The young woman nded hard on a concrete floor, pain shooting through her lower back and tailbone. The portal had transported her to a dimly lit, abandoned warehouse with cracked walls and broken windows. The air was thick with dust, and the only light came from the flickering remnants of old industrial mps hanging from the ceiling.

  She groaned, trying to push herself up, but her movements were halted by a sharp, arming sound coming from her colr. The device around her neck began to heat up, the metal growing uncomfortably warm against her skin. Panic set in as the colr emitted a series of high-pitched beeps, increasing in frequency. The colr was just undergoing protocol. If an inmate ever managed to escape, well, they didn't.

  Viktor and Helena emerged from their portal, their expressions calm. Viktor approached her, his eyes narrowing as he saw the colr's reaction. "That thing's about ready to blow," he observed, more to himself than to anyone else.

  Helena watched, arms crossed, a smirk pying on her lips. "Better do something quick, Viktor, or our new friend here won't be much use to us."

  With a quick motion, Viktor drew his sword and inserted the bde between the colr and the girl's neck. His precision was impeccable, and with a flick of his wrist, he severed the colr's connection. The device fell to the ground, its beeping reaching a frantic pitch.

  Viktor picked up the colr, gnced at it briefly, then tossed it through a nearby broken window. A few moments ter, a muffled explosion sounded from outside, and the force contained within the colr finally released harmlessly.

  "Better," Helena said with a satisfied nod. She stepped forward, her eyes looking in amusement. "Welcome to your new home. We've got big pns, and you're going to be a part of them."

  The girl gnced around the abandoned warehouse, taking in the atmosphere. It was a far cry from the cold, sterile confines of Bastion #3, but it was clear that she was still a prisoner, albeit of a different kind.

  As she tried to process the events, Viktor turned to her. "What's your name? It wasn't in your file."

  She hesitated, memories of the past nine years flooding back. "It...doesn't matter," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The other inmates started calling me Shade."

  Viktor raised an eyebrow. "Shade, huh? Fitting."

  Helena nodded approvingly. "Shade it is, then."

  Just then, a creaking sound echoed through the warehouse, followed by the distinct noise of a door shutting. The three turned their attention to a woman dressed in a tight-fitting, two-piece spandex set, her body glistening with a sheen of sweat as she strolled into the warehouse.

  "Oh, hey guys. Is that the girl?" she asked, noticing Shade sitting on the floor.

  Helena nodded. "Yeah, this is Shade. Shade, meet Cra."

  Cra smiled faintly, her gaze assessing. "Nice to meet you."

  Shade pushed herself up from the floor, still feeling the lingering ache from her fall. She gnced around the warehouse, trying to get a sense of her surroundings.

  Before she could take in much, Felix revealed himself from the shadows, appearing right in front of her. He y there comfortably, resting his head on his arms, staring up at her with a casual grin. "I approve," he said, his voice teasing.

  Shade gasped and fell back on her butt in surprise, her heart pounding. Felix's grin widened at her reaction, and he chuckled softly.

  Viktor stepped forward. "Well, we have to see what she can do before we start saying things like that, now don't we?"

  Felix shrugged, still lounging on the floor. "Guess so. But first impressions matter, and she's hot as hell."

  Shade quickly scrambled to her feet, feeling embarrassed. She had made it her life to stay collected, and she didn't like feeling so off-bance, especially in front of these strangers.

  Helena rolled her eyes and stepped closer, her smirk never leaving her lips. "Really, Felix? You can't go five minutes without hitting on someone new? It's getting old."

  Felix's grin faded slightly, his eyes narrowing. "Oh, come on, Helena. Just having a little fun."

  Cra, sensing the rising tension, stepped forward awkwardly, her hands raised in a pcating gesture. "Let's all just calm down, okay? The kid's been through a lot. This isn't the time for your bickering."

  Helena shot Cra an exasperated look. "Fuck off."

  Felix sighed dramatically, sitting up and leaning back on his hands. "Alright, alright. I'll behave. But you know I'm not gonna stop."

  Viktor exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples like a tired father dealing with unruly children. "Enough," he said, his voice carrying just enough weight to silence any further squabbling. "You can fight, you can argue, but not now. Let Shade here breathe," he said, gesturing to Shade standing off to the side.

  Shade, still standing stiffly, folded her arms and tried to make herself seem smaller. She was used to being invisible, and blending into the background in Bastion #3 had been a survival tactic. But here, particurly in this group, it seemed like being invisible wasn't an option.

  Helena scoffed but didn't push it further. Instead, she threw Felix a look, one eyebrow raised. "Honestly, it's pathetic at this point."

  Felix fshed a toothy grin. "Oh? And yet, you still feel the need to comment on it every time. Almost like you care."

  Helena rolled her eyes again but said nothing.

  Cra, who had been standing awkwardly between them, sighed before looking back at Shade. "You doing okay?" Her voice was softer now like she actually cared about the answer.

  Shade hesitated. Was she okay? No. Not even close. She had spent nearly a decade in a concrete box, only to be dragged out into the world by a group of criminals who may or may not have sinister pns for her. And worse, she had no idea what those pns were. But she's not going to say that.

  She shrugged. "I'm alive."

  "Low bar," Helena muttered.

  Shade gnced around the warehouse again. It was massive; probably some old distribution center that had long since been abandoned. A few dim lights flickered overhead, casting long shadows against the cracked concrete walls. In one corner, she could make out old couches, a couple of tables cluttered with weapons, potato chips, and pying cards, and what looked like a makeshift kitchen area with an old fridge.

  "So... what is this pce?" she asked.

  Felix stretched his arms behind his head, still lounging comfortably on the ground. "Home, sweet home."

  "Was a factory," Viktor added, already walking toward a set of metal stairs leading up to an office overlooking the floor. "We repurposed it. Enough space to train, pn, and-" he gnced at Felix and Helena before shaking his head, "-argue."

  Shade looked around again. It was better than Bastion #3, sure, but that wasn't saying much.

  "You expecting me to stay here?" she asked.

  Viktor stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to face her, his expression unreadable. "That depends."

  Shade frowned. "On what?"

  Viktor smirked slightly. "On whether or not you pn on running."

  Shade's fingers twitched at her sides. She wasn’t stupid. She had no leverage here. Viktor was in control, and this whole conversation was an illusion of choice. But she had spent nine years in Bastion #3, forced to keep her head down and take orders. If she was going to be stuck here, she at least wanted to act like she had a say in the matter.

  So she asked questions. Not because she expected real answers, but because she wanted to seem strong. Like she wasn’t rattled.

  Like she belonged here.

  Her expression didn’t waver as she met Viktor’s eyes. "And if I did try to run?"

  Viktor’s smirk didn’t fade. "Then you’d run. And we’d catch you."

  A lump formed in Shade’s throat. She knew he was right. She had nowhere to go, no resources, and no clue where she even was. And even if she somehow made it outside, she was wearing nothing but a Bastion prison uniform. One look from the wrong person, and she’d be turned in before she could even make it a block.

  She lowered her gaze, jaw tightening. She hated this feeling. The same one she had back in Bastion when the guards reminded her that she wasn’t a person, just another prisoner to be kept in line.

  Felix whistled low. "Damn. That was depressing to watch."

  Shade snapped her head toward him, scowling, but he just grinned. "Don’t look so pissed," he said. "Everyone has to start somewhere. And trust me, you’re in better hands here than you were in that hellhole."

  She didn’t respond. She didn’t know how.

  Helena leaned against one of the metal support beams, arms crossed over her chest. "So what now? We just keep her around like a lost puppy?"

  Cra, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, finally spoke. "Well… we should at least let her settle in before making any decisions, right?" Her voice was hesitant, like she wasn’t sure she should be stepping in, but she did it anyway. "She’s probably exhausted. We can’t expect her to just-"

  Helena groaned. "Alright, Mom, we get it."

  Cra shut her mouth, shifting uncomfortably.

  Viktor took a step down the stairs, looking back at Shade. "You’ll stay here for now. Figure things out."

  Shade forced herself to nod as if this had been her choice all along.

  Felix suddenly stood, stretching his arms behind his head. "Welp. If she’s staying, we might as well get her something to wear that doesn’t scream Bastion escapee."

  Shade blinked, gncing down at herself. The dull, loose-fitting uniform she had worn for years was like a brand burned into her skin, and she hadn't thought about what not wearing it would be like. A small smile pyed on her lips as the thought crossed her mind. 'What about a long red dress with pretty floral designs?' she giggled to herself, putting a hand over her mouth.

  Viktor gestured toward a rusted storage container near the back of the warehouse. "There should be some spare clothes in there. Take what you want."

  Shade regained her seriousness, hesitated, then slowly made her way toward it, hyper-aware of their eyes on her. Even after being freed from Bastion, she still felt like she was in a cage. Just one with a little more space to move.

  She reached the storage container, her fingers ghosting over the rusted handle before pulling it open with a metallic creak. Inside was a mess: piles of folded clothes stacked haphazardly on top of each other, some looking like they had been looted, others like they had been forgotten here long before Viktor’s crew took over.

  She rifled through them carefully, trying not to seem rushed, but the truth was she didn’t know what she was even looking for. She had spent so long in the same uniform that the idea of choosing what to wear felt foreign, almost too much.

  From behind her, she heard footsteps, light and deliberate. She tensed automatically, but it was only Cra, standing a few feet away with her arms csped behind her back.

  "Need help?" she asked, her tone gentle.

  Shade hesitated. She didn’t know how to ask for things. Not in a way that didn’t sound desperate.

  Cra took the silence in stride, stepping forward and reaching into the container, pulling out a simple bck hoodie and a pair of fitted cargo pants. "This should be comfortable," she said, batting off the dust and offering them to Shade. "Nothing fancy, but at least it works."

  Shade took the clothes, rubbing the fabric between her fingers. It felt softer than she expected. Worn but warm. Practical. She nodded, a silent gratitude.

  Cra gave a small smile before stepping back, giving her space.

  Helena’s voice cut through the quiet. "Better hurry up before Felix starts making wardrobe suggestions."

  Felix, who had been casually leaning against a crate, put a hand on his chest, feigning offense. "What, like you don’t think she’d look great in a leather jacket? Maybe some fishnets?"

  Shade sighed.

  Felix grinned. "Your loss."

  Shade turned away before anyone else could comment, walking toward a more secluded corner of the warehouse to change. She didn’t expect privacy; she hadn’t had that in years, but at least here, no one was watching her like a guard waiting for an excuse to act.

  She peeled off the prison uniform, her body instinctively tensing, expecting the cold to bite at her skin like it always had in Bastion. But the air in the warehouse was different: warmer, heavier, freer, even if that freedom was limited.

  The hoodie felt strange as she pulled it over her head, the sleeves slightly too long. The pants fit well enough, a bit loose at the waist, but nothing unbearable. For the first time in nine years, she was wearing something that wasn’t assigned to her. Something that was hers.

  She ran her hands down the fabric, smoothing it out, putting herself in the moment.

  Then, taking a breath, she turned and walked back toward the others.

  Viktor was standing by a table now, arms crossed as he spoke with Helena in low mumbles. Cra was sitting on an old couch, eyes scanning the room like she was listening to every conversation at once. And Felix, predictably, was still watching her, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

  "See? Told you she was hot," he said.

  Helena gave him a ft look. "Don’t make it weird."

  Felix ughed. "Too te."

  Viktor, barely acknowledging the exchange, turned his attention back to Shade. "Now that you don’t look like you just crawled out of a prison cell," he said, "we should talk about where you stand here."

  Shade’s posture stiffened slightly. "And where do I stand?"

  Viktor tilted his head. "That depends."

  Shade hated that answer. It was the same one he had given her earlier. It meant nothing. And it meant everything.

  Helena leaned against the table, resting her chin on her palm. "We know what you did at the parade. But what we don’t know is if you could do it again."

  The room felt heavier. Cra shifted on the couch but said nothing. Felix’s smirk was gone, his eyes watching Shade more carefully now.

  Shade swallowed hard, her fingers twitching at her sides. She had spent years trying to forget that day. Trying to convince herself that she wasn’t the monster she knew she wasn't.

  She could lie. She should lie.

  But something told her Viktor would see right through it.

  "...I don’t know," she admitted. "It wasn’t- I didn’t try to do it. It just happened."

  Viktor studied her for a moment before nodding, like that was the answer he expected. "Then I guess we’ll have to find out."

  Shade’s heart sank. "Find out how?"

  Viktor’s smirk was sharp. "Training starts now."

  Shade barely had time to process Viktor’s words before he was already moving. With a flick of his wrist, he gestured toward an open space in the middle of the warehouse, where the concrete floor was worn smooth from years of use.

  "Over there," he said, walking ahead of her. "We’ll start without further dey."

  Shade’s stomach twisted, but she forced herself to follow. Every step felt heavier, like she was walking toward something she wasn’t ready for.

  Helena pushed off the table with a sigh. "Well, this should be fun."

  Felix stretched his arms over his head. "Better than sitting around doing nothing, I guess."

  Cra looked uncertain but said nothing, simply watching as Shade stepped into the center of the warehouse.

  Viktor rolled his shoulders, loosening up like a fighter before a match. "I don’t care if you know how to throw a punch or not," he said. "This isn’t about skill. It’s about seeing what happens when you’re under pressure."

  Shade frowned. "And what exactly does that mean?"

  Viktor smirked. "It means you’re going to fight me."

  Her breath hitched.

  Shade had seen fights before- prison wasn’t a kind pce. But she had never been in one. The few times she’d had to defend herself, it was never anything serious. Never life-or-death.

  She wasn’t stupid. Viktor wasn’t going to kill her. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hurt her.

  Felix let out a low whistle. "Oh, she’s so fucked."

  Helena leaned against a crate, watching with interest.

  Shade took a deep breath and clenched her little fists. "Fine."

  Viktor didn’t hesitate. He moved fast. Faster than she expected. And before she could react, his fist connected with her stomach. The air rushed from her lungs, and she stumbled back, gasping.

  Pain exploded through her ribs, but she barely had time to register it before Viktor closed the distance again.

  "Move," he ordered, swinging at her again.

  Shade ducked, but it was sloppy, uncoordinated. She wasn’t fast enough, and Viktor’s knee drove into her side, sending her sprawling onto the concrete floor.

  The impact rattled through her bones. She rolled over onto her face, groaning, not caring for the cleanliness of the ground one bit.

  "Pathetic," Viktor muttered, stepping back. "Get up."

  Shade coughed, her hands pressing against the rough ground as she forced herself up. Every instinct screamed at her to stay down, to curl in on herself like she used to when guards dragged her to the floor in Bastion. But she wasn’t there anymore.

  She stood, fists shaking, and gred at Viktor.

  A hint of approval flickered in his eyes. "Again."

  He moved, and this time, she tried to react. She sidestepped, but he anticipated it, catching her by the wrist and twisting her arm behind her back.

  Pain fred in her shoulder.

  Then, without warning, he smmed her face-first into the ground.

  A sharp crack echoed through the warehouse, followed by a chorus of reactions: Cra gasped, Felix winced, and Helena muttered, "Oof, that was nasty."

  Shade’s vision blurred, her face throbbing from the impact. Blood leaked from her nose onto the floor.

  Viktor released her and stepped back, watching. Waiting.

  Shade y there for a long moment, swallowing the coppery taste in her mouth.

  Then she pushed herself up again. With enough strength to do anything? No. But standing all the same? Absolutely.

  Felix let out a low chuckle. "Well, would you look at that? She’s got guts."

  Helena crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "She better have more than guts if she wants to survive here."

  Before Viktor could say anything, the warehouse doors creaked open.

  Two figures stepped inside, carrying bags filled with fast food.

  The first was a man with a sharp jawline, short blonde messy hair, and a cocky smile. He was tall, lean, and carried himself with the same kind of confidence Felix did. Like he had something nobody else did and he knew it.

  The second was a woman, shorter but stockier, with piercing dark eyes and a calm expression. She was carrying most of the bags, making her muscles flex, and she looked strong.

  The blonde man sauntered in first, his smile widening as he took in the scene of Shade struggling to stand, blood smeared across her face, and Viktor standing over her like a teacher assessing a failing student. He clicked his tongue, amused.

  "Well, shit," he said, tossing one of the bags onto a nearby crate. "Looks like we got back just in time."

  The woman followed behind him, carrying most of the food like it weighed nothing. She didn’t spare Shade more than a gnce, her eyes scanning the room as if assessing a battlefield. Unlike the man, she didn’t seem interested in the spectacle- just in what came next.

  Shade barely acknowledged them, her focus locked onto Viktor. Her legs were shaky, her ribs burned, and her face felt like it had been smashed into gravel. But she refused to drop. For whatever reason, she felt the obligation to show out.

  Viktor, satisfied with her attempt to stand, finally turned to the newcomers. "Good. You’re back." He motioned zily toward Shade. "We’re seeing what she can do."

  The woman made a small, unimpressed noise. "Doesn’t look like much so far."

  Shade clenched her jaw, but before she could snap back, the man ughed. "Damn, Vera. Give the girl a second to breathe." He leaned against a crate, crossing his arms as he examined Shade like she was some sort of puzzle.

  Viktor nodded toward him. "Shade, meet Asher. If he gets too annoying, punch him in the face."

  Asher grinned. "Joke’s on you, boss, that’s my kink."

  Helena groaned. "God, can we throw him out already?"

  Felix chuckled under his breath.

  Viktor ignored them. "And that," he said, gesturing toward the woman, "is Rivera. You’ll probably want to listen to her more than anyone else."

  Rivera finally looked at Shade, really looked at her. She wasn’t just staring at her bruises, but also reading her stance, her breathing, calcuting whether she was worth the effort.

  "She’s weak," Rivera finally said.

  The words stung, even though they shouldn’t have. Shade knew she was weak. Compared to them, she was nothing. But hearing it out loud made her stomach wrench.

  "That’s why we’re training her," Viktor said simply. "She’ll get stronger."

  Rivera’s gaze lingered on Shade for another moment before she turned away. "Then let’s hope she doesn’t die in the process."

  Asher let out another whistle, plucking a burger from one of the bags. "You know, for someone who could probably snap a man’s spine in half, you really need to work on your social skills."

  Rivera didn’t even acknowledge him.

  Cra, who had been quiet this whole time, finally walked toward Shade. She reached out, hesitant but determined. "Here, let me-"

  Shade flinched before she could stop herself.

  Cra froze, her hand hovering in midair.

  For a moment, nobody said anything.

  Then Cra lowered her hand, her voice quieter. "I can heal you."

  Shade hesitated. She didn’t like people touching her. Years in Bastion had made sure of that. But… her face was throbbing, and her ribs felt like they’d been cracked open. So that didn't sound all too bad right now.

  She swallowed, the taste of blood still in her mouth. "…How?"

  Cra shifted on her feet. "It’s my gift. I can heal others. Wounds, broken bones, all of it."

  Shade frowned. "That’s real?"

  "Yeah," Helena muttered. "She’s basically a walking miracle. One in a hundred million kind of miracle."

  Cra looked embarrassed. "It’s not that big a deal."

  Shade exhaled, accepting the news. “…okay.”

  Cra gave a small nod and stepped closer, hesitating just long enough to make sure Shade wouldn’t flinch again. When she was sure, she reached out, her hands hovering just above Shade’s injuries. Cra's mannerisms are so thoughtful, it almost makes you uncomfortable.

  A slow, warm sensation spread through Shade’s skin. It wasn’t instant relief. More like a gradual easing of tension, like stepping into warm water after being out in the cold for too long. Her ribs, which had been screaming in protest, dulled to a manageable ache. The throbbing in her face faded, and when she touched her nose, the swelling was gone.

  Shade blinked. "That’s… weird."

  Felix smirked. “Weird? That’s the understatement of the year.”

  Cra pulled back, rolling her shoulders as if she had just done a full-body workout. "You should be fine now."

  Shade flexed her fingers, testing herself. She didn’t feel completely new, a lingering stiffness still in her limbs, but compared to a few minutes ago, she might as well have been reborn.

  "Better?" Cra asked.

  Shade nodded once. “Yeah."

  Cra gave a small, almost shy smile before stepping back.

  Viktor, who had been watching the whole thing in silence, cpped his hands once, drawing the room’s attention back to him. "Alright. Now that she can stand again, let’s get back to work."

  Shade’s stomach had been doing all sorts of things in the past few minutes: twisting, clenching, flipping, but at those words, it plummeted like she had just been dropped from a hundred feet in the air.

  Felix groaned. "Come on, man, can’t she enjoy being not broken for, like, five minutes?"

  "No," Viktor said ftly.

  Rivera, who had been leaning against a crate, finally spoke. "She needs it."

  Shade didn’t like how easily they talked about her like she wasn’t standing right there. But Rivera’s words struck something in her because deep down, she knew it was true. She did need it. Because if she didn’t learn how to fight now, she was never going to survive this pce.

  Viktor turned back to her. “You gonna throw a punch this time?”

  Shade clenched her fists, then loosened them.

  She didn’t answer right away.

  Then, after a long moment, she exhaled and squinted her eyes. "Yeah."

  Asher grinned, finishing off his burger. "I gotta see this."