Juno (texts Kaisler): Sorry about last night.

Kaisler (texts Juno): No problem.

Juno (texts Kaisler): It’s… just… you scare me sometimes.

Kaisler (texts Juno): Me? I couldn’t hurt a fly.

Juno (texts Kaisler): That’s not true, but ignoring your stupidity—wanna go get some coffee?

Kaisler thinks to himself: I hate coffee, but if it makes her more open, I’ll do it.

Kaisler (texts Juno): Sure, got it.

Juno (texts Kaisler): So, see you there?

Kaisler (texts Juno): Yeah. What time?

Juno (texts Kaisler): 3:30 PM.

Kaisler (texts Juno): So, it’s like a date?

Juno (texts Kaisler): Say that again, and it’s off.

Kaisler (texts Juno): Ok, ok.

Juno (texts Kaisler): Matter of fact, don’t text me until it’s 3:30 PM.

Kaisler thinks to himself: Shit, I didn’t ask her where it was. I mean, I’ll figure it out—it’s me, after all.

One hour before he has to leave, he looks for clothes to wear. Should he go with something casual or something fancy? He can’t decide, so he calls Sarah.

Sarah (tired): What do you want? I can’t be bothered with BS right now.

Kaisler (confused): Since when did you act like this?

Sarah (getting more annoyed): WHAT DO YOU WANT?! ALRIGHT, I’M NOT READY FOR THIS BS, JUST HURRY UP!

Kaisler (scared): Could you check if Juno is dressing up fancy or if she’s casual?

Sarah (more relaxed): Why? Are you going on a date with her?

Kaisler: Kinda. It’s weird, just tell me.

Sarah goes upstairs and checks on Juno, seeing her wearing a casual hoodie. Juno looks confused, staring at Sarah as she walks out.

Sarah: She’s casual, so don’t outdress her, okay? If you do, you lose all hope.

Kaisler: Okay.

Kaisler ends the call and looks through his closet. He spots a sleek black jacket, his iron Cuban chain, a black t-shirt, semi-baggy trousers, and his Jordan 4-like shoes. He also puts two rings on his fingers.

Kaisler: This isn’t overdressing, is it? …Yeah, it’s not. But now I need to find her.

30 minutes later, Kaisler sees Juno standing outside, waiting for him.

Kaisler (thinking): Should I get flowers? …No, no, that would make it weird, right? She did say it’s not a date. But… what if she only said it’s not a date?
…Fuck it, we ball. If I lose, I lose.

Kaisler: Hey, Juno. How you doing?

Juno: Someone dressed up nice for just coffee.

Kaisler (thinking): FUCK FUCK FUCK. I KNEW IT—I OVERDRESSED.

Juno: Hello? Helllllo? Earth to Kaisler?

Kaisler: Oh—yeah, sorry for overdressing.

Juno (laughing): Why do you apologize for everything?

Kaisler: Uh… sorry.

(Juno playfully hits him.)

Juno: Stop apologizing.

Kaisler: Anyway, let’s get some coffee.

(Later, while drinking her coffee...)

Juno: So why’d you agree to come out with me?

Kaisler: No clue. I guess I was bored, not gonna lie.

Juno: Just because you were bored?

Kaisler: …Is that bad?

Juno: You really have no idea how to talk to women. You’re so dense.

Kaisler: You can say that again… just not the dense part.

Juno: So, uh… what do you do in your free time?

Kaisler: It’s super boring.

Juno: Tell me. I won’t laugh.

Kaisler: I just work out. That’s it. Get drunk occasionally. But mostly, I just work out.

Juno: That’s boring as fuck... Better than what I used to do.

Kaisler: …? What do you mean?

Juno: Well, it’s kinda complicated. I used to draw… then farm… and then...

Kaisler: You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.

Juno: Yeah… thanks.

Kaisler: Anyway, let’s get serious. Why did you call me here?

Juno: You don’t trust that I just wanted to grab coffee and chat?

Kaisler: You? You, of all people—the one who was crying and screaming at me?

Juno: …Fine, you got me.

(Juno puts a finger on Kaisler’s chest.)

Juno: Now listen. In just a moment, I could think of your body heating up to 3,000 degrees—and you’d be dead.

Kaisler: Wow. Good job. Why are you doing this?

Juno: I want you to tell me why you’re trying so hard to get to know me.

Kaisler: …Because I want a friend. I want another opinion besides Buddy’s and Sarah’s.

Juno: That’s a lie.

Kaisler: Fine. I’ll be honest. I have no fucking clue why I try to save people.
And this will probably be the last time I do.

Juno (chuckling): That’s funny.

Kaisler (raising an eyebrow): Is it really?

Juno (smirking): Yeah. Seeing you spill your guts out when I know you’re lying.

Kaisler (crossing his arms): Two questions.

Juno (tilting her head): Go on.

Kaisler (locking eyes with her): How fast is your attack? And why do you think I’m lying?

Juno (casually leaning back): First of all, it’s three times faster than light speed. And second, who would help useless old me?

Kaisler (narrowing his eyes): Does your attack have a radius?

Juno (grinning, tapping her fingers against the table): Who knows? And why would I tell you in the first place?

Kaisler clenches his fist slightly, deep in thought.
(Why would she put her finger on me? There has to be a reason. Maybe if she touches me, her attack moves at an irrelevant speed? Or maybe she has a radius where everything happens instantly? It’s a gamble, but I have to take it.)

Kaisler (smirking, leaning forward slightly): Do you think you can keep up with me?

Juno (rolling her eyes): Of course, I own this territory.

Kaisler (grinning wider): Sure.

Juno (mocking): You said it yourself, you couldn’t hurt a fly.

Kaisler (his smile fading slightly): Let’s put that to the test.

Kaisler (exhales sharply, then, without warning, dashes away, putting a good amount of distance between them).

Kaisler (thinking): Does her saying "I own this territory" mean she has a radius? can’t be thinking about this right now. right now’s the time to box.

Kaisler (grinning from ear to ear): Run that fade.

Juno (smirking): Aight, but if you die, don’t blame it on me.

Kaisler uses the spaces he creates to try and hit her. But as he tries to get closer, he notices her attack—he estimates it’s moving at almost 24 times the speed of light. He dodges, narrowly avoiding the strike, leaving Juno impressed. But she steps closer, confirming his suspicion: she has a radius where everything within it is instant death.

How could you kill a character who controls temperature? he thinks. What if I overstimulate her?

Kaisler summons two hundred thousand strings, raising their boiling point to 4,000 degrees—enough to take time, but not an immediate threat. He uses four hundred thousand strings to bounce around her, leaving her uncertain of where the next strike will come from. He amplifies his speed by twenty times using the bounce, then seizes the opening.

With a burst of speed, he drop-kicks her. She sees the attack coming, but she can’t react in time—it’s as if she’s frozen. The kick sends her flying across the country. As this happens, Kaisler uses his strings to continue attacking, employing a hit-and-run tactic.

She was never a real competition, he thinks to himself. But despite that, he doesn’t want to kill her. So, he stops. Using invisible threads with a boiling point of 30,000 degrees, he ties her down, making sure she’s immobilized.

Juno (covered in her own blood): Good fight.

Kaisler (coldly): Is it?

Juno (spitting blood from her mouth): Why did you fight me, knowing you'd lose?

Kaisler (coldly): Same reason you fought me—because you had something to prove.

Juno (laughing weakly): Why save me then? Knowing I wanted to die?

Kaisler (emotionless): I have my reasons.

Juno: So do I. What makes you different?

Kaisler (coldly): Nothing. I’m just better at this.

Juno: Not even average?

Kaisler (grinning): I defeated you. What’s your point?

Juno (bitterly): What does that mean? Huh? I was just a girl with temperature control. The first time we met, you called it a dumb, useless power.

Kaisler (coldly): Doesn’t matter now, does it?

Juno (shaking her head): Try and live?? Living has done nothing but cause me pain. I’ve only suffered—getting abused, abandoned, losing friends. What’s the point of life?!

Kaisler (coldly): Honestly? Kill yourself.

Juno (furious): You changed. Now you’re showing your true colors. You don’t care about me—you just wanted to make yourself feel good.

Kaisler (coldly): You’re right about a couple of things. I saved you to make myself feel good. But there’s no point to living. You’re just too weak to accept it.

Juno (shouting): Stop with all this bullshit. You’re a nobody like me. Buddy’s powerful, rich. Sarah’s smart and strong. ME AND YOU? We’re nobodies. Actually, you’re a fucking industry plant—you’ve got everyone on your side, the rich and powerful, while faking being poor.

Kaisler (coldly): Me? An industry plant? Honestly, I was right—just kill yourself. You serve no purpose. Your only goal is to mock the person who saved you.

Juno (furious): LOOK AT WHAT YOU’RE FUCKING WEARING—CHAINS, ROLEX, EVEN FUCKING RINGS. FOR WHAT? COFFEE? COFFEE? I HOPE YOU DIE. JUST FUCKING DIE!

Kaisler (coldly): I will, eventually. But one thing’s for sure—you’ll die before me. A cold, miserable death. No one to mourn you—just like you said.

Kaisler (coldly): Have fun out there, stranded on the other side of the country.

Juno: You know what? I will. I get to meet new people and maybe get a boyfriend

Kaisler: if you somehow escape without killing yourself

Kaisler disappers as soon as she blinks his in his house telling buddy what happend