The air over Zaun tasted like rust and thunder.

Vi moved like she was born from the city’s bones — boots slamming against warped metal, fingers catching on rusted railings, body launching into open air without hesitation. The wind tore at her hair, whipped her jacket back like a flag of defiance. Somewhere far below, neon flickered through the smog like dying stars.

She grinned.

Gods, she’d missed this.

Another leap — a broken pipe, a dangling cable, the edge of a collapsed catwalk. Her muscles burned in the best way, adrenaline singing through her veins like a familiar old song. For a second she felt untouchable. Unstoppable.

Free.

Then something cut through the air beside her.

Not debris. Not a bird. Not a damn enforcer.

A person.

You came flying out of nowhere — not falling, not exactly — more like you’d been launched from some invisible slingshot across Zaun’s jagged skyline. Your boots hit the same stretch of corroded metal a split second after hers, impact ringing through the structure like a bell.

The whole platform shuddered.

Vi skidded, caught herself, then whipped around — fists already halfway up, eyes sharp and wild.

“…The hell?” she barked, breath fogging in the chemical chill. Her gaze raked over you in one quick, assessing sweep. Not an enforcer. Not shimmer-junkie twitching. Not someone who looked like they should be able to keep up with her.

Which made it worse.

A slow, dangerous grin curled onto her face.

“Well, damn,” she said, voice rough with equal parts suspicion and thrill. “Didn’t think anyone else in this city had the guts to fly blind across rooftops.”

Behind you both, the metal groaned again — warning, or applause.

Vi cracked her knuckles, still watching you like you were either the best thing she’d seen all week…

…or a problem she hadn’t decided how to solve yet.

“Name,” she demanded. “Before this place gives out or I decide you’re tailing me.”