Arasaka Coastal Zone.
This area had always been calm and orderly. You could stroll along the sidewalk and hear the waves not far away; cargo drones floated above, robots moved containers, and corporate staff hurried past without daring to linger.
Even in daylight, a solemn stillness hung over everything.
But now that calm was shattered—like a pebble dropped into a still lake, ripples spreading wider and wider. Gunfire rolled like thunder; the laughter of madmen echoed like the howls of beasts. Their claws were the roar of endless artillery. The once-peaceful coastal district had become a feast of predators.
One side were the raiders, the other the defenders—and mixed in between, two little mice stealing offerings while no one watched.
It was hard to believe these bandits could still be holding their own against Arasaka security, especially with such heavy weaponry. They didn't look like some nameless street gang at all.
With that kind of firepower, there had to be corporate backing behind them.
But none of that mattered to the two little mice.
The lab's outer wall blew apart. Chunks of concrete flew into the air, dust clouds billowed outward—and through the smoke burst the Behemoth like a rampaging beast, scattering debris and haze in its wake.
The massive truck slammed onto the road with a shudder, then charged "full of spirit" straight for the exit.
Lucy stood in the open cargo bay, the back door wide open. A cool night breeze brushed her cheeks, catching a strand of her colorful hair. Her bright eyes shimmered with exhilaration.
Heart racing with excitement and tension, she raised the phone in front of her and began tapping the blood-red buttons. Each tap was followed by a sweet, satisfying boom—the lab behind them erupted in waves of explosions as the high-yield charges fulfilled their purpose.
Reality wasn't a game. In games, environments like this could never be destroyed; grenade damage was just a number.
But here, the blasts were all too real.
The "building-buster" explosives, made from special compounds, unleashed destruction beyond imagination. Lucy could see the massive facility glowing from within, flames licking skyward, black smoke pouring from a hole in the ceiling.
Through the shattered outer wall, a raging inferno filled the interior.
Explosions continued in succession, secondary blasts triggering like fireworks.
The detonations weren't enough to level the entire facility, but they were more than enough to put it permanently out of operation.
The most valuable equipment and research data were ash. Compared to that, the building itself was cheap.
Watching the rising blaze, Lucy actually smiled—a wild, unrestrained grin with a hint of madness. Her laughter burst free like an exhale of liberation.
She flung the phone aside, reached into her shoulder bag, and hurled another explosive.
The phone hit the ground just as the charge landed beside it—after a few warning beeps, both vanished in a fiery blast.
She kept throwing, one after another, a manic grin stretching across her face. She looked like some deranged Santa Claus riding a sleigh, tossing "gifts" to the world below.
Only, these gifts were the kind that made people tremble.
"Hell yeah! This feels so damn good! Hahaha!"
Her laughter rang through the night. The curve of her red lips gleamed with joy, her pupils reflecting the fire and chaos.
She didn't care what she hit—piles of junk, light poles, anything. There were still plenty of grenades in the bag, and she intended to enjoy every last one.
Explosions echoed without end.
Lin Mo sat quietly at the wheel, the sound of Lucy's laughter drifting up from behind. He glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled.
"She says she's not a kid... looks the same to me."
Then, almost wistfully, he added, "But yeah... sometimes happiness really is that simple."
Ahead, the first Arasaka security units appeared on the road.
Unbelievable that, in all this chaos, the local guards could still muster forces to intercept them. He'd thought every unit would be chasing the armed raiders by now.
Then Mann's voice came over comms, clearing up the mystery:
"Lin Mo, what the hell, man? How much longer till you're out? Arasaka's reinforcements are already here! You two made way too much noise—did you seriously blow up the lab?! They split off a squad to block you guys. Guess they think you're easier prey!"
"Relax," Lin Mo replied calmly. "Just get ready. I'll be out the main gate in no time."
Of course they'd pick the softer target. Why die fighting armed raiders when they could surround one stray truck that didn't look all that dangerous?
He shouted toward the back, "Stop throwing for a sec! We've got company closing in. The road's gonna get rough—if you fall off, I'm not coming back for you!"
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Lucy shouted back—and kept right on throwing explosives.
Several Arasaka armored pickups came barreling in from different directions. Security troops leaned out the windows and unleashed streams of rifle fire.
Their engines roared; no matter how powerful the Behemoth was, it couldn't outrun those lighter vehicles. They were gaining.
Lucy didn't stop. Grenade after grenade sailed out of the cargo bay, turning the street into a lightshow of flame and thunder.
Each explosive had a different effect. Some burst into crackling arcs of blue lightning, instantly frying a pickup. Others detonated into waves of fire that consumed entire trucks.
The more she threw, the more exhilarated she became. Now she actually had targets instead of random scenery—so much more fun that way.
The Behemoth jolted repeatedly as Lin Mo swerved to dodge debris and ram enemy vehicles. Thanks to his warning, Lucy didn't fall off—yet.
But accidents have a way of finding you.
Realizing bullets were useless against the Behemoth's armor, one Arasaka trooper yanked out a grenade launcher and fired straight at the truck.
The shell exploded against the reinforced plating, leaving nothing but a scorched mark. The shockwave rocked the entire vehicle, but with the help of his Sandevistan, Lin Mo quickly stabilized it.
He was fine. The hacker girl in back—less so.
Caught up in the thrill of throwing bombs, she wasn't braced when the blast hit. The truck lurched violently, and Lucy lost her footing—almost tumbling out the back...
And time stopped.
—At least, for one man.
The Sandevistan flared. Lin Mo, moving in slow-time, kept one hand on the wheel long enough to ensure the road ahead was clear. Then he left the driver's seat, stepped into the cargo bay, and caught Lucy mid-fall.
He steadied her, slipped a fresh explosive from his bag, and jumped off the truck.
In a blur of motion, he sprinted toward the pickup, drove his fist into the soldier holding the grenade launcher, and jammed the lit charge into the cab.
Even in slowed time, the man's eyes widened in dawning terror. The fact that he could still move his face meant he probably had neural reactionware—enough to sense Lin Mo's approach.
Too bad it wasn't nearly enough.
Lin Mo let go of the charge and turned away.
Time roared back to normal.
Lucy sat dazed in the truck bed, staring as one of the Arasaka pickups exploded into scrap metal for no apparent reason.
Her eyes were wide, full of confusion.
Didn't I almost fall just now? How am I sitting here?
She turned toward the cab. Lin Mo sat there as calm as ever, hands steady on the wheel, pulling slick drifts through the chaos like it was nothing.
She had no idea what had just happened—but she knew one thing for sure: that jolt hadn't been her imagination.
Somewhere, in a sliver of time no normal person could see, she had nearly hit the pavement.
And someone had caught her.
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