The Zion sector, a place where humanitarian resources are found, or if you want to be a little more humane, let's call them the working class.
In other cities, becoming part of that meagre but somewhat worthwhile class is an honour, but in the town of Rumble, most of those workers become miners, leaving all the posh positions to the elite few.
Though let's not throw too much shade on this city, at least thanks to corruption, rising to become one of them is as easy as blowing out your birthday candles-
If only celebrating a birthday were that easy, then that saying would have been a nice way to lighten up the mood-
Here, most are orphans or get lucky enough to experience getting left behind-but let's be honest, the former is a much nicer experience.
Though one boy thinks otherwise- spending his days idolising his deadbeats like gods. A sad way to surmount the trauma in life-
But what can we say, the best way is laughing it off, isn't that why it's the best medicine?
Well, the weirdest thing is acceptance in this city, as most tend toward substances and nightlife to soothe the heart.
Let's revise what we understand.
Living- unbearable,
Jobs - well, you'll never be jobless, though you will suffer as the career in demand is mining.
Yep, the sweet life of toxic air and the almighty feeling of camaraderie in the eyes of death.
A wonderful career if I do say so myself- like who wouldn't want to work as one
'Dang, why did I fall for it?' he reflected on the idiotic decision he made.'
'Like, come on, Kade put two together, how could mining be fun?' The regret of his naive thinking was painfully gnawing at him, but what could you expect from a child at 10
No one could have prepared him to rumble with advanced propaganda techniques.
Lost in his world of regret, sudden snaps and snares brought him out. It continued moving from a jumbled mess to a harmonious rhythm, and Kade followed, syncing his mining with the beat. The song locked him in a trance, making him hit the stone with ungodly accuracy.
In no time, he reached the mineral, forcing him to hit the edges, as damage would result in a fine, none other than more work.
To the miners around Kad looked like a mad husband who had just found out his being cucked.
Raw, primal determination to beat the living hell out person could be felt from afar
He was, in fact, beating it just like the song.
Clanks echoed through the cavern, and over time, they slowly died out whilst the pile around grew. He stopped after gaining a dozen, as that was more than enough to make up for his blunder and the quota.
Thanks to the music, he was phased through the task, accomplishing almost time-skip activities.
'And to think everyone laughed when I bought it'
Kade chuckled towards his success, cause who wouldn't?
'WELP, I should get out of here before, ' and like an announcement to an opening act.
"Kaaaadeee!" A loud, grating echo travelled throughout the void, although this is only loud to softies in the 3rd district. To us, this is kinda soothing.
A grizzled, stooped man with ash-streaked skin, sharp yellow eyes and a gravelly, smoke-filled voice- a survivor hardened by years of hardships.
'Dang it seems I've been caught lacking once again.'
"Honestly, Pete, must you deafen me? It's an intercom, not a contest of who can sound most uncivilised." rug shot with a cold indifference
A former elite, now a fresh face in the mines, lean and stiff with the beginning of grime and exhaustion, his eyes steel-blue eyes still holding a trace of pride
Pete glared at the newcomer.
He felt annoyed- first, an idiot doesn't finish, and it's for some dumb reason as well, though any reason would be idiotic to make them stay in this toxic waste any longer.
His annoyance slowly rose to anger, and the first one to speak had to take it all.
He looked at the rug
"Always settling for your barbaric ways", he groaned softly, almost like he didn't want anyone hearing him, but oh, how wrong he was.
"Since when did peep squicks who couldn't finish easy quotas gain balls, and in front of me, nonetheless?" He mocked
"A maidenless brute barking at his betters—how tediously predictable," he mumbled, it was meant to be a subtle comeback- but how dumb of him to forget to must himself. Meaning he heard it all.
"Why do they always gotta stress the old man?" a man sighed at the upcoming work as he observed everything going down.
Pete walked up to him and grabbed him by the collar, then elegantly dragged him to the edge of the cliff, and, like any sane person, threatened to throw him off.
Rug gripped Pete tight as if saying, ' if you do it, we both go'; however, this tactic only works if the recipient wants to live.
Listen here, peep squick, I've lived, you haven't, wanna end it early, this would have sounded so menacing-
If only there wasn't a line of snot threatening to fall on Rug, but who's to say that it wasn't, frightening to him
Though prideful, Rug's cowardness in the face of a threat made his promise all the more empty.
He knew Pete wasn't lying, because everyone knew how impulsive he was, and if he didn't handle this situation- well, let's just say "free skydiving".
"Whoa, whoa, settle down now, black lung,"
Pete hastily glared back at the man who put them in this mess, standing there
A lean, wily boy forged from five years of constant toils in the mine, his sun-darkened skin, calloused hand, short dark hair and alert hazel eyes that hint at both calm and focus.
"Since when are street rats saint-worthy?" Pete's rage burst out — almost comical, really, considering how he always turns bright red when he's angry.
Kade was amused at the old man's antics- his outburst always looked cute in his eyes, and he had been wondering why.
'Maybe I'm gay, but whoa for old men, that is a whole different issue,' he instantly went nauseous as dirty thoughts of the old man flooded his mind.
'Well, we can confirm I'm not one of them,' trapped in his own insanity- Pete was still letting loose.
Though the music dampened everything he said, what he did know was that a sailor's mouth held nothing back. All kinds of profanity flew by, from cursing parents to lifestyles.
Kade just ignored it all whilst looking blankly entertained, then he returned to work as he knew the captain wouldn't let this slide- no matter how laid back he is
Clank, clank, the sound of the pick resonated throughout the cavern.
Pete, however, could not just let this youngling's disrespect slide, so in a fit of rage, he raised his pick, planning to slam it on the unsuspecting victim.
"Whoa now, let's not get any bright ideas, " he hissed.
Pete's hands instantly became shaky, and a torrent of sweat poured from his pores. Carnal fear overcame Pete.
"So let's get back to work", he said, his tone a fake act of enthusiasm, sarcastic, you could say.
"Unless" the word hung like a proclamation daring anyone to try, and everyone knew not to test it.
Though Capo is known to be an easy-going going lazy boss, don't let that facade fool you. Being named a captain in this business needs someone clad in scarlet.
Pete was locked in place, his body not daring to move, and Kade, well, his mind was going through a rollercoaster of thoughts.
Everyone remained in that same position until the feeling receded, and with no hesitation, they went back to mining.
Just like that, everything calmed down, or did it? There seems to be an underlying tension in this drifting through the cavern, spreading itself like fungi.
"Kade, you know I hate dealing with worthless problems, so why test me?"
Clancks echoed in the background, and with each one, Kade's mind went blank, a whisper of lies beseeched him, but was beaten out by a miner's pick
Capo released a frightening amount of killing intent.' And like that, ladies and gentlemen, we have lost a member. Raven chuckled at her thoughts. Though she did feel bad for the little guy. Imagine dying a virgin, and he was so close to popping it as well.
It was a closely guarded secret on what Kade's actions fro the last couple of weeks, but the walls got ears and whispers can still echo.
Kade stuttered, trying to form a coherent sentence on why he failed today's quota, and he definitely can't say the real reason.
Why? He can't tell them that he fucked them over just to crack.
Then, suddenly, a rumble echoed throughout the cavern. 'Yes, saved by the unsuspecting issue, ' Kade breathed a sigh of relief at the chaos being unravelled.
A large alert flashing on their helmets: "UNSECURED BOMBING"
Everyone knew what this meant: 'Some idiot mined the ore wrong.' This one idea spread through every veteran, or at least read the manual.
' fuck to get thrown from one near-death experience to another, can Lady Luck please give me a break.
Panting echoed through the cavern as people tried to make it to the earnest chugger but-