The sky was a brilliant blue, and the air was warm and inviting. It was the perfect day for a trip to the park.

  As we walked, Izumi filled me in on the latest neighborhood gossip, her voice full of energy and enthusiasm. I couldn't help but smile, glad to see her spirits lifted after the conversation we'd had earlier. Maybe this trip to the park was exactly what she needed.

  The streets were bustling with people going about their day, and we navigated through them, the noise and chaos a familiar backdrop to our lives. New York City was like a living, breathing organism, always in motion, always changing. And yet, it was home, with all its flaws and beauty.

  It was hard to believe that we were under attack just a few days ago. Everything was terrifying, chaotic, dangerous. But now, as we walked in the morning sunlight, it almost felt normal. Almost.

  The scars of the attack were still visible in the boarded-up windows and the occasional broken storefront, but life went on. People moved around us, some with worry lines etched on their faces, others chatting happily, zero thought paid to the danger that had passed so close by. Izumi and I blended into the crowd, just two kids on their way to the park.

  "Hey, Ikki," Izumi said, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. "Do you think... do you think they'll come back?"

  I glanced down at her, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity. It was a question I'd been asking myself ever since the attack.

  Would the gangsters come back?

  "I don't know," I admitted, not wanting to lie to her. "But if they do, we'll be ready this time."

  She nodded, her jaw setting in a determined line. "Yeah. We'll be ready."

  The presence of the Terran relief forces and U.S military had definitely increased since the attack, and we could see them patrolling the streets, their weapons at the ready. Their presence was reassuring, but it was also a serious reminder of the danger that lurked just outside our city.

  We continued our walk, the tension in the air dissipating as we neared the park. The first signs of autumn were evident in the leaves that were beginning to turn shades of red, orange, and yellow.

  Most of the larger parks the city had maintained had grown out of control in the absence of mankind, but this park had been one of the few lucky ones still in good shape. The ground was covered in sand, and a few dilapidated benches were strewn about the area. There was a rusted swing set in the corner, its chains creaking in the breeze.

  Izumi and I stood facing each other as I dug out the training pads from my bag. They were old and worn, but they would do. I slipped on the padded gloves and held them up, waiting for Izumi to make her move.

  "Alright," I said, my tone serious. "Let's see what you've got."

  She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You asked for it, big bro."

  "Let's start slow. Get warmed up. Show me some intuitive punching combinations. Whatever feels natural for you. Then we'll work on your kicks and some takedowns."

  Izumi nodded, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she warmed up. After a few minutes, she started throwing jabs and crosses, her punches connecting with the pads with satisfying thuds.

  She had a bad habit of winging her punches and throwing in haymakers, leaving a glaring opening that would leave her exposed.

  It was almost like she developed a style around her impatience and restlessness — wild, uncontrolled moments for taking a bully with a size advantage and no training off guard.

  It would work on someone who was all bark and would flinch at a tiny girl swarming them. If she ever faced someone with even a little bit of training, her improvised style would get her hurt. It relied too much on shock & awe and having an advantage in speed and nimbleness, and that wasn't something she could always count on.

  But I didn't want to discourage her, so I let her keep practicing for a while. We worked on drilling her footwork, stance, and punches until she started feeling more comfortable.

  I might not have been the best shot with a gun, nor that athletically gifted, but I did have a keen eye for breaking down the kinesiology of people’s movements.

  Dad was always surprised by how good I was at spotting muscle imbalances and habits people had. In a way, we were like machines. If you knew how to look, you could see when the machine had developed a hitch in its giddy-up or wasn't firing on all cylinders. That was one of the few talents I could call my own.

  I was a little too soft for my mentors' tastes. Whether it was Blake, Elio, Dad, or any of the other people in our life. Not in the physical sense, but in the mental sense. I could see the way people worked and what made them tick. I could see the pain, the weakness, and the anger that motivated them, but I never wanted to take advantage of those things.

  But it did carry over for some reason to things like levers, pulleys, electrical systems, and circuitry, which was a lot of what I'd been doing for my studies. And I was good at it. Really good. I could just eyeball things.

  It was a weird talent, but it was mine.

  My sister paused, catching her breath. She was breathing hard, her face flushed from the exertion. But her eyes were bright with excitement.

  "Okay, now let's talk about defense," I said, holding up the training pad. "I want you to throw your basic combos off the jab at me. Then, I'm going to try to tap you with the pad. Your job is to block or dodge the punches or come under with a counterattack."

  Izumi nodded, a determined look on her face. She threw a quick one-two, staying at the edge of the range, and I attempted to tap her with the pad. She easily dodged my first tap, but my second tap caught her off guard. She stumbled slightly but quickly regained her footing.

  "Good job, Izumi," I said encouragingly. "But try to stay light on your feet, okay? And keep your guard up when you're inside. It's not as bad if you're outside — lower hands give you better balance and entry angles, but you need to keep it up when you're this close."

  Izumi nodded, her eyes focused. She threw her one-two punch again at the edge of my range, and I countered it halfway with a swift tap on top of her head. She dodged to the side, but her balance was off, and she nearly tripped. I caught her and steadied her.

  "What am I doing wrong?" she pouted.

  "It's okay. It's a common mistake," I said. "I have a reach and size advantage on you. The key is to keep your hands up, make quick, straight shots with your punches, and move in between them while staying close. Straight shots beat looping shots because of the distance and angle involved, even if they have less power. I wanted to take the chance to point this out because I see you swinging far too wide with those hooks."

  Izumi looked at me contemplatively as if trying to understand what I was saying. Her hands were still up in a guarding position.

  "Here, let me show you," I said. I took a step back and got into my fighting stance. I threw a series of fast, straight punches at her gloves. My punches were sharp and accurate, with minimal windup and follow-through. I then switched to throwing looping punches, where my momentum carried me through the punch. Izumi watched closely, trying to mimic my movements.

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  "Okay, let's try again," she said, nodding. "I'll get it this time."

  She threw another one-two punch, and this time, she moved in closer before throwing the punches. I tried to tap her with the pad, but she blocked it easily and even landed a counterpunch to my stomach, pulling the shot.

  "Nice one!" I said, grinning with a suck of air. "See, you're getting it."

  She threw another combination, mixing in a few body punches. She was starting to get the hang of it. She was moving more fluidly, keeping her hands up, and using her nimbleness to her advantage. I couldn't help but feel proud of her progress. Izumi really was a quick study.

  Her face lit up, and she struck a confident pose. "Yeah, I'm pretty good, aren't I?" she said, giggling.

  I chuckled and shook my head, impressed with her progress. "You're getting there, little sis. Just keep practicing and you'll be unbeatable."

  I placed my pads on the ground and motioned for her to come closer.

  "Now, let's work on Dad's favorite. How about we add a little grappling today? Try to take me down. Use anything you can to make it happen."

  Izumi's eyes widened with excitement, making me do a double-take.

  She'd always been lukewarm on 'real' grappling due to the lack of flash and excitement. But now, it seemed like something had changed for her.

  I could see a newfound confidence in her as she approached me, ready to take me down. I prepared to meet her head-on with whatever she had in store.

  She charged towards me, telegraphing a dive for my legs. I blocked her attempt and framed my hand on her head before I quickly spun behind her, locking my hands together around her back. I lifted her up easily, dropping her onto the sand with a gentle thud. Izumi grunted in surprise but quickly recovered and I relaxed my hold.

  "Nice entry," I said, impressed. "But you shouldn't dive like that on someone way bigger than you either. You need to use your agility to get in close and use leverage to your advantage, like taking them down with a trip or a sweep from a weird angle. Or even scramble to their backs. Maybe even set it up with some punches and feints."

  Izumi nodded, panting a little from the exertion. "Okay, I'll try that next time."

  My mind briefly wandered to the attack at the marketplace, where the brawny gangster I'd brawled with had flat out muscled out of my chokehold. I couldn't help but feel a pang of fear at the thought of Izumi being caught in a similar situation where no technique could overcompensate the strength and size difference.

  But I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on it. I was determined to equip Izumi with as much knowledge and skill as possible. I didn't want to scare her. I wanted her to feel empowered and capable of protecting herself.

  "Let's try it again," I said, holding up my hands and leaning forward in a grappling stance. "This time, I'm going to give you a little more resistance. See if you can take me down."

  Izumi stepped forward, this time keeping a low stance. She circled around me, trying to find an opening. She threw a jab, and I blocked it easily before she darted close, looking to get a hold of me. I sidestepped her, extending a foot as I tilted her off balance.

  Izumi grunted as she hit the ground, but she quickly scrambled back up, a look of determination on her face. "Again," she said with a growl.

  I nodded, impressed with her persistence. "All right, let's go again."

  I pulled myself back into a grappling stance, and Izumi circled around me again. She threw a few quick jabs, and I blocked them with ease. But this time, she quickly changed tactics.

  She faked a haymaker and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my leg and waist as I tried to frame on her head.

  I tried to shake her off, but she held tight. I shifted my weight to counter her, but she managed to take me off my feet. I stumbled, wincing in pain as my injuries flare up, but didn't show it as Izumi shifted her weight again. Before I knew it, I found myself throwing my hand out to break my fall, staring up in a cushy pile of sand. She'd taken me down.

  "Nice one!" I said, a little out of breath.

  Izumi grinned, her face flushed with exertion. "I did it!" she exclaimed, beaming with pride. "I took you down!"

  "You sure did," I chuckled.

  Her face lit up with pride as she got back to her feet. "I think that's the first time I've ever been able to get you down while you're resisting."

  I smiled at Izumi's enthusiasm. "You're getting stronger and faster every day, little sis," I said, patting her on the back. "Heck, you might be taller than me by the time I get back!"

  Izumi chuckled and shook her head, her cheeks turning a faint pink. "Oh yeah? You think so?"

  "Yup," I said, ruffling her hair affectionately. "So you better get eating more! You're gonna need it."

  Izumi rolled her eyes playfully, but I could tell she felt happy and confident.

  She bounced on the balls of her feet, eager for more. "Okay, let's do it again," she said excitedly. "I want to try that takedown again."

  I nodded, pushing myself back to my feet with a grunt.

  We practiced a few more takedowns and grappling techniques for someone small like her, taking care not to aggravate my injuries. Then, we called it a day and left the park, drenched in sweat. But I couldn't help but smile. Today had been a great day, and I knew that Izumi was one step closer to being able to protect herself. And that was all I could ask for.

  The sun was setting, and the streets were bathed in a golden glow. We made our way home, chatting about the day's events and laughing at the silly mistakes we'd both made.

  As we walked, Izumi suddenly stopped and turned to me with a contemplative look.

  "Big bro, can I ask you something?" she said, looking up at me with her big dark-brown eyes.

  "Of course, what's up?" I replied, bracing myself for whatever question was about to come my way.

  "I've been thinking about that attack at the marketplace," she said, her voice hesitant. "Do you think I could have helped if I were there? If I didn't, erm, run away and hide? You got beat up really badly, and I just feel so useless for not being there to help you."

  I sighed inwardly, knowing deep down that this was the conversation I'd been avoiding all along. But I also knew that I had to be honest with her. I took a deep breath before answering her.

  I stopped walking and kneeled down to look at Izumi directly in the eyes. "Hey, listen to me," I said softly. "You did nothing wrong. You did what you were supposed to do. You're young, and still growing, and frankly, so am I. We shouldn't have to confront violence and danger like that, but sometimes it just kinda... happens."

  Izumi looked down, her shoulders slumping. "But I still feel like I should have done something. Like I let you down. I knew you were in there somewhere, and I just turned and... went after Mina. I guess."

  "I will always be okay, Izumi. You did the right thing by running away and staying safe," I said, placing my hand on her shoulder. "I don't want you to feel like you have to protect me. That's not your job. And I don't want you to feel guilty either. I'm teaching you how to defend yourself so that in the future, you'll be prepared to take care of yourself and maybe even protect others. But at the end of the day, it's a worst case scenario thing and not one you actively chase after. Dad stressed that enough to us."

  Izumi looked up at me, her eyes now brimming with tears.

  "Okay..." she whispered.

  I wrapped my arms around Izumi, holding her close. "Look. I promise won't die that easily."

  Izumi hugged me back tightly, burying her face into my chest. "You better not. I would be so mad at you."

  I felt a pang of guilt for framing the conversation this way. That I knew there was nothing she could’ve done and I’d probably avoided serious injury out of dumb luck, but I knew it was necessary for her growth and safety. I held her for a few moments as her small frame shook with sobs before easing away and taking her hand in mine, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

  "We should get home," I said gently. "We've gotta figure out food. And hey, let's make dinner together tonight. How does mac and cheese sound? And maybe we can watch a movie after?"

  Izumi nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "That sounds nice," she said with a small smile.

  She blushed, flicking some sandy hair away from her eyes before looking up at me. "Thanks for talking to me about this and hanging out, Ikki," she said. Izumi smiled weakly, squeezing my hand. "I feel a little better now."

  "Anytime, sis," I said, returning her smile. "That's what family is for."

  We walked back to the house together in silence, the warm sun beating down on our backs.

  I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that lingered inside me. I was the older brother, and it was my responsibility to take care of Izumi. But was I really doing enough? Was I really teaching her everything she needed to know to protect herself? I was going to be gone for weeks at a time, starting tomorrow, and I wanted Izumi to know that she could trust herself and rely on her abilities if anything ever happened.

  The thought of being away from home for so long was daunting, but I knew that to be the best older brother possible, I had to do it.

  When we got back home, Izumi squeezed my hand tightly one final time before letting go.

  "See you soon, bro," she said with a small smile.

  I smiled back, patting her head fondly. "You bet."

  Izumi skipped ahead, opened the door, and ran upstairs to her bedroom. I followed at a slower pace, my mind still buzzing with the thought of being so far away from home. It seemed like just yesterday when she would turn to me for help with every little thing, asking me to tie her laces or cut her food into smaller pieces.

  But now she was getting older, and I knew that she was slowly entering a new phase of her life. Whether it was going to school alone or teaching herself how to defend herself if ever necessary, Dad and I had already done our jobs nurturing her.

  It was time for me to take a step back, let Izumi spread her wings, and watch as she flew into the world without me. I knew she would miss me tremendously, just as much as I would miss her.

  There was one thing I knew, though. No matter how far away I was. No matter how many worlds apart — I would always be her big brother.

  End of Arc 1