Liv breathes out steadily, listening to the ambient synth wafting around her. Undisturbed now, though ripples roar out on either side. Liv exhales out her nose, leaning her body as little as she can to dodge both bolts careening toward her torso. They rip past her, crashing into either concrete wall with a loud boom.

  A month had passed since she and her team ranked up to Y Teamers. She wouldn’t say it felt all that different from being a Z Teamer, moreso a cosmetic change than anything. Her lifestyle was the same, her team was the same, and her access to the elevators remained an unaffected "no". Maybe the pay was better, but she hadn’t been on a mission since the swamp. She’d been focusing on training– as had her whole team.

  Her ears perk up once more as that same roaring ripples throughout her ears, now far more abundant than before. Four this time: one rocketing toward her left shoulder, the next for her abdomen, the third for her right hip, and the final to her head. The shapes seem so clear to her now, her brain easily mapping out their trajectory before they close in.

  Knowledge in mind, she twists her body to the side, the first shot whizzing far past her head. With that momentum, she jumps backward, cresting the next two with ease. Her momentum maintained, she spins herself, the final bolt whizzing just beneath her torso. She lands on the floor with a hard crash, quickly propping herself back on her elbows. Sweat beads down her brow, soft gasps rejuvenating her lightly depleted lungs.

  She slowly peels the blindfold from her eyes, light streaming into her sensitive retina once more. Small craters mark the combat rooms' surface, a concrete fog dusting the floor. Pink bolts arc through the air, though these aren’t meant for her.

  Charlotte easily weaves through another volley of blasts, the very picture of elegance and grace. Her hands are folded neatly behind her back, a look of intense focus plastered on her face. Donovan does more or less the same, though his weaving is more frantic jumps, arms waving desperately in the air to catch himself.

  Anthony stands near the door, his caduceus held aloft. Pink energy crackles from the top, bolts constantly streaming from its surface. He was the only one allowed his weapon, her and her other two teammates forced to weather the storm with dodges and dodges alone. With sight restored, she some of them preparing to lance toward her again.

  “I’m tappin’ out!” Liv calls frantically, her bare hands held aloft.

  Anthony glances at her, a single nod the only evidence he heard her. This was training for him too. His conjuration of bolts had increased quite a bit, and their speed was nothing to scoff at either.. Liv still didn’t understand his power. She knew he could heal, throw bolts, boost people, and revive them apparently. She didn’t really have time to focus on his abilities. She was far too busy experimenting with her own. She still couldn’t get a grasp on that massive explosion she did. She could recall the basic steps and how they felt. When push came to shove– however– she just couldn’t replicate the power she had displayed.

  In the corner, just behind Anthony, sits all their weapons in a neat pile. Liv plucks her gauntlets from said pile, slipping them on finger by finger. As if on cue, the few injuries she incurred vanish, flesh wriggling to patch the some of the craters left in her body.

  “Greetings, Liv.” Bruno says through their mental bond. “How has your training gone?”

  “Goin’ good. Tappin’ out though.” She mutters mentally, stretching her back as she speaks. “Thinkin’ ‘bout explorin’ the town a ‘lil more though.”

  “Have you not been satiated yet?” Bruno questions. Not an entirely rude question to be fair, she had done quite a bit.

  “Nah.” Liv says. “Still places I wanna visit.”

  “To get your fridge fixed.” Bruno correctly assesses. Not like it was much of an accomplishment to do so– Liv hadn’t been silent about her hopes to get it back in working condition. It had just… Stopped working when they got back. Liv didn’t know the reason, but Liv had already gone back to pay her owed sum. She had asked Elton to fix it since he sold it to her, but he said that was outside his skill range.

  Liv treks her way to the door, stopping just before Anthony. He turns to her fully, his caduceus’ glow ebbing back into the hot pink metal that makes up its body.

  “Leaving already?” He questions.

  “Mhm.” Liv confirms. “Gonna go do some explorin’.”

  “Want us to come with?” Anthony gestures to himself and the others. Charlotte and Donovan were taking off their blindfolds already, the residual Synth from Anthony’s caduceus an indicator of the now completed training.

  Liv shakes her head in response.

  “Reckon I need some time to explore for myself. Thank ya for askin’ though.”

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  “Boo!” Donovan cups his hands to his mouth, his smile widening as sweat beads of his forehead. “You just wanna get away from us!”

  Liv rolls her eyes in response, a snicker escaping her lips. Charlotte does more the same, though hers is more teasing than Liv’s.

  “You just want to piggy back to get a meal out of her.”

  “Nothing wrong with picking up a meal on the way.” Donovan huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “If you pay, perhaps. Charlotte teases. “I don’t see why that excludes me and Anthony from going with you too.”

  “I don’t wanna disturb y’alls trainin’. Prolly gonna take me a bit to find someone.” Liv says, turning to Anthony. “Hope ya don’t mind me skippin.”

  “I think we’re wrapping up for the day anyway. Go have fun, Liv.” Anthony says, a warm smile cresting his face. Liv smiles back, sliding through the doors and into the concrete hall that was the Beta’s training hall. Many of the rooms were occupied, the floor rumbling with the power so casually being thrown about. Spring had sprung, that meant more missions opened up with the warmer weather. Most of them were probably getting warmed up before they departed.

  Liv makes her way up the winding staircase at the heart of the Beta. She had gotten used to its tedium entirely, though she would be hard pressed to say they were anything resembling enjoyable. Sadly, her newfound rank didn’t permit her access to the elevators.

  After a considerable walk, Liv pushes into her room, breathing in the fresh air. She managed to keep her space socially acceptable, only a few pieces of clothing strewn across the floor. Far better than when she joined. Liv pushes to the kitchen, crouching under the sink to open the cabinets. Underneath sat a myriad of cleaning supplies in colorful bottles, though those were not the object of her interest. Liv reaches in, pulling out the baby blue minifridge with a grunt. Afterwards, she heads to her pillow, slipping the remainders of her cash from under it.

  Slipping the wads of cash into her pocket, she walks out the door, strolling down the long stairs. Her footsteps echo off the walls. After a while… More join hers.

  Liv’s eyes lock onto them before they see her, a smile creeping across her face. She’d recognize that hat from anywhere.

  “Howdy, Florence!” Liv calls down. Florence’s head whips up, a smile spreading across his face.

  “I DONT BELIEVE ME EYE!” Florence yells, bounding up the stairs in threes. Once there, he clasps her hand, pulling her in for a quick hug. “IT BE GOOD TO SEE YOU, LIV! HOW’D YER TALK WITH FARAJI GO?”

  “Went well! I learned a whole bunch.” Liv says. “How’ve yer missions gone?”

  “THEY BE SLOWER THAN ME AND ME MATEYS WOULD LIKE.” Florence sighs, his arms crossing over his chest. Liv cocks her head, noticing three approaching figures from behind. The first she noticed was a brunette haired girl, a large staff affixed to her back. The next was a fairly tall man, though her gaze was immediately pulled to the colorful Kandi bracelet pulled tight around his wrist. The third is another male. His hand seemed to be wrapped around some sort of frisbee, though that didn’t seem to be completely accurate. It had a sharp edge around the perimeter, wickedly glinting in the fluorescent lighting.

  “Ya don’t say.” Liv hums. “Sorry y’all gotta go through allat.”

  “WE BE FINE, LASSIE! JUST NEED TO PICK ME MISSIONS BETTER!” He jabs his thumb into his chest, ever the optimist. It was almost infectious.

  “Right.” Liv nods, giving them all a once over once more. They seemed a bit rough, far too disheveled to be fresh out of bed. “Y’all just come back from a mission or somethin’?”

  “THAT WE DID! WE BE A Y TEAM NOW!”

  Liv smiles wider, giving him a congratulatory clap on the shoulder. He cackles boisterously, his hands finding their way to his hips.

  “WHERE YA BE OFF TO?” He questions. “YA GOT A MISSION TOO?”

  “Nah.” Liv says, adjusting the minifridge in her arms. She holds it out to him. “I’m tryna find someone to fix this thing. I dunno where to do that, though.”

  Florence stares openly at the fridge for a moment, temporarily dumbfounded into a silent stupor. He manages to recover: not quick enough to go unnoticed, but just fast enough to pass it off as lost in thought instead of disrespect.

  “THAT BE AN… OLD MODEL FOR SURE, LASS.” Florence mutters, his finger tapping gently against the side of the machine. “HOW’D YA EVEN GET ONE OF THESE?”

  “Bought it.” Liv said, already dreading the conversation to come.

  “HOW MUCH-.”

  “The price don’t matter!” Liv cuts him off before he can start, a flush spreading across her face. “I just need to get the damn thing fixed!”

  Florence slowly nods, one of his eyebrows arcing up. He doesn’t pry any further, though questions brew in his mind. Instead, he scratches the back of his head.

  “I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THEY MADE FOSSILS LIKE THIS, MATEY.” Florence says softly, though his version of softly is somewhere between a bellow and actual speech. “HAVE YA TRIED TALKING TO SOMEONE FROM HELLFIRE?”

  “Charlotte said they only do stuff for Hellfire. I reckoned they wouldn’t fix ‘er up.”

  “JUST TELL EM YOU BRING IT ON MISSIONS!” Florence smiles, his fingers stroking across her chin. “THEY CAN’T PROVE YA DONT, SO THEY GOTTA FIX IT!”

  “...I ‘spose so.” Liv mutters. She did bring it on a mission, so she supposed it would count. It felt a bit embarrassing to admit, especially with the price she already paid. Still, it was a service Hellfire offered, so she might as well capitalize.

  “I CAN VOUCH FOR YA!” Florence starts, a chuckle fresh on his lips. “I MEAN, MIGHT BE ROUGH WITHOUT. I MEAN… WHO BRINGS A FRIDGE ON MISSIONS-?”

  “Don’t need it.” Liv practically growls, her fiery flush spreading from her cheeks to the tip of her ears. Her teeth clench with enough force to ground diamonds together. “Just tell me what floor.”

  “AIGHT!” Florence says, seemingly unphased by Liv’s rejection. “THEY BE ON THE ELEVATOR LINE! JUST ASK ‘ROUND AND SOMEONE’LL TAKE YA.”

  Liv nods, muttering a quick thanks before bolting down, giving the same thanks to his team. They reciprocate, no doubt a respectful bunch. Florence was a good guy: helpful too. Still, she just wanted the damn thing fixed and out of her hair at this point. More people laughing at her was the last thing she needed. Now she just needed to find someone to help her get to the elevators. She throws the idea around in her mind, three candidates showing themselves. George was the first, but he was most likely busy. There was also the shaven man. She got the feeling he didn’t like her, so he was the worst case scenario. That left only one. A smile creeps its way onto her face. He would work.