Running with only one arm completely threw off his balance. The heavy, biological steel density of his body felt lopsided. He had to consciously adjust his stride, leaning slightly to the left to keep himself from tipping over.
"This is incredibly annoying," Sebastian grumbled, vaulting over a rusted ventilation unit. "I feel like a broken shopping cart."
High above him, the three Cleaners stopped their pursuit of the Rusthound. Their flawless, faceless heads snapped downward, instantly locking onto the massive, glitching energy signature of the Anomaly running across the rooftop.
[MALWARE ISOLATED. EXECUTING TARGET.]
The three entities split up, diving down into the ruined city from different angles.
FWOOSH!
A beam of deletion light struck the roof just three feet behind Sebastian. A twenty-foot-wide crater of absolute nothingness appeared in the concrete. The sudden loss of structural support caused the entire building to violently tilt.
