The street was loud.
Too loud for someone who had just been turned down for a job.
One walked with no real destination.
His hands were in his pockets. They didn't find much in there.
Three coins.
Not enough to eat.
Not enough to get home.
"It's okay," he whispered.
He still didn't know who he was talking to.
The building behind him still displayed the ad:
SEEKING ASSISTANT – COMPATIBILITY MANDATORY
The recruiter hadn't even been mean.
Just tired.
— Sorry, kid. Your profile… it doesn't pass in the system.
One had nodded.
He did that a lot.
Now, he was walking.
People brushed past him without looking.
A Hunter passed near him, armor gleaming, a golden badge.
One looked away.
"Class A…" he murmured, impressed.
His stomach growled.
He stopped in front of a shop window.
A sandwich. Too expensive.
He sighed, then started walking again.
That's when he heard the scream.
— Help!
One froze.
A woman was trapped in an alley.
Two figures blocked her path.
One hesitated.
He looked at his hands.
"I have no money…
I have no job…"
He looked up toward the alley.
The woman looked at him.
She was crying.
One took a breath.
"Well…"
He stepped into the alley.