People started to cheer around him, loudly and obnoxiously. Alex pushed through the crowd to get to the lower levels of the city, bumping into the rich who sneered in his direction as he ignored them. He hoped everyone got off safely and that they didn't get hurt…
The cables came shooting from the city and latched onto their town, one landing almost on top of Jemma. She yelped and jumped away, hiding her small dagger away in her boot as she sighed. There was no way their town was going to get away from the city at this point. The city quickly pulled their town in and she leaned against her brother, biting her lip nervously as she braced herself to head off the town.
Once the town disappeared form view, Alex quickly tried to find the quickest path down to it. He took the back alleys he knew all too well and cut though a few backyards of people who shouted at him a second later. He didn't care, though. Once he knew everyone from the town was safe he'd be back on his way.
"And there goes our freedom." Jax muttered as the town stopped moving and they headed to where everyone had to get off. The shouting of 'no weapons' could be heard all around them as soldiers from the city took their belongings and searched through them quick before roughly pushing both of them forward.
(Bump)
(Shit, sorry I thought I replied and I've been super busy but I'm on holiday now!)
Alex pushed through the crowd of gathered people, earning a few shoves himself and insults through his way. He didn't blame them, he'd insult himself, too, in his state. The boy with a robotic hand and leg who was rudely shoving people out the way to get to the front, yeah, he deserved it.
(It's alright! I don't have a break at all until the end of the school year so I'll try to be on as much as I can without that)
The two of them made it through the row of guards fairly quickly and without having any of their weapons confiscated. Now they just stood together and looked around, unsure of where to go and what they were supposed to do next. There were tons of people from the predator city down there and quite frankly it made the space seem quite crowded and small for Jemma and Jax.
Alex was pushed roughly by a large man, listening to the insults he through his way as he walked away. He caught sight of two, what looked to be lost siblings and walked over, “You two right over here?” He asked, scratching his head with his metal hand.
"Hm?" Jax looked at the new person standing in front of them, studying him carefully, "Yeah, we're just confused and lost." He nudged his sister in the side and she jumped slightly, looking over at the new guy and studying him just as carefully and staying silent.
Alex hummed in acknowledgement, "Well, you've at least gotta get outta here. Probably the worst place to be standing with all these dumb asses lurking around," He jerked a thumb over to where a group of men seemed to be fighting about a shoe, "Come on, I'll show you the way." He said, turning around and vaulting over a stack of boxes someone was moving.
Jemma looked up at her brother, who just shrugged, "What's the worst that could happen, let's follow him." He took off after the new guy, leaving Jemma to huff before following her idiot brother. Anything could happen, and he was trusting someone that had just walked up to them? At least she still had her knife with incase anything happened.
Alex slowed down a little so the two could catch up, eventually walking in step with Jax, "Two things you need to know about the city," He started, dodging a fairly gruff looking man, "Keep to the backstreets and stay away from the rich."
He nodded and glanced behind them to make sure Jemma was following them -which the was, as best she could with people getting in the way-, "What are we supposed to do now that we're on this city? Will they assign us a job and what about a place to stay?"
“Nah. Unless you’re rich, they won’t give you a place to stay, you can bunk with me if you want, work is… well, all the manual labor jobs are always looking for more hands.” He shrugged, turning off towards a back alleyway.
"You'd let us bunk with you?" Jemma cut into the conversation once she had finally caught up and walked alongside her brother, "What kind of manual labor jobs? Do you know if they have anything that's not dealing with scrap from the towns?" They followed him down the alleway and looked arround, studying the surroundings.
"Yes, I'd let you bunk with me. I know this place like the back of my hand and, not many people here are very welcoming," Alex waved a hand idly and gestured to the crappy houses and rubbish lying around, along with a few people who were fighting down another alley which he avoided, "They'e always looking for people to work in mechanics or electrical down in the pipes. It's not the best job in the world but, it gets you good and a place to live so it's not so bad."
She nodded, happy she could do something at least similar to what she did on the other town. While Jemma worked with the mechanics her brother preferred the scrap work or electrical, his tall and lanky frame being both good and bad for both jobs. As they ventured further into the alleway she stayed closer to Jax, still not sure of where he was taking them, "How much further…what's your name?"
It was then that the alleyway opened up into a small town like area, filled with lots of people who looked a lot like Alex, old clothes, staying together and using back pathways. Although most looked friendly by the waves and smiles Alex was receiving and giving, "Not much further, my house is around the next corner. And I'm Alex, yours?"
"I'm Jemma, this is my brother Jax." She poked her brother in his side and earned a jab in the side back, a small smile appearing on her face. This small town like area seemed nice so far she decided, noting the friendly looks and smiles Alex recieved, "Are all citizens this nice?" She asked, knowing the answer was most likely a big no.
Surprise surprise, Jemma was right, "Hell no. Most people in this area are, we have to look out for each other, but some people just want to try and get outta here as quick as they can, even if it means killing for it," Alex frowned, eyes darkening for a moment but it was gone soon enough, "But, don't worry about that, it doesn't happen often."
She nodded, "I figured, the niceness seemed too good to be true." There were always people who would gladly do anything to get off a city like this, and to some degree she was like them. Killing was a little extreme even for her, but basically anything else was game if it got her out of here. Jemma continued walking alongside her unusually silent brother, wondering in her head when they would get to wherever they were going.
It wasn't long after that that they arrived at a small house. Alex jiggled the door knob and had to push harder then normal to get the door to open but it did and he switched on a flickering light as he held the door open, "There's a bedroom in the back with a bed, you guys can take that though one might have to get some pillows from the couch to sleep on the floor."
"Thank you," Her brother said, letting her lead the way into the house before following in behind.
Jemma headed inside, studying the house carefully and finding the back bedroom with no problem. "You want the bed Jax?" She asked her brother, motioning to the back room and looking up at him.
He raised an eyebrow, "You're actually going to let me have the bed? Without me having to arm wrestle you for it? Yeah I want it then."
Alex watched them go before taking a seat on an old wooden chair next to a desk with a bunch of mechanical and electronic parts. He pulled off the boot on his metal leg, a spark flying from a fault in one of the cables and got to work on fixing it.
She grinned and shook out her arm, "I never said you wouldn't have to arm wrestle me for it." Jemma looked around the room and decided the floor would be the best place to have the contest, so she laid down on her stomach and got her arm ready. Jax followed suit after some grumbling, locking hands with her and listening to her countdown before starting to arm wrestle her.