The next morning came around in a flash. Before I knew it, I was showering down in the small bathroom. Dried and dressed in my hero gear, I emerged into the lounge where the two others sat. It was early, but I'd sent out a call-to-arms to the troops. Big day ahead.

Clara was chewing through some toast while reading a tablet, while Roxy was nursing a steaming mug of coffee.

[How are my two favorite people doing this morning? Ready for training?]

The super gave me a dull glare. "You've been obnoxiously chipper since you found out about that villain being free."

[I've only mentioned him eight times since last night. That seems reasonable.]

"I just don't see what the big deal is. You fight people all the time, why is it this weirdo has you brimming with energy?"

"It's simple," Clara interjected. The techie waved her slice of toast idly. "It is a game for Gunquake. One of the mind as well as a physical challenge. Without the common stipulation of it being a life or death situation. Simply put, it is fun."

Roxy pulled a face. "Am I not fun, Dubs?"

[An unfair question. I cannot have a true rivalry with you.]

"Ah, because you love me too much."

"Either that," Clara said, "or because you could kill him in one punch."

I had fought and sparred with the super on a few occasions, and that was the basics of it. There was plenty for me to learn in trying to best or defeat someone leagues stronger than me, but Utterdark offered a more refined experience. He had appeared and used several methods to attack me, hoping to find a weakness. Next time, he would be better prepared. So would I.

"I'm not that one-dimensional." Roxy rolled her eyes. "I even have a plan for my lava-sword that I'll now refrain from sharing with you assholes. We'll see how you like that."

I was already over by the door, ready to get the day started. With a wave over my shoulder, I left the prefab.

[Yes, yes. Very nice, dear.]

The door closed behind me, muffling whatever string of expletives she aimed in my direction. I took a deep breath and sighed, relieved.

There was something so very low-stakes about going against Utterdark. Clara was correct - it sounded like it would be fun. When most of my enemies wanted me torn limb from limb, the threat of a minor villain was refreshing. My role as a hero within the city never had time to properly set, as outside forces pushed me toward being a hired killer once more. My employer had changed, but the crux of it was it was business as usual.

I wasn't even the right kind of superhero to be seen saving cats in trees and the like. But the occasional duel against an intelligent foe, for whom I had no prior attachments… I could work with that.

Not that I had much of a clear schedule coming up. Once Roxy had returned after her shopping trip yesterday evening, I had pushed away the responsibility of looking through team-two candidates. So, that was still on my plate. Kingston required us to join in a couple of public speaking events, both to address some of the aftermath of the Arena attacks, as well as to announce the creation of the outskirt hero teams.

Plus, I had penciled in some time at the prosthetics charity group Roy had introduced me to. The team required days of training to break new ground in their respective powers. Our new base occasionally required input as it was being built. The lingering desire to abscond from my duties and head to Neo-Scenia was ever-present.

Boss wanted his response.

But for now, I'd enjoy the peace of the expansive wastelands right on my temporary doorstep. Goldarch was to my left, a dark smudge at the end of a long plain of amber. The morning sun was pleasant and hadn't had the time to warm up the near featureless expanse around me. It was not a terrible start to our vacation.

The door behind me opened back up, and I turned to see Clara walking out backward, dragging her table with her. I stepped over and helped her pull it through the doorway.

"I might as well work where I can see you all," she explained. "The Captain will be bringing me a parasol once he makes it over here."

[Can't have too much direct sunlight, huh?]

"You have no idea how uncomfortable it is to have warm eyeballs." She rolled her cybernetics. "My sunglasses are in one of the storage units."

I placed the table down near the wall of the prefab, so that as the sun moved, it might bring her shade at some point in the day.

[Speaking of that, I didn't destroy anything important by teleporting through a truck, did I?]

"Nothing that cannot be replaced. How fortunate the circle was both intact, and you had a teleportation rod to hand." The techie returned to the building interior to retrieve her chair and a laptop.

Belle always had a habit of making sure she supplied me with one of the magical sticks. It was rare that I needed to teleport unplanned, but she had a certain foresight for when I was going to get into trouble. To be fair, that was constant - so she could never be wrong.

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[What do you think about using teleportation more extensively?]

Clara stepped back out and handed me the chair so that she could shut the door. "After seeing what you did to the restricted space of the truck, I imagine we could construct a teleportation bullet for you."

That wasn't quite what I had in mind, although now I was imagining shooting someone and then exploding them as I appeared where the bullet was. Effective, although over the top when most of my other ammunition types could do a similar amount of damage with less personal risk. Shooting a vehicle as a delayed tracking mechanism could work, however.

[A little magic isn't such a bad thing.]

"In contrast to my former disdain, I have come to accept that it is a valid tool in your arsenal." Clara took the chair from me and placed it by the desk. "A number of ideas within my journal utilize arcane means."

[Any chance I get to see any of those ideas today?]

"After your leadership duties are fulfilled." She sat down and opened up her laptop. "The head of the pack must ensure their underlings are fed first."

I grunted and looked out at the city. Although I certainly wouldn't call them underlings, she had a point that I had to get their respective balls rolling before focusing on myself. It wasn't like I could do much with my gun-arm at present. I put my hands on my hips and looked around the desert.

[Where's the Meteor?]

"Getting ready for some training. You're not the only one up early and eager to start. The rest are on their way."

I narrowed my eyes and was reasonably sure I could see the dark blot of a helicopter coming from the city. If so, it wouldn't be too long before Roy arrived either. I tapped my foot on the ground. Part of my desire to do something was to avoid the inevitable. Messaging Boss.

Or rather, responding to him, as he hadn't left me with new contact information.

The door opened, and Roxy stepped out. Yawning, she was in gym wear, and looked no more impressed with me than minutes earlier.

[No outfit? I feel overdressed.]

"I'm on vacation." She shrugged. "No point in making a mess of my supersuit."

There was no faulting that logic. In fact, now I felt a little foolish getting into my full gear - especially as I couldn't or wouldn't be using most of it. Maybe as the group leader I had to look the part. Yeah, I'd stick with that.

[I'll let all the bad guys know we're taking some time off.]

Her eyes narrowed, and I questioned briefly whether she could shoot fire out of them. Instead, she pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Oh, I see what you're doing here."

[Doubtful.]

I wasn't even sure what I was doing. Other than hopping maniacally between moods trying to avoid one responsibility with another.

"You're pissing me off to help me work up some fury for using my ability." Roxy shook her head. "How thoughtful, asshole."

I nodded slowly. A glance from Clara told me she might be the only one clued in on all sides. Still, I knew to take an offered olive branch, even if being held without realization.

[Is it working? I do want to hear what your sword idea is.]

The super clicked her tongue. "I'll tell you, but you have to hit me first."

"Can't go ten minutes without flirting," Clara sighed to herself.

I stretched my neck from side to side and glanced back at the city. The helicopter seemed no closer, if that was what it was. With a shrug, I lowered my hood before taking my trenchoat off. Tactical vest came next, but I left my undershirt and balaclava on.

"Could you do this slightly further away?" the techie requested. "If you get sand in my electronics, I will make your lives a living hell."

Without answering, Roxy walked sideways, eyes still narrowed at me. I followed suit, and the pair of us paced away from the prefab units, into clearer desert. A good twenty feet apart, I waited until she came to a stop before flexing out my limbs.

[What are the rules?]

"Just a simple punch. Anywhere on my body is fine, but if you hit me in the face, I might give you a reason to have a second cybernetic arm."

I wasn't sure which arm she was threatening to remove, but I had gotten used to having two of the limbs. Rules accepted, I gave her a nod. She got into a boxing stance, and I followed suit.

Roxy was reasonably fast. I had dueled her before, and while she didn't hold a candle to the Captain, she could certainly give most people a run for their money. With my new legs, I wasn't too shabby myself. How we compared was about to be written across the sand of the outskirts.

My V-Force drives flashed into life, and I burst from my position. She easily dodged out of the way, having the benefit of distance to prepare for my obvious attack. I lifted my right leg and my elbow jettisoned out power, spinning me on the spot for a quick backhand. The super leaned away, barely avoiding it. She took a couple of steps back and crossed her arms. A smirk across her face.

[Overconfident.]

"Just competent."

I leaped and lashed toward her, but she had already hopped backward. My grapple struck the ground behind her, and I dove forward. She rolled to the side, gaining ground as I slid across the dry dirt, kicking up a cloud as I tried to stop.

"Even using gadgets." Roxy tutted as she righted herself.

My grapple line clicked back into my gauntlet, and I adjusted my posture again. This was absolutely delightful. Energy coursed through my veins, my heart aflutter. I was self-aware enough to consider this her way of getting one up on my Utterdark fascination. Proving that she could be just a fun - and she was right.

Roxy put her hands on her hips.

I powered through the sand, closing the distance with her in a couple of short seconds. Fist went back and snapped forward. She remained in place. The sand in front of me burst upward as a wall of drying lava appeared in my way. My punch connected with the barricade, shattering it, but the super had already moved.

With a grunt, I hopped over the crumbling wall and rolled across the ground. An empty blast of Overcharge blew up a billowing fog of loose dirt, obscuring my position. My goggles picked up her position easily. Grapple fired off toward her - and then she was gone.

The heavier chunks of dirt rained down around me as I stood. No longer hidden, it was only the brief ebb of the tail end of a shockwave that clued me in on where she had gone. I looked up and saw the shape of her in the sky.

Graphs and data flashed through my left eye. Gun-arm V-Force vibrated as I turned a partial circle to my left. A countdown ticked through microseconds as Reflex improved my reaction time more than humanly natural.

Then I punched, darting forward at the empty air. Although it was only clear for part of a second.

Roxy landed right in front of it, barely bringing up her arms to block my hit. She slid across the ground a meager three feet before righting herself. "Fucker," she hissed. "I need a way of controlling my trajectory mid-air."

[Not bad for a round one. I'll need your help constantly throughout the week.]

She rolled her eyes. "You're just buttering me up now. Maybe next time I'll do more than dodge, huh?"

[Now you're speaking my language.]

Roxy shook her head and grinned before looking over toward the city. The helicopter was obvious now, and could even be heard from this distance.

"Time to rally the troops, Dubs. Let's go back over by the gremlin." She stepped over and looped her arm around mine. "As promised, here's the idea for my sword - and you can be honest about what you think."

I nodded, but didn't hear the start of her next sentence as something several degrees worse distracted me.

//Boss: It's time, Gunquake.

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