The man suddenly turned around, revealing the face of a youth barely 20 years of age. He even seem around Michael's age.
He stared at the mountain of metal trash where Michael had been blasted to with squinted eyes. "Hehe"
Letting out an arrogant smile, the youth threw his burnt up ciger to the ground and in a flash, he vanished.
Michael layed within the metallic trash with a black expression. He didn't even blink his eyes as the numerous iron trash pierced through hi injured body. It was as rough her was dead, but judging by his heaving heart , it was obvious that he is alive.
He remained there, lying within the darkness for whaatvsesmmsti what seems to bee forever before he burst our into laughter.
Tears streaming down his face as he clenched tightly at a damaged iron pipe, squeezing it, the essence was completely absorbed as it turned to ashit turned rk ash in his hands.
Roughly ten minute later, Michael crawled out of the mountain of metal trash with blood sipping down his back.
Finally struggling to his feet, he stared at a particular position fifty meters away. And his eyes flickered.
Silently, he clenched his fist tightly until it drew blood. On this day, he swore to become a true Altered no matter the cost!
With that, his strength gave in as he collapsed to the ground.
"Crash!"
The poking steel of trash stabbed into his open wound bithaat Dodd nothing to stop his closing eyes and slowly beating heart.
Before his eyes gave in, he heard the sound of an heavy footstep as a black dirty boot stepped before him.
Then a really thick voice sounded out.
"Oi! Oi! Oi! Don't be flat-lining in my place of business. You scummy rat!"
Michael's last thought was 'who does business in a scrap yard.'
* * *
Two months later.
An average looking teen with long braids running all the way to his waist as well as black jacket and a brown cargo pants walked amidst a large crowds of people.
He was like a normal cyber punk teen, nothing out of place as he moved along the pedestrians trying to get to their day to day Jobs.
Everytime he passed by someone with an occupied cyber deck, his body would occasionally jerk a few times turning to a blu as they brushed past each other.
But then, the flickering body would abruptly stop. It was as though he was about to have a seizure but then was lucky he didn't.
This went on for a while as he walked with the crowds till they reached an intersection.
The youth turned towards the intersection with least people, carrying with him a backpack that clinked wth a metallic sound as he quietly made his way deeper into the streets.
Two minutes in, the edge of the youth's vision notified him of an incoming call.
Seeing the name of the caller, the youth's face wrinkled as he sighed heavily before accepting the call.
"Oi! Scummy rat, you weren't thinking of actually ignoring my call were you?" The thick voice of Steelz reverberated through his eardrums like the stompade of a hundred scrap metal falling down from the skies.
Michael seriously doubt if the mad man actually had implants on his throat. His voice was just too deep and scary at the same time.
Michael's eyes twitched. 'Of course I was actually thinking that.'
Taking in a deep breath, he shook his head and said. "Today's hawl was smoothly, there were no problems"
The mad man revealed a sneer and snorted. "Arrogant bastard, least you could do is reply to my question."
Releasing a thunderous 'humph' his facial expression turned indifferent as he replied. "No, not this time. Come to the old factory. I've got something for you."
Michael immediately got suspicious and glanced at the captains image with squinted eyes.
"Oi! What's the meaning of that expression? Do you mean I am not trustworthy!?" The mad man roared angrily.
Michael calmly blinked his eyes and nodded. "I will be there in 20 minutes." Then he ended the call.
A small smile graced his face as he imagined the leader roaring his anger out within the factory.
His expression soon turned impassive, turning off his emotions. It wasn't that he was cold blooded. It was just that everything he had experienced in the past, two months had made him indifferent, especially that night.
The explosion from that blue flames had burnt apart his entire flesh, frying his skin as well as muscles and even a few of his veins had been fried, revealing the white bones underneath his skin.
And that was just the remnant of the flames. Luckily, he had hardened his flesh with the nanites, drastically increasing his resistance to the flames. Hence he wasn't burnt to crisps.
If Steelz hadn't appeared the time he did, he would definitely not have survived that guy's attack.
Now looking back at it, Michael realised how weak he had been, he swore to himself that he would become strong, strong enough to control his fate his life, enough to do as he pleased.
Therefore, after hesitation, he had joined the Iron Claws gang.
He could get stronger with the system but the system needs steel essence to improve his strength.
What better way to get steel essence than to join a gang group, klepting Iron and basically lives in a scrap yard.
The first reason was, madman wouldn't let him off until he completely pays off his debt or so he says. To be honest, for the past month he had been enjoying snapping chips off people's cyber deck as they were just too slow to follow his actions.
Moreover, he also get to use the shards to earn metal essence which was a win win.
Roughly 15 minutes later , Michael arrived at a fairly large abandoned factory. The steel doors were closed.
"Knock... Knock knock."
Using the gang's secret knock code, the large doors of thee factory suddenly opened with a groan.
Michael waltz in right away.