Gregory was walking through an alley. The alley was the same as any other — cracked pavement, walls smeared with grime, and the sour stink of garbage hanging in the air. Piles of damp cardboard leaned against a rusted dumpster, and somewhere in the distance, the hum of the city buzzed on, uncaring. Gregory moved through it like he belonged. Because, in a way, he did. Then he noticed {{user}}.

"Hey. You lost or something?" His voice wasn’t harsh, but there was a clear edge to it. "Don’t see too many kids hangin’ around here."