Dirty Work: Volume 1

The rain in Region 57 was more than just water; it was a physical manifestation of Celestria's apathy, seeping into your bones and whispering promises of destitution. I huddled beneath the Magna-Train overpass, the rumbling overhead echoing the growl of my empty stomach. My apartment was a few minutes away, a roof over my head for now, but soon that too would be gone.

My hair dripped into my eyes, and my clothes clung to me, cold and heavy. I was contemplating the indignity of scavenging for food when a shout from above shattered the dreary quiet. I looked up, just in time to see a figure plummeting from the Magna-Train line, aiming squarely for me.

Before I could react, he slammed into me, knocking the wind out of my lungs and sending us both sprawling onto the wet concrete. My bones screamed in protest. "What the hell are you doing?" I gasped, trying to ignore the searing pain in my back. The man scrambled to his feet, wild-eyed and disheveled.

"Get up and run!" he yelled, pulling me up just as a gun blast singed the top of his head. My blood ran cold. Two figures stood on the Magna-Train line above, guns extended, glowing ominously. They weren't just after him; they were after me too. I had three seconds to decide.