"The cold air seeps into the wet rags I called clothes. With each blink, my eyelids grow heavier. Each breath, is more painful than the last as I stay curled up next to a rusted dumpster. The smell of weeks old garbage that even the bugs stray away from continually assaulted my senses, forcing me to gag. 

A fierce bout of coughing breaks through the silent night, stirring the mass of bodies taking refuge in the dark alleyway. The coughing is wretched, loud and powerful. The coughing of someone not long for the world. I searched the alleyway with what little light there is, seeking prey, as a vulture would. 

In a way, the entire alleyway is full of vultures. Already, the rustling of movement and figures looking around shows that everyone else is seeking the same thing as you, thinking the same thought as me. 

"Don't leave me. You can't die," a quiet voice speaks out, but in the silence it echos, an unwelcome distraction in the darkness. At once everyone turns towards the sound of the voice. Already I can hear the shuffling of bodies as people get up. Footsteps echo, splashing puddles and cracked pavement. All of them, headed towards the voice. 

Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up. Soon, I found myself in step with the rest of them. Their faces are hidden from me, their clothes, their height, all obscured as they avoid the small pockets of moonlight. But one singular thought connects all of us.

Reaching deep within, I muster the last of my strength and rush forward, pushing and shoving, knowing it is a futile effort. My small size makes it easy for me to be pushed back and I'm swept up into the crowd. 

Every time I try to find stable footing, I'm swept up again into the crowd, into the chaotic mass. Soon enough, punches are thrown, faces are scratched, and curses are thrown as the crowd of would-be scavengers begins its descent into a riot.

I only have one chance, while the crowd is distracted with fighting one another than they are stripping the dying man of his belongings. A glint of light catches my attention and I spot a piece of broken glass on the ground, the perfect shank. 

When suddenly a boot covers the would-be shank and a hand reaches down towards me and a voice rings out amongst the chaos.  "Quick! Come with me before its too late!"

I looked around at the chaos, then to the stranger. After a moment of hesitation I decided to take a chance. I grasped onto the outstretched hand and allowed myself to be pulled to my feet and dragged away. My legs and surroundings blur as I ran, my breath comes in ragged bursts and my chest tightens. I feel as if my legs could go forever, but a fatal misstep, acommpanied by a sharp pain marks the end. Time slows as I watch my foot twist at an unnatural angle. First my legs then the rest of my body catches up as I tumble to the ground. 

Stone and dirt readily greeted me as my face plummets to the ground. The world swirls as I roll across the dirt until finally I stop, landing on to my back. Pain shoots all over my body and a groan escapes my lips, weak and pathetic. My vision blurs and the world continues to spin as if it is taunting me. 

In the distance I hear loud pops and screams. Closer by I hear the sound of foot steps. The shape of a person manifests itself before my eyes one final time before the sweet embrace of darkness takes me away from the pain.

What could have been minutes or even hours later, a damp and cool sensation spreads across my forehead, jarring me awake. I force my eyes open and the blurry image of deep blue eyes appears before me. Looking around further I see a abandoned building, decaying walls all around, broken windows, dirt, glass and who knows what else littering the floor and a roof just waiting to collapse. I attempt to get myself to my feet when a hand quickly but gently puts an end to my attempt.

"Hey, come on, you need to relax and get some rest." a voice replies and suddenly I'm reminded of what happened and quickly swallow down the panic that threatened to spill out. I try to once again focus and this time I find my voice and finally managed to ask through bloody, torn, lips.

"Who are you?"

Most would have just scavenged my body and left me to fate. It is strange that this person is helping me which adds further to the uneasy feelings I have. The response I got wasn’t what I was expecting but then again what was I expecting? I was just another punk street kid, why would anyone save me?

"Consider me your guardian angel."

What a strange turn of events I can not help but think to myself as once again I attempt to sit up and this time I'm not stopped. My so called "guardian angel" helps me. They then gently begin to wipe the sweat and dirt off my body with a piece of torn clothing.

Whoever my so called "guardian angel" is, stops briefly to wipe sweat off their forehead and removes the hood which hid a fair amount of their face from me. It's then I realize it's a boy not much older than me, which adds further to my confusion.

"Why?"

The boy chuckles as he drops the piece of torn clothing now bloodied and dirty onto the equally dirty floor. His eyes fixed on mine.

"You were in trouble. You needed help. Simple as that."

My response was cut short by the sounds of shattering glass, gun fire and screaming from what I assumed to be from either right outside the building or from the surrounding area. What the hell were we going to do now?

Genji looked around as hell was breaking loose right outside of the building, a simple night out on the town turns into a warzone, a bloody one at that. He gave Sw1tch that same glare that he had before and then looked over at the corridor beyond them, if they wanted to survive, time was of the essence and the plan was to make time their ally. Genji walked past Sw1tch and gave him the simple shoulder brush.

"Come with me. Quickly."

With a simple jog through over to the door that lead down to a corridor. Genji gave it a simple shove and then paced down towards another day that lead down a dirty, damp alleyway that leads out onto the street. Screaming and gun fire still shot the night up and the street was a warzone, luckily they had a plan to get out as fast as they possibly could, they still had to battle it out on foot. A simple grunt was given out from Genji and for a person that just saved someone; Genji certainly didn't look the part.

"Come."

The duo trailed down the damp alleyway but going in a different direction that didn't lead out to the bloodshed, especially not in such a condition. They made it out onto the street and gave it yet another quick jog which made it to the parked vehicle that couldn't have been parked any worse, Genji stopped to look at Sw1tch and he fixed his eyes upon him once more.

"Get in."

"Is this even-"

"In."

Genji put his hand on the handle, of course he was gonna be the last one in. He played the role of a gentleman as he turned around to stare around and looking up and down the rest of the street, the sounds of gun fire still erupted from their exact location and it felt like it was approaching closer, all the more reason to leave.