Lagos, 2079 – Noir Club, Lagos Island
The bass from Noir thumped like a heartbeat in the night, vibrating the concrete beneath Tunde's boots. Neon signs flickered overhead, casting a sickly glow on the crowds pushing through narrow alleys towards the club's iron gates. Lagos Island at night was a predator — sleek, ruthless, and hungry.
Tunde, now Kene Oba, adjusted the fake scar on his cheek with a fingertip. He kept his eyes low, his movements fluid. His cover was tight; any slip meant instant death.
Broda Vic, the bouncer, was a mountain of muscle wrapped in tattoos, augmented with cybernetic implants. Tunde had memorized his schedule, his gait, even the way he sniffed the air when something wasn't right.
Vic eyed him suspiciously.
"You new around here?" Vic's voice was gravelly but not unfriendly.
"Yeah," Tunde replied, voice low, steady. "Heard this is the place to be if you wanna see the city's real face."
Vic grunted, scanning him with an implant eye. "We don't like snitches or cops. You're clear, but one wrong move—"
"I'm here to party, not pry," Tunde said, sliding a credit chip across the desk at the entrance.
Vic snatched it, nodded, and stepped aside.
Inside, the club was a riot of color and sound. Holographic dancers spun midair, and patrons lost themselves in virtual realities overlaid on the physical. Augmented reality cocktails sparkled on tabletops; laughter mixed with whispered deals.
Tunde's senses sharpened. This was more than a club—it was a hunting ground for addicts, dealers, and the city's shadows all rolled into one.
He found a corner booth, scanning faces. A young woman with purple hair and VR tattoos caught his eye — Zara, known in the underground as a dealer's informant. Her laugh was sharp, eyes sharper.
He approached carefully. "You looking for something?"
She eyed him. "Depends who's asking."
"Kene. New to the scene."
She smiled, almost cruel. "Most new around here don't last a week."
Before Tunde could answer, a comm alert buzzed in his ear implant. A coded message from NDLEC: "Contact Broda Vic for first lead. Avoid surveillance drones. Stay alert."
He nodded subtly, signaling to Zara. "Stay close. This city doesn't forgive mistakes."
The night was just beginning.