For a time, Kai's life seemed to settle into a routine of tending to patients and continuously improving his medical and cybernetic skills. The peace was temporary, however, as one day, he was thrust into the heart of a storm he hadn't seen brewing.
The trouble arrived in the form of a dangerous gang known as the Vipers. They stormed into his clinic with an aura of menace, the predatory gleam in their augmented eyes indicating that they were not regular patients.
The Vipers were a notorious gang in the city, known for their ruthless tactics and affinity for illegal cybernetic modifications. Modifications that granted them monstrous strength and reflexes but had a high chance of driving them cyber-psychotic.
Their leader, a brute named Raz, demanded that Kai perform these illicit augmentations on his gang members. Refusal was not an option. His threatening demeanor communicated. Resisting could result in Kai's clinic being razed, or worse, him losing his life.
Kai was torn. He had worked hard to distance himself from Finn's unsavory past and had vowed to practice his medical skills ethically. Agreeing to the Vipers' demands would jeopardize all of that. But refusing could put his life and his clinic at risk.
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Caught between a rock and a hard place, Kai made a decision. He agreed to their demands but with conditions of his own. He would do the procedures and monitor their condition post-operation, ensuring the illegal mods didn't turn them into cyber-psycho.
Raz agreed, his grin revealing a glint of respect for Kai. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it bought Kai time and, more importantly, his safety.
In the following days, Kai's clinic turned into a war zone. Gang members filed in and out as he performed the high-risk procedures. Despite his reservations, Kai couldn't deny the allure of the challenge. The surgeries were complex, forcing him to stretch his skills and knowledge to their limits.
Through it all, Kai kept a strict eye on his patients, using his newfound knowledge to reduce cyber-psychosis risk. It was an uphill battle, and each successful operation felt like a minor victory.
But, as Kai would soon learn, the eye of the storm is the calmest part. The real test was yet to come. Little did he know, his dealings with the Vipers had caught the attention of forces even more dangerous. His struggles had only just begun.