I stared into the mirror of the gas station bathroom at the image of the ignma on my left forearm. I held the burner blade up heated and charged up as I prepared to finally burn the damn thing off finally. It cost me a lot trouble and loss of friends and family. I had no one now because of it. I was a roin.

They called my kind ignma. A destination for a type of human that isn’t born with elemental powers like most everyone else in this world. I was born different. I saw things differently but mostly importantly. I grew up knowing I would have to make my own in the world. I wasn’t born to be ordinary. I was special. I didn’t have magic powers to fall back on.

I heard a knock at the door. “Hey. I got to take a shit. Hurry up in there.” A male voice called to me.

I sighed and shipped the blade in the protective sleeve and quickly put on my black shirt and jacket. I opened the door and evaded the man as I walked past him.

I looked at the cashier at the front. He gave me a look and nodded out side. “You got five minutes kid.” He said.

I nodded to him and walked toward the door. I walked over to a bike parked at filling station.

I saw Victor Adam in his ride chating with a model while his bodyguard a big solo agent with bands of fire element that wrapped around his arms as a show of his power and status as a highly powerful elemental. He looked up at me once.

“You looking to make trouble youngster. Think again.” He said sensing trouble from me but not sensing the real danger.

I leaned against the motorcycle like it was mean. “How did you become Solo?” I asked him.

The man stared at me. “You a runner.” He said.

I nodded. “Been a runner part time sense I was twelve. I’m sixteen now. I’ll be seventeen soon. My Pop sent me on the rite early. Is there anyway I can skip past becoming a Solo to be a fixer.” I asked.

“Your powerless.” He said and grinned shaking head at me. “You been working sense your twelve and haven’t advanced yet. You’ll never make it. Head to the out lands.” He said.

“So I have to become a Solo first. Alright. If that’s what I have to do. I’ll do it. I just don’t understand why the order of things can’t be changed.” I said.

The Solo frowned at me. “Your father never explained to you the ranking up of trust and talent?” He asked.

I frowned at him. “The ranking of Trust and talent? What is that? Is that the core to the underground system?” I asked.

“Yes. It’s about trust and talent. Runners are trusted with small jobs because they have little talent and haven’t built up their ranking of trust. Solo’s have built higher skill levels and power to do bigger jobs and get bigger pay. Fixers were trusted with connecting clients to underground agents or figuring out how to plan out a job to get it done in the first place. Though fixers aren’t needed now a days when we have the black market forum to get jobs. No need for a middle man and you don’t have any power so your stuck. I would advise you to the out lands be field hand or slave. Powerless have no room for advancing anywhere in society. Sorry.” He said.

“Thank you the information. You can keep your opinion about me to yourself or shove up your ass for all I care though.” I said.

The Solo blinked at me. “Oh really?!” He said in a dominant tone meant to make me back down but I nodded staring at him in the eyes.

“Yeah. I’m smarter, better and will be more richer then you’ll ever be. Before your hair turns grey Mr. Solo. You’ll be answering to me with the respect due a free king. You can believe that shit.” I said.

He laughed in my face but he froze and pointed a glowing hand of fire at me as I reached inside my jacket. “Don’t try me powerless.” He said.

I looked at him. “Was the information free?” I asked.

“You want to pay me for information I gave you?!” He said in confusion.

I nodded. “Yeah. The last thing I want is for you to think I owe you something when I take over the underground. What’s your account transfer number?” I said.

A slow wofish smile curved around his lips and he shook his head. “I forgot my manners. My account number is 3988b20 ebs. 20 ebs will do fine. Youngster.” He said.

I took out my detapad and looked down and started the transfer as Victor got out of his vehicle.

“What the fuck is the hold up?” Stop talking to this trash, pump my gas and so I get the fuck on to my place. I got Mindy for a few hours until I have to return her to the agency.” Victor said.

“The Transfer is done. Check your account.” I said looking and ignored Victor.

“Hey shit head.” Victor said.

The Solo nodded his head. “You good young blood. Better luck next time young blood. I know why came here. You’ll have to find another job.” He said.

I nodded. “Thanks for the information elder. Oh you better get your money from Mr. Adams quickly because his crediters are coming for his ass in twelve hours from now to take all his shit.” I said and walked away.

Victor laughed nervously but the Solo stared at me. “Oh. I see what this is. Your a runner looking to steal my ride. You little shit. Your dirty lies aren’t going to work on grown adults.” He said. His eyes glowed with elemental green energy of the earth dragon.

I shook my head. “Not really. I checked you out credit history and networth online Mr. Adams. Your a broke ass son of bitch that is in deep debt to loan sharks and running around town banging old models on cheap credit. I wanted to talk to your Solo bodyguard because he had information I needed. This was the only way I could get the attention of a vetern Solo to talk to me long enough to get information. Oh. Respectfully you should take down that job offer. It’s against black market forum rules to put up false job ads. You don’t have any ebs to pay anybody anything. You pay everything down with cheap low grade credit with no show of collateral but your failing family group business and the old classic piece of shit cruiser you own. Your better off selling your ride then trying to get somebody to destory it for the insurance money. Later asshole!” I said showing him my tongue and flipping him off with both fingers as I backed away.

“Mr. Adams. You owe us twenty-five hundred ebs.” A man said.

“Mr. Adams. We need you to sign over your cruiser to my company to pay your debt.” A man said.

Suddenly, men started converge on them. The model was taken out of the car. Victor looked at me. “You set me up!” He said.

I grinned at him. “They paid me more then we’re offering.” I said.

Victor attempted to attack me but the Solo grabbed him and jerked him back. “You’ve been light on my last two checks. I want my money now or I’ll destoy your ride and take the insurance money as payment. Give me my money you little shit.” He said.

The cashier stood outside smoking and nodded to me. “The money is in your account. Did you burn the mark?” He said.

I sighed.

He stared at me. “A deal is a deal. You gave your word. We pay and do what was agreed upon or you and word are worthless and we’ll make sure of that you’ll get work from anyone in this city.” He said.

I smiled and took off my jacket throwing it to the ground and then took off the knife and hit the button on the center. the electrified blade heated up instantly. I placed the blade on my skin where the mark was and pressed into my skin. I smelled burning skin for a few second until I finally dropped it.

The cashier threw my bottle of some type of liquid and I put it on my skin. The wound. A ugly scar was in place. I placed the bottle down and got out my detapad.

“You did the right thing kid. Your already a target being without any elemental powers no use in having a silly mark to make matters worse. You’ll receive a link to your job digital check in station. The company will do right by you if you be a good boy and do what your told. Oh you pay grade will have to go down to 50k. Sorry but your not worth the 80k ebs because of your ignma status.” He said.

I searched the forum until I found what I was looking for. “Your James Martin. Vice president of Credit industries? Aren’t you?” I said looking up at him.

He stared at me. “How the fuck did you know my name?” He asked me coldly.

I looked up at him smiling. “Do you know a Miss Hellen Baker?” I said.

James didn’t return my smile. I nodded. “Yeah. Miss Baker and her tribe came into some money the last time you two were together. She never forgot you or that night you showed your ass and went to far with her. Her family has got a big fat bounty on your head old man. It’s far bigger then 80k. I didn’t just contact you and your corporation for Mr. Adams. I was hoping that your old man would seen you in to to over see matters seeing how much he hated Mr. Adams. It’s funny how things work out isn’t it.” I said putting away my detapad.

James suddenly threw his cigarette into my face surprising me and drew a pistol from under his vest jacket. I lifted up my hand as he shot it. I felt the jolt from the shock waves at it hit my cyberpunk arm taking on two shots before I knocked him back drew my blaster and fired on his ass taking him down with two shots to the chest and sending him flying through the glass of the door. James lay on the floor of the convivence store bleeding and motionless. My ears were ringing. Someone took my pistol from my hand and put me down to the ground.

“Check my detapad. I’m a runner. He had a bounty on his head. I took the job.” I said. I couldn’t hear shit but someone grabbed my detapad and from me and then a second later I was let up to sit on the ground. The Solo smiled at me shaking his head. He showed me my profile on the black market forum. I looked at it and looked at my ranking.

Solo level 1

Well that was a start. Not where I was going to finish but it was a start to something.