SIDEQUEST 2

Cyberpunk 2097

Chapter 10 – "Alt-Del-F4's Trial"

The city loomed beneath her, a labyrinth of neon-lit skyscrapers, shifting billboards, and drone-filled airways. From this height, the world looked like a digital maze—perfect for what she had to do.

Alt-Del-F4 tightened her gloves and exhaled. The mission was simple: complete ten challenges, survive, and claim the prize—a legendary cybernetic enhancement known as the Phantom Stride.

But nothing in Nightcore City came without a cost.

A cold, robotic voice crackled in her comms. "Contestant, you have entered The Gauntlet. Complete all ten stages, or be erased."

She smirked. "Let's dance."

Challenge 1: The Leap of Faith

She stood on the edge of a skyscraper, staring across a massive gap between two rooftops.

The other side was nearly impossible to reach. Even enhanced runners would struggle. Below, the city stretched downward like a black hole, hungry for a single misstep.

A countdown appeared in her HUD. "Five… four… three…"

She ran.

The wind roared past her ears as she sprinted, heart hammering. The moment she reached the edge—she jumped.

Midair, she twisted, activating her cybernetic boosters—but the moment she did, the power cut out.

"Oh, you bastards—"

She reached for a nearby drone hovering in midair, grabbed its frame, and used it to slingshot herself forward.

She hit the rooftop, rolled, and stood.

The robotic voice crackled: "Challenge One: Complete."

She grinned. "Easy."

Challenge 2: The Collapsing Highway

The road ahead was a shifting deathtrap. Holographic platforms appeared for only seconds before flickering out of existence.

One wrong step, and she'd plummet.

A digital countdown began: "Three… Two… One…"

She sprinted forward, her brain processing faster than her body could move.

A platform materialized beneath her. She landed—only for it to flicker.

Without hesitation, she lunged forward, landing on another—then another.

Behind her, the road crumbled into nothingness.

The final platform was ahead, but it was disappearing too soon.

Alt-Del-F4 dove forward at full speed, tucking into a roll just as the last section blinked out of existence.

She landed safely.

The voice in her comms spoke: "Challenge Two: Complete."

She smirked. "Try harder."

Challenge 3: The Spider Wall

A 100-foot skyscraper wall. No footholds. No ropes.

Just vertical metal and sheer willpower.

She activated her cybernetic fingertips, magnetic strips humming to life.

She leaped, grabbing the first section of the wall—but the metal heated instantly, forcing her to let go.

"Oh, come on."

The wall's temperature sensors made normal climbing impossible.

She scanned the area and saw a vertical row of neon signs, shifting every few seconds.

A parkour route.

She jumped to the first sign, balancing on the thin frame.

Then the second.

The third.

Each one flickered dangerously, threatening to shut down mid-jump.

By the time she reached the top, her lungs burned.

The voice in her comms was almost amused. "Challenge Three: Complete."

Challenge 4: The Speed Drone

The rooftop ahead was covered in automated turrets.

She had five seconds to cross before they activated.

The moment she stepped forward—red laser sights locked onto her.

She ran.

Bullets tore through the air. She zigzagged, sliding beneath a fallen billboard.

The exit was closing.

Alt-Del-F4 jumped onto a speeding drone, letting it carry her past the last set of turrets before flipping onto the final ledge.

The robotic voice hummed. "Challenge Four: Complete."

Challenge 5: The Mirror Room

She entered a room of infinite reflections.

Some mirrors showed her real self. Others… didn't.

A single exit lay hidden behind one.

She studied her reflections—one of them blinked differently.

She sprinted straight at it—and crashed through.

"Challenge Five: Complete."

Challenge 6: The Drifting Train

A bullet train rocketed through the city.

She had to parkour across its roof—at 300 mph.

The moment she landed, wind resistance nearly threw her off.

She dropped low, using momentum to control her movement.

A tunnel loomed ahead.

She barely ducked in time.

At the last second, she leaped to the final car and rolled into safety.

"Challenge Six: Complete."

Challenge 7: The Digital Abyss

She stepped onto a floating grid of neon panels.

Each step caused the panel behind her to vanish.

She couldn't stop.

A wrong move—and the floor would be gone.

She sprinted forward, calculating every step.

At the last second, she jumped off the final tile before it erased itself.

"Challenge Seven: Complete."

Challenge 8: The Anti-Gravity Dive

She leaped from the building—into a zero-gravity zone.

Without friction, she had to navigate by pure force.

She kicked off a floating billboard, adjusting her trajectory midair.

The final checkpoint was beneath her.

She twisted, landing in a roll just as gravity reactivated.

"Challenge Eight: Complete."

Challenge 9: The Glass Maze

A labyrinth of shifting glass walls.

She had one minute to escape.

With each turn, the walls moved unpredictably.

She memorized the patterns, anticipating the maze before it changed.

At the last second, she sprinted through the exit.

"Challenge Nine: Complete."

Challenge 10: The Final Leap

The last challenge was a single jump.

A 200-foot gap.

No safety net.

She took a deep breath.

Then—she ran.

At full speed, she launched herself forward.

For a moment, time slowed.

Then—she landed.

The world stabilized.

The voice whispered. "Challenge Ten: Complete."

A door slid open. Inside, on a pedestal—the Phantom Stride.

She grinned. "Worth it."