Columns of smoke rose from the fire burning within a dumpster. The fumes floated around the air, filling Florence’s nostrils.

Florence gagged. The nerves in her ankle screamed. She raised her eyebrow at the bloke NPC with a torn jacket and wires for hairs under the rubbish. A red eye tattoo on his belly stared at her. Next to her, Aisling groaned, and the tears on her face dried up. She covered her knee’s swollen and blistered skin, leaning onto Florence.

The squeaks and grinding of gears echoed. The company of pink androids with one of their arms transformed into a rifle pushed against the vines and roots.

Yuze rolled her eyes, dropping to the ground with a thud. She uncovered the hole in her shoulder.

Stella scooped Sam under his belly from a mountain of trash, cuddling him in her arms.

“This pleb smells disgusting,” Sam said. “Or is it just the flaming hot trash over there?”

“Pardon me, which pleb are you talking about?” Florence asked.

Sam pointed at the bloke NPC with wires for hairs. Then Sam pawed Florence’s face.

Florence cupped the spot where she got hit. “What was that for?”

The pink androids uprooted the vines and roots in a swing.

“I think… we should go,” Aisling said.

“How about that bloke over?” Florence asked. She glanced over to the NPC with wires for hairs, limping backward. “We should probably get him as well.”

Sam hissed. “Do you seriously think those plebs will notice that pleb over there, pleb?”

“I think… I mean, this is a terrible idea,” Stella said.

“Two NPC detected,” the pink androids said.

“Yup, definitely kinda bad.” Aisling wrapped her arms around Yuze, picking her back up to her feet. “This is kinda getting way too much like a clown fiesta.”

“What is a clown fiesta?” Florence asked.

The rifle barrels charged with electric energy as the pink android aimed them through the rear and front sights.

“Bad idea,” Aisling said.

Florence reached her hand into the pile of garbage, pulling out the bloke NPC with wires for hairs. The empty cans and glass bottles clattered across the rough surface. Then something hard poked her abdomen.

She tilted her head down.

A metal beam stuck through the bloke NPC’s stomach. Blood dripped, splattering onto Florence’s apron.

“Come on, we really gotta go now,” Aisling said. She waved her hands, slapping her feet across the narrow path and dragging Yuze.

Florence wrapped her arms around the bloke NPC with wires for hairs. She followed Stella, who quickened their pace behind Aisling and Yuze.

“Are you trying to be a suicidal manic, Florence? You gotta leave him,” Aisling said. Her breaths become shallow.

“How about no?” Florence tripped on the rough surface, landing on her face. “Do you think that I care enough about it?”

The pink androids towered over Florence, casting a shadow over her. They aimed the rifles, aligning the sight to the bloke NPC with wires for hairs.

Florence jumped in, pressing her forehead on one of the muzzles. The electric energy charged within the barrel vibrated her skin. She closed her eyes, and the electric crackle rang in her ears.

“Florence, get away from there, now,” Aisling said. Her footsteps echoed louder.

A whistle penetrated the air, flying past Florence. Her hair rustled.

The muzzle pressed on her forehead disappeared. A squeak hummed inside the pink androids.

Florence opened her eyes.

A bundle of wires now connected to the spine of all those pink androids. They aligned the rear and front sight at each other. In a synchronized fashion, a beam of electricity exploded from the barrel. Their joints melted. At the same time, they collapsed onto the narrow path with a thud.

Florence followed those bundles of wires from the pink androids to the bloke NPC’s scalp.

The bloke NPC rolled onto his side. He glared at Florence.

Aisling limped with heavy steps, dragging Yuze across the rough surface towards Florence.

“Florence, are you alright?” Aisling said.

“I am… fine,” Florence said. She shook her head, clenching onto the apron, turning her fingers white. But the nerves in her burnt ankle still screamed.

“I think it might be better to check… if Mai is okay,” Stella said.

Aisling coughed, cupping her mouth. “You sure?”

Stella nodded.

“Absolutely,” Florence said. She smiled, giving Stella a thumbs up. “If… you know, I think it’ll be that way. Just… some reassurance.”

The end of a bundle of wires detached from the pink androids’ spine with a click. The cables retracted to the length of the bloke NPC’s shoulder.

The bloke NPC gripped the metal rod stuck through his stomach.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Hey, do not pull that out.” Florence sank her nails around the scab on her forearms. “You do not want to know what happens if you do try to pull it out.”

“You don’t have to tell me that. Plus, I’m not that stupid,” the bloke NPC with wires for hair said.

“Come on, we seriously gotta get out of here.” Aisling wheezed, cupping her mouth.

Florence stretched her hand out for the bloke NPC with wires for hairs.

The bloke NPC pressed his palm on the ground, forcing himself to his feet.

Yuze blinked, rubbing the back of her neck. Then she patted her pockets. “One problem.”

Aisling shrugged, stuffing her hands into the pocket of her hooded shirt. “What’s it?”

Yuze smirked.

“You forgot about it? Isn’t that right,” Aisling said.

Stella fidgeted her skirt. “I think… I mean, we should probably go back up there.”

“I guess that is it. We all will go back there,” Florence said.

“You gotta be kidding me.” Aisling smiled, placing her palm on her abdomen. “Well, I guess we’re gonna do that instead.”

The bloke NPC with wires for hair slammed onto the glass panel wall, sending vibrations across it. His hands gripped a metal rod stabbed through his stomach, turning his fingers white.

“How about I help you? Of course, that is if you wanted to do it in the first place,” Florence said.

The bloke NPC shook his head. He slid along the glass panel wall with a squeak. In one misstep, he slipped.

Florence reached out. She snatched onto the torn jacket of the bloke NPC before he collapsed to the ground.

Aisling inched backward. From a distance, her skin paled more than usual. Suddenly, she bent her knees, collapsing onto the ground with a thud. She inhaled and exhaled, wrapping her arms around her abdomen.

“Aisling,” Florence said, limping towards Aisling. “How does your abdomen feel right about now?”

Aisling groaned.

Florence crouched. She lifted the hooded shirt, unwrapping the bandage around Aisling’s abdomen.

The claw-like gash, with black spots surrounding it, formed scabs. Florence poked the dark, hard, and leathery part of Aisling’s skin. Aisling pulled her hooded shirt down, covering her wound. She avoided eye contact with Florence.

“Why did you not say anything to me?” Florence asked. “About your injury on your abdomen.”

“Well, it’s nothing much… kinda,” Aisling said.

“You do realize… that in your current condition, you need to get it treated in the hospital immediately.”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“That’s because… well, you just won’t understand.”

“This is not the only thing that you should worry about. Just look at your leg for a moment.”

Aisling glanced at the electrical burn on the skin of her knee.

“You see that, right?” Florence asked.

Aisling shrugged. “What’s the problem with that?”

“Well, there might be severe internal tissue and organ damage from the electrical burns as well. Believe me, it is unpleasant. Also, it is not just you. But me and Yuze, too.”

“What’s the point of that? You could already tell why we are here in the first place.”

“Even if we are in debt. They are probably still going to treat us with proper medical care.”

Aisling sighed, kicking an empty can rolling across the path.

“How is it?” Florence asked.

Aisling sat upright, crossing her legs. She rested her chin on her palm. “You’ll see it soon enough.”

Florence gazed blankly at Aisling.

Yuze smirked. She then covered it up.

Stella raised her hand, trembling in the air. “There is… one… I mean a few problems.”

“Tell me if you wanna say it,” Aisling said. She sniffed, squeezing her nose. “This sucks.”

“Behind you,” Yuze said. She rolled her eyes up, falling unconscious.

Florence turned around. One problem arises. The bloke NPC with wires for hairs vanished… nowhere to be seen.

“I see,” Florence said.

“I guess that is one less problem to deal with.” Stella clasped her hands together, shrinking into herself. “I mean… Please don’t be offended by what I just said.”

“Here we go,” Sam said. “It will be entertaining to look at plebs. Isn’t that right, Stella?”

Stella patted Sam between his ears.

Sam purred.

Florence raised her eyebrows. “Wait a minute? Did he just say Stella as Stella? But not pleb.”

“Yup, you heard it correctly,” Aisling said.

Sam sank his teeth into Stella’s hands.

Stella didn’t retract her hand away from Sam as she stroked him.

“Do you know what? I think all of us should keep going,” Florence said.

“Yup, sure. I’m just gonna let you know… that you gotta have to carry me over there.” Aisling yawned, closing her eyes.

Stella nodded.

“Pardon me, could I get this straight?” Florence collapsed on the glass panel wall, sliding to her bottom. “Why am I even here?”

“Hey, don’t ask me, pleb,” Sam said. He squeezed out of Stella’s hug and landed on his paws.

Stella waddled to Aisling and Yuze, lifting both of them up. Within seconds, her cheeks reddened as she heaved.

Florence pressed her palm on the ground, pushing herself up. Her ankle burned, but she limped to Stella, helping her carry the weight of Aisling and Yuze.

“Yes, my fellow pleb and Stella,” Sam said. “Keep working until your spine breaks, even though I earned more money than you all combined.”

Florence’s and Stella’s footsteps echoed through the narrow path between the glass panel walls. Empty cans and melted android limbs clattered to the side. Aisling’s and Yuze’s feet dragged across the ground. Florence and Stella walked past a dumpster lit on fire, and Sam followed them from behind.

Florence gagged. The rancid odor entered her lungs. She exited the alley and entered the street set in flames. From the intense heat, sweat trickled down to her chin. Then she circled back to the identical skyscrapers made of steel and glass where Mai lived. In the eleventh level, smoke and an inferno spewed from a shattered glass panel wall.

Stella inhaled and exhaled, raising her chest up and down.

“Keep moving. I know you can do it, Stella,” Sam said.

“The last thing I expected to do is listen to a talking cat.” Florence dipped her chin lower. “Why am I here anyway?”

Stella shrugged.

“Don’t ask, pleb. Keep me moving,” Sam said, scratching Florence’s leg.

Florence yelped, retracting her foot away from Sam.

“Pardon me, what was that for?” Florence asked.

Sam hissed. His tail pointed to the sky. “Didn’t you hear what I just said, pleb.”

“Sam… I mean, calm down,” Stella said. “There is no need to be like this… I think.”

Sam purred, rubbing his cheeks on Stella’s legs.

“Great, I guess we are going in,” Florence said.

“Of course, you’re doing that,” Sam said. “You don’t want to anger this smart and magnificent talking cat.”

Florence sighed. She and Stella entered the building through the entrance, dragging Aisling and Yuze in.

Sam followed with his tail wagging.

After limping across the lobby void of furniture and climbing up the eleven flights of stairs, Florence wheezed. Her lungs sucked up as much air as possible to maintain oxygen level. The sweat covered her body. The fire alarms rang in her ears. The hallway blurred together as she went past the doors and doorbells.

Stella screeched to a stop in front of an opened door. She released her grip on Aisling and Yuze.

Aisling and Yuze’s weight pressured Florence to plummet to the floor with a thud.

Through that doorway, the fire engulfed the room. The metal utensils melted. Ashes rested on the floor. But Mai couldn’t be found anywhere.