The street smelled of ozone and burnt plastic. Neon soared through the sky with holographic ads plastered over every building. Blair's feet thudded on the ground as he desperately ran to the sound of an explosion, shoving past people running the opposite direction frantically holding on to the last bit of hope that it wasn't what he thought it was.
A news report hovered in the corner of his meta-vision the lady on screen began to speak as Blair's heart dropped, "There has been a massive explosion on Harlow sector-9 a wealthy residential area has been infiltrated and terrorized by presumably the horrific Chrome Reavers." Her voice trailed off as Blair slowed and his heart stopped.
He scattered his chrome scouring for every bit of juice to force him into a brain-flash. His pupils narrowed losing sight of the news and various ads on his HUD, needles of ice rest behind his darkened eyes, he could feel every blood-cell coursing through his body, sweat beads on his forehead as people's hasty stomps thrummed throughout his entire body. He scoured his entire database, thoughts flashing through his head like comic panels clawing at the hope that his parents survived. Blair's mouth began to feel the taste copper which Blair knows means he's reached his limit. 'Is.. this the only way? Why. Why did it have to be my family? I hate them I hate the bystanders I hate this pounding in my chest I hate the weight of my lead limbs, I hate-' Blair collapsed from the aftermath of brain-flashing.
————————————————————
"This kid, did he seriously Flashburn on a whim like that what the hell was he thinking even the most premium Frameware can only handle that kind of stress a max
of 5 times it's unheard of that a kid like this with his fucking tiny gutter gear could even attempt it."
Blair woke up to this conversation taking place he was in a unfamiliar place that seemed like a cybershop the man talking presumably the owner wore a blue Mohawk with metal piercings covering most of the skin on his face and a glowing metal red dot in place of where an eyeball used to be.
"I genuinely can't even begin to understand how the fuck this dumbass is even alive right now his brain should be fried especially considering he's one of them meatfolk"
The lady who was resting on a nearby beam had short purple hair and soft facial features adding up to make a perfectly symmetrical face. Makes you wonder how much she spent on beauty frameware. She began talking in a condescending tone.
"Yeah maybe a wirehead like you is shocked you would ghost if you even dream of brainflashing"
"What was that you dirty Synthsiren?!"
The man swiveled around to face the woman and gripped his holstered firearm and began to slowly release the latch.
"Put the jackal down metal muncher look he's awake."
Blair had so many questions too many question, but one was at the forefront of his mind. "What happened to my parents?" Blair said while attempting to get up which was met with an immediate pain run through his right eye one of the only parts of his body that's augmented.
"Woah woah easy there buddy you need to take it easy what you did isn't something even SpecOps would dare attempt and they have some damn fine primeware" the man said while easing Blair back to laying down. "You're parents? Were they the ones on the news? Yeah they definitely went ghost man I mean it's the fucking Chrome Reavers."
"Cmon Nash have a little symapthy for the kid he just lost his entire life."