”The truth…is whatever we decide it to be.” - Ministry of Propaganda Chapter 1: The Girl in the Safe Above the decrepit ruins of vines and concrete, a young man scowled as he leaned against the rusty railing of an abandoned apartment balcony. His emerald eyes scanned the portrait of humanity’s ravenous ambitions marred by the glow of the neon lights. Hell. It was the only word Ethan had to describe such a view, with the lights of the neon reminiscent of infernal fires desperately reaching for him. Yet the lights weren’t warm but cold, stoic, and uninviting, just like the elves that ruled over them. Above, more lights, aerial drones, and flying advertisements that beckoned for consumption from the denizens of Utopia. No way up. No way down. No matter which choice he'd make, he'd still be another human - another lower life form despised by the elves. A consequence of the mortal lust for knowledge causing Earth’s armageddon. Ethan sighed. At least within the Underdark he was safe from the monsters that called the surface their domain. Even if he’d never feel the heat of the sun again or had to live amongst other kinds of creatures that wanted his species dead. He was alive, which was more than he could say for his parents and mentors. “The land of magic, my ass,” Ethan muttered, leaning over the edge to eye the thousand-foot drop. One step. That was all it would take and he'd plummet to his death. A life of crime, servitude, and running from the government all over in an instant. Just one step. And the last magician of Humanity would die. But, not today as Ethan turned towards his teammates who needed him. Number Fifty-four and fifty-six, December and Marco, members of bunk six, other street rats taken in by Mother Jihad. “Stop moping, we've got a job,” December said, the pink-haired girl donning a black mask that matched her leotard and handing Ethan one as well. “Marco, status on the guards?” “Uhhhhh,” Marco replied, the young blond-headed half-elf laden with gear let out, his thin hands holding a tablet up with its camera facing the adjoining building. “Bots are cycling their energy, cameras on loop and upstairs guard just went on his midnight nap. Remind me why we're stealing from the Douling family?” “Because it'll make us rich,” December replied, grabbing Marco's tablet. “Only rich if we don't get diced up,” Ethan muttered, observing the quiet of the neighborhood. At least, what constituted quiet between the gunshots, screams, and sirens of emergency services. “Don't these guys use swords n junk?” “Cyber blades, comes straight out of their arms like those kung-fu movies,” Marco flashed a smile, the blonde teen lowering his mask over his face that was tight around his pointed ears. “Great for making sushi. Ya know I heard they eat kitlins.” “Really?” Ethan raised a brow, the halfling’s curiosity piquing his interest. “What do they taste like?” “I'm told chicken, but I'm not sure.” “Huh… any elves among them?” “Do you know any elf that augs up?” “Stop yapping, I'm trying to focus,” December cut in, her face warped into a scowl. “God, why can't you two just be professional?” “Professional?” Ethan and Marco said in unison. “We're thieves.” December groaned. “Same ******* brain cell.” “Hey, since when did you become the boss?” Ethan asked as Marco chuckled. “Since I organized, planned, and got everything together for this mission, not to mention paid for everything, pick up your clothes, oh! And since I'm the only one of us with balls,” December replied, handing Marco his intellipad with a fake smile, “Come on, Marco, you're up.” On cue, the young half-elf opened his bag, revealing a slender metal tube that he aimed at the adjoining building. “Why am I always having to do this?” “Because your kind have better eyesight,” December grunted. “That's racist.” “But it is true,” Ethan chimed in. “Fair enough.” A click, and a rappel line was set up, the grapple device planted into the balcony of the ruined apartment they stood on with a line running just above their entry point. “I just want to reiterate,” Marco said as he took the cylinder and planted it into the ground, the device whirring and suctioning itself to the floor via its gravity lifts. “I don't like this plan. Why don't we wait until the drones power down?” “We can't, the target is moving tonight,” December replied. “But what if we screw up and Mother Jihad finds out?” “She won't, not unless you two buffoons mess up,” December said, her gaze hyper-focused on the target below and ignoring Marco’s concern. “Do you want to at least tell us where you got the intel from?” Ethan asked. “No.” Ethan and Marco shared a knowing look, the two fully aware of the girl's ambition and drive. Still, she was their bunkmate. And in this desperate world recovering from armageddon, it meant something. At least Ethan thought so. “Tether in place, we're good to go,” Marco stated, patting the device. “Synchronize your watches,” December ordered, all three counting down silently. “Ten minutes is the most we'll have. Remember, if one of us goes down-” “Every man for themselves,” Ethan and Marco said in unison, all three sharing glances. A ritual kept by all gutter rats. A few nods, and the trio were off, sliding down the rappel line and over the neon lights towards their prize. “Feels like Mission Improbable,” Marco muttered, the three thieves landing and ducking low on the balcony of the new building they hung outside. “Why don't they make a movie about us?” “Because Mot Cruise is good looking, wealthy, a fighter, and a full elf,” Ethan replied, screwdriver in hand as he peeled back the panel of the keypad beside the door. “Four things you aren't.” “Hey! He's also crazy, at least we have that in common and I think that's the best attribute. Wild card!” “Marco, have you been told that you talk a lot?” December said as Marco handed Ethan a square metallic jamming device that he slipped on to the keypad beside the balcony door. “No, why?” Ethan's gaze flickered to the two arguing, the pair more engrossed on their conversation than the young thief's eyes subtly glowing. “Reserare,” Ethan muttered, his body fatigued as the spell did its work. “I'm literally the heart of this team, you would all be lost-” “Lock bypassed, biometric too,” Ethan interjected, the light above the doorframe flashing from red to green as the glass entrance slid open. “We're in business,” December said, stepping forward into the barren room devoid of furniture save for the cameras set on loop by Marco before they stepped foot on site. “Spread out and search for a hidden box.” Ethan sighed, following after December while his eyes scanned the furnished yet barren interior. A textbook stash house with no touch of life. Moving quickly, the trio began to canvas the apartment, moving from room to room as their watches counted down. “I'll go prepare the escape route,” D said, hiking up the bag on her shoulder and leaving the two alone to continue their search. Ethan nodded, waiting until the girl was gone before turning his gaze to Marco. “Ya know, do you ever feel bored with these types of jobs?” Marco said, admiring a picture on the wall of a sunset before his gloved hands began dusting the edges, “Feels monotonous.” “Weren't you just saying thirteen seconds ago that they should make a movie about us?” Ethan replied, running his hand across the lament floor in search of bumps and differences between panels. “I mean, they should! But don't you ever get tired of being a background character? Tired of being a slave?” “Background character?” Ethan raised a brow, turning to Marco. “What? That's what we are aren't we? Guys like us don't make it out of the roots, we either die of starvation or get diced.” “Yeah well, we're alive now. So-” “But don't you want something more? Don't you want to be the main cast of a movie? I'm tired of eating sap bro.” Silence, both teens standing still. “What are you suggesting?” Ethan said slowly, turning to the half-elf whose ears twitched slightly beneath his mask, a sign of excitement from the young elf. “What if… instead of giving the package to Lady Jihad, we-” “Shut up and get back to work?” December cut in, glaring at the two as she rejoined them. “We're burning time.” “Right,” Marco sighed. Ethan grit his teeth, his breathing stopped, jaw clenched as he turned back towards the floorboards. As much as Ethan didn't want to admit, Marco's words had struck a chord. He had… a purpose once. Dreams to become something more than just… A thief. But that was what he was. Forever and always, until the day he died, the penance he had to pay for the sin of his entire species. At least if he wanted to survive. “Tch, this would be so much easier with cyberware,” Marco growled, scanning the nearby wall with his tablet before looking down at the garbage can nearby full of refuse. “You don't think they'd put the button in a bunch of rotting trash do you?” The trio paused. “Not it!” All three said simultaneously before they sighed and readied their hands. “”Rock, paper, scissors, shoot-” Ethan and Marco both threw out rock, leaving one to smirk as her hand revealed paper. “Ha! This is why I'm the boss!” December smirked as Ethan and Marco locked eyes. “You aren't winning this one,” Marco said. “Try me,” Ethan replied before the pair counted down and released their hands. “Rock!” Marco let out as Ethan displayed paper. “Sonofav- one more again. Best out of three.” Ethan won again. “Marco Marco, always with rock.” Ethan said as the half-elf grumbled and began rooting around in the trash can. “Found it.” A click and a wall vanished into the floorboards, revealing a hidden room where a large metal safe awaited them. Marco whistled, “Aang-tech, that's what? Level five? Six? Security. It's unbreakable innit?” “Allegadly, Ethan,” December said, summoning the lockpicker who stood before the large container. Ethan sighed, taking out his tools, “On it. Make sure the coast is clear. And look around for anything we can fence for extra leaflets.” The two turned away, chatting to one another as they kept a lookout and waited. Now came the hard part, pretending. For Ethan, opening a safe like this was fairly easy, thanks to the singular spell he knew. The only spell he memorized that had managed to survive the sacking of the tower. I wonder what Master Lyde would think about this… Ethan mused. “Man, could you imagine having a crib like this?” Marco whistled. “Makes me wish I was a full blood.” “Maybe one day if we keep our mouths shut,” December said as Ethan exhaled. “If you got ten leaflets per back shots, how many do you think-” “Will you shut up!” Some fiddling, a magic word, a few minutes of posturing and the safe was opened, twenty millimeters of reinforced titanium and quadrapedal locks undone in an instant by a gutter rat. “That was quick,” December said, looking over at the sound of a click and Ethan opening the safe. His reward? Something he wasn't expecting to see. “A… girl?” Marco said, raising a brow at the silverhaired girl curled up, her wrists and legs bound by ruby-like chains. “Where's the loot? The jewelry? Stacks of leaflets?! Why is there a girl in a box?!” “I…” December muttered to the trio of thieves eyeing the chains. “Tiveinium…” Ethan muttered, recognizing the anti-magic material. “Tiveinium?” Marco’s ears twitched, “That's worth thousands of leafelets! Even a shard of it could get us top side!” “Stop,” December said, hushing Marco while stepping forward to inspect the chains. “What's the plan here D?” Ethan asked, his eyes shifting from one girl to the other. “This girl is a mage,” December observed, her expression weary. “So that means she's extremely dangerous. The chains are perhaps the only thing keeping her contained. If we try to take the tiveinium off her, she could end up killing us all.” “I thought all the mages were exterminated?” “Apparently not.” “Wait! Why not just take her with?” Marco inquired, “We could always turn her in to the authorities after we get the chains!” “And who do you think her captors will turn to when they realize their prize is gone and they see our faces plastered on the news for capturing a mage?” December asked rhetorically. The two began to argue while Ethan stared at the disheveled girl whose narrow face bore the brunt of bruises. Her skin was pale white, hair like liquid silver, while her slender body was discolored and battered in multiple places. That could be me in there… Ethan's mind raced, images of himself strung up and bound playing in his mind. “No,” Ethan said, the word out of his mouth before he realized it. “No?” December and Marco said in unison. “We take her, grab the chains, and release her.” “What?” Marco said. “Are you insane?!” December shouted, “Mages are the ones that caused The Wilt! We release her and we'll all be dead! I may be a thief but I'm not going to be responsible to genocide.” Ethan wanted to refute the girl but bit his tongue. “Yeah, maybe. But those chains are our ticket to freedom,” Ethan said, grabbing a hold of the unconscious girl’s white dress and dragging her out of the safe. “Even from Mother Jihad.” Marco's smile vanished, “Wait…” Ethan spun, “Exactly. We fleece this and we're set. Mother Jihad won't own us anymore. There's millions of leafelets worth of Tiv here all we have to do is sell it.” “No fleece would be willing to take that much without us being skinned alive or conned,” December spat. “Not to mention we'd have to get the chains off it without it killing us.” Ethan winced at the word it. “That's why we sell it in pieces.” “And how do you plan on breaking metal that even mages can't break?” “We'll find a way, nothing is indestructible.” “And then what? We stay on the run? Mother Jihad will come after us if we run, not to mention the authorities for unleashing a mage!” “That's why we hide, or run far enough away she can't reach us,” Ethan corrected, “We can get enough leafelets to get to the upper floors. Maybe even catch a landship to a different shelter. If we stick together, there's nothing we can't do.” “We're humans, and Marco's a mix-blood,” December hissed, “Even if we go to the upper floors they'll still treat us like ****. Worse, they might kill Marco on the spot for being a half-elf.” “So what? You want to die down here?! You want to continue being a slave?” Ethan argued, his voice rising. “Without ever seeing the surface? Without ever feeling the touch of the sun on your skin?!” Marco nodded, seeming to be drawn in by Ethan’s words much to December’s annoyance. “There you go again with this sun nonsense! We get it, you've been to the surface, but that doesn't change what you are,” December clicked her teeth in annoyance. “And what am I?” “A rat, just like me, just like Marco!” “And you're okay with that?” “Of course not but at least we're surviving!” “This isn't survival D, We're slaves! We're literally arguing about selling a person!” “Who aren't corpse-starch Ethan! That-!” December jabbed a finger at the bound girl, “-Isn't a person, it's a mage. A killing machine unregulated by the association! Get it through your thick head!” “Guys, we really shouldn't be arguing,” Marco chimed in, “Lets-” The entrance of the apartment swung open, drawing all three sets of eyes. “****,” December let out. “Hi!” Marco waved. “Thieves!” The guard yelled, his arm coming up, skin breaking apart to reveal barrels that unleashed a barrage of bullets. “Down! Down! Down!” December yelled, pulling Marco and Ethan to the ground as alarms began to blare. “I thought you said they used blades, not guns!” Ethan barked, crawling behind a nearby wall while dragging their prize behind him. “Marc-” Ethan froze, his gaze locked onto the teen whose hands were coated in red ichor, the two locking eyes as time seemed to freeze. “Huh… well, what an interesting development,” Marco chuckled, December and Ethan dumbfounded at the sight of their friend bleeding profusely as bullets rained over their heads. “Marco!” Ethan yelled, rushing towards Marco as December drew a revolver from her bag and began returning fire. “I'm fine man, just, uh…” Marco let out before the red and blue of aerial metro bots began to illuminate the apartment through the apartment windows. “Hrnnn.” “Cops!” December swore, “They arrived faster than expected. Ethan, get him up, I'll cover you!” “Ahk!” Marco screamed as Ethan lifted the teen up over his shoulders while dragging the white haired girl with one hand. “Time for plan C!” December yelled as their entry route became blocked by bots. “It's a good thing you're so scrawny!” Ethan joked to Marco before moving across the apartment towards the nearby window. “I'm dying… and you're still making fun of me,” Marco coughed, spitting up blood on Ethan's shoulder. “Rude…” Ethan went wide-eyed, his breath catching as he eyed his friend dying, “D LETS GO!” Fleeing through the apartment, the trio retreated, making their way towards the upstairs where their escape route waited. “Secure the rappel line! I'll cover you!” December yelled as Ethan set Marco down. “Are you kidding me?! Why didn't you set it up already?!” Ethan shouted as gunshots rang out. “Too much exposure!” December yelled, firing down the hallway at the guards now flooding the apartment as she began barricading the bedroom door with furniture. “This is going well!” Ethan shouted, lifting up the rappel cylinder and firing at the adjacent building. “Hook secure! Let's-” Ethan went wide-eyed, the drone in his face pointing its 40mm barrel at him. “Oh. Oh sh-” “Down!” December shouted, knocking Ethan and Marco to the ground as the circular flying drone fired its cannon. A scream, the shrapnel of the exploding apartment raining over Ethan, glass, wood, and metal bits coating the air as December unloaded her revolver at their new assailant. It went down in sparks, December picking Ethan off the ground by his arm. “We gotta go!” December screamed, grabbing a hold of the rappel line as the building they stood on shook. Ethan's eyes darted from December to the unconscious girl and Marco, both lying motionless on the floor of debris. “Help me with Marco!” Ethan yelled, pulling at the bloodied half-elf as his hand came up and sent a spell that undid the lock on the unconscious girl's chains. I can't save you, but this will help. “Come on D, let-” “Ethan,” December said, her hand firmly clasping his shoulder, their eyes locking. “He's dead.” Ethan blinked twice, crouching down to inspect the boy who wasn't breathing. “Ethan!” December screamed as the building shook, “We have to go! Now!” “Not without Marco!” Ethan roared, pushing the girl away to lift his friend. “Help me! Or at least take the girl!” “No.” Ethan's eyes pulsed, his breathing stopping as he turned to his bunkmate. “What do you mean no?!” “What I mean…” The edges of December’s eyes crinkled as the guards neared, “Is every man for themselves.” Then she leapt, attaching to the rappel line as the building around Ethan shook and gave way beneath his feet.