In the city of New Lennyon, capital of the Charstire Republic, A young woman with long black hair walked through the bustling city streets. She wore a long, flowing black skirt and a black shirt with a stunted red stipe design. She carried a bag over her shoulder, which was filled with various items, including a small notebook.
The woman paused as she saw a poster on a nearby wall, depicting new assistant androids for sale. She smiled and approached the poster, admiring the android's presented fashion design and features. She took a pen from her bag and jotted down some notes in her notebook.
"That's not too bad an outfit..." She muttered as she admired the design. "But what is it about androids that make them so popular?" She asked herself quietly, tapping her chin with her pen. "What's their appeal?" She continued walking down the street. As she walked past the android shops that lined the sidewalk, she couldn't help but notice the different types and models available.
There were androids for cleaning, cooking, and many other tasks. She was curious as to why the assistant androids in particular were so popular among people. As far as she knew, there weren't any major benefits of having an assistant android, asides from some basic house chores. But still, she had to admit, the android's fashion was appealing, and they were certainly very attractive. The woman walked up to one of the stores and peered inside, her gaze drawn to one of the assistant androids on display.
"You know you can't afford one, Jeanne." A voice spoke from behind her.
The woman turned around to see a blond boy leaning against a motorcycle, his hands in his pockets and his eyes hidden by a pair of dark glasses. He wore a red shirt under a black vest and dark pants.
"Vincent! You scared me, where did you come from?"
He smiled and removed the sunglasses, "Were you so zoned out you didn't hear my ride? Window shopping androids?"
"Pshh- I don't know what you mean, " she replied, quickly moving away from the shop window.
He laughed and put his shades back on. "Sure. Check it, I snagged some more shots of some wicked Meteorn during last night's ride out into the badlands."
"Oh! Did you find any new ones?"
Vincent nodded and reached into his pocket. "Hell yeah, I got some good ones. I'll show you once we get back to Franka's Cafe." He answered as he started his motorcycle.
The two friends rode together to their favorite cafe, located in a quiet corner of the city. It was a small and quaint place, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. It was owned by a woman named Franka, and she served the most delicious pastries and desserts. They were always greeted by a friendly face when they entered, and the smell of fresh baked goods was enough to make their mouths water.
When they arrived, Franka greeted them warmly. "Ah, Vincent, Jeanne. Coffees aren't quite ready yet." Her blue-tinted hair swayed behind her as she walked towards the back.
"Thanks Franka." Vincent responded, "Oh! And I want a strawberry shortcake too!"
She nodded, "Sure thing."
The pair took a seat at a small table near the window. Jeanne pulled out her laptop and opened it up.
Vincent leaned over the table, holding his phone towards her. "Look! Check these babies out!" He grinned as he swiped through the photos he had taken of the new Meteorn. "First one, I call her Red Dragonesse! Sharp red eyes and super long hair of pure white. But the tail, straight sick! I her clench a truck and toss it with her tail! Seem to be looking for somethin'" He explained, showing Jeanne a series of photos.
"Interesting, that's an odd feature for a Meteorn, the long tail with jaws on it's tip. Is that really her only unique feature?" She asked as she examined the images.
"Dunno, I didn't want to risk getting too close to get a better shot. There was some weird stuff going on with that one though. Like her tail could go through stuff without actually tearing it up."
Jeanne's eyes lit up with excitement. "It's like what I heard about on churp! People said there are some really tough looking Meteorn lurking near and around the Schreadal territories."
"I thought churp was banned in the Union... people still can access it over there?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"Not easily. The Union is pretty serious about censoring the internet. You need to use a VPN, but that doesn't always work either. They have pretty good detection systems. I guess the Argentia Empire is trying to control information. I mean I've never even heard about the Meteorn in that area. And that's not the only thing their government doesn't want people to know about." She replied.
"I know, it's pretty crazy how much they censor the media. I wouldn't want to live there." Vincent said. "They'd probably tell me where I can and can't ride." He scoffed. "Anyways, second one. The Crystal Queen! Her eyes and her hair were both red, but the armor was totally white! I saw her at a lake near the peninsula between the borders. But the most crazy thing, is she seemed like she could make crystals just pop up from anywhere!"
"That's pretty cool. But how did you know that? Were you following her?"
"Nah, she was just chillin'. And then bam, crystal walls blocked my path and I had to turn back. Crazy how far away she did that from too."
Jeanne tapped her chin with her pen, her gaze focused on her laptop screen. "That is interesting, do you have any more?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but nothing new. Just the usual little guys that come and go." He showed her the rest of the photos. "I'm surprised I got some good shots of these two."
"These are all very nice, Vincent." She smiled as she took in the photos. "You gonna post about them?"
"Oh yeah! The world is gonna love the new Meteorn!" Vincent grinned as he posted his shots online.
"You really should be more careful when your going towards the Union territories." Franka sighed as she brought their coffees over, "I'm worried one day you'll encounter Imperial troops instead."
"I'll keep it in mind, but I'll probably still go anyways. I wanna be apart of the movement increasing awareness of the Meteorn and their behaviors. I've seen people getting bolder about their thoughts on them."
Franka nodded and walked away, "I know. But I'm still worried. Just don't get yourself in any trouble, I'll be sad if you don't come back to my cafe."
Vincent chuckled and took a sip of his coffee, "I'll be fine. Besides, if anything happens, I have my zgun."
Jeanne laughed. "You know you can't fight Imperial soldiers, stop trying to sound cool to Franka." She teased.
Vincent shrugged, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. "Whatever. So, what's up with your android fascination?"
"Huh?" She replied.
"The poster outside, the store window. You're not just window shopping." He said.
"It's just a hobby." Jeanne admitted with a nervous chuckle. "It's nothing really. I just think they're designs are often really cool." She took a sip of her coffee, "And... Well, maybe one day, I'll my dad to buy me an android of my own."
"Like that'll ever happen, ha! Old guy is more stubborn than an old mule!" Vincent laughed.
"Oh my gosh! Vincent, come to my side and look at this video!" Jeanne suddenly exclaimed. "It's insane, someone posted it in the groupchat and now I'm seeing it everywhere online."
"What's the big deal?"
"The Argentia Empire's northern district was hit hard by a Meteorn!" Jeanne answered, her voice filled with awe. "Come look!"
Vincent walked over to Jeanne's side of the table and leaned over to see the video.
The two watched as the video began to play. It was a shaky, grainy recording of a battle taking place. Soldiers opened fire, the bullets ricocheting off the creature's tough armor. She laughed, "Foolish machines! You think your pathetic weapons can hurt me?"
Her tail swung around, knocking over a parked car and sending it flying into the alley. The troops scattered as the vehicle crashed into the wall behind them. She clamped one of them in the maw of her tail, crushing an android with her powerful jaws. "Worthless..."
Another android charged her, its blade drawn. She swept it aside with a swing, slamming the android against a wall. "Where is he?!" She picked up the damaged android and threw it at the remaining soldiers, sending them crashing into the side of a building.
Jeanne covered her mouth in horror, "They barely stand a chance..."
Vincent whistled. "Damn, that's intense… But why was she attacking the city?" He asked. "What do the comments say?"
"There's a huge discussion... they're saying there's a big cover up and they're framing the attack as if it was the Republic..." Jeanne muttered.
Vincent let out a sigh and shook his head. "I know our nations are at war but that's just scummy. Even their own citizens know they're lying. The Empire is trying to hide something and save some kinda face." He replied, watching the video play again. They've always had this stupid thing where the Union is the 'best'."
"But what could they have to hide?" Jeanne asked, her voice soft. "I mean, it wasn't really that bad between our nations until the emperor died. Then the military started acting really aggressive and when that vice-minister took over the ministry of defense." She looked at Vincent. "I'm worried about what the future will hold..."
"Crazy innit?" He said with a sigh, "It's like they've just given up on diplomacy and jumped straight into fighting. I've got some buddies that work in the military, and they're scared of the possibility of having to go to the frontline and fight against the empire's androids."
The bell above the door rang, and a young man entered the shop, his red hair disheveled and his clothes looking like he had slept in them.
Jeanne immediately recognized him. "Trevor! At least comb your hair before coming in here!"
He waved dismissively at her, "Sorry. Was busy with my research."
Jeanne sighed, "Research? Really? And what exactly were you doing?"
"I'm working on something I found last night." Trevor replied, his eyes glancing around the room. "Vincent, can you give me a hand? I'll need your truck."
"Sure, but what are you working on? Can I ask that at least?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"Sure, sure..." the boy leaned in close, "I found an abandoned storeroom with some really cool stuff inside." He said with a smile.
Jeanne looked skeptical, "What did you find?" she asked. "If you're not telling us, we're not helping you." She replied firmly.
"Alright alright," Trevor said. "You'll have to see to belive me, so follow me!"
"Alright fine, I'll be back with my truck. Sit tight." Vincent said before going put to his motorcycle and driving away. Trevor took a seat and Franka approached him, handing him a drink and a sandwich.
"So who taking the bill this time? Jeez, you three don't sit down much." She asked.
"I'll do it." Jeanne replied. "And Trevor will pay me back, won't you?" She shot Trevor a pointed look.
He shrugged and took a sip of his drink, "Sure, sure. I'll have some extra cash after this."
Jeanne rolled her eyes and took a sip of her own drink. After a few moments of small talk, she glanced out of the window and saw a large pickup truck pull up.
"That was fast, he's here." Trevor stood, and Jeanne followed suit.
"So where to?" Jeanne asked.
"I was exploring around the neutral zone to the east ever since the war shifted to the south side of the continent. I found some very interesting things in a few destroyed warehouses
"The neutral zone...?" Jeanne frowned, "You're really lucky no one caught you snooping around there." She scolded.
"I was careful." He replied, his expression unreadable. "I made sure there's no more fighting or anyone in the area, I was just curious to see what I could find." He shrugged as they climbed into the truck and drove away.
"I still can't believe you did that." Jeanne muttered.
"Can't you keep your fascinations in check?" Vincent chimed in.
"I don't wanna hear that from a guy who stalks Meteorn for photos!" Trevor replied.
"I'm doing a service! The Meteorn deserve to be recognized as an intelligent species!"
The argument went back and forth until they reached their destination, an area of warehouses full of bullet holes and missing walls.
Vincent stepped out of the vehicle, looking at the destruction around him. "Damn... feels like an artillery shell could hit at any moment..." He muttered under his breath.
"Over there," Trevor said, pointing to an isolated warehouse. "I was exploring it when I stumbled upon it." The group headed to the warehouse, the air heavy with tension. The interior of the building was dark and damp, with large metal containers lining the walls.
"There's gotta be a light switch around here, right?" Vincent asked.
"Over there." Trevor said, gesturing to the corner of the building.
"Thanks, " he said as he walked to the corner and flipped a switch.
The light fixtures sparked and flickered momentarily but remained off.
Trevor sighed, "I don't think the electricity works here, but that's not the point. Follow me." He led them deeper into the warehouse, through a maze of crates.
Hidden in the back was a metal container loosely covered with a grey tarp. Trevor pulled off the tarp and tossed it aside, "Behold!"
The container's exterior was severely damaged; however, it remained tightly shut.
"What is this?" Jeanne asked, "It looks like it's been here forever. It must've been through the war, there's bullet marks everywhere..."
"Look at the side, the label is still faintly there. Schreadel Imperial Union, Argentia M. O. D. Central, NGP Prometheus transportation containment vessel, facilitated unit; MTR771-04133. Trevor, this belongs to the Argentia Impire! What the hell? Are you asking me to help you steal this?" Vincent shouted, his eyes wide with fear.
"What? You were able to make out whats left of the label? It really says that?" Trevor asked, surprised.
"Yes! What the fuck Trevor?" Vincent yelled.
Jeanne stepped forward, her expression grim. "What is inside this?" she asked Trevor.
"I don't know, but I want to find out!" he answered.
"This isn't just some junk, this is property of the Argentia Empire's Military! It's an opposing nations military container!" Jeanne scolded, her voice firm.
"It's obviously discarded, look! They've already removed the control board, data box, and manifest chip. They recovered the important stuff already. This thing has just been sitting here." He replied, gesturing to the empty slots in the side of the container. "Besides, I really just want the hinges and supports for my powerlifter. And Vincent, you can't criticize me for scavenging the neutral when It's where you find parts you don't want to buy for your bike." Trevor retorted, crossing his arms. "I'm sure the hinges are still in good condition."
Jeanne looked at Trevor and shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm not taking part in this." She returned to the truck.
Vincent sighed and ruffled his hair. "Fine. But only this time. Anything else you find with the Union's markings on it, you figure it out on your own. I'm not risking my life for whatever it is you want. Now clear a space so I can back the truck in here." He said and returned to the driver's seat.
"Thanks, bro! I'll make sure this thing isn't a dud!" Trevor replied, grinning widely as he moved boxes.
After Vincent had positioned the truck, the two boys slowly scooted the container to its liftgate. Vincent quickly set up the winch chains, and the two carefully loaded the container onto the bed of the truck.
"It's either a really heavy container or there's somethin' inside still... weird that there isn't a release lever." Trevor muttered, "I tried to wedge it open with some tools I found lying but I'll just take it back to my garage and figure something out."
"Yeah, well. Let's hurry and leave. I really don't want to get caught here, especially with something that has rival military markings on it." Vincent said as they finished strapping it down to the bed.
"Alright, I'm sorry." Trevor sighed, climbing into the truck.
The drive was silent, the atmosphere between the group thick and tense. Not a word was spoken, and even the radio was silent. Eventually, they reached the outskirts of the city. Trevor's house and garage were not far; they were nearing their destination.