Kairi and the Seething Urban Sprawl

Kairi navigated the cracked asphalt with the practiced ease of a sewer rat. In the dirty puddles was a mirror of her own battle-scarred face. Her footfalls echoed off the tarnished brickwork, squat buildings smothering out the sky.

The air thrummed with a discordant symphony: the wail of sirens, rhythmic boom of distant gunfire, ever-present black phantoms of exhaust fumes. It was a symphony Kairi knew by heart, a low growling backbeat to her struggle through the filthy city.

She was headed for another rendevous with Gemini, the enigmatic twins that always spoke in unison, with another heist target, maybe a cigarette truck hijack or a smash and grab at a pricey boutique.

Kairi slipped into the den, her hand instinctively tightening around the worn hilt of her baton. No telling if Gemini was on the level or setting her up, but she needed the lead.