Shopping Spree

Alex turned the metallic fragment of Vault's pole over in his hands. It wasn't much—just a broken length of alloyed steel, smooth at the break, humming faintly with residual energy. He spun it slowly, watching the way the light caught its edge. It had become a habit now, this silent ritual of memory.

Setting it gently aside, he focused on something new. He hadn't upgraded Fixer yet—his reliable, stoic repair specialist. Fixer never asked for anything, always diving into missions without hesitation. But today, Alex wanted to give him something back.

Channeling his mental energy, Alex summoned an item. Ever since the Cube had synced with his mind, he'd started seeing flashes of information—tooltips, diagnostics, even projected use-cases for summoned items. It let him understand the essence of what he brought forth, as if the Cube was filtering the power through a logic lens.

With a low rumble and a flash of light, a compact engine-like device with two thick wheels materialized on the summoning platform. The wheels were sleek and gyro-stabilized, functioning similarly to modern unicycles or hoverboards, designed for both speed and balance across rugged terrain. Its frame shimmered with mechanical plating, and visible suspension coils glowed faintly beneath.

A tooltip flickered to life:

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[Turbo Core Exo-Wheel Engine]

Type: Mobility Upgrade / Tactical Gear

Grants high-speed traction and short-range boosters. Integrates with existing gauntlet circuitry for real-time terrain response.

Note: Also functions as modular armor plating when idle.

Alex smirked. "No more waiting on police vans, buddy."

He could already picture Fixer attaching the wheels to his boots, sliding down the emergency ramp like a rolling tank.

The energy hit him immediately after—the usual mental crash. He swayed in place, grabbing the desk for support.

Bliss hopped up beside him, nose twitching. Her aura quickly washed over him, easing the worst of it.

He gave her a gentle nod. "Thanks, little medic."

The engine rested beside Fixer's tag, gleaming like it was ready to roll.

Not yet finished, Alex turned his thoughts to Healer. She'd never asked for anything either, always focused on restoring others. He focused again, letting his mental energy channel through the Cube's guidance.

A gentle swirl of light formed in the air. From it emerged a slender staff—silver with a twisting vine motif, topped with a translucent crystal that pulsed softly like a heartbeat. As it settled in his hands, another tooltip shimmered into view:

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[Verdant Bloom Staff]

Type: Healing Focus / Support Channel

Increases potency of healing spells and allows passive aura restoration in a radius. Reacts to emotion and intent to modulate healing output.

Note: Best suited for pure-hearted support-class heroes.

Alex smiled as he placed the staff beside Healer's summon marker. "You're next."

His vision swam slightly. Two items in quick succession had drained him. He blinked heavily, but Bliss was already at his side, radiating calm.

"Alright, alright," he whispered, rubbing his temple. "One more nap and we're good."

But then something strange stirred in him. Despite the drain, he didn't feel completely spent. For the first time, he felt… a margin of extra energy. A reserve he hadn't touched before.

"I think… I can summon one more."

He blinked in surprise. Maybe it was the Cube's gradual reinforcement or Bliss's constant healing aura, but something had shifted.

He sat up straighter, curiosity blooming in his chest.

A loud beep echoed through the dispatch room. Another emergency pinged across Alex's screen—a construction site collapse downtown. Multiple injuries. Jammed steel beams. Gas leaks. No time to waste.

"Fixer," Alex called.

The hero emerged through the portal, metal visor gleaming and gauntlets already spinning to life. Alex tossed him the compact engine module.

"Try this."

Fixer caught it, inspected it briefly, then pressed it against the back of his boots. With a soft hiss and a flash of blue light, the engine disassembled and merged into his legs. The wheels aligned underneath him, stabilizing like a hoverboard. Fixer leaned forward—and shot down the hero slide with a metallic whir.

By the time Alex tapped into the site's drone cam feed, Fixer had already reached the epicenter. He zipped past rubble and fallen scaffolding, weaving around debris as if born on wheels. His gauntlets flared as he punched through twisted support rods, stabilizing cracked foundations and sealing gas vents in seconds.

"Unit Four reports structural collapse contained!" a field agent barked. "One hero on-site, moving like a damn train!"

Fixer didn't wait for orders. He locked onto a collapsed stairwell and accelerated, using his new wheels to launch himself off a support beam. In midair, his gauntlets shifted—sprouting miniature grapplers that attached to the next platform. He landed, rolled, and immediately began unbending twisted metal to free a trapped civilian.

Alex watched in awe.

The man was an engine now. An unstoppable machine of rescue and repair.

One worker, choking on dust, stared up at Fixer. "What are you…?"

Fixer didn't answer. He pointed to the exit and rolled away—already scanning for the next structural fault.

Not wanting to stay behind, Alex hopped onto the government-issued tactical bike, a sleek matte-black vehicle parked just outside the dispatch bay. The city blurred past him in seconds as he raced toward the site, weaving between emergency lanes and following the ping on his communicator.

By the time he arrived, Fixer had already stabilized most of the area. But the aftershocks were still setting off minor collapses, and injured civilians lay scattered around the wreckage.

Just then, another flash of light signaled a new presence.

Healer emerged, calm and poised, her long coat fluttering as she stepped through the portal. In her hand, the Verdant Bloom Staff shimmered with gentle light, the crystal at its tip pulsing in sync with the surrounding chaos.

The moment her boots touched the broken ground, a soft aura radiated from her. Injured civilians within a ten-meter radius sighed in relief as warmth passed through them—fractures eased, burns cooled, and pain dulled.

She planted the staff into the ground, the vines coiling upward and glowing brighter. The healing field expanded, and emergency personnel stopped to catch their breath as the area filled with tranquil energy.

Fixer rolled to her side, nodded once, then zipped away toward the next fault.

Healer's eyes glowed faintly as she whispered chants beneath her breath. The staff glowed brighter, forming small spheres of concentrated energy that floated toward the most critical victims.

Alex watched through the dust and sirens. "That staff… it's making her stronger."

He felt it deep in his chest—that familiar tug. His heroes were evolving. They weren't just summons anymore.

They were becoming something more.

Just as Healer's field stabilized the last of the wounded, Alex's comms crackled to life again.

"High-speed pursuit in Sector 6. Suspect fleeing on hoverblades. Civilian danger imminent."

Without hesitation, Alex summoned Zipline.

She burst from the portal mid-stride, her metallic skate-armor gleaming in the emergency lights. The transformation had been seamless—the unknown metal he'd summoned earlier had reshaped her skater's outfit into something more resilient. Flexible plating now covered her arms and legs, and a silver scarf trailed behind her like a ribbon of light.

Alex pointed toward the northwest bridge. "Intercept and contain. Priority: no civilian harm."

"Got it," she said with a grin, already gone in a blur of sparks.

Through the drone feed, Alex watched the chase unfold. The suspect—dressed in black and hauling a stolen prototype—skated through alleyways using a pair of high-tech hoverblades. The device hissed and pulsed with unstable energy, creating magnetic repulsion that let him glide inches above the ground, unhindered by terrain.

Zipline dropped down from an overhead walkway, sparks trailing her wheels. The suspect spotted her, narrowed his eyes, and veered into a tunnel lined with columns.

The two shot forward at breakneck speed.

He twisted mid-glide and tossed a flash pellet behind him. Zipline kicked upward onto a wall and banked hard, riding the side with one hand grazing the concrete for balance. She burst back onto his trail, dodging between support beams as the tunnel flickered with emergency lights.

He drew a pulse pistol and fired blindly behind him. Zipline ducked, her armor absorbing the scattershot, and accelerated with a magnetic burst. She flipped over a fallen signpost, landed, and reached out—her scarf extending like a whip.

The suspect sliced it with a plasma blade.

She growled, launched forward, and kicked off a pillar. In midair, she twisted, launching her skates downward and colliding with the hoverblades, disrupting his momentum.

The two tumbled across the ground in a blur of light and motion.

Zipline landed first. The moment her wheels hit pavement, she was off again. She spun mid-pursuit, grabbing a fallen sign and redirecting it like a boomerang. It clipped his arm just as he recovered.

The suspect tried one last boost, but Zipline caught up, her scarf shifting again—this time binding his legs. He tumbled, crashed, and slid to a halt.

Alex arrived moments later on his tactical bike. The hoverblades hummed faintly on the pavement, still functional.

Alex arrived moments later on his tactical bike. The hoverblades hummed faintly on the pavement, still functional.

He crouched beside them, placing his hand over the device. The Cube pulsed faintly on his chest, syncing with the item. A translucent screen hovered before his eyes:

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[Skyrider Hoverblades]

Type: Movement/Upgrade Module

Allows terrainless traversal at high speed using magnetic propulsion and aerial stabilization. Compatible with agile-type heroes. Can sustain bursts of flight or midair redirection.

Warning: Prolonged use without adjustment may cause physical strain or disorientation.

Alex smirked. "You're going to love this."

Watching her in action—fluid, fast, fearless—he felt a flicker of realization.

She was a blur of mobility, but her offense was limited. That scarf could only do so much.

He made a mental note.

"She needs something to strike with," he murmured. "Something to match her speed."

He activated the merge.

"Looks like a perfect match," he muttered.

He placed his hand over the hoverblades and summoned his power. They dissolved into light and surged toward Zipline. Her boots reshaped, absorbing the energy, and her eyes widened.

She lifted slightly off the ground—no longer bound by roads or rails.

When she touched back down, she looked at him. "Now this… is real freedom."

She hovered for a moment longer before gliding to a stop beside him. Her smile softened, and her gaze lingered.

"You know," she said, voice quieter, "I wasn't sure why I responded to your call the first time. But after all this... I think I was searching for purpose. Something to matter for."

She kicked off gently, floating above the street. "Next time you summon me, I'll tell you everything."

...