Nightclubs are loud. Wow, what an original thought, I know, but I could barely hear myself think. That is, objectively, too goddamn loud, and anybody who argues otherwise is wrong, wrong, wrong. I could also barely see anything, since the lights were nonexistent everywhere that wasn’t the dance floor, which in contrast was a strobing light show featuring every color under the sun and then some. In short, it was perfect for someone trying to steal metal while standing in plain sight.

And oh my god all that metal! It was damn near hypnotic, feeling it all jump, jive, and bounce to the beat. If I could have properly seen it too? I swear, I might have lost my mind. As it was, I found myself swaying to the beat in time to the bulk of the metal’s movement, ignoring the dull ache in my ears from noise over exposure.

“Good evening, miss.”

It was tougher than I expected to drag my eyes over to look at who had spoken, and I was surprised when I did. The speaker was a tall, obese man wearing a pale green hoodie over a pair of comfortable looking jeans, his hands were tucked into the front pocket of his hoodie, and his hood was pulled up to obscure most of his head. Most. What parts of his face that were visible were covered in shell-like obtrusions. Even stranger, his skin was translucent to the point I could kind of see what might be his skeleton—it was difficult to say for sure in the dim lighting of the area where we stood.

“The hell is going on with your skin?” I distractedly asked then winced when I played that back in my head. “Um, sorry. That was rude of me.”

“It was, yes,” he agreed, his words slow and carefully enunciated. He had a faint accent, so I guessed he was a foreigner who had to think through what he wanted to say in English. “I accept your apology.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief. “Good.”

He didn’t say anything further, and eventually I realized I was staring at the dancing again, feeling the tiny weights of metal sashay with the music. Could... Could I do that with my power? I had broken that door’s lock, so I wasn’t sure how fine my control was. Still, I had come in here to get more metal anyway. I could kill two birds with one stone.

I reached out with my power and gingerly settled it over the people on the dance floor. I didn’t want to yank on anyone’s pants, so I tried to focus on pieces clustered together, figuring they would be coins. The music switched over to something vaguely electric with a pulsing bass, and before I knew it, I had tugged the coins up into the air and began to swish them to and fro in time to the beat. It was so beautiful. I spun each of them as I made them dance through the air, and the flashing lights twinkled and sparkled off them in a dazzling array that was simply mesmerizing to watch. There was a mixture of murmuring, outrage, and above all cheers from the dance floor, and though I was worried people had noticed I was pulling away their metal, what was done was done. More importantly, I noticed as I manipulated my borrowed playthings that I didn’t feel as frantic anymore, which was a definite plus.

“Your power is very beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

A beat of silence passed between us.

Wait, what?

I snapped around to face him with wide eyes, my fight with Tammi at the forefront of my thoughts as I readied myself to flee. In an instant, all the metal over the floor showered down on the dancers, and where before the crowd had been largely thrilled by my display, a mass cry of outrage rang out. But my focus was solely on the person I’d been speaking with. He had—correctly!—identified me as a cape, and much more importantly I had just admitted I was by accident.

Dammit, he was clearly a cape too. How did that thought not occur to me before? I mean, for fuck’s sake, I could see his teeth through his closed mouth. “I’m... I’m not actually, um.... W-Why would you think I did all that?” Smooth. Very convincing, June. 10/10. Definitely not lying out your ass.

He tilted his head again, his curiosity palpable. “You are wearing a mask... It is a reasonable conclusion.”

I all but slapped myself in my haste to feel my face with my hands. “Oh my fucking god I forgot I was wearing a mask.”

The cape chuckled, “Yes, I see this.”

I took a wary step away from him. “Do... Do we have to fight? I’ve already been in one today, and I’d rather not be in a second.” It didn’t occur to me until after the words left my mouth that I had potentially said too much.

He slowly shook his head. “I do not wish to fight.”

Oh thank—

“But I will if I must. Please tell me why you are here, Miss.”

Fuck fuck fuuuck. It was all too easy to imagine this hulk of a man attacking me like Tammi had, and I began to tremble, reaching out to the coins littering the dance floor in case things got hairy. I wasn’t sure what to tell him. It felt like a bad idea to give personal details like being new in town, but maybe an abbreviated form of the truth? At this point, it was a given I wouldn’t be staying here the night with no one unaware. “I, um, needed somewhere to stay the night. That was warm, I mean. This place seemed... Yeah.”

It was hard to read his expression between the shadows partially obscuring his face and how tough it was to actually see his skin as opposed to what was under it, but he seemed to be considering what I had said. Eventually he replied, “Very well, we need not fight. You may stay here one night. I must ask you to clean the floor, however. We do not want anyone to hurt themselves tripping.”

Clean the...? Oh. I realized the music had stopped, and when I glanced that way, I saw the majority of the crowd had shuffled to the edge of the dance floor. It was tough to read their expressions as well, since the lights were still pulsating and whirling between colors at random intervals. Dammit, I suppose he’s already figured it out anyway... “S-Sorry, I’ll take care of that. Um... Where should I...?”

“I am going to pull out my hand and point somewhere. Please do not be alarmed.”

He did as he said, and though I still tensed in case he might attack, his forewarning helped me not freak out. It was a near thing though, since his fingernails were a rotten brown and looked like they might fall off if touched. “Oh my god, your fingernails! Are you... are you hurt?”

He paused, his hand halfway through rising to point somewhere. “I am not in pain, no.”

Interesting choice of words. Second language problem, I guess? “Okay, good. You had me worried I needed to call an ambulance or something.”

“Thank you for your concern,” he replied, sounding faintly amused. He finished raising his hand, indicating the front exit, which was opposite our position in the room. I couldn’t really see anything over there, and a check of my power revealed too many points of metal to pinpoint determine anything. “A bouncer by the entrance has placed out a box. Would you please place everything in there?”

“I can’t see him from here. Can I move closer?”

“You may.”

I jogged away from the cape, moving in that direction and skirting around the dance floor. As I did so, I lifted all the metal from before into the air once more, drawing a mix of startled and delighted gasps from some of the crowd. I felt like I had to say something, so I yelled, “My bad, everybody!”

Some of the people in the crowd closest to me turned to look, and I heard more than one murmur, “Cape.”

I could see the entrance better by that point, and I saw a bulky guy next to a large box that might have been intended for use in a warehouse—I wasn’t really sure. I approached and gestured at the box. “Put everything here?” The guy nodded, so I pulled all the metal I’d left hanging in the air and began to dump it into the box. I missed some at first, but I waited until I had the rest in before lifting those bits back into the air and trying again. Once I was done, I gave the bouncer an awkward wave, which he returned with another silent nod.

I turned around and saw that though the cape from before had followed me over, he had stopped about fifteen feet away to give me space. Now that I had turned to him, he slowly closed the distance. “Thank you very much.”

The sound system kicked back on, and the DJ announced, “Sorry for the disruption, everyone. If you’ve lost anything, then please check in with our staff at the entrance on your way out, and we will do our best to ensure everything is returned properly.”

I ignored the message and the restarted music in favor of replying to the cape. “Sorry about that. I, um, don’t really know what came over me.”

He paused long enough that I almost began to say something else, but he eventually said, “There are intricacies to some powers that take time to learn. No apology is necessary. If you will follow me, then I will show you to where you may stay the night.”

He turned and started towards the side of the club with a balcony, and I followed, still careful to maintain some distance in case this was all a ruse. When we reached the stairs leading to the balcony, the bouncer stepped aside but the cape stopped and turned to face me once more. “I have forgotten to mention something. There is another individual like me on the balcony.”

I hesitated a second then asked, “This isn’t a trap or something, is it?”

Once again, he sounded faintly amused when he replied, “If it was, then asking me would likely not give you the answer you seek. Nevertheless, this is not a trap. We have some living accommodations upstairs, and you are welcome to use them for the night, as I previously said.”

I turned his words over in my head. He wasn’t wrong. This could be a trap, and he certainly wouldn’t tell me if it was. Still, if trapping me or whatever had been his plan, then I had to admit he could have caught me off guard multiple times already. ‘Actions are clearer than words,’ or whatever the saying is. “Okay. I’d like to go upstairs.”

He nodded and turned to lead the way. In short order we ascended two switchback flights of stairs, and true to his word, there was another cape on the balcony. Like my guide, his appearance was... different. His skin was unmistakably a bright neon orange, even in the dim light, his purple hair seemed dyed but might be natural given his skin color, and he had a tail that looked like it was nearly as long as I was tall. Thanks to him being shirtless, I could also see he had some sort of tattoo near his heart, but I couldn’t make it out under the circumstances. I couldn’t say whether he was definitely my age or not, but he was certainly much younger than the cape guiding me.

The boy with the tail waved cheerfully and grinned widely. “Quite the show, Coiny!”

“Huh?” ‘Coiny?’

“I dunno your name yet, and I have to call you something.”

“Introductions have not been made yet. My name is Gregor. It is a pleasure to meet you,” my guide—Gregor—said.

“Yo, I’m Newter,” the orange boy—Newter—affirmed with a swish of his tail. “Pleased to meet’cha. So what’s your cape name, Coiny?”

When I dithered, Gregor interjected. “You need not give it, if you do not want to.”

“I, um, don’t really have one?” I hesitated then tacked on. “I sort of only got my powers today.”

“No shit?” Newter said with a laugh. “Hell of a show for a newbie.”

“Thanks. I guess ‘Coin’ is fine for now, but not ‘Coinsy.’ That sounds ridiculous.”

“Fair enough. So, you ain’t got anywhere to live then?”

“Newter...” Gregor said, his tone warning.

“Fine, fine, yeesh. I’m not trying to fish for personal details or anything. Just making small talk.”

I glanced from Newter to Gregor and back. “I just need somewhere to stay tonight. At least, assuming my cousin doesn’t kill me when I get home tomorrow...” Aw fuck, that was telling... I suck at this secret identity shit.

“Do you need a phone to call? It would be best to not worry them unnecessarily.”

I shook my head. “Would if I could, but I dunno her number. I had it on my phone, but it...” Got completely submerged in salt water and partially crushed under my body while I was being forcibly drowned. “It’s busted.”

“Unfortunate. Are you hungry? We can acquire you food.”

I shook my head to dispel the dark thoughts threatening to eat me up and instead focused on the fact that I was quite hungry. I had intended to get dinner after visiting the market earlier, but after everything with Tammi, I hadn’t gotten around to it. Besides, I would have needed to steal it, since the few bills I’d had on me had been in my bag and were destroyed along with the paper that had my address on it. “That’d be great, but I don’t have any money...”

“It is okay,” Gregor said, dismissing my concern. “I will pay. Do you have a preference, Coin?”

I frowned. “I don’t like owing anyone.”

“You may pay me back later if you insist, but you should eat if you are hungry.”

“But…”

“Hey, you could pay us back with a repeat show,” Newter interjected with a grin. “We’ll provide the metal this time.”

“Newter—” Gregor started to once again reprimand, but I cut in excitedly, feeling a little funny again.

“Sure! You have more metal? Can I keep it? Please say yes!”

Newter nodded with a grin. “Ask and you shall receive! Consider it on the way. Now, what do you want to eat?”

“Awesome! Oh, and um… A cheeseburger and a coke?”

“Ooo, I think if you’re quick, Fugly Bob’s is still open, Gregor. I’ll chip in on the delivery and Coin’s meal.”

Gregor took his leave without further comment, but I barely noticed, the thought of all that metal drawing my eyes back to the crowd below us. There was less metal on the dance floor now, but there was still enough that I found myself staring.

“You alright there, Coin?”

“Yeah...”

“Have your eyes on anyone in particular down there?” I hummed noncommittally, and he pressed on. “You picked the ideal night to come up here for the first time, by the way. If I hadn’t been taking care of something for the boss, there would’ve been a whole bunch of unconscious girls. It’s normal for me, but it might’ve been weird for you.”

Distracted though I was, that still caught my attention as being peculiar. “Hm? Whyzat?”

“My power gives people who touch me a crazy drug high. Non-addictive and with no hangover or side effects, which is good for pleasure but bad for combat. I usually invite some of the lady guests up for conversation throughout the night and facilitate them getting high if they want.”

“Oh. S’a weird power.”

“It makes me popular with the fairer sex, so hey, no complaints out of me! Feel me, my dude?”

I frowned a bit. “I’mma girl.”

“Oh. Oh. Huh. I’d thought... Eh, never mind. Shutting up now.”

Nothing else was said for some time, the thump of the bass and the high energy of the melody filling the silence between us. A part of me felt awkward and wanted to fill the quiet—if one could call it that—with talk, but every time I tried to think of a conversation topic, I got distracted and forgot what I’d been trying to think of.

“You sure you’re okay? You seem a million miles away.”

“I’m good...”

“If you say so. Ah, here’s that metal you asked for.”

My head snapped around, and a smile split my face in two when I saw I’d been brought three boxes full of assorted metal. I’d been so lost in the flow of the metal on the dance floor that I hadn’t noticed the lady and two guys coming with them. I knew these were here for me, so I didn’t bother asking for permission before grasping everything inside and sending it all swirling into the air with a gasp of delight. It was an eclectic mix of items including blank CDs, keys, chains, cutlery, screws, pots and pans, scrap metal, and coins of all denominations

It was beautiful.

I immediately felt better, the haze that had settled over my thoughts without my notice lifting in an instant. Recalling Newter’s request, I sent the motley array of metal swimming through the air until they were over the dance floor and sent them spinning around in place and around one another. The crowd roared its approval once more, and I grinned in response. Altogether I held thousands of items under my sway, and it was as easy as breathing.

I was choking on water as I struggled to breathe.

My swarm dipped for a moment, but I hastily reasserted control as I took a deep breath to calm myself. It’s okay. I’m totally okay. I’m in the middle of a nightclub, nowhere near water. No chance of drowning here—no way, no how!

The lone woman who had helped bring up the boxes stepped over to the rail, staying a respectable distance away without being so far as to require shouting to be heard over the din. “You almost dropped them again. What happened?”

I glanced her way. She had tanned skin, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail and looked to be older than Masuyo though not by much if I had to guess. Her white dress shirt had its sleeves rolled up and was carefully tucked into a pair of black slacks. I didn’t need to look down to know she was wearing steel-toed boots of some kind. I debated whether to answer her. She had been asked to bring up metal, and I was clearly hanging out with Newter. Ah, and the mask—I kept forgetting about that. It was pretty likely I was the cape making the metal dance through the air, so there was little point in pretending I wasn’t.

“I didn’t. I mean... I guess I did, but I caught them all.”

“It doesn’t seem like it’s a limitation... Were you thinking of something and got distracted?”

I winced, doing my best to shove down the feeling of drowning while trapped in that car. I’d originally thought about keeping that trunk, but the more I thought about it, the less and less I ever wanted to see it again. “Yeah. And I, um, don’t want to talk about it.”

She nodded once at that. Not quite curtly. She came across as to the point but not rude. I had to give her kudos. I’d tried to strike that balance a few years back, but I had stopped when I eventually realized I would never be capable of walking that line. Instead, I just just leaned into being rude. It was a hell of a lot easier. “Fair. Regardless, your control is impressive for someone who just got their powers.”

I pulled back some of the coins and rotated them before me in a vertical ring, noticing for the first time that they weren’t all US currency. There were some coins I vaguely recognized as being Canadian, but most of them were kinds I didn’t recognize. One silvery coin in particular stood out to me, since it had a hole in the middle. I brought that one closer and could just barely make out the embossed ‘50’ on it, the rest incomprehensible in the low light. Without warning, I sent it rocketing towards her forehead. Reacting in an instant, the woman swiped at the coin, and blue and red energy crackled when she struck the coin mid-flight. I took an involuntary step back as the two halves of the coin fell to the ground.

“Jesus, Coin, what the hell?” Newter said incredulously, instantly tense and ready to fight. His tail sliced violently back and forth the air.

“I only told Newter and Gregor that,” I remarked, my eyes still locked on the woman. I noted she had struck down my projectile seemingly without moving anything except her one hand. You get some badass points for that, lady. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop, you know.”

“True, though the punishment should fit the crime, wouldn’t you agree?” she replied, unperturbed. “Does eavesdropping necessitate death by a coin punching through my brain?”

I gave her a startled look. “The hell? Fuck, lady, I was just trying to scare you to try and figure out why you’d been snooping! I wasn’t going to actually hurt you!”

She crossed her arms. “That was a stupid plan, if true.”

“It is true. And, um... no comment?”

“You didn’t lose focus this time.”

I blinked at the apparent non-sequitur, then I realized she meant the assortment of metal still hanging over the dance floor like a constellation of reflective stars. “Huh.”

The woman reached into the breast pocket of her shirt and withdrew a card that she held out to me. I tugged the two halves of the coin she’d split up into the air, grabbed it in a pincer movement using them, and brought it over to me. A phone number was the only printed information on it, each digit a clear bold that was slightly raised, but text was written on the back in clear penmanship: “09/29 5 P.M. $10,000.”

“My name is Faultline. As it stands, I do apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation, as I’m sure you apologize for sneaking into my club and breaking our loading dock door. You are welcome to sleep in our accommodations tonight. If you are interested in mastering your power and joining our mercenary group, then return here this Wednesday at that time. Call if you absolutely must reschedule. Have a good night, Coin.”

“Wait!” I called out when she turned to leave. She paused and glanced at me over her shoulder. “$10,000? What does this mean?”

“That would be your signing bonus.”

My jaw dropped, and she left without another word. Conversation between Newter and me wasn’t stilted after that, but it didn’t quite flow freely either. It was likely my fault, since I had a lot on my mind—namely the card and pieces of coin I had tucked into my pocket.

Three capes all in one place... Insta-high skin, splitting things in half, and who knows what Gregor can do. And I broke in here wearing a mask. This could’ve gone so wrong, so fast.

I made my excuses to leave the dance floor not long after Gregor returned with our food. I safely returned most of the metal to the boxes, though with their permission I happily stowed the coins in my backpack. I ate in the privacy of the room I would be sleeping in for the night, and though the burger was amazing, I had to admit it was greasy and fatty to such a degree it was probably liable to cause a heart attack. Once I was finished, I laid down and pulled the halves of the broken coin out of my pocket and idly pushed them together.

The coin became whole, a thin, jagged scar cutting down its middle.