“Hey, take it easy, man!” said Raven, taking another step back to increase the distance between them. His voice was soft, but his eyes were alert.
“Sucks about your loss, but I’m dead broke, man. Gimme a few days, I’ll pay up. I really don’t have the money. If you don’t believe me, ask Drail.”
The tall man tilted his head slightly, ignoring Raven’s suggestion, then slowly turned his gaze toward Drail. On Drail’s face was that familiar, disgusting grin leaking through his yellow teeth.
“He was throwin’ a grand at me like it’s nothin’ two minutes ago.” he said with disgust. As his words echoed in the air, a curse slipped out from Raven’s mouth. His eyes flared.
“Man, Drail’s full of crap. I’ve been bustin’ my ass for him the past three days!” Raven’s eyes suddenly lit up with a new idea.
“In fact, I’m better than that trash. Whatever your boss needs fixed, I’ll do it cleaner, faster. You won’t regret it.”
But the tall man had already made up his mind. Darkness gleamed in his eyes. The mechanical fingers on his bionic arm clenched the knife with a crackle, and with a swift motion, he held it against Raven’s throat. When the cold metal touched his skin, Raven felt a chilling sting.
“This curve… A132 model…” he thought, eyeing the knife pressed against his neck.
“Spill your damn password!” said the man, yanking Raven’s wallet from his pocket with his other hand.
Raven grimaced. “RedRoses2173” he said reluctantly.
All three men burst into laughter. The tall one opened the wallet and let out a nasty chuckle as he typed in the password with his fingers.
“The hell kinda shitty pass is that?”
But suddenly, a red light flashed on the screen. “Wrong Password” lit up. The man clenched his teeth in frustration and drew back his arm to punch Raven. But before the punch could even rise—
ZAP!
He felt a hand touch his bionic arm. A sudden spark, a flash of blue light. The tall man’s body jerked. Electricity surged through him, practically roasting his insides. Smoke rose from his bionic arm. It became heavy, useless, and dragged him to the ground. As he fell, he shouted a stream of curses.
In the blink of an eye, Raven snatched his wallet and bolted. He leapt over workbenches, slipped through scrap piles, and ran like a maniac toward the glass door. He was just about to reach the exit when—
ZAP!
Suddenly, his body froze in place. Every muscle seized in pain from a jolt of electricity at a single point. His eyes widened.
“Who the hell’s side you on, you glitchy bastard?!” he yelled.
The mechanical voice echoed in his mind instantly:
“I can’t let you leave without the battery.”
Drail and the gang members, who had witnessed the scene, paused briefly—but instinct kicked in. Two of them moved fast. Workbenches toppled, metal scraps scattered everywhere. Raven was sprinting, but the gang members were right behind him.
“ION! Listen to me! These guys are covered in bionics!” Just then, the lights on the tall man’s arm flickered again. It was functional.
“Two of ‘em—wait—no, make that three! How the fuck am I supposed to punch through that?! Just let me go!”
Just then, a fat man jumped out from behind a scrap pile and blocked Raven’s path, arms wide.
“Gotcha, you psycho little bastard!” he shouted.
But Raven slid under him, right between his legs. Despite the rusty floor scraping his back, he pushed forward. At the same time, ION’s voice rang out:
“Partial access to melee support system. Access granted to Host-02. [CQC-11] Melee Support Module and [TAM-18] Tactical Analysis Module activated.”
Raven’s pupils widened. A tingling sensation ran through him, a vibration in his brain. He didn’t understand it yet, but he didn't have time to understand. His body had moved.
“He’s coming from your right. Duck.”
Reflexively, he dodged left. A moment later, the tall man’s fist whooshed past his ear, cutting through the air.
“From the left. Step right and punch.”
Like a robot, Raven followed the command. He stepped aside and threw his left fist forward. It struck the fat man’s chin, sending a few of his teeth flying.
“Use the combat glove. Below the left ribs.”
ION activated the glove. Sparks of electricity danced from Raven's fingertips across the fat man’s stomach. The man’s fat jiggled and his eyes rolled back.
“Punch the neck! Now! Tall one’s behind you!”
ION’s voice echoed in Raven’s skull like a thunderclap.
He reflexively raised his fist and drove it into the fat man’s neck. With a sickening crack, the man’s head jerked aside. At that moment, Raven heard metal footsteps behind him. He sidestepped just in time. Only a second of space remained.
And in that second…
The tall man’s massive bionic fist tore through the air and struck the fat man directly in the gut. Flesh, metal, and bone collided at once. A scream of agony erupted from the fat man. After staggering, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Raven was breathless but still standing. His palms were sweaty, knees slightly shaky. But his eyes were sharp, as focused as his mind.
ION was predicting almost every move a split-second ahead and giving commands. Punches, dodges, electric strikes… all flowed like a dance under its guidance. Raven was just following the steps.
In no time, he took down the remaining two gang members with the same precision. He didn’t fully understand what was happening, but he knew one thing:
This tin-head had turned him into a combat machine.
As he caught his breath among the fallen bodies, his eyes slowly turned to Drail. He was cowering behind a workbench, hidden among scraps. His beady eyes were filled with fear and regret. He clearly knew his turn had come.
Raven began to walk forward, slowly. Drail’s breathing quickened. As he tried to back away on his chair, he lost his balance and fell to the floor, writhing like a scared rat. Calmly, Raven jumped over the counter, knelt, and picked up the battery, never taking his eyes off Drail.
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“Take the bag the Rustjaw gang brought. Might be something useful in it.”
ION’s voice was calmer this time, almost like reading off a task list.
Raven opened the bag. A few Ritfblades, assorted cables, a low-voltage stun gun, and a steel baton. He threw the battery in the bag as well. His job was done. Drail averted his eyes hopefully, thinking maybe Raven was going to leave.
But Raven leaned in.
He smacked Drail’s bald forehead.
“Hand over your wallet, boss. Time to cash out.” he said with a smile—but his voice carried a serious threat.
With a trembling hand, Drail reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small electronic wallet. Raven snatched it.
“Code. Now.” he asked, this time with menace.
“K-KingOfMachines69…” Drail whispered.
Raven raised an eyebrow. As he typed the password into the wallet, his face twisted in disgust.
“Why does everyone in this city have such shitty passwords?” he muttered.
A green light lit up on the screen, and the transfer window opened. Raven brought out his own wallet. A soft “ting” sound followed. The transaction was complete. He tossed Drail’s wallet behind him without a care. It hit the ground, screen displaying: “Balance: 0 Credits.”
He went into the back room and got his own bag. Then he headed toward the door. His steps echoed on the rusted metal floor as ION’s voice rang in his head one last time:
“You took more than your due. You had repaired only 21 devices. That means Drail owed you 210 credits. You just withdrew 2640. This is your second theft, Raven.”
Raven paused for a moment. It was unexpected for ION to say his name. The system now knew him. As he slipped into the crowd, he shrugged.
“The stench of his crapper messed with my psyche. It smells like war crimes. Consider this hazard pay for my mental health.”
ION // SYSTEM FEEDBACK — [Session: 005 | Operator: Raven Karr]
Interface: ION_v4.6.1_β // Connection Stable [?]
[?] [MRS-09] Molecular Restoration System
- Operational Efficiency: 9.2%
- Primary Function:
→ Facilitates tissue regeneration via nano-scale biosynthetic repair protocols
→ Applies localized reconstruction on muscle, epidermal, and limited neural tissues
→ Simulates auto-fibrin production and coagulation to suppress superficial bleeding
→ Engages limited immunosuppression to minimize infection risk
- Critical Limitation:
→ In cases of major tissue disruption or internal organ trauma, system enters “Hemostatic Mode”
→ Prioritizes active hemorrhage control; regeneration rate significantly reduced
→ If operational load exceeds 60%, system may enter temporary shutdown
[?] [BEC-07] Bio-Energy Converter
- Operational Efficiency: 7.0%
- Primary Function:
→ Converts organic metabolic energy into usable electrical current
- Limitation:
→ High-frequency usage may cause neuromuscular complications, including muscle spasms and potential nerve damage
[?] [CQC-11] Close Quarters Combat Support Module
- Operational Efficiency: 6.4%
- Primary Function:
→ Enhances close-quarters combat performance via predictive enemy movement mapping and dynamic muscle memory augmentation.
→ Utilizes neuromotor feedback loops to refine reaction speed and execution precision in real time
- Side Effect:
→ Induced neural strain resulting in moderate to severe cranial discomfort (See Incident Report #A2-02)
[?] [TAM-18] Tactical Analysis Module
- Operational Efficiency: 8.6%
- Primary Function:
→ Executes rapid threat assessment using pattern recognition and biomechanical weakness detection
→ Outputs real-time tactical suggestions based on opponent posture, movement patterns, and structural vulnerabilities
- Sample Algorithm Output:
→ “Target #X exhibits instability in left knee joint. Optimal strike angle: Y°”
System Notice: Stated efficiency percentages apply only under conditions of full, synchronized nanite allocation to each individual module. Partial or multi-tasking deployments may result in fluctuating efficiency levels.
Raven // BODYCHECK
→ Gear:
? Not garbage anymore. “Borrowed” from a couple of street punks—synthetic leather streetwear. Style? Questionable. Protection? Even more so. But hey, at least it’s not patched.
→ Weapon:
? Left Hook of God? (Cool, huh?)
? Combat Knife [Model: M-12] (Worn grip. Still cuts like betrayal.)
? Combat Gloves (ION did something techy. The glove is fucking lightning now, man!)
→ Additions:
? Bad vibes (Persistent)
? Stolen e-Wallet – Balance : 3588 [↑2640] (Yeah, I know, he's a thief.)
? Old Canvas Bag (Stains, holes, and secrets. Could be junk. Could be something worse. You never check—on purpose.)
? Bottled Rations (Technically food. Realistically? Packaged vomit with a label.)
? VX-21 Commlink (Last missed call: Still none.)
? Stylish Black Bag (Stolen from RustJaw. Looks expensive. Could be useful—or just cursed.)
? Field Medkit [Mk.0, expired] (Half-stocked. Half-trustworthy.)
? [NEW!] Military-Grade Battery [Model: BR7893] (Rusty, grimy. Tastes disgusting. Don't ask me how I know!)