Clouds rolled across an ashen sky, swallowing the moon and sinking the city into neon darkness. Darius stood on the department store roof, watching the scrolling fluorescence of a drink advertisement on a distant skyscraper.

Preature had rushed everyone back so quickly. Now he was meeting with his team and Darius had been left to his own devices. When would things begin to shift for him? When would he find some sense of home again?

He triggered his cybernetic heads-up display once again.

“[BODY EQUILIBRIUM] 5%, ability slot enabled”

“Ability slot? What’s that?” he thought aloud.

“[DEFINITION] Ability slot - when the equilibrium between body and cybernetics reaches certain points, new abilities are enabled. The body is only able to acclimate to cybernetics at a certain rate. The installed cybernetics will only be able to enable ability slots once the body is ready. If the body is not ready, then cascading biological failure would ensue, starting with seizures and possibly ending in stroke and permanent brain damage.”

“What the? You’re listening to me?”

“[STATEMENT] Yes, but my responses are limited to the programming by Gradius Byun.”

“Father… Why would he do this? Why did he install you onto me?”

“[STATEMENT] Unknown”

“What do I do with the ability slot?”

“[STATEMENT] Because ability slots are rare and only available when your body is ready, you will need to choose from pre-set ability slot customizations. When your body equilibrium meets certain milestones, you will be able to select modifications from a list.”

“What about now? Can I choose something now?”

“Select one ability: Arm Holster - Allows for concealment of one small weapon within the forearm; Weapon Scan - Allows the ability to detect weapons concealed within clothing;”

Darius’s mind raced over his options. He stewed over his choices. “Later, will I be able to choose from those that I didn’t pick this time?”

“[STATEMENT] No. Ability slot tiers are finite and particular. These options will not be presented again in this way. However, more powerful versions may become available with time.”

Darius sighed, “Okay, arm holster. I need weapons.”

“[ABILITY SLOT ASSIGNED] Arm Holster enabled”

| Health: 100% |

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| Body Equilibrium: 5% |

| DPS: 5 |

| Defense: 25 |

| Agility: 10 |

| Perception: 20 |

| Intellect: 10 |

| - - - - - - - |

| Arm Holster |

Darius felt a buzz from within his right arm as a panel slipped open to receive a weapon and an extended rail of ammunition. The arm closed after a moment, having received nothing.

“Where’s the weapon?”

“[STATEMENT] The weapon and ammunition must be supplied by you.”

Darius set his teeth on edge and looked out at the city again. Spotlights danced upon the underside of the clouds. Wailing sirens echoed from the distance. The musty scent of wet asphalt was carried to the rooftop by a light breeze. Darius wondered where Preature kept the weapons.

Sneaking down the stairs and into the back office hallways, Darius checked a door to find that it was locked. Tinny voices flowed down the hall from a room further down.

“...he should probably know,” CURL’s voice carried.

“No. He’ll be safer if he knows nothing. He’s liable to freak out and give us away,” Tinker responded.

Darius’s brows furrowed as he began to listen closer, quietly shuffling to another door. He tried the handle and it opened, but saw that it was just another entrance into the cubicle sleeping quarters where he had woken earlier that day.

“He’s a good lad, I vote we tell him. He can handle it,” Leary spoke in a slurred voice, still drunk.

“If he doesn’t know the danger, he won’t know how to protect himself from it,” Preature’s voice followed.

Darius gritted his teeth. He had been taken from his home, operated on without his permission, and left to die in a strange city. He was tired of others making decisions for him. He stood and stormed towards the room where the meeting was taking place. Slamming the door open, he shouted, “What danger, Preature?!? What danger? Why can’t I decide for myself?”

Preature looked up at Darius through his mirrored shades. “You’re right, kid. You should know.” He stood and ushered Darius to a seat. “Del Peck is looking for you. He called me and offered me one million to find you.”

“But, he’s the one that threw me into the streets to die. Why does he want me back?”

“I don’t know, kid. This doesn’t look good for you,” Preature remained standing, his imposing height dwarfing Darius.

“Well, are you turning me in?”

“We talked about it,” CURL broke in.

“The answer is no. We’re gonna protect you,” Preature finished.

“Why? What do you care if I live or die?”

“Your tech. To be honest, we're gonna need you to help us find the rest of it. It didn’t all get installed in you. Your surgery wasn’t finished,” Leary said flatly.

“You’re also a miracle, kid. By all rights, you ought to be dead, but you’ve been given a second chance at life. That might not mean much to many, but it means something to me,” Preature set a heavy hand on Darius’s shoulder. “Means you’re worth saving. Who knows what kind of destiny you’ve got on you. Maybe you’ll just get shot and bleed out in the street, but my money's on you having a future.”

“Alright.” Darius stood, shedding Preature’s hand in the process, “I need a gun.”

“Now we’re talkin’!” Leary shouted.