New Toys

The sun was sat at its highest peak as it looked down on the city below.

‘My Lady, wake up, we are almost there.’

Hanan gestured to Miyuki as she gazed out of the window like a child.

The city featured large motorways that linked the components of the city together, the Upper Quarter, featuring the rich and high society members of the city, as well as the big SuperConglomerates, the Lower Quarter, containing the working class , often joked as being called ‘Peasants Quarter’ by the rich, and finally, Paralaya, the deep bottom of the city containing the criminal underworld, the insane, and the mentally ill.

‘Hanan? How much left to go?’

‘My lady, the weaponsmith is located in Paralya. We’ll need to cross the expressway to get there. ‘

The expressway linked the Lower Quarter with Paralya and led downwards into the underbelly of the city. As the car neared the expressway and drove down, the Lower Quarter towered over them as they continued their descent into Hell. Paralya was filled with neon signs, shacks built out of corrugated iron and dirt mixed with the foul stench of blood lingered everywhere. The people here lived like animals. The gate leading to Paralya swung open and Miyuki’s car drove inside, before the gate swung shut behind them, signalling there was no escape. The streets were far to quiet, a blanket of silence engulfed Paralya as no one seemed to be around. From the gate, there was 3 roads which all led into Devil’s Park, the main city of Paralya, and was a hive of criminal activity and violence. As they drove through the middle road, which was flanked by corrugated iron shacks on both sides, Miyuki noticed the first shack’s front door on the left side of the road come off it’s hinges as someone furiously kicked it. A man wearing a blue vest and jet black pants walked out of the shack and gave a whistle, which was followed by three more men donning the same attire running out of the shack and brandishing assault rifles.

‘ see Leon? I told you I saw a car come down the expressway!’

‘Quiet! When I give the signal, I want all 3 of you to open fire on that car.’

Miyuki stared down the men through the front window of the car then slid her hand into the glove compartment and retrieved an automatic pistol.

‘Lady Miyuki! I don’t think that’s the correct course of action. Doctor Monroe was very clear of his instructions. Besides this car is bulletproof.’

‘Hanan.’

Miyuki sharply retorted

‘ What better way to test out my new arm then on some low level scum?

Stop the car. ‘

‘But Lady Miyuki I-‘

‘Just do as I say Hanan’

The leader of the gang began to shout at the car

‘ Hey! You in there! In the black car! If you don’t get out within 5 seconds, I’m gonna fill you full of lead! Don’t waste my time.’

‘1!’

Miyuki gripped the automatic pistol

‘2!’

Miyuki slid a magazine into the pistol

‘3!’

The pistol made a satisfying click as Miyuki racked the slide

‘4!’

Miyuki grabbed the car door handle and opened it

‘5!’

The car door slid open as Miyuki sprinted out and hid behind one of the shacks

‘I warned you. Open fire men! ‘

The street was littered with the sound of rifle fire as the car was peppered with a hailstorm of bullets. Miyuki emerged from her hiding spot and shot one of the men between the eyes, his body falling like a deck of cards. There was another burst of rifle fire as the man continued firing his rifle as his lifeless body fell to the floor, which killed another of the gangsters.

Miyuki fired a shot at a corrugated iron panel, which ricocheted and hit the final gangster in his groin. As he lay bleeding out, Miyuki slowly walked towards him and plunged her fist into his head, wiping off bits of brain as she quickly pulled her arm out of the gaping hole left in his head. The leader of the gangsters dropped his rifle and began to run away, however Miyuki caught up to him with ease and shot at his right leg, crippling him, before hoisting him up by the head.

The man’s eyes were filled with terror as Miyuki gave him a blank stare, before wrapping her cybernetic hand around his neck and snapped it. As she tossed his body to one side and began to walk back to the car, her cybernetic arm began to writhe in pain, as she wasn’t used to using it just yet. She got back into the car and slammed the door.

‘Lady Miyuki.. your hand’

‘It’s nothing Hanan. Just drive. Please.’

The engine began to purr as the car drove into Devils Park, which received it’s name as the city was built on the site of an old scrapped park which was closed down.

Instead of the air being filled with the stench of blood and dirt, it was instead filled with the smell of car exhaust fumes, pollution and the smell of burning rats, which was considered a delicacy here in the underbelly of the city. A few corrugated iron shacks were spread out amongst the rows of stores, open marketplaces, gambling houses, bars and brothels. Despite its crude nature, the city was bustling with life as people went about their daily lives, most dressed in nothing but rags or clothes that had too many holes in them. As they neared the edge of the city, the car came to a screeching halt just in front of an post office that had been closed seemingly for decades , with its blue paint peeling off and its windows covered in dirt.

‘Lady Miyuki, we are here. Let me do the talking.’

Hanan and Miyuki exited the car and walked towards the dilapidated post office, the air was thick with the smell of burning rats and cheap liquor that emanated from the marketplace in the centre of town. Hanan walked towards the front door and pressed the door knob 3 times, revealing a secret staircase on the side of the building leading underground. As they neared the bottom of the staircase, they could hear the sound of a drill and heavy machinery being operated. A thin metal door led to a secret laboratory, and in it, was Molenda, who was a tall man with blonde hair and bright green eyes. His lab coat was covered in machine oil and glue. On the table next to him was a weapons rack, filled with knives, guns and gadgets.

‘Molenda! Molenda are you in here?!’

Hanan screamed over the sound of machines operating.

A disembodied voice came from the corner of the room.

‘What! Who’s that? Are you a criminal?! Need I remind you what happened to the last one of you who came here?’

‘Molenda! It’s me! Hanan! I’ve come to ask about gear!’

‘Oh! Hanan! Terribly sorry, one can’t be too careful nowadays!’

Molenda began to walk towards Miyuki and Hanan, carrying a sharp knife in his hand.

‘Molenda. Do you have it?’

‘Yes Hanan, I do, it’s in the back. Lemme just grab it.’

‘Miyuki. I know Molenda can seem a little… odd, but he’s a genius at what he does. His weapons have allowed us to destroy all who oppose us.’

There was a big thud as Molenda slammed a metal box on the table next to Hanan.

‘Now. You must be Miyuki, yes? Hanan called me she said you’d need weapons.’

Miyuki stared at the metal box

‘ What have you got for me Molenda?’

The metal box opened to reveal a long silver finish steel blade, as well as a grappling hook, an automatic sub machine gun, and 3 fragmentation grenades.

‘I spent the best part of 10 hours crafting these for you. Go ahead, try them out.’

Miyuki picked up the blade first, and ran her finger over it’s edge. The blade fit perfectly in her hand. The sub machine gun was compact, with a stick magazine dangling out of the grip of the gun. It’s short barrel with an inbuilt suppressor made it an ideal weapon for covert operations.

‘Miyuki, try attaching the grappling hook to your cybernetic arm’

Molenda’s eyes lit up as he watched Miyuki slot the grappling hook into her arm, making a satisfying click as it slot into place.

‘Miyuki’s face lit up with a smile as he admired her new toys.

‘Molenda, these are…. Perfect. Time to field test them.’

‘Not so soon Ms Miyuki. I noticed your cybernetic arm was limping a little. Have you-‘

‘Its nothing to worry about. I’m just getting used to it is all.’

Miyuki turned towards Hanan

‘Hanan. What now? We need to focus on bringing down Mikael’

‘I know that. I’ve had my contacts scour the city for any signs of him. So far they’ve only found one lead on him’

‘What is it?’

‘He’s meeting with one of the top executives from Cyntech Systems, four hours from now.’

‘The electronics company? What for?’

‘I’m sorry Lady Miyuki. Unfortunately I don’t know. ‘

‘Then that’s what we need to find out.’

‘Not yet Lady Miyuki. You need to rest. ‘

‘Ok. As soon as the meeting time draws near I need you to wake me up Hanan. Then we can begin.’