A month after that meeting with the Big Four's lieutenants, things had finally quieted down around the slums. For now, at least. After the enter, Axion remained wary of any possible traps the gang might've id for her, but it seemed they'd respected her ditions, even if the uneasy truce felt more like an unspoken agreement than a crete rule.

  She resumed her patrols, trying to maintain her routine, but so far, everything appeared to be business as usual. Things were, generally speaking, safe—as safe as a normal day in the slums could get, anyway.

  In the meantime, Axion focused on helping people out where she could.

  Ever since her power's range expao twenty meters, the number of things she could do with gravikinesis increased expoially. She didn't o be within arm's reaove or lift objeow, and she found that she could manipute multiple objects simultaneously with greater ease.

  On top of that, she could trol heavier objects at higher distances. It didn't take her as much effort to adjust ter loads anymore. In fact, she found herself pig up aating things without really needing to trate. That, in turn, helped her serve her energy and stamina.

  During the times when she had to deal with thugs from small gangs or random street toughs, she didn't eveo beat them up to make them stop. She'd just casually make them float a few meters in the air and spin them around a few times until they threw up, which usually got the point across.

  Slumshines liked to refer to this as her "broom teique." The uck, even among gangsters—probably because nobody could ever predict how and where they'd nd. Most people didn't want to find out.

  Right now, Axion stood atop a roof overlooking the streets below, sing her surroundings. So far, no emergencies. A group of children chased one ahrough the winding pathways, ughing and yelling at each other pyfully. Some adults lounged by fire barrels as they drank or pyed games, exging gossip and talking amongst themselves.

  Yup. Just a normal day in the neighborhood.

  Axion stretched her arms, flexing her fingers as she debated whether or not she should go somewhere else. It was b standing still and doing nothing, and she wasn't hungry yet. Maybe she could practice her gravikinesis exercises instead, test her speed, or work on her enduranaybe she should hang out with Quinn or Edith.

  Decisions, decisions...

  Kasumi paced the warehouse floor, her footsteps eg off the walls. She had been waiting for Salvatore's agents for over an hour, and the longer she waited, the angrier she became. Kasumi hated waiting; she preferred to be in trol, and now, she had no trol whatsoever. Salvatore had orchestrated the meeting, and Kasumi could only hope he didn't have ulterior motives.

  Suddenly, the sound of the warehouse door sliding open reached her ears, and five Adrenomancers strode into the room.

  Kasumi had entered Adrenomancers before, but these five were unlike any she had seen.

  The first was tall and broad-shouldered, with a harness crisscrossing his body. He had a fident stride, his fists ched tightly as if ready for a fight.

  The sed was shorter, with wires snaking around his body and glowing blue lights embedded in his outfit. She could smell electricity crag in the air around him, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as he passed.

  The third Adrenomancer walked with a swagger, as if he owhe pce, and he carried a stack of kucked into his belt. Kasumi noticed his hands were stantly moving, twitg and fidgeting with each other, like he was always on the verge of drawing a on.

  The fourth Adrenomancer kept her distance, pag several meters away from the others. She wore a mask with twhtly lit eyes that pierced the darkness of the room. The lenses fshed periodically, emitting a low hum. Kasumi sensed a deep unease in her gait; the woman moved as if she didn't want to be there, as if she didn't trust any of the others. Kasumi khat feeling all too well.

  The st Adrenomancer—who she assumed was their leader—strolled forward, a wide, fident smile spread across his face. He paused a few meters in front of Kasumi, his eyes log with hers. Kasumi's body stiffened instinctively, her muscles tensing as she fought to suppress a surge of adrenaline.

  "o meet you, Cobra. The boss sends his regards and apologizes for his absehe man said, his voice low and gruff. "Name's Havoc. We've heard a lot about you. Look forward t together, so you better make a good impression. Otherwise...well, that's not for me to decide, right? That's on you."

  Kasumi bristled at the remark, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Likewise," she spat. "I 't say I've heard much about you. Not that I've inquired, either, given the circumstances. Frankly, this arra is a necessary invenienothing more."

  Havoc chuckled. "Spicy, I like it. Alright, no chitchat. I'll introduce the others. First up's Raze." He jerked his thumb towards the burly Adrenomao his right, who glowered at Kasumi.

  " is Voltaire," he tinued, gesturing to the electric Adrenomancer who stood a short distance away. Voltaire ignored her, his gaze fixed on the ground. Havoc then poio the knife-wielding Adrenomao his left and announced, "That's Blitz."

  Finally, Havoc gestured to the masked Adrenomancer h he warehouse's entrance. "And stly, that's Mirage." Mirage gave a curt nod in Kasumi's general dire, refusing to meet her eyes.

  Kasumi scrutinized each Adrenomancer, sizing them up. Raze was undoubtedly the muscle. Blitz and Voltaire didn't seem all that impressive, although the former carried an ample arsenal of bdes and gadgets. Mirage, however, gave Kasumi pause. Somethi off about the woman.

  "Not much for formalities, are you?" Havoc remarked. "Whatever, makes my life easier. Let's skip the bullshit pleasantries, shall we?"

  Kasumi folded her arms, drumming her fiips against her bicep impatiently. "Get to the point. What does Salvatore want? Why gather a team of Adrenomancers? Aren't your kier at running solo jobs?"

  "True, we prefer operating on our own," Havoc admitted, crag his knuckles. "Boss says differently this time. Apparently, this job requires a group, and he handpicked us specifically."

  "What's the goal? Your boss refused to eborate," Kasumi pressed. She needed more details to determine whether Salvatore inteo screw her iven his pent for secrecy, the probability seemed likely. "Expin. Now. I won't repeat myself."

  Havoc grunted, shrugging nontly. "He wants to capture that Axion girl, and he wants us t her in alive."

  He's still obsessed over her? Kasumi stifled a scoff.

  Salvatore's fixation baffled her. Why would he tinue wasting time and resources on someone who didn't pose a threat to whatever schemes he had pnned with the Shiver as long as she remained ignorant? Sure, the bitehow caught wind of their drug deal that oime, but Kasumi had learhat the location had been promised—the Neon Knights must have tipped Axion off.

  "Her bounty had already been resded. Why the obsession?" Kasumi demanded, raising an eyebrow. "Salvatore's wasting his time. Focus on distributing the Shiver. That's what matters."

  "Beats me. Sihe angs don't wanna touch the bounty anymore, boss figured he might as well send us in, and frankly, I'm not pining. Easy money."

  Kasumi ched her jaw. Salvatore must have something else up his sleeve, something he wasn't sharing. It pissed her off, but at the same time, she didn't particurly care about Axion. Sure, Kasumi did want to settle the score, but the bitch wasn't a priority.

  "She'll be your problem then. The Neon Vipers will stick with keeping this warehouse secure and distributing the Shiver," Kasumi decred coolly, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder. "Good luck trag Axion down. Hope you Adrenomancers are petent."

  "Easy-peasy." Havoc grinned wolfishly, his teeth glistening in the dim light. "By the end of the week, we'll have the little Super ed around our fingers, nid docile, guaranteed."

  Axion yawned, stretg her arms and rotating her shoulders as she tinued her brisk walk. So far, so uful. No emergencies, no disturbances, no calls for help. Hell, she had barely witnessed a single fight or disagreement, aside from the usual petty squabbles.

  Maybe today would be a zy day. She could probably sit and rex, watch the crowds and clouds go by.

  Man, I'm bored.

  "Yo, Axion."

  Speaking of the crowds...

  "Kenzo! Hey!"

  Axion waved enthusiastically, jogging over to greet the musi. Kenzo returned her greeting with a friendly smile, tug his headphones around his neck. Unlike his usual hip-hop outfits, today he dressed retively pinly: a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie, the tter zipped halfway. A few of his bandmates lingered behind, idling in the background.

  Kenzo leaned forward, l his voice. "Listen, I have a favor to ask. Mind if we talk somewhere private?"

  "Yeah, sure, no problem. What's up?" Axion tilted her head curiously. She hadn't ied with Kenzo in a while, so this came as a surprise. Did he need help delivering a music demo or something? Oh! Maybe he wanted her opinion on a new song. Music was the st subject Axion sidered herself an expert in, but Kenzo wouldn't pick her brain randomly.

  Would he? Hmm. Probably not.

  "Follow me," Kenzo replied cryptically. Without further expnation, he sauntered away, waving at his bandmates to indicate he'd be back. Axion gnced over her shoulder, debating briefly before jogging after him.

  Kenzo led her further down the road, past rows of dipidated, ramshackle homes. The crowded bustle gradually faded, and Axion's curiosity grew the farther they went.

  Eventually, Kenzo turned a er, veering into an abandoned, rown alley. Overhead, a series of electrical cables and pipes ran parallel to the uneven, crumbling brick walls. Trash and debris littered the ground, and broken windows stared emptily from the rundown structures looming overhead.

  Axion had patrolled this area tless times, but she rarely ventured down any alleys or side passages. Most were dead ends or trap locations, and she had no reason to wander into a potential ambush.

  At st, Kenzo stopped, leaning against a rusty, dented dumpster. He took a slow, deep breath and exhaled, scratg the back of his neck.

  "So, uh, sorry for calling you out here," he began awkwardly. "But I gotta ask. I heard from Virgil that you fought someone named 'Cobra' a while aght?"

  The LED eyes on Axion's helmet blinked rapidly.

  Huh? Now that was a question she wasn't expeg. If he had already talked with Virgil about it, then why did Kenzo ask her directly? ht, she was the only one who fought her. Made sense.

  "Uh, yeah. I did." Axion shifted her weight, recalling their enter. She hadn't spared Cobra a sed thought siheir fight. Well, that wasn't quite true. She kinda lucked out in the end because she was uimated. It motivated her to train harder and use her powers in more creative ways. Other than that, Cobra hadn't crossed her mind. "Why?"

  Where was he going with this?

  Kenzo scratched the stubble along his , frowning. "What...do you think of her? Like, as a person."

  "Well, um..." Axion trailed off, sidering her words. Where was Kenzo going with this? She didn't hate her oppo, per se, but Cobra had nearly killed her, so...yeah, she disliked her.

  "I dunno. She's, er, tough. Strong. Fast, too. And, uhhh, slippery. Yeah, slippery. But she's dangerous, and she tried to kill me, sooooo, yeah, I'd say I don't like her." Axion shrugged, tapping her index fiogether. "Why? Did Cobra do something bad to you?"

  "No, no, nothing like that," Kenzo crified, sighing heavily. "It's just...I've heard a lot about her, and I was curious. She's a hot topic tely. Uh, in the underground circles, that is. Sorry, I didn't mean to weird you out."

  "Ah, okay." Axion nodded. Wait, no, not really. Cobra was a hot topiderground circles? What the hell? "But, um, why is Cobra a hot topic, exactly? Last time we fought, she was with the Neon Vipers, and they're a minang pared to the Big Four."

  "Right, but remember...Virgil said that they're w with the Mad Chemist," Kenzo reminded her. "Cobra's part of his crehen we eventually have to deal with him, we may have to deal with her, too."

  "ht." Axion grimaced, chewing the inside of her cheek.

  Virgil said that he'd handle iigating Salvatore's movements. Axion hadn't asked for details, figuring he was better at gathering ihan her. Plus she had to y low for a bit until the bounty was off her back.

  If she had to face off against Cain, things would be much, much different. She was fident that Cobra wouldn't pose much of a challehis time.

  Kenzo cleared his throat. "Anyway, enough about her. How are you holding up nowadays?"

  Axihtened immediately, smiling behind her helmet. "I'm great! Doing lots of patrols, helping folks out, breaking fights apart. Same old, same old. How are things with you and the band?"

  "Same," Kenzo answered, returning her iious enthusiasm with a grin. "Writing new songs, practig, scouting venues, y'know. All the fun, muuff."

  Axion nodded enthusiastically, eager to chat. Kenzo mentioned a new song, didn't he? Should she ask? Would that be awkward, though? Ugh. What to say, what to say...

  "Cool, cool. Um, hey, quick question. Is the new song a, um, hip-hop tune, or...?

  The two spent a leisurely hour catg up. Kenzo told her about the band's test gig, the new vehey'd secured, and the cept album they were w on. Axion listened ily, interjeg with excited entary whenever possible. Eventually, Kenzo's bandmates called for him, and the pair parted ways amicably, Axion promising she'd attend the band's cert.

  Afterward, she resumed her patrol, energized and optimistic. She bounced on the balls of her heels, humming an unfamiliar melody—one Kenzo had described during their versation.

  Maybe today wasn't s, after all.

  However, her cheerful mood dissipated as the sound of an explosion resounded in the distance. Axion whirled, her eyes widening in arm. Fmes licked the skies, and a n of dark smoke billowed upward, rising over the rooftops.

  Where'd it e from?

  The Rust Market.

  ...shit.

  Thirty minutes ago...

  The early m light barely pierced the smog that g to the slums like a sed skin, casting ahereal glow on the dipidated building where the Adrenomancers vened. Within its crumbling walls, the five figures huddled around a flickering holos.

  Salvatore's face, if it could be called that, shimmered into focus on the s, his features obscured by yers of digital distortion—a necessary precaution for a man as notoriously paranoid as the Mad Chemist.

  "Good," a digitized rasp hissed from the s. "You're assembled."

  Havoeered, leaning ba his chair and propping his boots oable. "'Bout time you checked in. Been waiting on ynal, boss."

  Voltaire rolled his eyes, arms folded tightly across his chest. Raze gnawed absentmindedly on his lower lip, staring vatly into space. Blitz and Mirage maintained a safe, respectful distance from each other, her aowledging the other's presence.

  Salvatore's distorted tenanarrowed, the static blurring his expression into an ominous scowl. "Certain arras required...special attentioails unnecessary, irrelevant."

  "Whatever," Havoc muttered, rolling his wrist dismissively. "Let's get this show on the road. I'm tired of wasting time sitting around and twiddling my thumbs. My ass hurts from doing jack shit. We good to catch that Axion-chiow or what?"

  Blitz snorted quietly, adjusting the buckles on his gloves. Mirage gnced away, visibly annoyed. Voltaire groaned, burying his head in his hands. Only Raze paid Havoc's antio heed, his vat gaze remaining fixed on the opposite wall.

  Salvatnored Havoc, addressing the eeam. "Capture Axion at your discretion, but ensure she is brought in intact. Do not py around and prolong the mission. She is associated with Backfire, and if he mao interfere, you all are as good as dead."

  "Boss, you think so little of us that you doubt our capabilities against Backfire?" Havoc retorted, feigning offense. "Ouch. Seriously, give us some credit. Besides, ain't he a washed-up, has-been viginte nowadays? What's the worst he throw at us? Empty magazines, maybe?"

  Mirage and Voltaire exged exasperated gnces, both shaking their heads in resigned disbelief. Blitz and Raze remained quiet, the former fiddling with the holstered pistols at his waist and the tter muttering ily under his breath.

  "Your hubris will be your undoing, Havoc, but so be it," Salvatore warned, his voice crag. "Proceed. Report your success wheask is pleted, and do not disappoint me."

  With a flourish, the Mad Chemist ehe transmission. The holos winked out, plunging the room into semi-darkness once again.

  Havoc let out a dry, derisive cackle. "'Hubris,'" he repeated, mimig Salvatore's eleic croak. " you believe that guy? Talkin' like we're greenhorns."

  Blitz shrugged, slipping his guns bato their holsters. "Eh. Salvatore has his reasons, I guess. Backfire used to be the boogeyman, and the rumors surrounding his fall paint a ing picture."

  "Boogeyman. Pfft," Havoc scoffed, fpping his wrist. "Those rumors are total BS. People exaggerate. Always have, always will. It's not like we'll be up against the Ultimate Guardians or somethin'."

  Voltaire raised his eyebrows, unfolding his arms and drumming his fingers against the tabletop. "Actually, I heard Backfire tangled with a few of their members ba the day—and won. Also heard that one of the reasons why he got exiled from the Metropolis was that he let himself get captured. By the Ultimate Guardians. On purpose."

  Havoc waved his hand dismissively, clig his tongue. "Whatever, dude. You're talkin' a load of crap. Backfire's not invincible. Nobody's invincible. Anyway, we done bbbering? Ready to catch us a supherhero?"

  "About time," Voltaire grumbled, standing and pushing his chair away. Blitz and Mirage offered wordless nods of agreement, the former flexing his arms and the tter iing her bdes. Raze merely grunted, crag his knuckles and popping his neck.

  "Alright," Havoc drawled, hopping to his feet and stretg. "Let's split. Remember the gamepn, keep her tained within the market. We don't have the details on what her power is, exactly, but from the limited intel we got, she's got some sort of off-brand telekinesis. Watch for flying trash and junk, basically."

  "Question," Blitz interjected, raising his hand. Havoc shot him an irritated gnce, folding his arms. "How do we engage her? Just jump her, guns bzing, or...?"

  Havoc paused, rubbing his . After a moment, he answered, "Nah, let's lure her in first. See ys out. Stick to the pn."

  "You're saying it's off-brand, but ain't telekinesis a big deal?" Voltaire asked, scratg the back of his neck. "I mean, the leader of the Ultimate Guardians is the only oh that power, and he's, well...basically a god pared to other Metahumans."

  Havoc shrugged, reag into his jacket pocket. "Dunno. Salvatore didn't have a ton to share, except a few recs and a description of the chick's e. Besides, the report said that she barely won against Cobra. So, eh. Hardly a threat."

  "Hmm," Voltaire hummed, unvinced.

  "Don't sweat the details," Havoc ordered, withdrawing a cigarette from his pocket. He pced the butt between his lips, lighting the tip and inhaling. Smoke curled zily iale air as Havoc exhaled, a smug grin pying across his features. "Let's this job ASAP. We only got a few more years left iank, and I don't end more time in this junk pile of a city than I gotta."

  "Uood," Mirage responded, her meical mask's eyes fring as she adjusted a dial on her wrist. Raze and Blitz voiced their assent, while Voltaire nodded half-heartedly.

  Havoc puffed on his cigarette, studying the swirling tendrils of smoke. After a moment, he motiooward the exit, and the Adrenomancers filed out the door. Havog back, stubbing his cigarette out in the dingy, cracked sink, before striding after the others.

  "Time to bag ourselves an Axion."