The rain the night before had left puddles in the broken corridors of the old textile factory. The rusty roof was leaking in places, filling buckets and cans that someone had handed out to keep it from flooding.
Aoi took a deep breath as she walked through the door. Her scarf - a small red talisman on her makeshift suit - shook with every step. She still wasn't used to the place: cracked walls, broken glass covered with plastic, wires hanging from the ceiling. But somehow it already felt like his own.
Blockwave sat at a makeshift table, surrounded by blueprints and fast food wrappers. He looked up and smiled at the sight of her.
-Shiftie! Just in time. Come, come," he called, tapping the wooden bench next to him. Aoi sat down, folding her hands on her knees.
-Where are Bulwark and Ricochet? -he asked, trying to sound natural.
-Bulwark is over there," Blockwave pointed to a back wall, where Goro Takamine was bent over a map of the city, marking areas with a thick pen.
Near him, Haruto - or rather, Ricochet - was kneeling on an outstretched tarpaulin, surrounded by metal parts, springs and a welder that sputtered incessantly.
-Ah, Shiftie! -Haruto shouted without looking up. Look at this!
He held up something that looked like a ninja star, but with three curved points.
-My new prototype. It bounces in three directions. Perfect for stunning and distracting. Isn't it beautiful?
Aoi laughed softly. She loved to see how Haruto glowed when he talked about his creations. He had that pure, childlike, stubborn enthusiasm that lit up even that dark place.
-Are you going to throw it at someone today? -he joked.
-Of course! -Haruto replied, puffing out his chest as if it were the most normal thing in the world. Although I still don't know if it's going to come back intact... but that's why we tried it, isn't it?
The makeshift base
Blockwave got up and started walking around them, pointing out parts of the place as if giving a tour to newbies.
-This place used to be a textile factory. It's been abandoned for years, but it's got a good structure. Bulwark and I put new locks on it, makeshift cameras... and Ricochet," he nodded towards Haruto, "rigged us up motion sensors out of scrap metal.
-Technically, they work half the time," Haruto replied, holding up a grease-stained finger. But no one's going to sneak in without us hearing them, that's for sure.
Aoi looked around. There were empty cans, tools, coiled wires. An old microwave on a pile of boxes. All cluttered, but full of life. For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel he was out of place.
In the corner, Bulwark growled:
-Don't get too attached. If they find us, we'll have to leave.
He looked at the map again, marking another thick line over an abandoned hospital in the northern sector.
Blockwave walked over and leaned next to him.
-Did you find anything new?
Bulwark nodded without looking at them.
-Rumours. The Cult of Awakening is promising 'rituals' near the old hospital. Witnesses say they've seen guys loading crates and drums into trucks with no number plates.
Shiftie felt a chill.
-That hospital is... near my school," she muttered.
Haruto, who was measuring a spring with his thumb, let out a laugh to cut the tension.
-Relax, Shiftie. If anyone gets in there, I'll throw all my toys in their faces.
Blockwave folded his arms, his tone more serious than usual.
-This is different from catching alley thieves. If the Cult does another ritual in a populated area, we could have dozens of these monsters like the one the other day.
Bulwark took one last look at the map and turned to face them. His voice sounded like metal scraping concrete:
-Get ready. We're going to go looking today. I don't want makeshift heroes playing at fighting something they don't understand. If we see something, we go in... but not without a plan.
Shiftie swallowed, but forced herself to nod.
Haruto leapt to his feet, raising his circular boomerang like a sword.
-Come on, bosses! I've got new prototypes, a makeshift drone and," he lowered his voice, approaching Aoi, "candy for the road. Don't tell Bulwark.
Aoi let out a laugh, small but sincere. For a moment, the fear was put aside.
And so, amidst old boxes, crumpled maps and shiny scrap metal, the group prepared for their first real mission together: to observe, to learn... and, if necessary, to fight for a city that no one else would protect for them.
Night had fallen on the old hospital like a damp, ominous blanket. The broken windows looked like open mouths to the wind, which whistled through the peeling corridors.
The four advanced in silence. Bulwark walked ahead, shining his hand torch. Each step rustled pools of stagnant water.
Blockwave trailed behind, checking a small makeshift detector. Beside him, Ricochet kept twirling his circular boomerang in his hand. Shiftie, closing the formation, was breathing slowly to calm herself.
-Keep your eyes open," Goro growled. If you see anything unusual, don't play heroes alone. We split up: Blockwave and I covered ground floor and basement. Shiftie, Ricochet, you take the top.
-Split up? -Haruto whistled, amused. That sounds like a horror movie. Are you sure you don't want a souvenir selfie?
Bulwark didn't answer. He just glared at him with steely eyes until Haruto made a gesture of surrender, closing his mouth.
Aoi swallowed and adjusted her scarf. Each step echoed in his chest.
They parted. Blockwave patted Aoi on the arm with a gentle smile:
-You're going to be fine, Shiftie. Trust Ricochet. He's a hard head, but he won't let anyone fall.
The find
The two young men climbed up a rusty metal ladder that creaked with each rung. From the top, Aoi could see the city flickering in the distance: a normal world, oblivious to what was about to happen.
-Shiftie, come here," Haruto whispered, peering through a gap in the collapsed roof. Below, lantern lights. Three recruiters, armed in dark jackets, surrounded a familiar figure.
Aoi held back a scream. It was Kana. Her school jacket was draped over her shoulders, her backpack thrown to the side. She was on her knees, her eyes swollen from crying.
-Come on, Kana," said one of the recruiters, the one who looked like the leader. It hurts a little, but after that you'll be special. You won't have to hide anymore.
Aoi felt all the cold of the hospital go through her bones.
-It can't be... Kana..." she whispered.
Haruto put his hand on her shoulder, trying to anchor her.
-Shiftie, relax. We can stop it. But if you jump now, you'll blow it. Let me think...
The recruiter pulled out the syringe with the greenish serum. Kana shook her head, but the other two held her by the arms.
Aoi gritted her teeth. Her camouflage trembled.
-Don't... Don't do it! -she shouted, unwillingly revealing herself. The three recruiters looked up. The leader let out a crooked grin.
-Look no further... we have a visitor.
Haruto let out a snort.
-Great. Very stealthy, Shiftie.
The leader did not hesitate. He plunged the syringe into Kana's neck. She screamed, her body buckling as if she was being burned from the inside.
-Kana! -Aoi shrieked, but it was too late.
Kana's skin tightened. Her legs lengthened unevenly, the bones in her hands fused together to form sharp blades like scythes. Her eyes turned black, streaked with red. A ridge of bony plates crossed his back like a living spine.
The lead recruiter turned to Shiftie and Ricochet. He smiled as if watching a private show.
-Good luck with your little friend.
They turned to flee, but Haruto raised his boomerang.
-Not so fast...!
He didn't get to throw it. The new Kana sniffed the air. Its breath was a hollow hiss, like an animal with gills. She turned her head, locating Aoi's heat. It roared, a high- pitched sound that split the night.
Kana - or the thing it had become - lunged at them. Its blade-arms sliced through rotting pipes and walls like butter.
Haruto pushed Aoi aside, activating his bracelet. The round boomerang whizzed through the air, grazing Kana's blades, releasing electric sparks. The monster shrieked, recoiling.
-Shiftie, wake up! -Haruto shouted, "If you don't fight, she won't stop!
Aoi trembled, tears blurring her vision. Kana's every blow against the ground shook the dust and fear from her body.
-It's Kana! I can't...! -she stammered.
-It's not Kana now! -Haruto threw his boomerang again, blocking a slash that could have taken Aoi's leg off. If we don't stop her, she destroys this whole damn hospital!
The other front - The mutant recruiters
Meanwhile, on the ground floor, the three escaping recruiters ran head-on into Bulwark and Blockwave, who had heard the roar.
One of them laughed, raising his hand. From his palms came whips of short fire, rippling like live snakes. The second crouched down, stretching out his arms: his skin began to be covered with stony plates, hardening like broken rock. The third stepped back and became almost a blur, his body vibrating as if he could deflect blows with impossible reflexes.
-Unlicensed heroes... how annoying," the fire one spat. Bulwark grinned, his skin already hardened into polished steel.
-Let's see if they're worth it.
The stony recruiter lunged at Bulwark like a living battering ram, but Goro blocked him with his forearm, causing the ground to crack beneath his feet.
Blockwave, behind, erected a barrier in time to deflect one of the fire whips. The blurred recruiter moved like a shadow, trying to strike him from behind, but Daiki turned his shield just in time.
-Really? -said Blockwave, mockingly. Three against two doesn't seem fair. For you guys, that is.
Shiftie and Ricochet - The Decisive Moment
Upstairs, Aoi stopped shaking. He saw Kana leap from wall to wall like a deformed mantis, her blades gleaming with each blow. Haruto was sweating, dodging out of sheer adrenaline.
-Shiftie! -he shouted, panting, "Come on, turn invisible and attack from behind! Aoi closed her eyes. Inside, a voice screamed, "I'm sorry, Kana... forgive me..." Her skin melted into the cracked ceiling. It disappeared completely.
Kana turned, sniffing, but didn't see her coming. Aoi appeared right behind, clutching a rusted metal bar that she plunged with all her might into the creature's back.
The monster shrieked, spinning out of control. Haruto threw his boomerang one last time, activating the full discharge. Electricity coursed through Kana's mutated spine, forcing it to collapse.
The beast collapsed, letting out a groan. The blades slowly retracted, the skin cracked and it returned to human flesh. Kana, unconscious, returned to being just a frail girl, covered in dust and bruises.
Aoi fell to her knees, holding her hand. Haruto, at her side, was breathing as if he had run for miles.
-I'm sorry... Kana..." Shiftie whispered, tears mixing with the blood and dust.
The hospital seemed to breathe again. Amid smoke, dust, and broken beams, Bulwark unloaded the final punch against the stony-skinned recruiter, sinking him to the ground with a crunch that echoed to the ceiling.
Beside him, Blockwave lowered his energy shield, letting out a heavy breath. The fire recruiter and the reflex recruiter writhed against a collapsed wall. They all had bruises, burns, and hate-filled glares... but they no longer moved with such arrogance.
Bulwark shook the dried blood from his fist. He stepped forward. He leaned in for a closer look at the stony recruiter, who was breathing heavily.
-How many more of you are there? -he asked in a deep voice, each word clanging like metal.
-You won't know..." spat the guy, between broken teeth.
Blockwave crouched down beside him. He slapped him gently across the face, almost mockingly.
-Don't be like that. I'm sure your leader doesn't want you dead for a big mouth. Where are they doing the next Awakening? Who's giving them the supplies?
The fire recruiter let out a hoarse laugh.
-Even if you broke me in two you wouldn't know... We're just pawns. The Cult never shows itself. You are nothing.
Bulwark said nothing. He just held his face, forcing him to look at him. He saw his pupils: black, injected, with red streaks that faded as they lost temporal power.
-Modified... just like the others," Goro muttered, to himself. He gritted his teeth.
-Pawns, perhaps. But each pawn has threads. And we're going to cut them, one by one. The recruiters breathed heavily, but the one with the fire let out a hollow laugh.
-You have no idea what you're looking for," he spat blood. There are others like us all over the city. Groups, cells. We all obey... we all seek the Host.
Blockwave arched an eyebrow.
-The what?
The reflex recruiter looked at him with a crooked smile, lips parted.
-The Host... the perfect piece. A human capable of containing all the powers without breaking. All these failed Awakenings... they're just rehearsals. Trials to find him.
Bulwark felt something dark settle in his chest. His voice came out like metal scraping stone.
-And where is he?
-No one knows," said the reflexive one, barely more than a whisper. If we knew, we wouldn't be here... But soon... everyone will see. Everyone will want to 'wake up'. And you... you won't be able to save them.
Goro stood up, his shadow growing like a wall. He grabbed a broken wire and began to tie up the three recruiters, one by one, without looking away.
-They pray that the police will find them before their own leaders do. Because when they find out you spoke... you will be the next offering.
Blockwave stood up, running a hand through his sweaty hair. His gaze met Bulwark's, a spark of determination mingling with weariness.
-Well," he said, his half-smile cocked to one side, "It's not a detailed plan, but it's something. We've got a way to go.
Bulwark turned towards the stairs, hearing faint footsteps upstairs.
-Shiftie and Ricochet will be down soon.
Meanwhile, upstairs
Aoi and Haruto watched Kana, wrapped in a makeshift blanket. Her breathing was wheezing, but at least there were no more mutations or bony plaques. Just cuts, bruises and the echo of a nightmare.
-This shouldn't have happened," Aoi whispered, her voice shaking. If I hadn't left her alone....
Haruto denied, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a dirty rag.
-It's not your fault. The Cult does this with people who think they have nothing. Next time we'll see her first.
Shiftie leaned over and took Kana's hand, as if she could restore the warmth her friend had lost.
-I'll take her home.
-You can't do it alone. -Haruto slipped his arm around her back, helping her hold Kana. I'll carry her.
Aoi wanted to protest, but gave in. Together they climbed down, stepping over broken boards, while Bulwark and Blockwave watched them from the hallway.
-What are they going to do with her? -Blockwave asked, looking at Kana.
-She can't stay here," Aoi said firmly. She's my friend. If she wakes up here, she'll be more scared. We left her at home. Her mother will think it was... I don't know, an accident. A fight. Whatever.
Bulwark watched them, towering like a steel giant, but said nothing. He just nodded, barely.
-Good. Move along. And don't say a word about us.
Shiftie looked at him, swallowing the guilt that burned in her chest.
-I'd never do that.
The walk back
Outside, the night smelled of damp smoke and wet asphalt. Haruto carried Kana on his back as if she weighed nothing. Aoi walked beside him, holding his hand. The scarf fluttered in the drizzle.
There were no words. No promises. No happy endings.
Just a long, twisting road, marked by a truth Shiftie understood better than ever:
To be a hero was not to save everyone. It was to carry those who could not save themselves.
In the makeshift factory, Bulwark and Blockwave stared at the three unconscious recruiters. Goro exhaled, as if expelling a piece of rusted iron from his chest.
-This is just the beginning," he muttered, more to himself than to Daiki. Blockwave allowed himself a tired smile.
-At least we have a team now.
Goro didn't respond. He just stared out at the rain that was beginning to pelt the broken windows.
End Chapter 3 -A New Home for Nameless Heroes