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Superflux
Chapter 7 - Gal’s First Night Out

Chapter 7 - Gal’s First Night Out

Juniper hopped from one building top onto the next, starting with a small building, narrowly pressed against another, levitating mid-air, as she crossed the gap between the steel structures. The bright lights of the cityscapes illuminate the dark and rundown alleyways, a faint humming of the urban chaos following her everywhere.

Her foot trips near the edge of the rooftop corner, and doom flashes in her eyes. “whoops…” Her hands start to flail and flap like a wild bird, just barely raising herself mid-air, as she tumbles down onto the rooftop, and starts giggling nervously.

“Uhh….” she moaned, aloud as she rolled herself over onto her back. The cold wind of the city brushed against her cheeks. The rough concrete rubbed particles into her skin. The smell of old exhaust fumes, and damp rainwater filled her nose, as she listened to the rumbling below. Staring at her arms, and palms, she could see her nerves very visible, her blood was pumping and her heart went all “doki doki”. It was exciting.

[You know if you fell, you’d have ended up back in the hospital. “Hello, hello, 911 this is Sys-chan speaking, a Jellybean just fell from the third floor.]

“Why a jellybean?” she asked. Staring up into the night sky, catching sight of orbiting satellites passing through the atmosphere.

[Get it because you're sweet.₍ᐢ. ̫.ᐢ₎]

“Sure, just add the right amount of sour cream.”

[Solar power sentinel lvl 1>2]

[[Solar Powered Sentinel Level 2 - Draw and convert sunlight into raw power]

[Charge equivalent to 2500 watt maximum]

[Durability Enhancement: 5(3)]

[Energy enhancement: 4(3)]

Her limbs started tightening, The sudden output of moonlight made it into her body. She felt reinvigorated. Her Pulse and heartbeat quickened for a moment before settling down.

Lifting her resting body on the floor, while remaining limp, she managed to lift herself up by a meter, as the power grew stronger. For a brief moment, the feeling of being able to do anything became exhilarating.

Setting herself down, she did something she hadn’t done before. Standing on the tip of a three-story building, edges of foot peeking down and all. She took in the view of Core Pacifica– It was breathtaking from here, dystopian sure it was, but there was more to life than the horrors of mankind. The twinkling stars above her complimented the nightscape of neon and blue light.

The city below was a living one, the sound of upbeat club music escaping from a club from afar made it clear.

“This world, it can actually be beautiful. I wish I could see more, even farther than this.”

[Poetic but don’t forget. This city. It’s growing into a textbook dystopian postcard, but you're right. Beauty finds itself in the harshest of places.]

“Effy, and Remy, I want to bring them up here one day. Effy will enjoy it, she always liked the heights, hardly ever frightened by looming skyscrapers. Maybe I can take them flying and get them to see the world from above. Give them some joy.”

[...]

Her stomach starts rumbling, the roar of her belly breaking the bittersweet atmosphere.

“Uugh.. Aaah. Weird, I ate a while ago.”

[That’s just your stomach. Humans need serious fuel, Junie, and powers are like transformers. Perhaps a juicy hamburger will reboot you.]

“I only have a small amount of money on me”

[A tragic tale, I’ll start you a fundraiser]

She found herself near ‘Silkroad’ as it was dubbed by its denizens.

The street below was crowded below her, ‘just midnight business’ the people would tell you, if you go prying. Neon Lights, low and dim, a flashing hologram in the corner of the street, vile explicit graffiti splayed on a wall. It was an e-mecca for degenerates and outcasts.

All manner of characters passed through the area. The alt-kids who dressed like they were put alive inside a coffin, drug dealers, who disguised themselves as street entertainers with cybernetics parts, ‘early adopters’ of an age to come, or how they like to refer to themselves. Then there were the raving women, whose neon lights made the shadows dance to their rhythm if they were dancers at all.

“This really isn’t my type of crowd.”

[Agreed. But hey you can always turn around, there's a fast food shop open only three miles from here. I can smell the grease from here.]

She briefly considers, but then she spots a host of street vendors serving up lightning displays of treats. Her eyes lit up like a jackpot machine starting to spin. ‘An ice cream cart!’ She strutted to the edge, readying to jump off.

[Ice cream? Really? Don’t you want to eat something nutritiously sound? The last thing you need is to turn into a sugar plum.]

“But it’s all junk food.”

She floated off the building, deactivating her powers, with a thought that took way too long, resulting in her grunting too long.

She ran over the street, stopping briefly when a glowing drag car raged down the street. Burnt rubber and tar intoxicated her. She fell backward, briefly remembering and replaying the scene of her accident. Her legs gave in as if instinctually reacting.

[Get off the pavement silly, this isn’t a sterile environment.]

She did so with great effort but moved over eventually.

Standing in front of an old dwarf-like man, with a wide moustache that would put a red plumber to shame. His warming smile was a stark contrast to the cold street.

“Hello, there Missy, you don’t look like you belong in these parts.” he inquired.

She didn’t answer, hesitating. Realizing she stood open and exposed among a crowd of strangers, her face visible in full light. A lost girl in a criminal wonderland, every face that peaked in her direction made her uneasy. Her legs are fidgeting, struggling to stand still. She covered her head with the hoody.

“Can I…I get some Ice cream?” she started stammering, her hoody struggling to tighten properly, she readjusted.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The pudgy man raised a brow. Body tensing, burly arms crossing, revealing he’s not so harmless. “Well, there are more than two kinds I sell here. You want the kiddy kind or the grown-up kind.”

What was he referring to? Drugs? Her eyes widened, body started tensing, she had walked into danger unknowingly.

[Remember you're not some kind of hippy, don’t get any funny ideas. You’re way past the experimental age.]

Yeah, I get it.

“Um…the normal kind.”

He smiled at her. All of his tension disappeared.

“Of course.”

She handed him the cheap paper notes she possessed. “Um is this sufficient for any?”

“Hmm, not quite, midnight economy, everything is three times as expensive in Silk Road, you gotta understand, this time of the night, but let me tell you something.” the old man leaned closer.

“This isn’t a safe place for a girl like you, you kinda remind me of my granddaughter, I don’t see her anymore, won’t inquire what you're doing here but I suggest you leave asap. Gangs rule these streets, they don’t play princesses and castles”

She gulped, in partial fright.

He pushed the money back into her hand.

“Pick any type you like, It’s on me.” his tone switched up again like dawning sunlight.

“I can’t do that–.”

“Think of it as a friendly gesture, and a parting gift,” he whispered.

She was reluctant but her eyes darted all over the different flavors, anything from chocolate to cookies and cream, fruity flavors such as mango. Not wanting to take advantage of the older man, she settled on plain old vanilla.

“You sure? Anything you like…”

“This is fine, thank you.” her anxiety eased as he handed her the scooped-up rolls.

“You're a kind girl, I can see that, take care.”

Saying her farewell as she left the man. She took in little licks first before biting on pieces of the cone itself. The cold sweetness settled like a relaxing breeze. A small comfort for herself, after a tense night.

[Hmm, I sure wonder what food tastes like.]

‘You can eat!’

[I’m joking, stop looking so dumbfounded. 0s and 1s don’t need to eat. But I’d like to taste a double-stacked burger one day.]

A sudden commotion took her attention away from the absurd thought of dipping ice cream into her brain. A group of rough-looking men, barely above her age, started being aggressively loud, shoving their way through a crowd. They start shaking a food cart, unease starts creeping inside of her and a dangerous curiosity fills her stomach.

‘Should I do something.’

[You don’t need to do anything, this is probably routine behavior, your objective is done, leave the sidequest for tomorrow.]

What's the point of wanting to become a hero for the sake of her siblings if she allows injustice to happen in front of her eyes?

She approached the scene, and the men started harassing an old frail man, who looked like he was on the verge of tears.

They grabbed him him by his shoulders pulling him forward, and several of them started spitting all over his equipment. Thick build-up spit, enough to make someone vomit and carry large vectors of disease. They start stomping the cart, and two of them start pulling out knives, each and every one of them wearing a balaclava.

“What the hell old man, not only do not pay for protection money, but you scam my crew. My boyz and I want some fucking reparations.”

“Please…” he begged, body trembling. “I gave you what you want, I don’t have much.”

“Liar!” he shouted as he punched him in the face. “You filthy immigrants want to give us diseases huh.”

Her mind wanders again, her parents' faces flashing in her head, pleading as they are thrown into a truck. She had been helpless back then, but now? Perhaps she could even make a difference. She clenched her fist together, she won’t be morally bankrupt like most of this city. She won’t.

“Sys-chan, how do I approach this?” she asked aloud, drawing some eyes on her.

[Processing…loading several possibilities…My current advice, avoid this one. Like it’s not a good idea.]

Nevermind... She needed to think for herself. Nobody seemed to care about this.

She looks around, handing her ice cream away to a confused passerby.

“Hey!” She starts walking up to a gang of thugs, one of them noticing her bravado, he appears dumbfounded. “Please stop that, it’s morally reprehensible. This is wrong.”

They all turned to stare at her like she had lost her mind. And started cackling like wild chickens and hyenas in unison, a crowd was starting to form around them. Her sudden provocation started drawing attention.

“Morally reprehensible Dafuq, you want something bitch.” The ringleader approached her, a metal bat in his hands. “Or are you looking for some fun with us tonight, don’t worry, I’ll make you get enough sleep tomorrow”

That was about enough sexual harassment for one night.

“Last chance let him go.”

“Oooooh.” some of them started mocking her. “You're gonna let her talk to her boss.”

“Missy, get out of there!” the old man shouted at her, approaching her with haste. But everything was muffled out.

“Stupid bitch! He came in charging for her but did not swing his bat, pushing her and making her fall to the ground.

“Hey you fuckfaces stop this shit!” the ice cream man shouted.

“You keep out the fuck out of this Vincenzo, or we’ll loot you dry next. The man hesitated, gritting his teeth.

She stood up. There was little moonlight here, barely enough. However, she could still sense some of it stored away. Of course, her power partially functioned like a battery. She condensed it into the palm of her hands, concentrating on a single point, as the energy coalesced.

“Activate solar-powered sentinel lvl2!”

Her shout made the crowd break into a laugh, but her growing glowing arms immediately changed their tune.

She lunged at him, as he backed away.

“What the fuck!”

“Boss, get back that’s a cape.”

The startled ringleader brought his bat down, the air shifting as it narrowly passed her head. Her heart was pounding as she dodged it, her reflexes reacting faster than she could process almost on instinct. She ducked, again and again, raw energy coursing through her veins, she was in a different realm than he was.

Jumping into the air, and coming down again, her punch collided with his gut. She felt the vibrating impact through her arm, as she sent him flying into a massive trash container. His body shook on collision.

The forming crowd gasped. And the gang disappeared one by one, leaving their comrade in his pain. Blood started flowing out of his leg, as it twisted in an unnatural angle. Her world became frozen, the rushing Adrenalin settling down. He lay unconscious, she couldn’t see from here if he was still breathing. Dozens of smartphone’s being pulled under a rug, some were already in the process of filming.

Oh shit! What did I do?

She stares back at the faceless masses looking like her like she was an anomaly. Reality set in. She was too bold. Vigilantism was a crime if unregulated or unregistered. The police, the cape agencies, they’d come for her. They’d lock her up like a common criminal, she’d never see her siblings again.

“What…what..what–?”

[Run! Gtfo!]

She breaks into a run, her footsteps bouncing off the asphalt loudly.

“Wait. Wait a minute!” The ice cream man, Vincenzo, was chasing after her.

She doesn’t stop. Passing over littered rubble and beer bottles, passing through narrow spaces and even hopping over a fence. Her eyes glowed under the raised hood.

[Relax,] Sys-chan stated. Ever confident observer. [your face was concealed by the hoodie, the lighting was terrible and most took their phones out way too late.]

‘But what if they–”

[If they what?] she shrugged virtually. [You just did this city a service. But best to burn your clothing, maybe get some new sneakers too.]

“But these are my only running shoes,” she muttered aloud, as the faults in her athleticism kicked in.

Standing at the base of a smaller building. Preparing to launch herself onto the rooftops. She feels a swift kick, hitting the back of her back, making her collide with the ground. Air disperses from her lungs.

The hell!

[A new challenger appears. Get ready for the boss fight Sis.]

An obscured figure drops down behind her, petite and small, fully masked. A feminine figure, small but built like a model, face obscured, but cute pigtails on the side, definitely a girl…

“Stop right there criminal scum!” she did an overly dramatic double front flip, landing her heeled pumps on Juniper's neck, staring down at her. “Or prepare to feel justice's fury!”

The night went from barely tolerable to certain hell.