The dregs of unconsciousness held her mind like an invisible mire, but a familiar voice seemed to call out to her through the murk.

"Fii! Wake up!" Quinn shook her.

Fii stirred and let out a weak groan as she struggled to sit up. The metallic stench of blood still cloyed in her nose. Her helmet displayed several errors, indicating the helmet had lost connectivity with the rest of her suit. Her suit was battered and torn in several places, the nanoweave frayed. Blood still trickled down her wounded shoulder.

The last thing she remembered was the horror at what she'd done, the exhaustion crashing over her. How long had she been out? How far had she been moved?

Quinn placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Can you hear me? How are you feeling?"

She looked up at him with glassy eyes and nodded faintly. "Q...what happened?" Fii asked groggily.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and averted his gaze. "...You kinda imploded that guy. Guess you didn't mean to do that... did you?"

"N...no," Fii stammered. "I wanted him to be stuck to the ground but—"

"It's okay, it's okay. Don't get lost in the static. I'm here." Quinn pulled her into a tight embrace. "I got you...you're okay."

He placed his forehead against hers and remained silent for several moments while Fii's breathing slowed. Her trembling stopped.

"You did good. That was kinda badass back there," he continued gently as he squeezed her again. "Let's get you patched up. Can't have my girlfriend dying on me."

Quinn pulled back slightly. "...I didn't mean girlfriend like an actual relationship...I meant like...the...nevermind." He scratched the back of his head again. "Just...let's get you patched."

He retrieved a pouch of gauze from his satchel and began wrapping the wound on her shoulder. She winced slightly as he worked, but didn't complain.

Once the dressing was in place, he helped her to her feet. Fii stood unsteadily at first, her legs shaking slightly under her own weight. Quinn gripped her firmly by the elbow, supporting her until she regained her balance.

"Take a second...the world's not going anywhere. Breathe," Quinn instructed softly. "Don't want you to pass out again."

"What about you? How'd you get here?" Fii asked.

"Same way I always do. By foot," he responded as if it were obvious. "I ran like hell through the alleys and even went through the Hollow at one point. Been trying to keep hidden so far. I've had some close calls...but no one's caught me yet. Not too worried though. I got this." He brandished a submachine gun with a foregrip. "Stole it from a dead soldier."

"You only have one good eye," Fii pointed out. "You gonna be able to hit anything?"

Quinn winked. "You're lucky you're cute...and injured."

Fii smiled slightly at his enthusiasm. He certainly sounded confident...but there was still a hint of worry behind his eyes. She scanned the surroundings, noting that they seemed to be in the same section of the slums where she'd lost consciousness.

"How long was I out for?" she asked.

"Half hour, I think...it's hard to tell. Things got nuts out here," Quinn admitted. "You...you look pretty awful, by the way."

"You sure know how to sweet talk a girl," Fii said wryly. "You don't look so great yourself."

She craned her head to inspect the state of her cyber-suit. Her knees, shins and forearms had deep scrapes in them from the rubble and pavement she'd hit. Her helmet visor flickered on and off; it'd take some repairs before she could use its system overlays again. But none of her injuries were serious. She'd recover soon enough.

"I'm good to go back out and help." She stretched her back with a slight hiss of pain. She might feel sore for the next couple of weeks... but that would fade in time too.

Quinn opened his mouth to protest but shut it immediately. Instead, he merely sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He let her lean on him. "I can tell you're going to keep going one way or another, so I won't stop you."

As they walked, he kept his arm around her. Fii would've pushed away from his overprotective embrace had her mind been clear. But between the fatigue and shock from what had happened with the soldier, she found herself leaning into him instead. His presence was comforting, despite his lame jokes and attempts to lighten the mood.

"Where's Virgil?" she asked quietly.

"He and Kenzo have been keeping them busy in the main plaza...or whatever that used to be. Things have settled a bit after you...uh... took care of those assholes back there."

They wandered towards the street where Kareem and his Ironclad Legion crew had fought. There was still gunfire and explosions going off around the perimeter, but the overall fighting seemed to have died down considerably from what she recalled before she lost consciousness.

Kareem was barking orders at them as he directed their movement.

As the two approached, the bulky man spotted them. He leaned against his massive hammer with a grimace, his metallic form bore several scratches and dents. Kareem tilted his chin upwards in a challenging gesture as his eyes met theirs.

"Axion...Was wondering where you went off to. Thought you got cold feet, after watching you cause that shit," he grumbled as he turned his attention to Quinn. "You...I've seen you a few times before. This ain't no place for a tinkertot like yourself, kid. Get your ass somewhere safe."

Quinn bristled at the man's harsh words. "Don't worry about me," he snapped. "I know what I'm doing."

"Hrmph. For a tinkertot, you're brighter than a busted bulb. Look, the slums need people like you in order to make the stuff I can't fight with," Kareem pressed. "Get off the streets...for your own damn sake. We've got this under control."

Kareem pointed his finger at a nearby building. "Get going, kid."

"Fuck off," Quinn spat as he helped Fii limp past Kareem. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Suit yourself...I'm not going to waste my breath anymore." The metallic man hefted his weapon and marched away to regroup with his gang.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Fii leaned on Quinn as she stumbled forward. Every muscle in her body screamed for rest, but she didn't have the luxury. She still had work to do.

For now, she used her gravikinesis to make herself lighter so she didn't have to strain herself as much. It took some concentration on her part, but at least she could keep pace.

They advanced through the darkened streets towards the sounds of gunfire in the distance. After reaching the plaza, she spotted Virgil and Kenzo sitting on top of a pile of rubble near a blown out fountain.

Kenzo appeared exhausted. Virgil looked like he had a fight with a boulder and lost. His hands and face were cut in numerous places, and he held a stained cloth against his nose. His trench coat and clothing bore several rips and tears. Blood smeared the ground under the slab he sat on. Kenzo sported several bruises but seemed to have suffered fewer wounds than Virgil.

Fii pushed away from Quinn and broke into a limping run towards them.

Virgil lifted his head wearily as she approached and greeted her with a slight nod.

"Good to see you back on your feet," he muttered through cracked lips.

He looked at Quinn for a second with a raised eyebrow, but said nothing else. The faintest of smirks appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Didn't get ya too bad, I'm hoping," Fii asked as she noticed Virgil's nose was a bit crooked and likely broken.

"Just a few more scars for the collection. Nothing I won't recover from," he replied in a slightly muffled tone. "Those assholes backed off a few minutes ago after Kenzo here really let 'em have it...not like there are many left at this point. Between us and the Legion, we should be able to finish them off after they're corralled a bit."

Kenzo shook his head and sighed deeply. "They've still got two of those Bradleys with the rocket launchers...and no one else but us could deal with those things. Once we deal with what's left out here...I'm done. I'm finished."

"You can leave those two to me," Fii assured them as she took a breath. "Just say when."

Virgil made a noise akin to a snort and spat a mixture of blood and saliva into the dust. "So be it, kid... if you've still got some juice in ya. Kareem should be giving out the signal when they've got all their flanks covered...hopefully. For now, take a breather. The area's secured."

As he spoke, Kenzo crawled off the slab and retrieved his sword from the rubble below. He carefully slid the blade into the sheath with a deep breath.

Fii took a seat beside him and massaged her sore calves and thighs. The fatigue drained from her, bit by bit.

Kenzo ran his hand through his sweat-damp hair before turning towards her with a wide grin.

"A bit of good news for ya," he remarked. "I managed to finish a song earlier this week. Came to me real quick... though it took a few days of chipping away at the lyrics. Figured it would make sense after everything that's happened so far. Come over to the tower and I'll play it for you. You might like it."

"Yaaay," Fii deadpanned.

While she would normally be happy to hear him talk about his music, today she found her patience and humor at an all-time low.

"Sounds good," she remarked softly.

Kenzo cocked his head slightly at her uncharacteristic tone and offered a sympathetic smile.

"Well...this will all be over soon." His words sounded more like an affirmation to himself rather than to her. "Anyways, I'm pretty proud of this song. It's a token of thanks for what you've done for the people...even if they won't understand why...at least not yet. It's also a personal thanks for being understanding...with Kasumi, back at the clinic. Thanks for that."

Fii blinked. That sounded like he wrote a song about her...

"Huh? Is the song about me?" she asked.

"Yea. I did mention it a while back that I'd write one about you. Didn't I?"

She couldn't recall exactly when he'd mentioned that to her...maybe months ago? It was hard to tell at this point. Too much had happened in such a short time frame.

But the idea that she'd have a song about herself composed by Kenzo and his band made her heart flutter with pride. She couldn't help but crack a slight smile beneath her helmet.

"Can't wait to hear it then," she replied.

"Okay, good. So long as you'll like it," he said cheerfully as he stretched his back. He flinched and hissed a bit as his hand went to a bruise on his ribs. He managed a tight smile regardless. "...How you holding up?"

She pushed herself to her feet with a pained grunt. Her fatigue had subsided enough to go on. "...Ready when you guys are."

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

By the time they left the plaza, Fii found the dregs of the Ironclad Legion scattered throughout the neighborhood. Most had gone off in small groups of five or six to watch over certain sections. Those who remained looked haggard and beaten up. All of them gave Fii a passing glance.

Kareem waved his group over as they approached. The iron-skinned leader seemed as fearsome as ever. Several metal spikes pierced the streets in his wake as if he'd been dancing through a minefield. Blood smeared his metal fists.

"Last ones...don't think they'll give up...even if their buddies are getting their asses beat," Kareem commented with a grunt. "You wanna go and take them out or are you too tired? Because if not..." Kareem clenched his fists.

Virgil turned towards Fii. "Hope you've still got enough gas in the tank, kid. Need you to pick up where we left off...this is the last leg of this mess." He coughed dryly into his fist and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "They're dug in real deep over by the wall. You sure you can do this?"

Fii nodded slowly as she cracked her neck. "I'll make it happen."

Quinn stood next to her and gently squeezed her shoulder. "Hey...take care of yourself. Don't...don't be reckless. Okay?"

"No promises," Fii replied with a hint of amusement.

She steeled herself before moving forward. Her legs carried her at a brisk pace as she scanned the streets ahead for signs of combat. Sure enough, several bursts of gunfire came from the end of a side street.

Fii drew closer to the source and peered around the corner.

A large group of soldiers and another dozen Adrenomancers hunkered behind a row of overturned vehicles for cover. Bullets sprayed from their rifles in short bursts. The two remaining Bradley Fighting Vehicles parked nearby. One fired a rocket at an adjacent building. The explosion sent chunks of debris flying into the air. The other vehicle opened fire on something out of sight.

They'd pinned a handful of Kareem's fighters down in a ruined structure on the opposite side of the road. Two men slumped against the wall. Another lay motionless on the ground, clutching his chest.

Time to move.

Fii crouched low and crept forward until she reached the back of a car across the street. She raised her hand towards the closest Bradley and concentrated.

Suddenly, both armored vehicles launched into the air before she could activate her gravikinesis. They soared upwards and arced back towards the ground. A massive shockwave ripped through the street as they collided with the pavement in a deafening roar. The resulting impact shook the ground beneath her feet and sent shrapnel flying in all directions.

What the?!...

As if taking that as their cue, Kareem and his men charged into the fray—followed closely by Virgil and Kenzo.

Kenzo reached her position first and patted her uninjured shoulder. "Good job. I think we got it from here. Take a breather."

"That...wasn't me," Fii muttered.

Then, one by one, the enemy combatants began to levitate into the air as if held aloft by invisible strings. They thrashed wildly, kicking and struggling to no avail.

Virgil and the others stopped what they were doing and stared up at the sky.

"That's not you either?" Kenzo asked as he followed their gaze.

Fii shook her head. "No...I didn't do that either."

As they looked on, a lone figure descended from the clouds as the morning sun crested over the horizon. He wore a brilliant white and blue bodysuit with a gilded cape flowing behind him. A shield bearing the symbol of Metropolis adorned his chest. His face was obscured by a helmet similar to Fii's own, though far more advanced.

Debris lifted off the ground and hovered around him in a swirling vortex.

Fii's eyes widened in awe as she realized who he was.

There was only one person in the world who wore that distinctive outfit and possessed such an extraordinary power—Prime, leader of the Ultimate Guardians.

The strongest Super.

She'd never seen him in person before. But there was no mistaking his identity. The sheer power radiating from him made her knees tremble. He might as well have been a god in human form—and he was here...to help them?