I was walking along the road alone, observing the surprisingly clean and cheerful atmosphere of this part of the city. People here seemed genuinely happy, a stark contrast to what I had encountered before.

Lia and I had parted ways. She had her own things to do, while I wanted to explore the city further. It was clear that Lia intended to give me enough space and time to consider the offer we had discussed.

As I reviewed the pros and cons of joining their team, I delved deeper into each member's biography. I was hoping to find something that would sway me in one direction or the other.

Jeanie had gathered information on them from various sources, including the internet and her findings from searching their house. Susan and Henry didn't look their age at 37 and 41, respectively. It should have been apparent, given the age of their children, but their youthful appearances threw me off.

They were undeniably celebrities. Each one, except the youngest member Rex, had a presence in the world of commercials and modeling.

Rex, who had recently turned 18, played a crucial role in their hero work as their tech expert. Notably, he held a certification from the Science Council, which carried significant prestige and recognition. At least, that's what Jeanie's notes told me.

Summer, the second youngest member of the team, was also 18 years old, with her birthday approaching in a few months. Despite her youth, she had the least prominent celebrity presence among the team members. However, she held a record for the highest number of arrests, as she spent significant amounts of time on the streets cracking heads.

Crystal, at the precise age of 20, and Lia, who had just turned 21, were close friends. They had bonded during the Titan attack that occurred a decade ago. Lia, tragically orphaned during the attack, was adopted by Henry and Susan. Remarkably, she dedicated one day each week to traveling between hospitals, utilizing her healing abilities to provide free treatment for those in need. Additionally, it was intriguing to learn that she was the only team member who had starred in a movie.

Crystal frequently organized and hosted a multitude of charity events, serving as their family's second-greatest source of income. Lia often made appearances at these events, especially those involving Titan survivors.

Jeanie had made a note detailing the Titan attack. A colossal rock golem emerged from the mist and ruthlessly demolished one of the towers that housed the shield generators. Although it swiftly vanished, the mist managed to infiltrate the city, resulting in a devastating disaster. Countless lives were lost, and as a grim consolation, a wave of new supers was born in the aftermath. They repaired the generator only an hour after the attack.

These titans continued to appear a few times a year, prompting the implementation of a new policy. Each tower now required a powerful super to be stationed there around the clock. Thanks to this measure, future attacks were successfully fended off until reinforcements arrived, preventing any notable incidents of a similar scale.

Diana, age 35, was the next member of the Pawn team. Like Susan and Henry, she had a youthful appearance that belied her actual age. Tom, a family friend, was also 35 and happened to be Rex's father. The final member of their team was Tyler, Susan's younger brother, who was 28.

Jeanie had also compiled the public details on their powers. While I was already aware of Summer's and Crystal's abilities from shaking their hands, the rest of the team members possessed an intriguing array of capabilities.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, signaling a new message. Retrieving it, I found a text from Jeanie. She mentioned that she was looking into something, but she didn't provide specific details. Although I assumed it was related to the android encounter, her lack of transparency told me she was likely involved in something I wouldn't fully approve of.

She did provide an explanation about the android. The phone I had been carrying around is actually called an IC, which stands for identity card. That robot scans the cards of everyone it encounters, even if they are still in their pockets. Jeanie had disabled any tracking capabilities to ensure our safety, but it ended up working against us when the android couldn't establish a connection to my IC.

"What are you up to now?" I asked, a hint of concern creeping into my voice. Jeanie had gone rogue on a few occasions in the past, wanting to shield me from unsavory situations.

While I felt frustrated with her unnecessary need to protect me, I knew her heart was in the right place. I made a mental note to pry the details out of her later tonight. Just as I was about to put my phone away, another message from Jeanie popped up.

"That's not a good sign," I muttered as I clicked the link, which opened a banking app revealing an account under my new name. A significant amount of money, totaling several thousand dollars, had been deposited.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

If the prices hadn't changed too much since before, then this amount wasn't particularly outrageous. I recognized it for what it was, starting funds. While I wasn't sure where Jeanie obtained it from, I trusted that the source wouldn't be someone in dire need of it.

Engrossed in my thoughts, I overheard a conversation between two men. "I told you the Science Council are all mistlings. They're letting those things in." "Shut up." Curiosity piqued, I halted abruptly, capturing their attention.

"Those things never leave the mist. It was probably a super running back after trying their luck in the wild. Or maybe another city has fallen, and it was a survivor," replied the young man, sitting with his friend at a bus stop.

"Besides, whoever it was didn't kill anyone. There's no way one of those monsters could hold itself back," he remarked, waving his hand dismissively to his companion.

"Excuse me," I interjected, capturing the attention of the two men. Even if it was merely a rumor, I couldn't afford to dismiss the possibility of one of those creatures infiltrating the city. While I had never known them to venture beyond the mist, their existence remained an enigma shrouded in mystery.

"Are you two talking about one of those creatures getting into the city?" I inquired, my gaze shifting between the two men.

"No, it's just some crazy super attacked a shield tower," one of the men responded, turning his phone around to show me a sketch of the culprit. "His paranoid ass thinks they're infiltrating our society." He pointed his thumb toward his friend.

"I'm not paranoid, dude. I got a friend who works observation duty at Tower 2. He says there were no sightings of the mistlings around the city in a week. And I got this other friend who told me he saw one inside the city. It took its own skin off and had a different face underneath." He dragged his hand down his face to mimic tearing it off.

The two men didn't pay me any more attention, so I quickly broke away and hastened down the street. It appeared that neither of them had realized the sketch depicted me.

I knew where it must have come from. When I managed to escape from that tower, the super who had blocked my path had gotten a clear look at my face. Thankfully, Jeanie had taken precautions to ensure they couldn't capture me on camera.

With a drawing of that quality, I didn't think I was in any trouble. The features were generic enough that even the two men I was talking to fit it.

Deciding to put the incident behind me, I redirected my focus to the task at hand – exploring the city. I walked through bustling streets, observing the vibrant atmosphere and the diverse mix of people going about their daily lives. As I strolled along, I took note of shops, restaurants, and landmarks, soaking in the city's energy.

Curiosity piqued, I entered a quaint grocery store nestled between two bustling buildings. The vibrant picture of fresh fruits displayed above the entrance caught my eye, reminding me of the need to stock up my new apartment with essential supplies, especially in the food department.

Upon stepping inside, I discovered a far less extensive display than I anticipated. Instead of rows of shelves filled with various foods, the store had a minimalistic layout. The plain and simple square room was adorned with pictures of food on the left and right walls, each with its corresponding price listed below. A counter stood opposite the entrance, manned by a clerk.

This gave me an opportunity to compare the prices to what I was familiar with. The apples were priced at approximately $2 per pound, while the bananas were around $1. However, my search for meat or bread proved disappointing as I couldn't find any in the store.

Approaching the attendant, I caught his attention, "Do you sell anything other than fruit here?" I asked, taking into account the sign and the abundance of fruit pictures on the walls. It seemed likely that this place specialized in them.

"We do offer affordable meals, but I highly recommend the fruit. We pride ourselves on having the best selection in the city," he replied without much enthusiasm. It was evident he had delivered this line hundreds of times before.

"Alright, can I get a few of those meals and a pound of bananas?" I requested, deciding to try out their recommended fruit while also opting for some of their meals.

The attendant crouched down behind the counter and retrieved four of those black cubes I had seen Susan use. He placed them in a bag and then turned back to face me, holding a tablet in his hands.

"That'll be $33.69. IC, please." He was ready with his finger hovering over the tablet.

I presented my phone to the attendant, but he didn't take it. Instead, he tapped a button on his tablet. To my surprise, the banking app on my phone opened up on its own, only to quickly close back down.

"Have a good day, sir," he said, handing me the bag and attempting a smile.

I looked down at the bag in confusion. Clearly, those cubes could turn into food, but was that my only option? I had hoped to get something real. These just felt highly processed even if I knew from experience they tasted good. Giving up, I pushed my thoughts aside.

"You too," I replied, taking the bag with my purchase, and exited the store. However, as I stepped outside, I was immediately struck by a powerful wave of heat that blasted me back inside.

I reacted swiftly, summoning protective limbs around me in an instinctive response. Bracing myself, I collided with the wall, unleashing a tremendous force that caused it to crack upon impact.

A follow-up never came. Peeking out from my protective barrier, I quickly realized that the attack was not aimed at me. The street was filled with chaos as people ran in all directions to seek cover. However, amidst the panic and confusion, there was one man who stood calmly in the middle of it all. He seemed unaffected by the mayhem surrounding him, the only one not running for safety.

"You call that fire? I'll show you real fire!" The man's voice boomed with arrogance as he picked up a chunk of road, roughly the size of a softball. "Catch!" With a swift motion, he hurled it through the air, and as it soared, the piece ignited into a blazing red flame, flickering with an intensity that seemed otherworldly.

"Damn it! A super fight. And today was going so well," I muttered under my breath. But I couldn't resist adding a touch of humor to the situation. "Well, I guess things are about to heat up!" I quipped, a wry smile playing on my lips.