[Author Here: I just noticed, I didn't even mention the city name and structure at all… Lol]
Old Morrow City.
There are giant buildings surrounded by big walls, this is the Inner District of Old Morrow City. Outside the walls are streets and small buildings, known as the Outer Districts. Even further than that are the Slum Districts. There are ten slum districts, acting as borders between the wasteland and the Outer Districts.
And in one of those slum districts, Leo and his boys, Levi, Nick, and Vince, carried a huge empty sack between them as they walked toward the massive wrought-iron gate.
Today was junkyard day, and like every week, dozens of other slum boys were lined up in front of the gate, waiting for it to open.
"I'm gonna get lucky like Kevin and find something big, then buy a house in the Outer Districts…"
"Hahaha… Like hell that's possible. It's true these junks are from different cities, but it's extremely difficult to get that lucky. Finding something that even gives 1000 Pentas is very difficult…"
The kids chatted loudly.
In the crowd, Leo stood at the center. His hair, dyed black, fell over his forehead in an attempt to hide the natural white streaks that sometimes showed when he sweated.
His pupils were normal dark now, replaced with non-suspicious black lenses to disguise the enhancements he'd received as a child. He blended in with the other scavengers. He was now just another desperate teenager trying to survive.
Leo didn't have any other friends except for his siblings.
Levi, the shortest of the group, had natural white hair and striking red eyes. He constantly tugged at the oversized shirt that drooped off one shoulder. Nick was tanned from working countless jobs under the sun, with messy curly hair bouncing with every step. Vince was tall and lean, always wearing that sleek tech visor over one eye, even though it didn't work. But wearing it made him feel like a tech expert, which he definitely wanted to be.
All four boys stood silently as a uniformed man approached the gate. His bluish-gray uniform was wrinkled, and his boots were covered in dust from the junkyard. He carried himself with the laziness of someone who had repeated the same speech for years.
"Alright," the guard shouted, clapping once to get everyone's attention. "You all know the rules, but protocol says I have to say it once."
Everyone groaned internally, but no one dared make a sound.
"The limit is three hours. Return before the time's up. Don't hide anything in your pockets. If we find contraband or stolen goods on you…" The guard paused, sweeping his gaze across the crowd. "You're banned permanently. And trust me, you don't want to lose access to this place."
He pressed the red button next to the gate.
Slinnnn. (Sound effects*)
The massive gate slid open sideways, metal grinding loudly. A gust of stale, dusty air blew out from inside.
Leo and the boys entered with the crowd. Before them spread a massive junkyard, like a scrapyard graveyard stretching endlessly.
Mountains of broken parts, rusted machine limbs, cracked screens, melted weapons, and mysterious tech scraps towered into the air. Some piles were as tall as buildings.
The junkyard was privately owned, making it far safer than the illegal dumps outside the city. Even though it was filled with waste, plenty of valuable items were buried deep inside. Contractors hired slum kids to scavenge once a week, on the condition that everything valuable was sold directly to them.
No exceptions and no arguments. According to rumors, even junk from the Inner Districts and other cities was dumped here.
Leo and his boys moved fast. Slum kids didn't survive by being slow.
The moment they reached their assigned area, the four boys split off and started digging through piles. Their hands were quick and calloused from years of scavenging.
Leo sifted through a mountain of broken metal objects. He found several dismantled gun parts, which are mostly useless, but even those scraps could sell for a small amount. He tossed aside a bent barrel and pocketed a trigger assembly, and kept rummaging.
Just as he turned over a heavy slab of metal…
His hand froze.
There, buried halfway under a sheet of discarded armor plating is
is a GUN!!!!! and it's a real freaking one.
It was white, sleek, with a smooth design. RGB-like circuit lines ran along the frame. It looked futuristic, almost like a weapon from the Inner City, not something meant for slum hands.
This city had a rule: guns were prohibited unless one was a Ranger. Just for security reasons.
Leo's breath caught for a moment. His fingers trembled slightly as he picked it up, holding it carefully.
He immediately whistled in a very specific rhythm only his brothers knew.
Within seconds, Levi, Nick, and Vince appeared at his side.
Leo motioned for silence, then slowly showed them the gun.
All three boys stiffened. Their eyes widened as if they were staring at a rare mythical creature rather than a weapon.
Vince's jaw dropped. Behind his tech visor, his eyes shined like a child watching fireworks. "No way… That's a Harpie. It's a basic model, but still… Most gangsters in other cities use these. It's called the Beginner's Gun."
Leo smiled and said, "As expected of our future techie…"
Nick swallowed nervously. "Big brother… we can't take this outside. They'll check everything, and if they see the gun…"
"They'll seize it," Levi said quickly, finishing the sentence. "Or worse, if we're caught hiding it, they might break our legs and ban us. Forever."
Leo's brain worked quickly, calculating risk, timing, and different scenarios.
Then he looked at Vince.
"Can you dismantle it?"
Vince grinned and rolled up his sleeves. "Watch me."
---
The Garage Office, near the gate. There is a small pathway toward the exit; before the exit, a guard stands who is in charge of junk inspection.
After an hour of scavenging, Vince approached the checkpoint, clutching his sack.
"It's only been an hour," the guard said. "You sure you want to leave early?"
Vince forced a sickly smile. "Feeling sick…"
The guard squinted at him. Vince looked perfectly healthy.
"I'm at my limit," Vince insisted brightly. "I might poop right here."
The guard recoiled instantly. "Oh hell no, get out! Don't you dare drop any single drop here! Move!"
He quickly checked Vince's sack, seeing nothing suspicious since the Harpie had been fully dismantled across multiple boys' sacks.
"Alright, go! Hurry! Real Men should hold it in!"
Vince sprinted away, holding the bag and his stomach.
Half an Hour Later
Leo approached next.
"You're leaving early too?" the guard asked. "Still half an hour left."
"SOMEONE left before me?" Leo asked casually.
"Huh? Just a kid who looked like he was about to explode, I wonder If he reached the Toilet safely." the guard muttered. "Anyway, let's check your stuff."
He rummaged through Leo's sack. There are used bullets, some broken tech, and a little bit of scrap parts.
"Used bullets don't even pay that much," the guard said with a shrug. "Only good for melting down."
He waved Leo through, never noticing the unused Harpie bullets hidden among the junk.
One by one, the rest of the boys left without suspicion.
┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉
On the way back to their home, inside a narrow alley
In a small hidden alleyway, Vince quickly sorted the dismantled parts from each boy's sack. Slowly, piece by piece, Vince began putting them together he was already sweating alot.
The boys watched with expectation as the Harpie began to take shape again.
Their plan worked perfectly.
Meanwhile, Leo emptied his sack and separated the bullets.
Ten bullets.
Vince gasped. "Ten? It's fully charged!"
His hands trembled as he loaded the bullets into the magazine. Then he flipped the switch, the RGB lights began to shine.
"This gun has a small air-compression-like component that releases the bullets faster. But it's broken… Other than that, it's a great gun…" Vince said.
Before the boys could celebrate,
A shadow stumbled toward them.
A crooked man, gaunt and jittery from drugs, appeared holding a rusted knife.
His grin was twisted, eyes unfocused. "Well, well… What do we have here?"
He then hissed in shock, "A gun?"
He stepped closer, swaying so much he almost fell over. "Hand it over."
Vince panicked and pulled the trigger.
BAM!
The bullet missed completely.
The crooked man flinched, crouching in fear. But when he realized he wasn't hit, he started laughing hysterically.
"HAHAHAHA, you little rats—!"
BAM!
This time, he took a step forward and started laughing again, thinking it missed again.
Then he collapsed.
Blood pooled from his chest.
He hadn't noticed Leo had taken the gun from Vince.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then—
"Hell yeahhhh!!!"
"Wooo hooooo!!"
"RUN RUN RUN!! Before the Guards Arrives."
The boys shouted with pure adrenaline, laughing and panicking at the same time as they ran away.
None of them realized…
High above, a tiny mechanical insect hovered silently, its extremely thin wings buzzing.
Its lens zoomed in, tracking each boy's face.
Text appeared in its vision:
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Targets identified…
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