Chapter 1: 1: A Chase Of Death (Part 1)

Do you know who you are?

What even is that kind of question, I’m…I’m…oh…I don’t who I am? Why can’t I remember who I am? What…what did you do to me!

The reason you don’t know who you are is that you simply do…not…exist…

You lie! You’re lying! Shut up! Shut Up! I’m…I’m…I’m a human being!

Frankly, you are not, because if you were, you wouldn’t be talking out of a box.

…

Z city, Winter the year is twenty-one eleven, time is eleven thirty-seven on a Tuesday. No one from the division has called for a job. I can’t sleep, in fact, I can’t even remember when the last time I slept was. Maybe I don’t sleep, I don’t know. All I can think about is driving. Driving to Judy’s bar. Judy, such a kind woman with a happy family. Her wife is sweeter than she is if that’s even possible. Now all I can think about is a cold drink. Passing down so many winding roads. So many roads leading to alleys were Cyber, Bio, and Meta punks in every corner. Even robots, Mortors, and humans at the bottom of the food chain littered the streets. That’s where all be, at a bar, with all of them.

How fun that will be.

RING! RING! RING!

“Chet? What does she want?” I said answering the call.

“Hey, Danny boy! Ya miss me, cause I certainly miss you!” Said Chet with a tone that if she was here would encompass a fake look of stupidity she always gave, smug eyes and lips taunting me, fantastic.

“What do you want Chet? Now’s not a good time to let me in on one of you’re Shenangins, especially if it involves torturing a guy to lower you’re sister’s rent like last time.” 

“Ah come on Danny boy, I did make it up to you that time…at least I think I did…anyway I don’t need that big of a favor from you, I just need you to pretend like we’re together, just pretend you and me are going for some drinks and if anyone asks you who you’re with just call me your girlfriend, sound good?”

“And what if I don’t?” I said frustratingly while navigating the winding roads.

“Come on, please! I’ll get you some free drinks, whatever you want…well as many as you can that don’t leave you too intoxicated to lie”

“Sigh…fine…but why do you need me to do this, can’t you bother any other crime seeker In our sector?”

“Well, ‘cause you’re really the only one that puts up with me…anyway, see you in ten minutes at Judy’s bar!” Said Chet right before hanging up the phone.

“Good thing I’m already going to Judy’s bar…sigh…what does she mean about me being the only one that puts up with her, does no one really talk to her…now that I think about it…no one even looks at her unless they have to.”

As the winding roads turned to alleys so then did the people around the alleys change. Various people of all walks of z city life were out and about. Every punk imaginable, various gangs and hookers littered every side of the alleys. After all the alleys I was around were those of apartment complexes for the people who could barely afford rent. And anyone and everyone knows the ones that couldn’t afford rent were the ones that committed the most crime.

Yet why didn’t I stop them? Simple reason. I’m not a cop. I’m a crime seeker. I don’t stop any crime unless I’m paid to do it and if anything I’m more criminal than anyone with the shit I have to do. Do I regret it all? I do. But when you can’t die and live for years, the only Jobs that people offer are the ones that don’t check you’re background.

And the only good paying one that was hiring was the simple yet world-renowned…

…Crime Seeker Division.

How fun.

SCREEEEEECH!

“Made it,” I said grabbing things I never leave without.

My tracker, my radio, my burner phone, my phone, my modified Shotter, my knife, and of course who could forget the most important thing of all…my wallet.

The bar itself was in between two large apartment complexes with every known gang activity imaginable, so why was I here? Simple reason really, it was a place that didn’t ask too many questions and a place where I knew the owner. The building has no real face to it and looks shady as imaginable, especially with no windows and a single-door entrance with a bouncer in the front. There was no sign that said bar but there was oddly enough parking which in Z City meant that the place indeed was some sort of establishment.

Everyone around the bar that was outside looked at me with either fear or anger. Most of them thought I was on some type of assignment or looking for trouble. In reality, I didn’t care what these people did with their lives, I was here for a drink. And to cover for a…what is she to me…let’s just, acquaintance for now. Ah yes, My acquaintance, Chet. How kind of her to Grace me with her presence at her door.

“Hey! You made it! Glad you could come, so come on in, boyfriend!” Chet said grabbing me by my arm and holstering me to the front door.

Ah yes, Chet. The same look twenty-four-seven even when asleep and the same look when she was awake. Her skin may have been pale as anyone on this earth yet her look of being a gal or Gyaru as they call it in Japan where she’s from became her main feature. Orange slightly brown spray-on tan, big blonde hair, long pink designed nails accompanying her miniskirt and beige sweater. She looked lively and open to talking to anyone who approached her which made her stand out. Especially in an area where no one wore bright colors. Her body type and height may have been average but her voice was so bombastic and loud it would hurt your ears. But that was Chet for you, one full package, couldn’t have one without the other.

She could come off as annoying but to me, I don’t know. She reminded me of someone, but, I could never pinpoint who?

Right at the door was the bouncer. A large muscular black with many body mods but in reality, he had a heart of gold, that was unless he was assigned to beat or kill you. Or if you pissed him off enough. Luckily I never got on his bad side.

“Hey, Daniel! How you doing bud!” Said Jim giving me a huge lifting hug.

“Jim Damn, did you get stronger?!?” I said hugging him back.

“May have, may not have, you’ll never know, hehe, anyway I see you’re here with Chet, how you doing baby girl.”

“Doing good Jimmy, doing good!” Said Chet giving her a fist bump.

“Jimmy, you’re hurting my back…please…let go.”

“Sorry, sorry, sorry, any way you two have fun in there.” Said Jim opening the door and letting us in.

“Thanks, Jim,” I said walking back inside as Chet grabbed me by the arm again.

The bar if anything acted like a club. Sure there was a giant area filled with multiple bartenders but the majority of the room was people dancing. Even when you are at the lowest of society you still got to find a way to ease the pain. Whether that’s dancing with strangers and or drinking yourself to death. It didn’t matter who or what you were, if you had the money, you were welcome.

I knew everyone who worked here and every regular here. I didn’t socialize much in the division but this place was like a second home to me even though I had been in the city for…wait…how long have I been here…I can’t seem to remember.

“And what will it be…oh, Hey Daniel, nice to see you here, the usual?” Said Gloria cleaning one of the cups.

Gloria, a lovely woman. Light dark skin, skinny but muscular enough to notice. A cute smile counterbalanced the look of bloodthirstiness making it feel as if she was lying to everyone around her. Wearing nothing but her work uniform with her hair up she looked ready to serve anyone and everyone in the bar. She was the first person to serve me a drink and I hope she’ll be the first to serve me my last.

“Hey Gloria, yeah, I’ll take the usual and this lucky lady right here is buying,” I said grabbing Chet’s shoulders.

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“EEP…I mean, yeah, I owe this lucky guy some drinks! So it’s on me…I’ll also have a Margherita!” Chet said with a heartwarming smile that could fool anyone.

At the speed of light, our drinks appeared before us. Gloria loved her all-natural super speed, after all being born a metahuman has its advantages. One red Margherita and a whisky with Cola, how nice. Yet the look on Gloria looked anything but nice. It was like she wanted to say something but couldn’t.

“Well then, you certainly do have a catch here with miss Chet here, I’ll leave you two lovebirds to it.” Said Gloria walking away with a smile yet stomping the boots she wore with each step.

Did I piss her off or something. The second she turned away from us I could have sworn I heard her breathing heavily.

Mmm whatever, it probably has nothing to do with me.

“Anyway, boyfriend, how was your day today!” Chet said taking a sip of her Margherita.

“Killed some people, ate some food, knitted and did various hobbies, and yours…sweetie-pie,” I said in a fake but hopefully loving answer.

“You can cut the act for a bit, I need you to know something,” Chet said in a calm and even shakingly scared tone.

“What?” I said now being dumbfounded by her drop in attitude.

“There are three humans or maybe nonhumans, I don’t even know, in black and blue suits after me, I don’t know what they want and I never met them in my life.”

“How do you know they're not humans?” I said taking a swig of my drink.

“Cause, I shot one of them in the face and its face went from that of a black woman with curls to that of an Asian man and then back to a black woman, I say maybe cause no bio drug can do that and Motors don’t have that kind of power, so, maybe human maybe not.”

“But If you knew this, why go to me? Why not take this to the division?” I said as I checked my watch, exactly eleven forty-five.

“Because, I think they’re working in the division undercover cause when I shot one of them it turned out to be the crime seeker J…” Chet said right before being intterruted with a bag over her head.

It all happened so fast I couldn’t even react. It was like watching things in slow motion and for a moment it felt like time stopped completely. A man, one with white skin and blue hair with the physique of a bodybuilder grabbed Chet with a black bag over her head. 

For a moment I did nothing. 

And in the next, I was pulling out my gun

“HEY…hey what are you…!”

BLAM!

All I could hear after that shot were screams and bullet fire. My vision began to fade as I could see everyone stomping on me as they got away.

Although I did see one other thing. 

Judy and Gloria looking at me checking if I was ok.

That was until everything went silent.

Only for a moment.

<REBOOTING ALL SYSTEMS>

<HEALING PROTOCOL ACTIVATING>

<RESURRECTION PROTOCOL ACTIVATING>

<WELCOME BACK PROTO>

“AUGH! Chet! Chet! Where did you…go…Where am I?” 

Looking around I was nowhere near the bar, instead, it was a room, with blue walls and a window. A dresser and a holographic television played the news as soon as I got up from the bed. It was tomorrow, and it was eleven forty-five exactly. Another boot up apparently. Nothing unusual about that, it takes about twenty-four hours for everything to be fixed. I was wearing all the stuff I wore the night before but all my gear was gone. Great. Hopefully, no one is using my stuff with ill intent.

The room itself looked well kept but the outside was the view of all the various apartments hosting the lowest of society. So I could be in anyone’s apartment really. But I had a guess as to who’s I was in.

CREEEEK!

“Hello, anyone home, I…uh…I’m ok, no need to worry I’m alive…”

CRASH!

A glass cup shattered all over the floor and the one who did it was none other than Judy’s wife, Carol.

“How…but…you were…shot…in the the the… a bullet was in you’re…”

“Carol, calm down, what happened, where’s Chet…where’s…Carol?…CAROL!” I said grabbing Carol as she fell down into my arms.

She had passed out. I’m not surprised. That’s what seeing you’re friend’s dead body one moment and the next seeing them walk up like it’s nothing.

I got to wait till she wakes up.

I need to know what happened to Chet.

I can only hope she’s not dead.

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