Axion sprinted, vaulting over the rooftops and leaping between the gaps. Concrete and gravel sprayed haphazardly as her roller skates connected with the dilapidated buildings, generating thin, dusty clouds with each landing.

I hope Rao's okay...

His shop was a few blocks away from where the smoke originated from. So…he should be okay. She’ll have to check up on him later. Right now, she needed to find out what happened.

Rather than exerting her body, she let her power pull her from rooftop to rooftop, building to building, her roller skates granting her additional momentum and stability. Axion bent her knees as she landed, her muscles absorbing the impact, while the microelectronics within her skates compensated for the remaining strain.

Whenever she pushed off, her skates' powerful motors accelerated her movements, adding an additional burst of velocity. Coupled with her gravikinesis, the results allowed her to cross a block or two in a single, fluid motion.

As Axion neared the Rust Market, she scanned the streets below, searching for any victims, perpetrators, or clues. A dense, plume of smoke dominated the area, partially obscuring her view. Flaming debris littered the roads, and scorched fragments marred the pavement, trailing towards the origin point. Pedestrians scattered wildly, panicked screams mingling with the chaotic din.

"Edith! Something happened at the Rust Market. Can you send your drones over here and scan the area?"

<On it. Give me a minute> Edith's voice buzzed in her ear. <I'm routing a few drones your way.>

"Thanks."

Axion picked up her pace, arcing smoothly over the final rooftop, and leapt into the thick haze. Her gravikinesis pulled her forward and slowed her descent, and she dropped softly onto the road, her roller skates rolling to a halt.

"Over here! Axion's here!" a voice yelled, echoing faintly through the choking fumes. Axion pivoted, peering into the smoke, and spotted a figure limping toward her, arms clutching his stomach. Blood oozed between his fingers, and his complexion was pale and sallow.

Axion skated forward, catching him before he collapsed. Up close, his clothes appeared singed, his flesh burned and blackened. A massive, bleeding wound gouged his abdomen, the tissue inflamed and charred. Axion flinched, suppressing the bile rising in her throat, and gingerly lowered him to the ground.

"Hey, you're gonna be fine, alright?" Axion reassured him, trying—and failing—to keep the apprehension out of her voice. Holy shit, his wounds looked awful, and he was bleeding out fast.

"They—they came out of nowhere, a-attacked everyone," the wounded man gasped, his breath ragged and strained. More blood bubbled forth, his skin a ghostly, ashen shade. "A-axion...look o-out, they're—"

Before he could finish, a bullet zipped past, whizzing over Axion's shoulder. Another followed, ricocheting off the asphalt, and Axion threw herself protectively over the injured man and erected her field to deflect more incoming fire.

Bullets slammed uselessly against her gravitational barrier, careening to the ground. When the barrage stopped, she scooped up the wounded man and pulled herself to a nearby alley, darting behind the relative safety of the wall. Bullets tore apart the brick, scattering the debris in her wake.

Axion deposited the man out of the line of fire and crouched beside him, peeking cautiously around the corner. Through the fading smoke, a group of figures emerged—five, to be exact. Each wore a matching leather ensemble, highlighted by a metallic harness. Tubes and injectors snaked beneath their clothing, and a glowing, fluorescent liquid circulated throughout.

One sported an assault rifle, and he shouldered the weapon and raked the alley with another volley. Axion flattened herself against the brick, wincing as the bullets impacted her hastily constructed gravitational barrier. Another was armed with a submachine gun, spraying her cover recklessly, while the third wielded a pair of wicked, electro-whips. Two stood a fair distance behind the frontline, their hands hidden behind holstered weapons.

"Edith, do you know who they are?" Axion whispered, her voice low and urgent. Edith's drones would arrive soon, but Axion needed an edge, and fast.

They definitely weren't gangsters from around here. Their getup and guns looked top-notch, military-grade—something you don't see in the slums, even from the Ironclad Legion.

<Adrenomancers. Salvatore must have brought them in,> Edith replied grimly. <Be careful. They might not have powers, but they're just as physically capable as you and Virgil, some even more so. You can't hold back against them.>

Axion took a deep, calming breath. Alright, so five Adrenomancers versus one her. Not optimal, but doable. She could manage. Probably. Maybe. Hopefully.

She looked back at the injured man slumped behind her.

He's not looking too good. She pressed her fingers against his neck, checking his pulse. Fortunately, he was still breathing—barely. Still, she couldn't leave him out in the open.

"This guy's hurt bad. I have the medkit you gave me in my bag. If I take him somewhere safe and you guide me while I treat him, can he last until I'm done?"

<Yes, provided you patch him up properly and he doesn't suffer additional injuries. But those Adrenomancers won't wait for you.>

"Okay," Axion muttered, assessing the situation. Edith was right—she had to defeat these guys first, otherwise none of her efforts would matter if they attacked more people.

Okay, priorities: Get this guy to safety. Take out the Adrenomancers. Treat his injuries and stabilize him.

"Guess there's no easy way out of this." Axion sighed, gritting her teeth and channeling her power. Then, she burst from the alley, accelerating swiftly and drawing the Adrenomancers' ire.

"Target located! Focus fire!" the gunman barked, squeezing the trigger. Axion veered erratically, using her gravikinesis to propel herself sideways. Bullets streaked past harmlessly, slamming into a stall and shredding its contents.

She ducked and swerved, using the market's wares and rubble as cover. Her roller skates carried her nimbly through the wreckage, their motors whirring and enhancing her movements. Bullets tore up the ground and blasted crates to splinters, showering her with wood and debris.

Axion deflected the shrapnel, extending her gravitational barrier to repel the smaller fragments.

She just needed to get within twenty meters of them, and this should all be over. She eyed the nearest Adrenomancer, gauging the distance—only a few more seconds and she'd have him.

"Keep her pinned down! Blitz, Voltaire, go flank her!" the gunman ordered, firing a sustained barrage.

Axion zig-zagged, twisting and pirouetting erratically to dodge the gunfire. One bullet clipped through her gravitational barrier and ricocheted, tearing a shallow gash across her exposed arm. Axion winced, biting back the pain. Her skates carried her toward a stall, and she dove over a display rack, bursting through the canopy.

Why did a bullet go through my field? What was different about this one? I'll have to figure that out later. First, I have to deal with—

Axion jerked back, her instincts screaming. A blur zipped past her peripheral vision, and something cold and metallic scraped against her helmet. She slid sideways on her skates, whirling in time to witness another Adrenomancer wrench his blade out of a crate. His pale complexion betrayed a faint hint of surprise, but it quickly vanished beneath a roguish smile.

You won't be smiling for long. I've got you now!

She increased the gravitational force exerted on him, doubling him over in an instant. The Adrenomancer sank to his knees, his face contorting in a pained grimace. Axion maintained the pressure, holding him in place.

A torrent of gunfire ravaged her cover, disrupting her concentration. The weight disappeared as she erected her shield again, forcing the bullets away from her. Damnit, they weren't letting up at all!

The Adrenomancer who had ambushed her staggered to his feet and ran back to the group, the gunfire dying down momentarily to let him pass. As soon as he returned to their ranks, the shooting resumed with renewed vigor.

Fine. If all they wanted to do was shoot, then she was gonna play the same game.

She focused her senses on the incoming projectiles, increasing the magnitude of her field while altering the gravitational eddies to redirect the bullets back at her attackers.

The redirected projectiles peppered the Adrenomancers' positions, forcing them to dive for cover. Axion used their temporary distraction to skate toward them and close the distance. However, as she closed in, a glimmering tendril lashed out from behind the stalls and snapped around her ankle, jerking her back and throwing her off balance.

She careened sideways, colliding violently with a nearby booth. Then, a shock jolted her body, electricity coursing through the whip's metal chain and dancing along her suit.

Axion yelped in pain and surprise, hastily rolling out of the whip's grasp. She crashed to the ground in an ungraceful tumble but regained her bearings quickly and skated away before her attacker could entangle her again.

The Adrenomancer wielding the whip—Voltaire, probably—grinned and charged after her, drawing his arm back for another swing. His metallic contraption whistled through the air, snapping and twirling with each arc. Axion swerved deftly around his strikes, channeling her momentum into sharp turns and erratic changes of direction.

She used her power to divert the whip away from her and drive it toward the ground. Every time the electric weapon contacted the pavement, a blinding spark flashed and a spray of rubble erupted.

Great. Another whip-obsessed freak. She had already fought someone with a sword-whip before, so this one hardly surprised her. This one had a longer reach, and a dangerous electrical element.

But her range was greater.

Axion levitated him into the air and flung him straight into a metal vendor cart. Voltaire yelped, crashing through the shelves and sprawling onto the ground. Axion landed, skating closer.

Before he could react, she stomped her foot, and the ground ruptured. A column of asphalt surged, lifting him into the air and sending him somersaulting.

"Ugh—what the?!"

Voltaire plummeted back to earth in a cloud of debris, groaning as the shockwave scattered the remaining wreckage.

As he was getting up, Axion lunged and dropkicked him square in the chest. Ribs cracked, and he catapulted backwards, tumbling end-over-end.

Bullets from the gunman continued to pepper the area. Axion flung fragments of metal and concrete at the shooter to keep him pinned down. Then, she hurled the whip-user's body, bowling him into his comrades. They scattered, leaping in different directions.

Didn't matter. They were now all within her range.

She increased the gravity around them, pinning them to the ground—or not.

Three Adrenomancers—the gunman, the speedy blade user, and the walking brick wall, groaned and struggled, but managed to lift themselves.

The burly one lumbered forward, bellowing a wordless war cry.

Axion hesitated, channeling more of her power into keeping him restrained. He shuddered visibly but continued his advance.

What? How much strength does this guy have?! Axion hastily backed away, but he bulldozed onward.

The Adrenomancer roared and swung, and Axion barely sidestepped, narrowly dodging his clenched fist. He continued his wild barrage, and Axion retreated, frantically avoiding his frenzied assault. His fists smashed through stalls, upending the displays and scattering their contents across the pavement. Every strike gouged a crater in the asphalt, shattering stone and rending steel.

"Stay still, dammit!" the Adrenomancer roared.

Axion ignored him, her roller skates carrying her away. Okay, new plan: Avoid melee. Hit-and-run tactics.

She extended her power and levitated several chunks of rock into the air. Then, she launched them toward the lumbering Adrenomancer like miniature meteors. The rubble rocketed forward, slamming into the brute and knocking him back. Axion maintained her offensive, bombarding him with wave after wave of projectiles. Every rock elicited a grunt from the Adrenomancer as he shielded himself from her attacks. But despite her assault, he refused to stop pursuing her.

Oh, come on! Go down already!

From the corner of her eye, Axion spotted a kid lying prone in the debris, arms shielding his head from the battle. She sprinted over to him and scooped him into her arms—only to find herself holding nothing but air. The kid's form flickered and dissipated, revealing a small disc-like device lying in its place.

"Wait, what—"

A hologram?

The world warped around her as she rose from the ground. A figure materialized out of thin air, brandishing a pair of knives—one tucked between her fingers and one held in a reverse grip. A visor covered her eyes. Her smile was both teasing and predatory, sending a chill down Axion's spine.

Reflexively, Axion changed the vector of gravity in front of her upwards, hoping to fling her attacker skyward. To her surprise, the woman flickered like a glitchy hologram, disappearing in a blur.

Axion spun, searching for where the Adrenomancer went, only to catch a boot to the chest that sent her flying. She careened into a stall and crumpled to the ground. She picked herself up hastily, dazed and disoriented.

"Good job, Mirage! You got her!" The gunman shouted.

Axion shook her head, trying to clear away the fog. Before she could react, something hard smashed into her helmet. Stars danced across her vision.

The brute grabbed another chunk of concrete and raised it over his head. "This is payback for the rocks!" He swung, smashing the boulder into Axion and sending her sailing through the air. She landed and rolled across the rough pavement before sliding to a halt.

Ugh! Dammit...that hurt. Her gravity field dampened most of the impact, but that still packed quite a punch.

Axion staggered to her feet shakily and tried to activate her comm link to Edith. "Edi—" she managed to gasp before Voltaire joined the fray, swinging his electrified whip. She yelped in surprise as the chains wrapped around her forearm. Then, electricity surged through the metal links and jolted her body.

Axion grimaced, biting back the agony. She directed her power and flung him into the air, yanking the whip free. The Adrenomancer careened into a stall, obliterating the canopy, before landing with a muffled groan.

Before she could collect herself, the big brute had managed to get behind her and yanked her upward, then found herself plummeting face-first into the ground, her cyber helmet's visor crunching upon impact.

Pain blossomed in her skull, and her ears rang. Axion groaned, forcing herself upright, her vision blurring. Damn, that hurt.

The big Adrenomancer stomped, and she scrambled back, narrowly evading his crushing blow. His boot pulverized the ground, sending asphalt spraying and cleaving the pavement.

Focusing her power—and pumping enough force into it to cripple a normal person—she flung the brute to a nearby building, his reinforced body cratering the brick. She kept him pinned there, doubling the amount of effort and concentration she used.

Axion's head throbbed, and the mental strain intensified. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her cyber helmet's interface flickered erratically, glitching and flashing red.

The brutish Adrenomancer thrashed and pried himself loose. Axion swore under her breath.

Oh, come on! This guy's crazy strong! I can't even keep him immobile for more than a few seconds! How do I even deal with someone like him?!

"Lay it on her Blitz!" The man with the rifle ordered.

"On it!" The speedster shouted, sprinting forward with blinding speed.

Before she could react, he delivered a fierce kick. At first, his aim seemed off, but his leg swerved unnaturally as her gravity field caused his kick to angle back at her—connecting solidly on her flank.

Axion wheezed, doubling over, and he followed with a knee strike to her gut. She coughed, staggering back, and Blitz pursued relentlessly, his strikes a whirlwind of kicks and punches.

Damn, he's fast!

"Eeeh? So that's how you avoid getting hit?" Blitz sneered, his movements a blur. "Dunno what your power is, but it ain't all that impressive. Just an off-brand TK."

What the hell was he going on about?

Axion gritted her teeth, blocking and dodging, but he was all over the place, his movements a confusing, frenetic blur. His heel connected with her solar plexus, and Axion keeled, gasping for breath. Blitz swept his leg, and she toppled, falling flat on her back.

She tried honing in on his movements so she could channel her gravikinesis to affect him, but he was impossible to follow. Another kick slammed into her ribs, and Axion grunted, curling instinctively.

"Come on, Axion, resist," Blitz teased, kicking her again. "This isn't fun if you're not fighting back."

"Shut...up," Axion hissed, channeling her gravikinesis. Stop. Moving. So. Fast!

Blitz blurred, striking her a third time. "What's the matter? Too slow? Here, let me help you."

Axion snarled and thrust her hands, and the surrounding debris hurtled towards him. Blitz reacted instantly, pivoting and dodging the hail of rubble. Then, his knee connected with the side of her head, and Axion's cyber helmet's interface flickered again.

Shit, that hurt. Axion swayed unsteadily, struggling to retain her concentration. Blitz darted in again, and Axion released the debris, focusing her power solely on him. Gotcha!

Her gravikinesis seized him, yanking him down.

Blitz stumbled and crashed into the asphalt.

Axion concentrated, channeling more gravitational force to keep him pinned.

"Not so fast anymore, huh?" Axion forced herself upright, but suddenly, a hail of gunfire erupted. Bullets ricocheted against her barrier, and Axion flinched.

Right, forgot about him.

She blocked the gunfire, redirecting the projectiles back to the shooter. The gunman swore and dove aside. Axion maintained her grip on Blitz and channeled her power. Let's try this.

She hauled, yanking him through the ground. The asphalt ruptured and buckled, and his body scraped harshly against the ground. Axion heaved him upward, and his limbs flopped lifelessly. Then, she swung him viciously and hurled him straight at the gunman.

They crashed with a satisfying thud.

Voltaire rushed in, swinging his whip.

Axion jumped away, using her power to fall up towards the building where the big Adrenomancer still struggled. She landed on her roller skates, steadying herself against the brick.

"Hey, Havoc. I don't remember Prime's telekinesis doing that kind of shit. Are you sure her power's the same as his?" Blitz asked the rifleman, who was groggily picking himself up.

"It's similar," the rifleman—Havoc—responded. "Just a different application, probably."

"Huh." Blitz shrugged, rushing at her again.

This time, she was fast enough to react to his speed—and her power took hold. She anchored him with gravity and pulled, redirecting his momentum. Blitz jerked and collided violently with the side of the building. A guttural wheeze escaped his lips as he crumpled.

Axion levitated him up to her level, and he tumbled helplessly. She then flung him towards her as she pulled back her fist, aligning the vector of gravity around it to augment her strike.

"Oh shi—" Blitz sailed through the air, his smug smile morphing into dread, and Axion punched, her gravikinetic-powered attack connecting squarely on his jaw.

The speedy Adrenomancer rag-dolled, spinning comically before crashing into the asphalt and rebounding, the asphalt cratering as he plunged into the ground.

Axion's roller skates carried her backward, cushioning her momentum. She exhaled, flexing her bruised hand, satisfied. Ha, take that.

The sound of someone stomping towards her made Axion glance over. The big Adrenomancer somehow got to his feet and charged, the building's wall caving under him with each step.

Oh shit!

She released her hold over him and then watched him fall, crashing messily to the ground three stories below.

He grunted, rising slowly.

Axion scowled.

Channeling her power, she repeated her combo, levitating the brute, pulling him towards her, and following up with a devastating punch. But just as her fist connected, the big Adrenomancer countered with a punch of his own as he sailed towards her. His reach exceeded hers, and his fist connected first, hammering Axion's gut and sending her through the wall beneath her.

As the effects of her gravikinesis dispersed, both of them tumbled through the room within, crashing into furniture and trashing the interior.

Without breaking stride, the big brute grabbed her by the shoulders and headbutted.

Her cyber helmet's interface flickered, and its warning indicators flashed red. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her helmet's visor fractured.

"Had enough yet, Axion?" the Adrenomancer taunted, punching her repeatedly.

Each blow rocked Axion's head back and jarred her brain, her cyber helmet's visor fracturing further. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe, could hardly process his onslaught.

Desperate, she channeled her power and launched him out of the hole in the wall. Unfortunately, the Adrenomancer's grip remained vice-like, dragging her with him. They arced downward, and the big brute adjusted his positioning, slamming her back-first onto the road.

Axion's vision exploded with stars.

"Stay. Down!" the Adrenomancer grunted, battering her body with punches.

Pain erupted everywhere, and the world blurred.

In a desperate attempt, she caused him to float up while pulling herself away. Their grips broke, and the Adrenomancer drifted skyward. Axion rolled and skated away the instant her roller blades touched the asphalt. Finally free, she sucked in a shuddering breath. Every part of her ached.

She gingerly touched her cyber helmet. Cracks marred its visor, and its visual feed faltered.

She glanced back, and the big Adrenomancer floated upside-down several meters above, raging.

"Voltaire! Mirage! Do something!" the gunman—Havoc—berated, turning towards the whip-wielder and the visored woman who had been content to hang back.

Axion didn't wait to find out what their plans were. She summoned her remaining stamina and skated away, putting as much distance as possible between her and the Adrenomancers.

She scanned the area to see if there were any bystanders nearby—there weren't. Thank goodness. The Rust Market was deserted now; the shoppers either fled or hid in nearby buildings. Even the other vendors seemed to have abandoned their stalls. No one wanted to get caught in this mess.

But the guy she rescued earlier still needed her help.

Axion changed course, skating back to where she had left him. Once she spotted his unconscious body, she scooped him up, using her gravikinesis to lessen the load and hasten her rollerblade-aided movement.

<Edith, where can I bring him?> Axion spoke hastily through her commlink.

<Hold on a bit.> There was a brief pause. <Head northbound to a clinic four streets down. Check your HUD.>

Axion glanced at her cyber helmet's fractured screen. Sure enough, an indicator had appeared, displaying Edith's suggested location.

Axion gritted her teeth. Hopefully, the Adrenomancers wouldn't pursue her—she was spent.

Thankfully, no footsteps or sounds of pursuit reached her ears. Axion checked behind her. No one.

She sighed, relieved. Looks like they gave up.

Axion resumed her escape, her roller skates carrying her through the streets.