Three weeks ter...

  Fii had always wao have her very own puter, but after weeks of staring at this stupid s—because Edith wao cram as much 'basic education' into her as possible—she was residering her life choices.

  Seriously. What was so important about knowing what a square root was? Or how to calcute the diameter of a circle? Did it matter whether it i or 3.14? So annoying.

  And don't get her started on...what was it called? Physics? Something about energy and ford other stuff she couldn't keep traath that involved more than just adding and subtrag was bad enough, but now there was all this other stuff?! Didn't matter if it was a carrot, a brick, or a p. Who cared if a triangle had three sides, or a circle was round? These things didn't affect her ability to do daily tasks, and she'd gotten by fihout them. All she ever needed was her rooftop wisdom.

  She'd rather spend her days pying football with the other kids, or sging for scraps at the junkyard. Anything but this.

  Seriously, how the hell did HighRises spend hlued to these things?

  The s before her was filled with equations and diagrams that made no seo her whatsoever.

  Fii smmed her head on the desk, groaning in frustration. She looked up at the clock, sighing with relief when she saw that it was almost lunchtime. Edith had promised t her something nice if she mao finish her studies.

  After several agonizing mihe door to the study finally opened.

  "Ugh, finally!" Fii bolted upright, whipping her head around to look at the doctor.

  Her hopes for an escape from her studies were dashed as she noticed that the person who ehe room wash. It was one of three nurses who worked at the ic, a petite woman named Sheri.

  Sheri pced a tray of food oable, pushing the stack of papers to the side to make space.

  "Oh, you poor thing," she cooed, Fii a sympathetic smile. "You look exhausted."

  "Yeah, it's been a long m," Fii admitted, eyeing the food hungrily.

  It smelled heavenly. A rge pte of chi biryani and a bowl of thick, creamy yogurt to apany it. She would have had to work a full week of odd jobs to afford a meal like this.

  "Edith is making progress with the new patient, so she's not gon anytime soon. Here, this should help you get through the afternoon." Sheri he pte closer to her, Fii a spoon.

  Fii scooped up a spoonful of rid chi, sav the delicious blend of spices. She closed her eyes, leaning ba her chair as she ehe fvor. It ure bliss.

  "Ah, that hits the spot!" Fii let out a satisfied sigh.

  She gnced over at Sheri, who was still watg her with a small, amused smile. Fii felt her cheeks grow warm as she realized that she had spoken out loud.

  "I, uh, like your cooking," she said sheepishly.

  "Thanks! It's a family recipe." Sheri smiled, looking pleased. "I'm gd you're enjoying it."

  An awkward silence fell between them as Fii tio dig into her meal. She wasn't normally oo enjoy being around other people, but Sheri seemed niough.

  "So...why are you w for Edith anyways? You know she's not a real doctht?" Fii blurted out the question before she could stop herself.

  "Huh?" Sheri bli her, seeming taken aback by the question. "Oh, she told you?"

  "Yep, she told me everything," Fii replied, taking another bite of her food. "And I gotta admit, you guys are a bit of an odd group. You seem nice, but I don't get the vibe that you're a bad person or anything, so why are you helping her?"

  Sheri chuckled, looking amused by the question. "It's a little more plicated than that," she said, shaking her head. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "The truth is, I used to work at the Neon Alley as a...ahem...physical therapist, for a very exclusive tele, shall we say."

  Fii raised her eyebrows, w what the other woma. "You were a massage therapist?" she guessed.

  Sheri snickered, stifling a ugh. "Close enough."

  "And now you're w with Edith, why?"

  "Let's just say I owe her a favor."

  "Like, she saved you from something?"

  "Something like that." Sheri winked.

  "Must have been quite the debt, huh?"

  "You have no idea."

  Fii shoveled the st of the rito her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. There was clearly more to this story, but she knew better than to pry. She had barely finished her food wheh poked her head into the room, her eyes zeroing in oray of empty dishes.

  "Ah, I see you ehe meal," she remarked, sounding pleased.

  "Loved it," Fii replied holy.

  "Excellent. You know, you might learn to like studying if you have something good to look forward to after." Edith smiled, stepping into the room and pg a hand on Fii's shoulder. "Speaking of which, how's it ing along with your homework?"

  Fii groaned, shooting her a gre. "Don't remind me," she muttered, gng back at the puter s. "I hate math. Why do I eveo learn this?"

  Edith sighed, sounding exasperated. "Fii, we've beehis. Mathematics is the foundation of physics. How do you expeaster your powers if you 't uand the principles behind them? It's only a few more days of reviewing before you move on to more practical applications."

  Fii slumped ba her chair, feelied. "Fine," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "I'll finish this stupid worksheet, but I want a day off afterward."

  "But you've barely touched the chapter on basic trigory and algebra." Edith frowned. "You know that you 't advao calculus until you've mastered this material, correct?"

  Fii gritted her teeth, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Just give me a day," she said, struggling to maintain her posure. "I'm tired. I o rest. I've been stu this room all m. If I don't get some fresh air soon, I might go insane."

  Edith tapped her , sidering Fii's request. "Hmmm, you do make a valid point. We 't have our star pupil going stir-crazy on us." She fshed Fii a wry smile. "Alright. I suppose I give you one day off to recharge your batteries. But when you get back, we o run more physical tests to monitor your progress."

  Fii nodded eagerly, relieved to be free of the study room, if only temporarily. "Whatever you want, Doc."

  A few more hours. She just had to power through a few more hours, and she'd be free to roam the streets again. Fii turo face the puter once more, pig up her pencil and preparing herself for anrueling session of number g. Whatever it takes. Scrap today, shiomorrow. She just had to remember that. Scrap today, shiomorrow. Over and over, in her head, like a mantra. Scrap today, shiomorrow. Scrap today—no wait, it was skip tomorrow. Shine? Right, so scrape today, skip tomorrow, and...and something. Crap. It was already slipping from her memory.

  Fii buried her head in her hands, groaning in frustration. This was going to be a long afternoon.

  The sun had begun its dest, bathing the slums in golden light. Fii stretched her arms above her head, sighing tentedly as she watched the su. After spending most of the day indoors, it was good to be outside again, even if it was just to get some air. She closed her eyes, basking in the warmth of the evening. This was the break she o clear her head. And hopefully, it would help her get through the remaining chapters on her "homework."

  She kicked a tin into a pothole, squinting at the rusty sign up ahead, reading: SUMIKI'S GOODS. It was the neighborhood joint where you could find both cheap rip-offs and authentic old-world relics. Sumiki, a pot-bellied fellow with a toothless grin, waved her over, a tri. "You. Girl. e, e. I give you dist, yes?" he called out, brandishing his wares. "You buy? Good price!"

  Fii made a beeline for him, examining the array of items spread out before her. Some of them looked familiar, while others were pletely fn. A metal helmet with a cracked visor. A pair of chipped dog tags. An assortment of pstic figurines in various states of disrepair. And more, each with a uory to tell.

  "These are ," she said, pig up a shiny medallion with an inscription on it. "Where'd you find these?"

  "Eh, all over. Dig here, dig there." Sumiki shrugged nontly. "Sometimes people find things, throw away. I find, , sell. Nothing wrong with that, no?"

  "Nope, no problem," Fii replied, grinning. "Hey, Sumiki, how's your nephew?" she asked, gng around for the boy.

  The man's eyes lit up. "Ah, Nigel! He's strong. Always helping. Say, you want to see him?"

  "Not today, but thank you." Fii returhe medallion, waving goodbye as she set off. "Tell him I said hi."

  As she tinued walking, she passed by the usual throngs of people milling around, going about their everyday lives: Old women having a tin talk with one anossiping about the test neighborhood news. The occasional gang member showing off his fshy new gear, strutting around like he owhe pce. A couple of ClipRunners rushing past, no doubt delivering messages. And, of course, the ever-present peddlers of cheap, knockoff goods. There was never a dull moment in the slums, especially at this time of day.

  "Hey, kid." A rough, deep voice stirred Fii from her thoughts. She turo find a burly, intimidating man looming over her. He was dressed in a staiank top and dirty jeans, and his face was covered in stubble. His eyes darted from left tht, and he was sweating profusely. Fii could tell immediately that he to no good. "You lookin' for somethin' to do? Need a job?" the man asked. "I'll pay you good ChitCreds."

  Fii furrowed her brow, taking a step back. She khat look—the look of a Skimmer. "I'm fine," she said, holding her hands up in a pg gesture. "I already have a job."

  The man gave her a sleazy grin. "Perfect," he said, advang toward her. "That's just the kind of attitude I like. e with me, I'll show you what you o do. You won't regret it."

  Jeez. She may as well be singing to the scrap heap.

  "I said I'm fine." Fii raised her voice, taking aep back. "I'm not ied."

  The man's smile disappeared, repced with a scowl. "You tryna make fun of me, kid?" he growled, g his fists. "I'm not takin' no for an answer." He lu Fii, grabbing her arm and yankioward him.

  Fii yelped, struggling to break free of the stranger's grip.

  Suddenly, his grip on her arm felt lighter, as if he had rexed. She pulled back, and the man stumbled, his bahrown off. Fii jerked her hand to the left, and the ma flying in the same dire. He nded hard on the pavement, dazed and fused.

  She stared at her hand in disbelief. What just happened? Did she...? She flexed her fingers, a a prig sensation all around her arm, as if she were ed in invisible spider webs. The lightness, the pressure, it was the exact same feeling as when she floated that day at the ic.

  The man scrambled to his feet, his expression furious. "You little punk, yonna pay for that," he snarled, pulling a switchbde out of his pocket and brandishing it in front of her. "You think you're so tough? Let's see you hahis." He lu Fii, swinging the bde wildly.

  She instinctively threw her hand out, as if to ward off the attack. She felt the strange, prig feeling envelop her entire body, and suddenly, the ma flying backward, nding hard on the ground. Again. Except this time, he stayed there. pletely still.

  Uh oh! I hope I didn't...

  Fii hurried over to the man's body, kneeling beside him and cheg his pulse. Still there. Good, that was good. But was he okay? She shook him gently, but received no response. He must have hit his head and bcked out. Fii heaved a sigh of relief. At least he was alive. She got to her feet and walked away, leaving the unsan to fend for himself.

  As she rounded a er, she caught sight of a familiar figure standing nearby, her hands pnted on her hips. Edith watched her, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

  "Not a bad dispy of trol, but your execution could use some work."

  Fii froze, her mind rag as she tried to e up with an expnation. "I...um, sorry, I expin," she stammered, not sure what to say. "He was b me, and I didn't know what to do, and then my hand..." She trailed off, realizing she was rambling.

  Edith waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry, I saw the whole thing," she said, chug. "He got what he deserved. Anyways, now you see why your training is so important? Your power is incredibly dangerous. What happened here could have gone very differently, especially if you weren't in such a calm state of mind."

  Well, it wasn't that unon to be randomly approached by a sketchy guy or a recruiter for one of the local gangs. This was the slums, after all. Still, the timing of Edith's appearance was a little too perfect. Almost as if she'd been waiting to catch Fii i of using her powers.

  "You followed me, didn't you?" Fii asked, raising her brows. "To make sure I didn't run off or something?" She crossed her arms, givih a pointed look. "That's a little creepy, Doc."

  Edith shrugged. "Think whatever you want. The important thing is, you're beginning to uand the magnitude of what you're capable of. But if you must know, I was on my way to pick up some groceries before I spotted you." She ined her head towards the end of the alley where a small supermarket stood, its windows covered in graffiti. "Shall we?" she asked, Fii a lopsided grin.

  Fii sighed. "Lead the way," she said, following the doctor to the store. While they were there, she made a mental o stock up on snacks before heading back to the ic. Studying was a lot easier with proper motivation. Of course, Edith aying.

  She watched as the store owner sold Edith a sack of groceries at three times the price without her realizing it. Edith still didn't get it, even after the mert made a show of ting out the chits before handing them to her. Then again, what did she expect from a HighRise?

  On the way back, she decided to ask Edith a few questions of her own.

  "So, the nurse, Sheri, she used to work at the Neon Alley. A...ah, physical therapist," Fii began, still struggling to pronouhe words. "What's that?"

  "It means she gives people massages," Edith replied, smiling at the question. "Some people love getting all kinds of massages, and Sheri specializes in giving them." She raised her eyebrow suggestively, as if waiting for Fii to cat to some hidden meaning. When Fii simply gave her a bnk stare, she sighed. "Oh, you're being serious? You really don't know?"

  "I don't."

  "Well, some of my colleagues might say there are other bes to receiving a massage. You know, pleasure. Happiness. Release." Edith made a vague gesture with her hands.

  "Oh...OH! You mean—" Fii blushed in realization. "So she was a..."

  That...made more sense, somehow. She should have known. Neon Alley had pces for that kind of thing, from what she heard. And the more she thought about it, the more she remembered seeing Sheri giving men shoulder rubs while they waited their turn for a check-up.

  "So, she quit her old job because of a debt?" Fii asked. Something must have happened. If a girl retty enough to work there, then why quit? From eople told her, that pce made good money. Especially if you had regurs. "What happened?"

  "That's her busio tell, not mine." Edith adjusted her hold on the grocery bag. "What I say is she was fortuo be at the right pd the right time to meet someone who could get her out of a tight spot." Her eyes flicked to Fii, and she gave her a small smile. "Saved her from a terrible fate, really. And then, she offered to work for me, and I accepted. Been together ever sihen two more people joined in. That's how roup started, about eight months ago."

  Fii tilted her head. "You're lucky she trusts you."

  Edith snorted. "She reminds me every other day. But, yeah. I've had...people walk out on me before. They cimed I was using them, and I guess it's true. I was. But I did pay them what I promised."

  "Was this back when you were living iropolis?" Fii asked.

  Edith nodded. "Yup. It was a different time. And I'll admit, I was a bit more idealistid na?ve. Didn't realize how ical the real world be." She let out a short chuckle. "Guess that's what I get for selling my soul to sce, huh?"

  Fii studied her, trying to figure out what Edith was referring to. She wasly sure how to respond, so she kept her mouth shut, letting the silence haween them.

  It was surprisingly fortable, despite the fact that they hardly knew each other. For a moment, she fot she was in the pany of a mad stist.

  Zanafar