Chapter one

"DADDA!" I yell, my hands desperately trying to stop the fountain of blood oozing out of his chest. "It's going to be okay, I can do this!" I feverishly murmur as I try in vain to stop the blood. "Come on come on come on COME ON!" My whispers slowly escalating to shouts fall on deaf ears.

"Atlas my boy, my Liebe" Adel's words snap me back to reality. "Dadda, please don't go dadda!" Please, you promised you won't don't leave me alone my inner thoughts are left unsaid as Adel grimaces in pain as he tries to talk. "Atlas you have to listen to me, you gotta survive, survive Gotfall."

"DADDA! WAKE UP DADDA!"

Two years since Gotfall

"Atlas get up you lazy fuck, we got a job to do."

"Ugh Piss off" I curse whoever woke me up with a warm, loving boot on the ass. I groggily grab a black T-shirt and give it a whiff. "Eh close enough" I murmur, throwing the shirt on, hiding the scars snaking around my body. I shuffle to the bathroom, splashing myself with cold water to wake me up, looking myself in the mirror, four eyes greet me back. "Morning Dissy" Unfazed, I greet the demon Haitian general. I grab my toothbrush and run it through some warm water, about to brush my teeth when…

"What the FUCK Atlas" A voice rings out right next to my ear, causing me to drop my toothbrush. "Yeah yeah morning to you too Lügenbrecher, can you like, not shout in my FUCKING EAR next time you wanna voice a complaint?" I ask the infamous demon of truth as I reach down to grab my toothbrush. "I'll consider it when you behave like a proper (german curse) person and brush your teeth with cold water, not that gooey shit." Lu lu snarks, twisting the knob for cold water to flow from the sink. Lugenbrecher takes... An unusual form. Appearing as a floating Vintage cartoon character, Pac man eyes and all. Lu Lu wears a black tuxedo and pants, a cigar always in his mouth, and a cane in his hand. "Don't mind if I do" I reply, drinking my usual shit of water. I brush my teeth the "proper way" under Lu lu's watchful gaze, shaving my growing facial hair and taking a piss afterward. I finally leave my pitiful excuse of a bathroom as I walk into my closet-sized apartment. "Not much, but it's better than sleeping in the streets." I remark.

"Agreed! Now we have ruins to explore, supers to kill and liers to punish!" Lu lu chimes, his last words coming out cold as he.. Well, it passes me my black trench coat with lines of red here and there. "Thanks" I utter my thanks to the german demon as I check my pocket for smokes, letting a sigh of relief as I feel them in my pocket. I walk towards my bed, grabbing and inspecting my trusty pistol, content with its cleanness I check the magazine before sliding it back home. I need more ammo I mentally muse as I swipe two more magazines on my counter and put my pistol into its holster. "Am I forgetting something?" I think out loud.

"Pants and your knife Atlas" Dizzy, better known as Distim, the demon of hatred helpfully informs me. I look down and do see that I am pantless. I thank Dizzy, the black veins in my arm

squirming in reply. I throw on a pair of black cargo pants and head towards the door, grabbing and sheathing my combat knife on my pants.

"Atlas! Good morning!" A high pitch voice greets me as I look down, a kid no taller than my waist looking at me happily. "Morning to you too Ralph" I greet him, ruffling his hair. "Staaph! I'm not a little kid anymore!" Ralph pouts, resulting in me ruffling his hair even more. He sticks his tongue out and runs off in retaliation, causing me to snicker. I put my hand in my pockets and fish out my cigarettes, glancing at the cigar-smoking demon at my shoulder. Lu lu light's my cig with a snap of his hands and we take a puff of our respective addictions, exhaling smoke in sync. We stand there, all three of us, and enjoy the silence. Childish laughter and loving smiles only parents could wear surround me, reminding me of my robbed childhood, the memories snipping, and biting at my conciseness. I shake my head and sigh as I look up at the sky, cursing this forsaken Gotfall. "Well, we have a job to do." I muse as I flick the stub of cigarette on the floor, crushing it and the haunting memories of my past with my boot. Dizzy pulses in agreement and Lu lu nods.

"Atlas! Getting ready for another day?" Jacob Fingerman, my neighborhood arms dealer greets me, a smile contrasting the pain in his eyes. "Like everyone says Jacob, another day another scrap run" I reply as I reach his store. "No one says that Atlas you dumb fuck" Jacob sniggers before his face turns serious. "Whatta need today kid?" "I need 3 more magazines of .45, and another pack of cigarettes if you got em" I cut to the chase, I can be happy and joyful with everyone else when I'm laying in a pool of my own blood. Jacob nods and disappears into his shop, the sound of rummaging prevalent. He reappears moments later, three magazines and two packs of cigarettes clink on the table. "Five scrap kid", his deep voice slightly echoing.

"Don't bullshit me, Jacob'' I say with a smirk, putting 10 scrap on the table. "Like I'm letting you get away with low prices like that, also please have a meal today, I know your skipping on em." I grab what I asked and leave without a word, not bothering to watch Jacob's mouth open slightly in amazement at my observation skills. I do hear him whispering "Come back, kid.", the pain of being dependent on cutting me worse than any blade or gunshot. I organize my ammo and walk towards the community board, hoping for a good-paying scrap run or bounty. "Find my Grandad's watch, get me this get me that, nothing good today." Lu lu remarks, looking over the board. I can't help to agree with the demon's statement, none of them don't even pay well.

"500 scrap." A feminine voice from behind me says, not even causing me to flinch. I turn around and face a rather attractive girl. "If you wanna bed me you don't need that much cutie" I deadpan, grinning at the redness hitting her cheeks. I watch her in amusement as she takes a moment to recover herself. "I am not asking for a..romp. It's a bounty, a group of slavers made camp not far from here, and I want the slaves freed and the slavers dead. No survivors." Her voice is cold at the end of the offer, hatred, and a hint of pleasure? In her eyes. "Interesting" Lu lu and I say in unison. "600 and I guide all the slaves back here and make every single slaver suffers, I'll even take pictures." I finish my offer, curious to see her response. "Deal" she replies, her eyes gleaming at my offer. "Where and how many?" I ask, my inner demons giggling at the prospect of killing some slaver Schlampe. "At least 20, possible *mutants or bounded ones, they

set up camp at Public school 66 at Browning street, roughly 20 minutes from here, when are you going to go?" She answers my question with one of her own. "Right now" I reply, grabbing a piece of scrap paper and pen from my pocket and writing my number. "I'll contact you when I'm done and leading the slaves back, should be done at nightfall." Giving her no room to reply, I tuck my contact information in her breast pocket and head towards PS 66, the anger I try so hard to bury crawling it's way back up like a damned Wurm. Distim squirms in pleasure at the influx of hatred and anger.

"By nightfall? That's a whole day! How can he kill and free a whole camp?!" Annabelle hisses, praying this asshole comes back, after all, he's the best scrapper/bounty hunter in town…

*Mutant-Someone with superpowers due to Gotfall

Bounded one-Someone who is bounded to one or more angel or demons.