Project NEON

I pulled my hood closer around my head as I looked around the corner, my light blue eyes covered by brown contacts. It was hard to find coloured contacts nowadays. No one wanted to be caught selling Concealing items. I scanned the ally, seeing only regular blue light and a few other hooded wanderers. I was lucky it was raining.

I stepped out, quickly turning the corner to stay close to the wall, but I immediately walked into someone. A boy, about my age, quite a bit taller than me, well-built. He was familiar, but I couldn’t remember where I had seen those green and blue eyes before. 

He blinked at me and I blinked at him before I lowered my head and slipped past him, but he reached out to grab my arm. I paused, knowing I could leave him unconscious on the ground if I really wanted to, but for now, I just settled for a glare.

“You’ve got a bit of blue showing.” The boy said, pointing at my eye. My face was expressionless as I yanked my arm out of his grip. I didn't break eye contact as I opened up the mirror function of my Computerised Transmitter Brace, or just a Brace, as most people refer to it. I slowly looked away and at the Brace screen, and noticed that I did, in fact, have a bit of my natural blue iris showing. I took a deep breath and adjusted the contact so it covered my whole eye. Then I turned back to the boy. Both of us knew that he could hand me into S.C.A.M. officers, but he didn’t have his Brace out.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice cold and I kept my face blank. A look I had perfected over the years I had been free.

“You know me. And I think this will be helpful in your next fight.” He chucked something small and colourful at me, and I caught it, my reflexes quick and precise. I looked down at it, a small bracelet, with 7 beads, one for every colour of the rainbow. I looked back up at him, and something on my face must’ve given away my confusion, because he just smiled at me, one side of his mouth quirking up, revealing a small dimple.

“Just find me in the changing rooms after. I promise I’ll explain there. Just… don’t touch the button until you really need it.” He said, and as I looked back down at the bracelet, trying to find the button, I felt a shift in the air, and when I looked up, he was gone. I knew it was pointless trying to go after him. There was a reason I usually stayed around this area; there were too many places to hide.

I put the bracelet in my pocket, deciding to look over it properly when I got back. I continued down the dark street, thankful for the soft blue light coming from all the screens on the walls and floating in the air, including my Brace, which I used as a torch to light up the damp concrete in front of me.

In this city, there were two types of weather: gloomy, or rainy and gloomy, meaning that the water never really evaporated or left any of the places it liked to pool. That was all thanks to S.C.A.M. or the Scientific Centre of Alterative Machinations. But most of us prefer the former name.

I eventually came to the place I was looking for: The Old World shop. It was full of things like mobile phones, paper, pens, old plug-in lamps and a few other items that were even older and almost unrecognisable. But that wasn’t why I came here. While this shop did legitimately sell antiques, that wasn’t the only reason it was here. It also sold stolen items, a bit like a pawnbroker, but, it also had the NEON fight-night sign-ups. That was why I was here. Well, that and the owners had a soft spot for us NEONs.

“Hi Charlie,” I said to the Older man behind the counter. He had a salt-and-pepper beard and bushy eyebrows, but he had a kind face, the type of face you could trust.

“Hiya Lily, do you have any treasures for me today?” He asked with a knowing smile. I nodded and turned out my pockets, accidentally revealing the bracelet. Charlie frowned at it and I quickly scooped it up and shoved it back into my pocket.

“That one’s not for you.” I mumbled quietly, not looking at him. I could hear him sigh a little bit.

“Y’know, that looks a lot like one of the things my sister has been handing out. Light Cuffs she calls them. Specifically made for NEONs. Glad you got one.” He paused for a minute and I looked back up. He’s studying the pile of random items I pick-pocketed.

“I’ll give ya 10 crypts for the lot.” He said, collecting the pile into a box to sort through later. I raise my eyebrow.

“I think we both know it’s barely worth 5 cryptons.” I said sceptically, my hands on my hips. Charlie waved me off.

“You, young lady, bring more people in on Girls’ Night than anyone. Any week you miss, there are requests for refunds, or hardly anyone shows up. I think you deserve a few crypts for that.” 

“Yeah, but you give out a prize for the winner, so I get my money. You don’t have to give me extra.” There was a smile to my voice though, as I knew how adamant Charlie was about helping those in need.

“Y’know that’s nothing compared to the royalties we get off your fights, Lil.” I sighed, knowing that he wouldn’t give me any less for my pile of junk. He handed me the faintly blue metal coins, and as I touched them, they flashed slightly. I flinched. I always hated how every transaction was tracked by DNA-recognising tech. I was always worried I would be found out.

“Thanks.” I said, raising my hand with the coins as I headed out.

“Wait, aren’t you signing up?” Charlie asked me, sounding genuinely concerned. I laughed softly.

“I thought you would’ve already done that.” I asked teasingly, giving Charlie a rare grin. Charlie grins back at me, giving me a fatherly wink before heading to the sign-up stand, and writing my name down.

Later that evening, when I had gotten home after buying some food and picking up a few new items of clothing, I sat in the dusty, dirty apartment I had snuck into. The building had been empty for years, and no one bothered to mess with it, because there were rumours that it was unstable. Rumours spread by the NEONs that now lived there. 

I lay on my back on the pile of blankets I called a bed, the dim, blue light filtering through the boards across the window. I held the Light Cuff up, wondering how that boy got one, how he knew I was a NEON and how he knew I fought. I was studying the bracelet, fiddling with each of the seven beads, and taking a look at the clasp. Then, I found the button he talked about. It was a small, round, black plastic circle that was attached to the clasp, and a small button was embedded in it. The actual button itself was so small that it would require a fingernail to press it. I guess that was to stop it from accidentally getting pressed. 

Then I flipped it over and studied the back of the black plastic circle. My heart stopped when I saw the initials on the back, etched into the plastic and painted white. M. E. D. My sister’s initials. Then, I remembered who the boy was.