Safehouse #15 was dead quiet, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat and exhaustion. There was a weight to the air, it pressed down on Juniper as she sat next to Annemarie, side by side, neither dared to speak. Evelyn, who sat across from them , looked more like a corporate worker than a vigilante leader. Her keyboard blurred as she typed with the speed of the machine.
She shifted, wincing as pain flared in her arm. Though the suit protected her, the metal pipe had hit hard even when she amped up. Her muscles ached, bruising deep under her skin, leaving her hands blue. She hoped Emery wouldn’t be stingy when she returned the suit. The impact had rattled her, leaving her whole arm stiff, the steroids certainly didn’t help.
She clenched her face, hesitating but spoke up, breaking the warm silence.
“So… Big Sis,” Juniper started, her voice coming out quieter than she intended. “What exactly are we dealing with?”
Evelyn barely glanced up. The rhythmic tapping of her fingers didn’t falter. “A cult. Your run-of-the-mill death cult.” Her voice was flat, dismissive. “They pop up every now and then. This one’s just exploited cracks in the system.”
Juniper frowned, fingers tightening around the dossier in her lap. Evelyn spoke like it was just another Tuesday. Something about it didn’t sit right. Whole sections were blacked out—redacted, wiped clean—like someone wanted them to know just enough to do the job, but not enough to see the bigger picture.
“This file…” Juniper said with hesitance. “It kinda implies the government knew. The SCRA was ready to show up the second we wrapped things up. Why didn’t they move in before it got this bad? Like a week ago.”
Evelyn let out a sharp, humorless exhale. “Because bureaucracy is a mess, Juniper. Agencies hoard information like it’s a game of poker, each one convinced they’re the smartest player at the table. Even if it means a family starves tomorrow, or someone grows another hand from nuclear poisoning because an ICBM got dumped in a sewer.”
She laughed—a laugh of madness. “Corruption, incompetence. What else is new?”
Juniper leaned back in her chair, slumping and relaxing her muscles... These bombers and flamers—had pulled off coordinated attacks in a city where cameras watched every street corner, where patrol drones flew on schedule. And yet they’d slipped through the pinhole...
“So the government is just… letting this happen?”
Annemarie visibly yawned, restless, she shifted her weight, one foot, then the next, then the other. It dawned on Juniper that she didn’t want to hear the conversation, she seemed to be occupied by her own inner turmoil.
Evelyn the persistent typist, struggled to respond. “Not quite.” She said letting the words dangle.
This wasn’t enough for Juniper The dossier was altered, an incomplete puzzle in her hands, she wanted those missing pieces, the more she read it over. The more questions formed.
“What if—”
Evelyn snapped together her fingers.
“Drop it.”
Juniper stiffened.
“Yes, ma’am,” she said disappointed.
Evelyn’s posture hadn’t changed, but her hand was clenched into a tight fist, knuckles pale. Her voice was quieter this time, but there was something behind it, something old and razor-edged.
“I’ve been down that road before,” Evelyn said. “And it cost me. A lot. A…lot.”
Her fingers twitched against the mouse. “Don’t dig too deep, Juniper. You don’t want a mind-numbing spook at your door.”
Her thoughts jumbled around. Of course, Government-backed capes were a thing. The SCRA had them, PIA had them. Of course how else do you maintain control in a world run by capes, where people could shatter buildings if they had a bad day? Knowing it was just knowledge, realizing why was another.
Reyes. She was powerful, and she wasn’t even a cape, threatened juniper with hundreds of legal ropes, trying to rip her family apart. If she was capable of doing that with papers and a pen…What would a super-powered government agent do?
[You fight fire with a bigger fire. One with better connections. Like the hellfire in front of you.]
Evelyn. She gave her a long gaze.
She was still staring at the screen, but Juniper noticed something–a scar on the right side of her face, obscuring a reddish wound. It was definitely deep before it was covered, deliberate. Surgical.
She tensed.
She had never noticed it. It screamed age, experience, and trauma. She’d inquire on a day the woman was a lot more cooled down.
Juniper’s phone buzzed–her personal phone.
She flipped through it, expecting a message from her brother or Kanako. Anything, really.
Instead, her eyes threatened to pop out.
Inside her bank account was a recent deposit. A large one. Four zeroes stabled behind the first transaction digit. Stretching like an optical illusion, she checked her eyes, hoping she didn’t see quadruple.
She looked. Her fingers tingled.
First came the excitement, racing through. That was indeed a lot of money. And her thoughts immediately shift to escaping that shitty apartment, maybe even renting a house. Euphemia could go to a better school. They could leave everything else in the dust.
Then reality hit her.
Disbelief, guilt maybe.
The deposit came from her defacto employer. Operation Bell Brigade. It was written there like it was nothing but a normal legitimate company.
It was too much all at once. The money felt dirty…dirty. It was so much more than the government benefits. It felt like hush money.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.
Juniper pointed her phone at Evelyn. “Wait,” her voice started slipping. “I thought this was like uh…a salary thing?”
“Hazard pay,” Evelyn said.
Juniper stared aghast. “...Hazard pay!?”
“You’re risking your life out in the field,” Evelyn said simply. “You get compensation for every “job” you’re involved in. That big number you saw printed in the dossier, that’s what the government pays us. You get a percentage of it. ”
Juniper swallowed. “This is a lot.”
“Not even a percentile.” Evelyn didn’t sound proud. Didn’t sound amused. Just honest. “Trust me, you’ll need more than that to maintain capelife.
Especially if you have family. No amount of money can replace your life.”
Juniper’s insides twisted.
What if the day comes, one day maybe, a job goes south? No system pulling her back from the edge. No second chances. What if she actually died out there?
Evelyn’s gaze flicked up as if she could see the thoughts eating at her. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I wouldn’t send you after something you couldn’t handle.”
That didn’t make her feel better.
[So don’t die, dummy.] Sys-chan chimed in, her voice flippant. [Start snatching up powers left and right. And congratulations! You get beat up for a living now but at least you get paid for it.]
Juniper groaned. The system had a point.
Evelyn flipped through several folders and files, sipping black coffee, scanning, and skimming. Outside the safe house, the sun was baking the city, and heatwaves smeared the glass. A horrible day to start a fire.
And Evelyn was sipping hot coffee.
Her eyes were bloodshot red. Did she even sleep?
Annemarie started becoming restless, Juniper wasn’t used to her being quiet for so long. “Big sister, We’ve been sitting in this dump forever,” she grumbled. “Are your assistants still busy with ‘maintenance’?”
“Yes,” Evelyn said without looking up.
Annemarie moaned, stretching her arms. “How much longer? I want to change out of this sweaty-ass suit.”
Evelyn’s jaw tightened before she let out a slow breath. “It’ll take a while. We’re sniffing out a rat. Until then, hold out. Besides, you're going to have to stay in that sweat suit for at least another run.”
“Rat?” Juniper asked.
Evelyn finally looked at her. “Matriarch Base. The place you woke up after getting shot, you remember.”
Juniper tensed. She remembered. The bullets that shot her lying against a Cold metal table. Blood and bandages. A pounding ache in her skull. The looming giant and the midnight moon.
“Remember when you tried to call me earlier, it didn’t work?” Evelyn continued. “Your little black phone works off a peer-to-peer network connected to a special hub. Someone snuck in. Hit us blind with a blackout.”
Juniper’s grip tightened around the device. “The cultists?”
“No.” Evelyn leaned back, agitated her fists balling. “They’d rather set the base on fire.”
She exhaled, rubbing her temple. “Welcome to Operation Bell Brigade, Juniper. Everyone has it out for us. Terrorists. Criminals. Villains. And heroes alike. Your only friend is yourself.”
She stood up and walked away without another word.
Juniper froze for a second until she remembered, she had to make a call.
She sends half the money–5000 Pacifica Dollars–straight into Remy’s account. Her fingers hovered over the confirmation button. The screen blinked and reappeared. The transaction is done.
It felt…really weird.
Like she was moving assets that weren’t her own.
She stepped into the dim hallway of the safe house, gripping her phone. Pressing to her ear as the dial started to tone–once–twice–thrice. She waited. The smell of caffeine and something metallic stuck to the air.
Adding to the tension.
Click.
“Juno?” Remy asked, he sounded tired.
She swallowed any form of anxious feeling she had, best to make the conversation run smoothly.
“Hey. Effy get home okay?”
“Yeah. Safe. Currently raiding the entire fridge.”
Juniper let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, a small, tired chuckle escaping her lips. She could picture it so clearly—Effy standing on her toes, yanking open the fridge door, eyes darting all over with mischief, ready to devour anything in sight.
[“My gods, your sister is…she’s adapting!”] Sys-chan gasped, ever dramatic. [“Soon she’ll have the metabolism of a cape! Protect your rations, Juniper, or she’ll consume them all in one hungry night!”]
Juniper huffed a quiet laugh. Yeah, she was a little goblin. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a second. But she was Juniper’s little goblin. Even if they took their banter too far some days.
Then, before she could lose herself in euphoric thoughts, she asked, “Have you heard anything from Kanako?”
Remy sighed.
And that alone told her everything.
“No,” he admitted. “Just what I told you. She showed up, we talked, I declined, then she left. Hasn’t come back.”
Juniper nodded, even though he couldn’t see it.
She’d expected worse—a shouting match, accusations, Kanako telling her she was insane for getting involved with Capes at all. But this? Just… absence? It almost felt worse.
A message would be fine as well.
Her chest tightened.
She wondered. Does she hate me now?
She shoved the thought aside before it could dig in too deep.
She liked Kanako’s company. Liked her a lot, she was so silly. Maybe more than she wanted to admit. But if this was the end of whatever they’d been building… she wouldn’t be surprised. Everything she touched just went to shit, honestly.
Kanako never liked capes much anyway.
A sharp gasp from Remy snapped her out of her daze,
“What the fuck…”
Juniper tensed. “What?”
“You need pepper in your mouth!” Effy’s voice rang out in the background.
Ah. He must’ve seen the deposit.
“…Jun, this is a lot of money,” he said, voice lower now, almost cautious.
“Hazard pay,” she murmured. “I might be working overtime.”
“Hazard pay!” Remy scoffed, but it lacked any real amusement. “Working? I thought you were just ‘helping.’”
Juniper hesitated.
The words sat heavy on her tongue. She knew how this sounded to him. Like she was sinking too deep. Like she was becoming one of them.
“I kinda got abducted,” she admitted. “Twice by different people.”
Silence.
The weight of it pressed down on her, made her fingers twitch.
Then, soft. “Just… stay safe, alright?”
His voice cracked just slightly at the end.
Juniper closed her eyes for a moment, something raw settling in her chest.
“I will.”
She wasn’t sure if it was a lie.
But goodbyes had to be said.
Juniper turned around, only to find Annemarie sneaking up on her.
Her eyes flickered–not the usual playfulness, and thank whatever god, not her smug sadism. No, she carried a mask. There was a glint of sparkle in her eyes. Hurt.
Annemarie was really going to keep doing this, huh?
Juniper slowed her breaths.
“You okay?” Juniper asked, voice softer than she intended.
Annemarie smirked, cocking her head. “’ Course.” Her tone was breezy and casual. But it didn’t match her eyes. “Just a thought… You’re kinda sweet when you care about people, y’know?”
She moved closer.
Just a simple shift, but it made Juniper feel its weight.
Her pulse quickened, the last time they were this close…
It was a frustrating state of affairs, how could Annemarie keep doing this–teasing her, playing, begging? What would trigger a sadistic response?
Why did she look at Juniper for something Juniper couldn’t give her?
Juniper wanted to move away, but, She was caught in the moment. Her head scrambled for the most diplomatic response.
How to make it clear? How to say? ‘Anne, you’re endearing and a little fucking crazy, and no matter how much you try and we stick side by, side, ‘we’ aren’t going to happen?’
And yet, there was a feeling–
She didn’t move anywhere.
Just stared at Annemarie.
“Annemarie.”
Evelyn’s footsteps.
Evelyn’s appearance shattered the moment into pieces.
Annemarie withdrew—smooth and like a drama actor, acting like nothing happened. But Evelyn had noticed.
She gave a quick glance in their direction, then walked forward.
“Inside you’re next job,” she said, jerking her head toward the next room. “Got something for you.”
They followed like lost penguins.
Juniper took the moment to breathe, while Arkangeal was organizing things. She wanted to forget about the moment, she needed to be clear with Ms. Kamizuki before anything else could happen.
Her mind shifts to stats.
[Stats:]
Power: 9
Endurance: 6
Dexterity: 9
Reflex: 14
Durability: 11
Energy: 9
Cha: 4
[Active Skills:]
Mimicry
Observation
[Passive Skills:]
Slow Regeneration
Enhanced Hearing
Power Emulation [Lvl 2]
Heightened Reflexes
Synchronicity
Motivational Hyperdrive
[Superpowers:]
Super Audition [Lvl 5]
Solar-powered Sentinel [Lvl 9]
Gravitational Distortion [Lvl 5]
Iron Drive [Lvl 2]
She was getting stronger, much faster.
And yet, it wasn’t enough.
She was still as squishy as a normal human, even though she felt twice as strong as she was. The only reason she managed to fight the panzer was because the Solar-powered Sentinel boosted her energy to insane heights.
She had obtained four powers, now she could feel them all, humming under her skin, Waiting to be released. Shaping and twisting and moving her, in ways that were too different from the other.
And yet, compared to the real ones–to real capes, those in action– she was nothing, a worm.
She had absorbed four powers now. She could feel them, humming beneath her skin like a second heartbeat, twisting her, reshaping her in ways she didn’t fully understand.
A copycat.
A mimic.
She didn’t own any of it, bar her human strength. Maybe a skill or two.
It was a gnawing thought process. She wanted more. She needed to be more. To take more.
More footsteps.
Her head snapped as the person entered the room.
A young man—scrawny, pale, almost feminine.
His hair hung in messy, tangled strands, black as ink, nearly obscuring the mask that clung to his face. Something cheap, black, and functional. Meant to obscure.
Something about his was fucked. She felt it.
A ping of electricity shot through her skull, sharp and invasive.
Neurons fired all at once.
Her body tensed, her muscles contracting all at once. It made her skin crawl.
Something was way off.
Evelyn, however, barely reacted. She only turned, setting her eyes on him.
“Good. Terminal. You’re here.”
Terminal? A cape name?
Juniper swallowed, throat dry.
[Juniper—this freak is staring at me like I’m naked. ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)]
Sys-chan’s voice blared in her mind, but she barely registered it.
Because Terminal was looking at her.
Not just looking.
Studying her.
His eyes—dark, calculating—dragged over her, not in desire, not in curiosity, but like he was scanning her. Like she was something waiting to be deciphered and cut apart, excavated and dissected...
Her toes curled on the inside.
Their eyes met.
His brow furrowed.
Then—
A double ping.
Much louder this time.
Something invasive tunneled through her head—like a mental tripwire snapping in half.
[Terminal: What is this!?]
A voice—no, a thought. Not hers. His.
Juniper’s adrenalin kicked in.
Sys-chan was not happy.
And suddenly, she wasn’t sure who was inside her head anymore.9Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFk9Zw46nN
