Psycho Pass: The Limit

Pretty Boy

     Kado was sitting on the wall overlooking the reservoir at the edge of the city. The wind whipped wildly through the alley mussing his hair into his eyes. He knew he should have cut it, but honestly, it as a good way to hide. When people came at him like last night, it meant that he was able to shield his face from them. If they couldn't see him, his eyes or intentions, then they'd leave him alone. Eyes had always seemed to be the one thing that gave someone away and his were a statement. From early on Kado had learned to keep his eyes hidden. When he'd first ran away from everything he'd been younger, about thirteen. He'd been too young to understand the kind of world that would await him here. He'd been too young to know that there were people who'd pay and kill to get their hands on an innocent little kid. He hadn't known that there were grimy people out there who'd craved for a little bit like him with wide emerald eyes and beckoning fiery hair. Kado had learned the hard way that being pretty was a ticket to being passed around the slums like a dog being sold. He'd learned like a dog to keep his head down, mouth shut, and to pass through rooms and places using the back door.

     Hoodies had become his best friend. He'd learned to keep them up over his hair and to keep his bangs well over his eyes. He'd also taken the time to invest in stealing a set of headphones and an old wrist communicator. He'd programmed it to jack the city net without being traced and gotten a hold of a music station. He lived most of his nights laying on his bed listening to music. Kado dreamed of living inside the city...of living inside a home and having a real job. He'd always wondered if there had been something, anything he'd have been capable of beyond this slum. He'd wondered if when the city had gone absolutely to hell a few months ago, if that had been his one chance to run from this future as well.

     There had been this guy, he'd come to the slums once, some white haired philanthropist. He'd been looking for a few men to help with something, some people he'd said that were willing to die for a cause. Kado had been in the room that night. He'd remembered the cold calculating glint in that mans eyes. Kado had known to stick to the shadows silently. The man with the white hair had come to him...he'd asked him to join. Kado had retreated. He'd answered no and left. After the city had gone to hell, he had been glad he'd said no. As he sat looking out over the water and the slum now, he hated that he'd said no.

     Part of Kado wondered if it would have given him freedom. He could have died in the fight with the CID or at least stopped running from the street scanners. He'd have been put inside a facility to be given treatments and locked away for the rest of his life. He wasn't sure if that was a problem anymore. He was tired. Kado ran a shaky hand through his hair shivering as the music he was listening to changed an octave higher. Music was one of his only reprieves now. He loved music. He loved the rich underground vibe pulsing from beneath the city. It was hope, hope that people wouldn't just lay down and take the Sybil system forever. An image flitted through his mind...of the CID agent last night and not only her, but the Enforcer that had been with her as well.

     He saw the taller man running past him, the weight of his trained gaze unfailing from whomever he'd been tracking. He hadn't even given Kado he time of day. It had been as if Kado hadn't existed. It was as if the man had completely ignored his entire existence. He'd never felt that before. Kado had never had the weight removed of someone not recognizing his physical appearance for something they either wanted to own or wanted to simply desecrate because they could. A small feeling wormed inside his gut as he retraced the outline of the man going past him. He was sharp and angular, a tight jaw with high cheeks. His eyes were narrowed and concentrated but there had been a softer edge to the pupil. Something inside that man wasn't so far gone that he didn't care about anything. He still had a heart. Kado understood that ability to be sterile but ache inside. You couldn't let others see what was happening below the surface.

"Where have you been?" A voice shouted over his music. Kado sighed and shoved his navy hood back to reveal his face to his only friend down here.

"Does it matter?" He asked prying his teal headphones from his ears. The sun blared off his wavy shaggy locks in an almost blinding manner.

"Word in the slum is that you got cut last night. Are you okay?" His friend asked walking over to the edge of the wall to flop down beside Kado.

"I'm...fine. I'm alive." Kado responded pulling his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his baggy cargo pants pulling them tighter.

"That's too bad..." His friend, a boy named Hide,  grinned stopping just behind Kado's back.

A twinge of fear struck down Kado's back...

"Hide, don't..." No one was a friend here, Kado knew that, but Hide had been around since he'd come here. He'd been there the whole time, he'd shown him how to survive here.

"There's a real price on your head Kado. I'm sorry man...but...but it's just too much for me to pass up on. I can live comfortably on what the guy is offering me for you."

Kado couldn't make a move. Any movement he took right now would get him killed faster he didn't even know what kind of weapon Hide had at his back now.

"Hide please don't." He whispered curling his toes in his shoes. Kado was trying to assess the situation and what his options were. If he jumped, he'd die, it was too high. If he came at Hide there was an evenly possibly chance he'd die. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, shifting only minimally.

"I've made up my mind about this old friend. Just do me the favor and stay still." In that one small moment, Kado had seen the weapon that his friend was wielding against him. A small hand gun, five maybe six bullets. There was enough of a moments hesitation as the two boys locked eyes, just enough, that Kado was on his feet. He shifted and ran directly at Hide rushing him to throw him off guard.

     He wouldn't die without a fight. Two shots went off instantly, as Kado slammed his body against Hide, the boys crashed to the ground. Kado scrambled jamming a hand over the arm holding the gun to try and pin it as he rained his fist down over Hide's face. The boy let go a grunt and shot his knee up into Kado's side growling.
     The boys rolled with the knee and Hide made it on top of Kado. He straddled the redhead and angrily wrapped his hands around his friends throat tightening. In the scuffle, the gun had skittered from Hide's hand, but it wasn't out of reach. Hide was so angry he'd forgotten about the gun altogether. He'd been sure that Kado would just let him attack. Kado felt his airway become restricted and he tried to quickly suck more air down as his friend closed his breathing off more.

"Die already!" Hide screamed above him.

Kado felt panic well up inside him.

Not here...not now...

His fingers clenched around the metal he'd been claiming for and he brought it shakily up.

Bang.

Hide's body collapsed against him.

He was dead.

Kado took in a ragged breath as his lungs screamed for fresh air.

"This is the MWPSB. Drop the gun and stay where you are!" Someone shouted. Kado heard footsteps approaching him on he rooftop. He dropped he gun.

There wasn't a point anymore.

"Stay on your back with your hands down or I will use the Dominator on you."

The voice sounded so far away as Kado's eyes felt heavy.
He faded into black.