Axel watched as the commander's eyes widened in realization. She knew she had been played by the Rhino. Reacting swiftly, she raised her gun and fired at the incoming grenade.
Both grenades met in mid-air, colliding with perfect precision. In an instant, they detonated simultaneously, engulfing the area in a blinding explosion.
The night sky suddenly illuminated, engulfed in a brilliant burst of light.
The explosion, although airborne near the gate, still carried enough force to shake the entire area.
Guards, both human and robotic, were sent hurtling through the air, crashing to the ground in a chaotic frenzy.
Even the Commander, with her arms crossed and her body now coated in dust and dirt, was forcefully propelled backward by the blast, her figure tumbling through the air before landing heavily on the ground.
The cars rocked back and forth, their frames straining against the force of the explosion.
Axel gripped the steering wheel tightly, his heart racing with fear as he silently beseeched any higher power that might be listening for mercy.
He couldn't afford the repairs that would surely follow if his beloved vehicle suffered any damage in this turmoil.
"Boss! Hold on!" He screamed.
A high-pitched sound pierced through Axel's ears, causing him to wince in discomfort.
When he dared to open his eyes, his gaze fell upon the metal Rhino, now standing ominously beside his car.
In its metallic grasp, a Synthetic writhed in agony, helpless against the creature's formidable strength.
In a silent and desperate struggle, the Synthetic grasped the Rhino's head, its feeble hand barely covering one of the creature's eyes.
"For the Authority!" The man made soldier screamed.
Then, with a sudden eruption of sound, a Cyberware embedded within the Synthetic's body unleashed its devastating power.
The resulting explosion was deafening, sending shockwaves through the air as the Rhino's eye was obliterated in a spray of blood and viscera.
The scene was horrific, with chunks of flesh and metal flying in all directions.
The Rhino staggered back, its once-intimidating gaze now marred by a mutilated, gaping socket.
But the sacrifice was not one-sided. The Synthetic's hand bore the brunt of the blast, torn apart in a grotesque display of violence.
Flesh and metal melded together in a twisted amalgamation, creating a sight too gruesome to bear.
The Rhino let out a deafening roar, its fury unleashed upon the Synthetic who dared to defy it.
With lightning speed, the creature seized the soldier with its other hand, the sound of rending metal and tearing flesh echoing through the chaos.
In a matter of seconds, the monstrous force tore the hapless soldier apart, shredding through both metal and organic matter with terrifying ease.
The gruesome sight unfolded before Axel's horrified eyes, leaving him paralyzed with shock and dread.
The car, previously pristine except for a few splatters of red, was now drenched in gore from bumper to bumper.
Axel's stomach churned at the sight, his mind struggling to process the sheer horror unfolding before him. This was unlike anything he had ever seen, and he felt utterly powerless in the face of such brutality.
He gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white as he grappled with a profound sense of shock and disbelief.
He had always considered himself a mere Data Collector, engaging in mundane tasks like stealing and selling cars or dabbling in the occasional smuggling operation.
Retrieving a single data card from a nondescript building was supposed to be just another routine job, a means to earn a quick paycheck.
But as he sat in his blood-soaked car, surrounded by chaos and carnage, he realized that he had stumbled into the heart of the New World.
Feeling the sharp sting of Byte's nails digging into his chest, Axel was jolted back to the grim reality unfolding around him.
With a heavy heart, he glanced down to find Byte trembling in fear, her once sleek fur now standing on end in a display of sheer terror.
"I-It's okay, Byte. We'll get through this together. I promise you, everything will be alright." With gentle strokes, he caressed the trembling cat's head.
Axel's heart raced as he felt a primal fear grip him, his instincts screaming at him to flee.
Through the smeared redness of the side window, he locked eyes with the Rhino's remaining yellow glare—a chilling beacon of impending danger.
In that moment, the world seemed to narrow down to just him and the monstrous creature outside, its gaze drilling into him like a dagger.
Every fiber of his being urged him to move, to escape, but his limbs felt like lead, rooted to the spot by a paralyzing dread.
Helpless and vulnerable, he braced himself for the inevitable onslaught, his mind racing with desperate prayers for salvation.
Axel's ears perked up at the familiar voice echoing from behind the monstrous Rhino. Despite the chaos surrounding him, her words cut through the din with a sharp clarity.
"This town ain't big enough for the both of us, motherfucker!"
Then, without warning, came the unmistakable sound of a rock splashing into a river—a sound Axel had heard before. It was followed by an intense burst of blinding white light, and then a deafening bang that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth.
Before he could react, Axel felt his car lurch violently as it was sent hurtling through the air, tossed like a mere plaything in the wake of the explosion.
The world spun around him in a dizzying blur as he braced himself for impact, his mind racing with a flurry of panicked thoughts.
'Yep! There goes my pay check.'
He muttered wryly, as his car careened through the air, fully aware of the hefty repair bill that awaited him.
With a resigned sigh, he acknowledged the harsh reality of his situation.
'I wanted to buy a nice apartment. Looks like I've got to live on Boss from now on.'
Clutching Byte tightly to his chest, Axel held on for dear life as his car soared through the air.
Grateful for the seatbelt that kept him anchored amidst the chaos, he spared a fleeting thought of relief for their safety.
Abruptly, the radio crackled to life, blaring an upbeat party song that clashed with the tense atmosphere engulfing them.
"Fucking Hell!"