[Laura’s Thought]: They say the human brain is like a hard drive—once you delete a file, it’s gone. But they’re wrong. Mr. Puppet didn’t just leave a memory; he left a ghost. I’m back at Sherwood High, sitting in the same cafeteria, eating the same mystery meat, but every time the overhead speakers crackle, my heart stops. I find myself checking my hands, making sure they’re still mine to move.
The Monday morning after the warehouse was quiet. Too quiet. Laura sat at a corner table, her hoodie pulled up, picking at a sandwich. She felt exposed, as if every student walking by could see the "puppet strings" still attached to her soul.
Austin sat down across from her. He didn't say anything at first. He just slid a fresh chocolate croissant onto the table and a small, handheld device he’d spent all night soldering.
"It's a localized scrambler," Austin said softly, his voice a steady anchor in her sea of anxiety. "If any psychic frequency—even a whisper—tries to hit your brainwaves, this will vibrate. It’ll snap you back before you even feel the hum."
Laura looked at the device, then at him. "You didn't have to do that, Austin."
"Yes, I did," he countered, his eyes meeting hers with a fierce protectiveness she hadn't seen before. "I’m never letting anyone inside your head again. Ever."
Laura reached out, her fingers brushing his over the table. "Thank you. For... for everything. If it wasn't for your voice..."
"Don't," Austin interrupted gently. "You fought your way back. I just provided the map."
The Lightning Entry
The moment of peace was shattered—not by a villain, but by a sudden, violent crack of thunder in a cloudless sky. A bolt of blue-white electricity slammed into the pavement just outside the cafeteria windows.
The students screamed, but Laura was already standing, her hand hovering over her watch.
A figure stepped out of the dissipating ozone. It was Avan Oliver. His silver-and-blue armor sparkled with residual static, and his expression was as sharp as a blade. He didn't look like a teacher; he looked like a storm in human form.
He walked straight through the cafeteria doors, ignoring the panicked gasps of the teenagers. He stopped in front of Laura's table.
"Dawson," he barked, his voice echoing off the brick walls. "You're slow."
"Excuse me?" Laura blinked, taken aback.
"I watched the warehouse footage," Avan said, crossing his arms. "You were compromised because you were impulsive, and you stayed compromised because you lacked the speed to outrun the signal. Elizabeth might be the Commander, but I’m the one who handles the frontline. And right now? You’re a liability."
"Avan, not here!" Austin stood up, his face reddening. "She just went through hell—"
"The world doesn't care about her 'hell,' Rose," Avan snapped, turning his electric blue gaze to Austin. "The Snyderverse is moving. If she can't move faster than their thoughts, she’s dead. And so are you."
He looked back at Laura. "West Corp training facility. Five minutes. If you're late, don't bother coming back. We’re going to see if that Starlight of yours can actually move, or if you're just a doll in a fancy suit."
With a sudden CRACK, he vanished in a blur of lightning, leaving the smell of scorched air behind.
[Laura’s Thought]: Great. My brain is a mess, I’m terrified of my own thoughts, and now the fastest man alive wants to turn me into a lightning rod. But as I looked at the scorched mark on the floor, I felt something I hadn't felt since the warehouse. I felt a spark of real, genuine anger.
"Go," Austin said, his hand on her shoulder. "Show him you aren't a doll. I'll be in the comms the whole time."
Laura nodded, her eyes hardening. "Watch... Initiate Starlight Legacy."
The violet and green armor snapped on, but this time, it felt different. It felt like a shield. Not just against villains, but against the fear.
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and then Add to home screen.