The central plaza of the mall was a hive of activity. Police officers were zip-tying the last of the "Hockey Stick Gang," and EMTs were checking on the shopkeepers. But the biggest crowd wasn't around the criminals—it was around the two girls sitting on the edge of the fountain.
Rebecca had her suit partially powered down, her heavy boots resting on a pile of debris. Carrie, meanwhile, was back in "Idol mode," despite the soot on her cheek. She was signing a napkins for a group of wide-eyed kids.
"Yeah, the Bunny is the muscle, but I provide the soundtrack!" Carrie joked, winking at a young fan. "Make sure to tag us in the videos, okay? #BunnyAndMic!"
Rebecca groaned, rubbing her temples. "Please don't make that a hashtag, Carrie."
The Hero’s Reward
A news reporter from Capital Live pushed through the crowd, a camera drone hovering over her shoulder. "Bunny Heroine! Mini Mic! A word for the people of the city? After the tragedy at the Spire, seeing you two work together like this... it’s giving people hope."
Rebecca looked at the camera. She thought of Atlas’s sacrifice. She thought of Slash’s empty seat at their table. She stood up straight, her silver-and-black armor catching the afternoon sun filtering through the broken glass dome.
"We aren't the icons the city had before," Rebecca said, her voice steady and clear. "We’re just the ones who stayed. And as long as we’re standing, this city doesn't have to be afraid of shadows anymore."
Carrie stood up beside her, nodding solemnly. "What she said. Also, follow me on Chirper for the new tour dates!"
Back to Reality
An hour later, the sun was dipping below the skyline as the two roommates walked up the stairs to their third-floor apartment. They were carrying two bags of groceries and a very large, slightly crushed box of mall pretzels.
Rebecca kicked the door shut behind them and immediately collapsed onto the sofa. "I have dust in places I didn't know I had places."
"Worth it," Carrie said, tossing her keys into the bowl and heading for the kitchen. "Did you see the news? We’re trending. People are calling us the 'Duo of the District.'"
"I just want to be 'The Girl Who Takes a Hot Shower,'" Rebecca muttered. She looked at the small, framed photo on the mantle—the one of the original team. She reached out and straightened it. "I think Slash would have laughed at me tripping over those handbags."
"He definitely would have," Carrie agreed, coming back into the room with two glasses of juice. She sat on the floor next to Rebecca’s feet. "But he would have been proud of that reflected-sound move. That was all you, Becca."
Rebecca looked down at her roommate. The chaotic pop-star was actually being serious. "It was us, Carrie. I couldn't have aimed that sound if you didn't have the lungs to produce it."
The Next Lead
The quiet moment was interrupted by the ping of a tablet on the coffee table. A message from Tech Girl was flashing on the screen.
"Mei here. Good work at the mall. But don't get too comfortable. I’ve been tracking some unusual seismic activity in the Industrial District. It doesn't match a natural quake—it looks like high-frequency tunneling. I think someone else is looking for the tech The Grey left behind."
Rebecca and Carrie looked at each other. The exhaustion was still there, but so was the spark.
"No rest for the roommates?" Carrie asked, offering a pretzel.
Rebecca took a bite and sighed, a small, determined smile forming on her face. "No rest for the roommates. But tomorrow. Tonight, we finish these pretzels."
Outside, the lights of Northern City flickered on, one by one. The city was healing, and for the first time, Rebecca didn't feel like she was carrying the weight alone.
ns216.73.216.141da2
and then Add to home screen.