Going down isn't easy on a station that houses millions. Something as mundane as an elevator now has to accommodate the travel of hundreds, maybe even thousands of people an hour. While the Suits can access private landing pads or exclusive elevators, most ride the communal lifts.

Intended to transport freight and heavy equipment, the large platforms now ferry the transient citizens of Mayden. Crammed in the elevator, Domitia keeps one hand on her pistol and another on her wallet. Dell stays on her shoulder, toying with his phone while the lift goes down.

The diverse nature of Mayden's guests is on full display while on the lift. All walks of life can be seen standing, sitting, or leaning somewhere on the lift. In one of the corners, an illegal food stand had been set up, selling a kind of meat wrapped in white bread dripping with grease. A gaggle of konii gathers around it, tall, furry ears twitching in delight as they munch on the wrap. Domitia's eyes catch the gaze of a toak dressed in traditional robes and armor, a hand placed upon his weapon. His predatory eyes lock with Domitia's, and he then nods respectfully. One warrior to another. Domitia returns the nod before she checks the display above the door.

'Level 13-17.'

"Four more levels," Domitia whispers to Dell.

"Argh," Dell groans, "Can't this damn thing go any faster!"

"For legal reasons, I don't think it can," Domitia remarks.

"Legal reasons?" Dell snorts, "In the Fringe? Nah! Probably just a broken down piece of shit that needs maintenance."

A ding signals the next floor, "Level 13-16. Pash District," The synthetic voice announces, "Please, cause no trouble, and have a great day." There's a pause before it adds, "And now, a word from our sponsor!"

"Paragon Industries has always been at the frontier of Limnal Travel. Why not come out to that frontier--"

"Agh, this shit again!" Dell jeers, drowning out the ad, "Fucking Paragon. You own the market; why do you need to advertise?"

"Probably because they want to remind people who really owns this station," Another voice joins in.

Domitia looks over, Dell hopping over to the other shoulder to get a look. The voice belongs to a woman with augmented eyes that sparkle like blue gems. The thin lines of cybernetics run down from her eyes toward the back of her neck, obscured by the hood of her red jacket. She squints as if trying to get a closer look, the augmented eyes focusing on Domitia.

"Sorry kid," Dell chimes in, "We met before?"

She blinks, finally saying, "No... We haven't."

"Level 13-15."

The shuffling crowd begins, and the woman follows the flow of transients, leaving Dell and Domitia on the elevator. The Bellator cracks her knuckles, pondering who the woman might've been. Instinct tells her actions were deliberate, but to what end, she didn't know.

"You alright?" Dell asks his partner.

"Think so," Domitia says, rolling her shoulders, "You might be right; think I'm getting hungry."

"Well, a little late for that," Dell replies, "We have work to do. 'Sides, our stop is here."

"Welcome to Level 13-14," The artificial voice chimes as Dell and Domitia walk onto the station, "The home of tomorrow, here today!"

Dell looks out over the wasteland of a neighborhood, "Shit, surprised the lights are on," He mutters, motioning to the large light above them that illuminated some of the level.

Domitia hums, "Station must be doing well to justify that act of charity."

Level 13-14 was supposed to be the next best thing for Mayden station. A housing development, complete with all the trappings of real planet side real estate.

Lawns with 'real' grass, tall trees to provide shade from the artificial sunlight, and quaint houses made of wood and stone. It was a project made with corporate manufactured well wishes.

The Builder League, a Paragon subsidiary, was tasked with making this dream a reality. Unfortunately, the newly formed branch of the company seemed to only exist at the whims of an unknown board member who had a new fixation on their mind. As such, what was supposed to be a straightforward project spun quickly into failure and was left to rot well before construction was fully finished.

Despite never being finished, the level was opened for people to move in. Due to its incomplete nature and insane prices, much of 13-14 is a wasteland of bland, incomplete houses. Barely lit by the 'sun' above and the flickering street lamps that dotted the sidewalks.

Luckily, the Builder League had finished the streetcar, making traversing the level easy. Going from one form of public transportation to another, the pair hop on, finding only a handful of other people in the car. They’re older, well-to-do station residents who give Domitia and Dell sideline glares.

The few residents who live on the level are the die-hards who supported the project from day one and still stuck with it. Hoping that maybe one-day Paragon will remember this level and finish the job. The other half of the populace are squatters. Due to the sheer size of Mayden, station security couldn't be everywhere all at once, so 13-14 developed a reputation for being 'cheap' living if you were quiet enough.

"Are you planning on moving in?" Asks an older konii, the hair on his ears and around his nose a stark grey compared to his black fur.

"Here to see a friend," Domitia snaps, not wanting to start a conversation.

The old man, however, does want to talk, "Oh, how lovely, a boyfriend?"

Domitia sighs as she feels Dell suppress a chuckle. "No."

"Oh, is he your boyfriend," He points at Dell with his cane.

"Oh well--"

"Absolutely not." Domitia cuts Dell off, "We're partners."

"Oh! So you're married!"

"No!"

"Oh, there's nothing to worry about," He says with a wheezing chuckle. "Here in 13-14, we're open to interspecies couples."

Domitia whispers to Dell, "Where is the meet?"

"It's going to be in the Dark," Dell whispers back. "End of the line on this car."

The Dark meant the incomplete blocks of the district. Security only checked the area once a month to force out any homeless camped in the half-built homes. If you wanted to meet with someone without prying eyes watching, you met in the Dark. So long as no guns were drawn, everything would be nice and quiet, just like Dell promised.

"Oh, you're going into the Dark?!" The old konii asks, "That's dangerous."

"We do a dangerous job, gramps." Dell retorts.

He scoffs, "You youngsters have no idea what real work is!" Then, he begins his ramble, "I was a data broker for Paragon! That was real work!"

"Oh yeah?" Dell pretends to listen, "What's that?"

The old man doesn’t reply to Dell, choosing instead to ramble on, "I worked tirelessly to ensure that the company gears turned right! Correcting and managing data entered into our system by our drone-keyers," He leans and whispers, "Low-level AIs."

"I know what those are," Dell said.

"It's a bit of a secret," He whispers loudly, "AI isn't supposed to be anywhere near the Net. But we engineered some quirks into them." He added a wink to it. "But it was a living! A real living! Enough for me to live here! Among the stars, but in the comfort of my own home!"

This goes on for some time, enough time for Domitia and Dell to forget most of what the old konii says. Still, the ride seems to go on forever; even after the old man gets off, the street car makes strange twists and turns, clearly meant to take people to all the 'hot spots' that were never really finished. Dead shopping centers, empty swimming pools, an incomplete park, and finally into the Dark.

Only street lamps' flickering light illuminate things enough for the pair to see. Here the homes turn into incomplete frames and half-painted shells. It at least broke up the monotony of seeing the same homes repeatedly, Domitia thinks. Dell hops off Domitia's shoulder, looking at the passing street signs, eventually pointing at one.

"Here." Dell declared confidently. "Just down this street."

'Dawn Street' is, by some small irony, by far the darkest of the streets. Close to the station wall, the cold of space seems to slip in, the one flickering light highlighs perhaps one of the few completed homes on the street. Domitia also notes that it’s wholly different from all the other 13-14 houses. A slim, three-story building that peaked with a spire upholding a totem.

"Now that's interesting," Dell said.

"Looks Konii," Domitia points to the peak of the home, "Family Totem."

"Oh yeah, you're right." Dell said, a small smirk coming over him, "Guess all those cartoons you watch are paying off."

"They're not cartoons, Dell." Domitia defends herself.

"Right." Dell says, "Well, as it happens to be, our boy is in there." He points to the street lamp. "Stay out of the light; I'm going in."

Domitia hums, "Feels like a trap."

"Eh, well." Dell thinks about saying something but instead waves goodbye, "If it is, hopefully they’ll kill us quickly."

That cold comfort sticks with Domitia as she takes her post, keeping an eye on the house but sticking out of the light. She finds a comfortable spot by a stack of building materials, giving good cover in a gunfight. There’s something sublime about the whole scene; the only completed house on the block is illuminated by a singular flickering light. It did remind Domitia of one of the movies she'd watched: a young girl who runs away from home to escape her parents and ends up living in the magically moving house of a witch. A strange sensation rises unbidden in the back of her mind; the vague memory of sweet-tasting drinks and the feeling of walking on a shaggy carpet.

The Bellator refocuses her attention as something catches her eye. In the gloom of Dawn Street, Domitia catches a faint orange glow. It takes a moment, but she soon realizes the glow is a cigarette. As the glow grows closer, she hears the gravel crunch behind her.

As naturally as she can, she rolls her shoulders and mimics cracking her neck, allowing her to glimpse a third stranger across the street, hiding in a house across from the konii house. Domitia already put it together that these shadowy figures, more than likely, had ill intent. She knows she's already been spotted, but she’s unsure if they know she’s on to them.

While enhanced more by her armor, her natural hearing is still sharper than most, allowing her to pick out that only the smoker is growing closer. Her sharp eyesight lets her recognize who it is as he grows closer to the light. It's then Domitia stepped out and towards the flickering light of the street lamp.

"Meixer." Domitia greets her fellow bounty hunter.