Rain began to fall over Neon City.
At first it was only a light mist drifting through the neon glow of the Lower District. But within minutes the storm intensified, turning the crowded streets into shimmering rivers of reflected color. Neon signs flickered through the rainfall, their light stretching across wet pavement like fractured rainbows.
Kai walked beside Mira through the busy night crowd, hood pulled low.
The city was alive.
Street vendors shouted beneath glowing umbrellas. Cybernetic mechanics worked under flickering lights. Music blasted from clubs hidden behind metal doors.
But beneath the energy of the Lower District, something else lingered.
Tension.
Helix Dynamics was searching for him.
And everyone in the underground world could feel it.
Kai glanced over his shoulder.
"Do you think Dante is still looking for us?"
Mira snorted.
"Of course he is."
Kai sighed.
"Great."
They turned down a narrower street filled with holographic graffiti and buzzing neon signs. The air smelled like fried street food mixed with engine exhaust.
Kai shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.
"So where are we going?"
Mira pointed ahead.
"Safehouse."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"You just have a safehouse?"
"Several."
He gave her a sideways look.
"Should I be concerned about that?"
"Only if you plan on committing crimes with me."
Kai thought about the AI chip in his pocket.
"…Too late."
ORION spoke quietly in his mind.
"Warning."
Kai blinked.
"What now?"
"Multiple unidentified surveillance drones entering the district."
Kai stiffened.
"How many?"
"Five."
Mira noticed the change in his expression.
"What?"
Kai leaned closer and whispered.
"Helix drones."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Already?"
"ORION says five of them."
Mira grabbed his sleeve.
"Inside."
She pulled him through the door of a narrow building wedged between two glowing clubs.
The door slammed shut behind them.
Inside was a dim hallway lined with rusted pipes and broken security cameras.
Kai exhaled slowly.
"That was fast."
Mira moved toward a control panel and tapped a hidden switch.
Metal shutters slid down over the windows.
"No kidding."
Kai leaned against the wall.
"So Helix just sends drones into random districts now?"
"Not usually."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning you're important."
Kai frowned.
"Or very dead soon."
Outside, the faint buzz of hovering drones passed through the street.
Red searchlights swept across buildings.
Helix was tightening the net.
Kai rubbed his neck.
"Okay."
He looked at Mira.
"New plan."
She crossed her arms.
"I'm listening."
"We don't stay in one place too long."
"Agreed."
"And we definitely avoid corporate districts."
"Also agreed."
Kai nodded.
"Good."
ORION suddenly spoke again.
"Additional threat detected."
Kai groaned.
"What now?"
"Three high-level cybernetic signatures entering the Lower District."
Mira's expression darkened.
"That's not good."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"You recognize them?"
"Probably."
She walked toward a dusty terminal on the wall and powered it on.
The screen flickered to life.
She typed rapidly.
Moments later three profiles appeared on the screen.
Kai stepped closer.
"Please tell me those are bounty hunters."
Mira shook her head slowly.
"Worse."
She pointed to the first profile.
HELIX HUNTER UNIT R-3
Alias: RAZE
Specialization: Heavy Combat
Cybernetic Enhancements: Full-body reinforcement, integrated rail cannons, kinetic impact amplifiers.
Threat Level: EXTREME
Kai stared at the image.
Raze looked like a walking tank.
Massive metal arms.
Armor plating built directly into his skeleton.
"Yeah," Kai muttered. "That guy definitely skips leg day."
Mira scrolled down.
HELIX HUNTER UNIT V-9
Alias: VIPER
Specialization: Close-Range Elimination
Enhancements: Monomolecular blade implants, reflex boosters, toxin injectors.
Threat Level: EXTREME
The holographic image showed a thin woman with long silver hair and razor-like blades extending from her forearms.
Kai blinked.
"She looks fast."
Mira nodded grimly.
"She's killed entire gang crews by herself."
Kai swallowed.
"Fantastic."
Mira revealed the final profile.
HELIX HUNTER UNIT S-2
Alias: SPECTER
Specialization: Stealth / Infiltration
Enhancements: Optical camouflage, neural hacking suite, signal disruption field.
Threat Level: UNKNOWN
The image flickered like digital static.
The figure was barely visible.
Kai frowned.
"…Why does that one look like a ghost?"
Mira leaned back.
"Because no one ever sees Specter coming."
Kai stared at the screen.
"So Helix sent three super-assassins after me."
"Yep."
He scratched his head.
"That feels excessive."
ORION replied calmly.
"You possess one of the most advanced artificial intelligences ever created."
Kai sighed.
"Right."
He looked back at Mira.
"So what's the plan?"
Mira shut down the terminal.
"The only plan that works against Helix."
Kai waited.
"Run?"
She nodded.
"Run."
Kai chuckled slightly.
"I was hoping for something cooler."
"Cool gets you killed."
Before Kai could respond—
The building shook.
A thunderous impact rattled the walls.
Kai froze.
"…That sounded bad."
Another impact followed.
This one louder.
The front door exploded inward.
Metal fragments flew across the hallway.
A massive figure stepped through the smoke.
Eight feet tall.
Armor-plated limbs.
Glowing red optics.
Raze.
Kai stared.
"Well…"
He slowly cracked his knuckles.
"Guess we're done running."
Behind him, Mira groaned.
"You had to say that."
Raze's mechanical voice echoed through the ruined hallway.
"Target identified."
Kai glanced sideways at Mira.
"Do these guys ever start conversations normally?"
"Not really."
Raze stepped forward.
The floor cracked under his weight.
"AI core will be recovered."
Kai sighed.
"Yeah that's not happening."
Raze raised one massive arm.
A rail cannon extended from his forearm with a sharp metallic snap.
Energy began charging inside the barrel.
ORION spoke urgently.
"Warning."
Kai smirked.
"Let me guess."
"Extremely dangerous."
"Thought so."
Kai stepped forward.
His neural interface flickered to life again.
Predictive combat lines began forming across his vision.
This fight was going to be very different from Dante.
But Kai wasn't the same person he had been an hour ago.
He had an AI.
A combat system.
And now—
Helix's hunters were coming straight to him.
Kai looked up at the towering armored hunter.
Then smiled.
"Alright."
The rain pounded against the roof.
Neon lights flickered through broken windows.
And in the narrow hallway of a forgotten Lower District building—
Kai Mercer prepared to fight his second Helix hunter.
"Let's see what you've got."
Raze fired.
And the war truly began.