Cass pulls over at a vantage point near the building. He pulls up his phone and checks the details. “Stone is sending me to salvage a wrecked PreApoc chopper. The salvage is a box of pre-war medals that a collector wants.”

Smiley scoffs, “Even in a world of death, destruction, and survival, the rich still find a way to be greedy and selfish.”

Cass puts his phone away. “It’s on top of the building. People have always been selfish but they probably live in uptown Necropolis. All the rich fools live there and bury their heads in the sand.”

He pulls out a pair of binocs from the bike. “Thank you Sock.”

He looks over the building until he finds the target. The helicopter has destroyed the top three floors and made a nest like wreckage. Cass sees a lot of oddly placed seating areas, almost like bird perches.

“Oh god, I know who’s there. The Flyboys. What a pain in my neck.” Cass says as he puts the binocs away. “We’ll take it slow. They aren’t there right now.”

Smiley floats by, “I gotta ask, who or what are the Flyboys?”

Cass lets out the deepest sigh. “They are a group of reenactors. They dress and talk like pilots from world war two. It’s frustrating. They fly around using cyberware that looks like jet wings in place of ‘normal’ wings.”

“Doesn’t that go against the whole act? They didn’t have cyberware like that in world war two.”

Cass’ eye twitches, “Right?!” He let’s a big sigh out again. “I had a job that crossed paths with them a few years back. They are bird-brained, made a two day job into a week long job.”

Cass gets back on his bike, “Lets stop at that neighboring building and turn on the sun warrior form and sneak in.”

“Full body armor isn’t exactly quiet.”

“No but it is fast, durable, and strong. Remember what happened the last time I climbed a building?” Cass said as he hopped on his bike. “Let’s get this done.”

 Cass arrives at the 55 story tall abandoned skyscraper and stores his bike in the lobby of the building next door. He takes a beat to transform before entering the building and ascending the stairs.

He slowly makes his way through the floors. After an hour or so he reaches the top with little to no issue. 

The floor under the helicopter is locked behind a solid steel door. He slowly pushes through the door until it comes off the hinges.

The light kicks on as he enters. “How does this building have power?”

Smiley touches one of the lights, “It seems to only be this room.”

The room is an ordinary office room with two rows of desks. Cass looks through a few desks. “This is strange. It’s all classified documents belonging to the US and Russia. The names on them are the same for each desk so it’s safe to say that it’s some joint program.” He moves to the only closed off desk and checks it but finds nothing.

“What are you looking for?”

Cass leaves the office, “I saw the office and I was hoping that they survived the crash and got in here and I wouldn’t have to deal with the flyboys. It’s supposed to be a box of war medals so it was possible.”

Smiley floats behind him. “You really hate them.”

“I really do.”

Cass moves back up the stairs but notices stock piles of vintage military items as he reaches the top few floors. “Of course they are hoarding military stuff. Nothing useful of course.” 

“Let’s check the helicopter then move down.”

He makes his way to the top floor and pushes past a bunch of trash and piles of cushions. The floor opens up in a semicircle with the helicopter hanging from cables and wires in the middle like a chandelier. 

Cass checks around and doesn’t see any Flyboys. He positions himself to the side of the helicopter’s open door, rears back, launching himself onto the side. The whole thing sways as the cables and wires creak before they settle back. 

Two skeletons sit in the front seat and two more lay on the ground. Cass crushes one of the leg bones of the closest one as he lands.

He makes his way to the front and in the hands of one of the skeletons is a box. “Sorry about this.” he takes the box and the skeleton crumbles to the floor. “That’s gotta be bad luck.”

Cass walks to the door but stops. “Hey Smiley, you hear that?”

Distant roars of engines getting closer. Cass leaps down from the helicopter and heads back inside to sneak back downstairs.

As he makes his way back down the hall next to the powered up office, Cass tries shutting the door. Afraid the lights may attract the Flyboys like moths.

Cass shuts the door and the lights turn off. Right as the door clicks shut, he hears thuds and footsteps. A few footsteps grow louder and Cass makes a break for it. 

Cass reaches the stairs but hears footsteps approaching from downstairs as well. ‘Surrounded and cut off. We are fifty two stories up. I can make that in this armor. I’ll aim for the building next door.’

He moves toward the window and sees that it’s a straight shot to the next building. ‘With enough speed, I should only drop like twelve floors before I hit the otherside.’

Cass moves to the far end of the room right as three men in flight suits come running into the room. He presses his foot against the wall and shatters the wall as he takes off.

The Flyboys call after him just as Cass hits the edge of the broken out glass window. Suddenly, a gust of wind pushes down on his body and the box pops out of his grasp as his feet leave the ground.

He desperately tries to turn around to grab the box but his momentum carries him straight for the building. Cass rapidly speeds up as he descends the building before crashing through the glass of the neighboring building.

He flips forward and runs for the stairs. After reaching the first floor, Cass takes a moment. 

Smiley pops in, “Should we be sitting here?”

“It’s fine. They don’t sit on the ground and I lost the box as I jumped so they probably think it’s fine.” 

“Isn’t that bad? We kinda need it.”

“I know! I’ll need a new plan.” Cass says as he hears a noise.

He quietly steps around the corner and sees seven people around a campfire. ‘Are those astronauts?’

Back in the mountain top castle, Sal appears in his throne

as the rest of the council meet. Ruler, Queen, Toxin and a mysterious figure that vanishes the moment Sal appears.

“I’m assuming that it’s done? Or you wouldn’t be here.” Queen says to Sal.

“Of course I did. He came to my office in Brickhaven. I gave him my half of the mark and a suppression device to help in capturing the others, then he left.”

“That’s all you did, right?” Toxin accuses Sal.

“I may not agree with your plan but I’m playing ball so back off.” Sal waves his hand and a short video plays of a hooded figure with glowing orange eyes appearing before destroying the camera. “This is more pressing anyhow.”

“Who is that?” Ruler asked.

Sal waves his hand and the video rewinds to show the figure at a set of computers. “We have been tracking a data leak for a few months now and I was able to track him down. This is the only footage I have.”

Toxin shrugs, “Sounds like a You problem.”

Sal rolls his eyes before changing it to a picture of four AngelOS employees. All four are dead with orange crystals growing from every orifice. “Remind you of anything?”

Toxin leans forward. “Ah. I see. So their kid is back.”

Sal waves the image away, “Do any of you know where to find them?”

“No one’s been able to find our sister in a while. I’ve tried.” Queen says as her eyes glow a bright purple.

Toxin leans back, “Besides, she isn’t the problem. Our kids are harder to kill than I thought.”

Ruler scoffs, “I always disapproved of your experiments.”

Sal looks confused, “They never made sense to me. You are trying to wipe out humans so you make more. A twisted experiment?”

Queen shoots them a dirty look, “They aren’t experiments. They are our children. There is a world of difference between humans and our kin.”

“Call them what you want but they are human clones with computers for brains. It’s kinda hard to call them anything else.” Ruler says.

Toxin gets up. “Regardless, I’ll go with Sal and track down this one. Maybe they’ll know where our sister is.”

Sal gets up and walks toward Toxin. “Sounds good.” 

They both vanish. 

Ruler stands, “I did not mean any offense before. You know how strongly I feel about us making more.”

Queen stands and walks past him, “I know and I agree but it gets lonely.” she says as she vanishes.

“It sure does.” Ruler says as he flickers away.