[Ten years ago…]

  (In the midst of a burning, chaotic, noisy research facility, with armed forces stuck between escorting the researchers and apparently hunting down a group of escapees, Flare — a six-year old girl with orange hair tied into a messy top knot, wearing a minimalistic, sleeveless black top with orange shorts — slowly opens her orange eyes. She slowly gets up and glances at her surroundings, the laboratory crumbling in crimson flames and no one else around her. The way it is, no soldier or researcher has taken notice of her, all busy with other escapees or attempting to escape. Her expression doesn’t necessarily show terror or shock, just blank bafflement, and she glances at her palms, covered with dirt.)

  Flare: (blankly) That fire… what is that place? I didn’t do that… right?

  (She wanders through the collapsing hallways, slipping under falling debris, her small frame unnoticed amidst the chaos. A sudden wall of wreckage blocks her path, and she touches it hesitantly — her hands glowing faintly orange. Flames spark, searing a gap through the wall. Her eyes widen, baffled at what she just did, but she pushes forward. She runs into a stretch of corridor, hearing several shouts echoing in the distance — indistinct voices, boots pounding closer, which only amplifies her panic. Before she can turn back, she looks upward — a window gleams above. Her legs blaze with faint firelight, and with a desperate leap, she rockets upward, shattering the glass and vanishing into the night sky.)

  (Flare tumbles down into a moonlit forest outside the facility. Behind her, the inferno swallows the entire facility, collapsing into itself. She turns, breathing hard, her small face unreadable. The flames reflect in her wide orange eyes as she stares for a moment… then slowly turns away, walking into the forest shadows with not the faintest clue of what to do next.)

  [Present time…]

  (It’s a sunny sky in a small, vibrant town, with several citizens interacting together at this time of the day. Inside a small grocery store, the shopkeeper is sitting on his chair and nonchalantly glancing at his phone, but then suddenly, a small fire breaks out at the group of plants just outside of his store, startling him.)

  The Shopkeeper: (startled) What the — ?!

  (He frantically grabs a bucket of water and heads outside to extinguish that small fire. As he keeps pouring the bucket on the plants to put down the fire, a figure jumps from the roof of the store and lands behind him with catlike grace on the tips of her toes, careful not to make a sound, and quietly enters the store. It’s none other than Flare — now a lively and energetic sixteen-year old, being the one who started up that fire, which — despite the shopkeeper’s attempts — keeps on burning. She wears an orange, sleeveless vest under her black, sleeveless shirt with orange shorts and a small backpack, her usual attire, and as she enters the store, she quickly sets down her backpack and opens it up then pulls out a small paper, her shopping list.)

  Flare: (muttering to herself, smirking) Okay, let’s make this quick. (glancing at the paper while putting several stuff in the bag) A couple bottles of water. A bit of ice cream. Snacks and stuff. Oooh, always wanted to try coffee, so… (grabbing a coffee bag and placing it in the backpack) in you go! Cheese pops? I’ve been looking for those forever!

  (She grabs a few more snacks and puts them into her backpack before putting her shopping list back into her pocket and closing her backpack, putting it on her back once again. She heads to the store’s exit with a smirk, only to find the shopkeeper standing in front of her, his arms crossed with a scowl.)

  The Shopkeeper: (scowling) Going somewhere?

  Flare: (smirking) Good. You found me. Now we get to the fun part.

  (The shopkeeper attempts to grab her, but she quickly tickles him in the armpit, and he attempts to hold his chuckles at this. This gets him out of Flare’s way, who gets out of the store and runs off with the groceries she collected. The shopkeeper panickedly heads out of the store and attempts to catch up with her, but she’s too quick for him.)

  The Shopkeeper: (yelling to the bystanders) Get her! Anyone!

  (Four bystanders — having seen what happened — run after Flare, who glances back at them and notices them chasing her, her smirk widening, and she chuckles a bit then continues her dash.)

  Bad girl, Flare! Yeah yeah, I hear ya. Life’s tough, though. Gotta be a little naughty if I don’t wanna end up as crow food. I don’t really remember how much it’s been. Ten years? Ten and a few months? Who knows? It’s always been the same for me. Hide, collect scraps, and survive. Foolproof strategy! Approved by Sun Tzu! You know, I’d like to chat a bit more, but I think I gotta lose those blockheads first. Watch me.

  (Flare takes a sharp turn to the left, heading for the crowded open market, her pursuers hot on her heels. She eloquently passes through and jostles past several people with her nimble movements, their sheer size making it difficult for her pursuers to keep up. She takes a plastic cup from a lemonade stand off the hands of someone and quickly sips it on the run, tossing away the cup after finishing it. She slides under carts, vaults over crates, and dives through a hanging banner. The others lose sight of her, looking around but unable to find her.)

  Pursuer 1A: (gritting his teeth) Where is she?!

  (Flare hides underneath an apple stand, smirking as she sees her clueless pursuers trying to find her. However, just as she thinks she finally lost them, a dog sees her and aggressively barks at her, which grabs the others’ attention, and they approach the apple stand.)

  Flare: (groaning) That’s why I hate dogs.

  (However, as they approach the apple stand, the vendor passing them a baffled look, Flare knocks away the stand, sending it flying upwards and scattering the apples on it. She gets back up on her feet and kicks the stand at her pursuers, forcing them to duck. Flare follows that by throwing several apples at the group, striking them all in the head and knocking them into the ground, while the vendor stands in shock, and she even grabs one of the apples and takes a bite. She then turns to that same dog who barked at her with a menacing expression.)

  Flare: (scowling) If I had time in my hands, I would’ve settled for one tasty little hot dog for breakfast. Guess I’ll do it some other time. Until then, bad doggy.

  (Flare runs off once again, chuckling as her pursuers attempt to pick themselves back up and continue chasing her, only to realize that they’re too tired to continue, only managing to watch as Flare loses them.)

  (After the chaos has settled, Flare drops down into a quiet, abandoned neighborhood and sneaks through a cracked basement window of a run-down house, carrying her groceries inside her backpack. She sets foot on the floor and finally arrives at her “home”, a small, messy area of mismatched blankets as furniture and a beat-up couch as her bed. Random, stolen market signs and odd trinkets act as makeshift decorations hung at the walls. She drops her backpack on the couch and then collapses on it, sitting beside her backpack and sighing deeply in relief.)

  Flare: (relieved) It’s been a while since I actually had breakfast. Or brunch. Or whatever.

  Yeah, this is my hideout, which — as you might’ve certainly guessed — is as scrappy and messy as scrappy and messy hideouts could be. Abandoned alley? Worn-down house? Tiny basement? No connection to the outside world? It’s got it all. At this point, I can’t even afford the streets. But it’s cool! I’ve got all I need… at least for today. My life is pretty simple. Kept me alive and kicking for so long now… as well as given me a heck of a reputation among the townspeople. No one knows who I am or what my secret is, and for my own good, I should keep it that way. Or maybe not. I could just relocate like I always do, but then again, it’ll be too much effort, and I’d rather not do it. Not that frequently.

  You know, I think it’s fascinating how I’m so accustomed to my fire powers. I don’t know how, when, or why I got ’em, but it’s almost like second nature to me, even back when I was a kid. Like I had some sort of understanding of this power a long time ago. I don’t remember much of how that happened. It doesn’t add up. Of course, I don’t use ’em that much in public for obvious reasons, if at all. Still… sometimes I hope I could show off everything I could do with those powers. Maybe people will be impressed. But no, I can’t risk that. Why do I even think too much of that? It’s quite simple. I shouldn’t let anyone know about this, and I’m fine with it! Screw them all!

  (Flare pulls out the bag of cheeseballs in the backpack and opens it up, munching on it while leaning her back on the couch. She glances up the wall aimlessly, staring at the makeshift decorations she hung on the wall, as well as several, rudimentary drawings in which she dreams of several silly adventures: one of the drawings show here climbing a snowy mountain, while another shows her striking a dragon with a sword. She chuckles a bit upon seeing those drawings, but she stares the longest at another drawing in which she holds hands with two grown ups, a mother and a father, forcing a smile through that.)

  Flare: (sighing deeply, trying to force a smile) It would’ve been nice, but guess I had something else coming all along. Oh, well.

  (This extended moment of daydreaming distracts her from the fact that she’s finished up the bag of cheeseballs, which she notices with an unamused expression as she attempts to grab any more, and she throws the bag away on the floor and sets down the backpack, stretching her legs on the couch and wrapping a short, torn blanket around herself. She closes her eyes and attempts to take a nap in the meantime, repeatedly turning in her sleep.)

  (It’s the beginning of an evening sky at a remote facility, where multiple armed guards roam around in caution. Outside the facility, several other guards perform their regular patrols in silence, with others having quiet conversations among themselves. Suddenly, however, this scheduled routine is interrupted when someone so daringly jumps past the border walls and lands on the ground, confronting the armed guards, who are shocked by his appearance and immediately take alert.)

  Soldier 1A: (gritting his teeth, aiming his weapon at the intruder) Hey, who are you?!

  (That intruder is none other than Focus, a sixteen-year old boy with short black hair and sharp blue eyes. He wears a black tracksuit with white stripes on its sides, his hands on his pockets with an unbothered expression as he glances around at the soldiers surrounding him and aiming their weapons at him. He doesn’t even flinch; in fact, he slowly approaches one of them, glaring at him dead in the eye. This terrifies the soldier, who immediately shoots at him, only to find him out of sight.)

  Focus: (whispering at his ear from behind) Behind you.

  (The soldier turns around in panic, seeing Focus standing before him with his hands still in his pockets. He kicks the soldier in the face, knocking him into the ground, to the others’ shock. They immediately open fire once again, only for Focus to eloquently dodge past the bullets and dash at another soldier, kicking him in the gut and sending him flying, all while never pulling his hands out of his pockets. Even so, the soldiers fail to land even a single bullet at him, while he clears them out one by one at incredible speeds with unbelievable ease. One of the soldiers aims his weapon at Focus from point-blank range, only for Focus to grab and twist his muzzle before he gets to fire, finally pulling his right hand out of his pocket.)

  Focus: (deadpan) Congratulations. You made me use either of my hands. That makes you a cut above the rest.

  (Focus then throws away the soldier’s weapon and knees him in the gut then immediately deals a roundhouse kick to another soldier behind him. A soldier witnesses this thorough annihilation — seeing everyone else knocked out — and panickedly reaches out for his communicator to alert the others inside the facility.)

  Soldier 1B: (panickedly) Everyone! We’ve got an — !

  Focus: (punching him away and grabbing his communicator, deadpan and slightly hurriedly) You’ve got an intruder heading your way. Sound the alarms. Call for reinforcements. Prepare to intercept. Good luck. You’ll need it.

  (The rest of the soldiers inside the facility are baffled by this, and they immediately sound the alarms, their sirens putting the entire facility on high alert. Countless soldiers aim their weapons at the entrance in anticipation, while Focus crushes the communicator with his hand and heads for the gate, pulling out a futuristic landmine from the pocket of his jacket and sticking it into the entrance.)

  Focus: (via his own communicator, firmly) You’re up, Prox.

  (Near the outside of the facility is Proxy, a girl at about twelve years of age with bright purple hair tied into a single, short braid. She’s got purple pupils underneath her small, futuristic, rectangular glasses, and as she glances at the facility below her and listens to Focus’s message, she smirks in excitement. Her purple hair and pupils glow as she charges up her hands with purple energy, her advanced glasses helping her pick up loopholes in this facility’s security system. The facility’s security measures — from surveillance cameras to all sorts of defensive systems — are all hijacked and disabled, giving her the chance to break in through a back door. Meanwhile, the entrance to the facility opens, and the soldiers get ready to open fire upon sight of the intruder, but to their shock, they find no one in front of them.)

  Soldier 1C: (baffled) Eh… weren’t we expecting something?

  (Suddenly, someone crashes through the barrier surrounding the facility, an exaggeratedly muscular man wearing merely a form-fitting white t-shirt and sports pants with blue pupils and neat hazel hair, who then dashes at the entrance with a grin. The soldiers panickedly open fire at him, but the bullets merely bounce off of the man, who dashes through the soldiers and knocks them all unconscious into the ground. Seeing that it’s done, the man’s body emits steam, and his muscles shrink to a regular size, his pupils even turning green. Focus — having been hiding behind the wall a moment ago — enters the facility, seeing the muscular man revert to a more regular form, that of a seventeen-year old.)

  Focus: (firmly) Jax.

  Jax: (grinning) Nice entrance, don’t you think?

  Focus: (sighing deeply, walking past him) Effective. Now come on. We’ve got work to do.

  Jax: (unamused) Yeah, sure, whatever.

  (The two head off through the facility together to take on some more soldiers. Meanwhile, several more soldiers head for the control center, having been alerted to the fact that it’s been compromised, but a sixteen-year old girl with short black hair and green eyes — wearing a black operative outfit — stands in their way, promptly kicking one of them in the jaw and instantly knocking him into the ground, to the others’ shock.)

  Pulse: (firmly) A sharp blow to the jaw, especially if it snaps the head back, can jolt the brain inside the skull, triggering a knockout reflex. In case you’re wondering, this is called a coup–contrecoup concussion mechanism.

  (The soldiers move back in pure shock at what she’s saying, and the moment they pull out their rifles to shoot at her, Focus and Jax — in his muscular form — crash into the scene and quickly knock them all out, the latter then reverting to his normal form. Pulse reacts with a sigh upon seeing that the two have already dealt with the soldiers.)

  Pulse: (sighing deeply) I was just gonna apply a debuff on those guys. Give myself a little fun.

  Jax: (baffled) What was that about a… cope counterattacking… mechanichasm?

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  (Focus and Pulse glance at Jax with unamused expressions, then they roll their eyes in unison and head for the control room, the latter following with a blank expression. However, they stop when they see Proxy meeting up with them, a flash drive in hand and a smirk on her face.)

  Proxy: (smirking) It’s done! Everything we need is in this flash drive! Barely broke a sweat while doing it!

  Pulse: (firmly) Oh? Alright, then. Guess we’re leaving.

  Focus: (via communicator, to Commander Cromwell) Commander, this is Focus. The mission is complete.

  Commander Cromwell: (via communicator, firmly) Good work. Now leave the rest of us. You four shall return to Aegis Headquarters.

  Focus: (switching off the communicator) Understood.

  (As the soldiers of Aegis head inside to fully secure the area and seize it, Focus and his team leave the facility and board a helicopter, which takes off and heads back to the headquarters, Focus glancing below at the facility with an unbothered expression, his current mission complete.)

  (Several long hours pass by, and a bored and unexcited Flare attempts to kill that time in whatever way she can. During this time, she switches between reading comic books she’s gone through one too many times, playing ping-pong with the wall, eating a chocolate bar, and unsuccessfully trying to take another nap. After that, she has an assortment of snacks for lunch while sipping on the coffee she made for herself. However, she quickly spits it out and starts coughing.)

  Flare: (coughing) Is this… how coffee tastes, or did I screw up?

  (She kills time once again by walking around the couch before trying to take a nap once again, failing this time as well. Night falls, and Flare is stretching her legs on the couch while repeatedly throwing a tennis ball upwards in boredom.)

  Flare: (sighing deeply, thinking to herself) Okay, I’m bored. Been doing some random stuff and tryna have a good nap all day, but it’s not clicking for me. Oh, and perhaps making coffee isn’t as easy as it looks. I need new comics. I need new stuff to do. I need something, anything new! This whole garbage dump has been looking the same for years now! I gotta go out. Collect my “allowance”. (faintly grinning) Maybe I’d even get to have pizza for dinner!

  (Flare jumps out of the couch and stands on her feet, feeling rejuvenated, and she places a black cloak around her to hide her face. She jumps out of the cracked window and back into the alley, heading into the vibrant crowd in the town’s open market under the night sky, her eyes set on some pockets.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself) Showtime. Just keep your head down, bump into someone, slip your hands into the nearest pocket, and disappear. Should be easy, right? It only needs a bit of nimbleness. Or… um… what do they call it again? Dexterity? Yeah, I think that’s the word for it. Anyways.

  (Flare blends in among the crowd unnoticed thanks to the black cloak around her, only peeking from it every once in a while to set eyes on her targets. She bumps in between two women standing in a row in front of a vegetable stand then quickly departs, leaving the two baffled and looking around as she places their wallets into her pocket with a smirk. She repeats that same routine with several other people, pickpocketing them with ease.)

  Flare: (smirking, thinking to herself) I’m just too good at this. I knew this was a good idea!

  (As she keeps bumping to people and quickly pickpocketing them, however, she suddenly receives a punch in the gut, sending her falling on her back and removing the cloak around her, which exposes her identity to the crowd. She looks up in shock and finds several men standing in front of her with stern expressions, people she stole from, and as she looks around, she finds herself the center of the angry townspeople’s attention.)

  Townsman 1A: (scowling) So it’s you again. The scene you caused in the morning wasn’t enough after all.

  (Flare quickly gets back up on her feet and attempts to run away, but she finds herself surrounded by the entire crowd with nowhere to go. Her pupils dilate in pure horror, and in this moment of indecision, a man grabs her by the nape and lifts her up then knees her in the back, knocking her into the ground.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself, horrified) They’re all watching me! All of them! I’ve got nowhere to go!

  Townsman 1B: (sternly) You’ve caused enough trouble for today, kid. Now empty your pockets… and give back everything that you’ve stolen.

  Flare: (gritting her teeth) Like hell I will!

  Townsman 1C: Is that so? Alright, then. You brought this to yourself.

  (Flare gets back up and lunges at one of the men for a punch, but he easily holds down her fist and knees her in the gut, sending her skidding back. The presence of the crowd makes her nervous and afraid, careful not to reveal her fire powers, which puts her at a disadvantage as the group of angry townsmen overwhelm her, knocking her into the ground time and time again. The crowd watches in silence — not necessarily pleased with what’s happening. As Flare struggles to get back up from that beating, seeing the group towering above her, her body emits a dark red glow, not even the same type of fiery glow that she emits when she uses her powers, which shocks her.)

  Flare: (shocked and horrified) W-W-What is that?! No! Don’t come out now!

  (The crowd are shocked as they see a dark red, fiery aura enveloping Flare, who closes her eyes and grits her teeth as she desperately attempts to suppress that aura. The group of townsmen back off as they see Flare’s hair starting to develop into a darker shade of red, unlike her usual orange hair. Flare groans as she gets back up and does her best to contain that overflowing power, but it’s too late for that, and she opens her eyes — whose pupils too turn dark red and glow in flames. She unleashes a shockwave that not only sends everyone back, but it also extends all the way into the entire surrounding area, across the town and beyond. As Flare snaps out of what came over her, she notices the entire market getting devoured by crimson flames, while the horrified townspeople run for their lives to escape the fire, her body shaking in shock as she glances at her palms.)

  Flare: (shocked and horrified) What is that?! What came over me?!

  (Her memories then take her back ten years ago: the research facility, those same crimson flames that turned it to ashes, and her cluelessly standing still while glancing at her palms. Her dark red aura fades, and she returns back to her normal form, but the flames still persist, and the townspeople desperately bring out any water bucket they could find in an attempt to extinguish those growing flames and salvage whatever could be salvaged.)

  Flare: (her body trembling) It’s happening again!

  (Flare heads over to grab a water bucket to help, but she sees a townsman, one of those who attacked her, grabbing that bucket and glancing at her with a horrified expression, as if a beast is standing before him, and he hurriedly leaves to deal with the fire, adding to Flare’s agony. She clenches her fists and grits her teeth in an attempt to compose herself, her legs starting to adapt an orange glow. She emits fire from her legs and launches herself away from this scene, landing on the rooftop of a house, then she jumps from one rooftop to another as she leaves, attempting to hold back her genuine fear and confusion while finding her way back home.)

  (Meanwhile, far away from here, in a remote base of operations, several people get on their computers and hurriedly go about their work on their own devices, the large screen in front of them displaying a red, glowing signature. Commander Cromwell stands in her office with a firm expression — her brown hair tied into a bun and her brown eyes glancing at the screen.)

  Commander Cromwell: (firmly, to an operator) It’s another Beacon. Did you pinpoint its exact coordinates?

  Operator 1A: It’ll only take a few minutes, ma’am. Judging by the sheer magnitude of this energy signature, it’s surely something out of this world. No Beacon has emitted such levels of energy before.

  Commander Cromwell: I see.

  Commander Cromwell stands in her office, glancing at the screen with a firm expression, and after a while, Focus enters. He’s got his hands on his pockets, his expression serious and firm in anticipation, and Cromwell turns to him.)

  Commander Cromwell: You’re right on time… Focus.

  Focus: (firmly) I’ve been told you’ve got another mission for me.

  Commander Cromwell: That’s right, but first, how did your initial mission go?

  Focus: (handing her the flash drive) Proxy managed to get the job done. Now you’ve got eyes on all active private military facilities run by the Red Army.

  Commander Cromwell: One more step to ending their illegal operations.

  (Commander Cromwell passes the flash drive to one of the operators, who gets on her computer to begin work on it. She and Focus then step out of the office and join the rest of the operators as they keep on working on the energy signature they detected, which is currently on the move.)

  Focus: (glancing at the screen) Now what is that? It looks like it’s got you all on edge.

  Commander Cromwell: This… is a Surge Beacon. One that recently surfaced.

  Focus: (nonchalantly) Surge Beacons? I heard about them. They were a big deal a long time ago. I was still a kid under training back then, and everyone else was panicking about that stuff. What even are they?

  Commander Cromwell: You see, while some Surge users such as yourself have received adequate training to develop their powers, others are considered anomalies, their powers activating without prior development. In such cases, their powers are almost impossible to even slightly inhibit, let alone control or suppress. That makes them a serious threat if let loose. They’ve been a bit prominent a couple years ago, but they’ve been absent since then. This is the first Surge Beacon we’ve detected in the last five years, and its energy is off the charts, surpassing every reading we’ve ever collected. This is the most powerful one yet.

  Focus: And my mission is to capture it, correct?

  Commander Cromwell: Expect a challenge. This is a Surge user on a whole other level. If it gets to unleash its full power, then it’ll spiral out of control. We require minimal damage, so whenever you get the chance to capture the Beacon silently, go for it. Oh, and you’ll be carrying out this mission on your own. Your team won’t accompany you.

  Focus: (deadpan) Just one mission together and you call us a “team”? That’s a strong word. Anyway, I don’t mind that, but may I ask why?

  Commander Cromwell: Your Surge is the most concealable one… in the way that it won’t be apparent for people. After all, those Surges are still supposed to be a secret.

  Focus: (firmly) Well, that checks out. When do I get moving?

  Commander Cromwell: Right now. The Beacon is on the move, apparently heading out of a small town in the southwest US and approaching Reno, Nevada. It’s not too far. Just a few miles. We can only maintain a stable signature of its energy for a few hours at best, so you better be there by then.

  Focus: I see. Alright, then. Let’s do it.

  (Commander Cromwell turns to Focus and firmly nods at him, then she pulls out a taser gun from her pocket and throws it at the latter, who grabs at and glances at it for a moment before placing it in his pocket.)

  Commander Cromwell: Use this to subdue her. One of our vehicles will take you to the location of the Beacon, then it’s up to you.

  (Focus firmly nods at this before placing his hands on his jacket’s pockets and turning around to leave, a firm expression on his face as he is accompanied by four Aegis soldiers while leaving the giant hall. As he passes by the training camp, he’s approached by Proxy, Jax, and Pulse.)

  Proxy: (excitedly) Ooh, what’s the new mission?

  Focus: (unamused) Don’t get too excited. It’s only me who’s going.

  Jax: (annoyed) Oh, come on!

  Focus: Hate to inform you, but you guys will be getting in the way, especially you, Jax.

  Pulse: (sighing deeply) So I’m still not gonna have any sort of fun. Oh, well. There’s always next time.

  Focus: If it’s any consolation, then I may not be having any sort of fun either. Time is of the essence. I’m leaving.

  (Focus promptly leaves the training camp to begin his mission, the others sighing deeply in disappointment before heading back to whatever they were doing. Meanwhile, while Focus is preparing to get going, Flare has already reached the outskirts of Reno, Nevada, her eyes showing tiredness and sleepiness after three hours of constant pedaling to get there. She spots a small motel close by and heads for it, leaning her bike on the wall and coming inside to the reception, hoping to find a place to sleep.)

  Flare: (tiredly) Hey, I just want somewhere to sleep for now. Gimme your cheapest room. One bed. All I need. I’ve got cash totally not earned through other people’s blood and sweat, so don’t worry about payment.

  Female Receptionist: (baffled) Um… sure. One night?

  Flare: (unamused) What did I just say?

  Female Receptionist: Okay, that’ll be a hundred dollars.

  Flare: (groaning) Is that so? I can already tell we’re in Reno. Just gimme a moment.

  (Flare pulls out all of the wallets she previously stole one by one and sets them on the table, to the receptionist’s bafflement. She checks them out and counts the money inside each of them, pulling out what equates to one hundred dollars in total from a few of them, placing the others inside her pockets once again. The receptionist — despite her shock — doesn’t question it, and she accepts the cash, then she gives Flare the keys to her room and guides her. Upon reaching her room and entering it, she closes the door on the receptionist, throws her backpack away, and jumps into the bed, lazily tucking herself in.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself, tiredly) That was grueling. I’m finally here. Relax, girl. No one’s going after you.

  (As Flare treats herself to a good night’s sleep in a motel in the outskirts of Reno, Focus is sitting comfortably on the back of an armored van, on his way to Reno as well, with two soldiers offering him company and the other two on the front seats.)

  Focus: (thinking to himself) Surge Beacon, huh? That sure sounds morbid enough for the commander. But is it really that much of a threat? Hmph, guess there’s only one way to find out.

  The Driver: (turning to Focus) It’s still a long way ’til Reno. We may arrive during the afternoon. How ’bout you get yourself some sleep until then? It’s almost midnight.

  Focus: (sighing deeply) Just make sure you’ve got some coffee for me when I wake up.

  (Focus leans his back on the seat and stretches his legs, slowly closing his eyes as to sleep until he’s arrived at Reno. He’s on his way to begin his mission: to find and capture Flare. Meanwhile, back at a remote, unidentified base of operations, where several fully masked analysts are on their computers, their masks displaying an eerie purple symbol glowing purple, a grown, mysterious individual — apparently their boss — approaches a large screen ahead of him, which displays a powerful energy signature in Reno, Nevada. He’s fully masked as well, his mask displaying a glowing purple infinity symbol, and his mystique is only amplified by the cloak he wears, fully covering his entire body.)

  ???: (his mask distorting his voice) How accurate is this reading?

  Analyst 1A: As accurate as you asked for. This is the Beacon’s exact location at this exact moment in time.

  ???: Very well. That’s just what we need.

  Analyst 1B: Sir, should we go after it? I know that Beacon’s the most powerful one we’ve detected so far, and by a fine margin, but is it worth it? If we look past the boundless potential, it’s really just like any other Beacon, maybe even lower than the average. Besides, we’d risk blowing our cover.

  ???: The potential is there, nevertheless. I only need to bring it out. But I do agree with you on one point. We can’t blow our cover.

  (The masked individual pulls out his phone and promptly makes a call, his masked expression unreadable as he does so. Elsewhere, at a vibrant casino’s office, a young woman with blond hair wearing a stylish blue blouse and sitting comfortably in her chair receives a call, and as she pulls out her phone from her pocket, she sees that it’s from an anonymous number. She, however, reluctantly answers the call with a cautious expression.)

  ???: (via phone, firmly) Sylvia.

  Sylvia: (warily) Who is this? How did you get my number? And how do you know my name?

  ???: Who wouldn’t know Sylvia Anderson? You’re quite popular here… and in the world of the illegal. I have my ways.

  Sylvia: (faintly smirking) You seem to know a lot. What is it that you need from me?

  ???: A simple favor. The Sparks are available, aren’t they? I’d pay handsomely for their services.

  Sylvia: (her smirk widening) Is that so? I’m listening.

  [A couple hours later…]

  (Meanwhile, the afternoon sky starts to form in Reno, and in its outskirts, Flare is still sleeping on her bed inside her motel room, but then she starts to slowly open her eyes and lazily roll out of bed. She falls on the floor and slowly gets back up, yawning as she starts to fully wake up. As she glances at the clock hung at the room’s wall, she realizes that it’s already 2:15 P.M.)

  Flare: (yawning) Guess I overslept. Oh, well. It’s not like I’ve got time to lose.

  (She puts on her backpack and steps out of her room, going down the stairs until reaching the ground floor, where she sees the receptionist’s office and approaches her.)

  Female Receptionist: (cheerfully) Good afternoon. You overslept, huh?

  Flare: (tiredly) Yeah, I guess. I’m checking out. Bye now. (walking towards the exit) And see you never.

  (The receptionist stares at the departing Flare with a surprised expression, while the latter exits the motel and heads to her bike, which she parked against the wall. She gets on the bike and heads off, feeling the gentle breeze skipping past her, which brings a small smile to her face.)

  Flare: (making a small smile) Hey, that’s not so bad.

  (After about thirty minutes of pedaling through the highway, she finally sees the city on the horizon and blends in with it. She slows down her bike and takes the time to glance at her surroundings, a fascinating blend of urban development and natural charm. As she pedals across the streets, she glances at the trees planted beside her, offering her a strange sense of comfort and reassurance.)

  Flare: (grinning, thinking to herself) Alright, Flare. You’re starting from scratch. You can do it. But first… (blankly) this bike looks like it can break apart any moment now.

  (Meanwhile, Focus has finally arrived at Reno as well, sitting at the back of the armored van while sipping on a cup of coffee. He glances through the window at his surroundings, showing quiet urban activity. He checks his watch once again for Flare’s location, now closer than ever, seeing the energy signature on the move, but it takes a stop and then continues moving, albeit not hurriedly, as if Flare has abandoned her bike and is simply walking.)

  Focus: (to the driver, firmly) We’re close. You can drop me off now. I’ll take it from here.

  (The driver nods and heads toward a mall’s parking garage, firmly parking the armored van in a given spot. Focus promptly opens the door and steps out of the van, firmly setting foot on the ground while handing one of the soldiers his empty cup of coffee.)

  Soldier 1A: (firmly) Remember, Focus. Don’t make a fuss. Get the job done as quickly and quietly as you can.

  Focus: (putting his hands into his pockets, rolling his eyes) How many times will you remind me of this? I said I’ll get it done.

  Soldier 1B: (sighing deeply) Alright, if you say so. I’ll inform the commander that the operation has begun.

  (Focus nods at this and heads out of the parking garage, walking on the sidewalks along with the crowd, his eyes constantly switching between his surroundings and the watch on his right hand, showing that the energy signature is closing in on him. Seeing that the energy signature is intensifying, meaning that it’s getting closer, he continues his path, intending to intercept Flare. Meanwhile, Flare is nonchalantly licking on an ice cream cone while walking in the sidewalks within the crowd, looking around and admiring her surroundings. The two finally cross paths as Focus glances at his watch, the energy signature massively intensifying, displaying an incredible amount of energy passing by. He glances at his right in shock, getting a glimpse of none other than Flare, still licking on her ice cream, and for a moment, the world seems to stop around him, his expression frozen in shock. Flare and Focus… have finally met.)