author: CallMeKassie
It was raining and the smog was thick, yet Prada could still see the blazing towers of city lights as he looked up. Sighing he took a long drag on his tobacco vaporizer and just… walked. He was pissed and when he was pissed he looked for trouble. Anything to make himself forget or to make HIM even madder than he was. Since his bike was in the shop he was left to meander the streets and dirty alleys that were the sub-level classified as “home” for all manner of criminals, low-lives, and people like him who had no place better to go. Not to say he wasn’t somewhere in between making his cash from his dates who either brought him up a few levels and let him see the real life. Or more often it was someone wanting something no one else would do – and he did it proudly to survive.
Sighing as he flicked the empty vaporizer cartridge into a nearby bin and looked at his mechanical left arm – a stark reminder of choices he should have made different. Reaching into his synth-leather jacket for a replacement cartridge and muttering as he came up empty handed. He’d have to make do with the cheap stuff. Heading across the street into a brightly glowing Mini-Mart and making the door DING he knew right where to go to get his fix. Fidgeting with the pack of cartridges in his hand as he waited in line, he was already craving another smoke, I really gotta quit, he thought as a rowdy group checked out. Finally the line moved more than gridlocks pace and he got to the cashier. Pulling out his wallet and counting out the credit chips all while feeling the cashiers’ eyes boring into him. He’d forgotten he was wearing a traffic cone orange mesh crop top when him and his on-again off-again boyfriend got into a fight.
“Keep the change” Prada said with a wink as he took his cartridges off the counter, then waved.
A wave from the older cashier followed as the door DING’ed on his way out. Affixing his new cartridge and taking a few drags he sighed in relief as the nicotine kicked in.
Smoking on the corner for a few, Prada let his hair out then re-fixed it into the samurai bun he liked. Looking up and realizing he was near where him and his friends usually picked up some of their dates he thought he might stir up trouble. Cutting down an alley he knew would lean right to the main strip where Johns were usually looking for pretty men with or without mods like him for a good time. Hearing the sound of laughter behind him he turned around. It was the group of guys from the Mini-Mart, and they seemed wasted. Moving to one side to let them pass – but one rammed his shoulder into Pradas’.
“Watch where you’re walking” he kind of sneered then went to flip the guy off.
“And you watch your mouth modded freak!” the largest of the three now whirled on him – Prada being only a bit over five foot was being towered over. He was at least seven feet tall and strong, Pradas’ mechanical arm made little difference in the struggle of strength as he was slammed into the alley wall. The wind knocked out of him and unable to think he could just make out their words.
“Looks like our good time came to us huh boys!” a different male voice said. Prada winced as his mechanical arm was wrenched and twisted up behind him unnaturally as they flipped him onto his face and pushed him onto the alley floor. Ripping off his jacket, they pulled back his other arm, one of the men binding him as another began burning him with his vaporizer he had dropped. Crying out in pain, the large man pulled down his synth-leather pants and grinned wide.
“Ooh boy, there’s enough playthings for all of us! Plus we can detach his modded parts and sell ‘em when we’re done!” the third’s voice came in. Prada began to squirm in fear and panic now. He did not want to end up dead, and have his last memories be this. He screamed. Receiving a swift kick in the head which dazed him. He shook his head and swore he saw faint blue light coming in the dark, and could almost make out some massive footsteps.
“Who THE FUCK are you. Get out of here. Masked fuck-” before he could finish his sentence a sickening wet squelch and crack was heard. Then a BANG as something or someone hit the nearby dumpster.
“What the fuck, it’s counting?! Run!” Prada looked up in his haze, to see one enormous man swiftly chasing down the other two perpetrators. One got grabbed by the neck with a WHEEZE as he was hurled back to join his friend in the dumpster. The final fiend, the big one who now looks small to the newcomer, just got on his knees and started praying. This seemingly didn’t work as the massive savior grabbed his arm, then wrenched it behind him, and with a POP-SQUELCH had him in the same position as Prada. The large man whimpering and crying for mercy as the now face-masked newcomer was over him. He then picked him up with ease and in one crunch he stopped breathing.
Prada attempted to sit up, whimpering, until he got some help being untied. A calm expression on a lit up mask that to him just kept him calm. Yeah the bloody mess around him told him this man could be dangerous, but he was being gentle with him. Two words appeared on the screen that served as a facial facsimile: U OK?
With a nod as he held back some tears, he looked up at the large man.
“Thank-thank you… I dunno where my pieces woulda ended up had you not shown up. I owe you my life,” brushing his hands off on his knees the shaky shorter man stood.