The streetlights that were before them in a matter of minutes begun flashing red. A typical warning, for vehicles to stop barreling down the street, a last chance to slow down.

Or else, ram headfirst into an erected, cyan color forcefield strip that stretched across the road.

Apparently, this wasn’t always the case, before Jackie’s time. It simply flashed from different colors to signal to drivers on what to do. But eventually, the Street Stoppers were enacted to protect against pedestrians, drivers, and overall people alike. Mailable, but impenetrable.

And here they were, activated just in time to stop them from running away.

Thick bans that framed the mesh-like texture that made up the barrier. The overlaying “threads” gathering around to form a circle, which featured a 5-frame animatic of a silhouette woman holding her child’s hand, crossing in a loop over and over. As tall, if not taller, than the average car.

If that wasn’t enough, as if that wouldn’t be a challenge on its own—it was through looking through this barrier that confirmed Jackie’s new nightmare.

This street that they were on had a series of crosswalks.

Multiple times that this could be activated.

“There’s no choice—” Jackie choked out, the passive radiance hitting her face and getting brighter by the second. “—JUMP!”

“Legs are already getting tired—” River huffed out. “—Not really feeling good, it’s already brutal, but I agree—”

“—Making matters fucking deplorable is I have no idea Perspective Flip works with these things in the ground!” Tracy shouted. “We have to jump!”

“We’ve jumped a lot before—It’s gonna be fine!” Aiko screamed in semi-confidence.

Once again, Jackie pondered for the one second she was allowed to have. Grateful and afraid that her life is determined and defined by these little moments as of now.

It was abrupt and ungraceful, but Jackie sprinted forward before bounding upwards. Instead of winding up the siVis, but a quick ignition, using the previous momentum do the work she needed for her legs.

The rough approach and posture caused the girl to tumble in the air, as she continued to sail into the pouring rain, she stiffened her flailing arms and just let the current take her.

Climbing and climbing, she felt the pull of gravity and realized she reached her zenith. Peering down quickly, seeing that she’s barely three feet above the barrier and fading fast.

siVis shot across her body as she positioned herself forward—the jerk helping her correct within the air, and now sailing towards the wet ground.

Using her movement to adjust withing the air, Jackie took the brunt of the crash landing, skidding on her side. Within the moment of instant pain, remarking that her siVis has gotten so reactionary that it instantly activated on this side without her knowing.

As soon as she stopped, despite her body already wanting her to stop, she scrambled to her shaking knees once more. Glancing back, seeing the others sail and fall over the wall as well.

It pained her, she knew as much as she wants to help, if she goes back or allows herself to stand and watch to make sure that they’re okay: it will give her ragged body the sweet moment it wants so badly. Once she saw them get on their feet as well, she took off.

But she was doing a brisky and energy conversing jog. At the very least, keep active, keep on guard, but manageable to follow her lead still. Her ears were trained to hear the rest’s panting, and visibly unteased when she heard them behind her.

“It’s—weird—” Tracy coughed up her words. “I would usually feel like I’m dying—and trust me this is horrid—but considering I understand what that’s actually like, it’s an—excellent motivator—”

Jackie couldn’t help but chuckle, with a smirk.

Only for her siVis to activate, forcing her to not only frown, but look forward. Right.

Her past experiences, muscle memory, telling her to keep her head in the game.

“If it was—only based on emotions—” River chimed in, trying to raise her volume above the rain. “Pain tells us what’s exactly hurting—how far we’re pushing—and if we ignore that then we’re gonna break without knowing—”

“It’s gonna get worse before it gets better, unfortunately—” Jackie answered. “We have to push through the worst of it—but yes—if we have to add on struggle—if that means giving something a rest—then we will—”

“So full sprint—and recover for what’s coming next--?!” Aiko asked over the rain.

“Thinking so--!” Jackie affirmed.

Going full tilt, Jackie practically turned into a human arrow. Racing down a block as if it were nothing, looking back periodically to see the girls doing the same despite the “lack” of athleticism.

They were right there, on the verge of clearing the street. If it wasn’t for this built-in pause, which could just be them horribly misreading the situation entirely, this would’ve made the entire exercise improbable, versus the current impossible.

Then, almost outside of her hearing range, she heard the cracking of metal from the side.

Almost sounding like an impish giggle.

Tracy’s screams of, “JACKIE, LOOK OUT!” nearly drowned out PERSPECTIVE FLIP!’s activation call out.

Jackie was flung towards her right side, that same side stinging once she was slammed onto it again due to the now-siVis-coated skidmarks up and down. Shaking her head and patting herself on her left, she realized that it wasn’t remotely impact—that was just the force of whatever was going to slam into her.

Looking up, she realized what that very thing was.

A Davenoid merged with a building and forced a segment of the wall to jut out towards her. If it wasn’t for Tracy’s timely intervention, flipping part of the street to create a mound that barely blocked it.

Tracy dropped the piece with a heavy slam, her panting getting severe now. River on point to go over to Jackie to help up while Aiko was darting her head side to side to gauge more threats.

But Jackie heard it before any of them could notice themselves.

More “cackling”.

“GO--!” Jackie commanded, pointing forward. “RUN!”

There were grunts, vocalizing the despair in the situation, but she saw River and Tracy take off, relieving her as she struggled to get on her hands and knees.

IMMATERIAL GIRL!

Jackie was yanked forward by her own hospital gown.

Gliding inches from the ground before soaring upwards until she was on her feet again, Jackie resumed her sprint as Aiko popped out on her side, eyes glazed over for seconds before gaining her wits again and quickly catching up with Jackie.

There was no time for thanks, as before them, the walls begun to jut from all sides.

Once more, shooting siVis onto the lower body, allowing the two to dart with desperation, but able to do so.

As they missed their targets, they slid back into the walls in a glacial pace, but enough to worm their way across, forward.

But as soon as they gained any ground, thought for some pitiful second that they were clear, the “cackling” soon told them that an eruption was coming not seconds away. It wasn’t running and dodging anymore but ducking and turning on angles as they were near smothered by hard surface.

During this, Jackie felt the drop. The point where the aches, the pains, the exhaustion all melted within this numbing adrenaline. She knew that once this fades, she will soon after.

Regardless. They have to keep forward, like they agreed.

As the segments slowly sunk back, Jackie noticed that none started to jut forward. Taking it as a sign that the limitation has been enacted.

“T—thank you—” Jackie was planning to address Aiko, but was so out of breath she couldn’t say her name.

The girl just nodded, clearly haggard herself.

Looking forward, they were gaining on River and Tracy. Not because they sped up, but because the duo was slowing down.

Jackie looked to the skies, pouring out so much rain. Was there really nowhere to hide? Nothing to do? Her racing mind can think all it wants, but it’s her feeble body that was the problem.

But then it hit her. She stared at the sky, her tired eyes flickering with light as they darted around.

“Girls—” Jackie faced forward. “Alley—now—”

All four were side to side anyways, as Jackie took the lead once more and curved towards the sidewalk. Filing into a line, as soon as an alleyway entrance showed up in their view, the girls ran inside of it.

“Close quarters—” Tracy huffed out. “Killer morph robots in the walls—everyone exhausted they can’t feel—how good idea--?”

Jackie gulped. Not out of nervousness, but too much saliva.

“Remember—Terminsys City—scaling—the road—”

The others studied what she meant, before realizing on their own.

Jackie nodded feverently. “siVis—on legs—find beat—upwards—because—”

And as if on cue, the cackling resumed.

The walls on both sides, from top to bottom this time, started to squeeze forward. Maybe because of mass, but the process was much slower compared to the examples that happened earlier.

Shooting siVis and focusing on her legs, Jackie jumped to the side. Getting a grip, she catapulted to the right, angling her foot to touch against the closing wall.

Again and again and again, popping off as the walls closing it made it easier, but made the weight of the situation clear.

Darting upwards, adding her hands in the mix to get more leverage that only lasts seconds.

But they climbed. As the darkness was surrounding them, as the obstacle was ever present… Eventually, they crawled into the light.

Hurling themselves over, they flopped onto the rooftop. They made it.

Gasping for air, holding themselves, the once cold, icy rain served as victory and relief.

It took all of her available energy, but Jackie rose her fist into the air.

“Oh God—” Tracy sputtered. “Passing out—trying not to—”

“We… Can’t if we want to…” Jackie responded. “Not when Maddie’s still out there…”

“And we don’t know if this paid off…” River grumbled. “But they could be limited now…”

“Good thinking, Jackie…” Aiko laughed after.

As they laid there, finally catching their breath yet were on tenterhooks. Jackie being the first to rise, helping out Tracy, then River, finally Aiko.

Looking around, it seems that Jackie’s gambit paid off.

“Either super limited or outright can’t attack from here…” Jackie smiled. “We’ve done it. Finally, a win…”

Once again, she was forced into a frown.

“Now I’m kinda torn~”

Jackie grimaced naturally. She knows that sugary slime anywhere.

Looking towards the harpy’s noise, she saw Sinclair right next door, on top the building’s rooftop. A pastille, frilly umbrella covering her eyes, with crimson lips forming a terrible smile.

“Don’t send a machine to do a job that a human can do with their own two mitts, I’d say, so I sent them off~ Now I’m gonna tell y’all the only one time. Surrender or run.”