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your pov
We crouched in the dim, shadows behind a towering shipping container, the metallic scent of rust and dampness clinging to the air. The fog swelled up all around us. The steady hum of the machinery filled the night, and the faint clatter of boots on metal echoed in the distance. Jinx peered through a jagged gap in the fence, her face dimly lit by the flickering overhead lights. Beyond the fence, enforcers were herding people—our people—into shipping containers like livestock, their shouts cold and mechanical. Each person shoved forward made my gut twist.
Sevika crouched beside me, cradling the remnants of her severed non existent mechanical arm, her expression hard but weary. She scanned the perimeter, her one remaining arm ready for anything. I glanced over at Jinx as she leaned against the fence, eyes narrowing, calculating, as though she could already taste the chaos that would unfold.
"There's three of us," I muttered, my voice low as I eyed the one enforcer standing ahead. Their back was to us, rifle slung casually over their shoulders, boots planted firmly on the cracked pavement. "One of them. We should be fine."
Jinx shot me a look, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "Fine? Please," she scoffed, shaking her head as if I'd just said the most ridiculous thing. "I call it overkill. But let's be real—Miss Lefty over here isn't exactly going to do all the work."
With that, she stood over to Sevika, dropping into a crouch beside her. Jinx rested a hand on Sevika's broad shoulder, her grin widening. "Don't suppose you could swim, huh, lefty?" she teased, her voice dripping with playful mockery. She tilted her head, eyes glinting, her gaze lingering on the empty space where Sevika's mechanical arm used to be.
Sevika groaned, glaring up at her. "Really?" she muttered, her voice a low growl. "That's what you're going with?"
Jinx shrugged, unfazed. "What? I'm just saying, if things get messy, you'll be doing the backstroke in circles."
I couldn't help but chuckle, covering my mouth to muffle the sound. Sevika shot me a warning glare, but it lacked its usual bite. She exhaled heavily, turning her gaze away, her jaw tightening. "Real funny," she muttered, though there was no real bite in her words, just exhaustion.
Jinx winked, unbothered. "Well," she said, straightening up, "that only leaves the fun option."
She moved with a catlike grace, her boots silent against the cracked pavement as she prowled toward the edge of the container, staying low, her body barely a shadow against the backdrop. She looked back over her shoulder, the purple glow in her eyes faint now but still fierce.
"I'm gonna hate this, aren't I?" Sevika muttered under her breath as she adjusted her position, readying herself for whatever insanity was about to happen.
"You hate the idea," I replied with a smirk, "but you'll do it because you're such a good friend of ours."
Sevika snorted softly, shaking her head. "Friend's a strong word."
