Virgil ehe room wearing his usual frown. But...he didn't look pissed...so maybe that was good? Fii wasn't sure how to read his current mood exactly. His brow furrowed even deeper when he spotted Kasumi sitting on the bed. As soon as their eyes met, Kasumi's eyes widened with reition.

  And then...she lunged forward and tried crawling out the window in a blind panic.

  She didn't get far though. Kenzo mao grab hold of her leg before she could slip out pletely. He grunted as he struggled to pull her baside without hurting her. "Oi...calm down!" he pleaded while trying to keep his grip on her ankle as she kicked frantically against his hold. "It's alright! It's gonna be okay!"

  "Get off me! That's Backfire! He's here to kill me!" Kasumi screamed hysterically as she thrashed wildly.

  But Kenzo refused to let go. He ed an arm around her waist and dragged her back toward the ter of the bed where she y motionless once more. He kept both hands firmly pced on her shoulders while kneeling beside her so she couldn't escape again.

  "Easy! Easy now...rex..." he cooed soothingly while brushing aside stray locks of hair stig onto her face from sweat. "Nobody's dying today...Right?" He shot a pointed look toward Virgil who hadn't moved siering the room.

  Virgil exhaled heavily through his nostrils before nodding once curtly. "Didn't think the friend you were referring to was 'Cobra'," he stated matter-of-factly while rubbiween his temples in circur motions. "Of all the people to be holed up in the ic...you just had t her. Guess you've been in bed with a snake all this time."

  Kenzo scowled slightly but otherwise didn't respht away. Instead, he remained focused solely on f Kasumi until her breathing slowed into a more trolled pace again. When she calmed down enough, he patted her reassuringly on the head once more before letting go. Then he rose from the bedside slowly and faced Virgil directly across the room. His arms crossed defensively over his chest.

  "Look...I know. I get it. She's involved with Salvatore and the Shiver drug." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair irritably. "But...I couldn't just leave her out there to die when 'Reverb' attacked their facility. If I hadn't helped, she'd be dead now."

  "And I should care if another scum bites the dust why?" Virgil questioned bluntly while gring at him intensely with narrowed eyes. His jaw ched tightly as if grinding his teeth together without realizing it.

  Kasumi remaiill throughout the exge without uttering a single word.

  Fii just stood there frozen stiff watg everything unfold. With Virgil standing in the doorway blog any escape route—she didly have much choice but to wait silently on the side hoping nobody paid attention to her.

  Which did seem likely sidering how ily everyone else seemed to be staring at each ht now. The tensioween them made her skin crawl unfortably...not because she feared any violence might break out...but because...she didn't really know what she should expeext...

  This...was so awkward.

  After a brief pause, Kenzo answered slowly as if choosing his words carefully. "Because...even if she's involved in all sorts of shit...I still sider her a friend. And even though we're not on the same side...that doesn't ge the fact that I care about her wellbeing. It's as simple as that."

  Virgil snorted derisively. "Friends? Don't make me ugh. She'll stab you in the back the first ce she gets. If you had any idea of who yht in here...then you'd uand."

  He took several steps forward until he was only an arm's length away from Kenzo. His posture remained rigid and his expression hardened further into an unreadable mask of indifference. "I don't know how you two met," he growled lowly with a hint of bitteringing his voice. "But trust me...you wouldn't be so buddy-buddy if you knew anything about her."

  "And you know so much about her?" Kenzo challenged hotly. "Or is this another one of your baseless assumptions?" His stance shifted subtly into something resembling a defeah his feet positioned wider apart and his shoulders squared toward Virgil.

  Fii flinched involuntarily when she saw their stances ge. They were about to throw hands...

  Should she do something? Stop them somehow? Say something? Break up the fight maybe? She probably could just hang them in the air using gravikinesis until they both calm down or until Edith kicked them out of the ic. Yeah...that seemed like a reasonable pn...as long as she didn't get hit in the process.

  "I know because I've dealt with her and her gang a long time ago. When she was closer to Fii's age, she had already assassinated half a dozen high-ranking members from rival syndicates and city officials alike," Virgil spoke coldly without blinking once while staring straight ahead into Kenzo's eyes. "She's a trained killer with zero empathy for others. If she wants to kill you...she won't hesitate."

  He paused briefly before tinuing icily, "And if I were you...I wouldn't keep associating myself with someone like her either. No matter what excuses you e up with. Because one day...whes bored of you...she'll just end up dumping your corpse somewhere nobody find. I thought you were smarter than that. Instead, here you are letting your dick do all the thinking."

  Fii ged internally at his st statement. And judging by the way Kenzo visibly bristled...he clearly didn't appreciate being called out for having feelings for Kasumi. But he kept quiet otherwise a Virgil tinue his rant without interrupting again.

  It seemed like they were all treading on cracked gss at this point...and there was no telling how far Virgil was willing to push things. The whole situation was being more votile with every passing sed...whily made Fii want to sink further into the background even more until it blew over...hopefully peacefully...but if worse came to worst—at least nobody would bme her if she used her powers to defuse the situation.

  For now, all she could do was watd wait nervously. It felt like sitting in an interrogation room where everybody else involved held all the cards except her. And since she had nothing else productive to tribute, all she could do was observe the ongoing drama unfolding right before her eyes.

  It would've beeertaining under different circumstances, but sidering how serious everything had gotten...it wasly funny anymore...especially given her own history with Cobra...err...Kasumi...wait...what was she supposed to refer to her as?

  "That's riing from you," Kenzo finally responded after taking several deep breaths to calm himself enough not to explode in rage. "Hoeople have you killed before? How many did you put down when you still worked iropolis? I don't think you get to lecture me about associating with murderers sidering who you used to be. You might've ged your tune, but your hands aren't any less bloodied than hers."

  Virgil narrowed his eyes dangerously before responding curtly without hesitation: "I never preteo be anything other than a ruthless bastard. That's why I'm trying to tell you that she's got you ed around her finger while ag all nid sweet. Once she gets bored of you, she'll break your heart. And maybe even cut you open too. Do us both a favor and drop this act already." He stepped closer until he was timeters away from Kenzo.

  They were practically o-h each other by now. Both men stared coldly at one another without speaking further. Fii didn't know who'd throw the first punch at this rate...and she really didn't want to find out either.

  She focused on the currents of gravity flowing around them and reached out with her mind to manipute the fields surrounding their bodies. It was easy enough to lift them off the ground effortlessly without breaking a sweat. It didn't take much effort at all once she had a clear mental image of what she wao do.

  Both men shouted in surprise as they suddenly found themselves suspended in mid-air. Their limbs filed wildly as they struggled tain trol over their movements.

  Fii then pihem firmly against the ceiling until they stopped writhing around uselessly. She didn't use enough force to hurt either one of them, but she made sure they couldn't escape. Fortunately, fighting Kenzo befave her a good idea of how much force to apply. Virgil seemed to be around the same strength.

  "Hey. No fighting in the ic," she stated calmly.

  "You little runt! Put me down!" Virgil protested loudly.

  "Don't make me e up there," Fii threatened halfheartedly without really meaning it. Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. It was hard not to sound nervous when threatening two older and stronger men who could probably snap her in half if they tried hard enough...even though she had a distinct advantage over them now...she still didn't want to take any ces anyway. Not if she could help it anyway.

  Then she goward Kasumi briefly and saw her eyes go even wider than before.

  "You're...Axion?" she uttered incredulously under her breath.

  Oh...OH SHIT! I'm not in e!

  The two men fell unceremoniously to the floor in a heap while Fii covered her mouth with both hands in shock. Her face turned bright red when she realized she'd been found out by the very person who almost killed her a while ago. The situatio from awkward to disastrous...and she didn't know what to do except stare dumbfoundedly at the se unfolding before her eyes.

  This is bad...so so BAD! I gotta get outta here...but where?

  "Damn it, girl!" Virgil swore loudly while pushing himself off the floor slowly. "Now you gave me a good reason to kill her since you just promised your identity. If we let her live, she'll—" he trailed off abruptly wheiced Kenzo reag for his sword, which prompted Virgil to reach for his own on as well.

  Shit! I fucked up...

  Fii pulled them back to the ceiling before either of them could grab their ons. Then she proceeded to paniternally while trying desperately to figure out how to salvage this mess. All the while ign their furious screams and curses directed at her for being reckless.

  Meanwhile, Kasumi tiaring straight at her with those intense browhat made Fii feel incredibly unfortable uhe gaze. Fii couldn't read her expression at all though. She didn't seem angry or anything like that. More shocked than anything else really. Though maybe it was just wishful thinking on Fii's part...probably wishing Kasumi hadn't figured her out this quickly...

  Fii took several deep breaths before attempting to calm herself down again. There was no point in panig now. She o focus on fixing things...even though she wasn't sure how yet. But she couldn't afford to lose her head either...not until everythis sorted out properly. Oep at a time...oep at a time...

  Slowly, her thoughts became clearer and she found herself regaining some measure of trol over her emotions too. With crity came fidence...and with fidence came ideas on how best to deal with the current situation at hand.

  She extended her hand aated Kasumi towards her gently but firmly. Kasumi yelped in surprise as she flew across the room until they stood face to face with each other. Although Kasumi seemed ready to sh out at any moment, Fii maintained her grip around the woman's body without wavering. She wouldn't hurt Kasumi. But if she tried attag Fii, Fii would respond accly.

  "First off," Fii began firmly once Kasumi settled down a bit more. "I don't pn oing any harm e to you while you're a patient here. And sed..." She paused briefly for dramatic effect before tinuing solemnly: "Please don't tell anyone I'm Axion."

  Kasumi bli her several times before responding slowly with disbelief written all over her face. "You...wao keep quiet about you...being the thorn in every gang's ass in the slums?" Her voice dripped with skepticism and incredulity. It sounded like she might burst out ughing at any given moment.

  But fortunately for Fii's ego, Kasumi remained mostly serious as she tinued speaking: "After what you did...after everything I've done...you're still willing to show mercy?"

  Fii nodded gravely. "I don't know all the bad things you've doher than w with Salvatore to sell the Shiver drug and trying to kill me. But right now, Kenzo is my friend arusts you enough to take care of you." She gnced over at Kenzo for a split sed before adding, "So for now, I'm trusting him on this."

  Then she looked bato Kasumi's eyes seriously as she finished, "But if you give me even the slightest hint that I shouldn't have trusted you...I'll make sure you won't live long enough tret crossing me again. I'm only asking his time because we're both friends of Kenzo. Don't even think about trying to settle the score between us or pn some sort of reveher. I'm not the same person you fought before. You better uand that I'll never hold back against you again. So if I were you...I'd py nice. Okay?"

  Kasumi stared at her ily before finally sighing heavily and shaking her head slightly. "Fine...fine...whatever you say..." She mumbled quietly under her breath afterward but didn't protest further after that.

  Fii theated Kasumi back to her bed where she gently pced the woman down on her back before releasing the gravitational pull on her pletely. Afterward, she let go of Virgil and Kenzo too while taking a step back so they wouldn't immediately lu each ain. She wouldn't intervene unless absolutely necessary. Otherwise, she had faith in them both to behave like adults. They might have some personal grudges to settle, but they could do that without causing a se ih's ic.

  "There. Happy now?" Fii asked rhetorically once everyourned safely to solid ground again. "You go back tuing now. Just please do it outside the ic," she added as an afterthought while gng over at the door hopefully.

  "Don't tell me what to do," Virgil grunted sourly before marg toward the exit without another word. He brushed past Kenzhly while gring daggers at him o time before disappearing into the hallway outside.

  Kenzo watched him leave before turning his attention towards Fii instead.

  "You okay?" he inquired with a raised brow while leaning against the wall casually with both hands stuffed into his pockets again. His posture rexed signifitly after everything seemed to calm down for now. Even though they werely "calm." More like simmering uhe surface still...but still...it was good enough for Fii right now.

  She nodded nontly at him before smiling reassuringly iurn. "Yup...all good." Her gaze shifted over to Kasumi briefly and she found herself meeting those deep brown eyes again. They held each azes silently for several long moments until Fii looked away awkwardly.

  Kenzo rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he gnced betweewo girls uainly. "Anyways, thanks for that...sorry fetting you involved in our...disagreement."

  "It's my fault for letting my identity slip, but I meant what I said earlier. She only gets this pass because she's your friend and she's injured," Fii reminded him pointedly without breaking eye tact. If she couldn't trust Kenzo to keep Kasumi in lihehing would be pointless anyway. But she really wao believe in him. He hasn't disappointed her yet. "This isn't easy for me...especially because I don't trust her at all..."

  He nodded solemnly in uanding. "Yeah...I know. I uand how difficult this situation must be for you..." He trailed off slightly as if debating internally whether or not he should tinue speaking. After hesitating briefly, he sighed softly before tinuing, "But...if you're willing to give her another ce...I promise you won't regret it."

  Fii inhaled sharply through her his is so messed up...why do I feel obligated to help her? This doesn't make sense...

  Still...she wao trust Kenzo. So maybe...just maybe...she could try trusting him now too...even though she didn't have a single reason to believe otherwise...it still felt right somehow. Somehow...in some weird way...this felt right...and if it wasn't...well...there's always room for error on both sides. So she might as well take the plunge here regardless.

  Hopefully she wouldn't drown is ter, because ohing was certain—that would suck ass.

  She sighed heavily before respondiantly: "Alright...alright...fine...we'll see how things go...but I'm gonna hold you atable for whatever happens from now on."

  Kenzo fshed a small smile at her before nodding gratefully. "Thanks."