

Said Mike in a serious tone.

[Kadyn] - "Hmm... The city doesn't seem that bad. It's clean and vibrant, I'd say they did a pretty decent job. "

Said Kadyn before pushing the rest of her cone into her mouth.

[Mike] - "That's because you are in the inner city. All the misery and poverty, all the ugly stuff are pushed into the outer city. All this shine and magnificence, a mere facade to cover up the reality that lies just underneath our eyes. "

Said Mike as he used his ability to fly a cigar out of his pocket toward his mouth.

While Mike puffed on his cigar, Kadyn began to eye Mike's intact chocolate cone with envy.

[Kadyn] - "Can I have a taste? "

Whispered Kadyn as she leaned toward Mike's hand. 

[Mike] - "Only a bite. "

In an instant, Kadyn leaned in and took a massive bite of Mike's ice cream. 

[Mike] - "However, with the upcoming revolution, things are about the change. I have worked my whole life toward this moment, all the training and torturous practices have led to this specific event. We are in the middle of making history here! "

Said Mike with passion in his voice. 

[Kadyn] - "Hehe... so serious, Mike. This is such a side of you I rarely see. "

Said Kadyn with an amused smirk. 

[Mike] - "Well, isn't the upcoming revolution worth this kind of hype? I mean, this is what we both sacrificed our lives for. "

Said Mike with an air of enthusiasm.

[Kadyn] - "I was literally born to kill and you don't see me so committed to my job. "

[Mike] - "That's because you are not a murderer or a willing killer. I'm a cyberknight, I have a duty toward the general public, our empire and our emperor, Sniper. "

Said Mike in a formal voice. 

Kadyn giggled at Mike's silly act before placing herself in front of him. 

[Kadyn] - "And without that helmet, who are you? "

[Mike] - "General Mike of the imperial- "

Before Mike could finish, Kadyn cut in while looking Mike in the eyes. 

[Kadyn] - "No, silly, you are just Mike. Nothing less, nothing more. You are currently not a knight or a general because you are off-duty. "

Said Kadyn in a frustrated voice.

Kadyn suddenly took the opportunity to take another bite of Mike's ice cream. Mike raised an eyebrow before rolling Kadyn around and gently pressing her against the wall. 

[Mike] - "You are playing a dangerous game there, my little fox. "

Said Mike with a smirk on his face.

Upon noticing a small ice cream spot on Kadyn's nose, Mike leaned in and cleaned the stain with his mouth. Slowly, Mike lowered himself to his knees and presented Kadyn with his chocolate cone. 

[Mike] - "As an off-duty knight, I shall surrender my sword for thy lady then. "

Said Mike with a tone of sarcasm.

[Kadyn] - "I, Kadyn, queen of ice cream lovers, shall grant you the new title of suitor. "

Said Kadyn as she played along with Mike's act.

During this time, inside the animation studio, Karson and the rest of the staff gathered inside a conference room. After taking a seat beside George and Elise, Karson pulled an envelope out of his pocket and peeked at the check inside. 

[Karson] - "These bloody wankers... This ain't even enough to pay for my rent. "

Mumbled Karson as he shoved the check into his pant pocket with frustration.

[Elise] - "You probably need a side job if you want to keep your ship afloat. "

[Karson] - "A bloody side job... Say, how are you two blokes' holdin' up? "

[George] - "Survivin' off our side gig. Pay's nothin' fancy, but we've got enough to make a livin'. "

Karson smelled something shady about his fellow coworkers but couldn't pinpoint what it was. People in the outer city of London usually struggled to make a living even with two jobs but his two friends are somehow making enough off two different jobs. 

[Karson] - "Can a fellow bruv get himself a spot in that magical job of yours? "

[George] - "Ehh... "

As George was hesitating, Elise immediately jumped in and handed Karson a small business card with a name and phone number on it. 

[Elise] - "Just give Adam a call. He'll take care of your employment. "

Said Elise with a fake smile. 

At 6 pm, it was the end of the workday. As Karson was putting his dirty coat inside a plastic bag, he looked at the pouring rain outside with frustration. Without a car, his only choice was to brace for the weather, but just as despair began to wash over him, a figure stepped into the entrance. 

[Karson] - "Ma? What the hell ya doin' around here? "

Said Karson with an expression of surprise. 

[Nancy] - "I need to talk to you, Karson. "

Said Nancy in a stern voice. 

[Elise] - "Hey, who is that at the entrance? "

Karson turned around to see Elise about to leave with George by her side. 

[Karson] - "It's just my mother, nothin' to worry about. "

There was a sense of urgency on Nancy's face as she pulled on Karson's arm and dragged him out of the building without greeting his coworkers. As Karson waved goodbye, Elise and George shared a look between them before putting away their coats. 

[Elise] - "Looks like we gotta cancel that dinner reservation. "

[George] - "I'll call them. "

Said George as he headed into another room. 

Although Karson was quite apathetic toward his mother, he was at least glad that she was able to provide him with a vehicle in the current weather. 

[Karson] - "So... haven't seen you since I was 18 and two years later when dad kicked the bucket, you finally showed up. "

Said Karson with contempt in his voice.

[Nancy] - "Sigh... You know I had a messy divorce with ya father. "

[Karson] - "Oh! So that prevented you from seein' yar bloody son? "

[Nancy] - "Watch yar manners, Karson... I didn't want it to be this way but I think it's time I have this talk with you now that your father is gone. So shut up for now, I'll tell you everything once we get to somewhere safe. "

Said Nancy in a frustrated voice as she navigated through the traffic. 

Meanwhile, inside a hotel room, Kadyn's voluptuous naked body crashed against the wall while Mike pressed his chest tightly against hers. The intense and rough session that ensued caused Kadyn to dig her nails into Mike's back before leaving eight bloody scratch marks. By the end of it, Kadyn moved to the bed and crashed face down into the blanket with a satisfied face. 

[Kadyn] - "I have been waiting for this main course ever since the Tokyo mission. "

[Mike] - "Who said this is the main course? This is just an entree. "

Said Mike as he marched toward a mirror with a medical kit.

[Kadyn] - "I can't fit any more of this meal. I'm too full down there and too empty up here. "

Said Kadyn between breaths. 

[Mike] - "Well, we can arrange that. "

Said Mike with a smirk. 

[Kadyn] - "No, I'm serious, I need food. I need a delicious steak and mashed potatoes. I could really go for Gordon's bistro right now. "

Said Kadyn with a drunk face. 

[Mike] - "You know it's almost impossible to get a reservation there. It's crowded as fuck, I swear! "

Said Mike as he began to sow his back wounds with a mirror and his ability. 

[Kadyn] - "They called earlier. The one in the outer city had a cancelled reservation, so we got it instead. "

[Mike] - "Wow! No joke? "

[Kadyn] - "Better get dressed so we won't be late for it. "

Said Kadyn as she sat up and brushed her messy hair. 

When Kadyn finally gained some lucidity, she abruptly noticed the bleeding gashes on Mike's back and remembered what she had done. 

[Kadyn] - "Oh my god! Why didn't you protect yourself with your ability? "

Said Kadyn while covering her mouth with her hands in shock.

[Mike] - "What ability? I'm just regular ol' Mike when I'm with you. "

[Kadyn] - "NO! Mike, this is... Oh my god, I'm so sorry. "

Said Kadyn as she rushed behind Mike and grabbed the floating needle. 

[Kadyn] - "Me and my clumsy hands... only good for murder and violence. "

Said Kadyn in a guilty voice as she began to close Mike's wounds. 

[Mike] - "The truth is, I actually never used my ability for the whole duration of our relationship. Yet, I'm still alive, aren't I? "

Kadyn raised her stare and saw that Mike was not mad at her in the mirror. 

[Kadyn] - "But I still hurt you. "

Said Kadyn as she closed the last of the scratch marks. 

[Mike] - "And you closed the wounds with surgeon precision. Is this act synonymous with killers and animals? "

Kadyn thought for a second before showing a joyful smile upon understanding what Mike meant by his words. 

Sometime later, Nancy stepped into Karson's house before shutting the door behind her with an anxious expression on her face. 

[Karson] - "Why are ya actin' so weird? "

[Nancy] - "Sit down, I'll explain everything. "

A few moments later, at the dinner table, Karson poured himself a can of beans with a few slices of expired toast. Meanwhile, his mother shakingly held a cup of tea in her hands. 

[Karson] - "Now, tell me, what the hell is all this about? "

Said Karson as he poured a spoonful of beans on the bread. 

[Nancy] - "That's all you are eating? "

[Karson] - "Gorcery costs upward of 700 bloody pounds. I'll stick to the cheaper option, thanks. "

[Nancy] - "Take this then. "

Said Nancy as she deposited four envelopes each with a fat stack of cash inside it. 

[Nancy] - "I probably won't be needing this. "

The strange situation suddenly caught Karson off-guard as he dropped his toast onto the table. With a perplexed look on his face, Karson took a look inside the envelopes and estimated that they contained close to 20,000 pounds in total. 

[Karson] - "What the... what is this? Where did you get all this money? "

[Nancy] - "How did you think you were able to not get evicted or tortured after not paying your rent money to the gang that owned this area? "

[Karson] - "It was you? "

Said Karson in a surprised voice. 

[Nancy] - "After the divorce, I had to find a way to pay for your education and our house. "

Nancy took out a pack of cigarettes and began to light one of them. 

[Nancy] - "I worked for the London Neon Gang to make ends meet. The unspeakable things I had to do... "

Said Nancy before stopping to take a puff of her cigarette. 

[Nancy] - "You are such a naive boy for thinking that life is that easy. I had to leave you once things got serious since I didn't want you to become a target. Do you know how did your father die? "

[Karson] - "Drug overdose. "

Nancy smirked at Karson's innocence before puffing on her cigarette. 

[Nancy] - "You need to get into the inner city if you want to survive with this kind of mentality. I don't even know how you would manage this once I'm gone. "

Said Nancy with an air of grief. 

[Karson] - "What the hell do you mean once you are gone? "

Said Karson in a panic as he abruptly stood up. 

[Nancy] - "The exact reason why I want you to move into the inner city. The life of a criminal is short and painful. Society only cares about those who wield power, not the frail and helpless mob like us. Once you step into a life of crime, the only way you can get out is in a coffin. "

During this time, a black van arrived in front of Karson's home. Inside it, several heavily armed men with A25 tattoos on their shoulders waited for an order from their leader in the front seat. 

[Elise] - "Remember, boys, in and out, no longer than 3 minutes. We are in hostile territories of another gang, so anyone is fair game. Leave no witness. "

[George] - "Hey, maybe we can spare Karson. I mean... he didn't do anything wrong. "

[Elise] - "Shoot. On. Site! That's what Adam ordered. "

Said Elise as her gaze burned into George's soul. 

One after another, the men jumped out of the vehicle while scanning the area for potential witnesses. Following her men, Elise jumped out of the vehicle with a pistol and pulled the ski mask over her face. 

To be continued...