The West Road Gang's hideout stank of blood and burnt metal. It was housed in what used to be an old shuttle repair bay, long since gutted and turned into a den of rust and violence.
"He did what?" growled Rikkon Vale, the gang's leader, his voice sharp and deadly. He was a thick man with more scars than skin. Cybernetic joints reinforced his arms, and his face was half-covered in steel plating. His breath wheezed through a cracked respirator.
The three bruised gang members knelt before him, one of them nursing a broken jaw, another with blood caked into his temple. None dared meet Rikkon's gaze.
"He jumped us," one muttered. "Took out all three of us. Didn't even draw a weapon."
"Zoan," Rikkon spat the name like acid. "That scrap rat again."
He stood slowly, the hiss of hydraulics in his legs echoing in the silence.
"I want him found. Tear through the Lower Sector if you have to. I want his head crushed between my hands."
---
Two days later...
Ely stepped into the textile factory that housed the Dawn Rats, shoulders tense, hood up. The lights above buzzed, some flickering in protest. As always, he ignored the sentries. They knew him by now. Koro had eyes everywhere.
He walked straight to the back, through the rusted corridor until he reached the throne room.
Koro sat with one leg slung over the arm of his makeshift chair. He looked up as Ely entered.
"You're late," he said, chewing lazily on a cigarette.
"Didn't know there was a clock on this deal."
Koro chuckled. "Well, time's not exactly on your side, star boy. Whole Lower Sector's buzzing. Apparently, you roughed up a few of Rikkon's boys."
Ely remained silent, arms crossed.
Koro raised a brow. "You gonna tell me what happened?"
"They were hurting kids. I stopped them."
"Of course you did," Koro muttered, standing. "Problem is, you didn't just stop them. You humiliated them. Now Rikkon's tearing apart every corner of the Sector looking for you. He's pissed. And when Rikkon gets pissed, people bleed."
Ely didn't respond. His eyes were fixed.
"And you want me," Koro said, gesturing to himself, "to protect your little orphan crew in the middle of that?"
"That was the deal."
"No," Koro snapped. "That was the deal before you kicked a hornet's nest the size of a war drone. The Rats survive by calculating risk. Right now, you are a walking liability. That chip you brought? Not worth it."
Koro turned away, flicking ash onto the floor.
"So that's it?" Ely said quietly. "You're out?"
"Unless you have something more valuable to offer, yeah."
Ely was quiet for a moment.
Then: "What if I took out Rikkon?"
The words hung heavy in the air.
Koro froze. Then turned slowly.
"You want to what?"
"Kill Rikkon. Take out the head. The gang crumbles. You take over their territory."
There was a long silence.
Then Koro burst into laughter.
"You're insane. Absolutely insane. You know how many people have tried to take down Rikkon? How many ended up as wall ornaments in his throne room? You think you're different?"
Ely met his gaze evenly. "Yes."
Koro laughed again, but it was shorter this time. Almost nervous.
"You know," he said, rubbing his jaw, "I always thought there was more to you. You fight like someone who's danced with real death. Not just street scraps. And I've tried to recruit you before. You turned me down every time."
Ely didn't respond.
Koro walked over to him, staring into his face.
"Say, for argument's sake, you pull this off. You end Rikkon. What then?"
"Then you get his turf, his weapons stash, his tech lines. And I get three days of protection for my friends."
Koro leaned back.
"And if you don't pull it off, your friends are still under my protection?"
Ely nodded. "Only for three days. After that, you let them go."
Koro thought hard. He paced, his fingers twitching slightly as his mind raced.
Taking Rikkon's territory would be huge. It would change everything. The West Road Gang controlled three key blocks—one near the water reserves, one along the scrap line, and one just a few clicks from the black market terminals. Controlling that zone would elevate the Rats to the top. Even the Cinders might start talking truces.
But Ely pulling it off?
Unlikely. Unless...
Koro stopped pacing.
"Three days. That's all I'll give. I'll keep your friends safe. I'll even send two boys to watch over them. But after that? They're on their own. Unless you succeed."
Ely gave a single nod. "Deal."
"And Ely?"
He paused at the door.
Koro flicked his cigarette to the floor, crushing it under his heel.
"If you actually pull this off... don't come back here the same. People will start seeing you differently. You kill a ganglord, you stop being a nobody."
Ely looked over his shoulder. "I will deal with it"
And with that, he walked out.