A girl strode swiftly through the narrow streets of the city, darting through the shadows made by the faint illumination of the streetlamps. She was young, roughly sixteen or so, and moved warily through the night. She knew this area well and the trouble that was so prevalent in it. She was reasonably athletic, but she was also normal, and that meant that there was only so much she could do should she find herself in any sort of trouble.

There were freaks who stalked the streets, twisted from birth and cast out from society. Most did their best to hide their deformities, donning long overcoats or wrapping themselves in bandages, but others let them show; wearing them as a mark of pride. Those were usually the truly dangerous ones, the ones who relished in the idea of inflicting their own pains on others.

Not that they were the only ones who enjoyed inflicting pain in this rotting city. It seemed to ooze pain from every orifice. From the strung out homeless dying in the alleyways to the violent gangs constantly vying for control, everyone suffered.

The girl hugged herself in the dark. The air was cold, marked by an unpleasant drizzle that made the ground slick and slimy. The shadows around her seemed to move as she passed by, menacing her with threats unseen and the constant murmurs of a city unsleeping.

It was hard to tell if there was actually anyone there, if they were all in her mind, or lingering in the dingy tenements above. She didn’t really care. She knew that there were threats about. They were always there, dangers that hung around every corner of the city; from the highest office of the tallest skyscraper, to the darkened alleys she was crawling through.

Turning a corner, she stopped for a moment, seeing a small group huddled around a running vehicle. It looked nice, too nice for this area, and one of the people stood stooped, talking into the driver’s side. The girl didn’t know what was going on, but she knew it likely wasn’t good. Anyone who could afford to own a car that nice, would usually never be caught dead in an area like this. If they ever needed something from here, which was usually drugs, they would pay someone to get it for them.

The girl guessed that this person had probably run out at short notice, and wanted a quick fix. She shook her head, a car like that could fetch a lot more than any drug deal. As she watched, the man at the door shouted something. This was followed by a loud smashing of glass and screams coming from inside the vehicle.

It was time to leave. Emily slipped once more into the shadows and into a nearby alleyway. It was tight and claustrophobic, with little room for escape should anything go wrong, but it was the only viable route to take with the main road being occupied as it was.

Trash and debris cluttered the place, making it difficult to navigate with precious little light to illuminate any obstacles. On top of that, everything was slick from the drizzle. All it would take would be a single trip and a cry of pain, and every thug and unsightly character for blocks would be on top of her. Knowing this, the girl moved carefully, picking her way slowly through the alleyway.

Her diligence paid off, as she slunk toward the end of the alley and the light of the street on the other side. There was no indication that anyone was even remotely aware of her presence. Still, she couldn’t help but increase her speed as she approached the end of the alley, eager to make up for lost time.

However, this proved to be a mistake. Her foot snagged something, just as she was breaking out into the luminescence of the street. She went careening out into the light and straight into the solid figure of a man in a trench coat, before collapsing at his feet.

The man, for his part, seemed barely phased by the collision, slowly turning to face his apparent assailant.

“Well, what do we have here?” The man asked, quizzically. He was tall and narrow, with his coat hanging loosely off his frame. He wore a broad brimmed hat low over his face, and had a scarf wrapped tightly around the lower portion of his face. Above that, one could clearly make out the melted scar tissue of once burnt skin.

“You seem to be in a bit of a hurry.” The man stated. “Here, let me help you up.”

The man held out a hand, but the girl didn’t take it. Instead, she slowly backed away crawling uncomfortably on all fours. The man pressed after her, his hand still outstretched and an uncomfortable smile creased around his eyes, but the girl only moved faster; turning and springing onto her feet. She intended to make a break for it, but instead crashed immediately into another man waiting calmly right behind her.

He was shorter and covered from head-to-toe in a patchwork of torn old cloth that made him resemble an old ragdoll. He laughed when she ran into him, and pushed her casually away toward the taller man, who grabbed her with glee.

“What brings a little girl like you wandering around the streets alone at night?'' The taller man asked as she squirmed in his grip. “Don’t you know that’s how people get hurt? What’s in the bag?”

The man pointed to a small backpack the girl was wearing on her back, and his accomplice reached out to grab it. Before he could, she twisted her body sharply; sliding out of the taller man’s grip. Before either one of them could react, she reached into her pocket drawing a short shiv that she brandished at her assailants.

The shorter man laughed. “Are we supposed to be afraid of that?” He asked as he picked nervously at his mask.

“You look it.” The girl replied, and she lunged at him; her shiv outstretched. The man dodged quickly out of the way, retaliating with a swift backhand that knocked the girl to the ground.

The shorter man stood over her. Bending over, he hauled her up by her backpack, before holding her firmly in place. She once again struggled to free herself, as the taller man came near her, holding out an outstretched hand. In an instant it was a ball of flame, and the man was pressing it towards her face.

The girl squirmed as hard as she could, trying to keep herself away from the flame, but she couldn’t keep it from singing her flesh.

“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” The taller man proclaimed. “Don’t you want to take a closer look?”

He moved to press it right onto the girl’s face, when suddenly he went flying to the side in a blur. There was a loud cracking sound as he thudded against the wall of a nearby building, as his partner stood with his mouth agape at what had just happened.

Seeing her chance, the girl moved quickly. Slipping free once again, she drove her shiv deep into the unprotected neck of her assailant, before unceremoniously removing it again just as quickly. Copious amounts of blood began spraying from the wound, as the man clutched his neck with both hands in a vain attempt to staunch the flow. The girl watched as the man fell to his knees, what little parts of skin that showed turning pale.

Behind her, a man walked to her side. He was very tall and very well built, with every move he made screaming power. Looking at the man bleeding out in front of them, he shook his head.

“Emily, Emily, did you have to kill him?” He asked the girl.

She smiled. “You don’t have any room to lecture me this time, Zach. That other guy’s definitely dead.”

Zach smiled back at her, before turning his attention back to the man in front of them.

“Yes, he is,” He replied with a grin. “But if you’re going to kill someone, at least have the decency to give them a quick death. Only scum like these people draw it out.”

He walked up to the man, now writhing in agony on the ground. Slowly, he knelt down, pulling his fist back as he did so. It came down like a sledgehammer, crunching wetly as it landed.

Gore splattered across the pavement and onto Zach, but he just stood up and walked back toward Emily; seemingly unphased. When he reached her, he placed a gorey hand on her shoulder.

“Alright, let’s go.” He said calmly, motioning for her to follow him as he set off briskly down the street. “Oh, and, you’re in a lot of trouble, missy.”