Fii climbed unsteadily to her feet, leaning against a broken wall for support. Her ears still rang from the force of the bst; her mind reeled from the chaotic swirl of emotions still c through her. She pulled away from the wall and limped forward. Her limbs felt heavy and sluggish, and she stumbled ohird step or so.

  She should be dead...she should be a smear on the pavement. But something had happened—something within her had ged...again. Her eyes turned skyward and stared into the settling dust, past the fading traces of the shockwave's destru.

  Her mind reeled, but a sharpness had set in around its edges...a crity. It felt like a switch being flipped.

  The world suddenly seemed very small.

  She thought about what this would mean—the ramifications of her as. She had killed a superhero...killed a member of the most esteemed anization iropolis: the Ultimate Guardians. There was n baow.

  No...stop...stop thinking about this. Get til...that's all...just get til. Make sure he's okay.

  After stumbling along the streets, people peeked out of nearby buildings and alleyways.

  Fii worried that bystanders in the area might have gotten caught up iermath of her battle. But as far as she could see, the damage from the explosion was limited. The surrounding area remained retively unscathed except for debris from colpsed buildings on their fringes.

  Thank goodness. Her gambit had worked.

  As the people emerged from hiding, they stared at her with a mix of awe and fear. Faces appeared behind cracked windows, eyes watg warily as she limped past. When she gnced over at the crowd of gawkers standing a few meters away from her, they scattered, scurrying away into doorways and alleyways like is under a rock.

  Now everyone knew her faew who she was...and she would have to live with that. But...so be it. That didn't matter anymore. Let them stare—let them talk—let them do whatever the fuck they wanted—so long as they stayed out of her way.

  She tried to ighe visions of Kenzo's final moments...tried not to dwell on the all-too-familiar feeling of hopelessness. She would mourn him...but now wasn't the time. Her brain was on autopilot...and all she could think about was the o get til.

  It took several mio retrace her steps back to where the fight with Prime had begun—the whole journey a blur in her mind. A part of her registered the ge in the crowds—how they shuffled away as she moved—some whispering, others just staring in mute shock. She must be a sight—her bodysuit shredded from the earlier fight, her skin marred with dirt and bruises...covered in a grime of blood and sweat and dust.

  And then she reached her destination.

  She looked over to the shanty that Virgil had been flung into and stumbled towards it.

  "V...Virg..." her voice croaked.

  From behind the debris, Quinn stumbled out, supp a disheveled Virgil on his shoulder. "Shit—Fii. Thank fuck. Virgil's...not good. Gono take him to the ic—"

  Her arms found their strength once again—briefly. She hurried over and supported Virgil's other side. The two half-walked...half-dragged Virgil as he groaned in pain. Virgil's right eye had swollen shut; his bottom lip was cut open...dripping blood in a trail behind them. His arm hung at an odd angle.

  Virgil grimaced a smile through bloodstaieeth. "You did good kid...did real...real good. Just...a scratch. It's all...it's all good. Fixed...in a fsh...get it? Good?" he coughed out weakly. His attempt to lighten the mood fell ft as he slumped over...limp.

  She nodded and swallowed past the lump ihroat. Her vision began to blur—whether from tears or the o of exhaustion...she wasn't sure.

  "Quinn..." her voice broke as she turo him. "Kenzo...Kenzo's...Kenzo is...he's—" She trailed off...her breath hitg...the words refusing to leave her throat.

  Quinn nodded...his face a mix of anger and grief. "I...saw."

  Fii bit her lip...but it did little to stem the tears. She furiously wiped at her face...trying to maintain...trying to keep focused.

  Suddenly, a gust of wind picked up—causing the dust around them to swirl and disperse—as the whine of an engine pierced the air.

  They froze. Fii blinked away the st of her tears to peer up at the shadow of a sleek dropship loomed over them. The dropship touched down across the street, the rear hatch slowly dropping open. The first set of footsteps rang out oal gangpnk as it hit the ground.

  Six ed figures filed out from the cargo bay—some wearis...some wearing masks—all dressed in a bination of body armor and high-tech clothing. Their outfits dispyed an odd variety of colors...but each bore simir logos.

  More Ultimate Guardians? Her eyes widened as she reized each of them—some she knew from their posters and their televised exploits broadcasted through the Rust Market—while others had only retly garhe attention of the media.

  The tallest guardian strode out first and stepped onto the gangpnk; she could tell it was Noir Streak—the speedster with bck lightning f off his legs—his signature. The guardians stood at parade rest on the gangpnk's edge with Noir Streak at the front. The dropship behind them lowered to the ground, its engines sending swirls of dust and dirt into the air.

  Noir Streak paused. His voied over the ing of the dropship engines as he raised a finger and pointed directly at her.

  "AXION!" he yelled, his tone harsh. "For crimes against the state and your fellow man—for the death of one of your own...we are here t you and Backfire in!"

  Fii stiffened as their gres bored into her. Her grip on Virgil tightened unsciously.

  Quinn looked at her nervously. "Shit—Fii...this ain't good..." He adjusted Virgil's body across their shoulders. "Do you...you wao take—"

  She cut him off with a curt shake of her head.

  They were only defending themselves against Prime's unjustified aggression. His a against Kareem and the Ironcd Legion was ohing, but hurting Virgil, revealing who she was, and killing Kenzo—that crossed a li was all wrong...it was fucked.

  But these people didn't care. They would never see her side of things. They probably just followed orders—serving the metropolis at the expense of people like her...like Virgil...like Kenzo.

  Her hands twitched as she readjusted her grip on Virgil; a barely audible growl escaped her lips as her exhaustion momentarily faded into the background.

  "Kid," Virgil whispered through grit teeth. "Whatever you are...thinking...stop..."

  "But Virgil—" she protested.

  "I'll deal with the rest of them." As soon as the words left his mouth, a spectral entity maed behind Virgil's body, h above his shoulder and surrounding him with an aura.

  Fii's eyes widened.

  If death had a form...it would be Virgil's guardian. It towered above them, its cloak billowing in an imperceptible wind; the hood seemed to stare back at her with a thousand hollow eyes...red orbs within a sea of shifting bck. Eight skeletal arms wielding pistols of various shapes and sizes extended from the cloak's voluminous sleeves—each aimed at one of the guardians—all at the ready.

  Its jaw opened—joints crag as they spread to reveal a row of crooked teeth within. A screech bubbled from the entity—a low buzzing tone...gradually cresdoing—crag and tearing through the air.

  Fii and Quinn grimaced as the screech rattled their teeth. Her ears throbbed...the noise w its way into her skull...coiling through her thoughts...lurking within...haunting...beh the surface...eg...eg...eg...the words reverberated through her mind like a mantra.

  The Ultimate Guardians visibly faltered, staggering a few steps back.

  Virgil gred through his good eye at the assembled guardians, his voice a lo. "I see a few new faces, but some of you should still remember the beating I gave you long ago. Noir...you know what happe...and you're wele to try me. None of you are fast enough, or tough enough, to take me...down. Heh...heh...heh...not without Prime...and he's dead.

  "Let's not pretend that any of you had a soft spot for the fucker. He was as much a liability as an asset...you all know this. And your sponsors know it too. I may be the bad guy...but I ain't the only...heh...heh...heh—Ungh...fuck! Urgh..." He coughed, blood fleg his lips. "The metropolis may like to...see its heroes as unstoppable...but your time is ing to...an end."

  Virgil hacked out another painful cough. Fii looked on with , but the gunslinger waved her off as he spat blood on the ground. "The girl and I will take our leave...and there ain't a damhing you do to stop us. If you even try—just remember...what I do to you, she do more..." He gestured to himself. "A million times worse...so, sit tight, drink...enjoy the day off. Hell...go home and start writing an obituary for ol' Prime."

  Noir Streak ched his fist, then tapped the side of his helmet as if he were listening through a device. He paused briefly, then gave a curt nod. "We are...advised to withdraw. Backfire and...Axion...are no longer a priority until further instru. Dropship has been ordered to lift off. Stand down." He tapped the side of his helmet again aured for the rest of the guardians to follow. One by ohey filed bato the dropship.

  "This doesn't mean you're off the hook, you hear?" Noir Streak bellowed over the sound of the dropship's engines. He was the st to board.

  He turo face Fii directly and jabbed a fiowards her. "The price for killing an Ultimate Guardian is life impriso or death. But, someone who has the power to kill Prime...if you still sider yourself a hero, then serving the Metropolis should be the ato you seek for what you did here today. A meta like you, wasting their potential here, is nothing but a thorn in our side. It's in your best io ply. Think about it, Slumdog."

  The gangpnk asded with a whir; the whine of the engines reached a new cresdo as the backwash stirred dust from the ground. Slowly—but surely—the sleek dropship lifted off.

  They all stared at the departing ship and waited. Ohe engines had faded to a dull rumble in the distand the shadowy speck disappeared on the horizon, Virgil let out a long breath. Immediately, his guardian dispersed like smoke on the wind; he sagged...slumped across their shoulders.

  Fii shifted him back upright with a grunt. "e on...Virgil. Let's get you to Edith..."

  Something had happe the Aether ic while they were gohe first indicator was the hastily ed-up blood stain by the door to the basement b, followed by the nervous energy of the few staff members who milled about. As Quinn and Fii—bearing the unscious Virgil—made their way across the ic, Sheri hurried over.

  She had a gauzed-up gash on her forehead. The normally cheery nurse wore a solemn expression a her tone quiet.

  "Sheri—What the hell happened?" Fii asked.

  Sheri opened her mouth to reply...then abruptly shook her head. "First take Virgil into the patient room—this way."

  Quinn and Fii maneuvered through the corridors of the ic towards the room that Sheri directed them to.

  Virgil's head lolled against his chest. He opened his good eye a crack. "Some...good drinks...would be real nice...right about now." He managed a pained smirk as he coughed weakly.

  When they reached their destination, they took Virgil to the examination bed and lowered him dowly. Virgil hissed and groaned in pain but settled down. He cmped his jaw tight and grumbled something about whiskey.

  Sheri left and quickly returned with a medical tray covered with the necessary instruments. "Okay. Um...Helix. Let me know if I missed anything. I had to improvise," she whispered to the air. The A.I.'s firmation chimes answered with a subdued tone.

  "Sheri...what is going on?" Fii asked as she kept a vigil by Virgil's side. "Where's Edith?"

  The nurse pursed her lips and began iing Virgil. "Edith left. Helix tell you more. I have to focus on Virgil right now." Her to no room for discussion.

  Fii suppressed a fsh of irritation as she held up her hands in acquiesce. She looked to the camera and whispered again. "Helix... you...hear me?"

  The camera's status light blinked as the A.I. answered in a muted voice. "Yes. Please proceed to Edith's b; there is something you o know."

  Fii stood up and reached out a hand to rest on Quinn's arm. " you keep watch over the ic for a bit? Something doesn't feel right here. Just let me know if there's trouble."

  He shrugged and gave her a lopsided smile. "Don't sweat it. I'll watch out for Sheri...just go do what you gotta do."

  She gave Quinn a grateful nod as she stepped out.

  Once Fii left the ic floor and reached the basement b, her footsteps faltered; her body was worn out—heavy and slow—her head pounding in pain...everything about her movements bored and sluggish. A grimace passed her lips. She didn't even have the energy left to protest or speak aloud. It felt as though each step had her trudging through quid.

  With a great heave of effort, she mao push her ast the basement b's entrand wobbled dowaircase.

  In the middle of the cluttered boratory space, two bodies y sprawled out—one beloo Kasumi, dressed in a pin shirt and sants...the other...Fii paused.

  The other was that Adrenomancer woman from before. Blood pooled around the woman's head and formed a sanguine halo in the shaded darkness.

  Fii approached slowly to kneel by Kasumi's prone form. Her breath hitched as she gently id a hand on the woman's neck. There ulse. A slight ine of Kasumi's chest indicated steady breaths as well. Relief surged through her; the woman was just unscious.

  "Helix. What happened? Where's Edith?"

  [Fii.] The A.I.'s voice projected from the b's speakers with a dull tone.

  [Dr. Edith had been captured by Salvatore while you were away. Her abductor was this Adrenomancer woman, who returo try aroy the b. Kasumi intervened.]

  What? Fii bli the A.I.'s expnation.

  How did he know about Edith's retionship with her? Did Fii somehow slip and allow them to trace her back to the ic? Even if she had, how did they figure out her e to Edith? Why would they take the doctor? This didn't make sense...unless—

  "Helix, do you think Salvatore knows about..."

  [You being the success of Dr. Edith's metahumaherapy research? I ot say...however...it would seem likely.]

  The A.I.'s words trailed off, the monotone voice returning to an unfortable volume.

  [Edith had hidden the results of her experiment—used her research as a bargaining chip for her safety...but I am uo determine what became of her...and there has been no reply on the -link.]

  Fii's fists ched at her sides.

  This wasn't fair. Everything was fiil Salvatore came into the picture. Now Kenzo's dead, Virgil is badly hurt, the ic was ransacked, Edith...Edith is missing...and for what? Fii ched her teeth—to bite back the helplessness and grief.

  Helix's voice echoed through the b, through the space between them, bringing her out of her thoughts.

  [Dr. Edith's wish was to keep you safe...as much as possible. Her abdu was not your fault...as much as that may feel otherwise. She has her own vis, views, and motivation; do not ever doubt her decision and judgment. The circumstances leading up to this moment were merely...poor...timing. For now, recuperate ahe events settle...then we begin pnning for her rescue.]

  Fii shut her eyes. She let out a breath to ease the tension in her limbs. After a brief moment to collect herself, she picked up Kasumi with ease. "Okay...okay...I get it. I'm bringing Kasumi to her room."

  She slowly made her way to the staircase—up and out of the dim b.

  Helix was right. If she got herself all worked up...she wouldn't be much use to anyone. Virgil would be okay. Edith's would be okay. The more rational part of her—the rational part of her that was starting to sound like Edith—told her this would require a level head. If Edith trusted her this much, then she had to keep herself together—do whatever she could to get Edith back...safe.

  For now, Fii o recover, tend to her wounds...and make a pn to rescue her.

  Before that, the ohing she was dreading to do was to break the o Kasumi about Kenzo.