First day and Already Regretting

Little Maw blew Axel's mind. It was nothing like the dull and empty city he'd been stuck in forever.

There were people everywhere, just strolling down the sidewalks. But these weren't your typical TV show city folks; they had their own flair. Some wore fancy outfits but mixed in some street style. Tattoos, piercings, and even weird robot parts - yeah, they had it all.

Hair of every color, eyes that didn't match, bodies decked out in all sorts of crazy stuff. Every little thing here was just plain weird and different from what Axel was used to.

It felt like Shabby's Little Heaven, but on a way grander scale and way cooler.

Huge holographic screens decorated the skyscrapers, showing off all sorts of bizarre stuff like fancy new prosthetics, badass weapons, and even pleasure bots.

At some corners, there were groups of folks huddled around this small black block. Even if it seemed like they were staring at thin air, Axel knew better.

He couldn't recall the name, but the black box was basically a holographic projector that only kicks into action when someone's inside its zone. It was like a move to cut down on noise pollution, unlike those big holographic screens on buildings that stay mute.

This little gadget, though, comes with its own soundtrack.

"Woah! This place is awesome."

He'd always been curious about other cities, but this one... this one knocked his socks off.

Everyone was packing heat, not a soul without some kind of weapon. Guns, swords, melee weapons hanging by their sides. Even the big dudes were lugging around tiny machine guns on their shoulders.

Down on the streets, there were all sorts of vehicles raising a ruckus—trucks with big blasters on top, sleek one-seater speeders zooming past, and bikes decked out with all sorts of cool stuff. You even had cars changing colors, blasting music through gigantic speakers mounted on the roof.

And those bridges, they were everywhere, linking buildings together like a giant puzzle. It felt like you could go anywhere without touching the ground.

In the sky, hovercrafts zipped around, making the whole scene look like something out of a futuristic dreams he have.

This was the spot where the mighty called the shots—the lawless city.

No police or military in sight. Every soul here was a criminal. But even though they wore the labels of criminals and terrorists, none of them bore the weight of it. Instead, they strolled with carefree smiles and a nonchalant attitude.

Axel wasn't scared, not even a bit.

He wasn't nervous either. Instead, a wave of excitement and thrill surged through him. He'd heard countless tales and stories about these cities—every narrative a saga of adventure and excitement, describing a world utterly unlike his own.

As he cruised down the main street, Axel sensed a distinct atmosphere. There was no oppression, no tension, no fear. This was freedom. This was power.

"I want to stay here forever," he blurted out.

Byte let out a meow, her wide-open jaws revealing her astonishment at the sight. Her feline instincts were urging her to run and hide.

"What do you think, Byte? How about a little detour before hitting the bar? You know, just to soak in the sights." 

She meowed and shook her head.

"Don't be such a killjoy. I'll take that as a yes."

***

He should've paid attention to her words. If he had listened to what she was saying, he wouldn't be running around like a headless chicken, out of breath and out of strength.

Finally, he slowed down, stooping on his knees and breathing heavily.

Huff. Puff.

"...Dammit. I've lost it. I've fucking lost it."

Byte, who had been running ahead, turned back and meowed, urging him to follow her.

"I can't. I can't, Byte. My cyberwares are slow and rusty. I won't catch up with him."

"Meow."

She let out a sad meow in response.

But he wasn't about to throw in the towel just yet. Here he was, stuck with his busted-up car, desperate for Credits to fix it. Plus, he didn't even have a proper home back in Rusty Ridge.

If he didn't get this job done and that Data Card ended up in the wrong hands, he might as well kiss his sorry butt goodbye.

No Credits meant no food. It was as simple as that.

Survival was on the line, and he wasn't about to roll over and play dead. He was in this for the long haul, and he sure as heck wasn't planning on giving up anytime soon.

"We need to find him. If the Data Card gets revealed then we'll be in huge trouble."

She meowed, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it."

So, he did exactly what he promised her. He hopped on Ghost and cruised through Little Maw, checking out all the sights. But then, he got this itch to try out that fancy black box thing that spits out holograms right there on the street.

Oh, and by the way, it's called the Eclipse Holo Chamber. It was a col name that both Axel and Byte approved.

He revved up Ghost and cruised across the street, slipping into an alleyway. Parking Ghost by a wall, he grabbed Byte and stepped into the Eclipse Holo Chamber's zone.

A shimmering blue sphere enveloped them, and just like that, they were transported to a whole new world.

Axel squinted at the holographic projection, where some guy was yapping away to a camera like he owned the place. Blah, blah, something about authority and other boring nonsense that Axel couldn't care less about.

But then, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

The man looked familiar. Not in a "I've seen him on TV" kinda way, but more like a "I've stared him down in person" kinda way. He couldn't forget those layers of fat squeezing into his suit like an overstuffed sausage, and those piercing golden eyes that could size you up with just a glance.

It was him, all right. Legate Fyodi Mova, the same jerk who had spat in his face that one time. The memory of that disgusting moment flooded back, making Axel's blood boil.