Bloodless Bond

Chapter 1: Shadows of Arlington

The streets of Arlington District were a labyrinth of decay and danger, but Tanya navigated them with the skill and precision of a seasoned survivor. Her dusky complexion and lithe frame blended into the night as she leapt over a crumbling wall, her heart pounding in her chest. The traffickers were relentless tonight, their shouts echoing off the dilapidated buildings as they pursued her. This part of St. Louis, a dystopian sprawl of ghettos and derelict apartments, was her home and her battleground.

The city's glow barely reached this far, casting long, eerie shadows that danced as she sprinted through narrow alleys. The traffickers were more aggressive than usual, armed with guns, tasers, and nets. Tanya’s parkour skills, honed from years of escaping danger, were her only advantage. She took a sharp turn, hoping to lose them in the maze of Arlington's backstreets, where she knew every nook and cranny.

She could hear their heavy footsteps growing closer. Panic tightened her chest, but she forced it down. Fear could slow her down, and tonight, she couldn’t afford even a second’s hesitation. The traffickers weren’t leaving empty-handed; they were hunting girls like her, dragging them into a nightmare she’d managed to avoid until now.

As she darted past an old, rusting car, a small figure caught her eye. For a split second, she thought it was another enemy, but then she recognized Mike. The fourteen-year-old orphan had been shadowing her for weeks, a silent presence in her chaotic life. His scrawny frame and wide eyes seemed out of place in this hellhole, yet he was here, clutching something in his hands.

“Tanya, this way!” Mike’s whisper was urgent, cutting through her panic.

Tanya hesitated only for a moment before following him through a narrow gap between two buildings. They squeezed through, emerging into a hidden courtyard cluttered with discarded crates and debris. Mike led her to a corner, motioning for silence. The traffickers' voices grew fainter as they passed by, missing their quarry by mere feet.

“Why are you here?” Tanya whispered, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and relief.

“I saw them chasing you,” Mike replied, his eyes dark and intense. “I found something that might help.”

Before Tanya could ask, Mike revealed a small handgun. Her heart sank. Guns meant trouble, and trouble was the last thing they needed. But the look in Mike’s eyes was different—cold, calculated.

“They’re not going to stop,” he said, his voice chillingly calm. “I’ll make sure they do.”

Tanya grabbed his wrist, her voice barely steady. “Mike, you can’t just—”

A loud crash interrupted her. The traffickers had doubled back, realizing their quarry had eluded them. Tanya’s grip tightened on Mike’s wrist, her mind racing. They needed a plan, fast.

“We have to keep moving,” she said, pulling him to his feet. “And don’t use that unless you have to.”

Mike nodded, but there was a glint in his eyes that made Tanya uneasy. They slipped out of the courtyard, moving deeper into the maze of Arlington District. Tanya’s thoughts were a whirlwind. She needed to find a safe place for the night, somewhere the traffickers wouldn’t find them. But more than that, she needed to understand what was happening to Mike. The boy she had known had always been quiet, almost timid. This new side of him was dangerous.

As they navigated through the darkened streets, the traffickers suddenly reappeared, cornering them in a dead-end alley. Tanya’s heart sank. There was no way out.

“Tanya, get behind me,” Mike said, his voice steady. He raised the gun with a confidence that sent chills down her spine.

“Mike, no!” Tanya cried, but it was too late.

The first trafficker lunged towards them, and Mike squeezed the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the alley, and the man fell, clutching his chest. Tanya’s eyes widened in shock, but Mike didn’t hesitate. He turned and fired again, hitting the second trafficker who had drawn his weapon. The man crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

The remaining trafficker, seeing his comrades dead, turned and fled into the night. Mike lowered the gun, his face emotionless.

Tanya stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Mike’s calmness in the face of such violence was terrifying.

“We have to go,” Mike said, breaking the silence. “More will come.”

Numbly, Tanya nodded and followed him, her mind struggling to process the cold, calculated actions of the boy she thought she knew. They found temporary refuge in an old warehouse, its interior filled with stacks of rusting metal and rotting wood. Tanya barricaded the door as best she could and turned to face Mike, who was inspecting the gun with a practiced eye.

“Where did you get that?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“Found it on a body after a shootout,” Mike replied, not looking up. “Figured it might come in handy.”

Tanya sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair. “Mike, this isn’t you. You’re not a killer.”

He finally looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Sometimes, it’s kill or be killed. This city doesn’t give us much choice.”

Tanya felt a pang of sadness. She knew he was right. St. Louis, in its dystopian sprawl, was a city that crushed innocence and rewarded brutality. But she couldn’t accept that this was the only way. Not for Mike, and not for herself.

“We’ll find another way,” she said softly. “We have to.”

Mike didn’t respond, but he didn’t argue either. They sat in silence, the weight of their reality pressing down on them. Tanya’s mind drifted to the future, a future where they might escape this life. But for now, survival was all that mattered.

As they settled in for the night, Tanya couldn’t shake the feeling that their lives were on the brink of a dangerous change. She glanced at Mike, his eyes closed as he leaned against her shoulder, seeking the comfort he so desperately needed. She wrapped an arm around him, remembering the moment when their paths had first crossed.

---

Two years ago, Mike had been a scrawny twelve-year-old, scavenging through the trash outside a rundown diner. Tanya had watched him for days, noticing how the other street kids bullied him, taking whatever scraps he managed to find. One evening, after seeing him roughed up yet again, she approached him with a piece of bread and a kind word.

“Hey,” she had said, offering the bread. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Mike had looked at her with a mixture of suspicion and hope. No one had shown him kindness in as long as he could remember. From that day on, Tanya had kept an eye on him, sharing her meager food and teaching him the tricks to survive the streets. It was a simple act of kindness, but to Mike, it meant everything. In a world that had shown him nothing but cruelty, Tanya’s compassion had been a lifeline.

---

Now, as he rested against her, Tanya realized just how deep his attachment had grown. Mike’s loyalty was fierce, born from the first real kindness he had ever known. But that loyalty was also dangerous, coupled with the cold, ruthless side she had seen tonight. She needed to ensure that his psychopathy didn’t lead him down a path of indiscriminate violence.

Tanya resolved to channel Mike's violent tendencies in a way that protected the innocent. She would use his fierce loyalty to control his darker impulses. Her mind raced with the enormity of the task, but she felt a renewed determination.

“We’ll do this together,” she whispered, more to herself than to Mike. “I’ll make sure you don’t hurt the wrong people.”

She held him close, feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing. Outside, the city continued its relentless pulse, unaware of the silent vow made within the shadows. And for the first time in a long time, Tanya felt a spark of hope, fragile but real. They would survive. They had to.