(During the aftermath of all the chaos that has occurred in Reno, Jackpot is lying on the ground, slowly getting back up on his feet. He sees Stone heading back for him with his car amidst all of the traffic chaos left behind by the thrilling chase that has just recently concluded.)

  Jackpot: (looking around) Boy, they left behind a mess. They got away, huh?

  Stone: Yes, and that means we can forget about the bounty. (gritting his teeth, clenching his fists) We’ve never failed an assignment before. Those two… they’re something else.

  Jackpot: They sure are a pain. One of them is a Surge Beacon, and the other is a superhuman Aegis operator. It’ll be trouble for us if we let them off the hook.

  (Stone firmly nods with a grim expression and drives under the overpass, Jackpot getting into the car as he does. He activates his communicator to link up with Boltix and Mistrick. The latter hides out of sight in the calamitous streets, filled up with news reporters and police officers inspecting this most unusual scene, while the former lays down on a rooftop in exhaustion, attempting to get some much-needed rest after the incredible strain placed on his body, especially his legs.)

  Stone: (to both Boltix and Mistrick, via communicator) This is Stone. I’ve got Jackpot with me. Where are you two?

  Mistrick: (via communicator, rolling her eyes) How would I know? Can’t you just figure that out?

  Boltix: (via communicator, unamused) Never before have I felt so offended by something I completely agree with.

  Stone: (sighing deeply) It’s impractical at the moment. We can meet back at the apartment. Surely you know the way back. In any case, how is it going?

  Mistrick: Police and reporters are all over the place. Word got out faster than I expected.

  Jackpot: (sarcastically) Yeah, sure, two unusual events at the same city on the same day is just what we needed! Talk about secrecy!

  Boltix: (groaning) My body gave out at the worst time. I was gonna pounce on them, but I guess I used my Surge too much without breaks. It happens, sure, and more often than not, but why when I’m so close?!

  Stone: (gritting his teeth) We’ve attracted too much attention today. People will start questioning stuff. We may even have been figured out.

  Jackpot: So what now?

  Stone: (firmly) We let our client know, see if we can reach a compromise or figure out what to do next. Now get going. Meet me at the apartment. I’ll be heading there as well.

  (Mistrick nods and walks through the crowd with a blank expression, pretending that she has no idea what happened in here. Meanwhile, Boltix carefully gets back up on his feet and glances below at the ground, but before he gets too excited and makes the jumps using his Kinetic Surge, he snaps back to reality and takes the stairs with an unamused expression. Back at the streets, Stone pulls out his phone and makes a call, a grim expression on his face, and back in a remote base of operations, that same mysterious masked individual receives the call. He promptly answers his phone, his expression unreadable under his glowing purple infinity sign mask.)

  ???: (via phone, firmly) What is it?

  Stone: (via phone) This is Stone. There appears to have been some complications. The Surge Beacon has escaped with the help of the Aegis operator. As it turns out, they may have allied together. Let’s not forget that they caused yet another scene today. With that in mind, I’m afraid we can’t make the exchange. (slightly more desperate) Just give us some more time, sir. We’ll handle the situation accordingly.

  ???: (firmly) Don’t panic that much, Stone. I’m truly disappointed that this happened, but I still value your services. After all, your abilities alone make you in high demand. I’m certain that what occurred back then was a testament to the magnitude of the challenge that you face rather than a consequence of your own ineptitude. You’re up against one of the most powerful Surge Beacons we’ve detected in a long while and a well-trained Aegis operator. That surely will cause anyone trouble. Wait, you said that the Beacon and the Aegis operator teamed up, correct?

  Stone: Yes. He helped her escape back then.

  ???: That’s unusual. Aegis certainly tasked him with capturing her. Either he did that anytime now, which I suspect that he did, given the lack of support and communication with the agency… or he’s enlisting her help for something, possibly to figure out my identity. The fact that I know about the Beacon and attempted to capture her is reason enough for him to go after me.

  Stone: So what do we do next?

  ???: Now? You’ll meet me at the exchange site regardless. Be as discreet as you possibly can. You’ve already gotten enough attention.

  Stone: (baffled) But we didn’t capture the Beacon.

  ???: Accounting for all contingencies is key. I had a plan in mind if you failed. Given time, those two will be there as well, and then… you can pounce on them and get the job done.

  Stone: (firmly) Understood. We’ll be there.

  (The masked individual ends the call then places the phone back into his pocket, his posture calm and calculated despite the setback. Stone then firmly makes another call, this time for Sylvia, who was sitting comfortably in her casino office examining some paperwork when she received the call, and she picks up upon pulling out the phone from her pocket, recognizing who the caller is.)

  Sylvia: (via phone) Stone?

  Stone: (sighing deeply, via phone) The Surge Beacon has escaped from our hands. It was the Aegis operator’s doing.

  Sylvia: (grimacing) Say what?

  Stone: The resulting chaos caused yet another scene. (grimly) With all that’s going on, we may not be able to maintain our secrecy for so long.

  Sylvia: (gritting her teeth) How did you let the Beacon get away?! Don’t you know what this means?! You missed out on the bounty, and we may never hear from her again! You even caused a scene while you’re at it!

  Stone: (firmly) We’ve made contact with the client, and he’s been cooperative. He asked us to head to the exchange site regardless. Apparently he has a plan to lure in the two of them so that we can get the job done.

  Sylvia: (firmly) I see what he’s planning.

  Stone: So he shared that plan with you?

  Sylvia: Yeah, and if I need to, I’ll do my part. (faintly smirking) But in return, I’ll ask for a higher commission.

  Stone: (rolling his eyes) Yeah, whatever. Bye for now.

  (Sylvia ends the call with a smirk, placing the phone back into her pocket and going back to examining the paperwork. Meanwhile, Stone places the phone back into his pocket, driving across the street with a scowl, and Jackpot — sitting on the passenger seat — notices that.)

  Jackpot: (concerned) You look tense, man. What’s the matter? It’s almost like you’ve got beef with Aegis.

  Stone: (muttering) It’s nothing.

  Jackpot: That didn’t sound convincing.

  Stone: (grimacing) I said I’m fine, okay?!

  Jackpot: (chuckling nervously) Alright, alright! Jeez! (faintly grinning) Just don’t forget that we’ve got your back, okay?

  (Stone faintly nods, his eyes on the road ahead with a grim expression, and Jackpot’s faint grin wavers, replaced by a grim expression as he glances at the road ahead of him as well. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Reno, as the sun starts to set, Flare and Focus — fresh from a frantic chase with the Sparks — calmly walk through an alley, attempting to stay out of sight. Focus has his hands in his pockets, remaining silent with a blank expression, and Flare glances at him, pouting while crossing her arms.)

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Flare: (crossing her arms, pouting) Ahem ahem. You said that you’d explain everything. Whatever happened to that?

  Focus: (blankly) I was just waiting for you to point it out. Shows that you’re ready to hear me out.

  Flare: (annoyed) Just start talking already!

  Focus: (sighing deeply) Alright, let’s start with this. What do you know about Surges?

  Flare: (baffled) What do I know about what now?

  Focus: (unamused) Thanks for your reply. That has shown me a lot. Perhaps I need to start it all from scratch.

  Flare: (exasperated) Wait, you’re not dropping an agonizingly extended piece of lore now, are you?!

  Focus: (ignoring her) Listen, in each individual is a form of latent energy that remains inseparable from the soul. That energy, when realized and developed, manifests into what we identify as a Surge…

  (Flare crosses her arms with an unamused expression as she keeps listening to Focus’s dialogue, which is muted to her. Instead, in her imagination, she hears something entirely different, with Focus surrounded by a flowery, purple background.)

  Focus (in her imagination): Bla… bla bla bla bla… bla bla… bla bla bla bla bla bla… abilities… bla bla bla bla… Surges develop at… bla bla bla bla bla blabibo… bla.

  Focus (in reality): (unamused) Are you even listening?

  Flare: (blankly) Not at all.

  Focus: (deadpan) And to think you were so eager to receive a proper explanation. I feel offended.

  Flare: Hey, you can’t just randomly start a lecture about the laws of Surge-o-dynamics and expect me to listen intently, especially not on an empty stomach! Oh, wait. (panickedly) My snacks!

  (Flare only now senses the backpack she’s put in and sets it down, panickedly opening it up and seeing that all of her snacks have been ruined, with all the chips, chocolate bars, and other assortments of snacks all over the place and ruined. Flare glances at this with a petrified expression, while Focus glances at the backpack with a blank expression.)

  Focus: (blankly) Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. With all that’s happened, it’s impressive that the backpack itself wasn’t torn to shreds. What’re you doing carrying around so many snacks anyway?

  Flare: (frustrated) I gotta smuggle my own living, you know?! Life isn’t easy for pyrokinetic outcasts! (examining her backpack, sighing in relief) At least my wallets are still there.

  Focus: (deadpan) Which were stolen from other people fair and square, right?

  Flare: What’s that supposed to mean?!

  Focus: (nonchalantly) Nothing at all. (sighing deeply) If I’m being honest, I also would like to have lunch, or is it dinner now? (walking away, turning his back on her) Anyway, we’re grabbing a bite. Come with me.

  Flare: (teasingly smirking) Wow! What a gentleman. You’re already asking me out?

  Focus: (rolling his eyes) Oh, please.

  Flare: (with mock sincerity) Aww, and you’re even begging me to come!

  Focus: (deadpan, still not looking at her) Relax, firecracker. It’s called a tactical alliance… and a bit of common courtesy. Oh, and you’ll be paying, obviously.

  Flare: (groaning) Fine, fine, I’ll come! And I’ll try to listen! Emphasis on “try”.

  (After a while, back at a good-looking restaurant, a waiter hands Flare and Focus — who were patiently and comfortably seated — two plates of chocolate brownies and a cup of latte, and Focus faintly nods at him in acknowledgment. He holds his knife and fork as he begins to eat, only to see Flare excitedly hold the brownie in her hand and eat it all up in one go, which leaves Focus blue with shock. She then drinks up the entire cup in one go, adding to his shock.)

  Flare: (licking her fingers, excitedly) Awesome! I’ve never had cake before!

  Focus: (flabbergasted, his voice breaking) This is… a chocolate brownie!

  Flare: (rolling her eyes) Same thing! (unamused) What’re you looking at?

  (Focus glances around and sees the waiter and the other customers just as shocked and petrified as he is, so with a blank expression, he promptly grabs his chocolate brownie with his hand and eats it up in one bite as well, takes a wallet from Flare, pulls out the money, returns the check to the waiter, and exits the restaurant, and Flare follows him with a baffled expression. As night approaches, the two of them sit side by side in a small bar with a few other customers, the bartender offering them a drink.)

  Flare: (chuckling, spinning around on the chair) I always wanted to sit on a swivel chair!

  Focus: (unamused, holding the chair still) Can we just talk now? It’s serious. You yourself wanted me to explain everything.

  Flare: (rolling her eyes) Sure, go ahead. If you don’t find me paying attention, just assume that you’re talking to the readers.

  Focus: Just keep in mind that I’m supposed to be keeping this a secret, so you better not share what I’m going to tell you right now to anyone, regardless of your relationship with them.

  Flare: (blankly) I don’t even know anyone.

  Focus: (sighing deeply) Alright. Surges are manifestations of latent energy caused by deep-earth seismic activity that some theories suggest could date back to the k-pg extinction event. The magnitude of this event was driven by Surge Energy after all, and that energy was blinded to every surviving organism’s soul, including ours. Upon making that revolutionary discovery, Aegis dedicated itself to developing this Energy, manifesting it into abilities called Surges, abilities that vary between individuals who are in no way blood-related. Your fire powers are a Surge. I also have developed my Surge. Aegis has just developed the first generation of Surge users, and I am only one of several others.

  Flare: What’s your power anyway? I mean… Surge or… whatever.

  Focus: It’s labeled as the Superhuman Surge, which grants me heightened reflexes, strength, stamina, and speed, far from what is considered humanly possible, hence “superhuman”. (deadpan) I thought it was obvious at first glance.

  Flare: (raising an eyebrow) That’s it? I thought there was something flashier that you were holding back.

  Focus: (unamused) There isn’t. Unfortunately, my power is equal parts boring and impressive.

  Flare: (stroking her chin) Wait, if the whole Surge deal is supposed to be a secret hidden from the public, then how do those guys have their own Surges? Also, why are all Surge users so young?

  Focus: There’s always the possibility that studies pertaining to Surge Energy have been leaked to third parties like the Sparks, who managed to make use of that information to develop their abilities, (stroking his chin as well) although now that I think of it, they weren’t supposed to know a thing about Aegis. I’ll have to look into that. As for your latter question, studies have shown that Surge Energy becomes near-impossible to manifest upon complete maturity, possibly at the age of twenty and upwards, so acquiring at least a rudimentary level of control over one’s Surge is necessary before the age of twenty, which is when that ability will most certainly fade away. Also, an excellent physical condition and proper fitness is necessary for the development of Surges, and of course, there are always a select few who are inherently unable to manifest their Surges.

  Flare: (crossing her arms) If there are so many people out there like me, what makes me so special? Why did your secret government organization thing send you after me? Why are those other guys trying to capture me? I still don’t understand a single damn thing!

  Focus: You, Flare, are what we call a Surge Beacon. Your powers were awakened without any prior development, which makes your power uncontrollable and volatile. Did you see it yourself… several instances where you lost control?

  (Flare’s pupils widen at this, and her expression softens as she remembers the crimson flames at the facility ten years ago and those same crimson flames at the market just yesterday, along with flashes of other instances. She places her hands on the tables and slightly bows her head.)

  Flare: (muttering softly) Yeah. It happened… frequently. Sometimes I just… I dunno what comes over me. So is that why everyone wants me? Do they want me… or my power… or do they just want to shut me out?

  Focus: (frowning) I… I dunno either, but we can work towards that.

  Flare: What’re you talking about?

  Focus: (firmly) Something strange is going on under the grid, and you’re part of it. Someone paid the Sparks to capture you alive for a reason. Here’s the deal: since I’ve lost contact with Aegis and can’t call for backup, you’ll help me get to the bottom of this and figure out who is behind all of this and what they’re planning. Once we get the job done, I’ll let you off the hook, and you’ll be free to do whatever you want. After all, I can always say that I failed my mission and that you managed to escape out of sight. This should sound plausible enough. (sharply) You better not make another mess, though. If I’m ever tasked with capturing you once again, I’ll make sure I get the job done no matter what. Do we have a deal?

  Flare: (smirking, extending her hand for a handshake) I like where this is going. Handshake on it?

  (Focus rolls his eyes at this and reluctantly accepts the handshake with a nod, but then Flare pulls him closer and tightly grips his hand, as if trying to crush it, while glaring at him in the eye with a devilish smirk, while Focus remains unbothered as ever.)

  Flare: (devilishly smirking) I’ll be keeping an eye on you, Focus. I’ll even have eyes at the back of my head.

  Focus: (cutting her off, muttering, deadpan) Yeah, sure, cuz that’s how eyesight works.

  Flare: (still smirking) If I ever get the impression that you’re pointing a gun at my back or that idea has ever crossed your mind, I’m gonna burn you and the gun to a crisp. Capache?

  Focus: (blankly) I think you meant “capiche”.

  Flare: (annoyed) I know what I said!

  Focus: (deadpan) Sure thing. I don’t even have a gun at the moment. Also, if you meant to crush my hand as a form of intimidation, it’s not working.

  Flare: (letting go of his hand, grinning) Then it’s settled! We’ve got some business to take care of!

  (The bartender clears his throat at the two of them, seeing that they’re done with their drinks, and Flare pulls out a bit of cash from the obviously stolen wallets in her pockets and pays for the drinks, leaving the bartender surprised. She pays and then leaves the bar with Focus.)

  Flare: Sooooo… what’re we gonna do now? Where do we start?

  Focus: Aegis has uncovered enough intel about the Sparks and their activity. We know about their existence… and the person who provides assignments for them.

  Flare: And who would that be?

  Focus: Ever heard of The Grand Mirage?

  (Meanwhile, back at Sylvia’s casino office, the billboard reading “The Grand Mirage”, Sylvia witnesses the gates of her casino open, with a variety of guests coming in for a good time, and then she heads back to her office, pulling out two faintly blurry pictures of none other than Flare and Focus, a sharp expression on her face followed with a faint smirk.)