"Fii, where have you been?! I thought you got snatched by a gang or something! Did you go off and fade somewhere?" Rao fumed, pacing back and forth in his tiny store, a variety of trinkets and electronics displayed behind him on rickety shelves. His clothes hung off his bony frame, and the whites of his eyes were tinged red with lack of sleep.
Fii could only sheepishly smile, scratching the back of her head as he chastised her. She had taken Edith's advice and spent most of yesterday and today resting. It felt a bit silly to just be lazing about, considering all the workouts she had endured lately, but she wasn't the kind to question a day off. It had been nice to sleep in, to wake up slowly instead of jumping to her feet from a fitful night of broken sleep.
But she felt so bad for Rao. The last time he saw her was over a month ago, right after he told her to come back the next day for a new job. No wonder he thought she was snatched or killed. And now, here she was, waltzing back into his shop like nothing happened.
She grabbed Rao's hand that wasn't cybernetic and clasped it, shaking it vigorously. "I'm so sorry, Rao. Really, I am. A lot of crazy things happened and I just completely forgot to come back."
He sputtered in indignation, pulling his hand away. "You...forgot?" His eyes widened in disbelief. "Y-you forgot?" he repeated, sounding even more incredulous. "You vanished off the streets without a word. And you just...forgot to come back?"
His face was so comically shocked that Fii struggled to contain a laugh. She chewed on her lower lip and tried to hide her twitching lips with the back of her hand, pretending to cough.
"You're not fooling me, girlie!" he snapped. "I can tell you're trying not to laugh. What, do I look funny to you? Huh?" He threw his hands up in the air dramatically. "It's been over a month and you just forget to come back. I don't even want to ask you what happened. I don't even want to hear your stupid excuse!"
Rao flopped down on the wooden stool behind the counter and crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "Can you believe this? A month? Seriously? Kid's gotta be yanking my chain. I swear, I oughta..."
Fii crouched, leaning forward until her face was on the same level as Rao's. "I really am sorry. Look, I'm okay. I've been doing good. Got a stable job that pays good, but it's been keeping me busy so I haven't been able to come by." She bowed her head low and continued, "I'm sorry I made you worry."
Rao regarded her silently for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Whatever, I forgive you. Just make sure you come back a bit sooner next time, yeah? I thought some gang snatched you or something. Guess it was just echoes in empty cans."
Fii could tell he was still a little ticked, but at least he wasn't exploding at her anymore. He never stayed mad for long. "I will. Promise. And thanks. I really owe you. It means a lot that you still want me around."
Rao scratched the back of his head, the sternness in his voice softening. "Don't mention it. I just can't help worrying. Especially in this part of town—"
He suddenly tilted his head and squinted his eyes, as if studying her closely for the first time. "Huh. I didn't notice at first, but you look different."
"What do you mean?" Fii asked, slightly puzzled.
Rao walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She flinched at the sudden touch, but he was too engrossed in his observations to notice. "You've filled out a bit, and your skin looks less sallow. Wait, ain't your nose supposed to be broken? And I don't see any scars on your face either."
His eyes darted over to Fii's exposed arms. "Whoa! Check out those muscles! When'd you get those?" He moved back and looked her up and down, astonished. "And your hair, it's shiny and smooth." He reached out to touch it, only to be swatted away. "Geez, I'm just taking a look. You got quite the glow-up since the last time I seen you."
"Stop. Why are you checking me out, weirdo?" Fii's cheeks flushed, and she took a step back, folding her arms.
"Sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. But seriously, what the hell happened to you during all this time?" Rao stroked his beard thoughtfully. "You've never looked healthier or better-fed. How much have you been eating?"
"A normal amount," Fii answered. She wasn't lying. She did have three square meals a day at Edith's place, although the food she got there was far better than what she ever had elsewhere.
She looked at her arms and legs, flexing a bit and noticing how toned she had become. Now that Rao pointed it out, she could see what he meant. She used to be just skin and bones, her body thin and wiry, like a stray cat, but now she actually had some muscle. "Huh, you're right. I hadn't noticed."
Rao grinned, reaching out to pinch her cheek. "Well, whatever you're doing, keep at it. You're looking good, kid."
"Ow, ow, stop." Fii slapped his hand away, frowning. "I'm not a kid."
"Says you." Rao laughed, turning around to rummage through the contents of the shelves. "Well, now that you're looking all hale and hearty, you need to be extra careful out there. I don't think I need to say anymore, do I?" He shot a glance at Fii as if to emphasize the importance of what he was saying.
Fii nodded, her mood dropping. "Yeah, I know. Thanks. Anyways, how's business been?" she asked, straightening and glancing around.
The shop had hardly changed. The same piles of junk, the same weird tech scattered around in disarray. "Anything big happen while I was gone? Hadn't gone out much. Been busy staring at books."
She was trying to divert the conversation away from her, and hoped it worked. Luckily, Rao seemed to be in the mood to talk. He sat back, fiddling with the dials of his radio, tuning out the static with practiced ease.
"Been okay. Still running. And the neighborhood gangs have been keeping their heads down lately, at least the ones near the shop. But the Gully Rats that you ran into a while back have been on the rise. Word on the street is that they're planning a turf war with another gang. Some really nasty folks called the Sabres, apparently. Things could get messy around here. It's always the people who live closest to the danger who get caught in the crossfire, ya know?"
The mention of the Gully Rats made Fii's jaw tighten. "If those dirtbags try anything, they'll be sorry." She clenched her fist, thinking back to the alleyway and her near-death encounter.
"You keep this up, kid, and you'll get yourself in trouble again. Or worse, killed." Rao wagged his finger, scowling. "No need to go sticking your neck out. Stay low, stay safe. Ain't nothing good coming from tangling with gangs, not for someone like you, and not for someone like me."
Sorry, Rao, but she was going to be a superhero. It was only a matter of time before she bumped into the Gully Rats again. And this time, she had a surprise in store for them. But Rao didn't need to know that.
She offered a noncommittal grunt, trying to sound reassuring. "Anyway, anything else?" she prompted.
"Other than the gang stuff, everything's been fairly quiet. Same as always. It's not the biggest shop in the slums, but there's enough foot traffic to keep me in food and water. Speaking of which, you hungry? I'm sure you've been working hard, and you could use a bite to eat."
Fii's stomach grumbled on cue, and she nodded. "Sure. Can I get the same ol' synthie roll? Put it on my tab."
"Of course. Coming right up," Rao replied, smiling at her as he ambled to the back of the shop. She could hear him rummaging around for a plate and cutlery as he heated up the meal.
It was a bit out of place for a tech shop to also serve food, but the synthies sold fast, and they made for a quick snack. Plus, Rao used to be a chef, and his Synthie rolls were the best cheap meals this side of the slums. People came to the shop less for the gadgets and more for the food, and the locals loved him.
Rao came back and set the steaming Synthie roll on the counter. The synthies were made of rice-flour wrappers stuffed with synthetic meat fillings and vegetables and a variety of sauces. They had a fun, springy texture that made them slightly bouncy when bitten into, and they tasted surprisingly good despite being made from scraps and by-products of larger factories.
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They didn't taste as good as actual meat, but the alternative was going hungry. Besides, this beat starving.
Fii tore open the wrapper with her teeth, taking a sniff before devouring the synthie in a few bites. She swallowed and licked the sauce from her lips, nodding appreciatively. "Mmm, this is good. Hits the spot."
Truth be told, Sheri had spoiled her with her homecooked meals, and she'd almost forgotten what Rao's synthies tasted like. But she wasn't complaining. They were cheap, convenient, and filling. Rao deserved an award for finding a way to make garbage taste delicious.
"How is it?" Rao asked, giving her a toothy grin. "Still has a kick to it, right?"
Fii took another bite, savoring the spice and warmth on her tongue. "Perfect. Exactly like I remember it."
Rao looked pleased with himself. "The secret ingredient is hot sauce."
Fii gave him a thumbs-up, grinning. "Hot sauce fixes everything."
"Damn straight, kiddo." Rao laughed. He retrieved a rag from below the counter and used it to wipe the surface. "So, how's your new job going? Must not be paying you much if you still need to put the food on your tab."
Fii opened her mouth to reply, only to close it, not sure what to say. Should she lie and make up an excuse? She couldn't tell him the whole truth. What would he even make of that?
"It's going okay," she finally said. "Pay's okay."
Rao eyed her skeptically, raising an eyebrow. "What's your boss like, then?"
"Uh, she's...different," Fii admitted. "Smart, kinda annoying, sometimes a real jerk, but she's not a bad person. She's taught me a lot. I'm learning all sorts of new stuff. I'll get paid soon enough, and I can pay you back in full. I promise. I'll be getting five thousand ChitCreds, can you believe that?"
The corners of Rao's lips twitched, as if he was trying not to smile. But then his brow furrowed, and a worried frown creased his brow. "You sure she ain't scamming you or something? If it pays that good, it ain't honest, I tell you. Unless...you working at the Neon Alley?"
He raised his eyebrow at her, making a clicking noise with his tongue, and Fii stiffened, realizing what he was insinuating.
She blushed, waving her hands furiously in the air. "What?! No! Of course not!"
Fii jerked upright, staring at Rao as if he'd said something horrible. "I'm working at a clinic. I'm learning about medicine and biology and stuff." She couldn't mention the superpowers or the superhero stuff, but she was kind of telling the truth. Even without the meta stuff, she was still learning a lot of useful information.
Rao snorted, eyeing her skeptically. "You, of all people, working at a clinic? Next, you're going to tell me that pigs can fly." He raised his cybernetic arm and wiggled his fingers, the metallic digits clicking together as they flexed. "And I'm growing a new organic arm, starting with my thumb."
"Well, a lot of weird things have been happening recently. Who knows?" She winked at Rao. "Maybe one day, you'll grow a new arm."
"Sure, sure. Whatever you say," Rao laughed. "Well...I'm glad that you're alive and well. Guess that means you won't be needing that other job, huh? Well, you better not disappear on me again." He motioned to the door behind him. "Wait here, and I'll grab you those parts you asked for."
As Rao disappeared into the back room, Fii began inspecting the various tools and equipment lying scattered on the counter. There were metal wires and sheets, copper wire, and strips of rubber. There were even a few power tools, which surprised her. They looked pricey and fancy. Definitely not cheap knock-offs like most of the other electronics she had seen here.
After a few minutes, Rao emerged from the storage room, carrying a bundle of parts, wrapped in plastic. "Here you go. Should be everything the person that gave you that list wanted."
"Thanks, Rao." Fii eagerly reached for the bundle. "You're a lifesaver, really."
He batted her hands away. "Nope, hold it right there. First, you've got to pay, and then you can take it."
Fii handed him the ChitCreds Edith gave her for this errand. "This should cover it, right?"
Rao opened the pack and started counting the ChitCreds, using his cybernetic arm's sensors to verify the amount. "Yep. Yep. All here." He flashed Fii a wide grin. "Looks like whoever's employing you treats you pretty well, huh?" He placed the money into a small safe hidden under the counter, before returning his gaze to Fii. "So, when are you gonna introduce me to this person?"
Fii scooped the bundle of parts into her arms, shifting them around, so she could get a better grip. "I dunno. Depends on if you ever decide to get a check-up. If you do, you can come to the clinic where I work and meet her." She hoisted the package up and nestled it into her arms. "Anyway, I better get going."
"What, you in a rush to leave, kid? Fine, fine. Go on, get outta here." Rao waved at her dismissively. "Don't make me worry over you again, you hear?"
"I promise! If I disappear, I promise to let you know beforehand." Fii grinned and lifted her chin in salute. "See ya!"
She bounded out the door before Rao could say anything else. Despite the heavy load she carried, her footsteps were light.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/552QJ1n.png]
After the errand, she headed back to the ramshackle shelter that she called home, tucked away in a small nook between two dilapidated buildings that had seen better days. She walked past the alleys where a group of street kids slept, careful not to step on anyone's fingers or toes as she made her way through.
She ducked under a large pipe sticking out of the wall and squeezed through a narrow opening. Finally, she slipped into her shelter, tossing the bundle of parts onto the small cot tucked into a corner.
Her place wasn't much, but it was her shimmer in the puddle. She had arranged the space as best she could, with a small table, a chair, and a couple of crates she used as shelves. Her personal belongings, which included a few spare changes of clothes, a set of cooking utensils, some mementos and keepsakes, and a few other odds and ends, were stacked neatly on the shelves. Her walls were decorated with posters she found and stuck up using adhesive tape. She had even set up a makeshift curtain to divide her living space from the junk pile she used as a kitchen area.
Fii was grateful for the shelter. After all, a roof over her head was better than the open streets or the rooftops. She couldn't complain, especially since she had found this place a few years ago. And being relatively out of sight and out of mind, she seldom received any unwelcome visitors.
But the shelter's greatest selling point, and the primary reason Fii kept coming back here, was how close it was to the slum's infamous Rust Market. It was one of the largest bazaars in the slum, and as its name implied, was where most of the second-hand tech in the area was sold.
Rao's little junk shop was only one of a hundred others. The Rust Market had several stalls and shops like his, and she made sure to visit each and every one of them frequently. Sure, the tech was usually outdated, and sometimes didn't work, but if you browsed long enough, you might find a treasure or two buried beneath the heap of duds.
She sank down on the cot, the springs creaking beneath her, and let out a heavy sigh. It had been a while since she came back here. It was surprising that no one had decided to steal her things, though she suspected that the street kids might have kept watch over the place for her. They were a tight bunch, always looking out for each other, even for someone like her.
The only downside was that, in a community as tight-knit as theirs, it wouldn't take long for people to throw echoes in the alley about her. Rumors of her disappearing and being kidnapped, of her being recruited by a gang, and a hundred other stories were sure to be making the rounds by now. She might need to make a round in the neighborhood today to appease them.
Fii exhaled and leaned back, letting the back of her head rest against the hard metal surface of the wall. As she sat there, she watched a tiny spider crawl across the ceiling. It climbed up the corner, scuttling along the cracks and crevices in the stonework. A cool breeze blew in through a crack in the wall, stirring the cobwebs near the ceiling, causing them to sway slightly.
She had spent countless hours in this little alcove, lying on this rickety bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the noises outside. She had fantasized about escaping the slums, of heading to the city, to the Metropolis, where she could have a chance at a better life.
But her dream had always been too far away, too unreachable, even though the city was right there, right across the Wall. That was the world of the rich and powerful, of the famous, of Superheroes, and everyone knew that no one from the slums was getting in, even with a golden ticket. Not unless they had the connections and ChitCreds to pay off the right people.
But now, things have changed. Now, she might get a chance at a different life. Now, she had Edith—or the quack doctor, as Fii liked to call her—who promised to turn her into a superhero.
There weren't any in the slums, and the ones in the city never bothered to show their faces here. From what Fii understood, the slums were an embarrassment, a discarded piece of skin still clinging to the city's perfectly manicured form—a constant reminder of how dirty the world outside the glittering lights of the Metropolis was. It was like the slums didn't even exist to the people living there.
So, to have a chance to become a hero... Fii might as well have won the lottery. All she had to do was to follow Edith's orders and, hopefully, she'd be flying over the slums and helping people like her soon enough. And maybe once she'd done enough good deeds and kicked out all the gangs, the city would open its doors to her.
Or maybe she was just chasing flickering lights...
She pushed herself to her feet and brushed her hands off on her pants, leaving dusty marks where she had touched them. Then, she headed for the entrance.
There was no time to waste. She had a lot of work to do.
Edith was right. She needed to stop complaining about studying and training, and do what needed to be done. If she was ever going to make it to the city, she needed to work hard now. Because if she couldn't do that, she might as well go back to living out her life as a street kid.
Things might not work out, but she just had to keep rolling on rust.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/kTBaAyN.png]