The Death Star

Clink

The massive gun discharged with a thunderous roar, sending a grenade hurtling into the open mouth of the metal beast. In an instant, the grenade exploded, filling the air with a deafening blast and showering the surrounding area with fragments of metal, blood, and brain matter.

Or at least, that's how it was supposed to happen.

For a moment, the world held its breath, but even after two seconds, nothing happened.

Axel's triumphant smile quickly faded, replaced by a growing sense of dread. Desperately, he pulled the trigger again and again, each time met with only the hollow sound of clinks echoing in the air.

He glanced back at Byte, who sat in a daze, seemingly unaware of the gravity of the situation.

'Fucking cat! You gave me a grenade launcher that's out of ammo!'

Byte meowed in response, as if to say, "How was I supposed to know?"

Rhino chuckled, a sound muffled by the barrel still lodged in its mouth. It was relieved not to have its head blown off.

"Pull the slide! Pull the slide underneath the barrel, you stupid fool!" 

The Commander's voice rang out from the other side, prompting Axel to tilt his head to see her flailing her hands wildly.

For a moment, Axel's and Rhino's eyes locked again. Rhino's smile faded as another cracked across Axel's face.

In a swift motion, Axel pulled the slide, the sound of metal sliding against metal ringing out. He felt a satisfying click as the grenade loaded into place.

"Send my regards to the devil, will ya?" 

Axel smirked.

Click!

Boom!

The explosion echoed through the air as the grenade detonated, engulfing the Rhino in a fiery blast.

Axel's eyes widened momentarily as a sudden burst of orange light assaulted his vision. Then, in the next instant, he witnessed the head of the beast exploding in a gruesome display, showering him with its brain matter and gore.

He saw a shooting star in the night sky right where the Rhino's head should be. It looked stunning at first, but then a burst of blood erupted from the creature's neck, obscuring the sight. The spray of blood covered his face, and he could taste a metallic flavor in his mouth.

Finally, his vision blurred, and his eyes closed, as darkness enveloped him, swallowing him whole.

***

Axel was dreaming. Well, not exactly dreaming, but it was like a bunch of jumbled-up scenes flashing in his head. They were all random stuff he hadn't seen or heard about before.

Sometimes, these scenes were moving, like a movie playing in his mind. Other times, they were as still as heavy concrete, just sitting there.

And, of course, when Axel woke up, he almost forgot all about them. They just slipped away from his mind like they were never there in the first place.

This had been Axel's life for as long as he could remember. Random scenes and images would pop into his mind from time to time, but they were usually harmless.

Despite the occasional scary picture, it hadn't caused any trouble in his day-to-day life.

Right now, Axel's vision swarmed with people dressed in various colors, like different factions converging.

One group stood out in all dark red, while another faction was clad in pristine white. There were also those dressed in black and gold, matching their folkloric demon masks, and they brandished katanas with an air of authority.

Some of the figures were dressed in Authority uniforms, standing in formation. Among them sat Byte, seemingly unfazed by the commotion around her, chewing on something with nonchalance.

In another scene, Axel observed an army of necro-bots marching forward, led by a man adorned with Net-Runner goggles.

The imagery shifted once more, this time revealing the interior of a large building. Dominating one wall was a massive painting of an eye, its gaze seemingly fixated on Axel, sending a shiver down his spine.

Then his eyes opened wide to reveal a white ceiling, bathed in the soft glow of Glow stones.

Glow stones, a type of building material, cast a gentle, natural light when activated. Similar to sunlight, their illumination could be adjusted from bright daylight to a subtle glow.

Considered one of the most common and affordable construction materials, Axel would wager his life on the belief that it's one of humanity's greatest creations.

Axel's vision remained blurry, but he could discern the outline of the ceiling.

'What happened?.'

He surmised he must be in a hospital or some medical facility; it was the only place he knew of with a more subdued lighting system, which was a relief for someone with a splitting headache.

'Byte...I need to find Byte.'

With his blurred vision, he strained to search for his beloved cat amidst the medical equipment. However, aside from the familiar sight of IV drips and monitors, there was no sign of Byte.

'So the Rhino wasn't a bad dream after all.'

Axel couldn't help but hope that it was.

'...My Boss...'

The thought of his beloved car brought a pang of pain as he anticipated the repair costs for the car and the lost income resulting from the accident.

He had been homeless before and had hoped to live in the vehicle until a major gig came along. Now, faced with the reality of the situation, Axel realized,

'...I'm screwed.'

His vision gradually cleared, and the pounding headache began to ease. Attempting to sit up, Axel was stopped short by a sharp pain in his stomach.

"Byte..." he croaked, his voice squeaky and raspy from disuse.

No meow answered his call. If she were in the room, she would've noticed him. After all, she was an attention whore.

'Is she dead?'

He thought about the last time he saw her. The cat was carrying a grenade launcher and trying her best to get it to him. He remembered the Rhino was on top of him, choking him, and the Commander was shouting at him.

He took a deep breath and attempted to sit up, feeling his body groan as if he hadn't moved in years, as though he had been in a coma or something...

"Wait!!!...Nah, no way that's true..." 

He quickly dismissing the thought of being in a coma. That simply couldn't be possible, at least, he believed so.

Sirens blared as he finally sat up on the bed, and the door to the room burst open, revealing the doctor. The figure was a black-haired robot, its appearance eerily similar to that of a human, with only a model number written on its uniform.

Robots were considered superior doctors due to their enhanced vision and reflexes, not to mention their emotionless demeanor. In the current world, humans were reduced to merely giving commands to these robots and half-humans, while the machines carried out their duties without question.

"Good morning, sir. Please don't move yet."

The MediBot instructed as Axel's gaze shifted to the figure behind her.

It was the commander. She had freshened up and was now clad in a khaki uniform. Her injuries appeared to have healed, leaving behind only a few cuts and bruises. She certainly looked better than Axel, that was for sure.

"Meow."

Came the familiar sound, drawing Axel's attention downward to see Byte perched in the commander's hands. She seemed quite content in the lady's grasp.

'When did they become besties?'

Axel frowned feeling a little pain in his chest.

'Attention whore!'