"I am Unnamed. My title is dead."
In the World, the Planet, and the Base, it's either be number one or die.
The alternative to dying, however, is to become an Unnamed. Turning eighteen means that you will compete for your name. Come out on top, you...
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That night, the Runner's awakened by someone lightly shaking his shoulder. He jumps up, startled to come face to face with the boy that had "tested" him before in the darkness. The boy lifts a finger to his mouth to make sure the Runner stays quiet. He waves the Runner down to the ground and whispers quietly to follow him, stepping lightly over worn-out running shoes littering the floor.
The Runner slips on his jacket and his socks and shoes, and trots after the boy as he heads upstairs. He follows him to the front door of the Runner's building and out into the hot night, a sticky sweat forming under the fabric he always wears. They make their way around back and the boy stops, glancing to his right.
"Straight that way, past the Leader's Building and the Builder's Building, there's a clear shot to exit the World," the boy says, pointing with his left hand.
"We're not going to try to leave, are we?" the Runner asks, trying to keep his voice low.
"That's exactly what we're doing, Runner," the boy smirks, danger playing in his eyes. "Test number three. Let's see how well you can lie."
"Wait," the Runner grabs the boy's arm as he starts to walk away. "That could result in death."
"So could not doing what I tell you to," the boy snaps.
The Runner lets go, his eyes going wide as he realizes who this boy is.
"You're the one who killed Harmony," he whispers, taking a step back. "It was you, wasn't it?"
The boy shakes his head and sighs as he looks back at the Runner. "I did what I had to do. It was best for the team. She failed."
"So did Stark. You didn't shoot him."
"That's because he's one of the leaders of—" The boy groans in frustration and waves it off as he starts to walk away toward the exit.
"Leaders?" The Runner asks, following after him. Anger is boiling inside of him as he stares at the guy that killed Harmony. Did he kill Rachel too?
The Runner clenches his fists, fighting hard to control himself. The last thing he needs is to lose it and blow everything. That can't be an option. The Runner needs to succeed to save people.
"You know what, Runner?" the boy says, almost as frustrated as the Runner is. "If you want to know these things so bad, why don't you just do what I tell you instead of protesting? Huh?"
The Runner wants to say something else back in bad taste, but he can't. He'll ruin everything. So instead, he nods and tries to breathe as he lets the boy lead him to the wall. It stands so tall that it makes the Runner feel like a tiny ant.
A pair of guards stand on either side of the door, emblems of the Protectors placed on their sleeves and on the back of their jacket. It's a dark green circle with a tan shield in the center of it. Their eyes follow the two Runners as they approach, the boy seeming more confident than the Runner.
