//4-HN: District 5

The red, though it was barely noticeable if one didn't know what they were looking for, had stood out like a sore thumb to 4-HN. It had hurt worse. While the anger in 5-AE's eyes had long since faded, it remained prominently in her voice. Every time 4-HN heard her speak, he couldn't help but inwardly flinch. 5-AE, who had shown no emotion until a mere thirty minutes ago, experienced anger first. And it was directed at him.

The two rogue ANGELs decided that the sparsely packed streets of the city would allow for them to blend in better than simply hiding would; EDGE's surveillance covered the majority of District 5. That would mean, of course, dealing with whoever they may encounter on the nearly lawless streets, but they had figured that they would pose far less of a threat than EDGE's operatives.

"4-HN." 5-AE's voice in his head suddenly cut into his deep train of thought. He looked up, examining his surroundings. The bright neon lights that occupied the city at night were enough to force him to squint. The densely populated streets had no shortage of unique faces, ranging from civilians simply looking to get home after a long day of work, who were the minority at this time of night, to the upper class of the city's inhabitants on their way to the abundant casinos that made up almost one in ten buildings in the area. One such man had walked in front of 5-AE, and appeared to have no intent of moving.

"Where do you think you're going so late, young lady?" The man grinned, revealing a revoltingly yellow set of teeth in the process. "Don't you think this place would be more fun than wherever you're headed? You could even win big! You look like the type of person who simply won't lose! Why not have at it?" The exotic purple suit he wore showcased a shiny phoenix pin on the right shoulder. A member of the Golden City Casino.

4-HN glanced at 5-AE. She was not known for her tact in social interaction. If she caused a scene here, it would draw unwanted attention. "Go along with it. We can just slip back out when he stops paying attention to us." 5-AE turned to look at the man, apparently sizing up his short and mildly pudgy frame.

"I have no time to waste on you. Move," she said, the calm expression on her face largely contrasting the somewhat aggressive response she had just given. The man looked taken aback, as if he wasn't used to being turned down. No sane person would turn down a "gracious offer" made by one of the most prominent casinos in the city. It was suicide.

The man turned, nodding to a group of about seven or eight rough looking men in more traditional suits, all of which had some form of weapon proudly displayed on their waists. They weren't too different from the men 5-AE had left badly dismembered on the floor of LiFE Enterprise's hospital half an hour before. These ones, however, all donned the same emblem the man before them had on his shoulder, revealing that they were bouncers for the casino. On top of this, none of them appeared to have any form of physical augmentation, which 4-HN quickly confirmed after an optical scan for electronics. The men strode over, now surrounding 5-AE, blocking 4-HN off from her.

"Follow me," the man said, the ugly grin widening on his face. "I'm sure you'll have a great time." He gestured to the bouncers encircling 5-AE, prompting them to start practically dragging her into the casino doors. This sight was not uncommon on the streets of District 5; it was the highest contributor to "missing persons" cases, very few of which resulted in the person in question being found alive, if at all. The police force was nearly nonexistent after the android crisis, leaving the world in a state of lawlessness.

The men, who were close to twice the size of 5-AE, continued to block 4-HN from getting any closer. It wasn't that he was incapable of killing them all, nor would he have any qualms in doing so. He knew, however, that causing a scene now by killing them would most definitely attract eyes that he didn't want looking in his direction. And so, he was left to helplessly watch as the men took his comparably tiny partner into a room towards the back of the casino. He rushed past the many slot machines, blackjack tables, and various other gambling apparatus, ignoring the moans of those losing large sums of money as he sped by. Gambling games hadn't changed much for even the past few centuries. People still fell into economic wreckage in these places, warranting very little effort for the casinos to make money. These people were mostly composed of the majority of citizens of District 5 that had now fallen into the lower class, hoping to escape their unfortunate fates by winning big. Very few did. 4-HN wasn't halfway across the casino when he heard 5-AE's voice in his head.

"Start running."

Given the speed at which 4-HN was traveling when she said this, he had already reached the door of the room that the man and his bouncers had taken 5-AE into. As he reached for the knob, the door slammed open, nearly leaving its hinges, 5-AE sprinting out with incredible speed. As 4-HN turned to follow her, he couldn't help but notice what had to have been what was left of the men in the room. The only intact pieces left were the shining gold pins that now shone bright in the expanding pools of blood on the floor.

"They were bothering me," 5-AE's voice projected in his head. 4-HN sighed as he ran to catch up.