Kasumi lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her injuries were healing well, and she was finally able to get up and walk around without feeling like she was going to pass out. Her body still ached all over, but she could manage. She hadn't been in this much pain since...well, she didn't want to think about that.

Recently, she was bored out of her mind. She had been cooped up in this tiny room for what seemed like an eternity.

The doctor who had patched her up, Edith Weiss, seemed like an odd one. It didn't take long for Kasumi to realize that she was no slum native, but a metropolis exile like herself. It was clear from her bearing and demeanor that she came from a place of privilege and comfort. Yet she chose to live in the slums and practice medicine in the clinic, seemingly by choice.

But there was more to the woman than met the eye.

She had a certain air of mystery about her that Kasumi couldn't quite put her finger on. There were times when she would catch Edith staring at her with a calculating gaze, as if she was trying to figure something out.

Kasumi pushed the thought away and got out of bed. She stood up and stretched her limbs. Her muscles ached slightly from being inactive for so long. She moved over to the window and looked outside.

The rain had stopped.

Her room faced the back of the clinic. It was dark out, but the lights from the nearby buildings provided enough illumination to see. She could make out the silhouettes of several shanty buildings lining the alleyway behind the clinic. Beyond them lay the endless expanse of the slums.

She sighed heavily and turned away from the window. Her eyes fell upon a pile of clothes that Edith had brought for her to wear while she recovered. She picked up the shirt and examined it. It was a simple black t-shirt with the words "Lions Rampant" emblazoned across the front in bold letters.

Kasumi raised an eyebrow at the choice. Lions Rampant was a well-known company in the metropolis that produced popular rock music. She hadn't known they sold merchandise outside the city.

Well...I guess there are still things I don't know about the slums.

She put on the shirt and grabbed the pair of sweatpants from the pile as well. They were plain gray and fit snugly around her hips. Kasumi had never been one for baggy clothes, preferring form-fitting styles instead. She looked at herself in the mirror. The outfit wasn't exactly flattering, but it would do for now. She ran her fingers through her hair to tidy up before stepping out of the room.

The hallway outside was dimly lit. Kasumi walked slowly down the corridor until she reached the stairs leading to the ground floor. She descended carefully, mindful of her injuries. She reached the bottom step without incident and found herself in a small lobby area. The walls were bare except for a framed painting hanging above a desk. It depicted a mountain scene with snowcapped peaks towering over lush forests.

At the desk sat a woman named Sheri, one of the nurses who attended to her. She wore scrubs and a lab coat and had long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. She looked up from her paperwork when she noticed Kasumi approaching.

"You're finally out of bed," Sheri remarked with a smile. "Feeling better?"

"I'm alive." Kasumi shrugged. "Can't complain too much about that."

Sheri laughed lightly. "Well, that's a start." She motioned for Kasumi to follow her down another hallway. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

They walked through the clinic until they reached the kitchen. It was small but well-stocked. Sheri gestured for Kasumi to take a seat at one of the tables while she rummaged around in the cabinets. After a moment she emerged with a tray containing a bowl of soup and some bread. She placed the tray in front of Kasumi before sitting across from her.

"Sorry if it isn't much," Sheri said apologetically. "I'm not exactly an expert chef."

Kasumi shrugged and took a spoonful of soup. It tasted bland but wasn't terrible. She finished the meal quickly and set the tray aside. Sheri watched her silently as she ate. Kasumi could tell she wanted to ask something but didn't know how to approach the subject.

"So...you're Cobra, right?" Sheri finally said after a long pause. "The leader of the Neon Vipers?"

Kasumi met her gaze and nodded. "That's right."

Sheri hesitated before continuing. "Do you mind if I ask...what happened to you?"

"I lost," Kasumi said flatly. She saw no reason to hide the truth from Sheri. The nurse had treated her injuries and tended to her while she was bedridden. There was nothing left to hide. "I underestimated my opponent and paid the price for it."

Sheri raised an eyebrow. "So who beat you up so badly?"

Kasumi looked away. "It doesn't matter."

It fucking did.

"Reverb" Ray... The Echo Syndicate had a Metahuman in their ranks. Kasumi thought bitterly about her defeat at his hands.

Even after three years living in the slums, she never knew that a few metahumans were scattered about. Of course they would gravitate towards gangs, but how many more lurked in the shadows?

She figured Axion was the only Meta within the slums...until now.

Speaking of Axion...The last thing Kasumi expected to stumble across while recovering was Axion's true identity—a slum girl named Fii.

Kasumi leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.

A fucking kid. A brat from the slums...with superpowers...had beaten her.

Not just beaten her, but caused her whole damn gang to lose face and their territory. That was bad enough on its own. The worst part was having to rely on Salvatore's employment to keep herself afloat. It galled her to no end to have to work for a syndicate as a glorified bodyguard and distributor. But she had no choice.

Sure, their initial deal with the Shiver drug trade provided enough money to get by...but when that fizzled out after Axion interfered, it left Kasumi in a tight spot. She'd gone from having power and prestige to being little more than a thug-for-hire.

Fucking humiliation...it stung...deeply.

Kasumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

It didn't help that Kenzo became friends with the little brat. Kenzo...of all people. That was probably why he was insistent on Kasumi parting ways with Salvatore's plans. Not that she would listen. She had made her bed; now she had to lie in it. The only thing left to do was make the most of her situation.

"Are you okay?" Sheri asked, breaking the silence. "You seem distracted."

Kasumi snapped back to reality and looked at Sheri. She forced a smile onto her face. "I'm fine," she lied. "Just thinking about things."

Sheri nodded but didn't seem convinced. She stood up and grabbed the tray with Kasumi's empty bowl. "Well, if you need anything else let me know." She turned around and headed towards the sink to wash the dishes.

Kasumi watched her go before standing up from the table. She stretched her arms above her head and winced slightly as her muscles tightened.

"Hey," she called out to Sheri. The nurse turned around to face her. "The girl called Fii...do you know what she does?"

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Sheri hesitated for a moment before answering while putting away the clean dishes. "She already told me that you found out who she was..."

"So you did know...," Kasumi replied. "Let me guess. Edith found her first and took her under her wing. Instilled that bullshit superhero ethos in her."

Sheri didn't reply. She just kept cleaning up the kitchen.

Kasumi sighed heavily. "And you're fine with it? The whole 'save the slums' bit? Or are you under her spell too?"

"It's not like that...," Sheri said softly. "I think Fii is a good kid who wants to help people."

"Bullshit," Kasumi snapped. "No one does anything for free in this place. Everyone has an angle. She wants something. People always do."

Sheri shrugged. "Maybe she does. But I don't think it's anything sinister. I've known Fii for a while now, and she's never been anything but kind and considerate towards others." She paused before adding: "It's refreshing."

Kasumi frowned. Sheri didn't seem like the naive type. But maybe she was being sincere. It was hard to tell with people these days. Everyone always had their guard up, trying to hide their true intentions. She'd gotten used to it during her time living in the metropolis. The slums were no different in that regard. The only difference was how overtly hostile people could be here.

If you didn't watch your back every minute of every day, you could easily find yourself at the bottom of the gutter.

"So what's your angle then?" Kasumi asked after a moment. "What do you get out of helping her?"

Sheri stopped cleaning and turned around to face Kasumi again. "Nothing," she replied simply. "I help people because I want to. Because I believe in doing the right thing."

Kasumi scoffed. "That's not a luxury most people can afford. Not in this place."

"It doesn't have to be like that," Sheri countered. "We can change things for the better."

"You're kidding yourself if you think you can make a difference," Kasumi retorted. "This place is fucked beyond repair."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "And even if you could fix it, why bother? All you'll do is draw attention from the metropolis. People like you get crushed underfoot in the process."

Sheri shook her head sadly. "That's a pessimistic outlook."

"It's realistic," Kasumi corrected. "And I don't see any reason to sugarcoat things. This world isn't kind to dreamers."

"I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then," Sheri said before turning back to her task. "Anyway, I need to finish cleaning up before Edith gets back. You should probably get some rest."

Kasumi watched as she continued working without another word. After a few moments, she sighed heavily and turned around to leave the kitchen. She needed to clear her head and then figure out her next move.

She headed back towards her room. Once there, she lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling once again. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Fii. What was the girl's endgame? There had to be something more to her actions than simple altruism. It didn't add up otherwise. And what about Edith? Kasumi was sure there was something going on between them. Something deeper than just friendship. But what? And how did it relate to Axion's sudden emergence?

So many questions...and so few answers...

Kasumi closed her eyes and tried to relax. There was nothing she could do at the moment.

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

Kasumi awoke to a series of loud noises coming from the floor below. She sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes groggily. It felt like she only napped for an hour—but what woke her up?

She slowly stood up and crept over to the door. She opened it a crack and peeked outside. The hallway was empty. But there were muffled voices coming from downstairs.

It sounded like Sheri was arguing with someone. Kasumi strained to make out the conversation. After a moment, she heard the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Then footsteps heading towards the stairs.

Shit. What was going on?

She slipped out of her room and crept towards the stairwell. As she reached the top step, she caught a glimpse of Sheri lying on the floor below. Her eyes were closed and her face was bruised. A pool of blood formed beneath her head.

No sign of her attacker.

Kasumi rushed down the stairs and knelt beside Sheri. She placed two fingers against her neck and felt a faint pulse. Sheri was still alive. But she needed medical attention. Now.

Kasumi looked around frantically. Where was Edith? And where the hell was that Fii girl?

She spotted what looked like a medical storage room behind the main counter. She ran over to it and flung open the door. Inside was a small supply of basic medical supplies. She grabbed several items and hurried back to Sheri's side. She quickly tended to the woman's wounds as best she could before carrying her upstairs to safety. Once inside her room, she laid Sheri on the bed and checked her pulse again.

It was weak but steady.

Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief. Sheri would survive. But who attacked her?

She headed back downstairs to investigate further. The lobby area was deserted. There was no sign of anyone else except for the pool of blood where Sheri had been attacked.

The locked door that led to the basement level of the clinic had been pried open. Kasumi hesitated briefly before descending into the darkness below. She crept cautiously down the steps until she reached the bottom.

A dim light illuminated the corridor ahead. She crept forward and peered around the corner. The corridor led to a large room filled with lab equipment and various machines. It looked like some kind of laboratory or medical facility.

Hunched over a desk near the back wall was...Mirage?

Kasumi blinked several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Sure enough, Mirage was sitting at a desk surrounded by computer monitors and other electronics.

The Adrenomancer glanced up from her work and caught sight of Kasumi. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before narrowing again. She rose from her chair and strode towards the doorway where Kasumi stood.

"Cobra," she said coldly. "I didn't realize this was the place you were holed up in."

"I could say the same thing about you," Kasumi replied coolly. "What are you doing here?"

Mirage raised an eyebrow. "It's no longer your business. The deal with Salvatore is off." She shrugged. "You had your chance. It's too bad things went south. You let the Shiver facility get destroyed by a measly gang."

Kasumi bristled at the insult but managed to keep her temper in check. "So you're just going to ignore me?"

"You're not worth my time," Mirage replied curtly. "Now get lost before I change my mind."

Kasumi narrowed her eyes. "Not until I get some answers."

Mirage scoffed. "What makes you think I'll tell you anything?"

"I'm guessing you're here to snoop around a doctor's research...the one who saved my life. What interest would Salvatore have with someone like her? Or this clinic for that matter?" Kasumi narrowed her eyes as she continued. "What are you after?"

"Salvatore didn't say..." Mirage smirked and shrugged. "And I don't recall anyone asking."

Kasumi clenched her fists tightly. She could feel her blood boiling beneath the surface. This woman had no idea who she was dealing with.

Mirage laughed softly at Kasumi's frustration. "If you want to fight, then let's do it already. Otherwise, get out of my way. I'm busy." She turned away from Kasumi and began walking back towards the desk.

Kasumi wasn't about to let this go.

"This reminds me. Where are your other Adrenomancer friends? Oh yeah, I think they're all dead."

Mirage stopped abruptly and spun around to face Kasumi once more. Her eyes flashed dangerously as she glared at the former gang leader. "You want to die that badly?" She growled.

Kasumi grinned wickedly. "I heard from my boyfriend that he killed two of them while rescuing me—Voltaire and Havoc. Told me how weak they were..." She chuckled softly. "Seems like you lot are nothing but talk."

Mirage snarked and reached for her pistol holstered at her hip.

Kasumi drew a scalpel she had kept hidden in her sweatpants and threw it at Mirage's throat.

The blade sailed through the air and pierced the side of the Adrenomancer's neck, sinking deep into her flesh. She let out a startled gasp and fell backwards onto the floor.

Not missing a beat, Kasumi lunged forward and kicked Mirage's gun away from her grasp. Then she grabbed hold of the woman's hair and yanked her head upwards. She pressed the scalpel against Mirage's throat and applied pressure.

"Now," Kasumi said coldly. "Start talking."

Mirage glared at Kasumi with hate-filled eyes. "You...bitch..." She choked out. "I'll kill you..."

Kasumi tightened her grip on Mirage's hair and pulled harder. "Shut up and start talking or I'll slit your throat."

Mirage spat in Kasumi's face. "Go...to...hell!"

Kasumi wiped away the spittle and smiled darkly. "Fine...have it your way."

She drew back the scalpel and brought it down hard across Mirage's throat. The blade sliced cleanly through the flesh and tendons, severing the woman's carotid artery. Blood spurted out in a torrent from the wound as Mirage gurgled her last breath. Her eyes rolled back into her skull as she died.

The Adrenomancer's harness continued to pump a lethal cocktail of drugs into Mirage's veins for a few moments before cutting out.

Kasumi let go of Mirage's hair and stood over the corpse. She stared at it for a moment before wiping her bloody hand across her face.

"Well...that was easy enough," she muttered under her breath. "Guess I'll see what she was snooping around for..."

A haze enveloped the room, blanketing everything in fog.

Startled, Kasumi covered her mouth with her shirt, but the smell of chemicals overwhelmed her senses.

She started to gag and cough uncontrollably. She tried to run towards the stairs leading back up to the ground level...but stumbled as dizziness overtook her. The edges of her vision darkened until she fell unconscious.

Helix's voice reverberated through the darkness:

[Countermeasures deployed. Containment activated. Surveillance and cyber jammers online…]