Chapter 21: Momentum
The morning air was brisk as Jacob "Blitz" Dell stood on the edge of a rooftop, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the streets below. Beside him stood Zipline, her hover boots gently humming, a spark of excitement in her eyes.
Earlier that morning, Jacob had approached Alex with a rare request:
> "I want to race her," he said, nodding toward Zipline.
"You want… what?" Alex blinked.
"A friendly race. For training. And a favor. Let me pass down something useful to the girl."
Alex had agreed, and now the city's rooftops were their track.
"Ready?" Blitz asked, crouching into his launch position.
Zipline gave a confident smile. "Ready."
The air cracked as they vanished into motion. Blitz's speed created afterimages, his movement graceful yet powerful as he blitzed across narrow beams and fire escapes. Zipline followed, watching everything—how he turned corners, how he used momentum to carry through obstacles, how he avoided unnecessary motion.
"Don't rely on speed alone," Blitz called back during a glide across a long rooftop. "Plan your moves two steps ahead!"
Zipline narrowed her eyes, focusing. She adapted, mirroring his style, conserving energy. But she also used what Blitz didn't have—technology. When they reached a gap between buildings too wide to leap, she activated her hover boots and soared over. Another time, she ran straight up a building's side, defying gravity while Blitz had to detour.
Jacob laughed, wind whipping past him. "You're smart."
At the final stretch, Zipline overtook him by skimming across a horizontal beam that Blitz had to dash under and around. She landed at the designated finish with a spin, a triumphant smile on her face.
Blitz arrived a few seconds later, slightly winded but grinning. "You got me," he said, offering a handshake. "You're quick, but more importantly—you learned mid-race. You've got potential."
Zipline nodded, her heart still pounding. "Thank you. That… meant a lot."
Alex watched the rooftop race unfold on the second monitor in his office, the live footage feeding in from Ghostbit's hacked city cams. Blitz and Zipline blurred across the screen—two streaks of motion weaving between rooftops, fire escapes, and support beams. Zipline was keeping up, adapting with every move. He nodded in approval, proud of her growth.
His eyes drifted to the first monitor—still open to the government database. Rows of classified item data scrolled past. He leaned forward, eyes scanning each line carefully. He had already flagged a few interesting entries—some for his team, others just to keep an eye on.
He tapped a key and toggled Ghostbit's feed. The techno-cyborg hero was still monitoring the Sunlight Foundation. Ever since the last surveillance run, Alex had given Ghostbit extended monitoring protocols and limited access to their private channels. The foundation's public face still looked clean—but Alex trusted his instincts. There was something off about them.
The Eyehive lay dormant now, its functions absorbed into the upgraded Imitation Core. Bliss and Healer were still on the frontlines assisting with rising threats from mutated animals. That meant his summoning options were limited. He could still summon more items… but he hesitated.
"Not yet," he muttered. "Not without Bliss to recover me."
Summoning taxed him heavily now. Without his healing support, he could overdraw again. He leaned back and rubbed his temples, debating if it was worth summoning a utility item instead, something small—
The door creaked open.
Yurei entered, holding something wrapped in cloth.
Alex sat up. "You're early."
She smiled faintly and unwrapped the object. "This is for you."
It was a sleek, black metal cane with silver linings. Elegant, yet clearly reinforced.
Alex raised an eyebrow, running his hand along the surface. A soft hum pulsed under his fingers as data filled his vision.
---
Item Acquired: Coil Cane
Classification: Adaptive Defense-Type Equipment
Description: A high-density metal cane infused with kinetic charge coils. It functions as a standard walking cane, but can shift forms when activated. Converts into a short-range kinetic gun with limited ammo, ideal for defensive use in emergencies.
Special Feature: Reacts to user's adrenaline, transforming instantly when under threat
---
Alex blinked at the information. "This is… a weapon?"
Yurei crossed her arms. "You've been going into incidents unarmed for far too long. Jacob ordered it personally after reviewing your mission history."
Alex looked at her, surprised. "He gave me something?"
"He respects you more than he lets on," Yurei said simply. "You've earned it."
Alex held the cane for a moment longer, then set it against the side of his desk. It was strange… having something meant for his protection. For so long, it had always been about the heroes he summoned. Not himself.
"Thanks," he said, voice quiet.
Yurei nodded. "Now you just need a long coat and a fedora. Complete the look."
He rolled his eyes but smiled faintly.
Just as Alex placed the cane gently beside his desk, the door slid open again.
Toru stepped in, eyes sharp as always behind his tinted visor. His gaze immediately landed on the cane.
"You got a new toy?" he asked casually, but Alex could already see the way Toru's fingers twitched with interest.
Alex chuckled and held the cane out to him without hesitation. "Take a look."
Toru's eyes lit up. He held it carefully, rotating it in his hands, then ran two fingers along the length of the shaft like he was feeling the hum of energy beneath the metal. A small grin tugged at the corner of his lips—rare, but genuine.
Alex didn't have to ask. He knew that look.
"You've already got an idea, don't you?"
Toru handed the cane back, nodding. "Maybe. Thanks."
He turned around. "Come. I want to show you something."
Yurei followed silently, and Alex fell in step beside her as Toru led them down the corridor to his lab.
When they entered, the lights auto-dimmed to reveal the massive screen across the far wall. Kian and Leena were already inside. Kian stood near the display, arms crossed proudly. Leena was beside him, looking excited but slightly nervous.
On the screen was a rotating 3D figure—Kian in his new suit.
It was a sleek, tactical black design, lined with armored segments on the shoulders and limbs for enhanced protection without restricting movement. The suit hugged his athletic frame, clearly designed for both speed and power. But the centerpiece was unmistakable: a glowing orange crystal embedded in the center of the chest plate, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
Toru stepped forward and gestured. "Prototype finalized."
He tapped the console, and the display zoomed in on the orange glow.
"This," Toru explained, "is the Sunlight Core. It's forged from the crystal created by Leena's re-engineered sunflower. It stores and releases solar energy in controlled pulses—enhancing the user's agility and boosting their strikes with kinetic energy drawn directly from light."
---
Item Integrated: Sunlight Core Combat Suit – Kian Mk I
Type: Enhanced Combat Gear
Description: A custom-designed suit that balances defense and agility. Powered by a stabilized Sunlight Core, it absorbs ambient light and channels it into bursts of strength or speed. Ideal for close-quarters heroes who rely on explosive movement and power.
Special Trait: Emits short-range radiant pulses when charged, can temporarily blind foes or supercharge punches.
---
Kian puffed his chest, clearly thrilled. "So I basically run on sunlight now?"
Leena giggled. "You're a solar-powered knucklehead."
Toru smirked. "If you use it right, your punches will hit like a truck."
Alex walked closer to the screen, his eyes lingering on the glow at the suit's chest. He looked at Leena, then back at Toru. "Good work. This… this might be our first real team-developed enhancement."
He turned to Kian. "This makes you one step closer to being a full-fledged hero."
Kian nodded, his usual cocky grin softening with something more sincere. "I won't let you down, boss."
Alex smiled. "I know you won't."
Yurei crossed her arms, surveying the suit. "It's good work. You'll want to present this to the evaluators during the next equipment review."
Toru already had a plan for that, Alex could see it in his eyes.
As the others admired the rotating 3D model, Alex gently placed a hand on Toru's shoulder and motioned for him to step aside. They walked a few paces from the group, just out of earshot.
"You're designing the suit?" Alex asked, keeping his voice low. "Isn't that the job of the Hero Fashion and Tech Department?"
Toru crossed his arms, his tone matter-of-fact. "I contacted them."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"They said evaluation for custom suits would take at least a week," Toru replied, his voice calm but edged with the slightest frustration. "Too many requests. Their pipeline's clogged with S-Rank and popular heroes. And since Kian isn't officially registered as a full Hero yet, they… deprioritized him."
Alex frowned.
"I could've waited," Toru continued, eyes narrowing behind his visor. "But Kian's been giving it his all. He's training, he's going on missions, he's trying to prove himself every day. I wasn't going to let red tape hold him back."
Alex stayed silent for a moment. Then he smiled.
"You really care about him."
Toru scoffed lightly. "I care about progress. And Kian's progress shouldn't be stalled because of bureaucracy. Besides..." He looked back at the glowing display of the suit. "It was fun to build."
Alex chuckled and nodded. "Then let's make sure the Hero Department sees it too. You've built something special."
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[End of Chapter]