Faint blue light radiated from the the boys' room, flickering across the hallway floor in waves. Powder's breath caught ihroat, excitement bubbling as her eyes light up with curiosity. Restraining her giddy energy, she quickly tiptoed to the door and slowly, quietly, tried to open it. Unfortunately for her, the light flickered o time, leaving faint traces in her vision as it vanished, as if it were here at all.

  Powder frowned, disappoi etched into her curiosity, her eyes sing the room, unwilling to give up. They settled on Orion as he y on the ground, arms sprayed out as if in a deep slumber. Her gaze remained fixed on him, as if daring him to make a move, to provide some satisfying clue to her mysterious night experiences.

  Disappoi washed over her again as she lingered, letting out a tiny sigh before retreating back to her room. As she climbed into bed, her thoughts raced. What was that lingering light, and why does it disappear when I approach? Is it... scared of me?

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

  Orion chuckled softly as he entered Emberflit Alley, twirling a full silver between his fingers, uned by his surroundings. It was one of the few simple pleasures, watg the lights around him dance off the 's surface, as if celebrating his small aplishment.

  Clutg it bato his palm, recolle of this m left him feeling, to a small degree, appreciated. The gang's haul of three full silvers, and Vander's decision to give him one on at for helping free ylo, of course, had his usual quips and disagreements as the transa unfolded, dragging it out a little, but that wasn't what stuck with him. It was the way the sisters stared, standing side-by-side, and with mixed expressions.

  Vi he could somewhat uand. A stranger on his first day, yet he's received some aowledgement from Vander, Orion bemused. Her crossed arms but flicted gaze were almost expected. Powder, however, was throwing him off all m. She just kept staring, Orion thought, w what kind of childish thoughts were going on behind those wide, unblinking eyes.

  He was almost home. Emberflit was starting to bee familiar- the occasional whistle of steam, toxic sludge on every surface, and a cold, green-tinged smog that hung in the air.

  Thud. Orion's visio white as pain exploded across his skull. He stumbles forward, mad cag pierg his ears. Before he could recover, a sharp yank on his hair from behind, wreng his body backward, but allowing him to catch a glimpse of a distorted humanoid rat appearance.

  THUMP! Another heavy blow struck his abdomen, driving the air from his body. Saliva spewed out as he colpsed to his khe rat-man releasing its grip.

  His vision swam, the pain sharp and shock remaining, when a faint, chilling word came through the triumphant ughter, "ans..."

  Panic gripped him, as that one word sent arm bells ringing throughout his soul. Adrenaline surged, shockwaves activating his nervous system. His heart pounded, demanding that he moved, f his blurred vision to sharpen slightly. Orion spotted oanding on the left and another looming in front.

  Gritting his teeth, a momentary flict rag through his head, "Fuck, I'm going to have to-"

  For whatever reason, they didn't stop him. His hand shot to the gun inside his jacket. Time slowed, his head snapped up, log eyes with an augmented human before him. A typical thug, with many scars and deformities, and whose eyes betrayed a single, damning realization.

  They'd just fucked up.

  Bang!

  The rat-man froze, its stunned gaze following its panion's colpse into the alley wall, crumpling to the ground with a siing thud. For a moment, there was silehen rage. It lunged out, aiming to gouge out Orion's eyes. Small details came with heightened senses, its fingers were augmented into grey metallic cws.

  Orion shifted his head sideways in the nick of time, but it still drew blood as it grazed his cheek. He caught the rat-man's arm before sending a wild punch to its face. Thick, green blood oozed from it's nose, but the wild bloodlust didn't falter. Such feral behavior and resiliensettled Orion, giving the creature the opportune moment it needed.

  White sparks danced in Orion's vision again, sharp paiing from his side as the cws tore open two-inch cuts. Gasping, Orion instinctively pressed a hand to the wound, creating more vulnerabilities.

  The rat-man charged, smming it's body into him, forehead straight into his .

  Blood spewed from Orion's mouth, but he refused to fall as he grabbed at the rat-man's clothes, and threw him sideways with all the strength he could muster. Orion thought he was about to be on the receiving end again, but it never came.

  It was sheer luck, or unluess, as gurgling soued upon impact. Still stumbling backward, it took a moment, between dizziness and intense pain, to refocus.

  The wall was lined with pipes, and unfortunately for the rat-man, some were broken in pces. A jagged pipe stuck out from it's neck, green blood oozing from the wound. Rage, fusion, desperation, all of these emotions could be seen as it gurgled and thrashed, uo decide oher to keep fighting or g to life.

  It was a horrible death to witness, and Orion could do nothing but watch.