Despite the moon being broken, I feel its fullness and the rich energy flowing through my blood another good night for a little fun. I placed my gas mask on sitting on hilltop high above the smog and pollution that covered my home before jumping off running on all fours from rooftop to rooftop only to stop near the dust mines carefully watching all the other Atlas soldiers board a carrier plane back up to the heavenly city above the run-down shacks and shads we were forced to call home. As I watched the last soldier active the security droids before boarding the last plane a smile formed on my face knowing this time I could go all out. I waited a little while longer to make sure the carrier planes were gone before slightly pulling off my gas mask and taking out a rotting apple to eat but suddenly I could hear screaming coming from somewhere. I drop the apple put on my gas mask and crawled a little bit closer to the mine.
"HELP ME!" A male voice shouted
"Damn droids oh well gotta make this quick and painless lucky tin cans," I muttered under my breath putting on my Grimm mask over my eyes as I jump down
"Intruder, identify yourself and return to your appointed housing restriction," One of them said
"I don't know hows about I...," I started before releasing my hidden blades on my forearms and taking aim with my finger and the hidden pistol on the side of my wrist, "Bust you up," I said shooting at the robots
The one I shot was the weakest of the group clearly a newer model probably one of those 200 Atlesian Knights that just went into production recently, either way, I love breaking their toys old or new but I had to focus the older models had upgrades since I last encountered them. The blades and machine guns were nothing new but the solar sonic canon powered by fire dust through me in a loop. Luckily for me they couldn't use it very often but when they did it was risky getting caught up in it still ducking and dodging the swing blade of the other two that came from out of the mine was pretty funny since my semblance allowed me to teleport for short distances leaving behind a cloud of smog and smoke that came from very same mines that they're guarding. So when I had them completely surround in the smog I gladly pulled out my own fire dust crystals and made a canon of my own before sliding in the mines.
"HELP! HELP!" The voice repeated with coughs in between each cry
"HANG ON I'M COMING!" I shouted running through the mines but sliding to a complete stop, "Oh shit," I said overlooking a broken elevator down at the bottom of the mineshaft
"I'm Down Here!" The man shouted
"Well bottoms up!" I shouted before getting a running start and jumping off the cliff
I managed to grab hold of a cord that was swing from the broken elevator before using it to swing myself to the rumble tumbling over to the side of the cave. The man was trapped under a rockslide that must have been caused by the elevator clasping. His waist down look completely cut off as he cried out struggling to escape digging through the dirt with his crawls only to be crushed by more rumble.
"Let's see what I can do here," I said trying to lift up some of the rocks
"Why not just shoot it?" The man asked
"Did you forget where you are if I shoot in here the dust could set off an explosion than both would get suck down here. I think I found where most of the weight is at now when you feel the pressure is off you crawl away as fast as you can," I said getting ready to lift most of the weight
"Whatever you say, kid," The man said
"Count of three. One. Two Th-three!" I said raising the foundation up, " Go. Go. Go." I said struggling to not let go too early watching the man crawling out before dropping everything, "Hey are you okay? Can you walk?"
"I don't think so but that's not the question you should be asking, kid. How in the hell are we gonna get out of here?" The man asked
"Don't take this the wrong way, old-man and try not to inhale," I said picking the man up off the ground
"What are talking abo..." He started just as we teleported out of the mine, "What the..." He asked coughing
"I gave you fair warning old man," I said carefully placing him down
"Wh-who are you kid?" He asked
"My name isn't imported but if you must know then I go by Ash," I said before teleporting on the window ceil of a small run-down house, "What a night," I muttered to myself taking off my Grimm mask and walking into my room
"Ashy? Wh..where did you go?" A little girl no more than at least five years old
Her white hair overflowed into a ponytail as her tail wagged with excitement while she rubbed her dark blue light red eyes. A smile formed on her face while she gently walked over towards me careful as to not trip over the oversized t-shirt she was sleeping in.
"Lily? What are you doing up, you little pupper?" I asked tossing my gas mask and blades on my bed before picking her up in my arms her tail wag as her grip on me got tighter
"I had a nightmare that you were gone an..an..and they found me and...since I couldn't work in the mines...th-th-they," She started up
"Ssssssh. I'll never let anything happen to you sis, I promise. Did you stay anyway from the minefields as I told you?" I said cradling her to her bed
"Well...I was playing with Derek and I may have had to get close to the minefield to get the ball back." She nervously said as her tail stop wagging coming to a complete stop
"What did I tell you? Your lungs aren't strong enough to take in that kind of gas remember? I don't want anything happening to you now try to get some sleep." I said laying her in bed
"Ashy ummm I'm almost out of medicine." She softly said
I lightly sighed, "Come on, where is it?" I asked holding out my hand
She crawled under the covers to the foot of the bed sneaking into her jean pockets with her tail wagging under the covers before crawling back up to the head on the bed right side up giving me her asthma inhaler. I took out the canister glancing at her putting the covers over her face before shaking it near my ear putting it in my pocket and sitting down at the foot of the bed.
"I'm not mad," I said with my arms folded and my eyes closed listening to her slowly move the covers off her face
"Rea..really? Because I really tried to make it last this time." She said sounding guilty
"I know pupper just stay away from the mines promise?" I asked
"I promise but you have to play me a song before bed," She said getting excited
"Really pupper?" I asked as she rapidly shook her head, "Alright alright alright your puppy side is showing you know you don't have to do much to convince me." I said getting up and walking towards my room, "Where did I put that toy piano? Here it is!" I yelled walking back with it
"Yaaaaay! Bedtime Song!" She yelled jumping on the bed unable to contain her excitement
"Okay okay. I gotta be quick so I can get your medicine alright?" I asked sitting on the bed
She sat on my lap in between me and the little toy piano making herself cozy with her favorite blanket. With a smile on my face, I gladly wrapped her up and placed her pillow on my leg for her to lay on.
"Ready?" I asked
"Yup! Make it a good one," She said
"Okay. I think I have the perfect song in mind for your hopes and dreams." I said
I played a slower more gentle version of a song from some video game I heard about when I visited Atlas something tale I could never remember the name of it but the music was always seem light-hearted to me. Still, it didn't matter about halfway into the song she had fell softly asleep without me even realizing it. I carefully slid from under her and kissed her forehead before heading to my room after giving it some thought I decided to only take my gas mask with me before jumping out the window. The moon was still high in the star-studded sky despite the smog and pollution blocking the view of the clear skies, I looked at the time and with five maybe even four hours left in the night I had to climb up to the city capital and replace the asthma medication before anyone noticed. I once more raced along the rooftops till I got to the very cords that tied the capital city above Mantle and with a moment to focus I found myself even above Atlas and yet as I descended from the skies all I could think about was how lovely the view was. I pulled off my mask inhaling as much of the cool crisp air as I possibly can before focusing on a good landing area eventually settling for a landing pad used during training for the new recruits after rolling off the mat I pulled on my hood and started heading towards the pharmacy only to get thrown off guard by the heightened security around the area.
I threw myself off course into a nearby alleyway to avoid the flashing lights, "Son of a...just how did they know?" I muttered to myself listening to a few guards walk by
"Hey did you hear more robots got destroyed in the minefields of Mantle again," One of them said
"Is that why we got called in, man I was finally about to go on vacation but nooo. MArK wE NeEd yOu oN yOuR A gAmE FoR tHiS oNe LaSt MiSSion, what a bunch of bull," The other said
"Damn so much for a fun night, geez the things I do for her, " I muttered looking around, "Now where the hell am I?" I questioned
Normally when I'm in Atlas, I just go straight to the pharmacy and back I never stayed longer than I need to in hindsight this was a terrible idea not finding out the layout of the capital was my biggest downfall. One wrong turn and suddenly the city in the sky seems like a labyrinth to me still, I had to keep moving trying to avoid the guards and their patrol cars throughout the city. I finally stopped for a moment to catch my breath as I glanced at the time of only an hour left and I was nowhere near the pharmacy I was releasing some of my frustrations about the situation I was in until I was hit upside the head with something. My vision got blurry as I turned around to a see a girl in my haze with a bat in hand. She looked scared as she swung the bat once more knocking me out cold.