"…I can hear you."
Eddy froze.
Sarah blinked.
Luce slowly turned his head toward Jackie.
Then—
Both he and Eddy spoke at the exact same time.
"Why are you here?"
The words came out perfectly synchronized.
Same tone.
Same timing.
Jackie didn't even look at them.
"…School."
Eddy stared at her.
"That's not what I meant."
Sarah slowly leaned forward.
Her eyes narrowed.
"…Wait."
The boys didn't respond.
Sarah pointed between them.
"You two know her."
Luce answered instantly.
"No."
Eddy answered instantly.
"Yes."
The two boys turned toward each other.
Eddy whispered.
"…Dude."
Luce whispered back.
"…You said yes."
Sarah leaned closer.
"You know her."
Jackie finally turned her head slightly.
Her expression remained neutral.
But the corner of her mouth twitched faintly.
This was entertaining.
Eddy cleared his throat.
"…Define know."
Sarah stared at him.
"Define know?"
"Yeah."
He pointed vaguely toward Jackie.
"Like… we've… seen her."
Sarah crossed her arms.
"Where."
Eddy opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Luce spoke calmly.
"Library."
Eddy immediately nodded.
"Yes."
"The library."
Sarah blinked.
"You met her in the library?"
Jackie raised an eyebrow.
Eddy doubled down.
"She was reading."
Sarah looked at Jackie.
"…Were you reading?"
Jackie paused.
Then shrugged.
"Sure."
Eddy nodded vigorously.
"See?"
Sarah turned back to the boys.
"What book?"
Eddy froze.
"…Book?"
Sarah leaned closer.
"You said she was reading."
Jackie slowly leaned back in her chair.
Watching them suffer.
This was incredible.
Luce answered calmly.
"…A biology textbook."
Eddy immediately snapped his fingers.
"Yes!"
"That one!"
Sarah frowned.
"You don't even take biology together."
Eddy pointed at Luce.
"He does."
Luce blinked.
"…I do?"
Sarah slowly rubbed her temples.
"You two are the worst liars I have ever met."
Jackie finally turned toward them.
"…Painful."
Eddy whispered back.
"Thanks for the support."
Jackie shrugged.
"Not my lie."
Sarah leaned closer to Jackie now.
"So."
Jackie looked at her.
"You met these two in a library?"
Jackie thought for a moment.
Then nodded once.
"…Yes."
Sarah stared at her.
"…You're also lying."
Jackie tilted her head.
"You asked."
Sarah looked between all three of them.
"…Something is very weird about this."
Eddy raised a finger.
"Weird is a strong word."
Sarah looked directly at Luce.
"You disappeared the same day that Joltic City facility exploded."
Luce remained calm.
"You already said that."
"And now a transfer student from Joltic City just happens to sit next to you."
"Coincidence."
Sarah looked at Jackie again.
"You just transferred?"
Jackie nodded.
"Yes."
Sarah frowned.
"You don't look nervous at all."
Jackie leaned back slightly.
"…Why would I be nervous?"
"You just moved schools."
Jackie shrugged.
"…I've been in worse places."
Eddy muttered quietly.
"…Understatement of the year."
Sarah turned back toward him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
The teacher clapped her hands at the front of the room.
"Alright everyone, open your textbooks to page seventy-four."
The room quieted.
Students began flipping pages.
Sarah still looked suspicious.
Very suspicious.
She leaned toward Luce one last time.
"…I'm going to figure out what you three are hiding."
Luce didn't look up from his book.
"Good luck."
Eddy leaned closer to him and whispered quietly.
"…She's definitely going to figure it out."
Luce whispered back.
"…Yes."
Jackie spoke without looking at either of them.
"…Your cover stories need work."
Eddy sighed.
"Tell me about it."
Across the room, Sarah continued watching them.
And now she was even more suspicious than before.
The bell rang.
Students immediately began packing their bags as chairs scraped against the floor.
Luce closed his textbook.
Eddy stretched in his chair like someone who had just survived a long war.
"Alright," he muttered. "That's enough education for one day."
Jackie stood up silently.
She moved like someone used to staying out of people's way—quick, quiet, already halfway to the door before most of the class had even stood.
Eddy leaned toward Luce.
"…She's going to disappear, isn't she?"
Luce nodded once.
"Yes."
Sure enough, by the time Eddy looked up again—
Jackie was already gone.
"See?"
Eddy slung his backpack over his shoulder.
"I swear she travels through vents."
Across the aisle, Sarah didn't move.
She watched the door Jackie had exited through.
Thinking.
Something about the girl didn't make sense.
Transfer student from Joltic City.
Right after the facility explosion.
And somehow…
She already knew Luce and Eddy.
Sarah slowly stood up.
"…I'll see you two later."
Eddy waved lazily.
"Don't do homework without us."
Sarah didn't answer.
Administration OfficeThe school office was quiet this time of day.
Most students had already left.
The front desk clerk barely looked up from their computer as Sarah approached.
"Hi," Sarah said politely.
"I was wondering if I could check the records for a transfer student."
The clerk blinked.
"…Which student?"
"Jackie."
The clerk typed something into the system.
For a moment the screen reflected in their glasses.
Then their expression changed slightly.
"…That file is restricted."
Sarah blinked.
"Restricted?"
"Yes."
The clerk clicked the mouse again.
"Transfer documentation is sealed under special review."
Sarah frowned.
"…Special review by who?"
The clerk shrugged.
"District administration."
Sarah leaned on the desk.
"But students can normally view transfer records."
"Normally."
The clerk gave her a polite smile.
"This one is different."
Sarah paused.
"…Different how?"
The clerk turned the monitor slightly away.
"I'm afraid I can't share that information."
Sarah stared at the desk for a moment.
Then nodded slowly.
"…Okay."
She turned to leave.
But something about that answer made the question in her head even louder.
Outside the OfficeSarah stepped into the empty hallway.
The late afternoon sun poured through the windows, stretching long shadows across the lockers.
She stopped walking.
Restricted file.
Transfer from Joltic City.
Coincidentally sitting beside the two people she already suspected.
Sarah slowly pulled out her phone.
The news footage from earlier still sat in her history.
She opened the video again.
Smoke.
Collapsed buildings.
Emergency lights flashing.
And that same blurry figure standing in the middle of the chaos.
Sarah zoomed in.
The image pixelated.
But the outline was still there.
Tall.
Standing among malfunctioning machines.
She paused the frame.
Then she opened another screen.
A photo she had quietly taken earlier during class.
Luce sitting at his desk.
Same posture.
Same shoulders.
Sarah slowly exhaled.
"…You're hiding something."
She lowered the phone.
And then her thoughts shifted.
To Jackie.
If Luce and Eddy were connected to the Joltic City incident…
Then Jackie probably was too.
Sarah looked down the hallway where Jackie had walked earlier.
"…Who are you really?"
Rooftop — Westwood HighJackie sat on the edge of the school rooftop.
One leg dangling over the side.
Watching the city below.
The wind moved through her hair quietly.
Her eyes scanned the streets.
Habit.
Always checking.
Always measuring.
Behind her, the rooftop door opened.
Luce stepped out.
Eddy followed.
"You know," Eddy said, breathing slightly heavier, "most people use stairs for normal things."
Jackie didn't look back.
"You followed me."
Luce leaned against the wall beside the door.
"You vanished."
Jackie shrugged.
"I prefer quiet."
Eddy crossed his arms.
"Well congratulations."
"You're officially enrolled in high school."
Jackie grimaced slightly.
"…Worst mission yet."
Eddy nodded.
"Agreed."
Luce glanced toward the city skyline.
"…Kayden thought it would help."
Jackie snorted.
"Help with what?"
"Normal life."
Jackie finally looked at them.
"…This is normal?"
Eddy raised a finger.
"For humans, yes."
Jackie looked deeply unimpressed.
Luce spoke quietly.
"…Sarah's suspicious."
Jackie raised an eyebrow.
"The girl with the questions?"
"Yes."
Eddy added:
"She already tried interrogating us."
Jackie sighed.
"…Your cover story was terrible."
"We know."
Jackie leaned back on her hands.
"Then try harder."
Eddy looked offended.
"Excuse me, we improvised."
Luce suddenly looked toward the rooftop door.
"…Someone's coming."
Eddy blinked.
"How do you always—"
The door opened.
Sarah stepped onto the roof.
She froze when she saw them.
Then slowly folded her arms.
"…Of course."
Eddy groaned.
"Oh no."
Sarah walked closer.
"You three disappeared from class at the exact same time."
Jackie raised an eyebrow.
"Coincidence."
Sarah stared at her.
"…You're not helping."
Jackie shrugged.
Eddy whispered to Luce.
"…This is going badly."
Luce nodded.
"…Yes."
Sarah looked at all three of them.
And spoke slowly.
"I went to the office."
Eddy froze.
Luce's expression stayed calm.
Jackie watched her carefully.
Sarah continued.
"Your records are sealed."
Jackie tilted her head slightly.
"…And?"
Sarah crossed her arms.
"And people don't seal transfer records unless something serious happened."
The wind moved quietly across the rooftop.
Sarah looked directly at them.
"…So I'll ask again."
Her eyes settled on Jackie.
"Who are you really?"
No one answered.
The tension stretched between them.
And for the first time since the Joltic City incident—
Someone outside the Sanctuary was starting to get very close to the truth.
The rooftop was quiet.
Wind drifted across the edge of Westwood High.
Sarah stood in front of them, arms crossed.
"…So I'll ask again."
Her eyes settled on Jackie.
"Who are you really?"
Silence hung in the air.
Eddy rubbed the back of his neck.
"Well—"
Luce cut him off immediately.
"We're just students."
Sarah stared at him.
"That answer gets worse every time you say it."
Jackie leaned back against the railing.
"…You should stop asking questions you won't like the answers to."
Sarah frowned.
"That sounds like a threat."
"It's advice."
Before Sarah could respond—
Luce's head suddenly turned.
His eyes narrowed toward the city street below.
Eddy noticed instantly.
"…What?"
Luce didn't answer.
He was listening.
The faintest sound drifted upward from the streets below.
A metallic screech.
Then—
BOOM
A distant explosion echoed through the city.
Smoke rose two blocks away.
Students on the rooftop turned toward the sound.
People began shouting in the streets.
Eddy groaned.
"…We just got out of class."
Jackie was already standing.
"What was that?"
Luce focused.
"…Power surge."
Sarah blinked.
"You can tell that from here?"
Jackie muttered.
"…That's not good."
Another explosion shook the street.
Glass shattered.
A car flipped onto its side.
People screamed and ran.
Sarah stepped toward the edge of the roof.
"…What is that?"
At the center of the street stood a man.
His body was wrapped in crude metal plating like a half-finished exosuit.
Cables ran across his arms.
Sparks burst from his shoulders as he slammed his fist into a parked car.
The car flew across the street like a toy.
Eddy sighed.
"…Okay."
"…That's definitely not normal."
Street BelowThe man laughed wildly as electricity surged across the metal frame around his body.
The armor wasn't clean or polished.
It looked assembled from industrial parts and stolen tech.
Panels from construction drones.
Broken servos.
Military scrap.
Yet it worked.
Power surged through it violently.
A nearby streetlight exploded as he ripped it from the ground.
"COME ON!" the man shouted.
"I KNOW THEY'RE WATCHING!"
His voice was frantic.
Unstable.
Cars burned around him.
Pedestrians ran in every direction.
RooftopSarah stepped back from the edge.
"…Someone should call the police."
Jackie shook her head.
"Too late."
Luce's expression had gone completely serious.
"That suit is unstable."
"How unstable?" Eddy asked.
"Very."
Sarah turned toward them.
"How do you even know—"
Jackie grabbed the railing.
"…We need to move."
Sarah blinked.
"What?"
Eddy sighed.
"Well."
"…This is where things get complicated."
Before Sarah could react—
Jackie stepped onto the edge of the rooftop.
And jumped.
Sarah gasped.
"WHAT—"
But Jackie didn't fall.
She hit the side of the building—
and stuck.
Clinging to the wall like gravity meant nothing.
Sarah stared.
"…What."
Jackie began running down the side of the building.
Eddy scratched his head.
"Well."
"…Guess that secret's out."
Sarah slowly turned toward them.
"You two knew about that."
Luce exhaled.
"Yes."
Eddy grabbed the edge of the roof.
"Alright."
"…Guess we're doing this."
Before Sarah could stop them—
Eddy grabbed Luce's shoulder.
"Hold on."
"Why."
"Because stairs are boring."
POP
They vanished.
Sarah's jaw dropped.
Then they reappeared on the street below.
"…Okay."
She whispered.
"…I'm definitely not imagining this."
The Mini VillainThe armored man slammed another car across the road.
His exosuit sparked violently.
"COME ON!"
He shouted toward the sky.
"YOU SAID THEY WOULD COME!"
Jackie landed behind him silently.
Her extra limbs unfolded from her back like metallic spider legs.
The man turned.
"Finally."
Electricity surged across his armor.
"Targets acquired."
Eddy and Luce appeared beside Jackie.
POP.
The man laughed.
"There you are."
Jackie frowned.
"…You know us?"
The man's eyes flickered strangely.
"No."
"But they do."
His suit projected a holographic signal.
Luce's eyes widened slightly.
"…That signal."
Eddy looked confused.
"What?"
Luce spoke quietly.
"It's transmitting data."
The man charged.
His armored fist slammed into the pavement.
The street cracked open.
Jackie dodged instantly.
Her spider limbs pulled her upward.
Eddy teleported behind the man.
POP.
"Hey buddy!"
He kicked the armor's back plate.
"Your suit looks like a microwave!"
The man spun violently.
Electricity blasted outward.
Eddy teleported again.
POP.
Jackie struck next.
Her claws tore through one of the suit's cables.
Sparks exploded.
The man roared.
Then—
Luce raised his hand.
The nearby traffic lights flickered.
Power surged through the street grid.
The man's armor froze mid-movement.
"…What."
The servos locked.
Metal seized.
Luce's technopathy had taken control of the suit's circuitry.
The man collapsed to his knees.
"…No."
"…No, they said this would work!"
Jackie stepped forward.
"Who said?"
The man laughed weakly.
"You really think this was my idea?"
His helmet flickered.
A symbol appeared on the cracked visor.
A familiar symbol.
Three vertical lines.
The mark of the Council Security Division.
Eddy frowned.
"…Oh great."
Luce's voice turned colder.
"They're testing us."
Jackie's eyes narrowed.
"Again."
The man suddenly began shaking.
The suit overheated violently.
"…Oh no," Luce said.
"What?"
"He's going critical."
Jackie grabbed Eddy.
"MOVE."
Luce shut down the remaining power grid.
But the armor exploded anyway.
A small blast.
Metal scattered across the street.
When the smoke cleared—
The man was unconscious.
And the suit was completely destroyed.
Rooftop — Westwood HighFar away.
Across the city.
A masked figure watched the entire fight through a drone feed.
Playback.
The footage replayed.
Jackie's agility.
Eddy's teleportation.
Luce's control over the suit.
Playback paused the screen.
His voice was calm.
"…Progress."
Behind him stood a Council official.
"That wasn't meant to destroy them."
Playback tilted his head.
"Of course not."
The official crossed their arms.
"It was meant to measure them."
Playback pressed another button.
The screen froze on Luce overriding the armor.
"…And now we know."
The official asked quietly.
"Know what?"
Playback answered calmly.
"Which one is the most dangerous."
He smiled beneath the mask.
"…Begin Phase Two."
Back at the StreetPolice sirens approached in the distance.
Jackie retracted her spider limbs.
Eddy sighed.
"…We should leave."
Luce nodded.
"Yes."
They turned—
And froze.
Sarah stood at the edge of the street.
She had followed them.
Her eyes were wide.
Her voice was quiet.
"…You're superheroes."
Eddy rubbed his face.
"…We preferred the library story."
Sarah stared at them.
"You teleport."
She pointed at Jackie.
"You run on walls."
She looked at Luce.
"And you hacked that suit without touching it."
Silence filled the street.
Sarah exhaled slowly.
"…You're going to explain everything."
Eddy sighed.
"…Yeah."
"…That was probably inevitable."