"I have no doubt, they really are following me."
Since their parents' death, Axel and his sister had been forced to learn how to survive alone. With no help from anyone, just the two of them, depending only on each other to stay alive.
When his sister got sick due to an attack from someone, Axel had no choice but to learn how to survive on his own.
This helped him develop extremely sharp senses. He knew when someone wanted to hurt him, and he knew when they wanted to trick him.
This time, his senses were warning him, and he knew it.
Two guys on motorcycles were coming after him, both wearing identical helmets and shirts. A dominant neon-green illuminated demon logo stood out on the back of their shirts, with a name below it:
"Toxic Demons"
Seeing that the riders wouldn't stop chasing him, Axel decided to change his route and headed toward a dark street in the city.
The bikers, not willing to let him escape, followed. But Axel wasn't going to be caught so easily.
Axel quickly switched to another street, this one a bit more crowded.
Being a mule in Star City had given him the ability to move between streets like a serpent.
When the Neo Police tried to catch him, he always found a way to escape their claws. Two guys on a motorcycle were not a problem for Axel.
The duo tried the same maneuver, but this time, they couldn't keep up with Axel due to the amount of people.
One of them pulled out a smartphone, dialed a number, and put it to his ear.
"Boss, the kid from Rocks is good. We couldn't catch him," the guy said as he waited for an answer.
The voice on the other end sighed—not like someone tired, but like someone who simply wanted to sigh.
"Don't worry, he'll fall into our trap anyway."
The call ended without much talk, and the two bikers changed direction.
***
"Damn it, that's why I don't like coming this way. I waste too much time."
Axel had made it out of the narrow street, a look of annoyance on his face. Because of those men, he had lost a lot of time in completing his delivery.
"Damn it, what did those guys want?" With no one behind him, Axel finally had time to think.
It was the first time someone who wasn't a servant of justice had chased him, so something was wrong.
His instincts began to warn him that the best thing to do was to go home. But Axel looked at his smartphone screen and saw how much distance was left to reach the delivery address.
"I don't have time to waste." Saying this, Axel began to pedal again.
After several minutes, finding the best shortcuts to increase his speed, Axel was able to arrive in about 32 minutes.
"So this is the place, huh? I have to admit, I expected something more… glamorous." Axel said to himself while staring at the junkyard in front of him.
The only thing he could think was that the client chose this place for security reasons. Nobody paying so much money for an illegal Cyber Chip should be living there.
Axel took out his phone again and checked the order instructions:
Please enter, leave the package, and take the money. If you don't arrive before the end of the day, I will take the money, and the exchange will fail.
"Alright, looks like they're cautious. Let's finish this job and go home."
Already used to things like this, Axel went inside through a broken side window.
Using his phone's flashlight, Axel walked through the entire place. It was just a common junk deposit.
In the center of the place, there was a table which, in contrast to everything around it, was illuminated by a small lamp.
On it, there was a large envelope filled with bills. Axel smiled immediately.
"Looks like today I'll actually get a big payment." Excited, Axel grabbed the money and placed the package on the table, ready to leave.
"Wow, you didn't even take the time to count the money. Looks like Rocks really has a good mule."
But he was stopped by a voice coming from the darkness. Axel instinctively turned around, looking for the source.
His flashlight couldn't find the culprit. It was as if the darkness itself was talking to him.
"Shit." Axel ran toward the window, ready to escape. He noticed it too late. This was a trap.
"Hey, relax, we just want to talk."
The voice sounded again, but this time in front of Axel. He focused his eyes, and now he could see it.
Two neon-green glowing eyes were staring at him. Little by little, the figure became visible.
Axel understood perfectly—this was one of the illegal chips that could be found in Star City: Shadow Camouflage.
The reason it was illegal was simple: giving people the ability to become invisible should never happen.
"Shit. You want the package? Take it. I'll even give you the money if you want." With no escape, Axel tried to negotiate.
"Come on, man, no need for that. As the good mule you are, you earned that money," the voice replied from within the shadows.
"We just want to talk to you."
The lights turned on all at once, and this time Axel could see the owner of the mysterious voice completely.
He was a slim but very tall man, with purple hair faded into green, tied back in a ponytail. But without a doubt, his most striking feature was the pair of bright green horns on his head.
They were of very fine craftsmanship, and the intention behind such an extravagant accessory was obvious.
Axel remembered the bikers from earlier and understood what was happening.
"Alright. We're going to talk then. What do you want?" Axel knew he couldn't escape.
"We only want information. We know your boss is called Rocks, but we don't know where to find him." The man stabbed his neon-green eyes into Axel's. No further explanation was needed.
They wanted Rocks' head, not his. Axel might have been considered trash in this city, but he wasn't trash without honor.
Axel didn't answer and simply clenched his teeth.
The green demon showed a sadistic smile before throwing a punch at Axel.
BAM!
The sound resonated throughout the place. Axel's weak body fell to the ground instantly.
"Hahaha, looks like Rocks has a very good mule. Alright kid, get ready."
Axel knew what was coming, and as the door opened, he wasn't surprised to see all the men dressed like the motorcycle riders entering through the entrance.
After all, he lived in the dark part of Star City. Gang deaths were a common story.
The horned man approached his group, standing at the center, and looked at Axel with total contempt.
"Tonight, Toxic Demon will sing your sentence."