Deus Ex Human Revolution: Shadow's Showdown

Chapter 1 : The Grumpy Cerberus

Detroit, Laura's apartment.

It was late afternoon when Laura's smartphone started to ring. She didn't want to answer the call, but Pritchard didn't like to wait either. Besides, she needed a job, so playing too much with her boss wasn't a good way to keep it. Luckily Laura managed to know Frank enough during those few weeks of working under his command so that she was aware of how far can she push the line.

"Laura it's urgent! See you at my office, you've got 10 minutes!" Frank yelled from a loudspeaker as he always does.

Laura was forced to leave reading her favorite book about hacking tricks for later. She lazily put it back on the table and finished cold coffee. „Archn3rd0 can wait a few minutes. There's always a lot of fuss about nothing." She thought while slipping into a green turtleneck, and a blue high-waist skirt. „Farewell, comfy clothes." That's what seemed to express her face. Finding shoes was a great challenge. Laura's apartment may be luxurious, and not cheap at all, but at least she can keep it messy because nobody visits her. Laura Werner talking to you live from... Mordor. That's a good way to describe this mess.

"Stalker, you idiot!" She growled with fury at her black cat. Because of him, she would almost lose her teeth.

Fighting with long, brown-reddish hair consumed most of the precious time. Frank interrupted that battle with text messages. Asshole sent ten of them within a minute. Finally, she pinned hair in a bun, giving the final touch with a magnolia-shaped hairpin. Soon Laura was ready to go. With few books under her arm and a file in her teeth, she locked the door with the key. Miss Werner was an old-fashioned girl, a weirdo, they say. Going down the staircase, she heard the Newmans yelling at each other. The Cornwel family apparently had a party downstairs. Loud music was pouring out on the corridor, mixed with laughing and raised voices. Maybe she would drop by, but the track list wasn't really what Laura likes the most.

Before walking down the wide street, she looked ahead, admiring the Chiron apartment building for a moment.

„They have such a great life." Thought with a heavy sigh.

On the way to her working place, she was passing by a dark alley, where groups of shady types were making the deals. The reek of weed, cigarettes, and spilled beer was terribly annoying. She always tried to avoid places like this one. You can't tell what those guys can be capable of. Prostitutes were leaning against the walls of gloomy skyscrapers raised on both sides of the road. People were talking about the weather, politics, and mostly about augs. Some of their chatting were muffled by passing cars. Laura looked up, longing for the blue sky, which was barely visible because of dense clouds.

„When I'll be old I want to live in a small house with a garden, somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I will sit on the porch, drink cocoa, and stroke the cat occupying my knees." Warm thought made her smile to herself for a short moment. Sadly, these are only dreams.

She hated all those blinding lights, neons screaming from every corner with advertisements, electronic books, and newspapers. Everything. Good old days are gone - That was the greatest sadness consuming her thoughts. What's more, she's alone here in Detroit and not eager to make any new friends. The mission must be completed, and after that, she'll be gone for good.

Sarif Industries headquarters - The monument of a new era, a place where all of your dreams come true. If you have money of course. Laura passed by the wing-shaped installation lit with bright yellow lights and followed to the front door.

"Great world, here I come!" She almost screamed out loud when the glass door opened before her.

***