The world drifted in and out of focus as Jack blinked against the harsh, sterile light above him. His body felt heavy, sluggish, like he was submerged underwater. The taste of copper lingered in his mouth, the dull ache of his injuries spreading like a fog across his senses. He blinked again, and the haze began to lift, slowly sharpening into the cold reality of his surroundings.

  A room. Small, stark, and windowless. The walls were painted a pale gray, and the only furniture was the metal table beside him, cluttered with medical supplies. Jack groaned softly, feeling the tight bandages wrapped around his torso, the sharp sting of freshly-stitched wounds pulling against his skin. He was alive—barely, but alive.

  As the fog in his mind cleared, memories of the fight rushed back to him. The chaos at NovaTech. The intruders. The brutal precision of their attack. Crimson Nova lying lifeless on the ground, and the Nova Horizons brought to their knees. He had barely made it out. In fact, he wasn’t even sure how he had.

  His eyes flicked around the room, searching for answers. This wasn’t a hospital, nor was it his safe house. The walls were too clean, too well-maintained. His fingers instinctively flexed, seeking the familiar feel of the mask that had concealed his identity for so long. But it was gone—no mask, no disguise. Just Jack, vulnerable and exposed in an unfamiliar place.

  Footsteps echoed outside the door, and Jack stiffened, his body tensing despite the pain that shot through his side. He wasn’t alone, and whoever had brought him here hadn’t done it out of the kindness of their heart. He tried to sit up, grimacing as the effort sent a fresh wave of pain rippling through his chest.

  The door slid open with a soft hiss, and a figure stepped inside. Dr. Marcus Levin—his usual calm demeanor replaced by an expression of deep concern—moved swiftly toward the bed, his sharp eyes assessing Jack’s condition.

  "You're awake," Levin said, his voice measured but not unkind. "Good. We weren’t sure how long you’d be out."

  Jack stared at him, the words slow to form on his tongue. "Where… am I?"

  Levin adjusted the tablet in his hands, glancing at the monitors attached to Jack’s bed. "You’re in a secured area beneath NovaTech Labs. An underground safe house, of sorts. Off the grid, away from prying eyes."

  Jack’s mind started piecing things together, but there were still too many gaps. "How did I get here? Last thing I remember was…" His voice trailed off as flashes of the fight, the chaos, and Crimson Nova lying motionless on the floor rushed back into his mind.

  Levin looked uneasy, setting the tablet down on the metal tray beside the bed. "After you passed out, things escalated quickly. The heroes arrived, but by then… the intruders were already gone. A Porter—likely level 2 or 3—showed up just before we could fully secure the area. They extracted the remaining intruders in a matter of seconds, taking everything they’d stolen with them. By the time the registered heroes arrived in force, it was over."

  Jack clenched his fists, feeling the anger surge through him. All that fighting, all that effort, and they had still managed to escape. "So it was for nothing," he muttered, his jaw tightening. "They got away."

  "Not for nothing," Levin said, his tone firm. "You bought us time. Without you, those intruders would’ve taken more than just a few samples. They would’ve had full access to some of our most sensitive data and tech. We’re still analyzing what they managed to steal, but the damage could’ve been far worse."

  Jack exhaled slowly, the frustration gnawing at him. "Still doesn’t explain why I’m here. Why didn’t you just leave me in the field?"

  Levin’s eyes flickered with something Jack couldn’t quite place. "I didn’t think you’d want to be found by the authorities. You’re not exactly on good terms with the system, Veil."

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  Jack stiffened at the use of his vigilante alias. Even though Levin didn’t know his real identity, the mention of Veil reminded Jack how exposed he was without his mask. He glanced around the room, confirming what he had feared since he woke up—his mask and gear were gone, leaving him vulnerable.

  "Where’s my stuff?" Jack demanded, his voice hard.

  Levin sighed, stepping back from the bed. "Your gear is safe. I had it moved to a secure location. Look, I’m not trying to trap you. I’m trying to protect you. The heroes were seconds away from storming the building, and if they had found you there, unconscious, and responsible for who knows how much collateral damage… well, let’s just say things would’ve gone very differently for you."

  Jack’s muscles tensed, his mind racing. Levin was right. If the registered heroes had found him in that state, he wouldn’t have made it out without being thrown into a maximum-security facility—or worse. But that didn’t make him feel any better about the situation. "You didn’t answer my question," Jack said coldly. "Why did you bring me here? Why not just dump me somewhere and let me deal with the fallout?"

  Levin didn’t flinch. "Because I need your help, Veil. The attack on NovaTech wasn’t random. These intruders weren’t just some small-time group looking for a quick score. They knew exactly what they were doing, and they were after something specific—our power modulators. Those devices can enhance and control powers in ways the public doesn’t fully understand. And in the wrong hands, they could shift the balance of power in ways we can’t predict."

  Jack sat up, ignoring the pain that flared in his side. "And you think I can help you with that? Why? I’m not part of your system. I’m not one of your registered heroes."

  Levin’s expression softened slightly, but there was still a gravity to his tone. "Exactly. That’s why I need you. Whoever orchestrated this attack knows our system inside and out. They’ve studied our protocols, our security measures, and our weaknesses. They know how we operate. But you—you don’t play by their rules. You move outside the system. That makes you unpredictable. And right now, we need unpredictability more than ever."

  Jack frowned, processing Levin’s words. It wasn’t the first time someone had tried to leverage his status as an outsider, but this felt different. This wasn’t some shady government agency looking to use him as a blunt instrument. This was someone genuinely trying to keep something dangerous out of the wrong hands.

  "Let me get this straight," Jack said slowly. "You want me to work with you to stop whoever’s behind this, but you don’t even know who they are or what they’re planning. And you expect me to just trust you?"

  Levin didn’t hesitate. "No. I don’t expect you to trust me. But I do expect you to see the bigger picture. If these people can control powers the way I think they can, it won’t matter if you’re registered or not. They’ll find a way to control everyone—heroes, vigilantes, civilians. Everyone. And if that happens, the world as we know it changes. Permanently."

  Jack’s gut twisted. He didn’t like the idea of being roped into something this big, but Levin was right. If these people could manipulate powers on a large scale, the consequences would be catastrophic. He couldn’t just walk away from that.

  "Fine," Jack said after a long pause. "I’ll help. But on my terms. I don’t answer to your heroes or your system. I’m not going to get caught up in some bureaucratic mess. I do things my way, or not at all."

  Levin nodded, relief evident in his eyes. "Fair enough. We’ll keep this quiet. As far as anyone knows, you were never here. You’ll operate independently, but you’ll have access to information—intel we gather on the intruders and whatever leads we can dig up. Agreed?"

  Jack gave a slow nod, though a knot of uncertainty still lingered in his chest. "Agreed."

  Levin turned to leave but paused at the door. "One last thing. Tomorrow, there’s a meeting—a big one. The top heroes and scientists are coming together to figure out what happens next. They’ll discuss Crimson Nova’s replacement and how to stop this from happening again. You won’t be at the meeting, obviously, but I’ll keep you informed of anything relevant."

  Jack nodded, watching as Levin disappeared through the door, leaving him alone once more. As the sound of the doctor’s footsteps faded, Jack’s mind churned. He wasn’t a hero. He didn’t wear a badge or follow a code. But the world was changing, and if he didn’t act, he feared what would come next.

  He leaned back against the pillows, staring up at the ceiling, feeling the weight of the choice he had just made settle over him like a dark cloud. This was bigger than him, bigger than the fight at NovaTech. And for the first time in a long while, Jack Donovan wasn’t sure if he was ready for what came next.

  But ready or not, he had been dragged into the fight. And there was no turning back now.