Bishop's legs moved before his mind could process the danger. The heart monitor ripped from his arm, sending out a shrill alarm as he bolted past Dr. Kade, his bare feet slapping against the cold tile floor.
**"Left!"** Argus barked in his head.
He didn't question it. His body turned instinctively, veering into a dimly lit corridor just as the soldier's weapon fired. A sharp *crack* echoed behind him—some kind of high-voltage round slammed into the metal doorframe, sending blue sparks scattering.
Kade's voice rang out from the room. "He's not stable! You can't just—"
The doors sealed behind him, cutting off the rest.
Bishop sprinted down the hall, lungs burning. The sterile, metallic scent of the hospital mixed with something more acrid—ozone, burnt circuits. Ahead, the corridor split.
**"Right."**
He turned just as another shot rang out, barely missing him. A security drone hovered ahead, its red eye flashing.
**"Get ready—jump!"**
Without thinking, Bishop pushed off the ground, vaulting over a service cart as the drone's energy pulse shot beneath him. He hit the floor rolling, barely keeping momentum.
**Who the hell was after him?**
He still had no memory—just a name someone else had given him. Bishop. Was it even his?
**"Door ahead. Five meters. You need to override it."**
He skidded to a stop in front of a reinforced exit door. No handle. Just a glowing biometric scanner.
**"I can force it."** Argus' voice was sharp now. **"Touch the panel."**
Bishop hesitated, but the pounding footsteps behind him gave no time for doubt. He pressed his palm to the scanner.
For a split second, static filled his vision. Lines of code flickered, symbols he didn't recognize but somehow understood. A sharp pulse ran through his right eye. The lock clicked open.
**"Move!"**
The door slid apart just as the soldier rounded the corner.
Bishop ran.
###
The city swallowed him whole.
The moment he stumbled into the open, the neon haze hit him—towering skyscrapers stretching into the dark sky, their sides lined with pulsing holograms. The streets below were a blur of movement—hacked drones zipping between buildings, vendors shouting over the hum of electric bikes, rain slicking the pavement in iridescent colors.
A world both familiar and alien.
A sharp pain flared in his skull. Bishop staggered, gripping the side of his head as distorted images flashed in his mind.
A hand, reaching for him.
Gunfire in a dark alley.
A name—whispered, but lost before he could grasp it.
**"Stay with me."** Argus' voice cut through the static. **"You're not safe yet."**
Bishop inhaled sharply, steadying himself. Behind him, the soldier was still in pursuit. No way he was giving up that easily.
He pushed forward, weaving through the crowd. Rain drenched his hospital clothes, the cold air biting into his skin. He needed to disappear. Fast.
**"There."** Argus highlighted a rusted stairwell leading up the side of a building. **"You climb fast?"**
"Guess I'll find out," Bishop muttered.
He leaped onto the first rung, pulling himself up with more strength than he expected. The metal groaned under his weight, but he climbed fast, fueled by instinct and desperation. Below, the soldier shoved his way through the crowd, his visor locking onto Bishop's position.
**"Pick up the pace."**
Bishop gritted his teeth, forcing his aching limbs to move faster. He reached the rooftop just as a gunshot rang out.
The railing exploded beside him, shards of metal slicing into his arm. He hissed in pain but didn't stop.
**"Jump to the next building."**
Bishop's eyes widened. The gap was at least ten feet, with nothing but a three-story drop below.
**"You don't have a choice."**
The soldier reached the top of the stairwell.
Bishop ran.
At the last second, he pushed off the edge, launching himself into the night. For a moment, the city stretched beneath him—a neon abyss swallowing him whole.
He hit the next rooftop hard, rolling to absorb the impact. Pain shot through his ribs, but he was alive.
He forced himself up. The soldier was already lining up another shot.
**"Down the vent. Now."**
Bishop spotted the open maintenance shaft and dove inside just as the bullet struck the ground where he'd been standing.
Darkness swallowed him.
He slid down the metal chute, the world spinning. The sounds of the city faded behind him.
Then, with a *thud*, he landed in a damp, flickering corridor.
For the first time since waking up, there was silence.
He lay there, chest heaving, rainwater dripping from his hair.
**"You're clear. For now."** Argus' voice was calm again. **"Hell of an escape."**
Bishop groaned, pulling himself up. "You want to tell me what the hell is going on?"
**"I was hoping you'd tell me."**
Bishop ran a hand down his face. He still didn't remember anything.
But something told him this was only the beginning.