I sulked in the dim lights of the Undercity, cautiously watching every shadow for any hint of movement. I took a sharp turn into a familiar alley to shake off my pursuers. "Fuck!" I muttered under my breath. Why did I do this again?

  For some reason, this time my pursuers seemed extremely fervent in their pursuit. "Oh, I'm gonna stop today! Don't get yourself into fucking corpo business. What did you do? You went and did exactly what I told you not to do!" I complained internally.

  Soon enough, a shadow appeared at the corner of my eye. I immediately dove into the nearest trash heap, staying perfectly still in the goo and muck to avoid detection.

  After a short while, the sounds of footsteps quickly passed by the heap, whispering incoherently.

  I waited a bit longer to ensure no pursuers stayed behind. Confirming the coast was clear, I quickly slipped into an alley a few blocks away.

  Where is it, where is it... Aha!

  I dragged a set of ragged clothes out from under the rubble and quickly changed, stuffing my bright, eye-catching clothes into the same hole and covering it up again.

  After changing, I headed to another location where I'd buried a bag full of metal scraps and trinkets. I retrieved my prize happily. "Nothing better than retiring after a good day's labor!" I proclaimed.

  Skipping happily into the crowd, I blended in perfectly. With my new outfit, no one noticed me in the throng.

  After making several detours to discourage any would-be thieves, I slowly but surely made my way home.

  The structures of civilization gradually disappeared into the distance. A strange calm descended upon me as the constant chatter faded into nothingness.

  Here there was only me and the metal wilderness. I frowned at that thought - something felt wrong, like I was being watched.

  I glanced over my shoulder but saw no one. Still, the feeling persisted. I took evasive action, weaving through the ruins, my familiarity guiding me through the maze.

  Soon enough, a partially intact house teetering on the edge of collapse came into view. I entered to find a decaying couch, some scattered chairs, and a central table.

  I approached the edge of the dilapidated room, bending down to run my fingers along the smooth floor. After a few seconds, my fingers found a small bump. I hooked a finger under it, lifted the tile slightly, then used my other hand to pull it up completely.

  Removing the tile revealed a knob. I reached for it, twisted, and pulled the entire section of floor open, exposing stairs leading down into darkness.

  Taking a glow stick from my back, I cracked it to life and descended into the darkness. As soon as my feet touched the ground, I ran my hand along the wall until I found another bump.

  I brought the glow stick closer to confirm it was what I wanted, then pressed it down.

  The darkness retreated as lights flickered on, illuminating the room. A proper chair and desk sat at the far end, with a cobbled-together screen flickering on the table.

  "Finally! Home sweet home!" I shouted, finally setting the bag down.

  "Now time to dig in!" I said, eyes gleaming. My hands dove into the bag, pulling out items one by one. "Hmm... useful... what am I supposed to do with this?... Oh yay, new batteries!" I commented as I emptied the bag.

  The last item was a flat slate that flickered on and off, its screen glitching. "Hmm, that's interesting?" a voice suddenly said over my shoulder.

  "I know, right?" I answered instinctively before my brain caught up. I immediately spun toward the sound, a blade slipping from my sleeve - but it slashed through empty air.

  "Quite a home you've made for yourself!" the voice sounded again, now coming from my desk. I whirled toward the source and this time saw the intruder.

  The sight froze my veins and sent my heart hammering against my ribs.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  His pale skin was smooth, completely untouched by the grime of the junkyard. His eyes were a color I'd never seen before, the whites completely pure rather than the bloodshot red-yellow typical down here. His bone-white hair was neatly bundled, free of any dirt.

  "What in the Nine Layers is an Upper Dweller doing here?" I shouted in fright.

  The figure raised his eyebrows, seeming surprised. "It seems you're confused, ma'am. I'm not an Upper Dweller," he said.

  "Don't fucking kid with me!" I growled. "I know you Upper Dwellers think we're stupid, but come on! Just look at your clothes!" I said, my voice rising unintentionally.

  The figure paused. "Ahhh, I see. So I look like an entitled rich brat. Wait - aren't I one?" he muttered to himself.

  WTF. WTF. WTF. Any Upper Dweller meant trouble. Most corporations on this level were secretly controlled by higher-floor elites who could crush me like a bug.

  The figure, finished with his musing, turned back to me. "Ah yes! I came to tell you something - you're being followed!" he said cheerfully.

  "I know that, you fucking dimwit," I answered, the last part muttered under my breath.

  The figure looked confused for a second before shaking his head. "No, not the red-robed ones! These ones are really passionate, talking about the will of God or something. Oh, and they wear white—"

  Suddenly the world blurred as his last words echoed in my head.

  "What did you say?" I asked, eyes wide. "You didn't hear me? P-E-O-P—"

  I frantically began gathering my equipment. "Useful... not so much... fuck no... useful," I muttered as I stuffed items into my bag.

  I glanced at my setup in the corner, heart aching at what I was about to lose. "Oh, they'll be here in about a minute, based on their speed. Assuming they don't get lost, which they probably don't do often," the figure added casually.

  I abandoned any thought of taking more gear. Turning to scream every profanity I knew at the intruder, I found only an empty chair.

  No time to wonder how he'd disappeared. I bolted for the stairs, taking them two at a time. I locked the basement door behind me - a futile hope of returning someday. "Getting a little too confident, aren't we?" I thought self-deprecatingly as I burst out the front door, running in a seemingly random direction.

  The ruins were my home turf. "Maybe I can lose them," I thought desperately.

  The question "Why would the Templars be after me?" floated through my mind, but I crushed it. No time for distractions.

  I ran through the labyrinth of ruins - twisting, turning, jumping - anything to lose my pursuers. "Did he lie to me?" I wondered between gasping breaths.

  My answer came when a bolt struck the wall beside me, exploding it into deadly shrapnel.

  There was a saying back in my home town something that goes like this "DON'T FUCKING STAND NEAR ANYTHING THAT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE!"

  Shrapnel embedded in my left thigh, left multiple gashes on my arm, and one piece lodged in my side. A muffled scream escaped as pain blossomed through my body like wildfire. But I didn't stop. I kept running, ducking, weaving. "No, no, no, no! Please no!" I thought, tears forming. "I don't want to die, please."

  But my silent pleas only seemed to energize my pursuers, who showed no signs of tiring. My limbs burned. My vision swam. Still, I gritted my teeth and ran. I couldn't die. Not now. Not ever.

  But human endurance has limits. My legs finally gave out and I collapsed, my body screaming in agony, even then I pumped all my strength into my limbs, but all was for naught

  "Oh, is this how I die?" I whispered, finally getting a clear look at my pursuers.

  They walked confidently into the clearing, their white robes fluttering. An eye nailed to a cross adorned their chests. At their head was a man with two gold stripes and one red on his robe.

  My eyes widened. My lips trembled as I managed one word: "Why?"

  The man stood over my prone body and slowly raised his hand, revealing the barrel of a gun.

  "It is the will of God," he answered emotionlessly.

  As the barrel began to glow, time seemed to slow. "Please, I don't want to die! Please, please, PLEASE!" Terror consumed me as I repeated the plea like a mantra.

  Then - like every good story ended mine ended-with blood on the ground.

  ---

  ### Othello

  I'd been staring at the tablet too long. I knew that.

  Slowly, I raised it. A familiar wallpaper greeted me. Hesitantly, I typed my password, and the screen unlocked to show the familiar array of apps.

  "Compatible device detected. Do you wish to connect?" a voice chimed in my head.

  I stared at the device for a long moment before tucking it into my coat. "No. I'll pass for now," I said, slightly afraid of what I might find.

  "Now I just need to find out where that girl got this." I climbed out of the dim basement.

  "Show me all movement here from about ten minutes ago," I instructed my link. Silvery points began coalescing in my vision, forming ghostly footprints.

  I stretched, my joints popping, then took a deep breath. "Aether reserves - low usage, 25% dip."

  Power flooded my limbs as I took off, the ground blurring beneath me. The silver points appeared and disappeared as I reached each one.

  Soon I reached a clearing with a fountain at its center. At the base lay the girl I'd been looking for - now with a gaping hole in her chest.

  "How long until complete death?" I asked my link.

  A HUD appeared at the edge of my vision: "4:51 minutes."

  I frowned slightly at the prompt and walked straight into the clearing.

  "Hello friends!" I called, hands resting lazily in my pockets. The group, startled by my sudden appearance, immediately went on high alert. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Chill! See? I'm just here for the girl. Step away, and we all leave in one piece. How about that?"

  They didn't take kindly to my offer. Weapons rose in unison.

  "Oh well. Can't say I didn't try," I said before disappearing. "Camouflage activated," my link helpfully informed me.

  Seeing this, the group bunched together - but too late. I was already upon one of them, though I encountered more resistance than expected when trying to throw him at his companion.

  I'd stayed in one place too long. A scythe came arcing toward my face, aimed to split it open. I barely rolled away in time as gunfire sprayed where I'd been.

  "Why the fuck did I think this would be easy?" I groaned internally