“Alright, you two, are you ready?” Asher asks the moment Amelia and I leave the elevator, his hands practically shaking with presumable excitement.

  Amelia rockets forward to the two vaguely humanoid-shaped figures currently covered in what looks to be random sheets that got into a fight and lost with various bottles of bleach.

  “Which one is mine?” Amelia asks, bouncing between the two of them to try and figure out which one could be hers. “This one smells like shadowy stuff, so I bet it’s yours,” she says, pointing to the slimmer mannequin and moving over to the bulkier one.

  “I—” Asher starts out, bringing up a hand. “You’re not wrong about whose is whose, but what do you mean it smells like shadowy stuff?”

  “It’s just the vibes I smell from it,” Amelia says, grabbing the sheet and looking at me expectantly. “I’m going to wait for you, so you could hurry up already.”

  I can’t help but give the blanket a light sniff to see if I get any shadow vibes from it, but I don’t know what shadows smell like to Amelia, and this one just smells like a blanket to me.

  The uproarious laughter could be a sign that the entire point of it was to get me to do this.

  Without waiting any longer, Amelia and I tear off the sheets, revealing the two super suits.

  “Say hello to the Fractal armor.” Asher says, gesturing to the armor next to Amelia. “And the uh what am I calling you right now as a joke?”

  “I’m going with Alias because it’s a lot of work for me to figure out a new one every time,” Amelia supplies ever so helpful.

  “And the Alias Armor,” Asher finishes.

  My armor looks much the same. Still the classic white and black motif. It’s a little bit bulkier than the previous version, going from armored pieces to a full armored suit. But the big change is the utility belt. I didn’t have one of those before.

  While I can feel Amelia’s armor, it’s another thing entirely to finally see it, and Asher has been excited about it since the start since he was no longer constrained to how much something weighed.

  The Fractal armor looks closer to some of the power armors I’ve seen genius superheroes use in articles. If mine is just a more visibly armored version of the classic superhero suits, Amelia might be wearing something closer to a war mech. The silver, white and blue motif is definitely gorgeous as well. Despite being larger than my armor, the Fractal armor is almost seamless. Though despite her requests, it has a helmet.

  Which I’m grateful for.

  “Which do you want to start with?” Asher says, rubbing his hands in excitement.

  “If I go first, will it mean I get to put it on sooner?” Amelia asks, raising her hand in question.

  “If you want to put it on while I’m describing Jason’s?”

  “Dang do his first then so I can put it on as fast as possible.” Amelia says, bounding over to a chair and sitting down.

  “You done looking them over?” Asher asks, glancing at me, where I’m currently tracing them with the mind map trying to see what all else has been added.

  With every new device Asher makes, I realize more and more that I know nothing about what he does.

  “Hit me,” I say, stepping away and walking around the mannequin to see if there’s anything else besides the utility belt I’m missing.

  “So yours is still ?relatively lightweight armor that should still defend you to a decent amount,” Asher explains as I tap the empty space on the back of the suit.

  “Are you going to just start leaving empty space where a logo would be until I pick a name?” I ask, irritated.

  “Besides that and all the usual stuff you have, I also decided a utility belt was in order so you could carry a bunch of stuff that could be helpful. If you're going to keep coming at things sideways, having tools will help.” Asher explains.

  I don’t disagree with him; this would be really helpful. Even if it’s something like storing a snack, it could be useful. Both for me and for the folks I rescue.

  “Now for the Fractal armor,” Asher trails off purposefully, building up the anticipation.

  “Uh huh uh huh?” Amelia asks, almost leaning off of her chair.

  “I decided to use what I was originally planning for my own power armor, though I stripped most of the external systems.” He says, smiling widely.

  “What?” she asks, sounding crestfallen. “I want external systems! Why does Jason have like explosive balls to throw and I have to use my powers?”

  “I can add back a cannon if you want. I just figured with keeping yourself frosted over you might find it tedious?” Asher says, sounding off-kilter.

  “I always have room in my heart for cannons. And other gizmos.”

  “Well, to deal with your powers, I can’t add everything back, but I can get some,” Asher says, fully getting derailed.

  “So is it mostly just like Jason’s armor plus?” Amelia asks, getting out of the chair and moving towards her suit in wonder.

  “You’ll be tougher. Stronger. Probably not move as fast but at least equally fast. It’s rated to handle as cold as I could get it, so you won’t have to worry about breaking anything. And I did repurpose some of the vents I was going to use to fly and blast shit as focus points for you to do ice blasts.” Asher explains, sounding proud.

  He should the amount of work he’s been able to do for the suit in all of this time is absolutely incredible.

  “How long until my baby will be installed in it?” Amelia asks, already beginning to try to wrestle the suit off of the mannequin.

  “Baby?” I ask before my brain can catch up with me. “You mean the laser cannon? It’s already your baby?”

  “Yes, and I will name her Lucinda.”

  Before the bickering can begin, Asher interjects. “The cannon will be back in a few days or an all nighter one of the two.”

  “I’ll pay you in doughnuts.” Amelia immediately says.

  “Deal!”

  “Anything else for the armor or can I start putting it on?” She asks little snowflakes falling from her eyes instead of crocodile tears for puppy-dog eyes.

  “Feel free.” Asher says with a smile.

  I guess this is the moment to talk to Asher about what I’ve been avoiding. May as well use it.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Hey Asher, could we talk for a moment?” I ask, leading him away while Amelia figures out how she wants to get dressed in her brand new toy. It’s supposed to be her suit or something, but based on her expression, it’s definitely just a toy at the moment.

  “Uh yeah?” He says, trailing after me and entering the small room.

  Closing the door, I scan the other room, making sure Amelia is not moving closer. She’s just stripping off her hoodie, which makes sense; the suits aren’t exactly roomy enough to have extra padding.

  “Alright, so what is it?” Asher says, leaning against the wall, staring slightly off from my general direction.

  I flick the light on, and his eyes immediately refocus back on me.

  “So I was testing the after effects of Enhancement finally.” I say, picking my words carefully.

  “Oh, and how is it?”

  “Worst-case scenario. Or at least trending in that direction.” I admit shrugging. “Even after all the rest I had, I was still nowhere near what my maximum phasing limit was before rescuing Amelia.”

  Asher’s face goes through several emotions before settling on annoyance. “And you tell this after I added a storage cartridge to your suit because?”

  “Give it to me straight. What do you think are the actual odds of us being able to take down the lab if we went out the moment Amelia and I have fully adjusted to the new armor?” I say evenly.

  I’ll stand by my decision.

  “Bad.” Asher admits after a few seconds of thought. “Presuming they haven’t added anyone else. You are a win against the green lady. Amelia’s a win against the lizard. She’s probably a win against Andromeda or at least a tie. And you’re a tie towards Kurt.” Asher says, realization dawning as he walks through it. “So either help or we willingly play the ace that’ll hurt you. Ballsy.”

  “Required.”

  “You want me to put another loader into the Fractal armor? It wouldn’t even take me too long to add it in.”

  “No, don’t.” I say almost certainly a hair too quickly.

  “Not willing to let her bear the risk of that but willing to let her risk her life in the situation where she could survive if she could enhance her powers?” Asher points out, crossing his arms.

  “I’m aware of how it sounds. But we know how it works on me. Do we know how it’ll work on her with the changes done to her?” I say, pulling on the only reasonable thread I have.

  “It sounds like you’re pulling at straws,” Asher points out unhelpfully.

  “That’s because it is what I’m doing.” I admit.

  “I’m putting it in. And changing how yours works. I’ll be the only one who can trigger it. Now, everyone can be agitated,” Asher says, his voice implying the decision is final.

  “And why are you agitated?”

  “Figure it out, dumbass.” Asher retorts. “Are you back to normal, and have you had any issues returning to your full strength? Or any issues continuing to improve again?”

  With a part of my mind trying to figure out why he could be annoyed, I let the rest of me focus on the important part of the question. “Back to one hundred percent. And no issues improving. I don’t know for sure if physically I’m off, but I’m still getting smoother.”

  “That’s something.” Asher grumbles. “Are you planning on following Fractal out on her first adventure, or would you be willing to look at something for me?”

  “I was never planning on following her tonight.” I admit.

  “Why?” Asher asks bewildered.

  “Because I need to work on trusting my team, don’t I? If she can’t do it on her own, we’ll never be ready. And if I can’t separate my personal feelings and need to protect my friends from what I ended up doing and let them do while we’re wearing masks, what’s the point? I’ll ruin it all.”

  “I’m mostly annoyed because I would have made the exact same decision as you, and I wasn’t told.” Asher says after a moment.

  I chew on his words for a moment trying to figure out how to respond. “I know. And I’m sorry.”

  “I’m glad you realize it’s your fault.”

  “So what is it you want me to take a look at, anyway?” I say.

  “A couple of days ago, there was a warehouse that spiked for power and then went entirely dark. It was really odd,” Asher says, rubbing the back of his head. “It could be too late to find anything, though. But I don’t want not to look.”

  “Why could it be too late?”

  “Because it was on the night of thanksgiving it happened.”

  “Less than ideal.” I agree.

  “That’s why I’m not sure if you’ll actually find anything. I just want you to take a look in case we do,” Asher admits.

  Before I can say anything, there’s a loud knock from behind me. “I’m finally decent, and I’m really bored all by myself, so if the two fair maidens here would like to hang out with me, that would be great!” Amelia calls out, continuing to bang on the door.

  With such a polite summons, I oblige, freeing Asher from the closet and return to give Fractal a look.

  “Not going to ice up?” I ask, gesturing to myself.

  “I mean, I will, but I am currently in play mode and wanted to show off.” Amelia says, bouncing around, shadowboxing the air.

  Well, it was shadow boxing till she whipped her leg through the air, shooting out a column of ice that stopped right before hitting the wall.

  “Is it awkward to blast ice out or is it fine?” Asher asks, going into mechanic mode.

  “Feels pretty smooth to me, and I wanted to try this!” Amelia cheers a blast of cold pulses through the room, and when I look over, she’s an inch taller and her entire armor suited in another layer of ice. “Since everything about my suit is internal.” I glance away to avoid the glare at that line. “I figured there would be nothing wrong to just ice up fully and be some badass warrior goddess of ice.” She explains a spear of ice conjuring in her hand.

  “Does it hamper mobility?” Asher asks, poking the ice in a few spots.

  “Meh, not much, and because I can move ice and snow with my mind, it’s a lot easier than you would think. With a bit of practice, I bet I could move even smoother than when I’m normal,” Amelia says.

  I watch her slowly begin to lift off the ground, hovering in the air just enough that I can see a gap between her boots and the floor.

  “Does this make you an air hockey puck?” I joke before shoving her lightly toward Asher.

  Thankfully, it seems like my idea works, and Amelia slides across the floor with Asher lunging out of the way and rolling behind a chair for cover.

  “This gives me a great idea.” Amelia says in a tone of voice that really makes me wonder if it’s a good idea or not.

  “And what’s that?” Asher asks, peeking out from ?his hiding place ?behind the chair.

  “I’m going to do a backflip!” Amelia says before pushing off the ground hard.

  As the ice shards fly at me, I phase most of my body only for them never to get close to hitting me.

  Several feet from me, they stop hanging in the air.

  “Ow,” Amelia complains from the floor where her failed backflip attempt got her. “Turns out jumping up a few centimeters is way easier than trying to do a backflip. I learned that the hard way.”

  “Is this where I show you that I can do a backflip?” I tease.

  “That’s cheating; you’re not doing it covered in ice and heavy armor!” Amelia pouts as she brings all the ice to her hands, forming it into a giant ball.

  “Yeah, that’s fair.” I agree. “With a little bit of practice, we’ll have you back flipping over the enemies.”

  “Back flipping over the enemies physically is going to be really easy. What I truly aspire to do is to do backflips of the mind over my opponents,” Amelia says sagely.

  I’m not sure what backflips of the mind are supposed to be, but I’m going to hazard a guess and say that Amelia doesn’t have a clue what it’s supposed to mean either.

  “Coming at your opponents sideways is definitely an important skill for both of you to learn.” Asher agrees. “Now, Jason, could you please put on your armor and see if there’s anything we need changed?”

  “Can do.” I say, moving over to the mannequin of my own super suit and start pulling off each piece and use my glorious phasing powers to slip them on way faster.

  “It’s such bullshit that he can do it that way,” Amelia complains.

  I ignore her while I focus on getting fully into my new suit. It’s heavier than before, but bouncing into the air I don’t feel any huge strain.

  Running my hands around my belt, I try each of the compartments on the belt quickly, deciding it's easier for me to just phase the objects out of them than open and close the compartments.

  “So, Alias?” Amelia’s voice says coming through in both the communicator and my normal hearing. “Ready to go out and be superheroes?”

  “I’m ready to be super. But how are you going to get out of here the elevator?” I ask moving over to my usual jumping-out wall.

  “Nah, we thought something like this would happen, so I jury-rigged a hanger door situation.” Asher says as the window opens up.

  “You added automated buttons to the window wall.”

  “Here I come, world!” Amelia roars as she bounces out of the room, ice forming into wings around her as she flies out.

  “Guess I’m off too.”

  “This is a stress test for the suits, so make sure to push yourselves, both of you!” Asher shouts after me.

  As I fall towards the street, I watch the ice-clad valkyrie fly off in another direction. For the first time since I was small, hope burbles in my heart as I see a true superhero.

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