Hollow

Kazu, driving the truck, had just finished calling the Kusonoki conglomerate HQ back in Neo-Tokyo to tell them that the backup wasn't needed.

And, now they were entering dangerous territory.

The truck moved toward the outskirts of the city, closing in on the infamous slum of Tokyo.

The biggest slum in the entirety of japan.

Around 10 kilometers away.

The sprawling mass of misery known as the slum stretched as far as could be seen, housing a staggering population estimated at around 800,000, but a few years ago it held a population of 1,200,000.

The community was a melting pot of marginalized individuals – those lacking education, those struggling to find employment, former criminals, and gang members. Over time, it had grown so large and dense it was effectively like its own city.

The sight of the slums made Kazu sigh in dread. The slums weren't exactly on the list of his favourite places to visit.

Although it would be dangerous to most, it wasn't dangerous for them because they were backed by the Kusonoki conglomerate and if the slum gangs did anything, they would face consequences because the conglomerate was looking for any way to get rid of them.

Any reason at all.

Why?

Because this place was where the terrorist and criminal group — the white lotus mostly got their men from.

The white lotus were one of the largest criminal groups in Japan, and the slums were one of their recruitment zones. Most people in the slums joined the criminal group to try to make money and get their families fed. In a way, the criminal organization was like a government for the people in the slums, and it treated the slums like its own little city.

Apart from the white lotus, there was also the black snake's in the slums but they weren't as much of a headache as they only sold drugs while the white lotus used these people to attack government property and commit acts of terrorism.

Due to this, the government often made deals with the white lotus, giving them money to leave their property alone, but recently, the group had grown more and more bold, making more demands.

The government was getting more and more impatient, and the Kusonoki conglomerate saw this as a chance to get the group out completely.

The slums didn't have any law or government, they were their own little thing, and the people in it didn't trust the police or military from personal experience.

It was a really messy situation but in the end it made them safe.

He looked down at his lap and picked up a radio, Hirsohi had one too. Since they couldn't use their cybernetics they had to use these to communicate. Kazu pressed the side of his radio, a light flickering green to show it was on. He then spoke into it, his voice coming through the radio receiver of the other radio's — ie Hiroshi's radio but he didn't pick up.

He pressed the button again and spoke, "Hiroshi, you there?"

No response from the other side once more.

Kazu, increasingly confused by Hiroshi's lack of response, turned his head slightly and called out, "Hiroshi-san?"

He repeated, "Hiroshi-san? Are you awake? Hello?"

From the back of the truck, "Hiroshi" as if suddenly snapping out of some distant thought, replied, "Yeah? What did you need?"

"Why weren't you picking up my calls?" A brief pause followed, and it seemed like an eternity before Hiroshi finally responded. "Hiroshi" hesitated briefly before responding.

"Apologies," he said, his voice devoid of emotion. "I must have been too lost in thought to notice your calls."

The other members in the truck remained oblivious to what was happening. Kazu, however, furrowed his brow slightly, a hint of unease crossing his expression. The brief pause from Hiroshi was unlike his usual behaviour, making Kazu a bit suspicious.

Kazu expressed a bit of wariness but played it off.

"It's fine," he spoke, attempting to downplay his suspicions. He added, "I was just going to say that we're nearing the slums now, so the road might have some potholes or bumps."

He didn't comment any further. The response from Hiroshi was a simple and calm, "I see."

The silence that hung in the atmosphere after that brief exchange between Kazu and Hiroshi was disconcerting. Kazu couldn't shake off his uneasiness, Hiroshi's short and stoic response felt almost...robotic and lifeless. Normally, Hiroshi would offer a bit more to the conversation, a simple nod or even a word or two of acknowledgment. But now, there was barely anything.

Kazu tried to brush it off, attributing it to Hiroshi's usual nature being distant and aloof, but there was still a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, telling him something was different this time.

"Let me do a test."

He said to himself.

Before going through with it, he thought a few things more like:

"Why is he acting so strange?" Kazu pondered to himself. "Ever since we all woke up, he's been acting weird. He was the first to wake up, too..."

Kazu let out a soft sigh, if there were any cams in the truck or in their suits he could have checked them but sadly there were none. They didn't have any cameras installed because it was unnecessary and potentially incriminating. The team didn't record their illegal activities, so there were no cameras in their suits either. This left Kazu in the dark, without any means to verify his suspicions.

Kazu turned his head slightly towards the back, he was taking a gamble, hoping to extract a clue to ease his suspicions. He addressed "Hiroshi," trying to sound casual.

"I've sent you a message, Hiroshi-san. Could you please read it aloud?"

Kazu waited for "Hiroshi's" response, holding his breath. He had fabricated the idea of sending a message, a quick test to gauge his reaction. If "Hiroshi" reacted as if he had received a non-existent message, it would be a clear indication that something was off since their Neurochips were off.

There was nothing but silence in the truck for a minute, when suddenly "Hiroshi" spoke up.

"I've received your message," he said, his voice carrying a hint of detachment. "Please allow me a moment to read it."

Kazu's heart skipped a beat.

Kazu tensed up as "Hiroshi's" response confirmed his suspicions. There was no doubt — the real Hiroshi would have been very confused by a supposed message that had never been sent. But this Hiroshi had simply acknowledged its receipt.

"Hiroshi's" immediate reaction seemed so unnaturally swift, as if he had anticipated the message and knew it was coming. Kazu's instincts were kicking in, warning him that something was very off. The way "Hiroshi" had responded so swiftly, without a single second of hesitation, was raising more alarms in Kazu's mind. Maybe it was paranoia, but the unnatural composure and detachment in Hiroshi's response were fuelling the fire of Kazu's distrust.

Kazu tried to maintain his composure, keeping his voice casual.

"Yeah, take your time," he replied, his heart racing in his chest.

The next few minutes felt like an eternity to Kazu as "Hiroshi" apparently took time to quietly read over the nonexistent message. Every second stretched on for eternity.

Meanwhile, Kazu discreetly pressed a button on the truck's console, engaging its automatic driving mode, which was hidden for some reason as it looked like a work in progress.

He reached into his left side pocket and retrieved his handgun. Kazu was holding a sleek, black handgun, a model known as the "Silent Assassin."

It had been Manufactured by the prestigious "TecCorp" in the year 2098, it featured a lightweight yet durable frame, a Smart AI guidance system which allow the person firing to lock onto a target, and an advanced firing capability with a total capacity to hold 16 rounds. The handgun was part of the "V30K Series,"

The man beside him, now alerted by Hiroshi's gesture, was on the verge of asking a question when kazu quickly hushed him with a finger to his lips.

Kazu, still facing forward, subtly motioned to the man beside him with his handgun, signaling for him to draw his own weapon. Since most of their heavier weaponry was securely stashed away in the back of the truck, all they could use right now were handguns.

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Kazu then sent a message to the rest of his group, "Be on your guard. Watch 'Hiroshi' closely. Stay ready to draw your firearms at a moment's notice. Something's off."

After an agonizing 10 seconds of silence, "Hiroshi" spoke up once more. He calmly recited the contents of the non-existent message, word for word.

"Hiroshi-san, after this mission is done, treat me and my team to some good steak, would you please?"

"That is what your message said..right?"

Kazu's hand tensed tighter around the grip of the handgun, his heart hammering in his chest.

The accuracy in "Hiroshi's" reply was staggering.

How could he know the contents of a message that had never been sent?

Kazu didn't respond immediately. He took a deep, calculated breath before replying, "Y-yeah," he managed to say, "That's right. You're pretty sharp..."

And as he said that, he ordered everyone else in the back:

"Aim your weapons at Hiroshi!"

———————————————————

In the back of the truck, everyone swiftly responded to Kazu's command, raising their rifles and pointing them at "Hiroshi."

Sachiko, still somewhat confused, joined in by pointing her handgun at "Hiroshi." She didn't know what was going on, but she knew that something was not right.

"Hiroshi" remained unnervingly motionless, his face devoid of the slightest shift. No blink of the eye, no twitch of a muscle. The only visible sign of his presence was the cold, unblinking stare that he directed at the group.

Kazu, positioned in the front seat, used the small opening between the front and back of the truck to aim his gun at the back of "Hiroshi's" head. With a steely voice, he delivered a clear threat.

"Don't move an inch or I will shoot."

In the silence that followed Kazu's threat, the only sound was the soft hum of the truck's engines and the sound of their breathing. "Hiroshi" made no attempt to move, complying with the demand. He remained absolutely stationary.

"What is the meaning of this?"

He inquired, his voice lacking any hint of fear or anxiety. The words were delivered in a calm, almost inhumanly smooth manner.

Hiroshi continued, "I am your employer, if anything happens to me, the Kusonoki conglomerate won't let any one of you live."

Kazu chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "We're quite aware of the Kusonoki conglomerate's power," he said. "But you see, you made one mistake."

"And what mistake is that?"

"The message i send you never existed, i never send any message yet you still answered, which is suspicious but nothing enough to warrant this type of behavior I know, and i take full responsibility for anything that happens from now on but I do believe you aren't Hiroshi. Who are you?"

A minute ticked by in silence. Kazu, growing impatient and increasingly wary, pressed his gun firmly against the being's head.

"Speak up within the next ten seconds, or you're dead. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, te-"

As Kazu was counting off, reaching the final number, "Hiroshi" finally relented.

"What can I do to prove my identity then?"

"Turn on your Neurochip."

Each Neurochip was unique because it was connected to that person's brain and unless it was hacked, only that person should be able to turn it on and off. No one else."

"Turn your Neurochip on and call me."

"But that goes against the company poli—"

"To fuck with the policy, turn it on. Now."

Kazu knew perfectly well that they were going against the company policies but desperate times called for desperate measures. He waited anxiously, his gun still firmly pressed against the being's head.

The being sighed softly, a hint of resignation in their voice.

"Fine. I'll turn it on."

Hiroshi' put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small chip, then he slowly raised his hand towards his nape area and inserted it in a small hole in there. A soft beep was heard as the chip made contact with the being's Neurochip port, followed by a faint humming sound. Kazu's eyes widened when he saw a small blue light blinking on Hiroshi's nape, indicating that his Neurochip was active.

"Is that good enough for you?" Hiroshi's voice rang out, his tone slightly annoyed yet neutral.

"Call me."

"Alright."

Another thirty seconds passed and nothing happened.

"There's no signal in this area, i can't call you."

Kazu remained skeptical, not completely convinced by the explanation. "What do you mean there's no signal? You use a military-grade Neurochip, it should work perfectly fine even in the boonies."

"But it isn't."

Hiroshi then sighed.

"Look, you're making a huge mistake here, this might as well cost you your entire carrier."

"Well if something happened to the real Hiroshi, the Kusonoki conglomerate would kill me."

"I am the real Hiroshi."

"I'm not buying it," he replied firmly.

His eyes narrowed as he studied the being carefully. "You can claim to be Hiroshi all you want, but the inconsistency in your behavior and the anomalies with your neurochip are too suspicious to ignore. You might look like him, you might sound like him, but you're not him."

"but I really...."

Hiroshi stopped himself mid sentence before saying something else.

"What will you do if I'm not the real Hiroshi?"

"If you're not Hiroshi, you're a threat. And threats are dealt with accordingly."

Kazu stopped and then continued.

"I can't believe it'd come down to this," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "I'm giving you one more chance to convince me, or..."

He left the threat hanging in the air, his gun still pressed against the being's head. He patiently waited, hoping for a sign or explanation that would prove his suspicions wrong.

Hiroshi then spoke up.

"I can't do this anymore, this mission is compromised it seems."

He muttered to himself and then spoke up loudly, "Yes. I am not Hiroshi."

Kazu's eyes widened slightly as the being finally confirmed his suspicions. "I knew it," he hissed, his gun still firmly pointed at him. "Now, who the hell are you? And what have you done with the real Hiroshi?"

"My name...is...it doesn't matter..i am a first tier doppelganger. I serve the strongest being in this world — Lord Lucifer the light bringer, The fallen angel of light. " it said in a flat, emotionless tone. "I am merely...a replacement vessel for Hiroshi...My creator...sent me here to watch over you humans," it said with a sense of regret. "To observe and report. But...now I have failed. I must eliminate witnesses of my failure. I must eliminate all of you."

Kazu's heart was racing at a million beats per second. The entity mentioned a "creator," was it even human? "Robot? Cyborg? Advanced human-like android?" he muttered internally. "What kind of insane creation is this thing?"

But atleast he knew one thing, it was an enemy.

Kazu, put his finger on the trigger of his gun and pressed on it, just enough to fire it in an instant but not so much that it would fire right now and firmly declared, "you are not going to be laying even a single finger on any of my teammates. Tell me where the real Hirsohi is."

He pressed the gun harder against the entity's head, his tone brooking no argument.

"No need to be concerned about him. He is safe, much to my dismay."

Suddenly, "Hiroshi" suddenly stood up, unsettling tremors coursing through its body. Everyone reacted instinctively, their fingers tightening on the triggers, ready to fire at any moment.

The sound of cracking bones echoed through the truck. The once-solid form of Hiroshi melted before their eyes, liquefying into a grotesque, inky pool of blood on the floor. Sachiko, horrified by the disgusting sight, let out a scream that echoed through the truck.

It was a sight no human was ever meant to witness.

This was nothing natural.

Something like this wasn't supposed to exist.

The truck suddenly came to a screeching halt as Kazu slammed on the brakes, causing everyone's heads to knock against the seats or the console in front of them. Everyone except Kazu, who was strapped into his seat and was now trying to process what the hell just happened. Kazu took off his seatbelt and jumped out of the truck after opening the door as fast as he could. The man who had been sitting alongside him sprang from the front seat too, sprinting to the back,

As they entered the back after slamming open the door's, the two men were greeted by a sight that was beyond stomach-churning.

The remnants of the once-human-like entity, now reduced to a puddle of bones, blood, and some sort of gooey fleshy substance spread across the floor of the vehicle.

The two men were frozen in sheer disgust and horror at the sight of the nightmarish substance staining the floor, as well as the pieces of flesh and bones that were strewn around. Kazu felt bile rushing up his throat just from looking at the awful substance on the floor.

"What the actual... fuck"

No one in the group knew what had just happened.

Kazu and the others stood in silence, their eyes locked on the grotesque remains covering the floor. The sheer shock of what had happened was so overwhelming that it left them all speechless.

They tried to make sense of it all, but none of them had any explanation for the events that had unfolded in just the past few minutes.

Kazu spoke first.

"Is...everyone okay?"

Sachiko, overcome with fear, rushed out of the truck, seeking the safety of solid ground. She stood beside Kazu. "What... what just happened?"

"I....don't know."

He said to her.

"Are you okay?"

"ye..yes I'm fine.."

Kazu then looked at everyone else in the truck and shouted:

"GRAB YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT."

As they stepped outside, the biting cold hit them with an intensity that seemed to chill them to the bone.

The temperature had dropped dramatically within moments, the temperature dropping to below zero. Kazu did not know what he should do now.

If his opponent was a human it would be fine but that thing clearly wasn't a human when suddenly something caught his attention, the grotesque mass of blood, flesh, and bones began to move.

Kazu's hand trembled uncontrollably as he tried to steady his aim, his gun trained on the nightmarish creature standing before them. However, despite his efforts, his body refused to cooperate, his arm trembling with fear and preventing him from pulling the trigger.

In the face of the unfathomable horror that stood before him, Kazu, historically a man of little faith, found himself desperately praying to any deity that would listen. In this moment of sheer terror, even a self-proclaimed atheist finds belief.

"Please... help us," he whispered, his voice devoid of its usual confidence as he stared in horror at the nightmare standing in front of him.

Kazu's eyes darted around. He wasn't alone; all members of the group were locked in an immobile trance, their bodies rejecting any attempt to flee or protect themselves.

It was completely silent. No birds, no bugs, not even crickets. Except for the sounds of them breathing and the sound of the snowfall, there was no sound

It was sickening.

Inky darkness consumed all, wrapping the group in an eerie silence. The only source of light originated from the truck, casting a dim illumination that failed to break through utter blackness beyond their immediate vicinity. From a distance, faint lights from the sprawling slum flickered like dying stars.

The monster turned its head towards them, "KHEEEEEEEHHH"

It let out a bone-chilling roar, a horrendous sound that mimicked the cries of dying pigs and the screech of chalk against a blackboard. The piercing sound echoed through the air. The piercing sound was almost indescribably painful, Kazu's left and right ear even started to bleed a little.

The Doppelganger advanced with surprising swiftness, Its feet, like talons with three long toes pointing backwards, left imprints on the ground that seemed to burn into the memory.

In no time at all, the monster was standing directly in front of Kazu, Kazu could feel its fetid breath, the putrid smell assaulting his senses.

Kazu was petrified with fear, his body trembling uncontrollably. The scent of ammonia filled the air, and he felt a warmth spreading across his lower half. Kazu, in a moment of dread, glanced down, realizing to his horror that he had lost control of his bladder, a stain spreading uncomfortably on his trousers.

The creature, moved closer to Kazu, its long, bony fingers delicately touching his face. In a swift, almost loving gesture. One of its long fingers grazed his cheek. The touch was a mere graze, yet it sliced through skin like a razor, leaving behind an agonizingly deep gash. Warm blood gushed from the wound, trickling down his face. It wasn't attacking yet. Not yet. It seemed as if the monster was toying with its prey, not taking their lives seriously.

The true nightmare had only just begun.