Nameless stirred awake, blinking off the last remnants of sleep. Around him, the room buzzed with quiet activity—Donnie and Dianne were already up, stuffing gear into their duffel bags.
"Sorry for slacking off!" Nameless blurted, snapping upright.
Dianne glanced over without breaking rhythm. "We just woke up too. No worries."
"What can I do?"
"Pack up. We'll need everything."
Without wasting a second, Nameless gathered his essentials and began loading them into his own duffel bag, carefully wedging food packets into the extra space.
"Where's my armor?" he asked.
"Downstairs," Dianne replied, already heading that way.
Nameless followed shortly after. In the lower level, Donnie and Dianne were suiting up in their armor. Nameless joined them, locking in the final piece.
"You guys ready?" Dianne asked.
"Yeah!" they both said in unison.
The trio bolted from the town and headed for the Mid-Class layer's entrance.
---
After a short trek—and a quick dispatching of a large rat—they reached a towering elevator platform. As they approached, it began to descend with a mechanical hum.
"This is the entrance to the Mid-Class layer," Dianne explained, stepping onto the platform.
"This elevator is massive. Is that why you used to bring a bigger team?" Nameless asked as he and Donnie joined her.
"Yeah. We were supposed to scout, but the guards spotted us fast."
"And you didn't have gear back then?"
"Nothing. We thought it was safe... but clearly not. That's where you guys come in."
"We're loaded now. They won't know what hit 'em."
---
The elevator stopped at a colossal dome glowing with a soft blue light. A wide hallway stretched forward, quiet and unnervingly still.
"Let's move," Dianne ordered.
With enhanced speed from their armor, the trio raced down the hallway. As intersecting corridors opened up, guards emerged, rifles raised.
Dianne deployed her energy shield. Nameless vaulted overhead, slamming his rod into the nearest guard from above. Gunfire erupted. Nameless deflected what he could, electricity sparking from his rod, retaliating with blasts that dropped several enemies. Donnie's rifle cracked from a distance, taking heads with precision.
As the last injured guard crawled back, Nameless finished him off with a clean strike.
"Keep moving!" Dianne yelled.
A second wave came fast—this time with the needle-legged robots among them. Nameless charged his rod and stabbed one, sending electricity arcing into the others. Dianne blocked a tentacle with her shield and countered with an electric projectile that fried the bot instantly. Donnie mowed down more guards from behind.
"I'm doing your move!" Dianne shouted.
"Ground slam?"
"Yup!"
Nameless cleared space, and Dianne slammed her rod down. Electricity exploded outward, disabling all remaining bots.
They dashed forward. Overhead, the ceiling turned to glass, revealing a night sky and glittering city lights far off.
"Almost to the central tower," Dianne called out.
They reached a structure with a huge elevator and multiple intersecting hallways. As the platform descended, they sat down, panting.
"Is this it?" Nameless asked.
"Never made it this far before," Dianne admitted. "Keep your guard up."
"Feels like the last time was just yesterday," Donnie murmured, touching his scarred eye.
"You still got it," Nameless said.
"Doesn't feel like it."
"That's just you being dramatic."
---
The elevator surrounded them with glass walls. When the door opened, cold air swept in. Music echoed faintly in the distance.
Nameless inhaled deeply. "Nostalgic..."
"We were born below," Dianne said. "This is... strange."
"Let's head to the outskirts and rest," Nameless suggested.
They walked until they reached a grassy field. Lying down, Donnie dug out some food.
"So Nameless, what's it like outside?"
"You feel the sun hit your skin. Warmth. Real sky. It's... freeing."
"The sun kills people, right?" Donnie asked.
Nameless laughed. "No. It's life. It gives energy to plants and vitamin D to us."
"Guess we adapted to not need it," Donnie mused.
They finished eating and stood up.
"Dianne, let's move."
"Guide us, Nameless," she said.
He led them off-road, sticking to grass for stealth. They approached a city, staying to the side. Climbing an old fire escape, they reached a rooftop.
"Security's tight," Nameless warned. "Cameras, guards, police... and then robots. We can't be seen."
"Ideas?" Dianne asked.
"Give me a sec..."
Before he could speak, a man opened the rooftop door.
Without hesitation, Nameless lunged and subdued him. Donnie slammed the door shut.
"Wait! Don't kill me!" the man cried.
"You saw us. You'll call security!"
"I won't, I swear!"
Nameless released him. "Who are you?"
"I'm Alex. Twenty-one. Mid-Class citizen!"
Nameless leaned close. "You're not brainwashed?"
"No! I know we're in a megastructure. Life's okay up here. Who are you?"
"I'm Nameless, 19. From the Low-Class layer."
"Donnie, 26."
"Dianne, 28. We're siblings."
"Well... you're all welcome to my place."
"Thanks! We need a hideout without breaking laws."
They all laughed.
Alex handed them a bottle, and they pretended to be drunk as they packed their armor away and followed him inside. He spoke nonsense to passersby. Soon, they entered a small room with basic amenities.
"Sorry it's cramped," Alex said.
"No worries. This is perfect," Dianne replied.
Everyone laid out for the night. Donnie and Nameless shared the floor.
"Man, why does our hideout feel better than this?" Nameless muttered.
"Because this house isn't visitor-friendly," Dianne laughed.
They all chuckled, finally feeling safe—if only for a moment.
---
The following morning, Nameless sat up with a quiet groan, rubbing the back of his sore neck. Around him, Donnie and Dianne were waking too, each stretching sluggishly with grimaces.
"Ugh... I feel like I slept in a toolbox," Donnie muttered.
From across the room, Alex stirred from his bed and gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys. This place really isn't great for guests."
"It's not the worst," Nameless replied. "Just... hard to get up."
"I'll grab a futon later," Alex offered, rolling his shoulders. "Still my break from work."
"Now that I'm looking forward to," Donnie said, rubbing his back.
Alex sat down at the edge of his bed. "Since we're all up, mind if I ask something? What's it like down there? The Low-Class layer, I mean."
Nameless nodded and pointed at himself. "For me, I was always pushing myself to get better. That's how I even made it here."
"For us," Donnie added, "it's scavenging. Day in, day out. Scrap metal, food, sometimes fighting rats twice our size."
Alex whistled. "And here I am thinking going to the gym is exhausting. You guys lived in survival mode."
"I can tell," Nameless said. "You've got a good build, though."
"Thanks, man. But what you've done? Way tougher. You fought your way up here, right?"
"We did," Dianne confirmed. "Guard patrols, killer robots. Wouldn't have made it without armor."
"I've heard of those robots. Even I wouldn't want to face one."
"With the right tools, they're manageable," Nameless said.
Just then, a phone buzzed loudly on the table. Alex jumped up to answer it. After a brief call, he turned back.
"I gotta head out. If you want to stay here, go ahead. I already gave you permissions on the door panel."
"Don't forget the futon!" Donnie called after him.
Alex waved and shut the door behind him.
The room fell into a relaxed silence.
"Anyone feel like taking a bath?" Nameless asked.
"Let's wait for Alex. We shouldn't use his stuff without asking," Dianne said.
"Frick... I forgot to get his contact info."
Nameless stood and looked around. Soon, he spotted a box filled with surgical masks near the corner. He pulled one out and secured it over his face.
"I'm heading out to explore. You guys stay put."
"Stay safe," Donnie said.
Nameless stepped outside and began strolling through the city. Towering real estate buildings lined the streets. A bus stop caught his eye, though he had no money to use it. After wandering through bustling sidewalks, weaving through crowds and street vendors, he returned to Alex's apartment.
"Find anything interesting?" Dianne asked.
"Not really. The city's nice, but without money, there's not much to do."
"Makes sense," Donnie added.
Moments later, the door opened again. Alex returned, carrying a large futon and a bag of snacks.
"Futon delivery!" he announced.
"Yes!" Donnie and Dianne cheered as Alex rolled it out.
"Helped a friend move some stuff and bought snacks on the way back."
"Thanks, man," Nameless said sincerely. "Even if we don't stay long, we appreciate it."
Alex shrugged. "It's fine. I'm used to being alone anyway."
Nameless tensed slightly. "How do you even get used to being alone?"
"Some people never asked to be alone. But if you live like that long enough... it becomes a habit. Even when I made friends, the solitude stuck."
"That's... sad, honestly. But if you ever need company, we're here. Or your friends, too."
Alex smiled. "That means a lot. I do hit them up when I get lonely."
"Good," Nameless said. "Just—someone I know lives like that too. She was always alone. I'm just scared you'll go through what she did."
"I'll be fine. Really. But thanks."
"She's someone I met when I got stuck below. Everyone else calls her dangerous… even Donnie and Dianne think she's cursed. But I just don't see it."
"So she's one of those people… the ones who get painted wrong. I've seen that happen before."
"Look, we can't stop you. People believe what they believe." Dianne reacts.
They opened the bag of snacks—donuts—and shared them casually.
"So," Alex said, "this girl you mentioned... what's the deal with her?"
"I'm helping her out. That's all. Though she's... clingy."
"No confessions yet?"
"Not yet."
"Sounds like a misunderstood person," Alex said, glancing at Dianne.
"Maybe," Nameless replied. "It's complicated."
Dianne folded her arms. "Still not letting my guard down."
"That's fair. You've got your reasons."
"If she really is good," Alex said, "then one day, you will see it. You just have to let the truth unfold."
"Yeah... I hope so."
The four of them sat together, trading stories and laughter as the day quietly slipped by.
---