I left a message for Graverobber, many of them actually, there was never a definite place where he could be found, so I made sure to extend my reach to the darkest corners of alley ways and shadiest street corners. I doubted he'd find any of them, signed with a C and sealed with a kiss, but it was worth a try. But my doubt changed to relief when I heard the rattling of the front door's lock... It could be anyone though. But I didn't fret, I'd dealt with a handful of break-ins in my time.

I stayed under the covers, remaining still and quiet, feigning sleep while I reached under my pillows. My hands circled around them carefully. The door opened and closed with quiet clicks and even quieter steps shuffled along the carpet.

My door, open just a crack, started to open further, and from the corner of my eye I could see a dark towering figure fill the doorway.

I turned on the lamp by my beside before sitting straight up and taking my aim on the intruder, or friend. Which ever it was. But when I heard the shout and saw the familiar face and attire flinch, I dropped the guns on the blanket and sighed in relief.

"What the fuck are you doing with those things?" Graves had shouted at first, but when I put a finger to my lips, he spoke in a hissing whisper. I didn't need any neighbours coming around and wondering what that manly shouting was, or if I was burglarised, or convincing me that I should live in GeneCo tower with the Largo's. I wasn't part of their family. I was the pet, I was just something they owned... I had a feeling a few of the tenants were specially put there... informants or something for Rotti. For safety, he would say, paranoid, I would think.

"Protection. Rotti gave me the Colt. I got myself the Beretta. You wouldn't believe how many times someone's tried to break in here. Always my place too, never anyone else in the building. Strange." I mummbled with an eye roll. Of course people knew where I lived, every day there was a snapshot of me in magazines or the paper... paparazzi...

"Like you told me to?" he wondered in slight anger, as he walked toward my bed, I drew my knees up to my chest, the blanket fell away from me and I tried to contain my smile as Graverobber continued to whine, "Do you know how difficult it was to sneak around from the scum to the ritz surrounding GeneCo tower. And you tell me to go through the back, up the fire escape and to go down the stairs of the roof access just so you could pull your guns on me right when I step into your apartment?"

"Aww. Are you mad at me?" I pouted fakely, a chuckle escaping me as I spoke.

"I risk a lot for you. And you almost shot me." he took a seat the foot of my bed, sighing as he did so. {His eyes took in the sight of her bare legs before he looked back to her face, not a speck of make up on her, but she still looked way better than all the women who'd undergone cosmetic surgery.}

I scoffed a laugh, "I didn't even put that much pressure on the trigger," he rolled his eyes before falling down completely onto the bed, I laughed quietly but continued on, "and you had to come in that way. I couldn't just let you in. Tongues would wag, my dear, and I can't have that." I placed the guns on safety putting them back under my pillows and looking to Graverobber, who's eyes had fallen closed, I'm sure it was just the pure comfort of a proper bed.

"So why'd I have to haul my ass here anyway? What's so important?" he groaned as he turned his face into the sheets, appearing to try and get a little more comfortable, even with his boots still on.

I looked at him, seeing him in a comfortable bliss I didn't want to disturb it, but he was my friend, and friends spoke when something was of the utmost importance and opinions were needed.

"Rotti's dying." I said after a few long moments, I thought of different ways to say it, put it delicately, but that's how it came out. Blunt and frank. Graves eyes snapped open and he propped himself up on an arm to look my way, nodding for me to continue, "He's got doctors searching for a cure, but from what I've heard from the staff he hasn't got much time. He's talked about GeneCo, and me... but the first thing I want to do when he kicks the bucket is run. Far away from here, from GeneCo, this city and- and this life. I want to go."

{Graverobber seemed to deflate for a moment, but covered it up quickly with a nod and smile. If he'd known she was going to say all that he would've stopped her from speaking.}

"So after Rotti dies, you're just gonna split." he asked in a tone that seemed uncaring but slightly offended.

I nodded, shrugging his tone off easily and told him about the other events that had taken over my day, "He spoke about signing GeneCo off to me, he told me every little detail about why his children weren't fit to take over, and how I would do 'so much better'."

"You wouldn't take it, would you?" he asked with a chuckle, if anyone knew how much I despised GeneCo it was him. I'd talked his ear off tons of times, complaining about how many repossesions Rotti had enforced that day, the people Luigi had killed and the faces Pavi had stolen. He knew well enough about Amber with her surgeries and her street zydrate addiction.

"No! No, of course not!..." I answered immediatly, but then I pondered it, what if he did sign me off as the CEO, "But then again...".

"No. No," he got to his knees and shuffled up the bed toward me, stopping just in front of my feet where he put his gloved hands on my knees, "You can't. You can't be sucked into that corporate, lending and killing bullshit. You hate them. I've heard it all, straight from your mouth. They'll corrupt you, it'll mess with your brain and you're-" he paused, his hands fell from my knees, "You're perfect the way you are."

"But think," I leaned forward slightly, pure racing probable thoughts egging me into excitement, "I could change policies. Extend payment plans, no repo men, actually try and ween the addicts off Zydrate."

"Woah now, slow down, Mrs. Largo." he put his hands up in a way to stop me, I just smiled and shook my head, "I could change things..." but then my smile fell from my face and I leaned back against the headboard, "But I doubt he'd do it... extend the power to his little doll? The plaything?" I scoffed a laugh, "He'd be mocked. Laughed right into his grave."

"Hmm," he hummed and turned his head to the side to catch my eyes, his fingers brushed under my chin and tilted my head back up, "Cheer up. You'll be free once he dies, right? You still got that going for ya."

"I guess so..." I shrugged, aware of just how close Graverobber was now. Aware that he was in my apartment, on my bed and though he smelled kind of rotten, I enjoyed having my friend here, talking to him, like normal friends do. He pulled off his gloves and gave me an uplifting smirk.

But of course, we didn't live in a normal world, we didn't have normal jobs, and we weren't really normal friends. "Now let's get a smile on that face." he offered a devilish grin before his hand slipped from my face and trailed down my neck and further down, his other hand pulled against my right knee, easing my legs apart while his lips descended to the skin of my thigh.

I watched him, more or less just amused, but that other trailing hand had gone unnoticed and snuck inside my underwear and I gasped. My hands grabbed at the sheets beneath me and I inhaled another gasp, but a smirk took over my lips when I saw him staring up at me with that smug look about his features.

"There we go. A work in progress." his voice deep and taunting, his hands took my hips and slid me down to lay on the bed, removing my panties in the process as I got comfortable. I expected to hear the removal of clothing article after clothing article, but all I heard was the single thump of his heavy coat falling to the carpet and then the sound of a choked cry, that sound having come from me.

Graves hands held underneath my thighs, a place he seemed to favor, and his tongue, well, it was something I'd never felt before, it felt... fantastic...

Graverobber left after that, the only thing that he'd shed was his coat. The only person to get off? Me. It was odd, the feeling, being treated that way. The way I treated customers and Rotti, only their ending mattered... It was a feeling I could get used to, that was definite... but I couldn't shake what the deal was with Graves. Something was up with him...

...

My legs were failing me again, my heels tipped unsteadily against the pavement as my ankles gave out every few feet I walked.

A blue wig was a top my head, the hair was ratted and wet. I sniffled, black watery tracks creating designs down my cheeks as I searched and asked around for Graverobber among the junkies, addicts and whores.

I was given direction toward an alley way, and sure enough, I could see the glowing blue before I could see him or the craving addicts surrounding him.

"Graverobber!"I called, my voice decieved me and broke with a sob. I pushed through the crowd, some were lucid enough to get out of my way on their own. I collapsed against him, my limbs finally giving up on me completely. I cried- my words jumbling through my tears and sobs.

"Woah!" Graves took hold of me around my waist when my weight fell against him, I heard him tell the addicts to beat it and look somewhere else, something I knew he would never do when he was fully stocked up and buyers were buying. "Woah, woah! Slow down, what happened?" he asked, pulling my face away from his chest to look into my red, teary eyes. No doubt he noticed the red swelling on the right side of my face as well. I was a total wreck.

My body shook violently with sobs, I had no control over myself, I was a complete mess. My fists clenched and unclenched the ancient, dirty and now tear stained fabric of Graves shirt. I tried to steady my breaths, just enough to speak a full sentence and explain myself for my behavior.

"They... th-they came into my apartment. I wasn't even in yet, bu-but they were looking for m-me. GenCops and R-repo Men...I-" I paused, taking a few more calming breaths, though I was far from calm, the very farthest from it, I looked up into Graves eyes. They held a worry in them, something I'd never seen before, "I killed them... I killed them all."

"Who sent them? Rotti? Why would he do that? What happened, Courtesan."

"Because... because he found something out today. We both did, actually." I looked back to his shirt, sniffling and gaining control over my breath again.

"Rotti has Genterns take my blood, to make sure I'm healthy and my heart is working properly, and umm, he usually has me do that every three months or so. And, uh, today I had a blood test..." I pressed my forehead to his chest and his arms circled around him tighter, I sighed, wishing I didn't have to break the news like this to him, but this was partially his fault too. I took a deep breath and tried to steel my nerves before muttering quickly, "I, umm, I'm pregnant."

{He was at a lose for words, so many questions came to mind. How long? When did it happen? Who's was it? Is it-}

Judging by his quiet reaction, I figured he was blinded and deaf from such an announcement, so I answered before he could speak, "It's not Rotti's. Concerning what's going on under the hood, he's been broken down for ages."

"Whose is it then?"

"Well. Process of elimination. The last person I had sex with without protection that wasn't Rotti..." I trailed off, hoping he'd put the pieces together, remember and give some sort of recognition.

I looked up at him and saw his brow raise in confusion. I sighed with a roll of my eyes, slightly amused at his stupidity, but even more irritated, and even more scared than that.

"You. Graverobber."

"What? Me? Wha-" but then I saw it play out on his face like a movie, it all came back, that night in the alley, when he wasn't particularly himself, {but in actuality he really was himself} he'd gone ahead and finished up inside.

{First instinct was to deny it, but with Courtesan in his arms, shaking in fear, tear and make up stained cheeks, and what appeared to be a nasty bruise forming on the right side of her face... He glanced at her stomach... Rotti sent the GenCops and Repo Men to kill her... and his baby.}

"We have to leave!" he exploded after a rather long and worrying pause, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting but at least it wasn't denial, "We've gotta get outta here." he said again.

"We?" I wasn't exactly expecting any of this. In truth, I had just come to him to find a place to hide for a while before I could take control over the situation, as well as telling him about his part in creating a new growing life in my god damn belly. I didn't expect him to take action. I just wanted him to have the information.

"I'm a part of this now. I'm a part of what's going on in your stomach, and we have got to get out of this place." he said in a rushed way, and started to pulled me toward the end of the alley way.

"Not now." I stopped his movements.

He looked at me like I had lost it completely, "Why not?"

"He's got GenCops and Repo Men out looking for me. Just wait until Rotti dies and..."

He cut me off, his voice on the borderline of hysterical, "But who knows how long that'll be!"

"It's no longer than a half a year. They're still trying to find cures, but it's terminal. They just won't tell him 'cause they don't want to be killed for being the one who broke the news to him."

He put his face into his hands and groaned, "Half a year you could have the kid by then."

I paused, just taking in what stood before me, it was strange, but nice, "I've never seen you so worried before." I smiled up at Graves, I'd never seen him so flustered, never seen his eyes shine so blue with worry. But all that emotion seemed to dim, and he grinned down at me, giving a shrug.

"What can I say, I care about ya."

He took my chin into his grasp and tilted my face up a little more, his lips descended on mine and for just a few short moments I didn't have a care in the world, but just as soon as I fell into bliss I shoved myself out of it, I pulled away from Graves, and gasped, my words coming out far too quickly to be understood by anyone.

"I can't bring you into this. I can't bring anyone into this. I have to do this alone. I only came to you to tell you about it, I didn't expect you to want to get involved. I just needed a place to lay low for a while. But. But. If they got to you and you were killed I would never forgive myself." I shook my head and pulled myself away from him, away from the warmth and comfort, "It's better this way. For both of us. If you don't know where I am, you won't be at risk. I just need to hide, to blend in, and wait. I can do this."

"Courtesan, calm down. Lemme just-" he reached for me, but I dodged his touch, "No!" I just about shouted, "I know what I'm doing. The less you know, the safer you are. I'll try to keep in touch every now and then, but don't expect to see me too much. I'm sure if they catch me the media will cover it, but I should be fine. I'll leave you messages, every three days. Don't look for me, Graverobber." I explained as I backed out of the alley way and toward the poorly lit streets of the scummier ring of the island. I tossed the blood and tear stained blue wig into a dumpster, I pulled the hood from my sweater out from beneath my coat and pulled it over my head, "The day Rotti Largo dies, I'll find you."

"Promise, Courtesan?"

I paused, my face was concealed in shadows, but a smile took over my face and I quickly ran back to the Z dealer, I flung my arms around him, my feet dangled above the ground as he held me back tightly.

I let go and took his hand, I curved my pinky along his, and leaned up to kiss him one last time, and perhaps the final time, "I promise. You're a good friend, Graverobber." I nodded and ran on much more steady and determind legs from the alley way and into the city...

...

2 and a half months. I've been hiding, moving from place to place all around the city, staying close to the slums. Homeless, a begger and a grave robber. I had resorted to it, I'll admit it. When I couldn't get back to my apartment to get any more clothes or money, I took bodies from their graves and took the Zydrate from their brains and sold it. It's not something I'm proud of, but a girls gotta do something to get some food. And by catching my reflection in shop windows, I didn't exactly look like a healthy pregnant woman, I doubted I was the correct weight, and I was definitely not on the right kind of diet, but the baby seemed to be surviving and that was what mattered.

All I have are my boots, the clothes on my back, a few wigs and extra clothes in my bag that hung from my shoulder, my gun which was still held a full clip- thankfully I haven't had to resort to using it since the incident in the apartment- and I had my baby.

I wondered what it was, a girl or a boy, he or a she, I referred to it as he most of the time. Sometimes I found myself talking to him and apologising to him for bringing him into this, and he wasn't even born yet. This world was a nightmare, I feared for him to grow up here. Corrupt, confused and immoral. I vowed to make sure he was a good person, even in this hellish world.

I found myself walking along the graveyard that contained my parents, and wondered if Graverobber had harvested Zydrate from their corpses. Judging by the untouched earth that covered their coffins I doubted anyone had tried to use them for profit. My mother and father had died when I was 14, first my dad, then my mom. Both needed all sorts of new organs, but they couldn't afford GeneCo, and they'd rather die naturally than be slaughtered by a Repo Man. I huffed a laugh, "Look at me now, mom and dad. Look what your little girl's done with her life. Sold my body to live, now I'm knocked up and on the run. Livin' the dream..." I chuckled half heartedly, "... Miss you." I mummbled before moving on and starting my walk through the headstones and tombs.

Search lights shone all over the graveyard, and the speakers spoke policies passed by Rotti Largo, Congress and voters. It was uncommon for people to visit their dead now that graverobbers were a threat. Everyone was forbidden on grave yard premises, aside from GenCops, of course, they had to be there to find the graverobbers and execute them on sight. But this grave yard always seemed lax on security. I assumed I could manage a little stroll...

But an alarm went off, and my heart accelerated, the lights hadn't cast on me, and the instant I searched to see who tripped the alarm and cause the speakers to screech, 'Graverobbers on premises! Graverobbers on premises!' I found myself colliding into by a short, skinny thing.

"What did you do!" I called to them over the loudness and searched for a hiding place for us, all while seeing GenCops rushing in to find us. My assumptions had been wrong, of course.

"I didn't do anything! I wasn't- I'm not a graverobber!" the voice called back, scared, weak and feminine. It was a girl, she pushed her long black hair away from her face and looked up at me with frightened eyes.

"We need to hide before they find us and kill us." I told her, and enlisted her help in finding some place to wait this out.

"Come on! I stuck my book in the door." she grabbed my hand and hauled me with her toward one of the tombs, her weak arms pushed the door open and she grabbed her book before getting us both in. We shrunk against the stone walls, keeping away from the windows and breathing in deeply.

"Hey, wait a minute," the girl breathed when the sirens finally ceased and we were safe from harm, she turned to me, eyes searching and calculating, "I know you... I've seen you... You're the Courtesan. You're one of GeneCo's most wanted."

"Nice to meet you." I nodded, my reputation had gone from bad to worse in just a few months, "And you are?"

The girl seemed startled by my question, but composed herself well enough to stutter a reply,"Oh- Um, I'm Shilo Wallace."

"Pleased to meet you, Shilo Wallace... Say, uh, you wouldn't happen to know of any place I could hide out for a while, would you?"

She hesistated, but for just a half of a second before she stood and grabbed a bag from the ground in front of a grave that was marked 'Marni Wallace' "Uh, sure. Yeah. This way."

"You're a life saver, kid." I stood up, cursing the ache in my back as I followed the girl.

Through the tunnels that led from the cemetery to the Wallace home, Shilo informed me that I should cover my nose and mouth, just in case.

She led me to her bedroom, where we both sat on her bed, surrounded by the plastic curtains that hung from the canopy. I leaned back against the headboard, anything to ease the aches I had.

"So why are you wanted by GeneCo?" Shilo wondered, her legs were criss crossed and she looked at me in wonder, and judging by her room, I figured this little flower was sheltered.

"You don't read the tabloids much, do you?" I smiled smally at her.

Shilo shook her head, embarrassment tinting her pale cheeks.

"Well, you know I'm the Courtesan. So you must know that I'm- I was, basically Rotti Largo's personal toy. Make him look good sort of toy, make public appearances, pose for photos and make it appear that we shared blooming romance... As well as taking care of personal things behind closed doors."

She nodded for me to continue.

"He was nice to me and everything, but I didn't like him, or his children. They're all awful people. You can only pretend for so long."

"So that's why he's sent GenCops to search for you?"

"No," I chuckled and pulled open my coat, revealing the slightly swollen and protruding belly beneath my purple shirt, the fabric stretched slightly and Shilo's eyes widened.

"It's not his, obviously, or he would't have reacted as badly. He would've been over the moon if it was his, a miracle baby, a worthy heir for GeneCo... But no... He's told the press that not only did I cheat on him, but that I also had plans to create a revolt against him or something. I don't know." I shrugged, the rumors had flown around and blended together in a horrible mixture of lies that I couldn't pick one apart, "He didn't mention the pregnancy because he doesn't want the public to know he wanted a woman with child slaughtered. Doesn't want to be seen in a bad light, you know, since he is the King who saved us all from our premature deaths." I rolled my eyes.

"Why don't you leave? Save yourself and your baby?" Shilo sat up a little straighter.

"Useless until Rotti's reign is over. He's got GenCops stationed in places I usually frequented, had my apartment ransacked, they'll be at the checkpoints to exit the island, and he's got Repo Men constantly waiting for me to make a blip on the radar. Once Rotti's gone, the orders will be put on hold, and whoever takes over will decide whether to continue his orders or void them completely. In that time- the momentary void- I need to make my escape."

The girl nodded, taking in my every word like it was a riveting adventure tale, "You should stay here." Shilo spoke after a few moments pause, "Until Mr. Largo dies. Stay here. GenCops never come up here. You'd be safe. My dad's a doctor, he could see if your baby-"

"No! No, no. No parents, kid. This is between you and me. I just needed a place to hang around for a few hours to get them off my scent. You can't tell anyone you saw me, alright? Promise?"

"But-"

"No. No, buts. You're a sweet girl, Shilo. But I don't want to get you into any trouble, and trouble is bound to happen if I stay longer than needed. Promise me?"

Shilo sighed before nodding in agreement. I stuck my pinky finger out to the girl, "Pinky swear." the girl laughed before linking her pinky with mine.

"My mom and I used to make pinky promises... Never broke those promises..." I mummbled with a grin, but a loud growling made us both flinch before laughing again.

"Sorry about that," I apologised to the girl, putting a hand over my hungry stomach.

"I'll get you something to eat." Shilo insisted no matter how many times I told her I was fine, "And you can shower if you want. First door on the right."

She was an angel, a beautiful, young angel, but she was horribly sick. She was sheltered, made to stay in her room for fear of the outside world hurting her. I felt bad for her, but in a way, I was glad that she was kept safe. Away from the horrors of the outside world.

"I've seen you dance. With Blind Mag's songs. It's beautiful." Shilo said out of the blue once I finished the sandwich she had prepared for me.

"Thanks... Since I was a kid I wanted to be this famous ballerina, but... clearly it didn't work out as planned." I smiled and shifted to get off the bed. The shower was refreshing and the food was filling, but I'd over stayed my welcome and I need to get out of this gorgeous home quick.

"I'd better go." I slipped on my coat and started for the door and down the hallway. Shilo was quick on her socked feet as she walked down the hallway and the stairs with me.

"If you ever need a place to hide again." she said, letting the offer stand as she opened the door.

"I highly doubt it, but thank you, Shilo." I smiled and hugged the girl before leaving the house, without a glance backward I started for the a new place to lay low.

...

{"Psst!" Graverobber heard that same sound for the past three minutes, he'd been ignoring it, but as the sound became more insistent and longer he found himself growing annoyed and turned in search of the owner from which the sound emitted from.}

"What!" Graves snarled, and from beneath my coat and hood I stifled my laughter, and tweeked my voice to sound of that of an ancient old woman.

"How much?" I croaked.

"Z?" he wondered, I could hear the intrigue in his voice, most of his customers were younger people, people younger than 40, most of the time.

"No. You." I nearly bursted right then, but I kept the act up and stayed hunched against the wall.

Graverobber scoffed and started to walk away, "I don't think so, lady."

"Well, that's not very nice," I spoke in my normal voice and stood up, removing my hood, "Old women need love too." I grinned when he stiffened and turned.

"Courtesan." he whispered and rushed me, he pinned me to the wall and took my lips with his, "I missed you." he mummbled against my mouth.

"Aww," I cooed, "Now that is adorable. Who knew!"

"What are you doing here? Is Rotti dead?" he looked around us, making sure there was no one to bear witness.

"No. But I brought presents." I dove my hand deep into my coat pocket and brought out 5 glowing vials of Zydrate.

His eyes widened and he covered the glow with his hand, "Where'd you get these?"

"I've had a lot of time on my hands. Oh, and speaking of time. Take a look at this." I opened my coat after nudging him a few inches away.

I made a dramatic revealing noise and pulled my coat open- my stomach and all it's roundness was shown to Graverobber.

"Look at that. Alive and kicking, literally. Bastard loves to give me a good kicking." I laughed and looked from my stomach to Graves whose eyes had widened larger and a simple, "Woah." left his lips.

"Right?" I laughed, "I think he might actually survive."

"He?" Graves looked to my face, an emotion I couldn't quite place took over his face.

"Yeah. That's what I've been calling him, as opposed to 'it'. I mean, I think he's a boy, but he very well could be a girl. I don't know."

His eyes fell from my face and back to my stomach where he laid a hand on it, and for a few long moments that was it. We just stood there like that. It seemed... peaceful.
I turned my head when I saw a quick shuffling of bodies running and turning to blend into shadows and hide within alleys, which usually meant one thing- GenCops.

"I have to go." I whispered quickly, Graves eyes looked up to see what I saw, I shoved the Zydrate vials into his hands, pulling out the remaining four that were in my other pocket before leaning up and kissing his lips quickly. "He won't last much longer, see you soon!" I called as I ran down the alley way, grinning like a fool.

...

I sat in his office, the spacious room that was hardly decored. I sat on the couch, watching and waiting for that grin to come to his face when everything checked out and I, his perfect little doll with the new heart he'd given me, was fine. But as his eyes raced over the results of the blood test his shoulders tensed and the whites of his eyes became more visible.

"What's wrong?" I wondered and stood up, walking toward his desk, I jumped and stood still when he slammed the clipboard down onto the table top- taking note of his clenched fists, knuckles turning white. "Rotti, wha-" I began but he shouted and I shut up quickly, I'd met this Rotti a few times, but each time after he'd apologize for hours and hours and shower me with gifts to regain my trust in him. He stood up sharply, his chair tipped over with a loud clatter from such force, "Why? Why would you do this to me!" He shouted and advanced toward me.
I stepped away, instinctively and fearfully, what had shown up on that test?

"After all I've done for you! My beautiful girl! Betraying me! Why!"
"Rotti, I don't understand." I spoke cautiously and slowly, hoping it would calm him, but it didn't, it seemed to just add fuel to the fire.
"You don't understand? You don't UNDERSTAND!" he was an older man, a dying man, but he moved swiftly and before I could defend myself I was shoved harshly into the solid wall and I crumbled to the floor.

"Treachery! Treachery against your King. You've been with another and you carry his child." Rotti hissed from above me, and before I could properly take in the new information a heavy weight knocked against my face and I found myself seeing stars. After I regained my sight I realised I'd been hit and nearly blacked out from it.
"All that I've done for you. All that I've done! And this is how you repay me. Sleeping around... I was going to make you my wife! Give GeneCo to you!" he explained loudly, and I saw he'd made his way back to his desk again, he sighed, in what seemed like a devistated way as he picked up his chair and sat in it. "...But now... You leave me no choice."

A gasp escaped me as I found myself waking curled up against a brick wall in an alley way. I groaned at the memory, it was still fresh, even 6 months later. Rotti had called the GenCops to detain me and a Repo Man to repossess my heart. That's when I ran. I ran hard and fast, though pain shook all through me and pulsated hotly in my face where Rotti had struck me, I got into survival mode.

And that's how I'm still breathing. Survival instincts. They kick in and they keep you safe... until your guard is down and you're open to attack.
I didn't sleep much usually, or eat much, but the baby still grew, no matter how badly things seemed that child was still strong. But he was still knocking me out, each day I felt more and more exhausted, and I'd find myself waking up from who knows how long I'd dozed. I needed to be alert and ready, but it was getting harder and harder, and if I counted right this kid should be ready to go in just a couple of weeks. There were no reports on Rotti Largo's health, but I'm sure it will be any time now when he croaks and I can finally be free.

"Well, I guess we should move somewhere else now. Get some exercise while I'm at it... see if I can find you some food." I mummbled to my stomach. I got to my feet with assitance from the brick wall, and gathered my things before starting to exit the alley. But something gleaming slightly silver caught my eye. I wandered toward the slight glimmer and picked it up. A communication bracelet, it was scratched and scuffed, an older model. I turned it on and found it still did the basics. Recieve and send messages, blood pressure and pulse reading, current news and weather updates. I had ditched my old bracelet after I killed those GenCops and Repo Men in my apartment, smashing it with the heel of my shoe. I figured, why not, this bracelet might be of use and put on my wrist... and oh how horribly right I would be...