June had not expected Kahndaq to feel like this.
She walked beside Maureen through one of the capital's main streets, her eyes moving from one sight to the next with quiet fascination. What used to be a barren desert was now alive in a way that felt almost unreal. Buildings shimmered with layered enchantments, not flashy, just subtle enough to hum under the surface. People moved through the streets without fear, some humans, some metas with body deformities, and no one looked like they were hiding what they were.
June tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled. "I've heard about it, but seeing it with my own two eyes... everything feels unreal." She looked around for a moment. "This place feels… safe. I don't think I've ever felt that in a city before."
Maureen walked beside her with her, hands in her coat pockets, as her eyes tracked everything out of habit. "It wasn't always like this. John forced the world to accept it, then gave people something worth staying for."
June let out a small laugh. "So, he's terrifying and kind at the same time."
They turned a corner and stepped into a wide open training ground where arcs of blue electricity snapped through the air. Livewire stood at the center, arms raised as she guided streams of power between a group of young metas trying very hard not to panic.
"Focus!" Livewire snapped, her voice sharp but not cruel. "You don't control it by freaking out every time it sparks. Feel it first, then move it."
One of the trainees lost control for a second and sent a wild bolt into the sky. Livewire caught it midair, twisted her wrist, and redirected it cleanly into a grounding rod without breaking her stance.
June blinked. "Okay, that's actually amazing."
Livewire noticed them and smirked as she dropped her hands. "Hey, new girl. You here to watch or you planning to fry something?"
June raised both hands quickly, laughing. "Definitely watching. I think I've caused enough chaos for one lifetime."
Livewire chuckled and jerked her head toward the trainees. "Give it time. Everyone here starts out like a walking hazard."
Maureen gave a small nod of acknowledgment before guiding June along. "There's more."
They moved toward the inner district, where the tone shifted slightly. The streets grew quieter. At the far end, Huntress stood surrounded by a group of guards, each holding different weapons. Blades, compact crossbows, throwing spikes, all of it handled with precision.
Huntress moved through them like a shadow, correcting posture with quick taps and sharper words. "You hesitate, you die. Again."
One guard lunged. Huntress stepped aside and disarmed him in a single motion, the weapon hitting the ground before he even realized what happened.
June watched with wide eyes. "She doesn't mess around."
Maureen's voice stayed flat. "Not everyone is a meta. That's where Huntress comes in. She trains normal humans. And this entire district is made only for their training purposes."
Huntress glanced their way briefly, gave a small nod, then turned back to her group without missing a beat.
June exhaled slowly, taking it all in as they continued walking. "This place really is different."
Maureen didn't respond right away. Her gaze drifted over the city for a moment before she spoke. "That's the point."
...
[Restricted area]
Across the city, inside a half-open hangar layered with tools and scattered components, Kara hovered upside down inside the exposed engine core of her damaged ship. Sparks flickered around her hands as she adjusted a cluster of fused conduits.
"Okay," Kara said. "If this thing explodes, I'm blaming you."
Mary Kowalski, aka Miracle Molly, stood below with a tablet in one hand and a tool in the other, not even looking worried. "If it explodes, it's because you ignored my instructions again."
Kara rolled her eyes even though Mary could not see it. "I did not ignore them. I interpreted them differently."
Mary snorted. "That's a fancy way of saying you guessed."
Kara floated down and landed lightly beside her, brushing her hands off. "It worked, didn't it?"
Mary tapped a few commands and glanced at the readings. "Barely. You are lucky that the core didn't collapse on itself."
Kara leaned over her shoulder, studying the display. "So what's next?"
Mary pointed toward the exposed engine chamber. "We need to realign the energy lattice. The AI used to do that automatically, but now we're doing it manually like it's the stone age."
Kara grinned. "Manual sounds fun."
Mary handed her a tool without looking up. "You say that now."
They moved in sync after that, Kara holding sections steady while Mary recalibrated connections. It did not take long for them to fall into a rhythm.
Kara glanced over at her. "You really built that tech lab of yours on your own?"
Mary shrugged slightly. "The setup is mine, but the tech pieces are from Amazon. They are a thousand times better than what we have here."
Kara nodded, looking very interested.
Mary scanned the ship with her cybernetic eye. "Looks like we're gonna need more parts."
Kara smirked. "We've got John. He'll find them."
Mary let out a quiet laugh. "That man terrifies me in a very reassuring way."
...
[Ivy's garden]
In Ivy's garden, the air felt completely different.
Thick with life, layered with scents that shifted depending on where you stood, it almost felt like the place was breathing. Ivy knelt in the soil, carefully pressing a newly planted stem into place while Hippolyta stood nearby holding a container filled with rare seeds.
"These are not like your usual flora," Hippolyta said as she handed one over. "They must be harvested before the fruit forms."
Ivy tilted her head slightly, examining the seed before planting it. "Poison fruits?" She asked.
Hippolyta shook her head. "The fruit will burst on contact. The gas it releases will overwhelm the senses and induce extreme desire. It spreads quickly and does not discriminate."
Ivy paused, then slowly looked up at her with a small smile forming. "You say that like it's a bad thing. What's wrong with a little desire and lust? Besides, we could use them as weapons."
Hippolyta raised an eyebrow. "Lust and desire as weapons?"
Ivy brushed dirt from her hands as she stood. "Everything is a weapon if you use it right. Imagine dropping a few of those into a battlefield or a riot. There won't be any bloodshed... just a big orgy. Just imagine the scene where everyone is jumping on everyone, drowning in carnal desires... Mhmm~ Now, that's a scene I'd pay to watch."
Hippolyta sighed. 'She's worse than Harley.'
Ivy's smile didn't fade. "Anyway, let's get back to work."
...
[Dakota Cily]
Dakota City felt smaller than either of them remembered.
Maybe it was the silence. Maybe it was everything they had become since they left. Either way, the street looked the same, just a little more worn, a little more tired.
John stood in front of the old building with his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the faded sign hanging above the entrance.
JH&M Pizza.
The paint had chipped at the edges and the board leaned slightly to one side like it had given up trying to stay perfect. The glass windows were dusty now, the inside dark, but nothing about it felt empty to him.
Harley leaned into his side without saying anything at first, her shoulder pressing lightly against his arm as she looked up at the sign. Her usual energy was quieter here like she didn't want to break whatever this moment was.
John slipped an arm around her and pulled her a little closer. She rested her head against his shoulder, her fingers hooking loosely into the fabric of his shirt.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
A car passed somewhere down the street. A dog barked in the distance. The city moved on like it always did, but right here, time felt stuck.
Harley let out a small breath that almost turned into a laugh. "God, look at this place," she said, tilting her head slightly as she took it all in. "Kinda looks like it survived a war."
John's lips curved faintly. "It probably did," he replied. "Just not the kind people write stories about."
Harley nudged him lightly with her shoulder. "Hey, don't knock it. Those were some serious battles. You vs burnt crust. Me vs customers who don't tip."
John huffed quietly. "You threatened a guy with a pizza cutter because he complained about extra cheese."
Harley lifted her head just enough to grin at him. "He disrespected the craft. Had to be done."
John shook his head, but there was no real judgment in it. His gaze drifted back to the building, his eyes lingering on the door like he could still see it opening and closing, people coming in, the smell of fresh dough filling the air.
"You remember our first night here?" Harley asked.
--
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