Cass lay still on the rooftop, invisible in the shadows, peering down at the street below. It was busier here, users walking in and out of the door across the street from her, a few bright streetlights chasing them on their way back towards the Boulevard. On the building across from her, carved into the concrete facade, were the letters MWB.

It was a bar, a centre of activity, a small hub of light and action, of power, attracting those who for one reason or another needed company. That didn’t make it any less dangerous.

She’d gotten used to travelling by rooftop. There was a bounty on her head, so the less she was seen the better. Besides, it gave her an interesting perspective on the action below. Allowed her to pick her moment to pounce. It was no trouble to leap from roof to roof, across lanes and gaps no ordinary user would consider possible. She wasn’t even out of breath.

Cass let the rain beat down on her head, streaking her hair across her face. It was comforting somehow, almost warm. She felt a small smile creep over her numb lips as she watched the action below.

There were two security men standing outside the door. They didn’t seem to be doing anything other than that, letting users walk in and out without harassing them. Two clones, standing there flexing. Cass felt an itch in her right hand and knew what it was she would do.

The street was clear now, the last figure had wandered into the bar and everything was still. The glow of the Grid was brighter here, but there was still shadow to work with. As the thought entered her mind the blade leapt up into her waiting hand. It was thirsty.

Cass sprang to her feet and leapt up to the wires criss-crossed across the street. Old power lines, long dead. She grabbed one and flipped upside down, looping her feet around it as she began to slide. The wire was angled down towards the bar, and she gained speed as she slid.

Halfway across she let go with her hands and hung upside down, body curved back so she could watch her progress. The water on the line and falling from the sky cracked and sprayed down onto her. Almost there. With two metres to go she pulled her feet loose and flipped in the air, letting her momentum turn her, landing on her feet on the ledge just above the two security clones.

On the wall behind her were the letters MWB. There was an undeniable sense of power emanating out from behind them. She ran her hands slowly over the letters, but they were just stone. The blade was pulling her down, towards the waiting men. For an instant she hesitated, then let herself fall.

She dropped directly onto them, one foot on each man’s shoulder, just for a moment. As they turned and bent she leant down and let the blade dig into the man on her right’s throat. He collapsed immediately and she rolled with him, pushing him down with her feet and somersaulting over his body to face the next target.

The clone stood facing her, his hands in the air, an empty expression on his face.

“We’ve been looking for you”

Cass hesitated, holding the blade and her animal side back. His mouth hadn’t even moved.

“That blade has a purpose. You have a purpose. Come to Madigan’s, we can help you.”

She felt an image feed into her mind, pulled along by the words, a dark building on the Boulevard itself, three letters lit up on its side. MWB.

She forced the words out through her animal tongue.

“Who are you?”

The clone let his hands drop and smiled.

“My name is Alan.”

With that Cass felt her hold on the reins relax. The blade leapt out and ripped into his throat.