Haywired

As the alarm blared through the orphanage, chaos ensued. The caretakers swiftly ushered the children into designated safe areas, trying to maintain order amidst the growing panic. Alexander knew that he needed to remain calm and collected, especially in such a situation.

"What's going on? Why is there an alarm?" one of the younger orphans asked with fear in their eyes.

"It's okay, don't worry. There might be a threat nearby, and the caretakers are just ensuring our safety," Alexander reassured, trying to calm the younger ones.

As he looked out of the window, he noticed some commotion in the streets nearby. It seemed like there was an individual wreaking havoc, and the authorities were struggling to contain the situation.

He could'nt resist this opportunity to observe, even though he wasn't familiar with Aeonia's security protocols or crisis management. As he made his way towards the exit, he noticed that Kai was already outside, as if preparing to assist the authorities.

Without a second thought Alexander rushed outside to see the commotion for himself thinking this would be a great opportunity to observe and acquire data. The caretakers could'nt do anything but to get worried.

As Alexander approached the area of the disturbance, he saw the individual responsible for the chaos. It was a man with bulking cybernetic augmentations, seemingly out of control and causing destruction in his wake. It was evident that something had gone terribly wrong with his neural connections, and it was causing him to act erratically.

Alexander and the Criminal's eyes met. "B..B$^!%O^SS?!" the Criminal whispered with a distorted voice and bleeding mouth. His guns still pointed at the Enforcers but with a focused pin-pointed look on Alexander.

Alexander knew he could be a target and stop to proceed even further. "Get Back!" An Enforcer shouted as they ran back from psycho.

The Armed Security Enforcers Department (ASPD) were struggling to subdue him, as their usual methods of containment and restraint seemed ineffective against his aggressivenes and resilience.

The Enforcers were well-trained and equipped, but they lacked the specialized tools and expertise needed to handle individuals with haywiring augmentations. These cases were relatively rare, and Aeonia's advanced society had not encountered such a threat for some time.

In situations like this, the authorities relied on specialized operatives known as "Pacifiers." Pacifiers were highly skilled individuals trained to deal with haywired threats and other exceptional cases where conventional enforcement methods proved insufficient. They possessed a unique set of abilities, both physical and technological, that allowed them to confront and neutralize such threats without causing undue harm.

However, the ASPD's Pacifiers were not readily available at the moment, and the situation was escalating rapidly. The haywiring individual was causing more damage, and innocent bystanders were at risk.

[Explosions and Gunfires]

Meanwhile, Alexander saw Kai walking calmly towards a back alley and heared some murmuring from a distance as if Kai was calling somebody. Alexander tried to follow but would without a doubt be caught on the crossfire if he did. Instead, he collected the guns of the lying bodies of dead Enforcers. Afterwhich he rushed to secure a highground, climbed the fire escape stairs of a building, to see the whole scenario with the gun he had stolen behind his back under his belt.

As he observed the haywiring individual's movements from a top of a building, he noticed patterns and potential weaknesses in his attacks. It seemed that the cybernetic augmentations were causing the man's motor functions to become erratic and uncoordinated, making him susceptible to certain types of incapacitation but getting near him is closed to impossible for each movement it makes causes shockwaves in its surroundings.

From there he also witnessed the roaring engines from afar and noticed it was the CROX with significant numbers. Knowing the symbols they had in their vehicles, he looked for Kai and saw him in an alley just behind the Criminal. Knowing the CROX's background he knew what they were after, the rare bulking cybernetic-augmentation the criminal had.

Kai then gave the order to launch an attack, but it was directed at the Enforcers rather than the criminal.

Alexander was initially perplexed, but he quickly remembered what Kai had said upon his return to the orphanage on the day of the mercenary battle: "I just lost something today." He came to the conclusion that Kai either lost the augmentations or the person himself. Alexander was attempting to get people to understand the importance of things in this society. He therefore kept observing.

After all Enforcers had been "neutralized," the CROX began to encircle the criminal and attempt to restrain its movements using some kind of specialized cables. As soon as they approached the person, Kai and a CROX hacker tried to perform a procedure to remove the augmentations from the person.

A hovering vehicle then appears to be approaching the area from a distance with Pacifiers prepared to spring into action.

There was a voice emanating from the speakers of the aircraft, "STAND DOWN!"

When the CROX learned this, they were compelled to halt their activity and hastily retreat on their cars and bikes. Kai dragged the hacker along with him as he entered a car, shouting, "Damn! we were so close."

As the CROX hastily retreated, Alexander kept his focus on the scene below. From his vantage point, he noticed another figure on a nearby building, observing the commotion. It was Ethan.

Though Ethan has always showed, an optmistic techy guy he had been somewhat aloof and enigmatic, and Alexander couldn't help but wonder about his true intentions and affiliations. Although they had not interacted much, Alexander had a feeling that Ethan had a more significant role in Aeonia's complex society than he let on.

As the Pacifiers arrived in their hovering vehicle, Alexander saw Ethan retreat into the shadows, disappearing from his sight. He was intrigued by Ethan's presence in this situation and wondered if he might be connected to the haywiring individual or the CROX mercenaries in some way.

With the immediate threat neutralized and the CROX gone, the Pacifiers quickly took control of the scene. They assessed the situation, ensuring that the haywiring individual was fully incapacitated and no longer a danger to himself or others. The Pacifiers used their specialized equipment to safely remove the cybernetic augmentations from the person, securing them for further investigation.

As the situation settled down, Alexander descended from the fire escape stairs and noticed the same familiar presence he had always felt.

Alexander's attention was fixated on finding the enigmatic figure he had sensed earlier back from a similar commotion. He recalled that this presence was often seen wearing a distinctive black coat, which stood out amidst the crowd of panicked civilians fleeing the scene.

Taking a deep breath, Alexander focused on scanning the area, trying to spot the figure among the chaos. He knew that if he could find this person, he might uncover valuable insights into the events unfolding in Aeonia.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a figure in a black coat staring at him for a moment then moving swiftly through the crowd, keeping a low profile. The individual seemed to be avoiding any direct confrontation with the authorities or the Pacifiers.

Determined to get closer, Alexander maneuvered through the crowd, keeping his senses sharp. He knew that he had to be cautious, as this person was skilled at staying hidden in the shadows.

As he closed in on the figure, he noticed that they were not alone. Two other individuals, similarly dressed in dark attire, were subtly assisting the person in the black coat, creating diversions and strategically navigating the chaos.

Intrigued and aware of the potential implications, Alexander decided to tail them discreetly, keeping a safe distance to avoid drawing any attention to himself. The group led him through narrow alleys and dimly lit streets, carefully evading any encounters with authorities or the Pacifiers.

Eventually, they arrived at an inconspicuous building in a less frequented part of the city. The figure in the black coat and the two others entered the building, and Alexander hesitated momentarily. He knew he was venturing into unknown territory, but his curiosity and thirst for knowledge urged him forward.

Creeping closer to the building, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. He peered inside cautiously and saw a dimly lit room filled with various technological equipment. The three individuals were gathered around a central console, engaging in hushed discussions.

Alexander couldn't make out the details of their conversation, but he sensed an air of urgency and secrecy. As he continued to observe, he recognized the one of the individuals and it was the one he had tailed before finding the Black Market. The distinctive white hair of the women figure proved the presence he had always felt. Then faint glow of holographic screens displaying intricate codes and data.

Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat as he noticed something peculiar—the holographic screens seemed to be displaying sensitive information related to the Great Technological War and the corporations involved. This data was highly classified and not readily accessible to the general public.

Realizing the potential significance of this discovery, Alexander took out his personal device and began discreetly recording the holographic displays. He knew that having evidence of this secretive meeting could be invaluable.

Just as he was capturing the data, one of the figures turned their head slightly, as if sensing someone's presence.

"Let him see." the women with white hair whispered between the two men.

Hearing this Alexander quickly pulled back and concealed himself in the shadows knowing that he had yet to know who he is dealing with.

He had to think fast. The situation had become more perilous than he had anticipated. He decided to withdraw from the building quietly, making sure not to leave any traces of his presence.

As he made his way back to a safe distance, he felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. He had stumbled upon something significant—information that could shed light on the intricate web of intrigue and power plays in Aeonia.

With the data safely recorded on his device, Alexander knew he had to be cautious about his next move. The individuals he had observed were clearly operating with secrecy and expertise, and he couldn't afford to expose himself recklessly.

Once he was at a safer location, he decided to return to the orphanage to analyze the data and try to decipher the significance of what he had uncovered.

"This city never fails to amuse me..." Alexander thought to himself.

He felt a weight of responsibility on his shoulders; he had inadvertently stumbled into a world of hidden truths and powerful factions.

As he entered the orphanage, he made sure to keep the recorded data hidden and secure. He knew that he couldn't trust anyone with this sensitive information, at least not until he understood its full implications.

"What were you thinking, rushing outside?" The caretaker shouted at Alexander as he walked towards his room.

"You know me, maam, I couldn't help my curiosity, haha". Alexander replied.

"That's it; from this day on, you cannot go outside without my permission!" The caretaker added.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, ma'am! I'm a bit tired. Can I go to my room now? Alexander replied, knowing the urgency to hide the data he acquired.

"Both you and Kai are the big brothers here; at least set some example for the young ones. Both of you know it's bad for the orphanage." The caretaker now speaks with a much softer voice.

Alexander continued towards his room. "Again with the orphanage? Does the caretaker here not think of anything but their employer's image? That's a quality employee for me, but raising quality kids is much more important in this kind of work." Alexander's voice at the back of his thought.

Late into the night, he sat alone in his room, poring over the holographic data on his device. The more he analyzed it, the more he realized the magnitude of what he had stumbled upon. The information seemed to link the enigmatic figures he had observed to the corporations, the Great Technological War, and the very fabric of Aeonia's society.

Determined to unravel the truth, Alexander decided to keep his discoveries to himself for the time being. He understood that he needed to tread carefully and wisely, as the consequences of his actions could impact the delicate balance in Aeonia.

As he lay in bed, his mind filled with questions and uncertainties, he then began to organize the data he had witnessed within the day.

"So severe augmentations can cause haywiring... did the psycho call me BOSS? And it seems that Kai was after augmentations and not the person. Pacifiers seem to be the elite enforcers; even CROX retreated in their presence. Then there's Ethan; I know he's curious about techs and all, but something doesn't feel right about him. The white-haired gal who seems to work undergound. Lastly, this orphanage that seems to care more about the image than its orphans."

After organizing his thoughts and reviewing the data he had acquired, Alexander felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. The events of the day had been mentally and emotionally draining, and he knew he needed rest to be able to process everything properly.

"I'll have to be cautious about who I trust with this information," Alexander whispered to himself as he set aside his device and lay down on his bed. Sleep slowly overcame him, and he drifted off into a deep slumber, his mind still racing with thoughts of the enigmatic figures and the secrets he had uncovered.

In his dreams, the faces of Kai, Ethan, and the white-haired woman flashed before his eyes. Visions of the haywiring individual and the chaos in the streets played like fragments of a puzzle waiting to be pieced together.