"Fuck!" Havoc smmed his fist against the table. "We had her right there a her slip through our fingers. Useless bunch of fuckups."

  The Adrenomancers had returo their hideout and now sat around the meeting table, nursing their injuries and suppressing their frustration. All except for Havoc, who paced furiously around the room.

  "I told you we should have ambushed her instead of charging in like a bunch of idiots," Voltaire said, leaning ba his chair. "Now, we've giveime troup and e up with a defense pn."

  "You shouldn't have rushed her like that," Blitz agreed, his voice slurring slightly. His face was badly bruised, and his lips split. "We don't know her abilities and how they work. It was risky."

  Havoc gred at him. "So, you're bming me? You should have incapacitated her with your speed. Instead, you let her turide a us at our own game."

  Mirage shook her head. "She's strong. It's no surprise Salvatore wants her so badly." She turo Havoc. "Although I do agree you should've given a clearer instru. We'll have a tough time catg her off guard now."

  "Whatever," Havoc retorted dismissively. "All you did was stand by and watch while the rest of us got our asses kicked. You only interfered at the st moment."

  Mirage narrowed her eyes, giving Havoc a poiare. "I was busy trying to make sure Backfire didn't e waltzing in while you all were taking your sweet time in capturing Axion," she replied frostily. "My task is to support you with my holograms, not to fight head-on. Besides, you clearly uimated her powers."

  Raze stood idly by in the er, the drugs in his harness pumping fresh stimunts into his bloodstream. The big Adrenomancer crossed his arms and remained silent, watg the argument unfold.

  "Look, I get that we botched this mission," Blitz ceded. "We didn't have enough time to prepare—you barely gave us two minutes before ung the attack. So how about we cut ourselves some sd figure out how to salvage the situation."

  Havoc stopped pag and turo Blitz. "Fine," he snapped. "We'll have other ces. But we need a better game pime." He strode over to his seat and sat down heavily.

  "I'm more ied in figuring out her abilities. How e her power was nothing like Prime's telekinesis?" Blitz asked, gng around the room. "Anyone else notice that?"

  Mirage shrugged. "I've seen the footage—Prime's telekinesis works simirly. But I think Axion's power is based on gravity."

  Blitz cocked his head. "How you tell?"

  "The way she affected us, the rubble she threw, her floating and stig to the side of the building like she was on normal ground..." Mirage expined. "If she were a Telekiic, she'd have affected us the same rime does. We would have been crushed, twisted, or torn apart."

  "We did get thrown around a bit and almost got crushed," Voltaire pointed out. "But yeah, she wasn't destroying everything like Prime would."

  "It's just a hunch," Mirage admitted. "But if we want crete answers, we'll have to send our footage to Salvatore a him analyze the videos."

  "Alright, alright. I'll send it over a in," Havoc stated. "Should give him a good show, at least."

  He tapped the desk sole in front of him, activating the dispy ss embedded within. After navigating through menus and security measures, he established a video call to Salvatore.

  The other Adrenomancers waited silently while the call went through. Eventually, the Mad Chemist's face filled the monitor, and his features registered clear displeasure.

  "Looks like you failed me, Havoc," Salvatore chastised. "Care to expin?"

  The Adrenomancer ched his teeth but held back the response he really wao give. "There's no need for theatrics. It was our fault."

  "Yes," Salvatore stated pinly. "Your faults are many—but you're still useful heless. Now, report."

  Havoplied, reying the details of the battle. The others offered input when necessary. Ohey fiheir reting of the events, they waited for Salvatore's rea.

  "Gravikinesis..." the mastermind mused. "An iing development. And an excellent discovery on Mirage's part." He smiled. "I'll run some simutions with the data you've provided. In the meantime, tinue monit the situation. Capture Axion on your enter and deliver her to me alive."

  The video link terminated abruptly. The monitors flicked off with a soft hum.

  Havoc leaned bad exhaled. The Adrenomancers exged gnces with each other.

  After a long pause, Blitz cpped his hands together. "Well, at least he's not pissed anymore. That's goht? Right?"

  "Yeah, he's not gonna punish us," Raze replied. "Guess we're off the hook."

  "No. This time, he'll expect better," Havoterjected.

  Fii rushed over to Rao's shop after dropping off the rescued civilian in a run-down ic a few blocks away and stashing her gear into one of Edith's drones.

  The se of the Rust Market that the Adrenomancers rampaged over resembled a warzone. Booths and stalls y in ruins, the asphalt was scarred, and rubble littered the surroundings. People came out of hiding now, ing up the destru or iing the damage to their properties. Several wore baffled and disgusted expressions on their faces, muttering uheir breaths.

  Fii slowed down to a halt, her heart sank at the sight of several dead bodies sprawled around the wreckage. A few people were crouched nearby, some g while others teo them silently.

  She hadn't seen any in the area where she fought the Adrenomancers, so she figured people had mao escape in time. Not all of them did. The bodies had been covered with sheets, but it didn't mask the smell of blood.

  As she passed by the se, she caught ss of their versation.

  "Mom! Mom!" A boy cried out. "e back..." He cradled a woman's bloodied body, his hands grippiorn shirt.

  A man sat slumped nearby, staring vatly at a motionless figure covered with a piece of tarp. Someoted his shoulder as he buried his fa his hands, trembling.

  Guilt wrenched her guts.

  If only she had gotten here faster and stopped the Adrenomancers' rampage earlier...

  Shaking her head, she swallowed the lump ihroat and willed herself not to break down. Now wasn't the time f. Later, once she was alone—or if she ever got the ce—she'd mourn these people.

  A sense of dread crept on her as she tinued making her way towards the Rao's shop.

  Thankfully, his pce was further away, untouched by the destru. Fii ehe cyber-tech vendor's shop and sed the store.

  "Rao! You okay?!" Fii yelled.

  A familiar face popped out from behind a ter, his features wrinkled. "Ah, Fii. Gd you're safe. I'm okay—nothing damaged. Store is fine."

  Fii's shoulders slumped in relief.

  Rao came out from behind the ter and walked over. "Thought it was a turf war that spilled ain. Gd they didn't wreck my store."

  "Your store's the st thing you should worry about," Fii stated ftly, leaning against the wall and taking deep, calming breaths. "I saw a bunch of people dead on my way here."

  "Eh, this ain't the worst I've seen," Rao replied, sighing. "You should've been here a decade ago. Those were grim days. Anyways, people will pick up the pieces. Again. And business will return. Again."

  "Yeah...guess you're right," Fii mumbled, a sinking feeling weighihings always seemed to go back to the status quo.

  Rao was right—the Rust Market would bounce back soon enough; after all, rebuilding and recovery was what the slums were good at. In a week or two, the violence would be a distant memory, and things would carry on as if nothing ever happehat's how life went here in the slums; she should've beeo this by now. Still, the weight of seeing the bodies didn't lift off her mind.

  "You sure you're alright?" Rao asked. "You don't look well. Do you want to sit? There are some chairs by the ter."

  "I'm okay, don't worry. Just got banged up a little. Nothing serious," Fii reassured him, shaking her head. "Still. Gd you're okay, Rao. You're like family to me."

  Fii gave him a hug, patting him affeately on the back.

  "Bah. Don't get sappy with me, girl. I'm too old to deal with these emotions," Rao grumbled. "But enough about me. What the hell happeo you? You look like crap. Did you get into a brawl with a bulldozer?"

  "Um...sorta?" Fii admitted sheepishly. She looked at herself, noting the cuts, bruises, and burns marking her exposed skin. Her face felt pretty banged up too.

  Well, at least she wasn't dripping blood anymore. Still, she couldn't bme him for sounding ed.

  "Sit," Rao ordered, waving her over. "Let me patch you up." Fii obeyed aled gingerly into a rickety chair. Rao rummaged in a drawer arieved a medical kit. Then, he proceeded to her wounds.

  "How many months has it been since you came here looking like that? Four? Five?" Rao tutted. He dabbed aic fluid on her cuts and applied oi. "Seems like every day is a new injury for you."

  Fii winced, stifling a cry as the aic's sting radiated through her skin. "Occupational hazards."

  She grimaced and ehe treatment.

  Rao scoffed. "Some job you have." He pced a bandage over a particurly nasty-looking gash and secured it. Then, he moved onto the wound. "You said you were w at the Aether ic. Did you fight with a skizzed-up patient or somethin'?"

  His guess was...actually not too far off.

  "Something like that," Fii hedged. Best to keep him in the dark. Rao fussed over her, tinuing his ministrations. "Anyways, thanks for fixing me up again."

  "Always the troublemaker. Reminds me when you were a sy ClipRunner. Ah, those were the days," Rao reminisced. "Remember that time you stole aire bag of synthies because you were hungry?"

  Fii shifted unfortably. Rao had scolded her profusely and even chased her out with a broomstick. Luckily for her, he had warmed up eventually and ended up hirio run errands and messages.

  "Of course I do. ole after that." Fii rubbed her arms. That particur i was ingrained deeply in her memories—it taught her a valuable lesson. Stealing would just cause the vendors to refuse her service. Hoy paid better.

  "Good. You should keep that moral code." Rao applied another baimes are hard. Especially during turf wars. Always keep your values—otherwise, you'll lose yourself."

  Fii pursed her lips. Yeah, she wouldn't steal. But beating the shit out of people that crossed the liainly wouldn't t as immoral in her book. Like the Adrenomancers. She would've had no qualms smashing them further into the asphalt.

  The front door suddenly burst open and Quinn dashed in, panting heavily.

  He looked like he just ran across two districts without catg his breath.

  "Fii! There you are," Quinn excimed, running over. "Are you okay? Edith told me what happened!"

  Rao frowned. "Quinn? What are you doing here?"

  Quinn halted, reizing Rao's presence. "O-oh. Hi Rao." He gnervously at Fii. "I was...uh...cheg up on Fii. Heard about what happened in the Rust Market. Thought I'd che on her."

  Fii suppressed her ughter. Quinn had a terrible poker face. Rao would definitely know he was hiding something.

  The cyber-tech vendor narrowed his eyes. "Right. Well, you 'check up on her' after I finish patg her up. Now sit."

  Quinn stiffly obeyed. He perched nervously on the edge of his stool.

  Rao resumed his treatments, his dexterous hands expertly ing Fii's cuts and applying oi. Quinn fidgeted beside her, shifting anxiously.

  Fii gave Quinn a subtle wink and a thumbs-up. Quinn rexed visibly and shot her a grateful smile.

  Rao paused his administration, scrutinizing Fii. "Hmm...seems I'm done. You got a bunch of bruises and scrapes. Try not to move around too much."

  "Will do. Thanks." Fii rose gingerly from her seat and stretched. Pain fred briefly, and she inhaled sharply. Okay. Moving was not a good idea. o self: Rest.

  "Anything else you need, Fii?" Rao inquired.

  "Nope. I'm good. Just came to check if you were okay. Should probably get going," Fii responded. She didn't want to overstay her wele. Not with Quinn arouh and Virgil would kill her if Rao learned of their secrets.

  "You sure you're all healed? Take some med-packs, at least." Rao rummaged underh his ter and presented Fii with a handful of med-packs.

  "I pay—"

  "Nonsense." Rao shoved the med-packs into her hands. "sider this pensation for all the deliveries you did for me."

  Fii accepted the packets relutly. Free stuff was great, but accepting too much would make her feel guilty. "Thanks," she finally muttered.

  "Take care. Remember—values are important," Rao called out as Fii headed for the exit. Quinn was close behind.

  "Yeah, yeah." Fii waved distractedly. Quinn shot Rao a hurried farewell before stepping outside.

  "Whew. I was afraid he'd suspeething," Quinn exhaled.

  "Wouldn't be surprised if he already did." Fii chuckled. Quinn reddened and trailed beside her.

  "Where you heading to?" Quinn queried. "The Aether ic?"

  "nning to," Fii admitted.

  The two strolled panionably through the Rust Market's streets. Quinn supported her slightly—Fii didn't brush him off. Her sides ached, and her muscles throbbed. Walking was torture.

  "Those Adrenomancers really beat you up," Quinn remarked under his breath as they passed the area where Fii had fought them earlier. "Gd you're okay. Well...retively."

  "Me too." Fii hobbled along, grimag. Everything was sore. She really needed a bed—and a hot shower. "Hope the other ic patched up the person I saved."

  "They did. Edith told me," Quinn reassured. "By the way, what happeo the Adrenomancers?"

  "Khem around a little. Dumped a few into the ground and threw bricks at them. But they're tougher than anyone else I've fought."

  "Did they have superpowers too?"

  "I don't know. One was fast. Anuy was crazy strong. The others didn't seem like they had anything special other than their gear," Fii recalled. "Then again, I'm not the best judge. Might've missed something."

  "Well, at least you escaped. Could've been bad otherwise," Quinn observed, gng sideways at her. "Did those skates help you?"

  "Helped a ton. Really boosted my mobility and bance. I should have used them more, though. Probably would've prevented some of the hits I got."

  Quinn grinned. "Told you those upgrades would e in handy."

  "Yup. Good call, Quinn. Thanks." Fii meant every word. Without his tribution, she would have been curb-stomped. Literally.

  "Anytime. That's why I'm here. Happy to help." Quinn bumped her pyfully, and Fii returhe gesture.

  The duo tiowards the ic, chatting amicably. Despite her ag injuries and exhaustion, Fii ehe iion. Quinn's cheerful personality ahusiasm brightened her spirits. He was always such a positive influence. She appreciated his pany.

  Eventually, the Aether ic appeared within view. Fii breathed a sigh of relief—almost there. Quinn matched her limping pad assisted her towards the entrance.

  Virgil was waiting right outside the doorway. Judging from his expression, it looked like he had a lot to say.

  Great. Just what she needed.

  "You did good surviving," Virgil greeted. His gaze flitted over Fii's battered form. "Looks like those Adrenomancers handed your ass to you though."

  "Thanks," Fii replied curtly. " we go inside and discuss ter?"

  "Fine," Virgil replied gruffly, holding the door open. Quinn aided her inside and the trio asded the staircase. Fii hobbled awkwardly with Quinn's assistance—every step hurt. By the time Fii reached ay examination room, sweat dotted her forehead. Damn stairs.

  Quinn helped her settle onto a cushioned hospital bed. Fii sank gratefully into the sheets. Soft. So, so soft. Finally. She couldn't wait to pass out.

  Virgil cleared his throat. Fii opened her eyes—did she doze off?

  "What did you learn?" the grizzled vigierrogated. "Talk."

  Fii groaned. Why did Virgil have to ask questions now?

  "They're super strong. Fast. Tough. Had guns. Some gadget stuff too..." Fii rattled off tiredly. "Couldn't nd a knock-out blow. Kept interrupting me. Almost had them too." Fii yawned, fighting the urge to drift off. Sleep. Bed. Soft. Yes.

  Virgil didn't appreciate her answer. He pihe bridge of his nose and sighed exasperatedly. "You o stop being so soft. Those Adrenomancers won't hesitate to put you in a bodybag. Hit harder and aim to end the fights."

  Fii closed her eyes, not b to reply. Virgil would just nag anyways. Better to tune him out. Maybe he'd shut up if she fell asleep.

  Virgil wasn't pleased. "Kid. I'm serious. ime—you need be willing to kill them."

  That woke Fii right up.