After trying out her new skill for a little while longer, she stopped when the adrenaline wore off and her feet and legs grew tired. The more she used her new gravitational slide ability, the more she learned how to control her movements, so that she could minimize the wear and tear to her body.
Still, the physical strain of continually shifting gravity around herself added up quickly. As soon as she stopped, a dull, throbbing ache settled into her bones.
She headed over to a bench and collapsed onto it, stretching out her legs and massaging her sore muscles. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips as she rested, taking the moment to enjoy the brief respite.
Her eyes drifted over the scenery as her mind wandered, thinking back to the fight with the Neon Vipers. She couldn't shake off the memory of Kasumi's smug smile when she thought she had the upper hand. She also recalled how fast the woman fought. Faster than anyone else Axion had come across so far.
And her nanowire things. Those were pretty terrifying.
Edith had given her a basic rundown on how those wires worked while she was recovering from the fight. Tech like that was uncommon even in the metropolis, but a lot of criminals there had access to it.
It didn't take much for Axion to piece together that Kasumi and probably a lot of the Neon Vipers weren't from the slums, but instead, they were exiles from the metropolis.
The bigger gangs were like that too, so she shouldn't be surprised. Still, she couldn't help but wonder: how many other gangs here had access to tech like that?
If it was just pipe guns—or even actual guns—she'd be fine. But nanotech? That changed the stakes. What other weird weapons would she have to fight against in the future?
Maybe she should start using weapons herself. Virgil had offered to teach her, but the idea of shooting or stabbing people always felt wrong to her. Sure, punching or kicking them wasn't much better, but it just felt different. As long as she made sure not to put too much force behind her blows, she wouldn't have to worry about accidentally killing someone with her power.
Shooting at them with a gun or slicing them up with a knife? That seemed more likely to kill them or cripple them. She had no intention of becoming a murderer, even if those people might deserve it—
Oh...
Well, she did use her power to reflect the bullets that Zoltar and his goons shot at her and Quinn. At the time, she was preoccupied with self-defense, so she didn't think twice about it. Now though, the realization struck her. She could've killed them back there. Just a little bit of misdirecting here, and the bullets would've torn through their faces and necks, leaving nothing but a red mist in their place.
"Did I...almost become a murderer that day?"
The words left her mouth before she even registered them.
She let them sink in, dwelling on the possibility that she may have been teetering on the edge of crossing a line, something that she swore never to do.
But in the heat of that moment, that was the last thing that crossed her mind. All she cared about at the time was keeping Quinn safe and fighting back. Using the bullets they fired back at them? Yeah, that seemed perfectly reasonable in her mind.
No one could've blamed her for reacting that way, could they?
Axion shook her head. It's not like she planned on killing them. She just wanted to get them off their backs. Besides, no one died, right? Everyone walked away alive with only a few bullet holes in them.
That had to count for something.
----------------------------------------
As she took a break, she glanced over at the Tower of Songs. It stood tall above the slums, one of the only remaining landmarks from back when the slums was...well, just a normal city.
Edith had mentioned that the place used to be called the Paarasoft Building, and it used to be the city's pride and joy, housing the corporate headquarters for a big company.
Now it was nothing but a relic.
But despite that, the place became some sort of haven for musicians, artists, and other creative types. People gathered in the courtyard and on the balconies to perform, playing instruments, singing, or reciting poetry. Those performances drew crowds, and ChitCreds flowed. Food, drugs, and booze sold like water, and those profits were used to support the performers and hire more security. Soon, the place became known as the Tower of Songs.
The whole complex became as close to a self-sufficient community as you could get in the slums. It almost seemed like an entirely different world, separate from the rest of the grimy, crime-ridden, poverty-stricken place. Even the gangs respected its status as neutral territory and rarely caused any trouble there.
Performers lived on the upper floors and worked together to maintain the building, renovating and refurbishing old rooms to turn them into apartments, studios, and galleries.
The ground level was converted into a large hall, where live music could be enjoyed. The main area contained food and drink stalls, and even had an open-air stage, where theatre and dance shows were performed. The courtyard and balcony areas served as outdoor spaces, allowing people to enjoy the weather and relax between indoor shows.
Most of the electricity that the metropolis drip-fed into the slums also went to the Tower of Songs. This meant that the lights on the building still worked properly and stayed on long after they failed in the rest of the slums. Only the Neon Alley, the Night Market, and a few other places managed to keep their lights on. It made the building stand out like a sore thumb among the darkness of the rest of the slums.
During Axion's patrols, she sometimes visited the tower, stopping by to listen to a performance or two. She liked how lively the place was. It was one of the few spots in the slums that never lost its color or cheer. It always had something new happening, be it a show, a band, or an artist painting a mural.
Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
There was always something going on.
Axion leaned against the rusty metal bench, watching the performers on the balconies and the ground floor. Music wafted through the air, creating a soothing backdrop to the din of the slums.
She blinked as she spotted something new on one of the walls by the courtyard. She squinted at the sight, trying to figure out what she was looking at.
From a distance, she could see several people climbing the building's outer walls, their grips secured onto colorful hand and footholds embedded into the concrete.
Axion stood up and approached the base of the wall, craning her neck upwards. Up close, she could see that the wall was covered in various grip-textured surfaces: ridges, grooves, and knobs designed to provide purchase for climbers.
She spotted a small crowd of onlookers gathering near the bottom, pointing and exclaiming as they watched the climbers scale the wall. Axion pushed through the throng of spectators, standing near the front to get a better view.
"Hey! It's Axion!" someone exclaimed. Several heads turned, staring at her in awe.
She waved awkwardly and nodded towards the wall. "Uh, hi. So...what's going on?"
"Oh, you haven't heard? They built a climbing wall there," a girl replied enthusiastically. "I've seen people climb up and down before, but today, they're competing! I don't know who's leading or what they're competing for, but it sure is exciting to watch!"
"Yeah," one of the men chimed in. "You should go check it out sometime. You won't believe how hard those guys can pull. I'm not much of a climber myself, but I bet you'll get the hang of it quickly since you're a Super."
"Really?" Axion's LED eyes widened, glancing back at the wall. "Is it...fun?"
"Oh, for sure! Climbing can be a real workout. And a good way to clear your mind too." The man smiled at her. "All you gotta do is grab ahold of the wall and start moving. Trust me, once you get going, you'll get addicted!" He nodded towards the competition. "Want to have a go yourself?"
Axion tilted her head thoughtfully before shrugging. "I mean, I guess? Sure, why not? It sounds interesting."
The man laughed. "Trust me, you'll love it!" He pointed up at the wall. "They've got harnesses you can borrow for safety, so you won't have to worry about falling. You can even fall on purpose to get back to the bottom quickly, hah."
"Oh, it's okay. I won't need them. I have my powers." She tapped her helmet for emphasis.
The man scratched his cheek, seeming a little unsure. "Alright, suit yourself. If you change your mind, just ask those guys for a spare harness."
"Okay, thank you!" She flashed him a thumbs-up, then strode over to the wall and stood underneath the overhanging ledge. The nearest person was only halfway up. Looking up, she eyed the distance. From a glance, the climbing seemed straightforward enough, with lots of jutting holds to grasp.
"Nah, I'll figure it out as I go. I'm gonna do this by myself."
"Thanks."
She didn't want to use her powers for her first climb. Just being a metahuman should give her enough advantage to get her to the top. If she slipped and fell, then she'd just use her power to safely land.
Taking a deep breath, she launched herself into the air, reaching for the highest handhold she could reach. She grabbed hold of a bumpy protrusion with both hands and heaved herself upwards. Pulling her other arm up, she wedged her fingers into another hold and started hoisting herself upwards.
As she ascended, she found herself relaxing into the process of searching for hand and footholds, adjusting her grip, and finding the next spot to latch onto. Her body instinctively swayed with the wall's texture, seeking out the most secure places to rest her limbs.
Before long, she was so absorbed in her task that she almost forgot about the crowd of spectators below, cheering and egging her on. She paused for a moment, glancing down, and noticed a group of guys gawking at her. They were clustered near the base of the wall, eyes practically bulging out of their skulls.
What are they staring at?—Oh!...oh...
Axion shifted uncomfortably, suddenly aware of the position she was in: bent over, legs apart, butt wiggling as she struggled to keep her balance on the wall. Her bodysuit hugged her curves and left little to the imagination.
Awkwardly, she adjusted her posture, flattening herself against the wall with her legs splayed and chest pressing against the rough texture.
The crowd started hollering louder, whooping and whistling. A few even made suggestive catcalls, and someone called out, "Yeah, baby! You got it!"
Don't look at them. Focus on the wall.
She refocused her attention on the texturing, scanning for the best holds to latch onto. Slowly but surely, she found her groove, falling into the pattern of handhold-foothold-repeat, ignoring the lecherous comments from the peanut gallery. Before she knew it, she was almost at the top of the climbable portion of the wall.
Without her power, she felt the pull of gravity more acutely than usual. Her fingers burned, aching from their continuous pressure against the rocks, and the rest of her body felt stiff from constantly holding itself in a strange contortion.
The feeling of 'down' tugged at her, tempting her to drop. She had only felt a similar feeling when she released her gravity field at the apex of her jumps, but this sensation was stronger, almost overwhelming. But she ignored the urge to use her power, forcing herself to focus on the physicality of the climb.
Almost there, you can do this. Almost—There!
As Axion reached for the final handhold, her fingertips brushed against the smooth material, unable to gain any purchase. She tried to wedge her nails into the crack, but they couldn't find a good grip. She shifted her weight, attempting to adjust her stance, but her other foot had no support either.
Suddenly, she felt her foothold dislodge, and her body tipped dangerously. With a cry, she scrambled desperately, her fingernails scraping uselessly against the concrete. Her foot flailed, searching for a hold, but there was nothing. She was slipping, falling—
Just as she was about to drop, she activated her gravikinesis, intending to lighten her weight to float gently to the ground.
Instead, her mind honed in on her practice with her Gravity Slide, and her feet connected with the wall, sliding downwards as her body instinctively angled towards the surface.
She yelped in surprise, her arms waving frantically as she tried to regain her balance.
'Down' started to tug at her again...but her feet also experienced 'down' in a different direction—towards the wall.
Two downs?! I'd rather stick to the down where my feet are!
Halfway down, her feet stuck to the wall.
Axion let out a soft gasp as she realized she had somehow switched her orientation. Her 'feet' were now firmly attached to the vertical wall, while her 'head' faced the ground.
The 'down' she experienced ahead of her faded. Instead, she felt a 'down' towards the building underneath her feet.
What the...How does this even...?
She looked behind her and saw the top of the Tower, and beyond that, the sky. In front of her, the crowd stared in shocked silence. She looked down at her feet and raised one tentatively from the wall.
Slowly, she eased it forward, testing her new orientation. To her astonishment, she stayed firmly attached to the wall, like an insect to a sticky surface. The feeling of 'down' was now towards the building instead of the actual ground.
She took off her jacket and let it go. It fell to the wall, sticking to it just as she had done.
"Woah..." she muttered, her helmet's LED eyes widening.
Edith's voice buzzed in her ear.