he abandoned police station came into view as Fii scaled a wall to emerge onto the street. She had walked here so many times, she could do it in her sleep. Still, actually being in front of the station made her feel a little wistful. Not too long ago, she and Virgil had used the pce to train, w on her powers, her physical endurance, and teag her how to fight.

  The days were grueling, yes, and his lessons were hard.

  But it was fun—in a weird way.

  There was a rhythm to his training, something she hadn't fully uood at the time, but now could see clearly. Each session built on the previous ones, strengthening her, honing her, preparing her. He was getting her ready for something bigger, and though he hadn't said as much, he didn't have to. It was in his as, and his unwavering itment to the process. He was as strict as Edith and just as secretive.

  Odd how they were so alike, yet couldn't get along for the life of them. Oil and water, those two.

  As she took in the sight of the station, memories pyed out in her mind: the endless ps around the block, the relentless bat drills, the grueling power exercises. He always believed in pushing her beyond what she thought was her limit, always trying to pull just a bit more out of her. Not that he ever got too far. It was always right on the cusp of being 'too much,' but never actually crossing the line. Not even once.

  If anything, he held back more than anything else. Often, Fii would look into his eyes ahat glimmer of something underh his gruff exterior. What was it? ? Doubt? Whatever it was, Virgil never let it show for long.

  Fii found herself w why they both put her through so much. Why, despite their arguments, their different approaches, did they both seem to uand something about her that she didn't even grasp herself? And why did they keep whatever it was uheir hats?

  The questions swirled in her head, but she quickly shook them away. Edith's kidnapping was more important right norying into old mysteries. With a deep breath, she approached the entrao the station. It felt oddly like ing home, a, at the same time, it was still just a big, dipidated, hollowed-out ruin.

  Darkened windows gazed out like sightless eyes, the front door was marred with scratches and graffiti. As she ehe door squeaked, protesting her intrusion. Inside was just as bad, maybe worse. A yer of dust covered everything, giving the whole pce a muted, gray aura. Her nose kled at the musty, stale smell that hung in the air.

  A flock of pigeons fluttered out from behind a torn-up shutter, and she couldn't help but ugh.

  "Well, some of you just look fat and happy," she teased, eyeing the obviously well-fed birds.

  They cooed in respoterly oblivious to her words. Who was feeding them in here, anyway?

  She tiptoed over broken gss and debris, making her way to the stairwell that led to the basement, or Virgil as described it, the 'think tank'.

  Finally, she arrived at the basement door, the hinges creaking as she pushed it open.

  There, at his desk, sat Virgil. He was hunched over, his rugged features highlighted by the flickering light of an old mp. As always, his dark cowboy hat erched atop his head, and he was cloaked in his signature trenchcoat, looking like the kind of guy people would either go to for help or avoid if they valued their lives. And, well, he was both.

  He held a crumpled piece of paper in one hand, seemingly engrossed by whatever was scribbled on it.

  Before she could announce herself, he looked up, his eyes log onto hers.

  "It's about time you got here," he grumbled, setting the paper down. "I've been waiting food ten minutes."

  Despite his initial show of irritation, a er of his mouth hi a suppressed smile. For Virgil, that was the equivalent of a bear hug from most other folks.

  "It's great to see you too," Fii responded, her own smile mirr his. "I know. I missed that cheery attitude of yours."

  Her statement, despite its pyful jab, held a truth. There was something f about being back here, trading quips with the gun-slinging grump she'd e to know, even in the midst of their usual banter. He might not be the cheeriest person around, but he was reliable in his unique brand of grouchy loyalty.

  It made her feel safe, somehow.

  Virgil let out a scoff, more amused than offended. He the worn wooden chair opposite him, which to be ho, looked like it had seeer days.

  He sure doesn't waste any time on pleasantries, does he? Fii mused. Sit down and shut up. Got it.

  As she took her seat, a puff of dust mushroomed from the cushion. Fii mao maintain her posure, although her ched and a shreateo escape. Mustering all her willpower, she mao suppress it, swallowing the urge with a sniffle.

  He looked at her. Then at her nose. And back to her.

  "Okay, if you've got to shen ght ahead. This is important, but not as urgent as whatever demon wants to e crawling out of your snout," he stated, sounding somewhere between a ed dad and an annoyed grandpa who wants to watch TV.

  The sheer ridiculousness of Virgil's statement shattered her resolve. A peal of ughter escaped her lips, a sneeze quickly tailing it.

  One swo shree ser, Virgil was staring at her with that same exasperated look he always seemed to wear. When she finally regained her posure, her eyes teary and her nose rosy from the sneezing fit, he harrumphed. He spped a dirty rag from some fotten er of the desk.

  Oh, how thoughtful. I'm sure that will make things so much better.

  "It's , promise," he grunted.

  It didn't look it, but okay. With a sheepish grin, Fii took the offered cloth and blew her nose, making an indelicate sound that she could practically feel him wi. Sorry to offend your delicate, anti-sneeze sensibilities, Mister Maddox.

  Anrunt. This one had a very eloquent meaning too: Are you quite done?

  Clearihroat, Fii posed herself and shot him a challenging smirk. "Right, got that out of my system. Let's talk shop."

  The creases in Virgil's forehead deepened, a sign Fii had e to uand as his way of signaling something important, or a headache.

  "Edith," he began, his toaking on a weight that hadn't been there before, "I've narrowed down a couple of leads on where she might be."

  Virgil leaned in, the dim light of the prect casting dramatic shadows across his sterures. Despite the setting, or maybe because of it, his seriousness felt exaggerated somehow.

  He id the crumpled piece of paper he had been studying oable between them. From her perspective, it side down. Not that it mattered; squinting at it told her it was in some weird shorthand chi scratch that only he could read and call a nguage. Something else she o learn: deciphering Virgil's unique code for aking.

  "The trail's beey muddy," he tinued, gesturing to his notes, "but I've finally mao wipe away some of the grime."

  He tapped a line he found signifit with a scarred finger. "Based on a few bits of hearsay and an at of suspiovement, I think there's a good ce she's being held in one of his satellite facilities past the Wastes of Kurigali, or..." Aap, this time more deliberate. "...in his bs withiropolis itself."

  Oh.

  His words hung heavy in the air, mingling with the dust motes dang zily in the meager sunlight that forced its way through the cracked windows.

  "Well..." Fii said after a pause, drawing out the sylble. "That's... big."

  Both pces were daunting on their ow.

  The thought of the Wastes made her stomach ch. Kurigali was a cursed stretch of nd that sprawled beyond the Slums. It was an enormous, lifeless desert where only the truly desperate or utterly mad dared to veories about the pce ranged from terrifying to ft-out ridiculous.

  Monsters as rge as airships? Maybe not. Freak sandstorms that could strip your flesh from bone in minutes? Okay, probably just an exaggeration.

  But the whole no-man's-nd thing and the plethora of ibalistic freaks and roving gangs? Those weren't exaggerated. Not acc to her friend Tweak anyway, and the Wirehead rarely stretched the truth. Though she teo leave out crucial details. But crossing the Wastes was suicide.

  Only caravans from the Metropolis stood a ce of traversing it, and evehey had to be well-equipped, loaded to the gills with firepower, and guarded by bat-capable Supers.

  That wasn't eveioning what was supposed to lurk underground, monsters waiting to feed. So yeah, not the best option.

  Flying over it was the safest bet, which meant seg a ship, a good ship. But that meaering the Metropolis itself to board one, and that came with its ow of issues.

  Airship barges docked iropolis on a regur basis, ing from different nds, including Kurigali. They carried all sorts of odities—synth-food, goods, the usual stuff. A few often stop by the slums to make some extra credits off the books on the way babsp;

  She could fly herself and Virgil over instead, but even her powers had limits and running out of steam above the Wastes spelled doom for them. Not to mention she'd never set foot outside of the slums before. Fii had no idea how big the desert was or where exactly to getting lost in that pce...

  An airship was defihe better option there.

  Oh, and speaking of the big M, that was another problem altogether.

  Access to the city was strictly reguted by its overzealous Board of Corporate Directors. Sure, people could get in as long as they met one of a million requirements and had the right amount of credits, but she retty sure 'resg a kidnapped mentor' wasn't an item on the list of approved reasons to enter.

  Being a registered Super had been her inal pn. Supers were granted uricted entry. The city loved its Supers; the more, the merrier. But... she had just killed Prime—the leader of the Ultimate Guardians and the city's most promi hero—not too long ago.

  That probably wouldn't go over well.

  If she wasn't publiemy number oer that little stunt, the rest of the Ultimate Guardians were at the very least gunning for her, like, really literally gunning for her. She was surprised they didn't e back to the Slums to try and grab her after the showdown.

  "You're sure?" Fii asked, not wanting to question his skills, but needing that extra bit of reassurance. "How fident are you about this lead?"

  Virgil leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. His eyebrows arched ever so slightly, indig he wasn't so munoyed as he was tired. Like usual, then.

  "I won't promise you the sun or moon here," he replied, a rare softness in his voice. "But in my line of work, you learn to sniff out these things, and everything I've discovered points to those locations. Those merd Adrenomacers we fought all came here through the Wastes, which tells me they operate out of Kurigali."

  "But Salva—" Fii started to say.

  Virgil cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Yeah, he's from the Metropolis. I know. And I'm not disting that. His ties there are as strong as they e. That's why both pces feel right to me. Either his crew is holing up in one of his hidden bs here or they're using some base of his past the desert. If I had to bet, I'd put my money on the Wastes."

  Fii frowned. "But the Wastes? Hoould they risk something like that? That pce is the stuff of nightmares, from what I heard."

  He gave a half nod, then gave one of his usual shrugs, whially meant 'yeah, that's true, but...'

  But what?

  "Kurigali makes a great deal of sense if you think about it. First, there's still a city there, Merraot a pretty pce, sure, but it's a haven for those with the right es. Lots of pces to disappear or use as a hideout. Plus, he has the resources to make it livable. If there's anyone who weather that pce, it's him and his money.

  "Sed, security. Kurigali is a natural deterrent; no one in their right mind would vehere. Outside of corporations using the pove goods around, it's a no-man's-nd. Crossing it means you either have a team of Supers esc you, or you're prepared to hahe worst. Not many folks have that kind of firepower.

  "Third, it's remote. News and rumors from Kurigali are scarce, so even if he to something, no one would be the wiser. Perfect pce to keep your secrets and your hostages."

  Despite her earlier objes to the idea, the more Virgil expihe more it made sense.

  Something still didn't sit right with her though.

  She inhaled, as if to speak, but then thought better of it.

  "Spit it out, girl," he said, his words ing out in a weary sigh.

  "Well..." Fii ventured, her brows knitting together. "Why not just keep her iropolis, then? If he has all these resources and es, wouldn't that be easier?"

  Virgil uncrossed his arms and leaned fain, elbows oable. The light from the dusty mp caught his features, deepening the shadows that pyed across his face.

  "That's where it gets tricky," he admitted. "My guess—and this is just a guess—is that if Salvatore did take her to the Metropolis, things could get plicated. See, he's a big fish there, but so are others. Every powerful figure in that city has their own security, their owworks. There are prying eyes everywhere. If Edith put up a fight—which we know she would—that could draw unwatention. He's a big shot, but so is everyone else there. It's not his domain alone."

  He paused, letting that sink in. "Out in the Wastes, he has more trol. But like I said, I'm not ruling out the Metropolis pletely. Actually, it'd be better for her if she was there. That's a real city, and although there're probably a million pces he could keep her, she'd be better off there than in Merraco. Even still, we'd be looking at a needle in a haystack."

  Fii thought about this and nodded.

  Okay. Edith might be in the Wastes, or iropolis. Okay. Big deal. I work with this.

  Steeling her resolve, she straightened in her chair and looked Virgil in the eye. "When do we start? I could try flying us over, maybe—"

  He cut her off with a swift gesture. "Woah there, turbo. Let's slow our roll a bit."

  Now his furrowed brow was joined by a frown, an expression so familiar that Fii often wondered if it was stuck that way.

  "Don't get me wrong," he tinued, holding up a pg hand, "your enthusiasm is... really is, kid. But there's a lot more to this than just diving in headfirst. We 't afford any rash decisions; they'll only nd us—and likely Edith—in hot water."

  Fii leaned forward, elbows on the desk, and was forced to match his stare.

  "Then what's the pn?" she asked, her voice edging on defensive. "I mean, shouldn't we act fast and strike while the iron is hot or whatever?"

  A heavy sigh escaped Virgil, sounding like a weightlifting bellows. He sat there, processing her question. "Have you ever heard the expression, 'Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail'? It's as true today as it's ever been. All we have right now are a couple of vague ideas and no solid pn. That's hardly a recipe for success."

  As much as she wao disagree, she knew he was right. Ag impulsively had never served her well. "Fair enough. So what's ?"

  "Information, which I'm gathering, and something resembling a pn. Also..." He tapped his finger oable thoughtfully. "We might o round up some help for this. This isn't some little operation where you snag a file and bolt. This is an all-out rescue mission, and there's a big differeno one-man shoull that off."

  Help?

  Her first thought was of Quinn, but he couldn't just drop everything and jaunt off to save Edith with her. Not to mention the whole powers thing. He didn't have them, she did, and he wasn't a fighter. Definitely not going t him into this. But then who could they trust to assist? It wasn't like she had a treasure chest of people she could call on. There was Tweak, and...

  Her mind nded on Quinn again.

  As she pondered, Virgil reached across the table, tapping her forehead with a finger. "Quinn won't be any good. Don't worry your little head about rounding up a posse; I've got some tacts from the olden times that might still be up to lend a hand. It'll take a while. All you o focus on is getting ready and biding your time. Keep doing your superhero... thing."

  "Hey!"

  "I don't mean that in a bad way, alright? Just keep your ear to the ground, don't let all hell break loose. Stay away from Salvatore. Let me hahat front, and when I've found more, we'll be back at this table and pnning."

  "You'll tell me as soon as you hear anything?" Fii asked, a hint of impatien her voice. Waiting was not her stro skill.

  "I will," Virgil responded, holding her gaze. He poio her temple and said, "Just try not to overthink it or rush in. Don't do anything impulsive like fly over The Wall into the Metropolis. I see what you're thinking. Trust me, it'll get ugly. Besides, if Edith is in the Wastes, then she isn't iropolis, and vice versa."

  It was almost funny how well he could read her.

  "But... isn't taking our time risky?" Fii voiced, a stubborn frown pulling at her features. "She's out there, in who-knows-what kind of trouble. Meanwhile, we're here, waiting."

  Virgil huffed, crossing his arms and looking unimpressed. "I know Salvatore. He won't hurt her. Not until he's fully utilized everything she knows. Edith would know this too. She'd cooperate, in her own way, to buy herself some time. Of that, I'm sure. I'm sure that she also expects you to be looking for her."

  He rose from his chair, indig their versation was at its end.

  Fii sat silently for a moment. There wasn't a smidgen of uainty in Virgil's voice, and he wasn't one for blind optimism either. It was... strangely reassuring.

  "Okay," she said finally, a hint of frustration lingering ione. "But if we take too long, or the rescue falls through..."

  "You hang me from The Wall as punishment," Virgil retorted, waving his hand dismissively. "And if I somehow screw this up and I don't end up dead, then sure, you have my permission to just end me yourself."

  It was clear he didn't care about any threats or idle worries, so Fii exhaled slowly. "That's a deal I'd rather not see through."

  "Me her," he agreed. "Me her. Now go on. Go help some old folks, pune gangs in the face or something. I'll keep digging a you know what I find."

  With a nod that felt heavier than she liked, Fii pushed up from the table and rose to her feet. "Alright," she ceded. "Just... remember, I've got skin in this game too." She stood there, hands on the back of the old wooden chair, an expet look on her face.

  "I'm aware. Now scram, get going," he replied, fpping his hand at her in a shooiure. "Oh, o thing. Supers from the Metropolis might start showing up. For you. So, just be careful. Try not to kill them, if you . No one likes a repeat performance. Some of those Supers are also friends of mine. Not very good friends, mind you, but friends. But no promises. Your life is more important than their life."

  Well, that was an ugly thought.

  "Will do, and thanks for the heads-up," Fii mumbled, turning aig her path carefully through the debris-cluttered room, making her way toward the exit. One final gnce over her shoulder revealed Virgil, already engrossed in his notes, pnning his move.

  Good luah .

  Suddenly, a loud bang made her jump. Something whizzed past her ear and embedded itself in the wall ahead with a thud. No sooner had she spun around than another sh out, kig up a puff of dust near her feet.

  Looking down, she realized there was a hole in the floor, a perfectly rounded, fresh hole that gred up at her. The floorboards around it were slightly scorched.

  Gng up and looking across the room, she saw Virgil sitting, one arm throwhe back of the chair and his revolver casually pointed in her dire. Smoke curled zily from its barrel. Did he just shoot at me?!

  Their eyes locked, and the gunslinger offered her a half-grin.

  "What was that for?!" Fii blurted, gesturing at the smoking gun. A nervous ugh bubbled up, a ugh of someone who was absolutely shocked. "Are you... I mean, did you just... what?"

  "Don't worry your pretty little head off," Virgil responded, setting his revolver on the desk. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver cigar case that opened with a flick of his wrist. Pig one, he used the still-smouldering barrel of his revolver to light it, taking a deep drag. Then, after a sigh of smoke, he said, "Just cheg."

  "Cheg? By shooting at me?!"

  "I o make sure you're always on your toes. Before I left to iigate, I told you to always keep a barrier active in case of sudden... surprises. Didn't I?"

  Yes. Yes, he did. But still! Shooting at her wasn't...

  "Good on ya that you listened," he gruffed, casually examining his nails. "Everyone knows who you are now. Ah a gun who has a thing against you might just take a shot at you at any time, any pce. You o be ready for that. An assassin won't send you a calling card first."

  Fair point. Sure, but...

  She hadn't dropped her guard. In fact, she'd kept it up more than usual. There was always a gravitational barrier around her, an instinctive rea to avoid trouble. Nothing could touch her unless she wa to. No knives, bullets, punches, or whatever else people could throw at her. That barrier was her first line of defense.

  But that was a trade-off. Siivating it stantly was draining, Fii could only pull off other, more plex maneuvers occasionally. Too much exertion risked burnout. Not only that, she couldn't grab or hold onto anything with her hands and not have them go flying away.

  So, in many cases, she just tur off. But nowadays? As he said, now was not the time to sck off on personal prote.

  Which was why Virgil's 'test' failed to pee her barrier and instead scared the ever-living crap out of her.

  When she slept, she evehe barrier active but ged the shape to a dome that covered her whole bed. This drained more of her stamina, but the peaind was worth the risk. It was the only way she could feel fortable sleeping. Otherwise, anyone could walk in and just...

  Just do anything. Anything at all.

  For a long moment, Fii watched as smoke nguidly drifted from Virgil's cigar towards the ceiling. Well, she wasn't going to stand around for more shooting practice. Her hand found the door frame and she gnced back at Virgil one more time, notig how his smile hadn't faded.

  "You're an asshole," she remarked dryly before stepping out and into the overcast day beyond.

  Just before the door closed behind her, she heard his response. "You're wele."