Jane led us inside, the heavy metal door groaning as it shut behind us. The sound echoed down the concrete corridor before settling into the low hum of the building. The moment the door closed, my senses flared. Kinetic signatures—small, scattered, restrained. Psychic impressions layered over one another like overlapping whispers. Fear, exhaustion, guarded hope. Too many minds in too close a space, most of them young.
Victoria felt my attitude shift immediately. "You okay, Thirteen?" she asked quietly, glancing at me.
"Yeah," I replied evenly, keeping my composure. "Just taking it all in."
Jane glanced back once but didn't comment.
The building revealed itself as we moved deeper inside. What had looked like a decent abandoned structure from the outside was clearly being lived in. It was a repurposed condo complex with multiple floors. I noticed exposed concrete walls, flickering overhead lights. An old check-in desk sat near the entrance, its terminal long dead, graffiti layered over peeling paint. An elevator shaft stood to the side, sealed shut with welded metal plates. So the stairs were the only way up.
We saw kids and teens moved through the halls casually. Some laughed softly. Others kept their heads down. A few young adults leaned against walls, eyeing us carefully.
As we began to head up the stairs I then spoke. "What's the deal with this place?"
Jane stopped halfway up the first flight of stairs. "This place used to be a mid-range condo complex," she said. "Got condemned years back after some financial crap. City never bothered tearing it down."
We reached the second floor.
"Now it's where kids end up when things fall apart," she continued. "Orphanages are overcrowded. Some homes are worse than the streets. Some of us just… don't fit anywhere else."
I scanned the walls as we walked. Structural stress fractures. Water damage. Mold, bugs colonies creeping along the corners where ventilation had failed. Rotting wood beneath patched flooring.
This place was holding together through stubbornness more than engineering. Victoria, on the other hand, moved like she belonged. She waved at a group of kids playing cards on the floor.
Someone called Janes name. She smiled and waved back. Jane then stopped in front of a door and unlocked it.
"This is my place."
We stepped inside. The unit was spartan but orderly. Two bedrooms, one bathroom. Furniture mismatched but looked functional. Posters taped to the walls. A battered couch. A small kitchen with salvaged appliances and water containers. A sliding glass door led to a narrow patio overlooking the water way.
"Make yourselves at home," Jane said, gesturing toward the couch. Victoria immediately flopped down, kicking her shoes off.
I stayed standing. I then looked at Victoria crossed eyed with a knowing look.
"What?" She said looking back
Jane noticed instantly. "You don need to be on guard," she said. "You're safe here."
"That's generous," I replied coldly. "But I just beat up your friends. And last time I checked, you roll with a gang. For all I know, this is where the rest of them will try and jump me."
Jane studied me for a long moment. Then she sighed. "They're not my friends," she said. "Not really. Finch runs with a crew from the orphanage closer to downtown. None of them live here."
She crossed her arms. "I don't like you hurting them, but that's on Finch. He escalated it messing with your friend. And honestly? They're not that dangerous yet, but that could change if they keep running with the wrong crowd."
She met my eyes again. "And from how you handled them and me you'll be fine. I don't know anyone that can do what you did."
"Besides you." Victoria said.
I didn't respond right away. My focus drifted instead. The psychic pressure was still there. It was subtle, and felt familiar. Too familiar.
During the fight, when our bodies collided—there had been something beneath the surface. Now, standing here, it was coming again. Her presence felt… familiar. Like a frequency I'd heard before but couldn't place.
I finally spoke. "Fine. Let's say I believe you. Why help us?"
Jane answered without hesitation. "Because you defended your friend, and even tried to deescalate. Stuff like that matters to me."
I nodded once. Then, "What about them?" I gestured vaguely toward the alley, toward Finch and the others.
Jane looked away. " I hang out with them for protection," she said.
Victoria raised an eye brow "Protection? You seem like you can handle yourself really well."
" Well they have connection and it's easier to get food, cash. They even keeps people from messing with me. That's all."
Victoria leaned forward with that dangerous look on her face I knew was her thinking. "You could join us instead," she said brightly. "We've got money, and Thirteen's got your back."
Jane turned to look at me. "Your name's Thirteen. What were you—raised in a lab?"
I didn't answer.
Victoria waved her hand dismissively. " It's a long story. Even he won't tell me his background."
I exhaled slowly. "Victoria, not that I mind the idea, but we have bigger problems. We need a new place to crash when the hotel runs out."
She shrugged. " Can't you just hack their system and extend it."
"That might work for a couple more days," I said. "Maybe a month if the manager's incompetent. But it's not sustainable."
Jane spoke up. "If you need a place, we've got space. It's not any 4 or 5 star hotel but it's something."
Victoria's eyes lit up. "Really? Can you show us?"
Jane nodded. "Yeah. Follow me."
She led us up to the fourth floor. The stairwell lighting flickered worse up here, and the air grew thicker, heavier.
"This unit's the worst," Jane said. "We use it for storage."
She opened the door. The smell hit immediately—dust, mold, stale air, something faintly rotten. Boxes were stacked everywhere. Old clothes. Broken furniture. Trash bags. The unit itself was larger from what I could tell from Janes unit. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, the kitchen was big and had an island, their was even a den, but everything was neglected and half-forgotten.
Victoria wrinkled her nose. "Is there anything else?"
Jane nodded. "There's another unit next door to mine. It just got empty. People leave when they get jobs, college placements, or enlist in the military, but it doesn't happen often, some die from drugs, sickness or violence."
I stepped inside fully, ignoring the smell, scanning everything. Structural integrity was decent. Electrical wiring outdated but salvageable. Plumbing corroded but fixable. Mold infestation moderate—not systemic yet. That was this place saving grace. I might take a week or two but I can clean this place and fix it up, but I would need to to the building as a whole or else the problems will spread again.
"This place is perfect, There's a lot of potential here" I said.
Victoria blinked. "Perfect?"
"I can clean it," I continued. "Fix it. Plumbing, electrical, structural reinforcement. A week, maybe less. for just this unit, a few months maybe a year for the entire building, if I can get my hands on the right tools and some extra hands to help then less time."
Jane looked me with a surprised expression. "You can fix up this whole building ?"
I nodded. " I'm not a licensed contractor, but we have the internet and I have a handy tool for money to get the resources."
Victoria stared at me. "You actually want to live here, I can see the potential. I can image how I would decorate this place."
"Your not living with me," I clarified. "You can stay in the other unit. Or wherever you want after the week's up."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're abandoning me again?"
"You know where I'll be," I said. " So come visit whenever."
She huffed. "Fine. But you better bring a housewarming gift."
I nodded. "Deal."
Jane crossed her arms. "If you're staying, know this—we all contribute. Utilities, repairs, keeping things quiet. And we don't bring trouble here."
"That works," I said. "I've got rules too."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"
"Since I will help and handle majority of the repairs, these are non negotiable. One," I said evenly. " You and everyone here stay out of my business."
"Fair we are all like that."
"Two. No drugs. No gang violence. And absolutely no predators of any kind."
Jane went still. "The drug thing might be a little hard, but I can agree no predators last long here when they are outed."
"I just mean no dealing, or making drugs here, I just don't want the cops or worse kicking down my door." Then Jane nodded slowly. "13, I have a feeling we are going to get along well."
She extended her hand, and I shook it.
The moment our skin touched, the world flickered. Images slammed into my mind—Jane as a little girl, smiling wide, missing a front tooth. Sitting across from an woman at a small table. Playing chess. Their mouths moved but I couldn't hear any voices. Then it came in breaks
"I have an assignment for y—"
The vision cut off abruptly. I released her hand, eyes narrowing as I looked at her.
Jane blinked, confused. "You okay?"
I studied her carefully. Who is she?