Morrigan: Year 3101.

Kazuo waved his hand, catching Siobhan's attention. "Over here," he hissed, ducking behind a column.

As they neared the tunnel entrance, two augmented guards came into view. Kazuo and Siobhan pressed themselves against the wall, breath held. The guards stood there, looking bored out of their minds.

"Hey, Jax," one guard said, scratching his metal-plated chin. "You ever wonder why we're stuck guarding this shithole?"

Jax snorted. "Beats me, Rook. Not like anyone's dumb enough to come down here."

"Right? Place gives me the creeps. All these old tunnels... what's even down here?"

"I don't know," Jax shrugged. "Above our pay grade. Probably just some rich corpo's paranoia."

"Or maybe it's some secret government lab. You know, where they cook up those weird-ass bioweapons."

"Nah, man. If it was that important, they'd have better security than us two schmucks."

"True," Rook nodded. "What about... alien artifacts? Like in those old vids?"

"Aliens? Come on, you're reaching now."

"Hey, you never know. Remember that shit that went down in New-Israel last year?"

Jax shook his head. "That was just a publicity stunt for some new holo-game. No way it was real."

"Whatever you say, dude. I still think there's something fishy going on down here."

"Yeah, well, keep dreaming. We're just here to make sure no one sneaks in to take a piss or shoot up some synth."

Rook kicked a pebble, watching it skitter across the floor. "Still, seems like a waste of our augments. We could be out there busting heads, not babysitting concrete."

"Tell me about it," Jaz said. "Last action I saw was taking down that glitched cleaning bot last month."

"Oh yeah, real heroic. Saving the world from rogue mops."

They shared a laugh, unaware of the intruders mere meters away.

Kazuo reached for an EMP grenade, but Siobhan's hand shot out, stopping him.

"Let me throw it, string bean," she whispered. "Your noodle arms couldn't lob a marshmallow."

"I can chuck this thing just fine."

Siobhàn glared at him. "Right, and I'm the Queen of Mars. Your scrawny ass looks like it hasn't seen a decent meal since the last century."

He scoffed. "I can handle a simple grenade toss. Don't underestimate me."

"Oh please," Siobhàn rolled her eyes. "You'd probably drop it at our feet and blow us both to kingdom come."

"I'll have you know I was karate champion in grade school," Kazuo retorted, puffing out his chest.

"Yeah, and I'm sure that's real useful now. Face it, that was ages ago. These days you couldn't even beat a chimp with a tube stuck up its ass."

"What the hell kind of comparison is that?" he said, face reddening.

"A damn accurate one," Siobhàn smirked. "Now hand over the grenade before you hurt yourself, Mr. Karate Champ."

Kazuo clutched the EMP device tighter. "No way. I got this. Just watch and learn."

"Watch and learn? More like duck and cover," Siobhàn muttered. "Fine, have it your way. But if you fuck this up, I'm leaving your scrawny ass behind."

Annoyed, Kazuo lobbed the grenade and it sailed through the air for a brief moment before clanging to the ground a few centimeters away. Siobhan immediately yanked him back into cover.

Rook perked up. "You hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I thought I heard something drop, like someone taking a large shit."

Jax scanned the area, shrugging when he saw nothing. "Probably just rats. This place is crawling with 'em."

"Oh, shit really? That rat must have had burritos for lunch."

They resumed their posts.

Siobhan shot Kazuo a withering look. "Told ya. And you didn't even primed it for explosion, dimwit."

"Fine. You do it."

She snatched the remaining grenade, took a deep breath, and hurled it towards the guards. It arced through the air, landing at their feet.

The guards peered down, confused.

"What the hell was that?" Rook asked.

Jax stared at the device for a moment before the grenade began to pulse and glow. "Oh fu—"

Before they could react, it detonated in a silent burst of energy. The augmented men crumpled to the ground, frying their systems in an instant.

Siobhan smirked at Kazuo. "And that's how it's done."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's...just move."

They crept through the tunnels. Every few meters, they paused, listening for the telltale whir of patrol drones.

"Shit," Kazuo whispered, pressing himself against the wall as a drone zipped by. Its red sensor swept the area, missing them by inches.

Siobhan exhaled. "That was too close. We need to find another way."

They inched forward, ducking behind old machinery and piles of debris. The tunnel seemed endless, twisting and turning like a maze.

"Wait," Kazuo said, grabbing Siobhan's arm. Two drones hovered ahead, blocking their path.

"Fuck me," she muttered. "Any bright ideas, genius?"

Kazuo scanned the area, spotting a narrow maintenance shaft. "There. It's gonna be tight, but it's our best shot."

They squeezed into the cramped space, the metal walls pressing in on all sides as Kazuo led the way.

"If you fart in here, I swear to god I'll end you," Siobhan growled behind him.

"Noted," Kazuo replied, suppressing a chuckle.

They emerged on the other side, relief washing over them.

But as they rounded the next corner, their hearts sank. A solid wall of concrete blocked their path.

"Well, shit," he said. "This wasn't on the map."

——

Kazuo ran his hand along the concrete wall, searching for any hidden seams or panels. "This doesn't make sense. The blueprints showed a clear path through here."

Siobhan kicked the wall in frustration. "Great. Just fucking great. We're trapped like rats in a cage."

"There has to be something we're missing," Kazuo tapped the wall at various points. "Maybe it's a false wall? Or a hidden door?"

"Or maybe our precious intel was bullshit," Siobhan snapped. "Did you ever consider that?"

"Aris's information is solid. He even did that hacking thing."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Siobhan paced back and forth, glancing around the tunnel. "What if this is a trap? What if they knew we were coming?"

"That's... possible. But it doesn't explain why they'd block off their own tunnel."

Siobhan stopped pacing and turned to face him. "Unless it's not their tunnel. What if this was built by someone else? A rival corporation, maybe?"

"Or a resistance group. That would explain why it's not on the official blueprints."

"Fuck," Siobhan said. "So we might be walking into someone else's secret base?"

"It's a possibility," Kazuo nodded. "But we can't be sure. For all we know, this could just be an old section they sealed off for structural reasons."

Siobhan leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "So what now? We can't exactly turn back with those drones patrolling."

Then, Kazuo's eyes caught something odd. A lumpy shape under a tattered cover, right where Siobhan was leaning.

"Hey, get your ass off that for a sec," he said, nudging her aside.

"What? You find another dead rat to cuddle?"

Ignoring her jab, Kazuo yanked off the dusty cover and they both froze, staring at what lay beneath.

"Holy shit," Siobhan breathed.

A hover bike sat before them, its matte black frame barely reflecting any light. The vehicle was all smooth curves and sharp angles, looking like it could slice through air without a sound. Two circular thrusters sat where wheels should be, glowing faintly with dormant energy. The seat, a narrow strip of synthetic leather, seemed molded for speed and agility rather than comfort.

The handlebars were built into the frame, studded with holographic displays and touch-sensitive controls. A small windshield curved up from the front, tinted to obscure the rider's face.

"This has to be what Aris was talking about," Siobhan said, running her hand along the bike's frame. "Sneaky bastard and his 'surprises'."

Kazuo swung his leg over the hover bike's seat. "I'm driving."

Siobhan grabbed his shoulder. "Like hell you are. Get off."

"No way. I've always wanted to try one of these babies."

"Try it? You mean you've never even ridden one before?" Siobhan scoffed. "Move your ass, string bean. I'm driving."

Kazuo clung to the handlebars. "It can't be that hard. Besides, you'll probably crash us into a wall."

"I've actually driven one of these before, dumbass. Now scoot back before I make you."

"Oh yeah? When?"

"Two years ago. Job in Mid-Manhattan. Now are you gonna move, or do I have to toss you off?"

Kazuo snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

Siobhan grabbed his collar. "Don't tempt me, noodle arms. I've taken down guys twice your size."

"Size isn't everything," he said, batting her hand away. "It's about skill. And I've got mad skills."

"Yeah, at what? Tripping over your own feet?"

"I'll have you know I—"

A high-pitched whine cut him off. They both turned to see a drone hovering at the end of the tunnel, its red sensor eye fixed on them.

"Intruders detected," a robotic voice blared. "Security breach in sector C-4."

"Fuck!" Siobhan shoved Kazuo back and leapt onto the bike. "Argue later. We gotta move!" Her fingers flew over the bike's controls. "Come on, you piece of shit!"

"What's taking so long?" Kazuo hissed, glancing between her and the approaching drone.

"It's not starting, genius!" She slammed her palm against the frame. "Fuck!"

Kazuo gripped her shoulders. "Hurry up!"

"You wanna try?" Siobhan snapped, elbowing him in the ribs.

The sound of heavy boots came through the tunnel. Shouts grew louder and closing in fast.

"We got incoming!" Kazuo warned.

Siobhan kept fiddling with the controls, muttering a string of obscenities that would make a sailor blush. She slammed her fist against the frame one last time.

Suddenly, holographic displays flickered to life, bathing them in a soft blue glow.

"Yes!" she yelled. "Hold on tight, string bean. It's going to be one bumpy ride."

At that moment, a squad of guards rounded the corner, weapons trained on them.

"Freeze!" one shouted. "Hands where we can see 'em!"

The bike hummed to life, lifting off the ground.

Siobhan grinned wickedly. "How about you freeze this, assholes?"

She gunned the throttle and the bike shot forward, plowing through the guards like bowling pins. Bodies went flying as Siobhan and Kazuo tore down the tunnel.

Behind them, shouts blasted off the walls.

"We've got runners!" a voice bellowed. "Two intruders on a hover bike, heading east through sector C-4!"

Another voice crackled over a comm system. "Copy that. Sending backup to intercept. Do not let them reach the surface!"

"Roger that," the first guard responded. "We're in pursuit, but these bastards are fast. We need air support!"

"Negative on air support," the comm voice replied. "Too risky in the tunnels. Use the ground units. Cut them off at junction B-7."

"Understood. Moving to intercept now."

"Holy shit!" Kazuo shouted, clinging to Siobhan for dear life as they rocketed through the complex.

Behind them, more alarms blared and shouts of confusion filled the air. But all that faded into the background as the hover bike carried them deeper into the unknown depths of the facility.

As Siobhan swerve through the tunnels, the bike's thrusters left a faint blue trail in their wake. She ducked under a low-hanging beam, Kazuo's head barely missing it.

"Watch it!" he yelped.

"You want to drive?" she shot back, veering around a pile of debris.

Up ahead, an abandoned train car blocked most of the tunnel. So Siobhan cranked the handlebars, tilting the bike sideways. They squeezed through the narrow gap, sparks flying as the bike scraped against the rusty metal.

"Fuck me," Kazuo breathed. "Do you even know where we're going?"

"Not a fucking clue!" Siobhan cackled. "Just going with the flow, baby!"

"Oh great. So we're just randomly zipping through murder tunnels. Fantastic."

Then, a distant rumble caught his attention. Kazuo turned around, squinting into the darkness behind them. Two pinpricks of light grew larger, closing fast.

"Ah, shit," he groaned. "Looks like we've got company. Two more bikes on our tail."

"Of course we do," Siobhan grumbled. "Because this wasn't fun enough already."

He turned back, clinging tighter to Siobhan as she took another sharp turn. "Well, on the bright side, at least now we know we're going the right way. Nothing says 'secret exit' like a high-speed chase, right?"

"Your optimism is truly inspiring," Siobhan deadpanned, gunning the throttle harder.

The pursuing guards grew closer, their shouts now audible over the bike's hum.

"Y'know," Kazuo yelled, "when I woke up this morning, I really wasn't expecting to star in my own cyberpunk action flick. Guess that's what I get for skipping breakfast!"