Three writes first
Rain drips from a fire escape into a puddle the color of motor oil. The alley smells of wet metal and onions. Ahead, the mouth of the alley opens onto a bright strip of neon, and in front of it two members of the Halo Jackals have decided you’re worth their time.
The one on the left rolls a katana across her knuckles. The other, broader and bored, holds a Lexington pistol low against his thigh.
“Eddies,” says the swordswoman, not unkindly. “All of them. You’ve got none, so you can save us the search.” She taps her temple with one finger. “Or you can take a look at what’s on the ground.”
Two arm’s lengths from your boots lies a lead pipe, dented and slick with rain. On the trash can at your elbow sits a DR-5 Nova revolver, its cylinder still warm from someone else’s bad night.
The pistol lifts an inch. The swordswoman tilts her head and waits.
What do you reach for first?