“Two-twenty-four.”

  She pulled herself up, muscles heating, sweat beading on her neck, brown eyes focused on the far wall. The arm cloext to her bed ticked over and buzzed once before the radio clicked on. She pulled her up and over the bar as a short jingle pyed. Then a voice cut into the near-silence of her bedroom. “Good m, Atnta!” A jolly voice said, “It’s six am! Blue skies today with a high of eighty-four. First thing’s first, here’s the carter radar report: Mana levels are going to be high again as a dungeon is anticipated to form iy by the end of the month. City leaders are looking forward to it as it’ll mean more business.”

  “Two-twenty-nine.”

  She gowards the window and saw some people starting their days. Lights either ing on or people making their way out of their homes to start an early ute. “For your ute this m, we’ve got a few hot zones already marked for a high onster formation. Heroes are already beio the ses. You should avoid the following streets for the hour or so,” The man started rattling off street names as she pulled herself up over the bar again, her fiensing. “Make sure to check the tracker app regurly for the test updates. Now a quick chime in from the sponsor…”

  He trailed off and a slightly amused woman cut in, “This m carter radar report has been brought to you by ASTA Corporation. We are your solution.”

  “Two-thirty-six.”

  “Now for the news,” The ma on as the very digital ASTA jingle finished pying out, “Two unon-grade dungeons were cimed this past evening by a joint operation with the Atnta and Geia state Guilds. Seems like there’s already an agreement on the books about mining rights, you look it up on the official Panduilds app. If you’re a freencer looking for work, they’ve still got some slots open,” He rambled on, “The final piece of the North Ameri carter radar work was also pleted this m, finalizing a project that’s been a year in the making. I for one am going to be sleeping a whole lot more easily now.”

  “Two-fifty,” She let out a sharp breath and dropped from the bar, nding on her feet and heading for the folded towel and bottles of water on her wardrobe. She snatched up the towel and ran it over her face before crag open a bottle of water and drinking it down. “It’s been just under a year sihe Vegas I, everybody, and the day we lost one of our favorite sons. Two memorials will be held this weekend. O the Vegas Memorial Gardens with the unveiling of a statue of our own Firestorm, and at the Nick Adders Memorial Building right here in Atnta.”

  “Radio off!” She called with a smile and dipped into the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror. Long bck-brown hair was trussed up in a ponytail g with lightly tanned skin. A pair ht brown eyes glittered back at her. She smiled and checked herself out, all muscle, a proper set of abs and toned arms. She was as ready as she could ever be. A quick shower ter she threw on a tube top to allow her skin to breathe a little, some blue jeans, and of course her favorite article: an e letterman jacket with Firestorm’s logo on it.

  The jacket had e out very briefly as part of a funding drive to help build the Vegas Memorial Gardens. Both ASTA’s Sonya ovna and the now te Johnathan Adders, Firestorm’s father, had e together to start the fundraiser and had both doubled the publiation. The release of hero-reted merdise had been inteo be a oime thing but it had triggered an intense wave of demand as more heroes who participated in the i were publicized. Especially the iional heroes. She even had her own Euclidia pocket watch, it was really cool, you could see the time reflected clearly on the inner part of the lid no matter what angle you held it at.

  She snatched it up and stuffed it into her pocket just as she reached the door.

  “Lily! Lillian! Are you awake?” Her mother shouted from downstairs.

  She pushed the door open, “Yeah! I’m up!” She called back, “Just finished getting dressed!” She hurried dowairs, boung from step to step before nding in front of her bewildered mother. A head shorter than her and rettier in her opinion. “Hi!” She said brightly.

  Her mhed, “Hi! Did you have a good birthday?”

  She swept her mother up into a hug, nearly lifting her off the ground, “Sure did! Thank you!” She kissed her mother on the cheek and hurried past her to the kit. “Where’s dad?”

  “Dragging himself out of bed slower than you,” Her mother chuckled, walking past aing dote of steaming food in front of her. “Hurry up a, you’ve got a big day,” She paused, “Any signs?”

  “Nothi,” Lillian said as she scarfed her food down, “Usually happens within the first week of turnieen though, so I got time.”

  “You have your badge?” Her father grunted as he stepped into the kit. She looked up at the tough-looking man. Bck hair and a bit of salt in his beard. He had a nyard around his neck marking him as a mining hero. Someoh enough power to hahemselves in a fight and do work in a dungeon, but not much else. He’d been a tractor before the fsh, w to support his family. He’d awakened his powers and started making money selling monster parts to ASTA before dungeon mining became a legitimate job a few months back.

  The money was great.

  “Sure do!” Lillian said and pat her neck, “Or not, one sec!” She jumped out of her seat and ran back up the stairs to the sound of her father and mhing. She grumbled and scrambled around her room till she found it on the nightstand. She picked it up and looked at it.

  HIGH POTENTIAL FHT-TOUCHED AWAKENING, LILLIAN LANDREY

  Gettied for how receptive her body was to mana had been a bit nerve wrag. The maes were still in their early stages and were frankly huge and intimidating. The report that there was aremely high likelihood of awakening was exhirating though. She csped it in her hand. “We are the firestorm,” She breathed, holding it up to her head and muttering a small prayer to anyone or anything who would listen. “Please be cool, please be cool.”

  Her little mantra done, she hurried back dowairs and flew into her seat, scarfing down her meal. Her father ughed as he took a bite of his toast and her mother sipped at her coffee. “Yoing to choke,” Her mother cautioned her, “I’ve got work in an hour, love. I don’t want to take you to the hospital.”

  Lillian looked up abruptly, a piece of egg in her mouth. She scarfed it in quick, “Uh… sorry.”

  “I know you’re excited, just be polite and keep a cool head, ‘Lil,” He said and reached out, patting her head. “’t believe you chose this over free running.”

  Lillian grinned, “It’s fate, free-running was just preparation. I know it,” She said g her fists. “I’m strong, fast, and agile. A perfect fit.”

  “fidence will do you good, just make sure to be polite to the guild members and especially the guildmaster if you meet him,” Her father cautioned with a wink, “Don’t fet that people have personal space, alright?”

  Lilian scratched her nose, “Right right…”

  “Now get going, you’ve got to make it to the terminal,” He said and sipped at his own coffee.

  Lillian hopped to her feet and ran around the table to pull him into a monstrous hug. She did the same for her mother before hopping bato the entryway of the house and snapping off a little salute. “Trainee hero Lillian Landrey is off!” She barked and hustled to the door, snatg up her gym bag that her mother had packed for her. She fumbled with the lock before darting out onto the sidewalk to a chorus of her parents' ughter. She took a deep breath, “It’s gonna happen today, I know it!”

  She pulled out her phone and flipped to the map, “Terminal… turn on monster watch… okay!”

  The route to the terminal avoiding monster watch areas was a bit bad forth, but it was the fastest route. She pulled her bag over her shoulder and broke into a jog, excitement glowing in her heart. The first annual youth camp fh-potential hero trainees. I ’t believe they let in people who aren’t awakened yet. Hell, I ’t believe I got in. She grinned. Just goes to show how far a little passion will take you. She thought as she jogged dowreet, darting past people as she made her way out of the neighborhood and into the city proper.

  She passed by a few shops as she went, waving at a few people she knew. One of those ferryman taxis passed by, the ritzy bck taxis that only the rich seemed to afford. They looked pretty normal to her. She shrugged as she rounded a er and spotted a few people standing in front of a rge kiosk with a tv hanging from the ceiling. She hustled over and slid to a stop, gng up at the s. An asian woman in dark martial artists robes ated with armor and a sword across her lower back stood at a podium with an older looking guy.

  “The current top-hero, Bck Lotus, is currently in the Uates in an ht tour with a few other members of the new Iional Team,” The reporter said, “She is the first hero to single-handedly cim a rare-grade dungeon. There is some specution that she is in the try to assess the epic-grade duhat appeared in the mountains outside of Seattle.”

  The s ged to another woman wearing all white with a bombastic smile on her face, she was ughing and talking with a few children. “ASTA CEO Sonya ovna visited one of the orphanages set up in the wake of the Vegas I yesterday. She is sted to be t the east coast before heading to Europe for the Pandora ittee ferenext month,” The reporter tinued, “After the ittee moved their headquarters to the Hague its reach has expanded, especially with the formalizing of the Vegas Act, which restricts the activities of Mythic-grade light-touched outside of dungeons.”

  She’s gonna be on the east coast? Lillian stared up at the s, Will she visit the camp? Oh man. Signing with ASTA would be crazy! She bounced on the balls of her feet and checked her phone. Oh shit! She darted away from the kiosk, rag dowreet as fast as she could. That’s what I get fetting distracted! Sheesh! She admonished herself, zig-zaggiween cars stuck at a red light and hopping to the stretch of sidewalk.

  She kept running, going from street to street, following the guide. Just a little- She spotted a small form moving out of the er of her eye and slid to a stop, snapping her hand out to grab a kid that had wandered a little too close to the edge of the sidewalk by the shirt. She pulled him back as a car zipped by. “Hey! Careful there!” She said and gnced around to see his mother running over.

  “Zack! I told you to stay with me!” The woman admonished him before turning to Lillian. “Thank you.”

  The kid turned around and pouted, “I’m bored.”

  Lillian squatted down and spotted his firestorm t-shirt, grinning at him and poking it, “He’d listen to his mht?” She said and then tapped his nose, “Be good.”

  He blinked as she got up and turned away, darting off without another word. She came to a stop at a particurly clogged interse. The other interses beyond it were just as bad. People avoiding a marked area. She checked her phone again. Ah, poop. She gnced around and saw an alley that would get her to her destination while skirting at the edge of the marked area. She huffed out a breath and darted between a few openings in the cars and into the alley. Just run through. She told herself and broke into a dash, hopping over things left behind.

  A bang sounded off to her left, Heroes must be w. She thought as she crested the alley and a hou flying past her face. She slid to a stop and blinked, gng to the right at the creature as it staggered to its feet only to get a bullet in its head for its trouble. It slumped to the ground as she go her left and a grizzled looking man walked past her, giving her a sidelong look, “Did you not check the app this m, kid?” He grunted.

  She scratched her neck, “Running a little te, gotta get to the terminal.”

  He g her nyard and raised an eyebrow, “Better get moving. It’s clear here. I won’t say anything,” He said and strode towards the corpse.

  She snapped him a salute, “Thanks!” She called and he waved dismissively, not looking back. Lillian raced across the vat street, moving into the alley. Buildings turned into a blur as she passed, pushing herself until she finally hopped over that st inappropriately pced dumpster. She nded on her feet, breathing hard, as she finally id eyes on the bus terminal. A heavy looking bus with the Pandora ittee logo on the side of it was waiting and there were already people gathered around it.

  “Made it,” She let out a breath. She hurried across the street, waving her hands. “Hey! I’m here!”

  A guard wearing a ittee iors coat turned and reached for a on on his belt only to pause when he saw her nyard fpping about. He was wearing a full face helmet and armor beh his coat. He crossed his arms, “You’re te! What’s your name?” He demanded.

  She slid to a stop, her stomach sinking a little from the admonishment. “Uh, Lillian Landrey sir.”

  He turned his head towards a woman standing off to the side, she had bck hair in a bob cut. She wore a funal pencil skirt and white blouse that almost made her miss the ornate white chging the woman's neck. Is that a pink sapphire? Lillian thought before the woman cleared her throat and drew Lillian out of her distracted thoughts. The woman adjusted her gsses and looked down at a clipboard in her hand, “She’s on the list,” The woman said, “You’re very lucky Miss Landrey. We’re getting ready to leave. Is that ygage?”

  “Yes ma’am!” Lillian barked.

  “Mhm, go ahead and put it in there,” She said, pointing a pen at an open partmeh the bus. “The in. We’re leaving in five minutes.”

  Lillian didn’t have to be told twice, she hurried over and tossed her bag in before making her way over to the door to the bus. She climbed inside and looked out over the many heads that looked back up at her briefly befoing back to what they were doing. Oh man this is it! Now where do I sit? She thought, making her way down the aisle until she found an ope. There was a guy sitting there and looking out the window. She stopped, “This seat taken?”

  A pair ht blue eyes turo look at her, blonde hair coiffed perfectly on the guy's head. He brandished a brilliant smile at her, “Nope! All yours!”