History

Nexus, or Nex for short, was born to a house and a street cat on the East Side of Winter City. Together with his sister Bo and his mother Isra, he grew up in a strictly anti-cybernetic household - with his father nowhere to be found. Their mother used to tell the siblings how she had met him. The she-cat had left the flat once, before realizing street life was not for her. But that was when she met their father, Viz. A stray, but one with standards. She used to describe him: his ginger coat, much like Nex's own fur, but with warm green eyes, and a large scar that almost covered his entire front leg. However, that was all Isra knew about him, for she returned to her old life soon after.

The flat was messy, dark, and smelled like trash. The cold and stuffy air started each day with another hopeless gasp for breath. Their human owner had an idealistic nature, refusing to evolve with society and rejecting about any technological advancements, ranging from modern entertainment to medical procedures like sterilization. One can imagine how filthy and overcrowded the place was. Cats and dogs alike, running across the dirty floor with barely enough food for everyone.

Nex's mother used to warn him and his sister to always stay by her side. The place was not safe. However, with kittens being kittens, unfortunate events were bound to happen.

After his tail had been permanently damaged, Nex was not the same. He was afraid of the dark, of every sound the dogs made, and with a crooked tail, he now had serious balance issues. He did not speak much, and avoided their human owner whenever he could. But life could not continue this way. Bo, who had always been the protective one despite being only a few minutes older than Nex, made a plan to leave their terrible life behind them. And so, one night, when their owner had forgotten to close the window, they left without a second thought. 

Finally free, the two siblings were excited. Never before had they smelled so much fresh air, and never before had they felt so alive. But that feeling didn't last forever, for the streets, of course, were filled with strange lights that burned their eyes, and loud noises that filled their ears. Nex and Bo quickly grew to hate the city. They would never come back to that filthy apartment, but life on the streets was not necessarily easier. Here they had to find their food themselves, and even on the streets there were dogs to disturb their peace. 

The siblings grew up. No longer the frightened teenagers they once were, they soon started to find their own way of street life. As young adults, with a mind to think for themselves, they found that not every street cat they encountered was the same. Some of them didn't even look like cats, the way nature intended. Strange hybrids of fur and metal. Ugh, technology. If there was something Nex and Bo had gotten from their owner, it was their equal hatred for those neon screens and engine noises they didn't understand. Luckily for them, they weren't the only cats to think that way. 

By the time they had reached adulthood, they had made a few "friends" who shared their idealistic world views and despised cyber-cats as much as they did. Nex might not have been the strongest cat around, but he was smart, tactical, and somewhat ruthless. He was the leader of their group, a new gang of anti-cybernetic street cats - the "Supreme Revolt". With his sister at his side, the gang members respected him and wouldn't dare lay a claw on Nex. Bo was too big and too strong for them - a perfect bodyguard. Combined with Nex's talent for speeches, the two made a great team. 

But the Revolt wasn't just there to give its members food and shelter. It combined their views on society, and on cybernetics specifically. If a cybernetically enhanced cat came too close to the Revolt's self-proclaimed territory, it was likely not going to end well for them. 

Nex enjoyed his new life - a malicious enjoyment. And through it all, Bo was sure to stay by his side. But of course, nothing lasts forever, and the higher one rises... the further they fall. It had been a surprisingly normal day until the turning point. Nex had rationed the food, joined a patrol, and chased a few strangers off of their territory. The Revolt was doing well. But after the sun had set, a scout returned with a worrying report. A cybercat was wandering their grounds! They were too big to be fought off by one cat alone. So, even though Nex hated leaving his nest when it was dark, he took his most trusted cats with him and went out to find the intruder. It did not take long for them to find him. His metallic stench was all over the place. When they approached him, they surrounded the scrawny stranger at Nex's command. But there was something about this robot that caught his attention. Not the metallic hind legs. Not the silver throat that made his voice sound hollow. It was the giant scar, ranging from his back nearly down to his left paw. The blood in Nex's veins ran cold when he realized who this cat was... he was his father. And Viz, the mysterious stranger his mother had always enthused over, was a cybercat. He couldn't believe his eyes. But the similarities were overwhelming! His ginger fur, his green eyes that looked exactly like Bo's... there was no mistaking.  After exchanging a perplexed glance with his sister, Nex gave the others a sign to leave them. He wanted to talk to this machine alone. Bo stayed with him. To their surprise, Viz recognized them almost immediately. And what's more: He seemed to be genuinely happy to finally meet them.  What a fraud. He was a machine. Machines didn't have feelings! But Nex did. He was afraid. If his father was a cybercat... what did that mean for him and his sister? If the tom noticed Nex's fear, he didn't say so. Perhaps he mistook it as nervousness, or perhaps he knew what was really going on and was simply toying with them. After all, the only cats that knew about their kinship were sitting in this alleyway... except for their mother. But she was a housecat. She wasn't a threat. Viz was. Nex tried to play it cool. He told his father the others weren't going to tolerate a total stranger, and that they would be asking questions if they didn't soon return. Then, Nex offered him to meet again. Alone. The next day. In an empty warehouse down the street. He ignored Bo's fur standing on end. And to his surprise, Viz agreed to his proposal - a proposal that Nex would regret for a long, long time.  When the sun began to set the next day, Nex and Bo headed out. The empty warehouse gave Nex the creeps, but at least no one ever came here. It was the perfect place for their meetup. Viz was already waiting for them when they arrived. His smile broadened when they greeted him. But Nex wasn't going to waste any time. This cat was a danger to his reputation, and to everything he stood for. He gave his sister a sign. Bo pinned the cybercat tightly to the ground, while Nex hissed in his ear. He was not going to let him ruin what he had built. He snarled, threatened him, urged him to stay away from them. Bo buried her claws deep in their father's fur to enforce Nex's words - but that was something she should not have done... 

After fighting his way through the flames, after leaving his sister behind to save himself, and after still succumbing to the fire, Nex found himself alone, scared, and a cybercat. In the following days, he would try to get as far away from the Supreme Revolt as possible. He could not face them like this. So, Nex roamed the city, searching for something he didn’t know yet. Until, one day, he heard rumors. Rumors of an underground safe spot for cybercats. Considering his options, Nex reluctantly decided that this refuge would be the best place for him. After all, everything was better than running into someone he knew on the surface of Winter City. After a bit of searching and sheepishly asking around, he finally found it. And that is where the story begins…