Juniper woke up with soreness all over her body, a dull aching pain in her muscles and her head throbbing like a cupboard in an earthquake. Rolling onto her back, she started stretching her arms and legs out, she couldn’t help but feel subtle differences in her body. Something was different.

Jumping out of the bed with strange ease. She rushed towards the mirror in her room, slipping off her oversized sleeping shirt, she shifted her body around her reflection in view. She was still as skinny fat around her waist as she was the day before, However, was that a muscling tone developing around her abdomen?

“It can’t be…” she said as she started poking her tummy.

Flexing her fingers and arms, she couldn't help but gasp at how everything was a bit easier to move like she’d lifted a small burden of her.

Your END, DEX, and ENR have been boosted permanently.

[Endurance+1: Due to near-death cardio]

[Dexterity+2: For skillfully maneuvering in a battle-tested environment]

[Energy+1: The result of recovery by overexertion. ]

[Congratulations, it’s the start of your glow-up arc, Jun. You’re like 500 more traumatic days away from being something legendary. If your hair starts glowing gold, I’m outta here.]

“Bhahaha, stop the flattery”

Returning to staring at herself in the mirror. Observing her semi-nude body, the bruises and bloody gashes she picked up last night had all disappeared overnight. Her skin looked clear, and fresher than spending a weekend at a spa.

“How much do you think this ‘slow regeneration’ can handle before it becomes detrimental.”

[Oh! Let's test it by chopping off a hand. It might take a few weeks to grow back]

“Let’s not do that. I love my fingers.”

[That’s fair. Shall I mail a schedule with a demon or an eldritch being today?]

“No, no… cape shit today, nothing,” she stressed. “I want an hour without any guns and gravity-defying stalker”

[Battery recharge day! Approved. You know sooner or later you’ll need a costume or something, casual clothing won't be blocking a laser.]

“Yeah?” she said as she plunged into the bed again.

Her mind replayed what happened last night. Everything she saw and felt. She wondered if that thug was okay. If he did end up dying, some cape agencies would come snooping soon, best be prepared, she should probably clear her name somewhere, but she just didn’t have the energy in her to.

Maybe tomorrow.

She threw on a simple black cotton shirt, stretching out her arms, yawning. Feet kicking in slippers. She prepared to tackle the weight of the kitchen. She needs serious energy. Some carb-heavy meal would be nice.”

The door of her room slams open, making her jump at least a meter into the air.

Her brother dumbfounded and mouth agape, storms in, holding up his phone. A mixture of terror and fear blasted on his face. A video was playing and her stomach dropped.

At first, it was unfamiliar but then those strange underground-esque fluorescent lights flashed in her head. A girl with the hoodie is confronted by a group of thugs, a conversation ensues, and the girl punches the thug after he throws her to the ground, sending the thug into what may as well have been a different planet.

Her face was obscured, every piece of footage was blurry, and the placement of the light did little to reveal herself. It would take some time, but someone would unmask her eventually. Without the hood, she is open as a book.

He closes the door behind her. She could hear Effy was already up, getting busy in the living room, unaware of what was happening around her. She didn’t need to see this.

He whispered as loud as he could, his back straightening more than usual. “Juniper, what the fuck is this?! I know that’s you”

She started sweating beads but retained her composure.

“Please calm down, sit down, listen to me.”

“Listen to what, you’re a fucking cape, I knew it! And you’ve gone looking for trouble, right away. How long have you been one?”

“Remy!” she shouted, her voice cracking like a whip. She froze up, not used to being scolded by her hair. She exhaled briefly, “Sit down. And listen to me.”

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He was taken aback, not used to being scolded by his sister. Letting Out a cough as they sat on her bed.

She started by telling him what happened on the day of the accident, the car that hit her, and the people that were screaming. The mental breakdown she had when she touched the nurse, and how her limb healed quickly. And a few doctors freaked out. When she accidentally brushes her hand against Helio girl, during her visit. Her powers.

“You’ve met Helio-girl!?” he blurted

“Yes,” she said, demotivated.

Continuing she omitted anything related to the system, she didn’t mention a single word about aliens, she didn’t mention sys-chan, fearing the scrutiny she might receive. Superpowers were one thing, a sentient being in her head might lead her to a corporate lab table.

His face grew paler and paler as she started recounting what happened the previous night, he started looking uncomfortable, shaking where he sat.

“You have to go to an agency as soon as possible. Do you grasp how dangerous this can get? You could get arrested– or worse.” his voice started breaking apart.

She put her arms around him in a gentle hug, he stiffened wanting to pull back but settled in her embrace...

“I can’t yet, there’s things I need to know first. If I run straight to an agency, they’ll enlist me. I need to think about things through Remi. I’ll lose my agency,” she squeezed his frail body. “I could go independent, I don't want to deal with publicity and bureaucracy…any of it.”

He settled down, nodding. “I’m just afraid…” he whispered. His voice is on the verge of breaking out a cry.

“We nearly lost you once! I don’t want to lose you again. Effy can’t lose you.”

“I promise…I’ll think things through properly. I’d just need some good time.” she patted his chest as he coughed. He didn’t have time to respond.

Effy barged into the room, with a flashlight “Behold! Helio girl has arrived!” she started flashing the bright flashlight at their eyes. Dissipating any and all tension.

“Arrgggh, Effy not my eyes! Juniper protested. Covering her face with her hands. The girl flicked on and off in their faces much to their irritation. She runs up to her big sister and punches her stomach with a head tackle. “Aahhh you little brat!”

Remy let out a muffled chuckle.

She shoves a notebook in Juniper’s hand, and then swiftly bolts from the scene.

Juniper blinked in surprise. She left a notebook on it, where several school supplies were listed. A minor note scribbled at the bottom, summer break ends in a week.

‘Why didn’t she ask me directly?

[Children are emotional sponges, perhaps she fears the worst after your accident.]

She stares it over and sighs. Sticking her hands into her hair.

“Her brother takes a look. “Is it going to be a problem, I can cover it, you know.”

“You can?”

“Yeah I got a part time job online, while you were in the hospital, just code monkey work…” Pays below minimum wage but he looked in the other direction. His voice softened. “I’m also an adult now, I can’t expect you to take care of everything.”

“Remy you don’t need to your–”

“Sick? I know,” he interrupted her. “but I realized anything can happen from now to next year, my illness won’t be deadly for at least another decade, that should be enough to work for some money. Just figure out the cape stuff. You were meant for video games, not cape brawls.”

Her mind wanders to the hospital visit, Helio girl–she was so different than how iffy admired her. Behind the facade she put up and the smile she gave the people, was a woman burdened by the pain of society. If there’s a cape she could turn to, it might have been her.

Her gaze locked on her phone, where the number was saved.

There was a sudden knock on the front door, a deliberate knock. Her mind is playing spinning like a slot machine. Who was it, the landlord?The social worker, or was it that weirdo she encountered last night, was she tracked down? Targeting her family?

“Jun…Jun-san?”

Kanako. Oh no!

“Remy, I’m not here! She can’t know I’m here” she screeched, and diving into her bed in frantic panic.

“Sure,” he said, with haste. He was smirking for some reason and she didn’t find it amusing. What was he planning?

She hears the front door creak, “she’s here!” he stated

That traitor!

Horror, shot through her body and climbed deeper under the covers of the bed.

[C'mon, you want her to see you like this, pathetic crawling away like a scared kitten, get that charisma points up juno, and confront her with your dignity intact.]

“You’re right,” she muttered.

She got out of the bed, creeping towards the apartment floor. Adjusting her crumpled shirt, her hair was an untangled mess of wavy hair knots.

A concerned kanako stood there casually dressed, yet still serene compared to her frazzled appearance. “You look much better?” she says, partly questioning, part concerned. She approached Juniper, started touching her wrist.Her fingers traced along her skin, “But…where are your injuries?”

Her body froze up, the feeling causing her a tingling sensation. The intimacy was unexpected.

Remy went from smug to panicking, realizing there was a missing page of information here of his understanding of the situation. He wanted to interject but she shot him a glare.

. “I…heal very fast. It wasn’t as bad as it looked.” she stammered, attempting to deflect and distract. “Just bad lighting.”

Kanaka simply nodded. Raising her bro. “Can you come with me real quick?”

“Where to?”

Her lips curled into a smile “My apartment.”

She was afraid, she wanted to be more presentable but she couldn’t refuse.

*****

Kanako’s apartment was spartan in comparison to theirs, a stark contrast. However, it was quite minimalist, a well-built wooden floor greeting her eyes...A faint smell of fresh herbs entered her senses.

She’d even made her leave her slippers near the door, a piece of Japan brought here.

“Do you drink tea, any tea?” she inquired, soft but directed.

“Sure…” While she preferred coffee she didn’t want to be rude.

She made her sit in the living area, near a well-furnished table, in front of them some obscure Japanese television show was playing, on her monitor. No subtitles…

She brought them both a cup of matcha tea as they sat near the table huddled in front of the television. She fiddled herself, feeling completely out of place and self-conscious.

She awkwardly spilled a few drops,” I'm sorry!”

“It's completely okay.” she started then shifted to a serious tone. “Jun…”

“Mmmhh..” she mumbled.

“I wanted to ask you. If you would be interested in some office work, for my company?” she said suddenly. Juniper’s mind was boggled. “Wait, you own a company ... .Why the hell are you living in this dump of a neighborhood.”

Kanako laughs. “I-it’s complicated. I can’t disclose it yet, I need to trust you first.” her word hung in the air, and a brief vulnerability stirred in her eyes. Waving her hands. “Not that I don’t think you aren’t trustworthy. But I've been hurt in the past. It's how I got stuck in this city.”

“Oh,” she shifted herself upright. “So you were originally from Japan.”

“Indeed, I got stuck here, when the whole uprising/ calamity business went off.” her fingers briefly touched juniper’s hand, and then suddenly pulled away. “And well things went wrong after that, and now we find ourselves here.”

She offered her a minor smile. “Enough about me, what do you think, you’ll consider working with me, you’d start out as an assistant but with a good time–”

“I can’t…I have something going on right now.”

Kanako tilts her head, her expression showing she was hurt a bit.”Then what do you plan on doing, your siblings need some better care. I don’t know where you were last night. But do you plan to keep getting hurt? Is it worth it?”

Her hand touched Juniper’s again, lingering a bit too long, her touch was distracting. Her heart wavered. “ I…I just don’t want to see you get hurt, you remind me of my older sis in a way. She was like you in a way, preferred the comforts of indoor living, a hiki…”

‘hikikomori?

Her heart was all over the place, she didn’t know how to respond. “I…appreciate the sentiment. But, my life has taken a turn of its own, if I stop now?” her thoughts linger on the upcoming alien invasion. Anxiety flying “More than a few of us would get hurt.”

Kanako frowned, “I don’t understand, do you want to talk about it…”

“No… I’m afraid you might get hurt. If you get involved. ”

“I understand,” she said her lips lying.