The City of Freedom wasn’t as majestic as the other cities but it held the greatest number of Abnormals. Why? There were some who didn’t wish to live under the thumb of the other governments, preferring their own kind instead. Others, well, they simply felt they were the future of the world.

Whatever grand ambitions or lofty goals drew people to the city, it didn’t change the state of it. Its walls were lengthy like most cities, but they were made of scrap and recycled metal. It wouldn't take much more than a few bombardments to open up a path inside. The patrols meant to counter threats were numerous, but they were a militia with bare-bones training.

Still, as a relatively new city, it was doing well. Ex-military Abnormals became more numerous and the level of training increased, only, it had yet to bear fruit. Small specialized squads, made up of the strongest Abnormals the city had, were created and circumvented the need for immediate wide-scale specialist training.

The homes of the citizens had become sturdier and the culture of the city had even improved. In the city’s center, there was a large clock tower that, while not perfect or even functional, it was a source of inspiration. The base of the clock tower was decorated with the wishes, dreams, and memories of all the Abnormals living within the city.

Not too far away from the clock tower, a building that could pass as a City Hall was surrounded with guards and buzzed with activity.

Inside, it was no different, as guards that were very well-armed strolled through the distressed hallways. They all made sure not to enter a certain office. It was clearly the most important room in the worn building.

Just behind the door, a group of people conversed.

“How’s progress coming along?” An auburn-haired young man, barely out of teens, sat in the middle of the room, his presence seemed to command respect from everyone within.

“Roslin has lent their services to us as another apology for taking Demetrius. As long as our people don’t blow their cover we’ll finish the tunnel on schedule. While we're busy with that, Roslin is going to have their people make a big show for us and no one will even think of looking at the academy,” Hawk replied, his voice was as relaxed as his posture but he showed no hint of disrespect to the young man sitting in front of him.

“That’s good. Unfortunately, I've received a report today and apparently that girl with the white hair you encountered is attending that academy under the name Visette Thales.”

“Visette Thales, Visette Thales, Visette...” Kitty mumbled the name repeatedly in an attempt to memorize it.

“Hey, Fox, send me to help dig the tunnel!” Bear volunteered excitedly, as he sat up, the leather chair that was slightly too small for him, creaked loudly.

“Mmh,” Rabid grunted with a short, curt, nod of her head.

“Both of you are eager to test out her skill? I appreciate your enthusiasm but I won't allow it.” Fox smiled amusedly. “Rumors from New Mayhall reached my ears and it appears she was the one who killed two dozen or so prisoners after you all made your escape. It makes you wonder about her traits, doesn’t it? I’m willing to bet strength, agility, endurance, and reflexes are all at least type three or higher.”

Although Fox made a fairly accurate guess, he still was greatly underestimating Visette.

“If someone else told me that, I wouldn’t believe it, but if it’s coming from you, Fox? Well, I’d like us to avoid her until we know more. Even at that facility, something was telling me that fighting her would be a mistake. Even though she was young they still gave her a high-priority designation.”

“Yeah, and unlike Kitty, the rest of us can’t come back,” Rodent snickered and much like his name, he sat hunched over while his eyes seemed to constantly dart around.

“I hope she kills you first,” Kitty said, the way she glared at Rodent seemed as if she genuinely wished for him to die.

“Hey, how many lives do you have left now?” Rodent grinned.

“Quiet, Rodent,” Fox reproached the rat-like man.

And much like his name indicated, Rodent immediately became quiet when Fox spoke. Not that Fox was in anyway threatening, it was just the power he controlled. It was Hawk’s quick but threatening glance that stopped Rodent from saying another word.

Fox rapped his fingers across his old desk, his eyebrows were pinched together in concentration. He was recalling all the information available to him and once he thought of everything, he spoke.

“Do you think that Visette Thales may be sympathetic to our cause?” He finally asked, gauging the reaction of the room.

Unsurprisingly, everyone looked at Hawk who let out a low sigh.

“I still think about that day sometimes and I don’t know, Fox. She didn’t seem to care much about her freedom so there has to be something keeping her in New Mayhall. Maybe a relative is being held a hostage? Or maybe they’ve offered her something we couldn’t?”

“But we’re the only city who has managed to grab the attention of Eden Hall. We’ll even be trading with them pretty soon. Maybe if we leverage that connection we can grab her attention? If she does indeed have a relative, we could find them and take them out the city for her. She'd be indebted to us that way.”

“The way she killed those prisoners, Fox...I really don’t know about her. I didn’t think too much about it back then but I’m sure she didn’t even react to their deaths. No matter what your reaction is when you kill someone, most people acknowledge they’ve taken a life, right? That girl though? Nothing, no anger, no annoyance, it’s like she didn’t even recognize it as murder.”

“That’s saying a lot, coming from a killer like you.” Kitty chimed, resting her chin atop her palm and looking around the room for something to distract herself.

“When you put it like that, Hawk, I think that we may have to get rid of her before we put our plan into motion.”

“You sure?” Hawk asked.

“Hold on…”

Fox grabbed a folder and quickly flipped through, each turn of the page furthered his confidence. The content inside detailed a plan of his own making, one that was ambitious but more than doable. Fox was a sole intelligence-based Abnormal and it was through his leadership did the Freedom City prosper. It was also one of the reasons people willingly followed such a young leader.

“Have someone send a call to Roslin. We’ll coordinate what we know to find out more about her, but tell them we suggest elimination if she can’t be convinced.”

“I’ll get right on it,” Hawk nodded before he stood up, gesturing for his team to follow with a head nod. “Let’s go.”

…

Unaware of the developing conflicting between the three cities, Visette put her mind solely on learning more. As the school day was coming to an end, she and Charlie were in the library waiting for the sound of dismissal.

Visette quietly pondered her infiltration of the councilor’s mansion. Her test of manipulating electronic signals by using her nanites to replicate electronic signals was successful. Although she only altered the signal of a single security device, it was a good start as far as she was concerned. More importantly, it confirmed that there was another layer of complexity to the Morning Star Version 5 nanites inside of her.

‘If electronic signals can be sent through the combination of my nanites and psionic power could they also be used as amplifiers? If I am successful, the range and power of my psionic abilities would increase exponentially but there would likely be negative side effects.’

“What are you thinking about, Visette?”

As always, Charlie was interested in Visette’s psionics, even if she could hardly understand most of what Vis explained.

“It is not important,” Visette replied.

There were many theories and experiments she wanted to test but had to prioritize the most beneficial ones. The Variant Corrupted she encountered was worrisome to her as it was a possible indication that more Corrupted may be able to undergo similar changes. High-caliber weaponry was one possible solution to the problem but as she began thinking about it, it was likely to become less effective in the long run.

‘If faced with multiple Variant Abnormals, a slow-firing, high-powered rifle is not viable for close quarters situations.’

“Visette?” Charlie dragged out Visette name.

“Yes?”

“You’re clearly thinking about something? And if you're putting so much thought into it, it has to be interesting.”

“As I have said, it is of very little importance.”

“Then, I won’t pry if you don’t want me to,” Charlie said with a pout.

“It is time for us to go, Charlie.” Visette paid little mind to Charlie’s mood and instead began to returning all the books she withdrew.

“Hey, I’ll help,” Charlie said as she began transporting the pile of books to their respective shelves.

By the time the two of them finished, a bell rang signaling the end of the school day.

“Oh, so you know how class ends early next week because of the funeral?”

“Yes.”

“I was thinking that I’d visit your place and maybe we could hang out, like go around town and stuff.”

“I will have to check with Lyn to see if I have any assignments which is not likely at this time. If not, there is no issue.”

“Good.” Charlie smiled as they walked to the entrance of the school. "And are you coming by today?"

"Yes, I will return home first and then visit your residence later."

“Hey! Why do you always leave me behind, Charlie?” Arthur asked as he caught up to the two girls like usual.

“You know why.” Charlie rolled her eyes.

“Come on, it isn’t like that.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well…” Arthur sent a quick glance toward Visette. “I-It isn’t the only reason I’m here.”

“You’re destined to be disappointed, Arty.”

“What do you mean by that?” Arthur asked with a hint of anxiousness but all Charlie did in response was shake her head with a pitying expression.

“All you need to know is that we’re getting together the day of the funeral since class lets out early. So, in about three days, we’ll go home, get changed, and then meet at the campus grounds so we can do some stuff on the way to Visette's place.”

“Stuff like what?”

“I...don’t really know. Before Visette came along, I had military personnel constantly watching over me. I couldn’t really do anything so I’m not sure what would be fun.”

“How has that changed at all?”

“The DSF officers are a bit more easygoing I guess and there are a lot less of them.”

Charlie was unaware of just how many resources her Father diverted in order to ensure her safety at all times and that was probably a good thing for the time being. There was no doubt that Nathan Wakefield’s controlling nature would become more apparent the further she looked into him for herself.

“In that case, leave the planning to me. I've been to a few nice places with my friends so I have a couple of ideas.” Arthur’s lips curled into a confident smile that practically shouted 'I can handle it.'

“You go out? Wait, you have friends other than just me?”

“Very funny...I actually have a lot more friends than you think. Staying on academy grounds has its benefits, you interact with a lot of people for one. Occasionally, we have group outings and things like that, it's too bad you couldn’t come.”

“Really? You aren’t just making that up?”

“Do I have a reason to lie?”

Charlie wordlessly looked to Visette and then back to him.

“You’ll see. I know a few fun places.”

“Then I hope you don’t disappoint, right, Visette?”

“Yes, I look forward to the activities that you have planned.”

Although it wasn’t a top priority, observing the social interaction between the average person would help her to better understand how to react in social situations. It would be more field research than a “fun outing” to her.

As they left the academy building, Lyn was already leaning on her motorcycle while waiting for Visette. Her dark brown hair and deep blue eyes as well as her good looks continued drawing attention as always, but her attitude was well-known by the students of the academy.

Of course, the attention placed on Lyn faded as soon as Visette was outside, not that the former seemed to mind.

“Hurry it up!” Lyn called out to Visette.

“Wait, Vis.” Charlie grabbed Visette’s wrist just as she was about to split from the group. “Don’t forget to stop by later and make sure to ask about our trip.”

“I will.” Visette nodded.

As Visette approached, Lyn spoke while handing the bike helmet to her, “What was that about?”

“I have been invited to a social outing.”

“With who, just the two of them?” Lyn asked as she looked toward Arthur and Charlie who were busy waving to Visette.

“Yes, that is correct.”

“When?”

“In three days.”

“I want to say yes, but it just so happens that you have an assignment in three days.”

“I assumed that acting so soon would draw attention. Was our goal not to remain undetected?” Visette inquired.

“It was and it worked since there has been no real investigation into the councilor's death. But this time, the Commander wants you to be a bit more obvious.”

“I understand.”

“...You know what, as long as you’re back at your place by evening you should be alright as far as the timing is concerned.”

“Understood, I will make sure keep track of time during the outing.”

“I’ll hold you to it.” Lyn smiled as they climbed onto the motorcycle.

…

As the afternoon turned into the evening, a group of familiar men examined their firearms and equipment in a house found in some dark corner of New Mayhall.

“What is this shit?!” A man sitting at a terminal shouted in surprise.

“What?” Another man wearing glasses asked. He was too busy examining the floor plan of a large house to fully invest himself in another problem.

“It’s that damn girl.”

“Huh?” Demetrius, who was resting on a couch nearby, instantly sat up. “The one with the white hair?”

“Visette Thales.”

“A bit of an odd name, but what about her?”

“She’s the one who killed all of those prisoners a while back.”

“...Shit.” The man in glasses cursed.

“Is that all there is about her?”

“Yeah.”

“No fucking way,” Demetrius objected. “What about her medical records? What are her traits?”

“Everything is locked away. The clearance given to us by our little friend here in New Mayhall isn't high enough to view the records. I think the Governor is the only one who can freely read anything tucked away in here.”

“That’s not good.” The man in glasses sighed. “She was with Captain O’Hara? It doesn’t take a genius to see that she’s affiliated with New Mayhall’s military.”

“So?” Demetrius asked as he evaluated the stitching on his recent hand wound.

“So, if she can take you down that fast, she has to have some training behind her.”

“And why does that matter?” Demetrius still seemed clueless as to the significance.

“Do you know how much it takes to move a whole team of Abnormal soldiers into another city, have them blend in, and carry out an assassination before escaping? We’re only this lucky because of our contact and you nearly ruined it.”

“Get on with it, I’m getting tired.”

“What I mean to say is, it is way easier to move a single person as you should know. If she’s important enough to have all information on her hidden, then she’s definitely not just a standard Abnormal who managed to catch you off guard.”

“You’re thinking multiple type-four and type-five traits?” Demetrius grew interested as Visette’s threat evaluation was altered.

“Maybe, but I can’t say for sure.”

“Hey, there’s a call for you from the higher-ups, Glasses.” A man suddenly appeared from a sideroom.

“Alright, I’ll be right there.”

“It’s urgent.”

The man with glasses sighed before he begrudgingly stood up and trudged toward the room. His muffled voice could be heard through the walls and it began to sound increasingly pitiful as time went on.

Eventually, he returned and fell into his chair with a frustrated expression.

“What’s got you so upset?” Demetrius asked while juggling a knife.

“A lot,” He sighed before continuing. “Listen up, we will be coordinating our assassination with Freedom City’s operation.”

“Wait, they were also planning something?” Someone asked with obvious confusion.

“Apparently, but I haven’t been told what it is,” The man in glasses answered, indicating his lack of awareness on the subject. “Our schedule has just been moved ahead by a week. In three days, we’ll carry out our assassination.”

“And when does Freedom City move?” Another asked while scratching at his patchy beard.

“A day after us, so it seems we’ll be diverting attention from whatever it is they’re doing.”

“That the end of your announcement? I kinda want to sleep.”

“No, apparently, Roslin and the Freedom City are both going to attempt to make contact with Visette Thales. If they can’t, then they’ll try to kill her somehow.”

The man in glasses expected Demetrius to go wild but the problematic young man didn’t even blink an eye.

“If she gets killed by either one of those forces then she really only beat me because I wasn’t prepared. It’s as simple as that.” Demetrius shrugged. He let out a yawn and lied down on the couch before closing his eyes.

“Sure thing.” It was obvious that no one would trust Demetrius but he didn’t speak any falsehoods. He had no intention of interfering with the plans of the other cities.