CHAPTER 1: Sakai Nobu
The clock struck 3:15 as Sakai exhaled a sigh of relief, finally taking off his glasses that transported him virtually into a school classroom for six and a half grueling hours. Finally sitting up from his bed, his back aches and cracks as he tosses the glasses across his room. Springing off of his rusty bed and double-tapping his temple, a holographic screen of outfits came across his vision, swiping past school uniforms, suits, and casual clothes, he felt a sense of family and warmth as his eyes set upon his gang outfit. Selecting the outfit with only his mind, the clothing materializing from his neck growing down his torso, past his legs, and finally finishing at the bottom of his shoes. Sakai walked outside being blinded by the afternoon sun for only a second, seeing the run-down slums with shady people roaming around everywhere kept his motivation alive, his motivation to change wrong to right and to repair what was broken. A car came flying down from the sky cutting through the afternoon airway traffic and hovering inches above the ground in front of Sakai. The window of the driver's side door slowly faded away revealing Amaya behind the wheel, a low-level member of the gang Sakai was apart of, a foot soldier mainly tasked as a getaway driver or a lookout. Their eyes locked but neither said a word to each other, Sakai opened the rear door and entered, a seatbelt materializing and strapping him to the seat. Traveling across the sky the car was filled with awkward silence and tension, he knew Amaya personally, he knew her past, he knew her motives, and most importantly he knew her secret. After 5 minutes the car finally exited the slums and entered the city, Both being separated by a border, patrolled by human and robot guards, tasked to kill on sight anyone trying to leave the slums on foot. “Peace and Prosperity,” he thought. Suddenly the car took a sharp dip downwards flying towards an old-fashioned bar, slamming on the breaks and coming to a sudden stop Sakai exited the car followed by Amaya, the awkwardness and tension dissipating in the cool breeze. Amaya pointed her hand towards the car ordering it into auto-pilot and sending it off to park somewhere. Sakai entered the bar, not wanting to raise too many heads he quickly tossed a coin to the bartender who dematerialized a small portion of the wall for Sakai and Amaya. They walked through the gap and slowly descended the stairs, the wall materializing behind them. Walking down the stairwell the lights above them automatically switch on with each step they take, illuminating their bodies and showering them in white light. As they reached the bottom of the stairs they were greeted by 4 more members, Katashi, a member one rank lower than Sakai, tasked with planning out heists and attacks on the Neo World Order, Sabuto, he was the same rank as Katashi and is tasked to provide air and weapon superiority against the Neo World Order, Pronto, one rank lower than Katashi and Sabuto tasked to provide lookout during heists and attacks, and finally, Lurker, the one Sakai and the others knew the least about, a very mysterious girl on the same rank as Pronto, tasked with disabling micro-chips and other tracking equipment within the members allowing for them to maintain complete anonymity from the Neo World Order. “Took your time you two” Sabuto blurted out trying to get a laugh out of Sakai and Amaya “Well when the Vice President of our organization is located in the slums you would want to take utmost care to not be discovered leaving that dump without authorization” Amaya quick-wittedly responded in a sarcastic tone, not wanting to hear any more of Sabuto’s one-liners. “Alright then, you know where we’re meant to be.” Sabuto sharply replied placing his glasses on and laying down on one of the 6 beds spread across the basement. The other five followed and picked up a pair of glasses specially designed by Lurker to allow them to stay hidden within the metaverse. Opening his eyes Sakai was met by hundreds of thousands of members all of varying ranks situated all across the world waiting for Sakai to take stage and announce the plan he had been working on for the last 2 years as a final showdown with the Neo World Order, dubbed Anomaly 2245. Sakai took stage, cleared his throat, and took a deep breath, “One year ago today, a quarter of the fighters here today met at this stage, now 154,566 new members accompany us today. When the Neo World Order took the world in the remnants of WW4 we were promised Peace and Prosperity, instead we were gripped by the throat of a wolf in sheep skin, this wolf murdered, imprisoned, tortured, and held a gun to our head if we dare oppose the ideas of his regime. This wolf is named Umemoto Aku, he murdered my bloodline before my very own eyes, the very bloodline who started this organisation to one day take down the Neo World Order. Now, 9 years later we are finally at the cusp of victory.” Sakai looked up towards the sea of people before taking a breath and raising his voice louder “Our continuous attacks on the banks, military and technology of the Neo World Order has slowly picked apart their defence, finally after 9 years in the making we have a moment to attack. Anomaly 2245 is the combined alliance of us, a combined power that will face the Neo World Order head-on in a war of cyberattacks, and full-on military combat. Do not be mistaken, this will in no way be easy, many of you will die, many of you will be tortured, but this one battle is our only chance to change wrong to right, and to repair what is broken. This one fight is our only opportunity to save the world before it is too late, this is our only opportunity to succeed and build the world that was promised to us, it is our duty to finish what the brave members of our organization started, it is our duty to save the world. I now ask you to keep the endless lightning spark alive inside of you, i need your help, the world needs your help.” Sakai glances up to the crowd as they irrupt into cheers and clapping. Sakai for the first time in 9 years feels the love of a family. Taking off his glasses and sitting up in the basement bed. The other five take theirs off as well and sit up in their beds. “What's wrong Sakai?” Katashi asks with concern growing across his face. Sakai is immediately sickened by the silence of the bar upstairs, he instantly knows something is wrong. Without hesitation, Sakai leaps off the bed and bolts up the stairs with the others stumbling behind him. Placing an ear on the wall Sakai hears nothing, without even thinking Sakai plants a breach on the door, swooping the others back down the stairs away from the blast. As the breach explodes the wall Sakai runs back up the stairs and steps through the smoke.
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