A sharp slam on the desk jolted Leon up,He has dozed off at work again.
"Vargas!" His boss yelled.
"You awake, or are you planning to sleep through your paycheck?"
Leon rubbed his eyes, trying to look alert.
"No,i..i..i wasn't sleep,just resting my head"He quickly added.
His boss was standing over him now, holding a stack of files that looked like more work for Leon.
"Here," his boss growled, shoving the papers toward him. "I need all of this done. Bugs, reports, revisions everything. Don't screw it up."
Leon nodded, and got to work,he didn't oppose or question the order cause people like him are not allowed to.
At twenty-seven,Leon was a computer science graduate with a resume that would make most recruiters drool if nepotism and corruption didn't exist in Gotham city.
By 7pm the office was mostly empty already. A few cleaning staff moved silently in the background with their vacuum humming slowly.
After getting the last work done Leon stretched himself and looked the window.
From his seat, Leon could see the skyline,skyscrapers stacked like bones, their windows glowing with the money he'd never have.Every block had its own story of corruption,politicians in black cars, cops who sold protection, businessmen laundering their crimes through charities.
Gotham wasn't just broken. It was programmed to be this way.
The rain hadn't started yet when Leon left,but it was looming in the clouds.
He unlocked the door to his apartment,The light flickered once when he stepped inside. Mira was on the couch, scrolling through her phone, legs crossed, a bored expression on her face.
"You're late," she said, not looking up.
Leon dropped his bag near the door. "Had to fix a crash in one of the builds. Everyone else left hours ago."
"Of course they did," she muttered, tapping on her screen. "And you? Still the only idiot who stays back for free."
He ignored the jab and opened the fridge,empty except for a jar of cheap coffee and yesterday's takeout box. He sighed, shut it, and leaned against the counter. "I'll get groceries tomorrow."
Mira let out a mocking laugh. "With what money, Leon?"
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. The silence told her everything.
"You know what?" she said, standing up, phone still in her hand. "I'm tired of this,this... nothing. You go to work, you come home, you eat whatever scraps we can afford, and then you sleep like an idi*t. When do you plan on living?"
Leon looked at her, dark circles under his eyes. "I'm trying, Mira. You think I like living like this?"
She scoffed. "You call this trying? You're wasting your life in that stupid company that pays you peanuts. My friends go on trips, wear real clothes, eat real food. You can't even buy me a decent bag without crying about rent!"
He clenched his jaw,saying nothing.
"I didn't sign up to live like a beggar!" she added, voice rising. "You're smart, Leon! You have a degree in computer science, for God's sake! Why are you stuck making kiddie games for peanuts?"
He rubbed his temples. "Because Gotham doesn't hire people like me unless your daddy owns a company or your last name's on a building."
"That's an excuse," she said coldly. "People make it here all the time."
"Yeah," he snapped, finally looking at her. "People with money, Mira. People born with the system on their side. You think talent matters here? It doesn't. You're either born in the right circle, or you drown."
She stared at him for a moment, then smirked. "Maybe I'm tired of drowning."
Leon's stomach twisted. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I want more than this," she said. "I'm twenty-four, Leon. I want nice things. I want to go out without worrying about bills. I want a future, not... pity."
He looked down. "I can't give you those things right now."
Her voice went cold. "Then what's the point of staying?"
Leon looked up at her, heart pounding. "Because I love you."
She shook her head and went to the bedroom.
When she came back, she was dragging a small suitcase. "I found someone who actually knows how to take care of me."
Leon's breath caught. "You're kidding."
She looked him dead in the eye. "You'll thank me someday. Maybe this will finally make you grow up."
He stepped forward, voice breaking. "Mira,please."
She didn't answer. She just brushed past him, opened the door, and left. The hallway light buzzed as the door swung shut behind her.
Leon stood there in silence, staring at the door Then his phone buzzed on the counter.
Incomingcall:St. Mary'sHospital.
He froze. His stomach sank. He picked up.
"Mr. Vargas?" a voice said on the other end. "We need you to come immediately. It's about your mother."
The world went quiet.
By the time he reached the hospital, it was raining.
Leon pushed through the glass doors, dripping wet, his shoes squeaking against the white tile. The fluorescent lights were too bright, too clean, too fake for the things that happened here.
A nurse at the front desk looked up as he approached. "Mr. Vargas?"
He nodded, breathing still uneven from running.
She motioned on him to sit. "You should sit down."
"Where's my mother?" he asked, ignoring the chair beside him. "Room 209, right?"
The nurse hesitated before adding. "I'm sorry, Mr. Vargas… she passed away earlier tonight."
For a second, he didn't process it. The world just,stopped.
"What?" His voice cracked.
"She… she'd been without medication for three days," the nurse said quietly. "We tried to get approval to continue treatment, but your mother's account had an outstanding balance. The hospital board wouldn't authorize more supplies."
Leon's heartbeat rised. "You stopped treating her because I didn't pay?"
The nurse's voice trembled. "It wasn't my decision. We're understaffed, underfunded"
He slammed his fist against the counter, startling her. "She was getting better! You let her die over money?"
Security turned their heads, but no one moved. This was Gotham. People died every day for less.
Leon stumbled back with a heavy heart and a blurring vision. "I'll… I'll file a complaint," he muttered. "I'll"
The nurse shook her head."There's nothing left to file, Mr. Vargas. I'm sorry."
He barely remembered leaving the building. he stepped into the storm. Rain drenching his face, mixing with tears.
He walked without direction, through alleys, past drunks, past beggars.
By the time he reached the intersection, he was soaked to the bone.
Leon stepped into the middle of the road and stopped.
His hands were shaking, his breath coming out in broken gasps. He tilted his head back, staring at the sky.
"You win!" he shouted into the storm. "You win, you rotten city!"
His voice cracked into a sob. "You take everything! My job, my mother, my life and for what? For people like me to stay at the bottom while your rich bastards laugh in their towers?"
It poured heavily,and a thunder was heard.
Leon fell to his knees in the middle of the road, water soaking his jeans. "I'm tired," he whispered. "I'm so damn tired of living like this."
He laughed bitterly through the tears. "Maybe it's better if I just… died"
A horn blared.
Leon turned just in time to see a blinding pair of headlights.
The impact threw him backward, his body hitting the wet pavement with a heavy thud. His ears rang, his vision blurd.
But before he passed out,he heard a voice ,not human, not real, but cold and precise, vibrating through his skull like electric current.
"Host detected.""Correction Protocol initializing…"