With every step, her shoes pressed hard against the floor. The wet crunch made her stomach twist like it was flipping inside out. Two oversized roaches spread their wings and shot into the air. They darted straight toward Natalie's face. Her heart jolted so hard it rattled in her chest. But her expression stayed calm. She turned her head just enough to let them miss and kept walking forward. When she reached the second floor and no one was watching anymore, she finally let out a breath. Then she broke into a sprint. She yanked her collar shut, ducked her head, and raced up the stairs three at a time. On the way up, her foot lashed out and sent a fat rat flying across the wall. "Out of my way!" I might be scared of bugs, but rats are nothing! Her kick carried all her pent-up disgust. The rat, nearly the size of a cat, slammed against the floor and went limp. She didn't stop until she reached the 14th floor. Just as she got to her door, Lucky's frantic cries burst from inside. She fumbled with the locks, shoved the door open, and rushed in. Lucky crouched in the corner, head down like a beaten dog, whimpering in fear. Two massive roaches scuttled across the living room floor, bold and unbothered. "How the hell did they get in here?" Natalie had stomped through dozens of them outside. The disgust was already starting to dull into numbness.She pulled insecticide from her storage space and sprayed until the roaches stopped moving. Only then did Lucky crept over, shivering, pressing against her legs, whining for comfort. Natalie looked down and let out a laugh. "You're a big dog, and you're scared of bugs?" She thought to herself that Lucky was just like her. Both of them were equally disgusted with bugs. Lucky's ears twitched at the teasing. She gave a sharp huff, shoved open the half-closed door, and bolted. Natalie's stomach dropped. She had been so focused on killing roaches that she forgot to shut the door. Lucky wasn't wearing her climate suit. Running out there could overheat her, not to mention terrify her with all the roaches. Natalie rushed out after her. But Lucky hadn't gone far. She was right outside on the 14th floor landing, snarling and tearing into something. Natalie's eyes narrowed. It was a rat, pinned between Lucky's jaws. Lucky's short muzzle made her bite awkward, so she would clamp down, release, slam the rat to the ground, then bite again. Each strike was vicious, each toss splattering blood across the concrete, until the rat lay shredded and still. Natalie twitched a smile. "Wow. You're pretty violent." She thought she'd never see the day dogs catching rats. The same dog that trembled at roaches had no fear ripping one to pieces.Lucky puffed out her chest, head high, pride radiating from her posture. See? Who's scared now? Natalie smirked and pointed behind her. "Turn around." Lucky glanced back. The stairwell crawled with roaches, their antennae twitching, wings buzzing, several flying through the air. Lucky's proud stance shattered. Her fur bristled. She scrambled toward the apartment in blind panic, tumbling over herself. She dove inside, still howling, her voice echoing through the walls as she barked for Natalie to close the door. Shut the door, shut the door! Natalie chuckled softly, stepped inside, and shut it tight.She slipped into slippers, then carefully sprayed down her outdoor shoes with insecticide. People said roach eggs clung to soles after being crushed, and with how fast they bred, it was terrifying. Not to mention these things were apex creatures in a sense. She had no idea how the two earlier ones got in. Every drain had been sealed with cement. At least her apartment wasn't as infested as others. In her last life, her place had looked like the stairwells—crawling with them everywhere. She scrubbed every corner, disinfected every surface, then bathed Lucky and brushed her teeth. The dog had just chewed up a filthy rat, after all. Heavens knew what germs it could've had on it.By the time she finished, the sky had turned a pale hue. She finally let herself rest. A knock rattled the front door. When she opened it, Harold stood there with a stick balanced on his shoulder. Three live chickens dangled from it. He grinned wide. "Hey, Idol." Natalie blinked at his odd look. "You didn't go out for gas today?" Harold shrugged. "I did. Just got back not long ago. Came home and saw roaches and rats everywhere." Natalie nodded. "No kidding. The swarm hit out of nowhere. How's your place holding up?" Harold smirked. "Not a single roach inside." Natalie's eyes widened. "Not even one?" She had blocked every drain and still ended up with two. How was Harold's place spotless?He lifted the chickens like a prize. "Credit goes to these guys." When he got home, he had found his mom already whacking rats with a stick while the chickens ran loose through the house, fighting each other to devour every roach they could find.