A Broken Future (Book One)

Chapter 1: Rendfall's Wastes

Time Pulses and swirls as Astrid feels someone shake her awake.

Astrid opens her eyes and is lying down in a field, looking up at the sky she hears a voice.
"Astrid? you good?" A grey-haired female walks over to her and kneels, Astrid can't help but smile at her, before she can respond however she jolts up returning to her reality as she is leaning up against a bike when a black-robed figure approaches her. "Are you alright Astrid?" The figure asked a male with purple eyes similar to Astrid's eyes a lot about them was similar.
"Yes Diva im fine, thank you for the concern but it's just another weird dream" Astrid sits up and gets on her bike. "Get the others ready, Im gonna head over to Tony's for a new job" she starts and revs her bike up as she takes off, Diva disappears as Astrid rides through the desert landscape past the ruins of a massive statue and she looks at them with pure scorn. She eventually reached her destination hopping off she headed for a group of tents and entered one "Toni, I'm here," Astrid called, entering his tent "Ahh! Astrid, my prized employee." Toni exclaimed in his raspy Italian accent. Astrid stared blankly at Toni making him sweat "Aww! Don't be like that kid," Toni said, trying to end the awkward silence.

"Get to the point, Toni." Astrid groans as she enjoys her uncle's banter but she has work to do. "Ok kid the job is simple, I need a man dead in the crossbones turf and I need you to handle it, okay?" "Understood." Astrid leaves and gets on her bike. "Good luck Astrid," Toni called after her as Astrid set off for her job. Astrid rides into crossbones territory deep within the wastes. A lawless land split into different territories with different warlords all vying for power then again it's all kept in one place compared to the rest of Rendfall's issues. Astrid stops in a town nearby gets off her bike and walks in, she sees that the town is mostly abandoned but she still puts on her frayed hoodie Astrid was a well-known mercenary in the bandit turf because she was either hired by them or hired against them she didn't mind it brought food to the table.

"N-NO PLEASE I DON'T HAVE MUCH MONEY LEFT" "SHUT IT OLD MAN" Astrid hears the sound of someone being punched and quickly walks over to investigate as she finds her target beating up a defenseless store owner."Y-you've bled this place dry! everyone already went for the hills!" The old man raises his hands to defend himself as Johnny grabs him by the collar. "Then why are you still here gramps!?" "B-because im looking for my granddaughter she went missing years ago, but I still plan on finding her I know she is close!" he gets punched again. "I don't care about your family issues gramps just pay your dues and I'll be lenient all of us have to eat after all!" Astrid steps back to plan her next move when suddenly some of the guy's minions push her into the shop.

"Well well well look what the cat dragged in someone is trying to be a big old hero huh?" The man walks over kicks Astrid back and knocks her hoodie from her head revealing her face as she is immediately recognized.
"Hot damn! The magenta scourge! You've got quite the bounty on you I have to say maybe you can help out this old man here with his debt?! Hahaha!"
Astrid sits up and starts to chuckle along with him immediately putting fear into the group as Astrid pulls out five of her daggers but before she can retaliate just outside multiple explosions ring out knocking the goons to the ground as Astrid quickly uses her daggers to pin their clothes to the ground.

"Dammit Azura! What did I say about attacking without my order!? You could have hurt the old man!" Six cloaked figures appear along with the male from before. "M-my apologies Astrid! you just looked like you needed help was all" A large woman said as a spectral rocket launcher disappeared from her hands.
"So are you saying that Astrid is weak?" Diva messes with Azura as the large woman panics and tries to defend herself. "Calm down Azura I understand what you meant, just think before you shoot okay?" Azura nods as the main crossbones stir."So...is that all you got girlie? Ha! I knew those stories about you being some scary mercenary were fake! You are nothing but a scared baby! You could never beat the Johnny crossbones!" He had bravado but Johnny was terrified not that he would let her know.

"Oh? Your johnny crossbones? The pathetic son of the leader of the Crossbones gang! Oh well, that makes this a whole lot earlier!" Astrid pulls out a sword from her sheathe on her back. "Spikes!" Azura grabs and slams Johnny onto the ground as four of the cloaked figures grab black spikes stabbing them into his hands and legs his body's mana stops flowing entirely as Johnny yells out in pain. "P-please wait! I-GAH!... My sister I can't-"Astrid sees Johnny try to get out of the restraints and promptly kicks him back down. "Now then Johnny your bounty said dead or alive but after the trouble you have caused me I think I'll skip the alive part" Astrid sits on Johnny's lap and starts to chuckle before bringing down her blade into his heart as the blood splatters onto her face as she watches the life leave his eyes with almost too much glee as the last thing he sees are her cold piercing blue eyes staring at him as the others close in a circle of purple and blue watching him expire....

Sometime later Astrid is riding out again after finishing the job when suddenly a blonde-haired girl leaps through the tree line scaring Astrid to high hell as she skids to a quick stop.
"Holy shit! What was that!? A deer?..." she parks her bike and draws her weapon before chasing after the strange deer, the moonlight in full glow she reaches a clearing and sees a girl on her back legs wearing nothing but a torn shirt looking up to the moon and reaching out towards it. "Moon.... it's so...pretty...after all" She reaches out to touch it with a sad smile when she suddenly hears a twig snap she panics and her eyes change to a red color as Astrid is paralyzed.
"Wait wait! Im not trying to hurt you!" The girl slowly approaches Astrid and examines her face lightly blushing."P-pretty...you are" Astrid heard the girl call her pretty a nice compliment if she could control her body at the moment she had to diffuse. "Im a-Astrid what's your name?" "Name?...name..!? S-Sasha is mine!" The feral girl says happily as she finally releases Astrid from the paralysis.

"Sasha huh? Well, why were you running?" "Sasha run from bad men in coats! They uhm...poke and hurt Sasha so she ran away to see the world!" Astrid couldn't help but laugh at that as she got into a more comfortable position."Could Sasha travel with you?" Astrid looks at her for a moment then without thinking says fuck it. "With me?... I don't see why not come on then sash" She holds her hand out for Sasha as the blonde looks at it confused before she tears up and takes it happily as they head to Astrid's bike and ride out passing by the statue Sasha is immediately awestruck.

"A-Astrid the big thing what is it?" She points to the statue. "it is said that it was a statue dedicated to legendary no MYTHICAL heroes! who brought peace to the world....so much for that," Astrid says annoyed at the statue." It's said that their children were sent off somewhere and would one day reunite to find their parents or some crap." "Then maybe it was fate we met like the storybooks?" She sits on the back of the bike staring at the moon.
"Fate...bullshit." She growls to herself as she hears Sasha copy her.
"Bullshit?" Sasha tilts her head as the word sounds funny to her.
"Don't say that it's a bad word"
"But you said it Astrid?"
"......"
"Bullshit!"
Astrid laughs out loud as they continue driving into the night.

Welcome to A Broken Future! I hope that you all enjoy your reading!
(A/n the picture above is how I believe Astrid looks)