Axion saw the signal—Virgil tipping the brim of his hat upwards, exposing his face. This meant the talk with the gangs went sour; he'd need her support. She closed her eyes and focused, activating her power.

Her body felt lighter as the pull of gravity lessened, and she took a running leap off the rooftop. She soared through the air, shifting the direction of the nearly invisible eddies that surrounded her to propel her forward. A breathless sensation gripped her lungs as she flew, the rush of wind rushing past her.

She kept her eyes fixed on the courtyard below as she maneuvered deftly through the sky, navigating the twists and turns of the slums while calculating her descent as she drew nearer. She slowed her pace as she approached, dropping to the ground beside Virgil and skidding to a halt, sending dirt and gravel scattering. She stood, brushing herself off before turning to address the four gang leaders.

"Hiya! Sorry for being late; traffic was terrible."

The four gang lieutenants stared at her, stunned into silence by her sudden arrival.

"Now, see here, where the hell did—" Bill started, his voice rising to a frenzied pitch. He cut himself off mid-sentence, blinking and rubbing his eyes as he did a double-take.

Axion smiled brightly behind her helmet visor, waving to them. She deliberately made the gesture broad and exaggerated to contrast their wary, guarded postures. "Good evening! Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name's Axion. Nice to meet y'all." Her tone remained cheery despite the hostility in the air. "I couldn't help but overhear you guys talking about me. That's why I dropped in."

Virgil allowed himself a moment to savor the scene, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he watched the gang lieutenants' reaction. "Well now, don't you guys just look thrilled to see my partner. Go on, introduce yourselves. Be polite. She deserves it." He grinned wolfishly as their shock began to fade, replaced by indignant outrage. "I'll even start—this here's 'Hammer' Kareem, the Ironclad Legion's fearless second-in-command."

The imposing gangster didn't reply; instead, his jaw clenched shut as his eyes burned holes through Virgil. Kareem's fingers twitched as if aching for a weapon to draw. The sentiment was returned, but Virgil kept a cool facade.

"And that's 'Butcher' Bill Donovan, a regular jack-of-all-trades who's an expert in handling body disposal, organ harvesting, and bloodletting, among other things. Not the most charming person, but he's well-connected and knows his way around the underground black markets."

Bill gritted his teeth, muttering something under his breath but otherwise refrained from interrupting. Instead, he fumbled in his coat pockets, digging through them frantically. He pulled out a cigar, and a lighter followed shortly after. He lit the cigar with a shaky hand, puffing a cloud of smoke into the air.

"That fella right there is 'Reverb' Ray, from the Echo Syndicate." Virgil pointed a thumb at the masked gangster, gesturing in his direction. "Can't say I'm all too fond of that mask he wears; the damned thing gives me a migraine when he speaks. But, if you like obnoxious-sounding tech, then it's a good fit for him, I suppose."

The mask's lights flickered momentarily before steadying again. A soft electronic hiss emanated from the speaker embedded in the apparatus. "Tread lightly, Maddox. Words like that carry consequences. Consequences you won't enjoy."

Virgil ignored him and continued without missing a beat, pointing to the final member of the party. "And last but not least, that over-glorified shadow of a man is 'The Enforcer' Elijah Gray; the Ashen Hand's resident enforcer and dirty work specialist. Always looking for opportunities to break knees and snap necks. Has a reputation for enjoying his job a tad too much, in my opinion. But, hey, to each their own."

The man in question regarded Virgil with an icy glare, his fists clenched at his sides. He turned his attention to Axion, his stare penetrating through the helmet's tinted visor as though trying to discern her features. "What, too afraid to show your face, girl? Afraid we might recognize you?"

Axion met his gaze steadily, unintimidated by the barb.

Virgil had already briefed her about all of them ahead of time. These were dangerous people who could cause real trouble for her, and he wanted her to understand what they were walking into. But the most surprising thing she learned from his explanations was that these four gang lieutenants...were metahumans.

That was new. She, and probably most of the people living here, always assumed that Metas only lived in the metropolis or the cities outside of the slums. The thought of Metas within the slums—or, worse, in positions of power—never crossed her mind. Until recently.

Axion pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the present. She'd expected them to be on edge and hostile, but it didn't make their behavior any less irksome. She cleared her throat politely, breaking the silence.

"Sorry. Having a secret identity is part of the whole superhero gig. I don't want people like you knowing who I am or where I live; you know, in case you or one of your henchmen comes after me later. For safety reasons." She paused, gauging their reactions. "Anyways, that's not important right now. I'm here to ask politely for you guys to cancel the bounty on me. Just calling it off entirely would be swell. Dealing with waves of street thugs and gangsters every day is getting real annoying real quick, and I'm not even making a joke when I say that."

Her attempt at levity fell flat, the gang leaders' expressions remaining stony and inscrutable. She shrugged, adjusting her posture to strike a more authoritative pose, hoping to project confidence and self-assurance. "Here's the thing: I know none of you guys like me, and I'm cool with that. The feeling is mutual. The problem is I have something to do, and I can't do it if I'm busy fighting off every street thug or two-bit criminal with a knife and a vendetta.

I don't have the time to do that, and I don't appreciate being harassed. I'm not out here just to beat people up, you know? I can do other things to help make the slums a better place. Things you might appreciate or even benefit from, provided we can come to an agreement. Am I wrong?"

There, she'd done her best to make her intentions known and extend a friendly olive branch. She hoped they would at least take her seriously.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as each of the gang leaders processed what she'd said.

Axion shuffled uncomfortably under their scrutinizing gazes, nervously fiddling with the zipper on her jacket. Meanwhile, Virgil took a drag of his cigarette, blowing a stream of smoke into the air while waiting patiently for them to respond.

Finally, Kareem spoke. His deep baritone voice filled the space. "Let's get one thing straight: I don't know you, don't like you, and certainly don't trust you. Yet. More importantly, you're a nuisance in our territory, and I'm not here to make friends, girlie. If anything, you should be grateful we haven't sent an entire army of hired guns after you. And even now, we can still arrange for that to happen." He flexed his arms, emphasizing his point. "Unless that's what you want, you'd better have a good reason for me to sit and listen to what you have to say."

Axion looked back at Virgil; he gave a slight nod, signaling for her to continue.

Right...Plan B, Phase Two then.

Without another word, she turned her gaze to the scattered debris around the courtyard, concentrating and extending the field of her gravikinesis to encompass the rubble.

With a sudden sharp upward gesture, large chunks of debris and concrete tore from the ground, levitating several meters in the air and orbiting around her.

The gang leaders blinked in surprise, backing away as the objects surrounded them, hovering ominously overhead.

She then shifted her gaze towards the four and gestured downward with her other hand.

They're Metahumans, so I should use an appropriate force to bring them down.

Immediately, the group sank to their knees, gasping in shock as they struggled to rise, only to find themselves pinned to the ground. Kareem's muscles bulged against the force, his body trembling as he strained to resist. Bill and Elijah also grunted and groaned, their faces contorting with exertion as they fought to move. Ray's mask emitted a strained buzz, the lights flickering erratically as he clawed at the dirt beneath him.

Despite their resistance, she held firm, keeping them rooted in place. As the pressure increased, Axion frowned, leaning forward and applying a bit more weight to her invisible burden. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breath caught in her throat as she poured her focus into maintaining the intense gravitational field on them while keeping the debris positioned above.

"This could be over you, or through you," she stated, her voice low and steady. "Your choice. I'm not messing around. If you keep messing with me, I'll crush you like ants."

Please let this be enough to convince them. Come on, cooperate, don't fight back; I don't wanna hurt anyone. At least not yet. Please don't test me.

"What...the fuck...do you think...you're doing, bitch!" Bill exclaimed, his voice punctuated by strained breaths and ragged wheezes.

"Trying to give you incentive," she responded, watching them struggle. "Not doing so well, unfortunately. Think of this as a demonstration, not an attack. You see, I've got the power, and now you have a glimpse of how far I'm willing to go."

To demonstrate, she held the rubble over their heads in an implied threat, pausing before she brought her hands closer together and the rubble constricted slightly. She made sure to hold back as much as possible, maintaining an equilibrium between them and the force pressing against them. But if they tried fighting back, all bets were off.

She paid close attention to "The Enforcer" Elijah. Virgil warned her specifically about him; he had the ability to turn into a smog-like substance and reform wherever he pleased. So, if he attempted to escape, she'd have to be ready to follow up with something to seal him. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that, though.

"Look," Axion began, softening her tone. "Despite what this looks like, I'm not here to start a war. But I'm not about to let anyone push me around, either. We can stay here all day, throwing our weight around, or you guys can stand up and play nice, and we can talk like adults." She paused, waiting for the impact of her words to sink in. "Now, the ball's in your court. What's it gonna be?"

Please, please cooperate. I don't think I can hold th—uh oh, my nose is bleeding...

Another tense silence hung over them like a heavy fog before Kareem finally spoke. "Fine. Release us." The man grunted, struggling to keep to his knees. "We'll...play your game for now. This round's yours. Next one, we'll see. So be it."

Thank God...I'm starting to feel light-headed.

With a wave of her hand, Axion released them. The debris landed on the ground, forming a pile of dust and debris that blanketed the courtyard.

The gang lieutenants stood shakily, rubbing their shoulders and massaging their limbs.

Kareem shook his head as though to clear away cobwebs, while Ray's mask emitted a loud pop as the lights brightened, returning to normal. Elijah and Bill coughed, dusting themselves off. They glanced at each other uneasily, and she noticed Elijah shoot a hateful glance at Virgil, who merely shrugged in response, chuckling quietly.

She didn't find the situation funny at all; holding down multiple metahumans wasn't exactly easy work. Still, she hadn't lost control and managed to prove her point. That was something to celebrate. She swallowed the lump in her throat, trying to quell the throbbing pain in her skull.

Virgil leaned forward, grinding his cigarette out on the sole of his boot. "Just so you all know, if I were to fight all four of you at once right now, it'd be a pain in the ass but I reckon I'd be able to kill you motherfuckers before I croak. Or at least maim you. Just because we fought to a draw last time doesn't mean that I was fighting you with everything I had. If you think I'm lying then we can schedule a death match anytime after this."

He slowly straightened, hooking his thumbs around his belt. His voice darkened as he locked eyes with the four. "Right now, she might still be green behind the ears, but as far as raw power goes, she's much stronger than I am. Killin' you lot is child's play for her now; she's practically a god in the slums.

The reason why she's been passive and patient until now is to avoid killing or maiming the ones that go after her. A decision that I disagree with, but that's her call. A fool's errand, if you ask me. Point is, you have an opportunity to avoid that mess. One that I'd suggest you don't waste."

Axion slowly turned her head to stare at Virgil, surprised by his assessment.

W-what the hell are you talking about, dude?! That's all sizzle, no steak!

Did he really mean what he said or was he exaggerating to get their attention? Was he trying to intimidate them into cooperating, or did he honestly believe what he was saying? It was hard to tell sometimes with him, given how straightforward he normally behaved. It was probably a combination of both.

Still...if they called his bluff and decided to gang up on her, she didn't have high hopes of coming out unscathed. Her head swam as she struggled to keep her legs from wobbling. She couldn't even wipe her nosebleed.

God, I'm already exhausted. That drained more out of me than I expected...

Virgil's earlier advice echoed in the back of her mind: "Exert maximum effort at the start, and don't underestimate their strength. Get out on top and don't give them room to breathe."

Taking a deep breath, Axion steeled her nerves as she addressed the group of gang lieutenants once more. "So, we got off to a rough start, which sucks, but let's try this again. Without threats or tricks or fights this time."

She waited for them to regain their composure, giving them time to collect themselves.

Kareem dusted himself off, fixing a cool, appraising gaze upon her. "Alright, maybe you're not quite the pushover I initially thought." He smirked, rolling his shoulders to relieve the tension. "Color me impressed. I take back what I said earlier; I underestimated you. That's on me."

Bill flashed a cocky grin, lighting another cigar. "Got a few tricks up your sleeves, eh, girlie? Good, that'll make things more interesting."

"Hmph, as if." Elijah scoffed, his gaze flitting between Virgil and Axion. "But I will admit you're not useless, especially with that ability of yours. Even I might not be able to kill you, not easily, anyways."

Ray's mask remained silent, its lights dimmed as it resumed a normal hue.

Axion glanced at Virgil, unsure of what else to say.

A slight smirk played across his face as he raised his eyebrows and nodded once. He crossed his arms and leaned back, signaling that the ball was in her court.

Right, well, I guess that's better than outright hostility. Okay, now what?

"So you'll cancel that bounty on me?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to give them any false hope.

"That's the thing: the bounty's not ours to cancel," Kareem replied, frowning. "We can relay your request to our respective bosses, but they'll be the ones making the final decisions."

Oh, of course...why am I not surprised.

"That's the only concession we can give you. For now, anyway," Bill added, drawing on his cigar. "You can consider it as good as canceled, though. Word will get out that the syndicates backed out of the bounty. Anyone dumb enough to act on their own will be your problem. We won't be held accountable for that."

Axion rubbed the back of her neck, processing his words. Well, that was better than nothing, at least. "Yeah, okay. Fair enough. Thank you. I can work with that, and I'm cool with playing the wait and see game."

"The only condition is we get to lay down the rules," Ray interjected. His distorted, electronically enhanced voice resonated throughout the space, reverberating in her ears. "First: we don't cross paths, at least for now. Stay out of our business, and we'll stay out of yours."

"Second: leave our strongholds alone. Do not infiltrate any of our bases or establishments, period," Kareem chimed in. "And third: do not interfere in any gang wars we are involved in. Got it? Simple, isn't it? Rules are easy to follow."

Axion hesitated for a moment before responding. "Sure, fine. I can work with those rules. As long as you guys stay in line, we won't have any problems."

"Those apply to you, too, Maddox." Elijah growled, glowering at Virgil. "You'd better make sure your pet stays in line. If she steps out of bounds, there'll be hell to pay, and we both know who'll pay for it. Don't we?"

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Goddamn, I'd forgotten how melodramatic you lot could get. Are we done here? Because if that's all, then let's get the hell out of here already."

"Reverb" Ray was the first to leave, leaving a trail of faint electronic echoes in his wake. "The Enforcer" Elijah followed suit, shifting into a cloud of smoke that whisked into the air, fading from view.

"Hanmer" Kareem cracked his knuckles, nodding at Virgil and Axion in acknowledgment before turning and heading through another alleyway. "Don't make us regret this, girlie. Be seeing you around. You too, Backfire."

"Butcher" Bill gave Axion a slow once-over, flashing a crooked smile as he blew a ring of smoke in her direction. "If you ever feel like working for a real organization, come join the Red Market Syndicate. You might find some interesting job opportunities. We've got connections, after all, and I can put in a good word for you."

Axion bit back an annoyed retort, not wanting to give him a chance to get under her skin. "I'll pass. Thanks for the offer, though. It's not what I'm looking for."

With a shrug, Bill flicked the remains of his cigar at their feet and casually strolled away, humming a jaunty tune.

The pair watched in silence as the gang members dispersed, disappearing into various side alleys. Soon, only they remained in the courtyard. The adrenaline rush that accompanied her brief show of force evaporated, and Axion felt suddenly deflated and tired.

After a moment, she turned to Virgil. "How do you think that went?"

He clicked his tongue and shrugged. "Eh, not bad. It could've gone a lot worse."

"Do you think they'll keep their promise?"

"Most likely, yeah. You showed them what you could do and laid out some terms they couldn't argue with. But these guys aren't the end-all-be-all in the grand scheme of things. They report to their bosses. Fortunately, they'll respect your ultimatum."

From the corner of her eye, Axion spotted the old woman named Nara stepping into the courtyard, hobbling towards them with the use of a cane.

"Oi, you two, I assume you've taken care of business? Make a big commotion in my area, but you ain't even going to apologize to me? Tsk, tsk."

Virgil gave a half-hearted, dismissive wave, making his way through the alley they arrived from. "I didn't break any rules, old hag. No blood was spilled, no shots were fired; no harm done. It's all in your head, stop nagging."

Nara tapped her cane in annoyance, glancing at the crumbling buildings surrounding her. "Cheeky bastard...running your mouth, always doing whatever you damn well please. Go on, get lost, both of you."

Axion bowed in deference to the elderly woman before hurrying to catch up with Virgil.

But before she could take one step, Nara grabbed her by the hand, stopping her in her tracks. "Wait. You're not leaving until you put everything that you moved back where they belong."

Axion froze. Slowly, she turned and surveyed the surroundings: all the debris she'd levitated, all the trash and other items that she'd torn from the ground. Each sat in a heap on the pavement, completely forgotten. The realization of what she'd done struck her, and she winced sheepishly.

"Um, oops...?"