Chapter 2: Chapter Chapter One

“Will she do it?!” the announcer screamed as two mugen battled, one of which was all but disabled. The soon to be victor was standing over the crippled mech, which was missing an arm and both legs. “Will Sabine close out the fight with her signature move?!”

“You fucking know it,” Sabine whispered to herself in the softly glowing cockpit. She flipped a few switches and played with her arm-gear to position her mugen’s arm in the air while using the other one to restrain her opponent. The crowd burst into an uproar as she thrust her arm into the chest of her opponent and tore the shrieking pilot out of the cockpit. She held him up in the air as a show of triumph while the spectators chanted her name.

“The reigning champion comes out on top once again, finishing the match with a spectacular show as usual! Be sure to check out my radio show after the match where we’ll talk about some of the highlights and have an interview with Sabine herself!”

Sabine gently lowered the pilot to the ground, then skillfully patted him on the head with her four thousand-ton mugen before making her way out of the arena.

“Wolfgang here with Sabine following her crushing performance against Dave. Sabine, how are you feeling?”

“Amazing as usual, Wolf.”

“How did it feel to once again win the mugen Pro Circuit?”

“I’m gonna be honest here,” Sabine shifted in her seat and leaned in towards Wolf. The interview studio was a small booth with two stools around a table which was dimly lit with a soft blue glow. “If this is the best Asnea has to offer, I might as well just retire. This is a joke.”

Wolfgang erupted into laughter. He had a broad face with a stubby nose and ragged brown hair dangling over half of his head. The other half was shaved, leaving his neural implant visible, which was a common trend among the people of Asnea. His right eye was light brown, while his left was a mechanical wonder with gears twisting and turning to create the iris and sclera while the pupil was milky white. His head was casually resting on his artificial arm. He had installed purple neon lights and left the circuitry exposed. “I love it. I love the toxicity.”

“I’m just telling the truth,” Sabine smirked. “I want a challenge. I’ve been undefeated for what, two years? Am I going to have to handicap myself just to have some fun?”

“Nobody wants to see that,” Wolf replied. “What can you tell us about your signature move, which has been colloquially dubbed by your fans the ‘Yin Technique’.”

“Steiner keeps telling me not to use it, but I need to give everyone a show. If I’m crushing everyone in the league, I need to do something to entertain them.”

“I’ve heard that people are afraid to fight you because of how dangerous and expensive the move is for whoever is on the receiving end.”

“I only use it in the pro league and all damages be covered by your sponsor. I have never injured anyone while performing that move. I’m kind of the best,” Sabine stuck her tongue out and threw up a quick peace sign.

“Speaking of sponsors, you just got picked up by a new one, didn’t you?”

Sabine let out a deep sigh before atonally rehearsing her speech. “Looking for a pick me up? Try Big Juice Energy. Squeeze the most out of life. Now available in Phasma Hiblis.

Wolfgang burst out laughing again, to which Sabine cracked a smile. “You might not like it, but I Big Juice Energy. I always start my day with a BJ, and yes, you can use that as your slogan. With that out of the way, it’s time to say goodbye. Thanks for tuning in everyone and remember, you’ve got Wolfgang in your brain!”

“Wolfgang in your brain, huh?” Sabine jeered Wolfgang.

“You’ve heard my show before, haven’t you?” Wolfgang rolled his eyes. “Oh wait, I forgot you’re a virgin. Why don’t you get some augments already? You’re what, 22?”

“I don’t need augments, I have Bastien,” Sabine ran her fingers through her raven hair, which was shaved on both sides of her head, but remained long in the middle. Her crimson roots had begun to shine through.

“It’s not just about the practical uses. They’re fashion accessories!” Wolfgang cried out as he dragged Sabine out of the booth. She tore away from his grip before fiddling with a device on her wrist.

“I’m famous, Wolf, I can’t go out in public without a disguise,” Sabine said half jokingly. A dim green glow enveloped her body before her image was transformed into a heavily augmented woman. “I don’t have time to be fashionable.”

“I can tell,” Wolfgang grabbed Sabine again after looking her disguise up and down and snickering. The pair emerged onto the streets of Asnea. Dull light radiated from neon signs and lit up the light rain that was falling from the sky, which would have been pitch black if it weren’t obscured by buildings and advertisements. People were packed shoulder to shoulder in the narrow streets. “Come on, I know a decent burger place.”

“Sweet Ciel, I haven’t had a burger in years,” Sabine’s mouth began to water as they pushed their way through the crowd.

“I forgot you’re royalty.”

“Am not!”

“Might as well be. You and Steiner are practically related.”

“Our families have history, that’s all,” Sabine’s face lit up. “And I’m the best damned mugen pilot on the face of the planet.”

“Oh, how could I have forgotten such an important detail!” Wolfgang slapped his forehead and chuckled. “What do you eat, like triplid eggs?”

Sabine flashed her chiseled abs for a moment before responding. “I actually have a strict diet that I adhere to. I need to keep my body at peak physical performance. That being said, Juice is using me as a guinea pig for their uh…food supplement? I don’t know what to call it…”

“Should you be telling me this?”

“No, I also shouldn’t tell you it tastes like absolute stylon shit,” Sabine made a gagging noise, but was interrupted by her own laughter.

“Oh, that reminds me, I recently got a stylon, her name is Lasers!”

“Sounds cute.”

“I’d let you pet her but uh,” Wolfgang paused for a moment and looked at Sabine’s head, then tapped his skull. “No neural uplink.”

“Wait, she’s not real?”

“Of course not! You think I can afford a stylon? Not just that, I’d have to feed her, groom her, and eventually she’d die. You know, us peasants, we don’t want anything real.”

“You weren’t afraid that the implant would fail?”

“Sabby, I’d rather be dead than be a virgin,” Wolfgang laughed as they came to a small stall tucked away from the crowded street. The bright neon sign was titled and had a comical representation of someone with a hamburger for a head. The man sitting at the stall was staring blankly out into the air and didn’t seem to respond as the pair approached. Wolfgang nodded and the man nodded back. Suddenly the stall opened up and two neatly wrapped sandwiches shot into the air, which hovered at about chest height. The pair grabbed the burgers and began to eat.

“What kind of meat is this?” Sabine asked but was met with silence.

Wolfgang pointed to his head and said “She’s got no connection.”

The man behind the stall snapped into focus and quickly responded. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were full of scrap metal. It’s edible, that’s all you need to know.”

The man went back to his stupor as the duo walked away. “That was odd.”

“You don’t get out much, do you? Everything is virtual now,” Wolfgang flourished his hands around the empty alley. “Nobody wants to live like this, Sab.”

“The whole city isn’t like this, Wolf.”

“Right, right, I forgot about the upper district,” Wolfgang let out a sharp chuckle. “We can’t all live in mansions.”

“It’s a hangar,” Sabine quickly corrected as the pair devoured their meals. “This is delicious!”

“Damn, that supplement they’ve got you on must taste bad,” Wolfgang laughed. “I’ve always wondered this, but why do you call your mugen Bastien?”

“It was named after my great, great, great, great, great, great, great,” Sabine paused for a moment and looked up at the neon lights. “Uh…great…grandfather? It’s the Bastien model, it’s been in my family forever.”

“I’m surprised it still functions.”

“The name is the only original component. I wouldn’t really consider it a Bastien any more but…I just can’t call it anything else. My family is a blur and I just…” Sabine stopped for a moment and wiped the rain from her face. “I want to hold on to whatever I can.”

“I get that. We grew up in the same home, remember?” Wolfgang’s face lit up as he put his arm around Sabine and pulled her forward through the gates of the slums. “What are your plans tonight? You wanna get loaded to celebrate?”

“Are you ever sober?”

“Do I ever need to be sober?” Wolfgang laughed heartily as they pushed their way through the ever-flowing crowd of people as they headed toward the upper district. “My life isn’t exciting like yours. I’m a radio DJ, Sab. No one even listens to my shows.”

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, Wolf,” Sabine pulled him into a small alley out of the commotion of the city. Her pink eyes shifted to a dark blue. “Do you want to be a pilot? I’ve been talking to Steiner about expanding the league. I could train you…”

Wolf’s jaw dropped as he stood in the darkness. “You’re not…”

“I’m not fucking with you man,” Sabine put her hand on his shoulder. “Steiner doesn’t want one v. ones any more. We’re going to expand into a team-based format. That means I need pilots I can rely on. I can’t think of anyone better than you, especially if I’m the one that trains you.”

“You mean I can pilot Bastien?”

Sabine burst into laughter. “No.”

“Then how…”

Sabine leaned back against the opposite wall as she spoke. “You don’t think I have an entire hangar for one mugen, do you?”

“Well…”

“I’ve got like twenty collecting dust,” Sabine interrupted as she pushed herself off the wall and began to enter back into the stream of foot traffic. Wolf rushed to catch up with her.

“You mean you could have been using a modern mugen this whole time?!” Wolf almost shouted. “You were already putting yourself at a huge disadvantage!”

Sabine smirked. “It’s like I was fighting blindfolded this whole time and I still took two championships.”

“Ignus, you’re amazing. You know that, right?” Wolf cried out as they wandered through another gate. This one had two massive guards. They were so heavily augmented that it was hard to determine if they were even human. Their bodies were covered in sleek, white plating that hid the details of their augmentation. Their glowing, red eyes were constantly scanning the crowd. One of them rose a hand in greeting as Sabine and Wolf passed. “My answer is yes by the way! Yes, yes, yes! Fuck yes! I’m gonna be a fucking superstar!”

“You have the opportunity,” Sabine corrected. The streets were almost barren now that they were in the upper district. Right in the center stood the crown of the city, Steiner Industries. The building was a massive pearlescent pillar that shone among the smog and pollution. At the base of the tower was an enormous stadium that spanned almost the entire width of the city. A field of hangars was just beyond Steiner Industries, with the rest of the district being enormous mansions. The pair headed toward Steiner Industries.

“I won’t mess this up, Sab.”

“I know you won’t. Enjoy yourself tonight, this is the last time you’re going to be partying for a while.”

“Wait, we’re partying at your place?”

“Of course. I don’t want you hanging out with those junkies you call friends.”

“They’re not bad people,” Wolf rubbed the back of his head in shame.

“You’re killing yourself with all that shit they give you. After today you’ll be living at SI.”

“We’re going to be roommates? Alright!”

“No, you’ll have your own flat.”

“Can’t handle that much of me, eh?” Wolf jested as they approached Sabine’s hangar.

“I think eighteen hours a day is going to be more than enough time together.”

“How many days per week?!”

“You mean per month? Thirty,” Sabine smiled sweetly.

“So I get one day off every other month?!” Wolf exclaimed as they made their way into the hangar. The inside consisted of multiple mugen pedestals, each with its own catwalk that allowed access to all of the areas of the mech. At the back of the hangar was a sealed stairwell that led to Sabine’s manor. There were countless small hovercrafts towing various mugen pieces around the facility as people were working on repairing damaged mechs. Dave was standing next to his destroyed mugen and waved at Sabine and Wolf as they entered.

“Of course, I’m not a slaver. You need to be an ace by summer,” Sabine waved back at Dave as they passed through the hangar.

“What’s Dave doing here?”

“Fun fact, a lot of my opponents come to my hangar for repairs,” Sabine pushed the doors open and they descended the stairs into a short hallway with an elevator at the end. They boarded the elevator and Sabine hit a few buttons and scanned her finger before the lift started moving. “I have the best technicians in Asnea. But they usually come hoping for some advice.”

“I know exactly what you tell them,” Wolf snickered. “Get good, right?”

Sabine laughed as the elevator stopped and she pushed Wolf out the door. “Yeah, pretty much. You haven’t met Ari, have you?”

“Is that your Stylon?” Wolf asked as he entered her living room. Laying on a large carpet in the center of the floor was a massive beast. It had the body and head of a lion with two stumps on either side where it looked like more heads would have been. One stump was smooth while the other was jagged. Ari lazily stretched and walked over to Sabine, who wrapped her arms around his head as far as they would go and began to nuzzle his snout with her head to which he responded with a loud purr.

“Not quite. Steiner calls him a chimera. Last of his kind, blah blah blah,” Sabine explained as she entered a small closet, which caused frost to billow out. She emerged with an entire deer carcass, which she casually tossed to Ari, who snapped it out of the air.

“That’s badass! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!” Wolf tried to pet Ari, but he snarled as he devoured his meal.

“Don’t try to get near him while he’s eating,” Sabine laughed as she headed towards a doorway on the opposite side of the room. “I’m supposed to keep him a secret or something, so don’t tell anyone. Make yourself at home, I’m going to grab some drinks.”

Sabine left the room and Wolf leapt headfirst onto the plain, black couch. The room itself was rather large. A neon band ran around the ceiling, which provided bright light to the room. The wall directly across from the couch was made of white glass, while the other walls were cement. The floor was dark hardwood with a simple, round carpet that took up most of the surface area. As soon as Wolfgang made himself comfortable, Ari slowly walked up to him and placed his head on his back.

“You’re in his spot,” Sabine giggled as she returned with various bottles and a few fleshy sacks. She tossed one of the bags at Wolfgang, who snatched it out of the air. “You’re hungry, right?”

“Of course, but…” Wolfgang jiggled the contents for a few seconds before looking back at Sabine. “What’s this?”

“Remember that supplement I told you about?” Sabine asked rhetorically. She had already torn the top off her bag and was draining the contents. “If I have to eat it, so do you!”

Wolfgang tore open the top of his sack. The contents were thick like glue and stuck to the inside of his mouth as he drank it. When the two were finished with the fluid, they ate the synthetic membrane that had encased it. The flavor resembled mud. Wolf’s face scrunched up as he finished, then he reached for one of the bottles. “Give me Data Leak, I need to wash that shit down.”

“You’d better move or Ari will just climb on top of you,” Sabine tossed one of the bottles to Wolfgang and tipped back the other one. She leapt into the air beside the couch and a hammock shot out of the floor to catch her.

“Let him.”

“So you wanna watch something or what? You know that whole wall’s a monitor, right?” Sabine laughed as Ari climbed onto the couch and grabbed Wolfgang’s collar in his mouth, lifting him up and placing him on the floor. Wolfgang sat up and looked at the wall. His augmented eye began to project the video of Sabine’s last battle onto the white wall.

“Wow Sab, It’s like…” Wolf paused for a moment and held his hands in front of his face. “Augments.”

“You’ve been watching that the whole time?”

“It’s called multi-tasking. I’ve gotta study the best if I’m gonna be the best, right?” Wolf smirked as he tipped back his bottle. He played with Ari’s tail as he removed a small metal cylinder from his pocket. He twisted it, revealing a plug.

“This is why I’ll never get augments, Wolf.”

“What, this? This is nothing.”

“You’re putting a virus into your brain. You could die.”

“No risk, no reward, right?” Wolf smiled as he shoved the plug into his neural implant. He closed his eyes and slid down on the floor.

“I wouldn’t normally let you do this, but…” Sabine began to drink even more. “This is the last time. Enjoy it.”