In the technologically advanced Silver City, the less fortunate were confined to the Underbelly, a place where even the privilege of education was denied.
despite their short comings the district thrived the narrow pathways field with merchants all of kinds, most of it was either fake or stolen. Among the bustling crown was Leo, a young man who had learned to survive in this harsh reality.
Casually scanning the area with bright blue eyes for his next mark, but the sudden shrill voice of his younger sister, Mia. "Leo!" she yelled, darting through the bustling streets of the fourth district. In her arms, hidden under a brown cloth, was their ticket to survival for the next few months.
Leo's eyes widened at the sight of his sister, behind her two men burst from the crowd, shouting, "Catch that good-for-nothing thief!" their faced red with anger, Leo's heart sank. He knew instantly what Mia had done and, without a second thought, he started running.
As they sprinted through the narrow alleyways, Leo scolded Mia, "I told you never to pull a job without me!" Mia on the other hand was unfazed by his anger the rush of the chase filled her with excitement her long blond hair tightly bound into two pig tails flowed in the wind, she simply giggled in response.
"Ready!?" Mia shouted, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Just do it already!" Leo responded, glancing back to see the men closing in on them. "Technolink: Mirage," Mia whispered. Suddenly, clones of the siblings scattered in all directions, causing momentary confusion among their pursuers.
"You go after those ones, and I'll go after those ones." the man rushed convinced that one of those was the real one, but unfortunately for them the siblings had experience. Once the men had disappeared, chasing after the illusions, Leo and Mia emerged from behind an illusionary wall that fit perfectly with the surrounding of shitty Underbelly.
"Works like a charm!" Mia shouted, filled with the enthusiasm of her first job. "Come on, let's go," Leo said, his voice laced with seriousness. She looked at her brother's face and the reality of her actions kicked in. They've been running this gig for the past 3 years with Leo leading, and they've never been close to being caught like they were today. Sensing his mood, Mia followed silently. As they neared their rundown apartment building, Mia finally voiced her frustration. "I'm not a child, you know. I'm old enough to pull jobs on my own."
Leo paused, turning to face Mia. His expression softened as he looked at his younger sister. "I know you're not a child, Mia," he said, his voice gentle yet firm. "But this isn't just about pulling jobs. It's about safety, about looking out for each other. We're a team, remember?" He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, hoping to ease her frustration.
"We've never been caught so far, because we've always worked together. Let's keep it that way." He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping to lighten the mood. with the setting sun hitting his eyes the blue deepened, becoming as profound and mysterious as the ocean at twilight. Using Technolink at her age was strenuous to the body. He knelt down, allowing her to climb onto his back.
As they entered the apartment, eager to show their mother their latest acquisition, Mia rushed from the kitchen to the living room. Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed through the city as debris from the floating Silver City rained down, causing Mia to halt in her tracks. Leo, who had been watching as half of the Underbelly was engulfed in flames, heard sirens for the first time in the Underbelly.
In his panic, he turned to his sister, only to see a dark figure with blood-red eyes gasping for air, standing behind her. Its mouth stretched wide, ready to devour the unsuspecting Mia. In that moment his body acted purely on its own, he grabbed a kitchen stool and swung it at Mia, shouting, "Duck!" With all his might, he swung the chair, sending the figure sprawling to the floor.
Without wasting a moment, he rushed to check on their mother, pulling Mia with her wrist. As they opened the bathroom door, nothing could have prepared them for the sight that awaited them. "Mo-!" His shout was quickly swallowed by the sight before him - nothing but the lower half of what seemed like their mother's leg remained her old worn-out pair of slippers were the only things they he could use to identify her, her dress pooled in a puddle of blood that stained the bathroom floor.
Paralyzed with shock, tears flooded his cheeks. Mia took a quick look at her brother, concern etched on her face. "Leo?" she asked, her voice trembling from the sudden attack a moment ago. A quick glance through the bathroom door and a gasp for air was all it took to bring her to her knees, her hands covering her mouth. Overcome with terror, she let out a scream.
The scream echoed through the apartment, a chilling sound that seemed to reverberate off the walls. Leo, still in shock, could only stare at the horrific scene before him he started to breath desperately for hair the sound of the approaching figure was enough to bring him back to his sense turning to look at the hallway the creature had returned walking towards them its eyes turned to opposite directions, tears of blood dropping from each eye its body twitching and glitching 'he looked like the repair guy from the second floor.' a thought rushed through Leo's mind recognizing the blue overalls and the name tag that read out Benjamin "Ca...Can...Can I have a bite?" the creature cried out stumbling on its words