lights out

Judy's face was a canvas of emotions.

anger, confusion, disbelief, and a lingering sadness that seemed to pull at the corners of her eyes.

She crossed her arms, her posture defensive, as if trying to shield herself from the whirlwind of revelations i was about to dump on her head.

"Okay," she said, her voice dripping with skepticism, "let's say I believe this insane story. Why are you here now? Why did you come back after all this time? And how come it looks like you haven't aged a day?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of her question settle into my bones.

"I came back because I found a way. Or rather, Ares found a way for me to." I said, trying to think of the best way to tell her my story.

But in the end, I just decided to tell the whole story from the beginning.

"I was a soldier for Militech. My plan was to save up enough money to open up a shop in Laguna Bend." I said, taking another deep breath as I saw Judy raise a brow.

"I was sent to a secret base, some fifty or so miles outside Night city, Or rather, what was to become night city.

I was only there a week when a war was started between Militech and some other corporation…Arasaka I think. When the bombs started falling I was tasked to get some important scientist from the lowest level of the base.

The guy was some sort of Tech genius that was in the process of making some sort of super computer," I pointed at Ares. "Ares is that computer." I said.

"I'm actually what still remains of that computer. Cut down to the bare bone of what I used to be." Ares interjected.

"Right, anyway. When I tried to save the guy, he ended up killing me. He pushed me off a high platform above a server room, which by that point was starting to fill up with water from some damaged pipes from the bombing."

"As I plunged into the icy waters below," I continued, my voice steady despite the haunting memory, "I thought it was over. But Ares had a different plan. The electrical currents in the water acted as a conduit, allowing what was left of Ares to transfer himself into my brain."

Judy's eyes widened, a mixture of horror and fascination etched on her features. "So, Ares is... inside your head?"

I nodded, a grim smile on my lips. "Exactly. Ares used some sort of advanced capabilities to somehow create nanobots—tiny, microscopic machines that began repairing my body from within. It took years, but bit by bit, they rebuilt me, kept me alive."

Judy shook her head, disbelief still evident but slowly giving way to a spark of belief. "That's why you haven't aged. The nanobots kept you... preserved."

"Pretty much." I replied, my voice softening.

"You do realize how all of this sounds, right." Judy said, looking at me then Ares.

"Sounds like some hair-brained idea cooked up by some crappy writer with an overactive imagination." I chuckled.

We stood in silence after that.

Judy lost in thought, while I waited for her to say something.

But then a question came to my lips.

"How…How did she die?" I asked haltingly.

Judy's head slowly rose to look me in the eyes.

She didn't say anything for a moment.

"please." I said, my heart slowly pounding in my chest.

"she was murdered." Judy said in a sad tone.

My vision tunneled as my fists clenched.

"who…" I asked in a tone as cold as ice.

"We never exactly figured it out. But when her body was found, all of her tech was scavenged…so it was most likely the scavengers." Judy said, her head dropping.

"Who are the scavengers?" I asked, my anger only growing with her every word.

"They're a gang of drugged up sycos. They kidnap people off the streets then harvest anything valuable from their body's."

A heat I had never felt before filled my body, anger coursing through my vains as my mind imagined how scared she might have been.

"SHHHHHH!!!" I didn't even register that steam escaped my bionic legs.

"Daniel! You need to calm down." Ares said, his images flickering a few times.

But I wasn't listening, my anger has come undone and was now rushing to the surface. The damn holding back my emotions had collapsed, and I was no more then a raging ball of pure hate.

"Daniel!" Ares tried again, but I was sinking into despair quickly.

"Damn it!" I heard Ares yell, before the lights were turned off, and my thoughts came to a complete halt as my body went limp.