I wake up with my neck at a weird angle, still fully dressed, shoes hanging off the edge of the hotel bed. For a second, I can't remember where I am or why my phone is clutched in my hand like it might try to escape. Then it all crashes back - Boston explosion, Daedalus break-in, emergency alerts in the middle of the night.

  Mom is already up, dressed in another one of her blazers (navy blue, different from yesterday's), hair pulled back so tightly it looks painful. She's on her phone, pacing the small space between the beds, talking in that low, intense voice she uses when she's trying to sound calm but definitely isn't.

  "--understand the security concerns, Senator, but postponing plays directly into their narrative." She catches my eye, gives me a tight nod that somehow communicates both good morning and get up now without a single word. I throw back a handful of psychiatric meds, a ritalin, and a glass of water. I also reach for my pocket absentmindedly, expecting to find a cigarette there. Unfortunately, there is not, and my headache continues. "We need to proceed as scheduled. Yes. Yes, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

  I sit up, rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?"

  "6:45. There's an emergency meeting downstairs in fifteen minutes." She ends her call and immediately starts another, not waiting for me to respond. "Denise? It's Rachel. Are you with the Pittsburgh group? Good. We need to present a unified front..."

  I stumble to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face while trying to process what's happening. When I come out, Mom is still on the phone, but now she's also checking the news on the hotel room TV. The headline scrolling across the bottom reads: "DAEDALUS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY BREACH: AUTHORITIES SEARCHING FOR ESCAPED METAHUMAN PRISONERS."

  "--make sure everyone understands the message. We acknowledge the situation but maintain focus on our legislation." Mom glances at me. "I have to go. Call me if anything changes." She hangs up, already moving toward the door. "Sam, I need you downstairs in ten minutes. Bring your phone and anything else you need for the day. We might not be back until late."

  "Wait, what's happening? Are the hearings still on?"

  Mom pauses at the door, one hand on the knob. "For now. But Senator Martin is pushing to postpone, citing 'security concerns.'" Her mouth twists around the words. "We're meeting to coordinate our response."

  "And what is our response?"

  "That reactionary legislation driven by fear is exactly what we're fighting against." She gives me a look that's half exhaustion, half determination. "Ten minutes, Sam. Don't make me come back up here."

  And then she's gone, leaving me alone with the TV and its endless cycle of helicopter footage showing what I assume is Daedalus - a massive concrete complex in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forests and now, apparently, a significant number of police vehicles and what look like military trucks.

  I turn up the volume while I try to find something reasonably clean to wear.

  "--unprecedented breach of what was considered the most secure metahuman containment facility in the country," a serious-faced anchor is saying. "Officials have confirmed that multiple prisoners have escaped, though they have not yet released an exact number or identities. The breach appears to have been aided by extreme weather conditions that officials are calling 'highly unusual.'"

  The footage shifts to what looks like satellite weather imagery, showing a swirling storm system directly over the prison area.

  "Meteorologists are struggling to explain the sudden formation of what some are calling a 'localized hurricane' that appeared with little warning over the facility. Power was knocked out to the entire complex, and backup systems reportedly failed."

  I freeze with one arm in my shirt sleeve. Weather manipulation? That sounds like Maya - I mean, Mrs. Zenith. It's her thing... but she was here in Harrisburg yesterday, sitting right in front of me during the hearings. There's no way she could have been in northern New York creating a storm at the same time.

  Unless...

  No, that doesn't make sense either. Even if she somehow slipped away after the hearings, Daedalus is at least a six-hour drive from here. The timeline doesn't work. She could've gone - but she wouldn't be back, and I get the distinct impression when I go downstairs she'll be there.

  So either the Kingdom has another weather manipulator they've been hiding, or this has nothing to do with the Kingdom at all. Or maybe it really was just freakish natural weather, though that seems like the least likely explanation given that I live in a world with superpowers. The fact that they had to make laws against using weather manipulation powers sort of implies that it's not just Maya that has them, doesn't it?

  I finish getting dressed, brushing my teeth while still watching the news. They've shifted to a panel of "experts" now, all talking over each other about security protocols and the dangers of metahuman prisoners.

  "--the public deserves to know exactly who has escaped and what powers they possess--"

  "--question of whether Daedalus itself was compromised from within--"

  "--in light of yesterday's incident in Boston, we must consider the possibility of coordinated--"

  I turn off the TV and grab my phone. The HIRC chat with Jordan has been active while I slept:

  Jordan: Campus still on alert. Security everywhere.

  Jordan: News saying "severe weather event" at Daedalus. Anyone buying that?

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Jordan: MIT professors being weird this morning. Lots of closed-door meetings.

  Jordan: You awake yet? Update when you can.

  I quickly type: Just woke up. Hearings might be postponed. Mom in crisis mode. What's MIT saying about the weather?

  The response comes almost immediately:

  Jordan: Earth sciences dept calling BS on "natural" storm. Too localized, too sudden. No meteorological conditions to support formation.

  I'm not surprised. Even I know hurricanes don't just appear out of nowhere over specific buildings. But if it wasn't Richardson, then who? And why target Daedalus specifically?

  I check the team chat next:

  Tasha: Morning update: Bunch of suspected Kingdom fronts closed overnight. No explanation. Very unusual.

  Tasha: When do you ever see a 24/7 laundromat closed?

  Maggie: Patrol with Moonshot uneventful. Everyone staying indoors after alert.

  Lily: Lucy says Sandman monitoring transport hubs. Nothing suspicious yet.

  Amelia: News saying "freak storm" at Daedalus. Anyone else getting weather manipulator vibes?

  I reply: Definitely weather powers involved. Not Richardson though - she was here in Harrisburg. Either Kingdom has another weather controller or it's someone else entirely.

  Tasha: Kingdom businesses closing same night as Daedalus break? Not a coincidence.

  She's right. That is weird. The Kingdom doesn't just shut down operations without a reason.

  Tasha: Also, official statements now saying "fewer than 50 prisoners unaccounted for." They're being super vague.

  Fewer than 50? That's... a lot. I've been so focused on the how that I haven't really processed the who. Daedalus houses the most dangerous metahuman criminals in the country. If even a fraction of them are now loose...

  My phone buzzes with a text from Mom: Where are you?

  Crap. I grab my backpack, making sure Belle's notebooks are safely inside, and rush out the door.

  The hotel lobby has transformed overnight. Security guards at every entrance, police officers conferring in corners, coalition members huddled in tense groups. The atmosphere is electric with anxiety.

  I spot Mom near the front desk, deep in conversation with Senator Wexler and several other coalition leaders. Her face is set in what Dad calls her "war room expression" - all sharp angles and focused intensity.

  As I approach, I catch fragments of their discussion.

  "--absolutely cannot allow them to use this as an excuse--"

  "--public perception shifting by the hour--"

  "--parents already calling, worried about backlash--"

  Mom notices me and gestures me over. "Sam, there you are. We're heading to the capitol now. Stay close."

  Outside, the scene is even more chaotic. The peaceful protest from yesterday has been replaced by a police perimeter and nervous clusters of people. News vans line the street. I can smell the anxiety in the air - and the blood from minor injuries that haven't fully healed from yesterday's panic. Fresh scabs ripped open with movement.

  Our group moves through security checkpoints that seem to have multiplied overnight. Mom keeps one hand firmly on my shoulder, guiding me through the crowd while still somehow managing to direct coalition members with her other hand and her voice.

  Inside the capitol building, the transformation continues. National Guard troops stand at intervals along the marble corridors. Staff hurry past with worried expressions. Everyone's phones are out, everyone's checking news updates.

  We're directed to a side room where coalition representatives are gathering. Mom immediately joins a huddle of leaders at the front, leaving me to find a seat near the back. I pull out my phone again, checking for updates.

  Jordan has responded to my earlier message:

  Jordan: Rumors flying around campus. Some saying Daedalus was deliberately targeted. Others saying inside job. Nobody knows anything for sure.

  Jordan: Be careful, guys.

  Tasha: Just intercepted police report. They're setting up checkpoints on all major highways into Philadelphia.

  Amelia: Courthouse just canceled all hearings for today. Citing "security situation."

  I look up from my phone as Senator Wexler calls the meeting to order. The room quiets immediately.

  "Thank you all for coming on such short notice," she begins, her voice steady despite the dark circles under her eyes suggesting she's had as little sleep as the rest of us. "As you're aware, we face an unexpected challenge. Senator Martin has formally requested that today's hearings be postponed indefinitely, citing security concerns following the Daedalus incident."

  Murmurs ripple through the room. Mom's face remains impassive, but I can see the tension in her shoulders.

  "I've spoken with the committee chair, and as of now, the hearings will proceed as scheduled." Wexler pauses as sighs of relief fill the room. "However, we need to adjust our approach. Our opponents will attempt to use recent events to paint powered individuals as inherently dangerous. We need to counter that narrative without appearing insensitive to legitimate public safety concerns."

  A man I don't recognize stands up. "How do we even know the vote will still happen today? Martin could use procedural maneuvers to delay indefinitely."

  "That's a risk," Wexler admits. "But we have allies on the committee who will fight any delay tactics. Our best strategy is to proceed as if the vote is happening and be prepared for any outcome."

  Mom raises her hand, and Wexler nods to her. "We need to reframe this morning's testimony," Mom says, her voice carrying clearly through the room. "The Daedalus break-in doesn't undermine our position - it reinforces it. If institutions like Daedalus are failing, it highlights the need for humane, effective approaches to powered individuals rather than mere containment and criminalization."

  "What about Boston?" someone asks. "They're already linking the two events in the media."

  "Without evidence," Mom responds firmly. "We acknowledge the tragedy in Boston while rejecting speculative connections. Our focus remains on protecting the rights of powered youth who have committed no crimes."

  The discussion continues, strategies being debated, talking points refined. I tune out slightly, returning to my phone to update the team.

  Sam: Hearings still on for now. Security everywhere. Mom and coalition adapting strategy.

  Tasha: Kingdom definitely involved somehow. Too many coincidences.

  Lily: I heard from Crossroads that Daedalus got attacked by a bunch of ski mask military gear types.

  Lily: Like anonymous guys in bulletproof vests.

  Maggie: Terrorists?

  Lily: I don't think that was what he was trying to say?

  That's interesting. I'm about to ask for more details when Mom calls my name.

  "Sam? Can you come here for a moment?"

  I pocket my phone and make my way to the front of the room where Mom is now standing with Senator Wexler and a woman in a Capitol Police uniform.

  "This is my daughter," Mom tells the officer. "She'll be with me throughout the day."

  The officer looks me over, expression unreadable behind mirrored sunglasses. "All minors need to be accompanied by an adult at all times today," she says. "Security protocols."

  "Understood," Mom replies. "She won't leave my sight."

  The officer nods and moves away. Mom turns to me, lowering her voice. "The situation is more tense than we anticipated. I need you to stay close, follow directions, and keep your phone charged. If we get separated for any reason, you go directly to hotel security. Clear?"

  "Crystal," I say, trying not to let my irritation show. I'm not some helpless kid who needs constant supervision. I've faced down supervillains, for God's sake. But I get it - Mom's protective instincts are in overdrive right now.

  "Good." She squeezes my shoulder briefly. "The first session starts in thirty minutes. I need to prep with the other witnesses."