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Meetings were surely becoming my worst nightmare. Being in a tiny room with thirty people sweating and pushing each other was definitely not my favorite way to spend a Sunday night.

- Folks, calm down. - a tall strong man with big hair was waving his hands in a condescending manner - We won't solve anything with yelling and name calling. We are doing everything in our power to find out what happened.

- That's the problem, isn't Pogg?

I had been standing since the beginning of the meeting. We were going on and on about the same thing for 2h. Pogg was the elected candidate to represent de slums. Apparently, he was well tempered. Every week as part of his job he had to come down from the top tier to meet with us and hear out demands.

- What is, Mr. Sato?

- You have no power! - In that liquor store everyone raised their hands and shouted in support.

Candidates were selected by the Leadership to represent each part of the city. Every two years we would vote and the elected candidate would be a part of the City Assembly. Five people, one from each part of Tier-1 would serve as representatives of the citizens inside the City Tower.

- And what do you suggest? - Pogg didn't like me very much. More than once I was called an "agitator" or asked to leave. I was very pround of my reputation.

- Bring it to the ground! - the small crowd roared with me. - They can't kill us off and get away with it. This is our City!

All the way on the front, standing behind the bar, Pogg twitched his eye. Waving trying to get everyone to sit down, he waited in a patronizing silence.

- That is not the way to act. We can't be seen as the enemy.

- They murdered those boys! - a voice shouted over Pogg's. Weeks after the execution of the boys, the Leadership still hadn't released any statements regarding the video.

- The Leadership is conducting an investigation to find whoever was responsible for the fabricati- - cut off again by the unsatisfied crowd, the speaker let go and tilted his head to massage the space between his eyebrows.

For me the meeting was over. There was nothing Pogg could say that I didn't already know or haven't heard before. Not in a million years the Leader of Tier-1 would admit to executing those boys wrongly because they weren't. Both kids had the bad luck to be chosen to send a message. A live vivid message to every person that thought they had any sort of power within the city.

Outdoors the summer wind was sticky, gluing the sea air on my face immediately making me wish to be back into that hot sweaty room. Nights were worse than the day. The darkness of the sky and the neon lights coming from the walls created an oven that slowly cooked my brain.

- You! - I was heading to my crappy apartment when someone called from behind. It was late and I didn't want to make conversation, so I just kept walking.

- Does "Mr. Sato" know you're out and about…

Against my will I stopped. Deep in my mind I couldn't stop thinking about the ac on my room and the ice cold orange juice I paid a ridiculous amount of money on waiting for me in the fridge. Nevertheless, sometimes, people just pushed me too hard.

- What did you say?

Grinning at me was a skinny fella about my height with short blonde dreads. Didn't even look older enough to be out during night time but boy he got under my skin with that smile. They knew what they said and also knew how I would take it. At that point I didn't care who it was, I wasn't gonna take shit from anyone anymore.

- Are you defective?

I went blind. All my frustrations came at once, making my feet move on their own. If they were of age or not I didn't care. I wouldn't let that snarky son of a bitch mock me too.

- Hey… - they stepped back. - Bro, take it easy. - I kept going. Even if they begged I wouldn't stop. Somehow they sensed it because they turned around and started running. On any other day I would have left it there and would've gone home but that kid picked the wrong one.

As he bolted off into the closest alley. Only a couple meters behind I followed. Seeing they were fast, I enhanced my speed. Had been a while since the last time I actively had to run like that. The kid kept turning at every corner, making me go around in circles while jumping over drunk men, pushing people on the streets, crossing buildings. It wasn't until I heard a giggle echo when we were going through one of the underground tunnels, that I realized what was happening.

- Fuck you, you little piece of shit! - stepping on the breaks, I felt my sides hurt. Almost at the end of the tunnel, circled by a purple backlight I heard they laugh out loud.

- You're so outdated! - between gasping for air, my eyes could only focus momentarily on their figure. They were having fun at my expense and I fell for it. - I'm Jk! Nice to finally meet you, St.

- Go fuck yourself. - too humiliated to go on, I picked up my pride and turned on my heels. Hotter than ever with sweat drops sliding on my face, I wanted to teleport to my house and never go out again.

- I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now. - a couple steps echoed on the walls. - I didn't know how to do it so I just did the first thing that came to mind.

- You do know that if you get closer I will strangle you, right? - my right kidney was hurting like a bitch. I kept pressing it and that was troubling my walk.

- You're a member of the Mask, correct?

I detained myself.

- What the fuck is wrong with you? - my words travelled all through the tunnel. I wasn't angry anymore but the careless way in which those words were said bothered me deeply.

- I want to be a part of it.