Juniper tailed Annemarie despite her injured body burning and aching. Every movement forward was agony, but she would bear it. Her mind cycled through hundreds of grim possibilities on how this could end badly. She could always retreat, and leave all professionalism to her psychotic stalker.

The street below was slowly emptying itself of life, crowds moved like hordes to get away from the chaos. Every building in the vicinity was suddenly closed, locked off, those that had curtains were snapped shut. Even the bustling traffic was absent.

Arriving at the scene of the fire, perched on a rooftop they were met with a wave of shimmering heat. Several cars were stacked next to each other, set a light and burning. The fumes emitting from the car wrecks were intoxicating. Assaulting her lungs. Even through the balaclava. Annemarie stood unfazed.

Half a block up from the wreckage, An armored van stood in front of a known gold bank. A man covered in full tactical gear and body armor stood on patrol with an assault rifle, guarding the van. Another at the door, pacing up and down anxiously.

“I don’t get it?” Jun told Anne. Referring to the chaos below. “Arson or bank robbery?”

“Probably Both…” Annemarie frowned. She stretched her stiff body. “They likely blew up these cars to elicit a response, their true goal is in there.”

“In a gold bank? Juniper frowned. “Is gold even profitable anymore? In the digital–”

“Gold is always a profitable venture, a nice support currency in case shit hits the fan.” she tapped Juniper on the shoulder, their previous hostility and tension, having eased by the moment. “Are you sure you're up for this? You could go home, leave this fight for the big girls like me.”

“After what you did to me,” Juniper stiffened. “I-I want to see this through.”

“Fine, but if it all goes to hell, you’ll run away.”

Juniper said nothing, she listened intently in the direction of what was happening. Her ears could pick up something wrong, subtle but it was there like an invisible tension, drowned out by the flames. Someone was shouting.

Switching from her [Solar Powers] she taps into [Super Audition]. The world exploded into colorful noises.

Every noise in the city within a 5 mile radius became loud, like in a battlefield rocking artillery. The scattered footsteps of hundreds running civilians, threw her off.

“What the fuck are doing?” Anne hissed at her, her voice blasting her ears like a megaphone up close.

She presses her ears shut, palms against her head wincing. “Shut up, I’m listening… you’re too loud.”

Her attention shifts to the bank building. Filtering everything else out. She hears gunshots going off, a heavy thud of a body dropping on the floor, people screaming. That wasn't what was bothering her nerves.

There is a faint cry, almost a sniffle, a sobbing, but a rising wailing, louder and louder like a sharp knife tearing into her. Juniper’s heart stops.

“There’s a child in there” she trembled, moving closer, motioning downwards, crouching at the edge of where she stood. Ready to fly into the fray. “Someone just got shot, we need to–”

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Annemarie pulls her back, gripping her wrist.

“Don’t be stupid, you barely handled a couple of kicks, what do you think an assault rifle will do to you.”

Juniper grunted. “I can make barriers like Heliogirl does. I can stop a bullet”

“How about three hundred armor-piercing rounds at once?”

It was a reality call, It shut her up. “Point taken,” she whispered. But the noise of the little girl’s sobbing started to eat at her.

Annemarie sighed. Eyes locked on the bank ahead. “Look, we’ll take the entry from another way inside, I’ll pick 'em off while they're distracted, you..” she tapped her heart on her chest. “Only act when I tell you so. The moment we move in there it’s not a game anymore,”

Her voice lowered, barely audible.“I know…I got carried away before, but if you wanna stay alive listen to me.”

Juniper nodded, swallowing. She was going to be shot at for the first time in her life. Fear was testing her gut.

[Well I guess there is a first for everything.]

Sys-chan was not helping, at all.

Taking the initiative, Annemarie circles around the block, moving with fluidity. Juniper followed behind her, her chest lit with dread. Less graceful, less composed, Her thoughts lingered on the kid who was crying.

It was a knee jerk reaction, she associated crying with Effy, if the crying girl got hurt, it’s like Effy got hurt. She couldn’t bear it.

Climbing on the rooftop of the building, she kicks open an oversized air vent that leads inside the banking complex. She crouched peering inside, sticking her hand in. “This is how we get in.”

Juniper gave her a shaky nod. Nerves screamed as she crawled inside of it. The cold metal, pressed against her palms. Moving through it, they weren’t exactly stealthy, the tension and stiffness in juniper’s shoulder growing with every metal creek.

Being confined in this small space did her no favors, nor the fact that Annemarie's butt was practically pressed against her.

“Something wrong back there?” Annemarie whispered, oblivious to her dilemma.

“No,” she lied. Attempting to ease into the situation.

Peering from above through a grated vent, The entirety of the hall came into view Anne signaled Juniper to stop, and wait, both looking through it.

Everything below them only made Juniper's stomach worse.

Seven armed figures stood guard, their movements surgical, all of them carrying heavy weaponry whether a pump-action shotgun or military grade assualt rifles. This was no ordinary heist. They were funded.

Several hostages were tied up, and forced to lay on the ground, faces pale in fear. Others that were untied were all forced into a corner. Their hands trembled as they held onto each other. The air reeked of blood, sweat, and tears.

Her eyes lingered on a motionless figure laying arms open on his face– an older gentleman, there were no subtle movements indicating breathing. He was dead. She felt vomit, slowly rising up her throat.

Near the middle of the stage below, another untied hostage–a middle-aged man stood arguing with fury at the criminals. Voice loud and sharp.

“We have human rights man! You can’t treat us like this!”

The robber didn’t utter a word but proceeded to whip the man’s face with his rifle, making him drop to the floor, blood leaked from somewhere, onto the polished marble floor.

“That’s why you don’t play the hero..” Annemarie commented.

Her heart skipped

Juniper nearly jumped at the sound, eyes locked on Annemarie’s. They were very close to each other, she hated thinking about it. But she wanted some comfort from all of this. She was vulnerable and she didn’t know what to do.

“Focus.” she tapped her on the nose. “Okay, you’ve never done this before. I’ve got an idea, but I need you to listen exactly. Got it?”

She nodded, listening intently. “Yep.”

“You see those two on the edge? Blast them the moment I call you. Use those rip-off sun powers, whatever you call them. Then throw up a wide barrier as much as you can muster behind those people, the untied ones. The moment their attention is gone, Let me do the rest!”

She hesitated. “What if I fuck up.”

“Don’t,” Annemarie stated.

She nodded, and a small spark of determination filled her. She took a deep breath, steadying her heart rate.

[“Pfft, rip-off powers? Please. You’re one-of-a-kind, Junie .”] sys-chan quipped. [If only she knew that. The voice in my head. ]

“Not now,” she muttered.

Annemarie looked at her with confusion.

“Nothing,”

“Alright. Eyes on the ball.” Annemarie, face softened, for a fraction of a second. “This isn’t going to be a cakewalk, but if we do nothing, more people will end up dead.”

There was no turning back, from here on out.