Two weeks later…
Fii stood atop a dilapidated four-story building, her face hidden by a cybernetic helmet. It reminded her of the ones worn by the Ultimate Guardians, the city's team of elite Supers.
The helmet snugly encased her visage, its surface a dark, matte finish that absorbed the glow from the sunrise over the horizon. Horn-like protrusions emerged from the top, sharp and sleek, reminiscent of some ancient warrior, yet undeniably high-tech.
As she gazed across the sprawling landscape of the slums, her visor illuminated, casting eerie luminescence in the shape of solid light blue eyes. They weren't just apertures of light; they were expressions, allowing her to convey emotions, lending an additional layer of humanity to her new identity. Below the visor, chin lamps cast a soft glow, subtly outlining her jawline and throwing a soft glow on the carbon-fiber weave of her techwear attire.
Her outfit consisted of a sleek, form-fitting bodysuit layered with tactical armor, protecting her vital areas while allowing her to maintain mobility. Her forearms and shins were encased in vambraces and greaves, respectively, providing an additional layer of protection.
A leather jacket clung tightly to her frame, its fabric-paneled design complimenting the streamlined aesthetics of her bodysuit. She wore sturdy boots that provided grip while remaining lightweight, ideal for traversing the rooftops of the slums. A utility belt wrapped around her waist, carrying a variety of useful items.
She felt the pull of the Earth beneath her, a familiar tug she'd come to recognize.
With a determined exhale, Fii sprinted forward, her feet pounding against the weathered rooftop. As she reached the edge, she leaped, the world blurring around her. But instead of the stomach-churning drop she'd experienced countless times before, there was a gentle descent. Her Gravikinesis kicked in, allowing her to glide gracefully to the ground. The impact was soft, like landing on a cushion of air.
A few early risers paused in their tasks, their eyes wide with surprise and awe. Whispers spread through the crowd, their tones a mix of awe and disbelief. "Did you see that?" one woman exclaimed. "She just... floated down!"
A man riding his moped honked his horn, swerving out of her path.
"Watch where you're going, jackass!" he yelled.
The visor's LED eyes blinked once, a brief expression of surprise that matched Fii's own.
Whoops. Guess I'm not used to this yet. Sorry.
Fii waved sheepishly, but the pedestrian merely grunted, shaking his head before returning to his commute.
With a sigh, Fii set off down the street, trying to ignore the stares and whispers.
Not...exactly the reception she was expecting.
She didn't blame them. After all, the city's superheroes, like the Ultimate Guardians, never ventured into the slums. And she didn't look like any of the famous ones, anyway. She was a masked nobody. An unknown entity.
At least, for now.
But the way they were looking at her, she knew that look too well. It was the same look she probably had whenever she saw someone doing something weird and crazy out on the streets. A look that said: "Who is this crazy-looking idiot?"
The truth was, Fii felt like an idiot. She hadn't planned on her debut being quite so...ordinary.
She'd spent the last week practicing her catchphrases, poses, and everything in between. But now, standing amidst the bustle and grime of the slums, she felt woefully unprepared.
"Uh, hi there, um..." Fii's voice trailed off, her words sounding garbled and distorted by the vocal modulator attached to her helmet. She resisted the urge to grimace. This wasn't going well. At all. "I'm, uh, Axion, and I...er...help people...you guys, I guess?"
Great. Nice one. Way to go, Fii. Super eloquent.
She mentally chastised herself for her awkward wording and lame introduction, but she tried to play it off. She kept moving, hoping they would lose interest and turn away.
Instead, they watched her with increasing bewilderment and suspicion. Their eyes tracked her, unblinking and questioning. Some of them even laughed. Fii winced inwardly, but she kept moving, scanning the crowd for anyone in immediate need. But aside from some hushed whispers, they remained uninterested, content to watch her wander aimlessly through their streets.
What a warm welcome.
Just as she was about to give up and slink off in embarrassment, she spotted an old woman, her back hunched with age, struggling to hang her laundry on a high line. Fii watched as the woman stretched on her tiptoes, her fingers just inches away from the clothespin. Without a word, Fii rushed over, reaching out to steady the elderly woman with a hand on her back. "Here, let me help," she offered, her voice warm and reassuring.
The old woman yelped in surprise, nearly losing her balance. "W-Who are you?" she sputtered. "What do you want?"
"It's okay," Fii reassured her, reaching for the clothing line. "I'm here to help." With one arm, she deftly attached the woman's clothing to the line, smoothing the fabric with her gloved hands. She turned to the old woman, flashing the LEDs of her helmet in the pattern of a bright smile. "There you go. All done."
The old woman gaped, her mouth agape with shock. "Y-You're a meta," she whispered. "One of them metas in the news. The heroes."
Fii gave a polite nod. "Have a nice day," she said, before turning away, leaving the woman in stunned silence.
As Fii walked off, she could hear the crowd whispering amongst themselves. "Can you believe it? A metahuman, here, in the slums!" "Did you see the way she jumped off the roof and glided down?" "She's one of those Supers. We never get them around here." "I didn't know they even cared about us."
The comments sent a shiver down Fii's spine, and she tried not to let the praise get to her. After all, she wasn't a Super. Not yet, at least. But she was on the path to becoming one, and that thought brought a smile to her lips.
Fii wandered the streets of the slums, greeting the passersby with a courteous wave or a friendly hello. Most of the people responded in kind, with surprised but pleasant nods. The odd one or two responded with a nervous, suspicious stare. Others, perhaps those wary of strangers or with something to hide, ignored her altogether.
The majority, however, simply stared, their eyes tracking her as she moved. It wasn't fear or disdain; Fii sensed no hostility from them. It was curiosity, and Fii understood why. She'd grown up here, too, and she'd never encountered a hero, nor even any metas, except in the news feeds the televisions blared from some of the shops at the Rust Market.
She imagined these people thought the same: What was a hero, or even a meta, doing here, in the slums?
But Fii had a reason. A goal. She had to earn the respect and trust of the people in the slums, prove that she was here to help them.
As she strolled along, Fii noted the crumbling structures and the pothole-ridden roads. The cracks ran deep, and the streets teemed with stray animals and litter. In the distance, she saw a group of kids playing. They chased one another with sticks, laughing and shouting as they darted between the ramshackle buildings.
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Fii sighed, lowering her voice so only Edith could hear. "Er…Edith, can you tone it down a little?"
"Um, yes, and I'm not exactly used to the voice comms either," Fii hissed. "I thought you'd only contact me if I needed help."
Fii sighed. Edith had a point.
"Okay. Thanks, Edith."
Edith hummed, clearly pleased.
"Not much happening so far," Fii replied, glancing around at the deserted streets. "I met a few people, helped with some odd jobs, but mostly, I've just been walking."
Edith snorted, but she didn't sound disappointed.
Fii nodded, despite the fact that Edith couldn't see her. "I will, Edith. I'll keep you posted."
With a final murmur of thanks, Fii cut the connection. The earpiece in her helmet went silent once more, and she heaved a sigh of relief. Alone at last.
Of course, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt a tug on her jacket. "Hey, you got any food?" a young, sandy-haired boy asked, his big eyes staring up at her hopefully. He had a slight lisp and was missing a few teeth.
She studied him for a moment, taking in the dirt smeared on his face and the rags he wore as clothing. His bare, unkempt feet poked out from holes in the bottom of his shoes.
"Um..." Fii glanced around, noticing several more children had gathered, all watching her with hungry eyes.
She sighed and rummaged through the pockets of her jacket for the few Synthie bars she had stuffed in there earlier. "Here you go."
The boy accepted the snacks with a shy smile, quickly passing them along to his friends. Within moments, they were scarfing down the food, their faces practically glowing with delight. "Thanks, robot!"
Did...did they just call her a robot?
"Wait, no, I'm not—" Fii began to protest, but they'd already scampered off. She watched as they disappeared around the corner, their laughter echoing off the crumbling brick walls.
What part of her looked like a robot? The helmet?
She walked over to a window and stared at her reflection. Her LED eyes stared back, their pale blue hue striking against the jet-black visor. "Hmm," Fii mused. "Maybe I do look a bit like a robot."
The cybernetic helmet that Edith had given her did have a robotic appearance. It boasted a full-face covering, with a transparent polymer for the visor and carbon-fiber weave for the rest of the exterior. It was light, durable, and, most importantly, allowed for clear vision while concealing her identity.
She traced the smooth, hard contours with her gloved fingertips.
"It's not that bad," she muttered, poking at the metal horns that protruded from either side. "These make me look, I dunno, cool." She posed for a moment, admiring herself in the broken window's reflection.
"What are you doing?" A voice interrupted her, jarring her back to reality.
Fii spun around, startled, to find a teenage girl close to her age staring at her curiously. The girl wore a grubby T-shirt and shorts, and her tangled hair was held back in a loose braid. She raised her eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by Fii's antics.
Fii cleared her throat, straightening her jacket. "Nothing." She couldn't help but notice the way the girl's eyes seemed to take in the details of her techsuit and helmet. "Can I...help you with something?"
The girl hesitated, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. "Are you a Super?"
"Ah...well, I—"
Before Fii could finish her sentence, the girl interrupted, "You must be, right? With a getup like that. Can you show me some tricks?"
"Tricks?" Fii repeated, confused. "What kind of tricks?"
"You know, flying and stuff. Do some of that wooshy-vomph-thing that the superheroes do." The girl made a few exaggerated motions with her hands, presumably demonstrating what she meant by 'woosh' and 'vomph'.
"Flying and wooshes?" Fii parroted. She hadn't learned how to fly yet, but she did work on a few things to impress the crowd.
After spotting a few pieces of debris laying in the street, Fii knelt down and picked them up. They were discarded soda cans and bottles, but they were good enough. She could do a few fun tricks with them.
The girl cocked her head, studying Fii curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Here, watch this." The LED lights of Fii's helmet squinted to make it seem like she's smiling.
Fii focused, her hands outstretched, and the cans and bottles lifted off the ground and began to float. She twisted her wrists, and they started orbiting around her, spinning and twirling through the air.
The girl's eyes widened, her jaw dropping in amazement. "Woah," she breathed, her eyes following the debris as they danced through the air. "How are you doing that?"
Fii shrugged, the movement causing the debris to shift slightly. "I can control gravity. See?"
"What's gravity?" the girl asked, her eyes still glued to the floating debris.
A small tear pricked at Fii's eyes, and her helmet's eyes narrowed further to mimic a sad expression.
I knew I wasn't the only one who didn't know about it. See, Edith? It's not just me!
"Well," Fii replied, "gravity is the thing that makes things fall down. That's all that you really need to know about it. That's the important thing."
The girl finally tore her eyes away from the floating debris to glance up at Fii. "Huh. That's neat." She studied Fii for a moment before gesturing to the debris. "So why are they doing that, then?"
Fii thought for a moment before shrugging again. "Because I want them to." It was simple enough, but she didn't know how else to explain it. She waved her arms again, and the debris stopped in midair before being lowered gently to the ground.
The girl stared at them for a moment, clearly impressed by the display. "Neat trick."
"Thanks. My name's Axion." Fii introduced herself. She stuck her hand out for a handshake, but the girl ignored her, her attention drawn to something behind Fii.
"Toby! Hey, Toby! Come check this out!" the girl called over her shoulder, waving to someone behind her. "This robot can move things around without touching them! Pretty cool, huh?"
Fii followed the girl's gaze to see a group of boys approaching, all of them around the same age as the girl. "Hey, what's all the noise about?" one of the boys called out.
"Look what she can do!" the girl shouted, pointing to Fii. "Come on, show them!" She turned back to Fii, her eyes pleading.
Again with the robot? Really?
Fii gave an inward sigh before nodding. "All right, all right. But just so we're clear, I'm not a robot."
She picked up a few more pieces of discarded debris, cradling them in her arms, and then closed her eyes to focus. She concentrated, picturing the debris floating around her body. "Ta-daa." She grinned, opening her eyes and presenting her little gravity magic show.
The eyes of the newcomers immediately widened in disbelief, their jaws hanging open as they gaped at the spectacle. "Whoah," one of them murmured. "That's awesome."
Fii nodded, pleased at the reaction. "Thanks." She dropped the debris again, letting it clatter to the ground. "I can do more, but those are the basics."
The girl frowned. "Aw, don't stop, please." She nudged the boy named Toby with her elbow. "Tell her to keep going," she insisted. "She can move things without touching them."
Toby flushed, but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, keep going! Do more!"
Fii shook her head, smiling at the eagerness of the group. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to wear myself out too quickly." She crouched down and retrieved the discarded trash, placing them back where she found them. "Besides, you all should try to clean up more, so our neighborhood doesn't stay this dirty. Okay?"
They all nodded their heads, seemingly ashamed at being called out on the mess.
Fii straightened and patted them on the shoulders. "That's the spirit."
She couldn't help but feel pride at getting them to take responsibility for a little bit. It might not have been much, but every little bit helped. She glanced around at the dilapidated buildings, her eyes lingering on the cracks and crumbling bricks.
It's the least I can do to help these kids grow up into responsible adults. Who knows, maybe someday, they'll be the ones fixing all of this.
"What are you, some sort of Super or something?" another boy asked.
Fii nodded, grinning proudly from within her helmet. "Yep! That's me, Axion. And I'm here to help."
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image [https://i.imgur.com/kIeGD99.png]