Maria looked over her shoulder. No one had followed her from the station. She cut across the street, entering into an abandoned building like she had done dozens of times before. It sat right in front of a concrete wall, a dozen feet high, with barbed wire covering the top. It was certainly imposing, but it didn't have the same effect it did the first time she saw it, back when she was a kid.

It was lucky that this path still hadn't been found, otherwise it'd take a lot longer for her to get to class. Her official documentation said she lived somewhere in District 12, but she really lived right across the wall, in District 13. She propped up the wooden panel that she had set at the back of this building, covering a large hole through the concrete wall. After carefully moving through the exposed rebar, she placed it back, just as inconspicuous as it was before.

District 13 was known as a hellhole of sorts, with rampant poverty and a lack of government. The border region between the city and its estranged district looked like a warzone, with decaying buildings fully covered with graffiti crumbling around empty streets. There wasn't a person in sight. It had been this way since long before Maria had been born, though she held a pretty big part in what would be called it's government now, or at least her father did. He was effectively the mayor of the town near this edge.

Luckily, the sun was still high in the air, so she didn't have to worry too much about being jumped by surprise, not that she had anything to give a potential mugger besides paper. She carried on with a hurried pace, weaving between desolate buildings and the occasional eerie coal powerplant. Small trees and vines had started to grow through the dust that covered the ground, a few decorative varieties blown over from the other districts. It was at least nice to have a color besides concrete powder.

After a long walk, nearly forty minutes, she arrived in the town. The buildings were cleaner here, with the walls being clear of graffiti, and the roads being clear of a lot of the dust. Colorful clothes hung from lines between buildings, and several people were walking around outside. She walked towards the main building of the town, the hospital.

It wasn't particularly large, seemingly crammed in to a much smaller space than a hospital would need as an afterthought. Now it had been refurbished, serving as combined housing, a town hall, and of course, a hospital. It wasn't the most popular place to live, but it held a surprising amount of the people.

"Maria!" an enthusiastic voice said right as she entered the lobby.

"Father! I got out of class early today." She walked towards the man.

He was sitting down, rubbing a hand on his salt and pepper beard. His skin was tanned and leathery, with deep creases across his face. "What's the occasion? They aren't stiffing you out of the education you paid for, are they?"

"No. Our powers were tested today, Mr. Virzi might actually start training us."

"I thought he was already training you, with those self defense techniques. It's always good to learn how other people approach fighting."

"That's not what I wanted the class for."

The man stood up, brushing off his grey suit as he did so. "Young people can't appreciate such simplicity anymore. Ah, what can I expect? If it's not what you wanted, so be it."

"You know you can talk to me instead of yourself," Maria retorted.

"Watch your attitude, before I assign you more work. Speaking of, your brother just returned from his mission. You should go see him."

"Ricardo's here?" Her eyes lit up a little bit.

"He's in room 304."

Maria nearly bolted away. The old man merely scoffed as he watched her sprint off to the stairs.

As she rounded the corner, two flights of stairs up, she spotted him, quietly shutting the door to a room.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Oh thank god," she said, letting a deep breath out.

"Maria?"

"I heard you were on the third floor and I just, came running."

"No. I'm fine. One of my men got hit by a bullet." He looked incredibly similar to her, with the same tan skin and matte brown hair. He was wearing his full uniform, or what could be called that. It was just a collection of ages old military gear of some foreign nation, with the flags painted over in black. "Thankfully his vest caught it, but he still has a couple broken ribs."

"She ran off before I could tell her you were fine," said the old man, walking up the stairs behind them.

"Father," said Maria.

"Sebastian," said Ricardo. "Quite the nerve for you to show your face."

The man let out a deep sigh. "It's the same argument, isn't it my son?"

"You know you aren't my father," Ricardo snapped.

Maria tried to cut in. "Please, just stop."

"What's my next assignment, Sebastian?"

The old man, Sebastian, folded his arms together. "That's hardly a conversation to have in the hospital's hallway. Ricardo, you should know the risk that has."

"So there is a fucking mission. There's always another mission." Ricardo raised his voice. "Always another chance to put me and my friends an inch closer to death. Why can't we just make a damn living instead of trying to force ourselves on the outside? Are you still too foolish to give up your pride?"

Sebastian slapped Ricardo with a resounding crack. Maria gasped.

"You will not be going on the next mission. You are now a liability. Go home."

Ricardo stormed down the stairs, leaving a cold wind behind him.

"Father!" Maria yelled. "Why do you always fight with Ricardo? Why can't you just get along?"

"He doesn't want to get along. He needs to learn to be a man whether we see eye to eye or not."

***

Ricardo didn't live at the hospital like Maria. Instead, he lived a few blocks away, in a house he had fixed up himself. He ran his fingers over the rim of his table, remembering when he sanded it down himself, and how he had to trade a bottle of twenty year old whisky for the stain. A knock on the door pulled him out of his daydream.

He slowly pulled it open. Maria was standing on the other side, meekly staring down at the ground.

"Maria, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You looked pretty upset earlier."

Maria walked in, taking note of the room around her. It had changed significantly since she was last here, now with bottles and cans strewn across his coffee table, with a few rips across his couch. The floor was riddled with filth, and wall had a hole in it.

"Cold beer?" he asked, holding out an unopened can, with frost building up around it, swirling in lace-like patterns.

"No thank you."

Ricardo had already changed into a simple white shirt and some dark olive cargo pants. Now that he was out of his gear, it was easy to notice his stubble and messy hair.

"I've been wondering," Maria continued. "Do you hate father?"

"He's not my father, and no, I don't hate him. Sebastian means well, as well as he can in his position." he plopped down onto the couch, sinking a few inches as he landed.

"He's taken care of us since I was like eight. Can't you be more..."

"Considerate? I try, but it's been hard. I've lost good friends. Do you want to sit down?"

"No, I... I just want to talk to you."

Ricardo cracked open the beer he had been holding and took a large swig of it. "Sometimes I'm jealous of you."

"What?"

"While I'm trapped here, having to go on deadly mission after mission, you get to go to the fancy school and get out of this life. I end up jealous of you without even knowing it. Then I realize, that's exactly what I want for you. I want you to get out of this life. I just wish I could go with you."

"Don't talk like that. When I get my degree, I'll get a respectable job, then I'll get you into the city, as a real citizen."

"That's not possible. I'm already on their lists. You know that. That's why we had to register you with the fake last name. So you wouldn't get connected to me."

"I... I'll get you cleared."

"Stop making false promises. The only promise you need to worry about, is promising me you'll be happy once you get out of here. I'll deal with what's here, you deal with what's there."

Maria hung down her head, trying to think of something to say.

"Now if you aren't sticking around for dinner here, you should head back to the hospital, it's getting late and the injured need fed."

"I have permission not to work today." She sat down on the couch next to him.

"Oh? Then Dan will be mighty disappointed when it's one of the old ladies feeding him soup tonight."

Maria failed to stifle a giggle as Ricardo heartily laughed.

"If you're staying here for dinner, I have some instant noodles. It's about time they turn on the coal factory. Maybe I'll finally be able to boil some water."

"That would be... perfectly fine."