Morning in the hive was no different from evening. Smog trickled down in muddy streams from the upper levels, while the mutated inhabitants of the lower level struggled to survive. There was no steady work or sustenance - the Imperium existed by exploiting vast numbers of starving destitute.

The Imperial Guard? To be a slave to the Mechanicus? Harmful production? Slavery on a voidship? We're ready, just give us food.

While preachers with false smiles handed out food to instill faith, corporate owners hired more disposable material. Everyone was satisfied - without the poor class there would be no nobles, and the lords of Terra could not sing praises to their gold super human.

Ezok and Eleanore took dozens of rations - they were going to Shram's workshop. Like thieves, they paid gangs for protection. In the lower levels, everyone pai to criminals for safety. Prices varied based on means, and local leaders knew well how much to ask from each person.

They were located on level 27 of the hive, but Ezok wasn't sure the markings were accurate. A faded fire safety notice he read for information was ancient and crumbling apart.

They walked cautiously through streets made of garbage. Homes were piles of old panels, and the hive's metallic structures were not visible. Shram's workshop was located in a junkyard, the richest area of the lower hive.

The workshop itself was a master welder's magnum opus. Two tanks welded together with ten containers. The base could withstand any invaders, and the tank turrets were still in work.

They entered the workshop, then approached the elder encased in hermetically sealed armor. His body was completely hidden behind homemade shell armor, and guards prevented them from going past the reception room. The space was filled with weapons and assorted junk. The guards concealed their appearances with balaclavas.

Shram sat at his homemade scrap metal table. He immediately turned to the teenagers.

"Grey Rat and Red Cat, it seems like everything's good this month."

Ezok, "Grey Rat", wore a tattered grey cloak with numerous stitched patches. All his bracers, belt and boots were also grey but noticeably faded and worn out. His face was hidden behind a mask made of old bandages and broken metal helmet that concealed most of his face. Ezok had to hide his appearance - he and his sister were among the few who had not mutated.

Eleanore, "Red Cat", stood out with her bright outfit. She wore a red dress made of torn scraps of fabric, colorful leggings, and old red boots. Her hair was hidden under a red wig, highlighting her individuality. Her mask had patterns she dreamed up in her free time.

When they approached Shram, Ezok couldn't help but notice the ceremonial wrecked power armor suit displayed in the corner. This rusted and dented metallic armor was clearly meant for aesthetic impact rather than actual protection. Shram likely used it in his workshop as a symbol of his skill and combat experience.

Just a couple of days ago, this suit hadn't been there.

Having arrived in the Warhammer world, besides his standard warp abilities, Ezok discovered only one super warp power in himself. When he observed any object and thought about how it worked, he could apply his psychic force.

Simple items like knives required minimal effort from him, and hundreds of metalworking theories formed in his mind. Complex firearms needed more significant exertion, but he could still assemble them.

Everything became more difficult with electronics or laser weapons. Applying his power of understanding exhausted him tremendously, and in some cases his psyker powers weren't enough. He could try reproducing some items, but who would provide him lathes? Equipment for soldering microcircuits? Where could he get photolithography equipment? Maybe crystal growing was possible in a junkyard?

He simply used his power on the armor, then imperceptibly applied biomancy to stop the bleed. He couldn't allow blood dripping from his nose to be noticed.

He knew the distance at which he could be sensed. Shram and the mutants were too far to feel the temperature shift near a psyker.

Ezok immediately grasped the powered armor design based on artificial muscles. His knowledge wouldn't be enough to recreate it, but repairing such an item he could manage.

The entire upper section was extremely deformed. The power unit had long been removed. Armor for the right leg was missing, only the artificial muscle framework remained. The right arm was clearly a crude repair attempt. But that wasn't what drew his interest.

The artificial muscles were torn in the right places. Since the powered armor was heavy, turning the artificial muscle remnants into lightweight armor was entirely feasible.

"Like it?"

Shram had already taken the food from Red Cat. He approached Grey Rat and stroked the scorched carapace.

"Delphis Mk.II. When I lived above, I saw someone in armor like this.... man! That soldier killed an entire battalion."

Eleanore immediately prodded their boss.

"Uncle Shram, how much would armor like that cost?"

The old man grinned and returned to his table. His silence meant they couldn't afford such a thing.

"How did the last 'job' go?"

Ezok stopped gawking at the power armor and pulled a suppressed stab revolver from under his clothes. He carefully removed the bullets, then placed everything on the table. The weapon had an altered gas locking mechanism, so each time the cartridges expanded from firing.

"Thanks for the gun, there was no security, we escaped easily. The weapon was just insurance."

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Shram took the revolver and checked the cylinder. The old man hid the weapon, then called out to a guard.

"Bring me a small 50 millimeter single shot grenade launcher and 34 shaped charge anti-armor rounds."

Then he laid out a newspaper before the teenagers.

"Tomorrow my crew is going into the violet zone. You can't come with us, unlike us, you don't look like mutants. Your chance of death from the local air is just huge."

The old man intended to say more, but his thoughts were slightly chaotic.

Ezok and his sister had already started reading the newspaper. Eleanore was confused, but Ezok immediately grasped something major was impending.

The boring text had long been crossed out, and interesting sections marked with a highlighter. They ignored the yellow markings and immediately read the red. It was a call to recruitment for protecting hive citizens from lower hive gangs.

The Adeptus Arbites didn't go into the lower hives - they only visited to bring death and ruin. To save resources, the numbers of these enforcers was always minimal, but during raids they actively recruited - forcibly conscripting people into service.

Ezok and Eleanore's parents had died during one such raid, and many gangs migrated and hid like rats. For them this wasn't the first raid - they usually just hid far from the bulk of the populace.

"This isn't a raid for heretics or hunt for fools who kill nobles, we also watched all the bald smartasses fuckers and killed them. Folks from the midhive say this is a RUT."

The teenagers stared at the strict mutant questioningly. They didn't understand how an animal mating season related to a raid.

Their silence was interrupted by the guard. He brought a small single-shot grenade launcher and dozens of shaped charge rounds. Shram took the weapon, checked it, and handed it to them.

"The RUT is a rare event for us. When an important guest arrives to the hive lord, the mutant hunt starts."

Ezok looked incredulously at the old man - his story resembled a horror tale.

"You don't need to believe me, but one noble is worth more than the entire hive. Mobilizing the guard dogs to hunt us is a romantic adventure for some odd fucker. When those bastards go hunting, better run faster."

Ezok noticed an inconsistency. Shram intended to leave, but what about this workshop?

"Uncle Shram, you're abandoning all your savings?"

The old man grinned, then shrugged.

"We'll cover the workshop in garbage - the noble bastards don't rummage through trash. Usually the Hunt ends quickly, with just a couple hundred dead. I'll return in a month, so tell me if someone steals from me."

Ezok took the grenade launcher and ammunition, while Eleanore looked expectantly at the old man.

"Fine..."

Shram reached for his holster and took off his laspistol. The girl happily snatched the weapon and hung it on her belt.

"THANKS!"

Shram removed the battery packs and sighed. He took out a hand-drawn map of the hive, then showed the teenagers dangerous areas.

"I suggest you take shelter in the ridiculous mid-area. We don't know when the Hunt will start, but it's unsafe for you to remain in this area."

Eleanore pointed at one of the locations.

"Maybe we should go here? Two years ago, we stole grox steaks from there."

Ezok frowned - he was overcome with a sense of foreboding, as if he had already lived through this day before. Moments later, the psyker was once again plunged into the Exarch's illusion.

"Let's just trade our food for a decent map first."

The journey from one hive area to another was fraught with danger - only fresh route maps could guarantee safe migration. This was why most lower zone dwellers found it impossible to reach the midhive.

"Let's go to Aunt Mar?"

Shram interjected in the teenagers' conversation, pointing at the door.

"Good luck, now get out of our home."

One of his subordinates grinned.

"Good luck surviving, pureblood punks."

Another bodyguard took a few homemade grenades and handed them to Ezok.

"Thanks for the can of food slime, hope you don't die."

The mutant gang casually said goodbye to the food suppliers. The two teenagers had kept them from starving for years now. Suppliers usually died or betrayed them. This brother and sister were an exception.

Once the teenagers left, Shram dejectedly remarked:

"Before we go, let's kill Lom. That junkie with an autogun will cause problems for the area."

As a deserter, Shram had long abandoned habits - he just hoped for another day of life. Lom could cause issues for the weak inhabitants like Grey Rat and Red Cat.

Carrying a cart loaded with food, Ezok and Eleanore returned home, then headed toward Mar. In the narrow corridors, hundreds of starving residents crowded together. They didn't know the teenagers' cart held enough food to feed hundreds.

In places the corridors turned into sewage and uneven hive environmental systems machinery. Ezok skillfully maneuvered the cart.

They quickly reached the food production area. This hive region was dirty, dark spaces saturated with the stench of rot and decaying remains. Lower inhabitants bustled around here - the cheapest food was produced from insects.

In the room corners stood large vats of black liquid - toxic waste dumped down from the upper hive levels. These wastes contained various harmful substances, but had become an essential food source for the locals. The waste was consumed by special insects adapted to processing hydrocarbons.

Ezok raised his eyes to examine the strange creatures crawling around. They were large, with black carapaces and shining eyes. Their long antennae moved slowly, sensing the air. These insects could ingest toxic substances and process them in their bodies, turning them into safe consumables.

He and Eleanore also ate insect paste. Thanks to biomancy, the siblings didn't mutate from such a diet. The insects were far from completely harmless for eating.

The destitute scurried around, collecting the insects into special containers. They used primitive tools to rip out edible body parts. These parts were then processed - boiled to soften the poison and ground into paste.

In a world without sunlight, the toxic insects were the only food for the poor.

An old woman approached them - Ezok immediately recognized her. The armor and laser rifle said a lot in the lower world. Like all mutants, she concealed her appearance with clothing - every part of her body was wrapped in filthy rags. The siblings stood out since mutations hadn't started in them yet.

A group of armed mutants was about to rob the brother and sister, but a buzzing sounded.

ZAP

One hoodlum's head exploded from a laser pulse hit.

"Breaking the rules?"

ZAPS

The mutant group quickly fled, with dozens of shots flying after them. Some unlucky ones died.

The food factory owner emerged from a dark alley.

"Aunt Mar!"

Recognizing them, she lowered the lasrifle and called out.

"Oh, it's you. Up to business again?"

Eleanore hopped up and hugged the woman.

"Thanks for the help!"

Ordinary mutants like Mar or Shram couldn't notice - whenever Eleanore talked to them, her power made them treat her as their own relative.

Ezok knew his sister didn't use her power intentionally - it was an instinct that allowed her to obtain food for them by begging insect mush from Mar. They only started eating properly a couple years ago - this diet caused Eleanore's vitamin deficiencies.

The woman embraced Eleanore and looked at the cart. She then expectantly asked her brother.

"Why did you come here?" Ezok carefully answered the woman - he always found her suspicious. He sensed a strange smell from her.

"Barter, we need maps to the grox warehouse."

Mar released the girl and approached the cart, shifting the cloth and counting the food reserves. The woman eagerly grabbed the handle and wheeled the cart toward her house.

The siblings followed her. The silence was broken by a curious question.

"Why give away so much food? You usually take jobs when Shram has buyers. There's enough nutrition in the cart to last you long."

Eleanore lifted her tattered red dress, revealing the laspistol on her belt.

"We'll be there a while, Shram said there's a RUT coming."

Mar paused briefly, then continued on.

"I'm too old for that. A month ago some fool managed to enter the area you need."

Arriving at the house, Mar hid the food and took out maps.

The brother and sister began studying the route.