1 Welcome to the Grado

Well, welcome to the Grado. A place of poverty and sanctuary, usually, those two wouldn't go together. But here, none of that really matters.

Everyone is welcome and nobody is permanent, it is the unspoken rule to living in such a filthy, crime stifled place.

To me though, it was home.

"Kata!"

Damn.

Putting down the shoes I was shining with a crusty towel, I made my way to the kitchen.

"Yes Ma?"

My dark toned mess of a mother shoved a almost too white piece of paper in my face.

"You can read cantcha, what does this say?"

Taking the letter from her greasy hands, I made a seat on the edge of a overturned mini fridge.

"It says that if we don't pay our rent then Enforcers will come and take it themselves."

My mother laughed, snaggle tooth flinging slobber everywhere.

I could of sworn they were homing because damn could she hit her mark.

I wiped away the disgusting liquid from my forehead before tossing the letter in the pool of whatever in the corner.

At this point, who knew if it was pee,blood, soda, or gasoline because it honestly smelled like all four.

I hated the filth that people so easily assimilated into their daily lives here. Like how hard is it to bend your lazy as over and pick up trash.

Well, I guess you need trash bags first.

"How many is that?"

I hopped of the fridge and headed toward the back door,

"That's eighteen in one month."

My mother stared at me blankly. Oh right, she can't count past ten.

"It's a lot for no reason."

The witch like woman snickered as she turned back to the rusted sink,

"Good, those bitches can't do shit."

Funny how some people could not give the time of day to try and become literate but they could spit and curse like nothing.

Well, this is the Grado we are talking about.

To put it in to perspective, it was moss covered roads, horribly nailed sheets of metal, and ample amounts of trash. This place was undoubtedly, my home.

Come to think about it, I might be the only person who is smart enough to do anything and everything. I finished calculus a week ago, read my first multi series book, and crafted my first fire arm. Yes, you heard that right. I knew how to make guns. I was what my hag of a mother called, "a damn intellectual."

I giggled as I hopped of the metal stairs and onto the cobblestone. She wasn't really my mother, she just happen to be stuck with me since I had no were else to go. She would make the food and I would make the money. A simple relationship that made life easy, and the calling her mom thing was because it gave me more of a reason to stay. I could not cook worth a nickel but I could pass a math course that requires a calculator without one like nothing .

This was all possible through something I scavenged from the dump holes. It was called a HallowCell. The Dump holes is were Metro dumps its unnecessary items and excessive trash for those below to use. They were literally ditches as far as the eye can see, filled with garbage and potential. You just had to know were to look. I figured out the Dump-ship drops mechanical things on Monday, Food and rotten on Wednesday, Metal on Friday, and gratefully a smaller ship came to dump tech on Sunday. Noticing the ship was hard enough as they had cloaking devices to hide their were a bouts but if you positioned yourself just right with the sun, it was no problem. See, thinking was supposed to get you far in life and me being eighteen now, it got me nowhere. Thinking however, got me the sweetest thing I could of asked for. The HallowCell was a godsend and honestly was so lucky that I had it on me at all times. I did not want a thief to get even luckier and find it stashed away. I hate taking risks, my pet peeve rather. I need to formulate and decide through process. The trust your gut crap doesn't work with me.

Back on the HallowCell, it was a six inch slab of unknown tech which could do almost anything. If you grabbed both ends and pulled, a hollow-graphic screen just about twenty four inches appears above it. With it, you could ask it any question and it will answer. Something as vague as, "teach me basic math," worked fine. It would take a few hours of beeping and downloading and Walla, the brick does it. The coolest thing is that it spoke to you. Nothing Artificial Intelligence wise but it replies in simple answers such as "okay" or "downloading".

My luckiest find by far.

I lifted myself up the ladder the scaled the side of the broken down shop and found myself on the roof. Tons of metals squares tacked on for god knows what, not to stop water, that's for sure.

Placing each foot carefully before I found a solid spot to sit on, I slid the HallowCell out of my jeans.

"Activate."

A female robotic voice spoke up,

"Activating, would you like to continue coarse on World History before the Collapse."

I made sure no one could see me, a jungle of trees blocking most of me from the streets.

"No, update me on MetroCapital."

Silence.

"Okay, running update on MetroCapital."

I crossed my legs and wiggled out any anxiety I had built up, and gas too.

After a short period of the mechanical noises of the Grado, the HallowCell expanded a small screen in front of me.

I found myself looking at a man standing behind a podium. A frolic of men in white suits and women in white dresses crowded the area below. The base to a high rise behind him.

"Good morning fellow bothers and sisters of Metro, it is I , Davaniel Calister."

A roar of applause came from the crowd. I had to turn it down a couple of notches, how annoying. Only if people would applaud my name like that.

It is I, Katarisk Kores.

Nah, did not sound right in the slightest. Not enough privilege behind the delivery.

"I take it you have heard of the looming threat that has plagued our streets once again. A group who we have thought to be dead is now alive and active. The enemy. The Divak."

The what now?

I knew I heard of that name before while sifting through information.

"Pause and do a synapsis on The Divak."

"Okay."

The screen paused as the redhead Davaniel lifted his white gloved hand toward the crowd. He had one of the fakest concerned faces I ever saw. I guess that was common when you were rich. My thoughts dissolved as the female voice started to speak.

"The Divak were an elite group of highly trained assassins who carried out some of the world's most horrific and honorable feats. From taking down an entire country in one night to liberating one in the day, The Divak were seen as unstoppable and untouchable. Only if it were true, the one thing that no one can escape, is time. After years of peace and quiet, it seemed age caught up with them and the darkness no longer needed to be illuminated. They were officially announced inactive in the year 2078."

I soaked up the information before speaking,

"Who wrote that?"

"Retired journalist Mason Unk."

Woah, talk about a heavy hitter. Why did I not know such a force existed. The Divak eh?

How amazing were they exactly since the former head of MetroNews would write about them personally. Not that it was the sole reason I was amazed, just one of the few.

"Continue news update."

"Okay."

"The reason I mention such an abrasive comment is due to one key factor, the future. More precisely the future of our children."

He used abrasive wrong. Why use abrasive when daunting would of been way better? I guess pretty boy could learn a thing or two from dirt poor and ugly boy. I noticed myself going off the rails. I just liked insulting the better off I guess.

"That is why we are opening up an academy were we will train one hundred people with the latest tech and techniques to combat the on coming idea of The Divak acting once again."

An academy, sounds generic and boring. Why go to a place to learn when you could learn it from a HallowCell. Seems very pointless. I guess for combat training but what good is that with bullets and the technology they grind out in Metro at the "enemy's" will.

"But this will not be so easy, we have created a test that only one percent of the population of Metro and Capital combined could pass. It is a daunting idea but the finest of the finest are needed."

He used daunting...

"We at the moment have sent this test to all possible participants in all of MetroCapital. Good luck to our future."

Thousands of flashes from cameras engrossed the entire screen. I noticed the sun was diving behind the East Wall. It was time to sleep. In the Grado most of the work was manual labor with a hint of starvation so many were inactive at night. Maybe I will stay up and research more. I do have to go scavenge since it will be Sunday tomorrow.

I guess it was best to catch some rest. Matting out the metal sheets I laid my body across the roof. It was always humid and hot in the Grado, even at night. The purple waves now fading from the sky, I thought about my life. The gift that was bestowed upon me and the knowledge I gained from it were all blessings. Even in this poverty stricken place, I had hope, Hope for a future not within the one hundred feet walls of the jungle infested slums. I laughed as I re-said the speakers name.

"Davaniel"was so stuck up that it hurt to say.

*Ping*

I lifted my head from the greasy metal and pulled out my HallowCell. Pulling the blocks apart, the screen popped up once again, only this time it was blank. No, in the bottom left corner a small envelope shaped icon bounced up and down.

Hesitantly I clicked on the icon.

"Would you like to take the Metro Prodigy Seeker issued test application. Say yes to continue, Say no to cancel, and Say save to store in the keep for later folder."

My eyes lit up with amusement I never really found myself having now a days.

Interesting.

"Yes,"