“Hand ‘em over,  gutter rat.”

I glared at the man blocking my exit. He was tall, probably about six three, and wearing the crisp uniform of a People’s Officer. His gun was pointed about six inches away from my face. Not good, I thought.

 The warehouse that I had just exited from stood behind me, blocking any attempts at escaping that way. I stole a glance to my right. The alleyway turned off there into an even smaller passageway, shrouded in darkness. I could make a run for it. If I’m fast enough maybe he won’t shoot me. I eyed the barrel of the gun. 

Yeah, I don’t think so. 

“I have no idea what you’re referring to, officer.” I put on the most innocent face I could muster, fluttering my eyelashes and pouting my lips slightly. 

“The crystals. I know you have them!” He jerked the gun closer to my face, creating a pit in my stomach.

“I don’t have any crystals, I swear! I’m just trying to find my sister! Gosh, she must be so scared.” I put my hands in the air, feigning innocence. The five crystals I had in my pocket cast off a small amount of heat, warming my leg. 

Okay, so maybe I do have some crystals.

The officer looked me up and down, searching for some sort of tell that I was lying. I tilted my head down, shielding my face from his gaze. 

“So, a liar and a thief.” The officer retorted. “This city is better off without the likes of you scrounging around. Maybe I’ll just shoot you now, hmm? Save someone else the trouble.” A sick smile spread across his chapped lips as he pulled back the hammer and moved his finger to the trigger.

I squeezed my eyes shut as a bang echoed through the alleyway. I guess this is it, huh?

I opened my eyes. 

Not dead? 

A loud thunk shook me back to my senses. The officer in front of me had fallen face-first to the ground, a bullet hole in the back of his head. Blood pooled around him, staining his once clean purple uniform. 

“I thought you said you had this one?” A voice echoed from the shadows. A figure stepped out of the darkness and I soon recognized the familiar shape.

“Kat! I totally had it! He was right where I wanted him.” I flashed a sarcastic smile.

Kat rolled her amber eyes and holstered her gun. 

“Right. And let me guess, getting shot in the head was all part of the plan?”

“Well, I knew my dear sister would come to save me.” I quipped. Kat and I weren’t related by blood, but we’ve been friends for so long that we may as well be.

Kat bent down to examine the officer’s corpse. She brushed a coil of dark blue hair out of her face, studying his uniform. Her dark skin seemed to blend in with the shadows, making her look almost like part of the scenery.

“You know, for being called ‘People’s Officers’, they sure don’t do a whole lot of protecting the people.” She pulled up his sleeve, revealing an X shaped tattoo on his forearm. The mark of The Hunters, one of the smaller crime groups in the city. He must have been covering for them while they brought their shipment of crystals in.

“What did you expect, K?” I sighed. “Nearly everyone in uniforms these days serve only their own interests. They’re not so different from us, really.”

“They’re not like us!” She snapped her gaze to me. Her eyes were fiery like embers. “We don’t kill helpless people! We aren’t scum like them! We do what we have to in order to survive, that’s all.”

I felt a pang of guilt run through my chest. I knelt down beside her. 

“I know, that’s not what I meant. We’re better than them.” I gave her hand a squeeze. “Come on, let’s go. These crystals should get us at least a month’s worth of rations at the Market.”

Kat stood up, brushing off her black cargo pants. After cleaning up any evidence of our presence, we started down the narrow pathway. I took one last glance at the officer. Did he have a family? Kids? I shook my head. It’s better not to think of those things here. Being soft will cost you your life. 

The route to the Market was complicated. If it were easy, anyone would be able to find it; and we couldn’t risk getting stopped by anyone else and losing our haul. Crystals were hard to come by in the lower levels, and even harder to keep. Their ability to power weapons and technology through Crystis made them highly sought after by those with nothing. Here in the lower levels, crystals were traded for anything one might need. Food, clothing, information. 

I looked down at my leg. A faint purple glow emanated from the pocket I’d shoved the crystals in, rushing to get out of the warehouse. We saw them being brought in last night by some Hunters, and knew this was our chance for a big score. 

Kat jumped up onto a beam jutting out from a dilapidated building. As I followed suit, the board wobbled slightly, making my heart stop for a moment. Kat was always more sure footed than I was. Then again, she was born here. I wasn’t. 

I don’t remember much about my family. Only that my father had been drafted to fight in the war, and he never came back. My mother tried her best to take care of me, but life as a single parent here wasn’t kind. Then she got sick. I remember how her golden hair started to fall out, and her skin turned yellow. By the time I turned seven, she was gone.

I followed the familiar path to the Market, crossing rooftops and slinking along alleyways. Finally, the warm glow of the stalls came into view. We trudged past the countless vendors, all selling something different. Boxes of salvaged tech were piled in some, and roasted meats hung from strings in another. The scent made my mouth water. People chatted in low voices, making bargains and discussing their latest hauls. I pulled my hood down further, hiding my face. 

We finally arrived at an inconspicuous tent at the end of a darker pathway. Kat lifted one corner and slipped inside, with me close behind. It took my eyes a few moments to adjust to the darkness. 

A desk stood a few feet away, full of different items. Things from far away, illegal weapons, hijacked tech. I even spotted some Stria artwork in the back corner. The paintings were beautifully done, depicting palaces covered in crystals and stars. They almost seemed to call to me. I shook my head. We weren’t here to shop. 

“Well well, if it isn’t my two favorite clients!” A tall bony man slid out from behind a curtain. He had a three piece suit on, black with white pinstripes. The edges were worn and there were tears in places, showing the age of the clothing. He wore a monocle on one eye. A thin mustache shaded his upper lip, complementing his greasy brown hair and pale complexion. His dark eyes studied us with discernment.

“Nevan.” Kat dipped her head slightly. “We have something we know you’ll like.”

His eyes glinted with curiosity. Leaning forward over the table, he chuckled. “Well then, let’s see what you ladies have to offer me!”

I dug into my pocket and produced four glowing crystals, putting them down on the table between us with a satisfying clink.

Nevan picked one up and studied it through his monocle. After what seemed like hours, he spoke.

“You’re right, this is just the sort of thing I’ve been looking for. What do you want in return?”

“Rations.” I piped up. “At least a month’s worth.”

He smiled wryly. “Now now little girl, you know rations don’t come easy here. What makes you think I even keep that much on hand?” He cocked his head to the side and placed one hand on the table. I moved my hand to grab the crystals. 

“If you aren’t interested, I suppose we could take our business somewhere else.” I smiled I sincerely. “Nice seeing you-“

“Wait.”

Nevan glared at me and grudgingly walked back into his storeroom. A few minutes later, he reappeared with a bag of rations. He set them on the table. 

“Feel free to count.” He said flatly.

Kat dumped out the contents and proceeded to count. Once she determined the price was fair. She slid the crystals over and filled the bag back up with the rations. 

“Nice doing business with you.” She shook his hand. 

“Always a pleasure, girls!” Nevan giggled and eyed his newly purchased goods with an expression almost akin to lust. I rolled my eyes. 

What a weirdo.

Kat and I turned to leave. We were just about to exit the tent when Nevan opened his mouth.

“Hold on there, my dears. What’s that in your pocket, hmm?”

I froze. Shoot. I didn’t think he noticed that I kept one. I glanced back at the table. The bony man suddenly appeared much more sinister.

“Now why would you girls keep something so precious from poor old Nevan? Haven’t I been good to you?”

Kat smiled, glancing at me as if to say You've done it now.

Nevan, I’m sure we don’t know what you mean. We would never try to cross you.” She started taking steps backwards towards the exit.

“My sensors never lie. And they’re telling me that you two, well you aren’t being honest with me my dears.” He smiled darkly. “You know what happens to people who think they can fool me.” 

He snapped his fingers and three armed men emerged from the storehouse, muscles bulging and deadly looking blades in hand.

“Get me the crystal,” Nevan commanded, “and kill the girls.”