Air whipped across my face, buffeting me from every direction as the winds from above and below battle for dominance on top of this old apartment. I periodically caught a whiff of charred metal and oily smoke from the burnt out helicopter behind me. Remains of the aircraft which brought us in to the city.

Seitoji laid sprawled out before me, still damp from the storm, though far quieter now that the lightning passed. Countless rows of crowded high rise apartments stood between me and the patchwork wall surrounding the city. Further still were the vast Old City ruins, an endless field of crumbled stone and steel.

I was here looking for my team.

We’d been separated, after our transport was shot down, and failed to regroup at either the objective or base camp outside the city. Their last message said they met up with the pilot, and were on track for Lambda Complex. Given that’s where I just came from, and found no trace of them as I backtracked to the crash site, I was a little concerned.

I grabbed my WebComm and set it to the emergency channel. “Can anyone read me?”

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Static.

Then, a voice cut through. “Maia! Something—“ it was cut off by a crackle of noise.

“Tsumi! What happened? Report!”

A few more words broke through. “Kind of silver… Sector Four… hunting… everyone… sorry… get away… can’t… nearby.”

“Tsumi! Say again! You’re breaking up!” The radio remained silent. I shoved the WebComm into its pouch. Sector Four was in the Old City, past the outer defenses. It wouldn’t take long.

I took off towards the edge of the city, leaping from roof to roof at a dangerous pace. Scattered voices rose from the streets, Seitojin civilians offended by my presence. I flew over the wall, too rushed to wonder why there were no guards to hinder my passage. It took less than a minute to reach Sector Four, and I began searching immediately.

I heard a nearby scream, cut short mid wail. It came from a crumbling structure surrounded by decrepit rubble. I was there in seconds, in time to see a strange silver creature in the shape of a man rip out my friends throat. It tossed her aside, onto a pile of rotten wood and grimy stone. A glimmer of white light fizzled over the wound, failing to stop the blood from gushing down her neck.

Hitori!

A scorching heat paled against the flame of murderous rage.

Hitori! Protius! Are you alright!

The world froze in time and dissolved away, until only the silver man remained.