The Climbing

"Are you alright?" Iroko asked Kuroki over the phone.

"Yeah, I just need some rest," he replied. "I can use my power a few more times, but it would be better if I stayed hidden for now." He was sitting on a corner on the second floor of a building, so he could see everyone on the sidewalk and in the street.

"I'll let you know if any of us need repairs," Iroko confirmed.

"Help Minako for now. She's climbing that skyscraper alone; it might be a bit much even for her."

"Sure thing, boss." Iroko already had his sights set on Minako. She made sure to stay on the side of the skyscraper facing Iroko, so he could see everything.

Minako tried to call the elevator to check if it was working. Since it never arrived, she assumed that whoever was at the top had cut the cables to make it harder to go up the skyscraper. She continued chewing a gum until it lost its sweet taste. She spat it into a nearby trash can.

Before turning the corner, as usual, she stopped behind it to observe and check for any lurking enemies. Iroko perceived her intention and examined the long corridor. At the end of it, there were two women and several small turrets around them.

One of them was a slightly muscular woman. Her hair was long and purple, and her eyes were the same color. Her t-shirt was tight-fitting gray, accentuating her curves. Her camouflage military pants were green. She was on one knee, supporting herself with her military boot on the other leg. She was focused, aiming with a huge purple cannon that merged with her right arm.

She seems to have more experience with guns than I do...

The other was a dirty but pretty girl. She wore overalls and held a wrench, showing off her engineering skills. Her beige hair was styled in two side buns. Her yellow eyes were piercing, her smile malicious and menacing. She repeatedly tapped the red wrench against her red glove. Many turrets surrounded both of them.

The turrets are probably her power...

The soldier girl pretended not to notice Minako lurking around the corner, but slowly adjusted her aim. When Minako saw her, it was too late: the woman fired her cannon, unleashing a powerful beam that obliterated everything in its path, including a large portion of Minako's head.

"Kuroki, Minako just lost part of her head! Save her now!" Iroko exclaimed over the phone.

"No need to shout..." Kuroki replied as he looked around for any prying eyes.

What a nuisance... he thought. If anyone shows up here now, they might cause me a little trouble.

Minako's head was repaired. Without wasting a single second, Iroko aimed at the cannon girl, who was panting because her weapon had overheated after firing.

"Oh?" said the engineer. "So there was someone there?"

"We can't risk anyone climbing these stairs..." replied the cannon girl. "The best kind of attack is a surprise attack."

Iroko fired his gun, hitting her in the head with a surprise attack and killing her instantly.

A sniper?! thought the engineer. Fuck, this is really bad!

She ran to a nearby bathroom because there were no windows there.

As long as I build more turrets, I'll be safe here! I don't need to risk my life protecting some stupid stairs.

Suddenly, she was punched. Minako had turned her back to the sun and summoned the girl's shadow on her own.

What...? But I'm alone here...

The shadow healed the redirected damage after a certain time, proportionally to the target's level. In addition to healing, there was a limit to the amount of damage that could be inflicted directly through the shadow, determined by the darkness surrounding Minako.

Since she wasn't in a dark room, she had to either hide in one without windows and destroy the lights, or go directly to the target to eliminate them personally. The last option seemed more convenient and quicker to her, so she ran across the hallway.

To her surprise, the turrets were still there and began firing at her at an absurd rate. Although the rate of fire exceeded dozens per second, the damage was minimal, enough only to injure Minako. She blocked the attacks with her arms and ran towards where the engineer was.

She hid behind the corner of the bathroom, expecting a surprise attack. She took a quick peek: there were many turrets inside. The engineer was nowhere to be found, but she must have been there, since she had gone to the trouble of building the turrets.

Suddenly, she came out of the men's restroom behind Minako and hit her on the head with the wrench, causing her to bleed a little. Minako forcibly stole the wrench from the engineer and beat her to death.

She left the bathroom corridor and returned to the main hallway. The turrets were still there.

Is she still alive? thought Iroko. No, there is no way Minako would spare her target, and she couldn't have escaped either.

Minako's clothes were bloodstained, and she was still holding the wrench.

The engineer's definitely dead. Do the turrets not disappear after her death?

"Kasugo, should I help Minako?" Iroko asked, stuck in a dilemma. "She tanked the turret fire, but I don't want her to strain her body."

"She didn't suffer any fatal injuries, right? In that case, she can hold on a little longer, don't worry. If you shoot down every turret, people will hear us."

Minako, however, didn't look well. Her normally expressionless gaze was even more vacant. Her mouth was watering, and she was completely still. Almost as if she were dead, but standing.

"Kuroki, did you repair her properly?" Iroko asked.

"You said she lost part of her head, right?" he replied. "Was it instant? And how?"

"A girl with a cannon fired a very powerful beam. It erased everything in its path, so I guess it was instant."

"Were you able to verify if the beam had any persistent effect?"

"It seemed to only cause damage..."

Wait a minute, she had to wait for the cannon to cool down after firing it... which must mean the beam was really hot.

"It was probably very hot," Iroko said. "Do you think extreme heat can go against your power?"

"Heat can cauterize wounds. My power only repairs broken or missing matter; it cannot change what already exists. So, it cannot heal scars unless those cauterized areas are removed and I repair everything from the ground up."

"But how are supposed to do that? Do we have to decapitate her?"

"Can she still move? If so, she'll probably find an opponent who can do that at the top floor."

"She was moving a few seconds ago, but... she's standing still now, staring in my direction and drooling."

"She probably didn't lose her mobility, just her senses. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to move after I repaired her."

"But what now? Do you think she can think straight?"

"Probably not, that's why she's staring at you. She's trying to find her purpose and what she's been doing until now. She's in doubt, but I'll talk to her, don't worry."

"Thanks, Kuroki, really. I'll keep watch, just in case."

"There's someone here," Kasugo said to Iroko, patting him on the shoulder. "Be quiet, we need to hear the footsteps."

Tracy finally saw someone approaching the building after so many shots were fired. Someone was hunting the shooter or simply bothered by the noise, just like Tracy.

Finally, someone! I still haven't told Sparky her henchmen failed, so this one must be an independent one. I'll simply kill him after he's done with the sniper!

The old man walked with one hand behind his back and the other holding a cane, which he tapped rhythmically on the ground. His eyes were colorless, so he was probably blind.

A blind one, on top of that! My power is not offensive, but it will be so easy to sneak up behind him!

His hair and beard, white and short. He wore a black, elegant suit and a top hat. His hands were covered with a white glove. His cane, made of fine wood, was chic and ostentatious.

Tracy grabbed a pocketknife and began to follow the man at a distance. He slammed his cane on the ground harder, releasing a powerful shockwave that shattered the building's gate. Then he entered without altering his stance.

What the fuck?! That power is too strong!

She trembled, clutching her fragile weapon with both hands.

 But I must kill him regardless, or he'll simply escape with the sniper's experience.

Her legs were trembling, but she continued following the old man.

His power must have some serious weaknesses... like not protecting his back? No, that would be too easy. I'll keep watching him until I find his weak spot.