Edith's disheveled hair framed her face, giving her a wild, feral appearance as she hunched over the microscope. The fluorest light cast a sickly pallor on her pale skin, creating deep shadows under her eyes. Frown lines creased the ers of her lips, the harsh expression only broken by the occasional twitch of her eyebrow or the slight tilt of her head.

  She scribbled notes onto a clipboard, muttering to herself as she worked.

  Fii stood nearby, biting her fingernails and wringing her hands together. Her face twisted into a grimace as she tried to e up with the right words to say. "Err, so, I wao ask you something," she mumbled, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I kinda had an iing night. Well, it was more than just iing, but anyways, I ended up going to see Kenzo's band perform, and I got inspired, and—"

  Edith held up a hand, sileng her. "Yes, yes, I get it. The Slum's golden boy is looking for you. Well, for Axion. Whatever." She rolled her eyes, gng at Fii with a sardonic expression. "Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it. Just remember priorities, okay? Don't get distracted by these people."

  Fii bliaken aback. "Wha? How'd you know...?"

  Edith sighed, ping the bridge of her nose. "Sheri told me. Some of our patients told her about it. Apparently, it happe the cert? Is this some rend or something?" She groaned, her expression s. "Seriously, what's the point in having you y low when half the slums are talking about you?"

  Fii scratched the back of her head sheepishly, unsure how to respond. "Oh, well... um, I mean, it was really cool of them to support me like that. It means a lot, you know? That someone like Kenzo is spreading the word, sharing his fans, and celebrating my alter-ego—that's no joke." She perked up at the memory of st night. "I mean, he even said he wao colb with me on his music. It's a big deal. It's really, really big."

  "That's why I'm okay with you taking the gig, I suppose," Edith remarked with a snort. "This might even work to our advantage. After all, you'll gain popurity, fame, and most importantly, a following. All those who admire you and aspire to follow in your footsteps." She paused, staring at Fii with a glint in her eye. "Powerful allies. Loyal allies."

  "Wait, seriously? You mean it? I go?" She blurted out, her tone incredulous. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Are you feeling sick?" Fii approached her cautiously, extending a hand to test the temperature of Edith's forehead.

  Edith swatted Fii away dismissively, frowning. "Psh, yes. Just don't go causing trouble, and try not to act stupid."

  That was... surprisingly easy. She had expected more resistance from Edith, sidering how cagey aive she typically acted. Something else must be motivating her. Perhaps she'd find out ter. For now, she focused on the positives.

  "Gotcha." Fii fshed a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Edith. I'll be on my best behavior. Promise." She turo leave, but stopped herself mid-step, spinning on her heel to face Edith once more. "Do you want Kenzo's autograph or something?"

  "Why would I want his signature?" Edith retorted, shooting her a ft look. "You're the raving fangirl here, not me."

  "Ah, nevermind." She waved the question off and skipped happily out of the room, leaving the stist to her devices.

  Axion stared at her refle in the mirrored window of the Tower of Songs. The LED eyes of her cyber-helmet reflected back, bright ahereal. She brushed imaginary dust from her sleek bodysuit, her firailing over the carbon fiber mesh. The sleek design hugged her curves perfectly, showg her athleticism without sacrifig style.

  After a moment of self-assessment, she gowards the double doors of the venue and heaved a long sigh. Then she pushed the doors opeering the main hall with a fident stride.

  Axiorance garnered instant attention. Patrons turo stare, their versations quieting as she strode past. Some of them pointed excitedly, while others whispered in hushed tones. But none of them dared approach. Instead, they chose to gawk, admiring her from a safe distance.

  Despite the i she geed, Axio moving forward, heading straight towards the auditorium. The noise of the main lobby faded as she crossed into the hallway leading to the cert venue.

  As she walked, a strange sensation tingled her spine. A sense of nervousness settled into her stomach, but she brushed it aside and tinued on. A couple more turns, then she arrived at a set of reinforced doors engraved with the Shunkashūtō logo. She reached for the handle, pausing briefly to steel herself before opening it wide aering.

  Ihe sounds of a lively rehearsal echoed through the room. Members of Shunkashūtō lounged about, idly chatting amongst themselves, tuning instruments, and pying with equipment. No oiced her immediately, but a few heads did turn wheered.

  Axioated in the doorway, uain of where to start. Should she walk directly toward Kenzo? Or should she wait for him to aowledge her? She could just stand in one spot until someone came over to greet her, but that seemed a bit silly. Finally, she opted for a middle ground—she moved closer to the main group, choosing a spot near one of the equipment racks. She positioned herself in pin sight, yet out of the way, hoping her presence wouldn't interfere too much with the band's preparations.

  She gazed at the members, admiring them from afar. She had grown up listening to their songs, idolizing their talent and charisma. And now here she was, standing in front of them. She still couldn't believe it. She wished she could take this helmet off and truly breathe it all in.

  "Oi, oi, oi! You're Axion, yeah?" Kenzo's voice called out, snapping her from her thoughts.

  Startled, Axion gnced over to see him approag. He carried himself with a casual fidence, his steps smooth and rexed, his messy hair bounced with every step, while the loose strands of his kimono fluttered behind him. He wore a pair of loose-fitting bck scks and a white undershirt. Simple, yet stylish.

  "Mhm. Yep. I'm her. I'm here." Axion straightened her posture, clearihroat awkwardly. "I heard you were looking for me?"

  "Kukuku," Kenzo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heard ya loud and clear when you saved people during the earthquake that time. Good job with that one." He fshed a toothy grin. "Man, you're taller than I thought. Those rumors said you were short."

  "Uhh..." Axion faltered, unsure how to respond.

  He waved off her s, chug again. "Just messing with ya. e, sit with us." He gestured to the group, being her over. "Let's chat for a bit. Get to know each other."

  Before she k, Axion found herself joining them around a table, seated beside Kenzo, surrounded by the entire band. She remaiense and guarded, hyper-aware of her surroundings. It didn't help that she couldn't tear her gaze away from Kenzo, mesmerized by the proximity of her idol.

  She swallowed, her palms sweaty, heart rag. Her vision swam slightly. Was she getting lightheaded? Maybe she should've eaten more today.

  "Rex, will ya?" Kenzo leaned in closer, pg a f hand on her shoulder. "You look like a ered rabbit about to bolt. Loosen up. We're all friends here." He shot her a wink, grinning reassuringly.

  "Friends. Right. Okay." She iffly, f herself to calm down. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, willing herself to rex. "So, err, thanks for inviting me here. I appreciate the opportunity. Really."

  "It's nothing." Kenzo waved his hand dismissively. "We just figured we'd share the spotlight a bit, you know? Give the people something different." He smiled warmly. "Besides, I think you and us share the same goal. T a little joy, a little hope around here."

  He leaned forward, resting his elbows oable, meeting her gaze directly. "And that makes you one of us. A Slumshine fighting the good fight. I respect that. We all do. So let's enjoy the moment, enjoy what we have while we still got it, yeah?"

  Axion nodded mutely, uo articute a response. Her tongue seemed glued to the roof of her mouth, refusing to cooperate. All she could do was stare silently at the handsome face of her idol as he tinued speaking.

  "You know, for someone who's been chasing flickering lights, you've got quite the polished look. That suit of yours—high-tech, ain't it?"

  Axion fidgeted under his gaze, self-scious. "Yeah, it's... funal," she managed, feeling her face grow warm beh the helmet. "And um, I don't think what I do is chasing flickering lights. I just hope to inspire and influehers. Just like how you and the band inspire me." She swallowed. "I don't think what we do is any different, to be ho."

  Kenzo nodded sagely, seemingly satisfied with her answer. He smiled, patting her shoulder encingly. "Gd to hear it. You got fire. I like that."

  "Thanks. Also, I like your kimono top. It suits you." She motioo his outfit, desperate to shift the versation away from her.

  He barked out a ugh. "Ha! Thanks. It's a statement piece. To remind folks of our roots, but with modernity. People always seem tet where they came from, you know?" He stared at her with a wistful expression. "These streets fed us, gave us the drive and passion to create, and hopefully, we return the favor. Shine a little light into this city, even if it's only a faint flickering glow."

  "Yo, K-Dog. You getting a little ge with that statement, bruv? Gotta watch out, or you'll be an old man, standing in the rain, reminisg about the good ol' days." One of the band members joked, fshing a smirk at the rapper. "Maybe ease up on the cliche emo lines, eh?"

  Kenzo chuckled, spping the guy's shoulder pyfully. "Shut it, you. Don't ruin the moment, or we'll all ge together." He wi Axion, who remained silent, not wanting to interrupt the banter betweewo.

  They both shared a few more jokes, their ughter eg throughout the room before turning to Axion. "Sorry 'bout that. He's a little shit sometimes. What you do, though? He's family. We put up with his dumbassery." Kenzo grinned apologetically, shrugging helplessly. "But yeah, that's the vibe we're going for. Showing folks that traditions aren't dead, not unless we let 'em die. And we won't. Never gonna happen."

  The rest of the band chimed in, adding their support.

  "Hell yeah."

  "What he said."

  "Don't you dare."

  Axion listetentively as Kenzo and his crew bantered bad forth, the humor flowing naturally between the members. Eventually, the discussion shifted back towards her, which caused her heart rate to spike once more.

  "So, Axion, you got some catchy in story?" Kenzo asked casually, reing ba his chair. "Like, what made you decide to bee a Super? I'm guessing that whoever made that cool gear of yours also provided motivation, yeah?"

  "Ah, well, I guess you could say that," Axion replied hesitantly. She rubbed her palms against her thighs nervously, pting how much to reveal. "I met someohat jumpstarted all this, and they vinced me that I could be more than just another nobody. They helped me discover who I could be, and with their support, I've been trying to do more since."

  "Ahh, you've got that whole mentor/meionship going, huh? Niice. Always loved those types of stories." Kenzo hummed approvingly, stroking his thoughtfully. "So, what exactly do you want to do as a Super? Help people? Get rid of all the gangs? Both?"

  Axion bliaken aback by the direess of his question.

  She thought back to the first time she met Virgil and the versation they had about this exact topic.

  Sheep. Wolf. Shepard.

  Virgil's words echoed through her mind.

  She still didn't have a clear answer yet, but she'd made some progress. She uood where she stood and where she wao be, at least for now.

  "Helping people, I guess. As far as the gangs go, If they step out of lihen I'll knock them ba pce, but that's not my priority." She paused, recallih's warnings about making a good impression. "Err, sorry if that sounds arrogant. It's just my opinion. I just want to focus on helping people. That's what's important."

  "Nah, I feel you. It's cool." Kenzo stood up and paced around the room, hands in pockets, clearly p her response. "So you're saying you'd rather avoid the gangs than actively fight 'em. Which is fine. But how do you know wheep out of line? Who makes that call?"

  Axion tilted her head. The answer was so obvious that she was surprised he even asked.

  "Everyone knows the lihey shouldn't cross. People know what's fair, and what's not. If you get pickpocketed, that's your fault for being careless. But if you get mugged, that's crossing a lihe slums have their own rules, but everyone uands them. Everyone respects them, for the most part. That's how things work here. If the gangs start breaking the unwritten rules, that's when I step in."

  Kenzo clicked his tongue before smirking. "Seems like you really are from here. Most outsiders get it wrong, especially the Supers who e here. They assume we live in chaos and violehat we need heroes to save us." He scoffed derisively, rolling his eyes. "Even some folks in the slums believe that, and it's annoying."

  "Supers came here before? I don't remember that happening?" Axion asked quizzically.

  Kenzo ruffled his hair and shrugged. "Yeah. I used to know a guy who thought he could build a police force around here aablish some w and order. Didn't take long for him to realize how stupid that idea was."

  Wait...was he talking about Virgil? Does he know him?

  "Did he end up leaving?" she asked.

  Kenzed again. "Who knows? Haven't seen him in a long while. Anyways, I like how you operate. Helping where you without stepping ohat's a tough bance, but a necessary one. Hopefully, the gangs will learn to py ball, and we avoid violeogether."

  "That'd be nice, but I'm not ting on it." Axion sighed sadly.

  "Me her, but a man dream, right?" Kenzo stretched his arms over his head, yawning widely. "Anyhow, let's switch bausic. You ever sing or rap?"

  "Hmm, not really." Axion shook her head. "But I listen to your songs all the time. Love them. Especially the ones with traditional instruments. They fit your songs so well, but in a fresh, new way. They make everything more vibrant and eic. It's beautiful."

  "Aha, so you are a fan of mine! See? I khere was something about you I liked." Kenzo gave her an impish grin. "By the way, we've already started writing a song about you, and we'd love for you to be involved with it. It's a little rough around the edges, but I think we've got the gist of what we're going for."

  "You wrote a song about me?" The LED eyes on Axion's helmet widened.

  "Sure did. Like I said, you're the hottest thing right now. Even the young kids are talking about you. But the Rusties, they love you too. A hero that es to life in the slums, one of their own. Not some outsider whose only e to the pce is their charity." Kenzo paused, shooting Axion an inquisitive gnce. "You alright with that, or should we to down? Might be a bit embarrassing, yeah?"

  Axion rapidly shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine. I'm happy."

  "Mhm. Thought you'd appreciate it," Kenzo replied, chug lightly. "Now, about this song. Let me expin what I had in mind..."

  They spent the rest of the day brainst lyrics, melody, as. Despite her inexperience, Axion pitched ihusiastically, some suggestions of her own, along with bits and pieces from her daily life in the slums. It wasn't difficult; many of the ses expressed by Kenzo and his band were familiar to her.

  The desire to improve the slums, the love for the unity, and the hope for a better tomorrow—all core themes that she resorongly with.

  The band's energy was tagious, and they often ughed and joked as they worked. Occasionally, someone would sneak a snack or two into their mouths, and there were plenty of moments when everyone simply sat around, resting their brains from the stant flow of ideas.

  Kenzo picked up his headphowirling them in his hands, deep in thought. "The thing is, Axion, this song needs a hook, a terpiece, to tie everything together. I get the impression you have a unique voice, and if you want, I'd like you to sing the lead. The vocals are usually my territory, but I've been thinking of stepping aside to give the spotlight to you. Show off what you got. Ya dig?"

  "My voice?" She ughed nervously. "Um, well, I've never sang before, except for shower certs." Her voice trailed off as she recalled her earlier versations with Edith regarding her identity. "Err, also, if I sang, people might reize my voice or something. I don't wanna attrauch attention to myself. Plus, I don't think my voice is that great."

  Kenzo leaned in closer, a mischievous griched across his face. "Ya gotta keep the helmet ht? Don't worry about it; Your singing voice is gonna be different from your normal speaking voice, so no one'll reize you. You ge? you hit high notes or low ones? A range will give us options, and it'll let us express the emotion we're trying to vey."

  "Ah...uhm, maybe?"

  Kenzo stood up, slipping on the headphones. "Lemme hear it." He offered the microphoesturing for her to hold it in front of her face. "Turn off that voice modutor and start singing anything. Doesn't matter what. Just something that speaks to you, something personal. Got it?"

  "Right." Axion gulped, accepting the microphoively. She turned off the voice modutor and cleared her throat, attempting to settle her nerves. Her hands trembled as she brought the mic close to her mouth, but she tried to ighem.

  Focus. Calm down. Don't screw this up. She breathed in deeply, taking a moment to gather herself before opening her lips.

  Guess I could try singing a couple of their songs.

  She sang softly at first, quietly, afraid of sounding bad. Her voice sounded hoarse and scratchy, even to her ears. But she kept going, gradually building up to a fortable volume. As she sang, her fidence grew, and soon enough, she no longer cared who heard her.

  Once she finished, she looked to Kenzo, eared to be deep in tration. She waited patiently for his response. When it came, his eyes lit up and he fshed a bright smile. "Ikeru ze! You do have range. With a little training, we work on polishing up your vocal trol, but I think you've got potential." He cpped his hands, motioning for the band to assemble.

  The other members seemed pleased as well, nodding appreciatively.

  "Kawaii."

  "Sho skillz, girl. Impressive."

  "That voice tho. Mmhmmm. Sounds so sweet~"

  " we keep her?"

  The ents went on until finally, Kenzo addressed Axion directly. "Well, you hear that? gratutions, you've just made yourself a member of Shunkashūtō, even if temporarily." He wi her knowingly. "But first, there's something you gotta do first."

  Axion cocked her head slightly. "What's that?"

  Kenzo snapped his fingers, pointing at her as he decred dramatically, "A little initiation ceremony for the new member! You might have the heart, but I gotta know if you've got the skills to carry your vi."

  "Skills? What do you mean?"

  "Simple, we spar. Gotta see if you've got what it takes, ya know?" Kenzo expined, fshing a devious smile. "One-on-one. Me and you. Tomorrow, at the Rusted Colosseum. High Noon. Think you manage? Or are you chiing out?"

  The other band members whistled and hooted at the suggestion.

  Axion remained silent, unsure how to react.

  There were so many things weird about this request. Why did he wao fight? Were they testing her somehow? And why choose a bat vehere was no way she could fight her idol seriously. She was a metahuman now. He's just a normal guy...right? This must be a joke. A prank? Maybe?

  Yet, no matter how hard she thought about it, the logic didn't add up. This was supposed to be a colboration, not an audition. Besides, Kenzo wasn't the type of person to engage in suonsense. His reputation otless; he never wasted his time on trivial matters like this.

  Maybe the sparring match has a deeper meaning? Or am I overthinking this?

  The more Axion rumihe more fused she became. Eventually, she threw her hands in the air, exasperated. "Ughhh, I don't get why we o do this. Why do you want to fight me, anyway? We're supposed to be w together."

  Kenzo folded his arms behind his head and leaned back, appearing nont. "I'll let you know more about my reasons tomorrow. So, will you show up or not? You don't have to win, you just gotta st fifteen minutes. Easy peasy." He met her gaze fidently, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Think you hahat? Or should I just t you out now?"

  "I'm a Super, you know?" Axion sighed heavily, resigning herself to the situation. "How does a normal person like you expect to beat me? But fine, whatever. I'll bite. Let's do this, and then we go back to colborating like we were before."

  Kenzo responded by bursting into ughter, doubling over in a fit of mirth. "Kukuku, atta girl! Knew I liked you. 't wait to see what you've got, but just remember—no holding back. Uand?" He wagged a finger warningly. "I'll know if you're pulling punches. I want you to give it all you've got, because you don't stand a ce otherwise. And that's no fun. Now go get ready a up. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

  The other members cheered as Kenzo departed, leaving Axion aloo pte her fate.

  What's making him so fident?