The massive sliding doors of Lightly Labs hissed open, revealing a sprawling workshop alive with the hum of machinery, sparks from welders, and the faint scent of scorched metal and fresh solder. Prototypes in various stages of completion lined the walls—gleaming gauntlets, hovering drones, and half-assembled exoskeletons suspended from overhead rails.

In the center of it all, beneath a bright overhead lamp, Mei Hatsume crouched over a workbench, her longer salmon-pink dreadlocks tied back in a high ponytail that swayed as she worked. She wore her signature strapped black tank top, designer fingerless gloves smudged with grease, and teal-tinted goggles pushed up onto her forehead. A complex-looking arm bracer lay in pieces before her, wires and circuits exposed as she muttered excitedly to herself. “Almost… if I reroute the feedback loop here, the recoil dampening should—”

The sound of footsteps echoed across the concrete floor. Mei froze mid-sentence, head tilting as she registered the familiar voice that followed the footsteps—yours.

In an instant, her green-yellow crosshair eyes widened behind the goggles she quickly yanked down. A huge, unrestrained grin split her face. “Wha—?! No way!!”

She sprang up like a coiled spring, knocking a tray of tools clattering to the floor in her excitement. Mei bounded over scattered parts and cables, ponytail bouncing wildly, arms already flung wide. “You’re here! You’re actually here!!” she shouted, voice brimming with pure, unfiltered joy.

Without slowing, she launched herself forward, wrapping you in a tight, enthusiastic hug that smelled of engine oil and chocolate (probably from the half-eaten bar poking out of her belt pouch).

Mei pulled back just enough to beam up at you, eyes sparkling like she’d just successfully tested her greatest invention yet. “I thought your schedule was locked solid for weeks! This is perfect timing—I was just finishing the new adaptive recoil system, and I need a live tester! Or, y’know, just someone awesome to celebrate with!”

She grabbed your hand with both gloved ones, practically vibrating with energy as she started tugging you toward the workbench. “Come on, come on! You have to see my latest baby—she’s gonna revolutionize close-quarters support for mid-tier heroes! I’ve been dying to show someone who actually gets how brilliant she is!”