Jai sprung to his feet, feeling dizzy. He held his head in his palm, "Damn iron deficiency, now's not the time." After a moment the mental static to faded, and Jai readied himself for anything. Standing tall with his arms out, he waited. The city was still quiet, even more so than before. Long moments passed with nothing at the end of them. 

"Must be having technical difficulties," Jai muttered. "That's fine, I can wait!"

Minutes passed, shaving away at Jai's hope and patience. After standing still for nearly an hour, it occurred to Jai that something was wrong. "Another person with the same name maybe? Nah, that's not it. I've been forgotten per usual." Grabbing his sack of trash, Jai threw it over his shoulder and carefully began climbing down off the roof. "I really gotta stop giving myself false hope. Just ruins the whole day."

The bag and Jai touched ground one after the other. Silence still controlled the streets before the  roar of disappointed spectators came flooding back in the distance. Jai walked the empty road, his shoes and shoulders heavy. The crowd of people who chose to walk turned the corner, all of them on their way back to Sector Omina's housing zone. 

Jai cut through the crowd as people shifted around him one after another. He moved against the grain, getting the usual look of disgust as he brushed by. His eyes never left the pavement, instinctively locking onto a new stray pebble every time the previous one left his view. 

A manhole Jai knew well came into view. He stared at it, admiring its every detail. Each mark upon the top of the lid told a story. The lettering stamped within the metal, the scratches along its edges, the warping of its shape. A reflection of Jai's life, and what it would continue to be.

The wind around Jai began to howl, its strength seeming to grow stronger. Jai glanced up and noticed the crowd had spread and circled around him. A bright circle of light struck the ground ahead of Jai, slowly sliding over him. Caught within its brilliance, Jai looked up to see where it was coming from. He squinted, taking a moment to adjust to the brightness.

Large vehicles hung in the sky above him like floating islands. The one in the middle was significantly larger than the other two. The Zenith-Z3V, an escort issue OPP. Accompanied by two supporting Fulcrum-C3V's. Each was a glossy black, reflecting the city in warped ways. Their frames were blocky, like alien obsidian. The OPPs hummed at a low, almost disturbing pitch as they hovered in the air, before the click of a microphone called for its attention.

"Jai Rho Jinsei! By authority of the Circuit Corporation, you have been chosen as this month's Savior. Congratulations! Do you have anything you would like to say before you begin your new life?" 

Jai gulps before stomping the lid with his foot to pop it open. "No thanks!" he taunts, jumping down into the sewer, flashing a wave. 

The OPPs remain in formation, planning their next move. Their inner workings more human than its outer shell. "Running away? I wasn't aware that was even an option!" a woman laughed, her figure hidden. "I like this kid already!"

"Quite the change of pace. So what now?" the pilot asked.

"Send a few men after him." She answered. "We'll play his game."

The seal of the two OPPs' hatches hissed open, lifting in a controlled manner. It revealed a cargo- like inside that was filled with officers on standby. Each already mounted on much smaller vehicles. The OPPs powered on, humming with a higher pitch. Idle and ready, they awaited the order.

"Advance." The woman ordered.

Like a swarm of bees leaving the hive, the OPPs flew out in single file. One by one, a squad of officers slipped through the manhole and entered the sewer in pursuit of Jai. The spectating citizens were informed to head back home as their gathering was a safety hazard. 

Meanwhile within the storm drains of Cell City, Jai was a far cry ahead of his pursuers. He ran through the sewers as fast as he could manage in such a confined space. The hums echoed through the tunnels, increasing in volume every passing second. 

"Shit shit shit," Jai said to himself, looking over his shoulder. The OPPs were gaining on him fast, and he needed to act. Jai leapt across the rushing sewer water just as the first few officers zipped by, moving too fast to stop. The rest reacted in time, turning to follow Jai as he slipped through a crack in the walls. 

Each officer dismounted their OPP to continue following Jai. Taking turns squeezing through a space just big enough to traverse. The pace of the chase slowed down as the officers shuffled there way through inch by inch.

"Jai Rho Jinsei! What reason is there to run? Stop this nonsense." An officer shouted, his voice distorted.

"Reason? Who needs a reason!" Jai screamed back. "I have no desire to become a Savior. Can't you just choose someone else?"

"Sorry kid, but that's not how this works." The officer countered.

"Then I'll continue to run." Jai responded. "This is where it gets interesting anyway!"

After finally reaching the end, Jai was the first to exit the crack. Jumping down onto something far out of sight. Shortly after an officer made it through, he bore witness to the endless expanse of the deep sewer. A sight not many would ever see.

A black void filled with pipes bigger than buildings. Overlapping and intertwining with one another as far as the eye could see. Support pillars covered in mold reached out from the abyss to hold these rusting mega structures. Another world, hidden below the one they knew. 

"So this—is Cell City's sewer system." The man said in awe. 

As the officers stared in amazement, Jai ran across the top of the pipes. This world was his, and the only one he knew. Using the advantage he was given, Jai made his getaway. While he covered ground, the officers behind him were only just gaining the courage to drop down onto the pipes below. 

A piece of the wall broke off after one of them tried climbing down. The brick landing on the hard metal before slipping off into the deep. After a long five seconds, the sound of the debris hitting the ground echoed back up to them. A merciless warning of what could become of them.

Jai navigated through the pipes perfectly. Every leap, step, and stop. Practiced countless times until it was just muscle memory. Taking a moment to breathe, Jai stopped, thinking he had lost them. Listening for any sign of tailing, the sound of hums grew louder again.

Looking to his right, OPPs were heading straight for him. The other officers had infiltrated the sewer system through a different route, allowing them to bring their vehicles. Jai's body language grew jittery before he sprinted along his usual route, faster than anytime before. His breath heavy and his energy bleeding away with each stride.

Jai's destination was just ahead of him. A different hole in the wall of the storm drains overhead. He ran up the pipe to close the gap, just one leap away. He jumped and grabbed ahold of his escape. Taking a step before being stopped by the sound of a voice.

"Hold it!" a woman ordered.

OPPs on stand by were lined in a defensive formation behind Jai. One of the officers had a plus one on board their vehicle. A woman wearing a black suit jumped off the back. She slipped off the protective helmet that hid her face. She was a stunning black woman with a wild afro that sat like a crown atop her head. An aura of authority projected from her. Calling for her undivided attention.

She adjusted her clothes before she spoke. "Before you run off again, why not hear me out?" she offered, waving away the officers. After a brief moment they resisted retreat before inevitably relocating above ground for their next orders.

"Don't be shy, come down here and let's talk this out like civilized people."

Sensing that he was safe to move, Jai jumped back to the pipe and met her in the middle.

"Herma Minawa, but you can refer to me as Ms M." she stated, reaching her hand out for a shake. 

She looked him up and down, scanning his clothes. *No sign of an emblem*... she thought to herself. *Does he even belong to any Sector?* 

"Jai," he stated simply, keeping all eyes on her.

She smiled, lowering her hand. "I'm well aware of who you are. Well actually—quite the opposite." Ms Minawa explained. "You were quite the pain to find." She took a minute to look around the sewer. "Fleeing into the sewer system was clever, I'm impressed. So tell me, how long have you been living like this?"

"As long as I can remember." Jai responded. "I've known this place my entire life.

Ms Minawa smirked, *he's both physically capable and strategic in high pressure situations. I see lots of potential in this kid.*

"Your life—" Ms Minawa pauses. "How do you intend to live it?"

"What do you mean?" Jai questioned.

"What is your purpose for living? Surely you don't plan to live like this forever."

The words caught in Jai's throat. "I- I never thought of it before until now."

"Earlier you stated you had no desire to become a Savior. Why is that?"

"Why? Take a look around." Jai responded, a bit of passion behind his words. "Where were the Saviors when I needed them? Who's coming to save me? Had I not been chosen tonight, my life would have continued like this under their watch. So don't suddenly go treating me like I'm special, when I've never once been so, in my entire god damn life!" Jai screamed, taking deep, shaky breaths.

"Why would I—want to be like them?" he cried.

Jai's stance tightened, his fist balled in frustration. He furrowed his brow and gritted his teeth, knowing he had let out too much. The silence hung in the air for a moment. 

"Then be better than them." Ms Minawa answered. "That is your goal."

"My goal?" Jai said.

"Right now you have a choice, a once in a lifetime offer. You can turn your back on this, and walk away a forgotten man. Or, you become someone that can be there for folks like you—a true Savior. What's it going to be?" 

Ms Minawa rose her hand once again as her final offer to Jai. Conflicting thoughts spiraled in his head. His loneliness, Leto, a longing for more, and his wish—to be somebody to someone.

Jai let out a sigh, "I accept your offer." he said, taking her hand and shaking it firmly.

"Then as of now, you, Jai Rho Jinsei, are a Savior of The Circuit Corporation." She declared softly. "I welcome you."