Pizza Night

Jax sat on the floor of his apartment shower, letting the cold water run over him for twenty minutes. He scrubbed until his skin was raw, watching the yellow tint swirl down the drain.

He stepped out and wrapped a towel around his waist. He picked up his phone.

He opened his banking app.

**Balance: $5,004.32**

He stared at the number. He refreshed the page. It was still there. Five thousand dollars. Tax-free.

He looked at the eviction notice on the table. He picked it up, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it in the trash.

He logged into the rental portal and paid the past due balance, plus two months in advance.

Then, he opened a food delivery app.

He ordered two extra-large pepperoni pizzas, cheesy bread, and a 2-liter soda.

He walked into the bedroom. Maya was just waking up, rubbing her eyes.

"Jax?" she mumbled. "Is it hot?"

"Yeah, it's hot," Jax said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "But I paid the bill. AC is getting fixed tomorrow. I promise."

"Did you get the money?" she asked, looking worried.

Jax looked at his hand. He could still feel the phantom weight of the dagger. He could still see the blue text hovering in the corner of his vision: **[NEXT MISSION: 24:00:00].**

He smiled at his sister. It was a tired smile, but it was real.

"Yeah, bug," he said, ruffling her hair. "I got a job. Cleaning crew. It’s messy, but it pays really well."

"Pizza?" she asked hopefully.

"Pizza," Jax confirmed. "Extra pepperoni."

He walked back to the living room to wait for the delivery, watching the blue timer count down, ready for whatever the System threw at him next. He was a hunter now, and the rent was paid.