----

Two days later, we had managed to get away from district three, and moved into District four. We were still on level four, and had been traveling through the tight crowds of the deeper levels. By now the police patrols were cut down, and there had only been checkpoints on the routes to the higher levels of the city,

We even had a lucky break earlier today, when some knife wielding mugger came at us late last night, and we acquired another six bucks and some change, along with a second knife.

I'm not really sure what he had done to earn bad enough luck to find us, but getting off with two broken fingers was a bargain considering the two practical monsters i was traveling with,

Emma was excited about her new knife, it was a proper blade too, not a folding one.

As we walked through the district, we followed the crowds, and passed a homeless mutant, covered in thick, matted hairs, shaking a mug for change.

Sorry buddy, we were in the same boat as you.

We stopped for lunch at a place called "Papa Hector's Noodles" and ordered three bowls.

I even got to try a cola, which amused Keith to no end when I coughed at the bubbly liquid. I had been on a water and meal ration for as long as I could remember, the whole experience of ordering food and paying for it was a little jarring for me.

“District seven is a faster route” Keith continued the discussion.

“District seven has almost no rediental traffic in it, well be way more suspicious” Emma argued.

Emma and Keith quietly argued about the Merits of the nearby districts five, and Seven. As I read the menu, despite the fact I already ordered a noodle bowl, I was curious about the other options they had.

Prison food had sucked, so I was enjoying these new culinary discoveries.

Synth Pork noodles… There was an expensive one that had mixed "spring vegetables" including onions, carrots, and celery.

I was practically drooling over some of the options that they offered here. when I noticed the "help wanted" note at the bottom of the menu.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"How about we stay in district four awhile? Get a job?" I asked.

They both looked at me like I was completely crazy. Which, i had to admit i may have been thinking with my stomach in this situation.

I turned my menu and pointed at the note at the bottom.

Two dollars an hour, meals included. No interview needed.

It wasn't cape money, but it was money.

"How bad could it be?" I asked.

---

"What can I get you guys?" I asked the two women sitting at the booth.

"I'll take a Synth pork" one stated, without looking towards me. The other let out a long "hmmmm" and stared at the menu in stressed confusion. "What would you suggest?" The unprepared customer asked.

"Spring Vegetables" I responded, the tone of my voice making it sound like sage advice. I had tried every single bowl of noodles that Hector could make, including some chef specials. Spring vegetables were definitely a cut above the rest.

She nodded "yeah, I'll take that" she gave a polite smile and returned to her conversation.

I returned to the kitchen and called out the orders to Keith and Hector.

I slid over to the sink and washed two bowls rapidly, setting them in the window so they could be filled. "Emma! More noodles! C'mon already!" Hector yelled.

"I'm fucking coming you Fucking Senile old man!" Emma yelled back, hefting in a fifty pound bag of fried noodles from the back.

"I outta cut your tongue out, you vile witch" Hector snarled in reply. Slamming a cleaver into a square of synth chicken.

"Try it, we'll see, fucker" she responded, as Keith stared at me, his eyes expressing his opinion of the two's constant bickering, as he filled the two bowls and I left to take them out to the tables.

Hector didn't ask questions, he hired us on the spot and put us to work. He was a hard ass, but a fair hard ass.

Apparently his kids had helped him run the place, until he had managed to send them off to college last spring, and it was only him and his wife.

We had worked there for a week already, and there wasn't a sign at all that the capes knew where we were, or who we were.

I nearly shit myself when one came in and ordered food, Hector told me that She came in occasionally and ate for free, he called it his "public duty" to feed the cape that patrolled the area.

Azure Gale, had the power to control winds, and was one of district fours solo capes. She spent most of her time in the lower levels, and was apparently very well liked.

I couldn't even disagree with that consensus, since she tipped me five whole dollars.

After we pooled together our first week's pay, we even managed to afford a shitty one room habitation unit we could crash in, though sleeping arrangements were less than comfortable.

After that week, I had finally begun to think that we had a place here, even if it was temporary. It was the first time life was easy.