"Fuck!" Havoc slammed his fist against the table. "We had her right there and let her slip through our fingers. Useless bunch of fuckups."

The Adrenomancers had returned to their hideout and now sat around the meeting table, nursing their injuries and suppressing their frustration. All except for Havoc, who paced furiously around the room.

"I told you we should have ambushed her instead of charging in like a bunch of idiots," Voltaire said, leaning back in his chair. "Now, we've given her time to regroup and come up with a defense plan."

"You shouldn't have rushed her like that," Blitz agreed, his voice slurring slightly. His face was badly bruised, and his lips split. "We don't know her abilities and how they work. It was risky."

Havoc glared at him. "So, you're blaming me? You should have incapacitated her with your speed. Instead, you let her turn the tide and beat us at our own game."

Mirage shook her head. "She's strong. It's no surprise Salvatore wants her so badly." She turned to Havoc. "Although I do agree you should've given a clearer instruction. We'll have a tough time catching her off guard now."

"Whatever," Havoc retorted dismissively. "All you did was stand by and watch while the rest of us got our asses kicked. You only interfered at the last moment."

Mirage narrowed her eyes, giving Havoc a pointed stare. "I was busy trying to make sure Backfire didn't come waltzing in while you all were taking your sweet time in capturing Axion," she replied frostily. "My task is to support you with my holograms, not to fight head-on. Besides, you clearly underestimated her powers."

Raze stood idly by in the corner, the drugs in his harness pumping fresh stimulants into his bloodstream. The big Adrenomancer crossed his arms and remained silent, watching the argument unfold.

"Look, I get that we botched this mission," Blitz conceded. "We didn't have enough time to prepare—you barely gave us two minutes before launching the attack. So how about we cut ourselves some slack and figure out how to salvage the situation."

Havoc stopped pacing and turned to Blitz. "Fine," he snapped. "We'll have other chances. But we need a better game plan next time." He strode over to his seat and sat down heavily.

"I'm more interested in figuring out her abilities. How come her power was nothing like Prime's telekinesis?" Blitz asked, glancing around the room. "Anyone else notice that?"

Mirage shrugged. "I've seen the footage—Prime's telekinesis works similarly. But I think Axion's power is based on gravity."

Blitz cocked his head. "How can you tell?"

"The way she affected us, the rubble she threw, her floating and sticking to the side of the building like she was on normal ground..." Mirage explained. "If she were a Telekinetic, she'd have affected us the same way Prime does. We would have been crushed, twisted, or torn apart."

"We did get thrown around a bit and almost got crushed," Voltaire pointed out. "But yeah, she wasn't destroying everything like Prime would."

"It's just a hunch," Mirage admitted. "But if we want concrete answers, we'll have to send our footage to Salvatore and let him analyze the videos."

"Alright, alright. I'll send it over and report in," Havoc stated. "Should give him a good show, at least."

He tapped the desk console in front of him, activating the display screens embedded within. After navigating through menus and security measures, he established a video call to Salvatore.

The other Adrenomancers waited silently while the call went through. Eventually, the Mad Chemist's face filled the monitor, and his features registered clear displeasure.

"Looks like you failed me, Havoc," Salvatore chastised. "Care to explain?"

The Adrenomancer clenched his teeth but held back the response he really wanted to give. "There's no need for theatrics. It was our fault."

"Yes," Salvatore stated plainly. "Your faults are many—but you're still useful nonetheless. Now, report."

Havoc complied, relaying the details of the battle. The others offered input when necessary. Once they finished their recounting of the events, they waited for Salvatore's reaction.

"Gravikinesis..." the mastermind mused. "An interesting development. And an excellent discovery on Mirage's part." He smiled. "I'll run some simulations with the data you've provided. In the meantime, continue monitoring the situation. Capture Axion on your next encounter and deliver her to me alive."

The video link terminated abruptly. The monitors flicked off with a soft hum.

Havoc leaned back and exhaled. The Adrenomancers exchanged glances with each other.

After a long pause, Blitz clapped his hands together. "Well, at least he's not pissed anymore. That's good, right? Right?"

"Yeah, he's not gonna punish us," Raze replied. "Guess we're off the hook."

"No. This time, he'll expect better," Havoc interjected.

----------------------------------------

Fii rushed over to Rao's shop after dropping off the rescued civilian in a run-down clinic a few blocks away and stashing her gear into one of Edith's drones.

The section of the Rust Market that the Adrenomancers rampaged over resembled a warzone. Booths and stalls lay in ruins, the asphalt was scarred, and rubble littered the surroundings. People came out of hiding now, cleaning up the destruction or inspecting the damage to their properties. Several wore baffled and disgusted expressions on their faces, muttering under their breaths.

Fii slowed down to a halt, her heart sank at the sight of several dead bodies sprawled around the wreckage. A few people were crouched nearby, some crying while others tended to them silently.

She hadn't seen any in the area where she fought the Adrenomancers, so she figured people had managed to escape in time. Not all of them did. The bodies had been covered with sheets, but it didn't mask the smell of blood.

As she passed by the scene, she caught snippets of their conversation.

"Mom! Mom!" A boy cried out. "Come back..." He cradled a woman's bloodied body, his hands gripping her torn shirt.

A man sat slumped nearby, staring vacantly at a motionless figure covered with a piece of tarp. Someone patted his shoulder as he buried his face in his hands, trembling.

Guilt wrenched her guts.

If only she had gotten here faster and stopped the Adrenomancers' rampage earlier...

Shaking her head, she swallowed the lump in her throat and willed herself not to break down. Now wasn't the time for crying. Later, once she was alone—or if she ever got the chance—she'd mourn these people.

A sense of dread crept on her as she continued making her way towards the Rao's shop.

Thankfully, his place was further away, untouched by the destruction. Fii entered the cyber-tech vendor's shop and scanned the store.

"Rao! You okay?!" Fii yelled.

A familiar face popped out from behind a counter, his features wrinkled. "Ah, Fii. Glad you're safe. I'm okay—nothing damaged. Store is fine."

Fii's shoulders slumped in relief.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Rao came out from behind the counter and walked over. "Thought it was a turf war that spilled over again. Glad they didn't wreck my store."

"Your store's the last thing you should worry about," Fii stated flatly, leaning against the wall and taking deep, calming breaths. "I saw a bunch of people dead on my way here."

"Eh, this ain't the worst I've seen," Rao replied, sighing. "You should've been here a decade ago. Those were grim days. Anyways, people will pick up the pieces. Again. And business will return. Again."

"Yeah...guess you're right," Fii mumbled, a sinking feeling weighing her. Things always seemed to go back to the status quo.

Rao was right—the Rust Market would bounce back soon enough; after all, rebuilding and recovery was what the slums were good at. In a week or two, the violence would be a distant memory, and things would carry on as if nothing ever happened. That's how life went here in the slums; she should've been used to this by now. Still, the weight of seeing the bodies didn't lift off her mind.

"You sure you're alright?" Rao asked. "You don't look well. Do you want to sit? There are some chairs by the counter."

"I'm okay, don't worry. Just got banged up a little. Nothing serious," Fii reassured him, shaking her head. "Still. Glad you're okay, Rao. You're like family to me."

Fii gave him a hug, patting him affectionately on the back.

"Bah. Don't get sappy with me, girl. I'm too old to deal with these emotions," Rao grumbled. "But enough about me. What the hell happened to you? You look like crap. Did you get into a brawl with a bulldozer?"

"Um...sorta?" Fii admitted sheepishly. She looked at herself, noting the cuts, bruises, and burns marking her exposed skin. Her face felt pretty banged up too.

Well, at least she wasn't dripping blood anymore. Still, she couldn't blame him for sounding concerned.

"Sit," Rao ordered, waving her over. "Let me patch you up." Fii obeyed and settled gingerly into a rickety chair. Rao rummaged in a drawer and retrieved a medical kit. Then, he proceeded to clean her wounds.

"How many months has it been since you came here looking like that? Four? Five?" Rao tutted. He dabbed antiseptic fluid on her cuts and applied ointment. "Seems like every day is a new injury for you."

Fii winced, stifling a cry as the antiseptic's sting radiated through her skin. "Occupational hazards."

She grimaced and endured the treatment.

Rao scoffed. "Some job you have." He placed a bandage over a particularly nasty-looking gash and secured it. Then, he moved onto the next wound. "You said you were working at the Aether Clinic. Did you fight with a skizzed-up patient or somethin'?"

His guess was...actually not too far off.

"Something like that," Fii hedged. Best to keep him in the dark. Rao fussed over her, continuing his ministrations. "Anyways, thanks for fixing me up again."

"Always the troublemaker. Reminds me when you were a scrawny ClipRunner. Ah, those were the days," Rao reminisced. "Remember that time you stole an entire bag of synthies because you were hungry?"

Fii shifted uncomfortably. Rao had scolded her profusely and even chased her out with a broomstick. Luckily for her, he had warmed up eventually and ended up hiring her to run errands and messages.

"Of course I do. Never stole after that." Fii rubbed her arms. That particular incident was ingrained deeply in her memories—it taught her a valuable lesson. Stealing would just cause the vendors to refuse her service. Honesty paid better.

"Good. You should keep that moral code." Rao applied another bandage. "Times are hard. Especially during turf wars. Always keep your values—otherwise, you'll lose yourself."

Fii pursed her lips. Yeah, she wouldn't steal. But beating the shit out of people that crossed the line certainly wouldn't count as immoral in her book. Like the Adrenomancers. She would've had no qualms smashing them further into the asphalt.

The front door suddenly burst open and Quinn dashed in, panting heavily.

He looked like he just ran across two districts without catching his breath.

"Fii! There you are," Quinn exclaimed, running over. "Are you okay? Edith told me what happened!"

Rao frowned. "Quinn? What are you doing here?"

Quinn halted, recognizing Rao's presence. "O-oh. Hi Rao." He glanced nervously at Fii. "I was...uh...checking up on Fii. Heard about what happened in the Rust Market. Thought I'd check in on her."

Fii suppressed her laughter. Quinn had a terrible poker face. Rao would definitely know he was hiding something.

The cyber-tech vendor narrowed his eyes. "Right. Well, you can 'check up on her' after I finish patching her up. Now sit."

Quinn stiffly obeyed. He perched nervously on the edge of his stool.

Rao resumed his treatments, his dexterous hands expertly cleaning Fii's cuts and applying ointment. Quinn fidgeted beside her, shifting anxiously.

Fii gave Quinn a subtle wink and a thumbs-up. Quinn relaxed visibly and shot her a grateful smile.

Rao paused his administration, scrutinizing Fii. "Hmm...seems I'm done. You got a bunch of bruises and scrapes. Try not to move around too much."

"Will do. Thanks." Fii rose gingerly from her seat and stretched. Pain flared briefly, and she inhaled sharply. Okay. Moving was not a good idea. Note to self: Rest.

"Anything else you need, Fii?" Rao inquired.

"Nope. I'm good. Just came to check if you were okay. Should probably get going," Fii responded. She didn't want to overstay her welcome. Not with Quinn around—Edith and Virgil would kill her if Rao learned of their secrets.

"You sure you're all healed? Take some med-packs, at least." Rao rummaged underneath his counter and presented Fii with a handful of med-packs.

"I can pay—"

"Nonsense." Rao shoved the med-packs into her hands. "Consider this compensation for all the deliveries you did for me."

Fii accepted the packets reluctantly. Free stuff was great, but accepting too much would make her feel guilty. "Thanks," she finally muttered.

"Take care. Remember—values are important," Rao called out as Fii headed for the exit. Quinn was close behind.

"Yeah, yeah." Fii waved distractedly. Quinn shot Rao a hurried farewell before stepping outside.

"Whew. I was afraid he'd suspect something," Quinn exhaled.

"Wouldn't be surprised if he already did." Fii chuckled. Quinn reddened and trailed beside her.

"Where you heading to?" Quinn queried. "The Aether clinic?"

"Was planning to," Fii admitted.

The two strolled companionably through the Rust Market's streets. Quinn supported her slightly—Fii didn't brush him off. Her sides ached, and her muscles throbbed. Walking was torture.

"Those Adrenomancers really beat you up," Quinn remarked under his breath as they passed the area where Fii had fought them earlier. "Glad you're okay. Well...relatively."

"Me too." Fii hobbled along, grimacing. Everything was sore. She really needed a bed—and a hot shower. "Hope the other clinic patched up the person I saved."

"They did. Edith told me," Quinn reassured. "By the way, what happened to the Adrenomancers?"

"Knocked them around a little. Dumped a few into the ground and threw bricks at them. But they're tougher than anyone else I've fought."

"Did they have superpowers too?"

"I don't know. One was fast. Another guy was crazy strong. The others didn't seem like they had anything special other than their gear," Fii recalled. "Then again, I'm not the best judge. Might've missed something."

"Well, at least you escaped. Could've been bad otherwise," Quinn observed, glancing sideways at her. "Did those skates help you?"

"Helped a ton. Really boosted my mobility and balance. I should have used them more, though. Probably would've prevented some of the hits I got."

Quinn grinned. "Told you those upgrades would come in handy."

"Yup. Good call, Quinn. Thanks." Fii meant every word. Without his contribution, she would have been curb-stomped. Literally.

"Anytime. That's why I'm here. Happy to help." Quinn bumped her playfully, and Fii returned the gesture.

The duo continued towards the clinic, chatting amicably. Despite her aching injuries and exhaustion, Fii enjoyed the interaction. Quinn's cheerful personality and enthusiasm brightened her spirits. He was always such a positive influence. She appreciated his company.

Eventually, the Aether Clinic appeared within view. Fii breathed a sigh of relief—almost there. Quinn matched her limping pace and assisted her towards the entrance.

Virgil was waiting right outside the doorway. Judging from his expression, it looked like he had a lot to say.

Great. Just what she needed.

"You did good surviving," Virgil greeted. His gaze flitted over Fii's battered form. "Looks like those Adrenomancers handed your ass to you though."

"Thanks," Fii replied curtly. "Can we go inside and discuss later?"

"Fine," Virgil replied gruffly, holding the door open. Quinn aided her inside and the trio ascended the staircase. Fii hobbled awkwardly with Quinn's assistance—every step hurt. By the time Fii reached an empty examination room, sweat dotted her forehead. Damn stairs.

Quinn helped her settle onto a cushioned hospital bed. Fii sank gratefully into the sheets. Soft. So, so soft. Finally. She couldn't wait to pass out.

Virgil cleared his throat. Fii opened her eyes—did she doze off?

"What did you learn?" the grizzled vigilante interrogated. "Talk."

Fii groaned. Why did Virgil have to ask questions now?

"They're super strong. Fast. Tough. Had guns. Some gadget stuff too..." Fii rattled off tiredly. "Couldn't land a knock-out blow. Kept interrupting me. Almost had them too." Fii yawned, fighting the urge to drift off. Sleep. Bed. Soft. Yes.

Virgil didn't appreciate her answer. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed exasperatedly. "You need to stop being so soft. Those Adrenomancers won't hesitate to put you in a bodybag. Hit harder and aim to end the fights."

Fii closed her eyes, not bothering to reply. Virgil would just nag anyways. Better to tune him out. Maybe he'd shut up if she fell asleep.

Virgil wasn't pleased. "Kid. I'm serious. Next time—you need be willing to kill them."

That woke Fii right up.