Morning chimes with the telltale signs of swallows singing on the many perches of the Hellfire Initiative, the glowing sun just barely peeking through the towering buildings, shining its early rays on the concrete jungle that is Base Beta. Liv smiles like a giddy child, a small stuffed animal held in her outstretched, jittering arms, her back laid upon her bed, its warmth enveloping her body as the joy of the night enveloped her soul.

  Alexis had been correct, she loved games. Something about their simple fun and low stakes had her hooked the entire night, well into the earliest stretches of the morning. The basketball hoops, the arcade cabinets, the gambling games, and most importantly– the claw machines. Half her coins had been spent on one machine, fishing for a specific stuffed animal that called to her. A small, black and white penguin with blue, beady eyes sits clamped in her hands, soft as silk with the cutest little face. There were many others like it, but this one was hers, and she loved it for that. She hugs it tight to her chest, rolling around in the bed, a mad cackle escaping her as she squeezes it with all her might.

  Aside from the claw machine, she excelled at another game– the boxing machine. A machine built for the strong? That machine had netted her enough tickets to buy another commodity she’s come to adore.

  The floor is festooned with small, colorful candy wrappers. Liv had grown up with candy. It was one of the few foods that didn’t expire in stores; however, the candies at home and the candies in this new, strange place are completely different. Back at home, the candy had a milder sweetness, typically paired with either a spice or sour. The candies here? They were bombs of sugar. Every piece of chocolate, every chewy candy, and especially the hard candies– they were addicting.

  Liv looks to the side table resting at her bedside, pictures of her and Anthony in a booth festooned on its wooden surface. She had gotten his address alongside the pictures before they departed for the night, and she planned on visiting soon. Hanging out with him was... Easy, like a puzzle that was already solved.

  She rolls onto her stomach, her legs kicking as she thumbs the small penguin, her smile growing warmer. She wondered if Charlotte would like him, if Alexis’ crew would like them. A pang of longing burrows in her mind, a sigh escaping her mouth. She found herself missing the motley crew more and more, though her knowledge on their whereabouts was next to nothing.

  THUMP THUMP THUMP

  Her reverie is interrupted as a rhythmic knocking cuts through the room. She pushes herself off the bed, stretching her arms above her head, a hum cascading from her chest. Her body quakes with excess energy, muscles jittering and spasming due to the egregious amount of sugar she's consumed. She jogs over to the door, her gauntleted hand wrapping around the door, swinging it open to reveal George’s figure, his hand poised to knock again.

  “Good, you’re up.” He says, a smile passing across his haggard, weathered face. “You look a hell of a lot better, kid!”

  “I was havin’ fun!” Liv chirps, a whimsical tone to her voice, her thumb raising to jab into her chest. "I'm feelin’ like a million ducks!”

  “I believe the saying is ‘one million bucks’, Liv.” Her boss corrects mentally.

  “Bucks!” Liv blurts out, correcting herself before George has a chance to speak. hastily adding, “I meant bucks.”

  “Uh huh.” George nods, his smile never falling as he takes a long stride to the side, his head motioning down the hall. “Well Ms. Boss, I believe you have a test to attend. You ready?” He questions, his eyebrow cocking up as he catches her attire. She looks down at herself, still wearing the same sweat stained shirt and dirty sweatpants she’s been wearing all night.

  “Uh… Ye-”

  “No you aren’t.” Her boss says mentally.

  “-Nope.” She quickly interjects herself, creaking the door closed. “Gimmie a sec.” She adds in a low mumble, the door fully closing with a kick as she runs over to her closet, fishing out her old reliable– her tanktop and jeans. She slips them on, reopening the door to find George standing in the same position, his smile never faltering.

  “Ready now?” He questions.

  “Yup.” She says, waiting for an interjection from her boss. When none comes, she fully exits the room, a sense of anticipation blooming in her chest. This would be another test, another chance to prove herself. She had, supposedly, done very well on Strength and Strata, but she had bombed on the Intelligence. That had stung, but she believed in her combat expertise. She had defeated those demons, and she figured humans couldn't be much harder.

  She, once more, walks down the harrowing steps, the descent seeming just a bit easier now that the rush was completely null– perhaps a bit too slow. George takes his time, methodically stepping over and over, an easygoing grin plastered on his rough face.

  “Could ya go a bit faster?” Liv shouts up at him, a full two flights below.

  “I could, but I won’t.” He shouts back, a raspy chuckle escaping his lips as he does. “I’m not young and spry like you are, kid. I got old knees.”

  Liv sighs under her breath, leaning against the wall in waiting. This process repeats over and over until she finally notices him opening the door. Liv curses softly under her breath, jogging back up to meet him. The hall beyond is quite long, doors spaced heavily between each other, a sign denominating their number embellished into their surfaces. The floors are well worn, hundreds of footprints tracked across its concrete surface; though, it seems uncharacteristically empty at the moment.

  With a gruff laugh, George swings open the first room. "Here ya are, kiddo!"

  The room is a large, concrete cube, sand coating the floor with small mounds, unshifting with the absence of wind to disturb it. Near the center of the room, Liv can see a small semi-sphere sticking out of the ceiling. Some of the shops back home had something similar, though this one seemed to function if the red, blinking light was to be believed.

  On each side of the room rests a different person, one familiar, one not. On one end is the large, metal man Liv saw not only during George’s speech. His metal hull shines dimly in the well lit room. Liv would've believed him a statue if she hadn't seen him move herself. What was his name? Farbabi? Farani? Fajita?

  “Faraji.” Her boss says, a spark of recognition lighting behind Liv’s eye. Faraji Alema was his name, she could clearly recall that now. He had gone just before her in the strength test. She briefly wondered how he did, but her mind quickly snaps to reality a cold pair of hands brush against her arm.

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  “Oh my gosh. You are, like, so strong!” A distinctly feminine voice says as a pair of cold, slender fingers touch Liv’s arm. “Are you a body builder? You would totally kill it as a body builder! I wish I could body build, but I gotta keep a slim frame.”

  Liv turns her head, taking in the newcomer. She's asian, only a hair taller than Liv. The first thing that stood out to Liv was her striking pink hair draped together in a ponytail. Her ears are pierced, large goops adorning each lobe. A black lace choker wraps around her neck, a gold chain necklace hanging just below it. Liv blinks, taken aback by the sudden conversation, her brain going into overdrive to take in her surroundings while her while finding the right words. Liv wanted to question her entire ensamble first, but her base instincts kicked in first. Being polite was the best policy, after all.

  Liv’s hand stretches out, grasping the girl’s hand with a swift shake. “Liv Boss.” She says quickly, her eyes boring into the pink haired girls.

  The girl blinks, her eyebrows arching up in surprise. Still, she gives her own shake, taking a stab in the dark. “Jeoung-yun Kara…”

  Liv tilts her head to the side, a hum escaping her mouth. That was a new type of name, one she had never heard before. She geared up to ask, but stopped herself. Would that be offensive? She didn’t really know what was and wasn’t, the customs of the wider world lost to her. In the end, she holds her tongue, responding with a curt, “Cool name.”

  “Awww! Thank you!” She smiles, gently pulling her hand from Liv’s grasp. “I like your name too! It’s got, like, authority! With your muscles? It’s pretty fetch.”

  “Fetch?” Liv cocks her head to the side, her eyebrows furrowing. Fetch? Like, getting something? What the hell did fetch even mean in this context?

  “Y’know… Fetch! You’re super fetch!” Kara reiterates, gesturing to Liv. “With the muscles and stuff, you’re fetch!”

  “Uh… Aight.” Liv says, shrugging. She hoped it was a compliment since she was assuming it was one. “I like yer… Colors.” She compliments awkwardly. “They make ya… Colorful.”

  “I know!” Kara squeals, her jacket billowing as she spins. She giggles, spreading her arms out. “Isn’t it sooo pretty? I totally look fetch.”

  “I-.” Liv starts before stopping herself. She could just ask Charlotte or Anthony sometime later, whoever came first. In the end, she tries to smile, responding after a second of silence. “Yep. Yer super, uh, ‘fetch’.”

  “You’re so sweet!” Kara giggles, giving Liv a gentle shove. “Can I tell you about my outfit?" She asks. Before Liv can answer, Kara speaks out, a cheeky grin on her face. “I’m gonna tell you about my outfit.”

  Liv stands, watching as Kara begins to explain every piece of her outfit in great detail. Every accessory, big or small, important or not– all are explained methodically by the pink haired girl. Liv nods unconsciously, not listening to a lick of the girls words. Her eyes dart to Faraji, sensing a pair of eyes staring back. Low and behold, Faraji’s eyes stare back, his gaze boring into her head like a drill. She crosses her arms, looking to the larger man with a cocked eyebrow. He shakes his head, turning his head away, a kindling to Liv’s growing sense of confusion.

  “-So that’s why the hoops are super important. They bring out my eyes, right?” Kara inquires, the palm of her hands pushing up her earrings. Liv blinks, nodding before her mind processes the words said. Kara’s smile only grows, her excitement growing exponentially as she speaks. “I think we should, like, be friends! You totally get me.”

  “Ya wanna be my friend?” Liv questions, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise. This was the first time anyone had asked her to be their friend. A strange sense of pride washes over her as Kara nods, her hands clasped together in a pseudo beg. Somebody wanted to be her friend… And that felt better than she would’ve thought. She could feel a small smile creeping on her face. “Yeah, I reckon that’d be fine.”

  “Awesome!” Kara squeals, her hands clapping as she jumps up and down. “We’re, like, totally gonna be best friends-!”

  “Alright, kiddos!” George’s voice booms out, a hint of amusement still present in his tone, even as he tries to infuse his tone with sternness. “You three are here for one reason and one reason only, the combat test." He generally gestures to the group of them. "Two of you are new here, but one of you is just re-earning your certification! Ain’t naming names… But you know who you are.”

  Liv nods along with the words. It made sense, she supposed. People should be able to lose their certification. She wondered what would happen if some crazy murderer got full rights to the Initiative, killing people left, right, and center. She shoots a glance at Faraji, assuming him to be the initiate. He seemed so… Confident, so assured in himself. As she does, however, she meets his glance, the same look in his eye. Liv blinks before shaking her head to the negative, Faraji following suit. Liv furrows her brow, her mind whirring as the pieces come together. Faraji wasn’t the one, and she sure as shit wasn’t. That had to mean…

  “-Combat test consists of three stages!” George continues, Liv snapping to attention. She swears, her mind kicking back into gear. She had zoned out, allowing her mind to wander while important info was being given once more. She’d have to break that habit… Somehow.

  “Typically, you all would do a tourney structure with each level passed giving points correspondingly.” George rattles off, his eyes turning to Liv as he continues. “For you, it's different. We don't have any other kiddos in sight thanks to a mysterious benefactor. That leaves you with each other." He gestures out to the motley group of three before him. "In my younger years, I might've tested your metal myself; sadly, I'm an old man now, and the higher ups wouldn't like that, so I'm just gonna have you all fight each other instead."

  George hums, his pointer finger swinging around for a moment before settling between two people…

  “Liv and Kara, you two first!” He calls out, causing Kara to gasp in surprise. Liv's own reaction is subdued, though her eyes shoot back to Faraji's metal form. He's still just standing there, though his own eyes drift towards her as well. Something in her wanted to fight him first, though that could be saved for later.

  “Aw man… That’s, like, not fair!” Kara whines. “I don’t wanna fight you! We're, like, friends now!"

  “Uh… I 'sppose,” Liv starts, her voice slow, “But I don’t wanna refuse if that means failin’.”

  Kara sighs, looking at George with wide, pleading eyes. George doesn’t budge, his arms crossed as he waits for them to take positions.

  “UGH! This is, like, totally LAME!” Kara cries in protest. Still, she walks over to the . “The old one was, like, totally better.”

  “Im sure you’ll live.” George says, a raspy cackle accompanying it as he walks over, patting Faraji on the back. “We’ll wait outside. Don’t want you sneaking peaks at your opponents.”

  Faraji simply nods, giving Liv a final, quick glance before he lumbers toward the door, heavy thuds accompanying each step, George following swiftly after. Liv looks to Kara, making her way to the opposite side of the room.

  “Ugh… So lame.” Kara sighs, a crestfallen expression befalling her expression.

  “Yer the experienced one. I reckon you got the advantage.” Liv responds, stretching her arms, preparing for the battle to come. Her nerves were alight, her breathing slowing to a snails pace. She wasn’t experienced, per say, but she thinks she can handle herself if push comes to shove.

  “What!?” Kara shrieks, her eyes widening. “How’d you know???”

  Liv looks at Kara blankly. George’s words, Faraji’s glance, and Kara’s supposed knowledge of a “previous” test come to mind. Even to Liv, it couldn’t have been more obvious. Still, Liv shrugs, calling to the other side of the arena. “Lucky guess.”

  “Ooohhh. Ok!” Kara nods, clearly tided over by the response. “I’ll try to go, like, super easy on you pal! I totally want you in my team!”

  “You reckon you’ll get top 5?” Liv questions, her head tilting.

  “Totally!” Kara responds, her hand reaching into her jacket. "Just don't hate me, K?"

  Liv smiles, her heart beating in her chest as she raises her fists. Kara might be a legacy, but she seemed even more gullible than Liv was. Even if she was stronger, Liv prided herself on her on-the-spot thinking. She was more than confident in this fight, even if she didn’t know her weapon…

  It couldn’t be that bad, right?