Two young men were slowly making their way in one of the most impoverished zones of new Casablanca. After crossing multiple streets and several back alleys, they had arrived to one of the most infamous wastelands of New Casablanca
To be more precise, this "wasteland" is where most orphans grew up, a place where all the unwanted newborns were dumped. The infamous "Baby Cemetery", built on top of mountains of waste and garbage.
The Baby Cemetery was the place where New Casablanca's saddest reality takes place. A piece of land where all the rejected kids grew up. Getting backstabbed for a loaf of bread was all too common.
This is where Fell Pluck grew up, in the middle of huge garbage piles full of unknown metals and scraps. The starry sky full of chemicals was the first thing that entered his eyes in the morning, and it was also the last picture he gets to see every night before going to sleep.
"Give me what she gave you! You think I didn't notice how that middle-aged woman was looking at you," menacingly said a fourteen-year-old boy.
"But… it's mine, she gave me these 10 credits to buy myself clothes and some food," said the shy child called Anwar while trying to defend himself, on his face a mask of courage trying to protect his meager gains.
Scenes like these were way too common for Fell, this was his reality. He remembers that time when a kind woman gave him 20 credits. She kept telling Fell that he looks just like her own son. After sobbing for a few moments, she left him, her face filled with sadness.
Fell remembered how he got to feast that day, unlike this timid child, he didn't make the mistake of coming back here with pockets full of money. Here, it was just a way of asking others to steal him.
He still remembered how he used to get bullied and outnumbered because of his soft features, he grew up in this weird place where childhood was a phase that passed as quickly as the hungover of a drunkard or the high of a drug addict.
"Place like these really do exist everywhere," pondered the blue-haired man.
"This is just one of the harsh realities of Earth." Answered Fell, "What's your name by the way?"
"Anzar Massin."
"Mine is Fell, Fell Pluck, the one who left me here probably knew I would need a lot of courage!" joked Fell. "You should try to avoid the streets for some time, those Darksun bastards are quite the vicious thugs"
"We are close to my house, you can stay there for a while if you want to."
"Sure, I have no precise plan, right now", said Anzar, his face full of interest about his surroundings.
They slowly disappeared in a small alley of the slum, their back slowly getting eaten by the dark. They advanced through several small alleys, accompanied by the sound of fighting and crying.
A thick smell of rust and blood tainted the air here, the light from the moon that would usually cascade on the street was covered and blocked by a faint toxic mist in the sky.
After several minutes of walking through the slithering, maze-like paths, they slowly arrived in front of an old dilapidated villa.
It was a charming villa with an old style of the 1900s, or at least it should have been a charming villa, it was in such a state that one would wonder how it was still standing.
The old building was on the brink of collapse and no windows were intact. In fact, no glass could be found in the windows. Thugs probably took it all away to make some makeshift sharp weapons.
But it was still Fell's Home, the only place where he could close his eyes and completely forget his life.
"Welcome to my humble house, I may not have much, but at least I know the customs of having a guest" heartily said the young Fell, an innocent and welcoming smile on his face.
New Casablanca's core was where most of its outlaws lived, it has a particularly active nightlife. This part of the city was well known for its underworld, a place where crooks, felons, and malefactors roam freely.
One of the places where they meet each other and interact was the Filthy Jade Palace. Stories say that it was an ancient high-class hotel where important business deals were done negotiated and approved.
As of now, it was just a festering nest of crime, if you needed something not quite legal, an odd job done, then the Filthy Jade Palace was the place you were looking for. To each problem a solution, Clean or dirty.
It was in this particularly shady place that a contract was being discussed. In an amber-lighted room full of high-class furniture, two men were facing each other and discussing the conditions of their deal. Their figures were quite different from those of your usual thug. The two men were some very important members of the underworld.
One of them was Vicious Zhang, the gang leader of the Darksuns. While the other was the branch leader of 99%, an underworld organization that made its gains by fulfilling assassination contracts.
99%'s name comes from their high success rate, they rarely failed their work. Fact is, when they do fail, that just means that the person you want dead is simply unkillable.
"I want that blue-haired stranger dead, this vicious bastard didn't need to incapacitate my subordinate" gnashed the big man Vicious Zhang, his eyes showing a very clear look of anger.
"We will do the best we can do to satisfy you, my friend. We have been working together for so long, a simple hardening user is no big deal for Nine Nine" calmly responded 99's branch leader while slowly serving himself a fresh beverage.
Both men had worked together many times in the past. Vicious Zhang was quite well known for being heavily protective of his subordinates' wellbeing. In this unnaturally dangerous environment, Nine Nine's service was a must-have for Vicious Zhang to accomplish his goals.
"I'll leave this issue in your hands; anyway I have some matter to deal with, the police forces are getting more and more active lately, and it's been making my men uncomfortable," said the big man before leaving the room.
The branch leader made sure that Vicious Zhang had left the area. He stood up, a smirk slowly appearing on his face.
"Blue hair... this is big, I need to inform the higher-ups"
A decisive look appeared on his eyes, he left the room with hurried steps. Closing the door behind his steps, leaving the room bathe in its habitual gloomy shade.