The cab brought me Paxcron Development. It was another see high rise development, but unlike Farvont Bay, it was a lot more gloomy. Trash was piling up on the streets up to the first floor for some buildings leaving more than enough for rats and cockroaches to thrive.

Burnt Vehicles with broken glass were all over the Paxcron Development. The more I looked at it, the more I realise. This was a failed building project that evolved into this. No wonder I never heard of it.

The few fire hydrants I passed rusted and leakier than the accepted amount. They were like a burst pipe flowing.

Despite all of this, the people here had a chip to their walk and blasted the music as loud as they possibly can. The people here were tatted right down from their ankles to their necks. I didn’t notice anyone with cybernetic enhancements, which drew looks. I guess that’s how most of them saw Eclain…but why would he live in this type of development.

A dog walked by, running towards a trash heap, and gobbled up something I refuse to describe, as it made my stomach churn. At a time like this, I wish my nose had filtered because the street was as fowl as they come.

Incoming call…

“Cypher…Eclain’s coming back, I just saw him leave a store. He might be coming back.”

“Fine.”

I followed the GPS line that Zade had sent me. It led me to a complex that looked like an upside-down trailer, with pieces of galvanising stapled to the side. It was a real piece of shit, that made me a question, what the fuck did Eclain do with his salary.

The front lawn’s grass was brown, and the twenty garbage cans were overfilled with garbage, not that it was surprising. I’d already seen how the Sanitation Service neglects this place.

I guess when you were on the lower end of the tax bracket, certain services aren’t fulfilled. But that’s bullshit in my opinion.

Taking away the trash, clean water. All of that is what’s needed to ensure proper hygiene is dispelled around the city. Hell, people’s lives increase, based on that alone. Bullshit…complete bullshit.

Thirty minutes had passed, and still Eclain. I felt like Zade’s intel was beginning to get suspiciously faulty. This is bullshit, I thought. Why the hell isn’t that bastard here yet? What’s worst…I still haven’t heard from Akatani.

If Eclain showed up, I could at least find the bastard and get my wife and daughter back, after killing Akatani. But no. I’m outside a fucking pungent building waiting for some piece of shit to arrive, but the bastard’s slippery than a slug that just gave birth! FUCK!

“I’m starting to think you’re following me Cypher,” Eclain said coldly. I turned to my left, where his voice came from. Eclain was propped up against the wall, cigarette dangling from his lips.

“I was in the neighbourhood,” I admitted.

“Cut the shit!” He barked. “That fucking yellow eye bastard Zade’s been tailing me. I may be drunk at times, but I ain’t a fool! You send that bastard to track me Cypher?”

“Hardly.”

“Then why the fuck are you here?! At. My. Fucking. Residence.”

I could as well fill him in.

“Some people I love have gone missing.”

“…and PEOPLE I LOVE ARE THE HOSPITAL DYING! WHAT’S YOUR POINT MOTHER FUCKER!”

If the eyes of Paxcron Development weren’t on me before. They were on me now. The non-existent chirps from birds stopped. The passing motors of the vehicles stalled. The world of Paxcron now centred between this piece of shit Eclain and I, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“I have no point, but I’ll get to it. Why?” I asked softly hiding my fury.

“Why, WHAT?” Eclain hissed.

“Why Did you do it?”

“I’m not into the games Cypher, speak clearly, or I swear to god, ill break your fucking head against that wall!”

“Why did you give my wife and daughter up to Akatani?”

The red in Eclain’s eyes cleared up. It was as if he now woke from sleep and the world was brighter than what it is was a few moments ago. “What fucking bullshit are you on Cypher? Wife and Kid? You ain’t even married! What bullshit have you been taking? Really? Is this it? You tricked that slime ball into following me over some woman and CHILD you don’t even FUCKING HAVE?! YOU KNOW WHAT CYPHER. FUCK YOU.”

The fury I felt within, had reached its boiling point. It’ was one thing to bug Zade’s phone to listen out for me. The worst part of that was LEADING that piece of shit to my wife and daughter. But to have to BALLS to act like you didn’t know I had a wife and daughter? Now that was spit to my face…and I wasn’t having.

I charged towards Eclain, stepping on the wall as if it were a stepping stone, sailing towards Eclain with my hands rocked back ready to send this bastard flying.

Eclain danced back, seeing me a mile away, then spun, kicking me in the chest as I landed. I groaned, heaved and kept the pain at the back of my mind then spun, kicking him in the side.

He blocked my second attempt, grabbed my leg and elbowed my knees sending me to the ground with a shriek. I released a wild swipe, taking him off his feet, then pulled my leg free from his grasp.

I scampered up only to meet a fist, which I barely dodged, feeling it graze past my ear. I stepped, raising my hand and followed through with a clothesline that sent bastard to the ground in one blow.

Screeching tires echoed through the streets as someone slammed their breaks. Eclain landed on the ground with a loud boom and I followed up with a stomp to his chest, ensuring he couldn’t move.

The slithering bastard groaned out in pain, as he should.

“What the hell are YOU bastards doing! Kids play in these streets” someone yelled.

Kids? What about MY daughter? I thought, punching Eclain in the face. SHE LOVES TO PLAY BUT YOU TOOK THAT FROM HER!

Someone tackled me, pushing me off of Eclain before I could get another punch in. My head hit the ground and felt my SMB tighten around my brain like a vice grip, making me wince.

The throbbing sensation in my chest went from mild to chest shattering making me massage it for a second. “GET OUT OF HERE,” I growled to the bastard that tackled me. “DON’T GET INVOLVED.”

I tried getting up but felt a knee buried into my back. It sent waves of pain throughout my back like a spider was crawling across it crookedly. “You come here threatening me” Eclain growled. “Unprovoked. I’ll show you and you’re imaginary what it means to fuck with me!”

Eclain stomped me in the stomach, but I blocked it, sweeping him off the foot.

Whoever it was, that tried to stop me before scampering off had left us to outfight, like they should’ve done in the first place!

The bastard winced but still kicked me in the shin. It felt like a hammer pounding against my shinbone, which almost sent me to my knee. Eclain then thrust his heel at me, despite being on the ground.

I dodged, grabbing his leg across my shoulder then pushing it back, tossing him on his face. Before his feet could land on the ground, I sent heel into his shoulder, then the other into his back.

He screamed out in pain but I wasn’t done yet. I slammed my hand into his head twice then watched his body sag, knocking him out cold.

I massaged my chest, turned around then looked at the fool that tried to stop our scuffle. He shook his head and stepped back each second he saw the devil in me. “SCRAM!” I growled.

His eyes said he was scared, but the knife he wielded said otherwise. I flicked my short-sword free from my arm, and the bastard dropped his in instant. “I won’t repeat myself,” I growled.

I could feel the malicious eyes of the Paxcron Development as everyone from close and far peered down on me, murmuring to themselves and neighbours. Annoying…but whatever.

I zoomed in on the hiding crowd. The idol sound of engines masked the silence that rang through. I felt as though I was part of a coliseum battle and just one a tainted victory against the champion. “Fuck you!” I growled, kicking Eclain in the side.

Collecting Eclain and tossing him over my shoulder, whilst hailing a cab wasn’t the easiest. But it sure as well felt good to do so.

The bastard had answers, answers that could lead me to Shin-Lee and Hannah. I wasn’t a fan of torture, but the thought nestled into my mind like an ant hunting for food.

“Take me to Old Bridge City,” I told the cabbie. His questioning eyes were enough for me to get another ride, but when I swiped my creditstrip against his toll machine, paying double. He quickly lifted us into the air, floating straight up into the sky.