Daisy sat alone in her lab, the soft hum of servers and the faint flicker of holographic screens her only company. The stillness of the space should have been calming, but tonight it felt suffocating. Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the tablet in front of her, pulling up the latest readings of the power spike she had detected earlier. The data spilled across her screen in endless streams of numbers and graphs, painting a picture she couldn’t quite put together. Yet.

  NovaTech had been her world for as long as she could remember—a place of logic and precision, where data spoke louder than emotions. But now, with the looming threat of another attack and the whispers of betrayal swirling in the back of her mind, everything felt… fragile.

  "Come on, there has to be something here," she muttered, her eyes scanning the figures, searching for a pattern, a clue—anything that might help her stop what was coming.

  The power spike she’d detected earlier that day wasn’t just a fluke. It had the same signature as the one recorded right before the attack on NovaTech, and the timing couldn’t have been worse. It was escalating, and quickly. In less than twenty-four hours, the city would gather to mourn Crimson Nova at the public memorial parade—a parade that could very well turn into the next disaster if Daisy didn’t figure this out in time.

  She pushed her chair back from the desk, standing abruptly, her heels clicking against the tile as she crossed the room. The walls of the lab felt too tight, too close. She needed space, needed clarity. As she paced, her mind whirred through the possibilities.

  Whoever had orchestrated the NovaTech attack wasn’t finished. They had stolen samples, disrupted NovaTech’s operations, and—most importantly—they had taken something far more dangerous than anyone realized: the modulators. Those devices could manipulate powers, enhance them, suppress them. In the wrong hands, they could destabilize everything. And now, with the parade looming and the power spike building, Daisy couldn’t shake the feeling that something catastrophic was about to happen.

  But who was behind it all? That was the question gnawing at her. She had her suspicions—Anthony Burke, the junior technician whose record was suspiciously clean—but no hard proof. And then there was Veil. His involvement in the attack still didn’t sit right with her. He had helped, yes, but why was he even there? And why had he vanished so completely afterward?

  She needed answers. And fast.

  Her tablet beeped, pulling her out of her thoughts. Daisy glanced down at the screen, her heart skipping a beat as she saw the update.

  Power Surge Detected – Sector 4

  The spike was growing faster than she had anticipated.

  "Shit," she whispered, her fingers flying across the tablet as she pulled up the city’s power grid. Sector 4 was close—far too close to the parade route. If the surge continued, it could disrupt everything: traffic systems, emergency services, communications. And if the surge wasn’t a coincidence—if it was being used to mask something more dangerous—it could spell disaster.

  She quickly ran an analysis, her mind racing through the possible scenarios. The pattern was too deliberate to be random. This was planned. Whoever was behind it had thought of everything. They were using the parade as cover, using the city’s grief and distraction to execute their plan.

  Daisy’s stomach twisted. She needed to alert someone, to stop this before it spiraled out of control.

  Without wasting another second, she grabbed her tablet and hurried down the hallway, her footsteps echoing against the polished floor. The sterile corridors of NovaTech, usually a source of comfort for her, now felt like a labyrinth, trapping her in the maze of bureaucracy and secrecy.

  She burst into Conference Room 7, where Dr. Marcus Levin was seated, his face buried in his own set of data. He looked up sharply, his eyes narrowing as Daisy stormed in.

  "Daisy, what—"

  "We have a problem," she cut him off, slamming the tablet onto the table in front of him. "The power spike. It’s happening again, and it’s building faster than before. This isn’t just a fluctuation—it’s deliberate. Someone’s planning to use the parade as a cover for another attack."

  Levin’s expression shifted, the lines of his face tightening with concern. "Are you sure? We’ve already doubled security for the parade, and—"

  "I’m positive," Daisy interrupted, her voice rising with frustration. "This isn’t just about security. It’s about the entire city’s infrastructure. If that surge keeps growing, it could knock out the grid—or worse, it could be masking something far more dangerous. We can’t wait for it to happen again. We have to act now."

  Levin leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "Daisy, I understand the urgency, but we can’t make rash decisions. The parade is a critical event. The public is already on edge after the NovaTech attack, and—"

  "This isn’t about public relations, Marcus!" Daisy snapped, her patience wearing thin. "This is about saving lives. You saw what happened last time. We’re not ready for this. If we don’t do something, the city could go dark—and worse."

  Levin’s eyes flicked to the data on her tablet, his expression unreadable. Daisy could see the gears turning in his mind, calculating the risks, weighing the options. He was always so careful, so methodical. But they didn’t have time for caution.

  "Fine," he said finally, standing up and reaching for his own tablet. "I’ll escalate this to the city’s emergency management team, and I’ll notify the Guardians. But we need more information before we can take any drastic measures. If we act too soon, we could cause a panic."

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Daisy clenched her fists, biting back the urge to scream. Panic? People were about to die, and he was worried about panic?

  "I’m going to keep working on this," she said, her voice tight with barely contained anger. "But if this escalates any further, we won’t have time to wait for your team. I’m not going to sit back and watch the city burn."

  Levin nodded, though his expression remained guarded. "Do what you need to do, but Daisy—be careful. We’re playing with fire here."

  Without another word, Daisy turned on her heel and left the room, the door sliding shut behind her with a soft hiss. Her mind raced as she hurried back to her lab, the weight of responsibility pressing down on her like a vice.

  Levin didn’t understand. He was too focused on protocol, too concerned with maintaining order. But Daisy had seen the data. She knew the patterns. This wasn’t just another power surge—it was the calm before the storm.

  Back in her lab, she sank into her chair, her fingers trembling as she pulled up the city’s security grid. If Levin wouldn’t act, she would. She tapped into the emergency network, sending a quiet alert to the local authorities, warning them to prepare for potential disruptions. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

  As the data scrolled across her screen, her thoughts drifted to the upcoming memorial parade. Thousands of people would be gathered there tomorrow—heroes, civilians, families. They were all walking into a trap, and most of them didn’t even know it. The Guardians were focused on keeping the peace, on putting on a show of strength for the world to see. But Daisy knew better. The cracks were already showing, and no amount of heroics could cover them.

  Her gaze flicked to the corner of her screen, where a live feed of the parade preparations played in real-time. Workers were setting up barriers, stages, and lights, while police and security teams coordinated their efforts. It all looked so normal, so calm. But beneath the surface, something was brewing—something dangerous.

  She had to figure out what. And fast.

  Her fingers moved quickly across the console, pulling up the latest power readings, cross-referencing them with the city’s emergency grid. The spike was still rising, slowly but steadily, inching closer to a critical threshold.

  Daisy’s heart raced as she realized what was happening. Whoever was behind this wasn’t just planning to disrupt the parade—they were planning to control it. If the power surge hit its peak at the right moment, they could knock out the entire city’s grid, plunging everything into darkness. And in that chaos, anything could happen. Another attack, another theft, another massacre.

  Her stomach churned at the thought. She couldn’t let it happen. Not again.

  A sudden thought struck her, and she quickly pulled up the records of the NovaTech attack. The timing, the patterns—it all fit. The attackers had used a similar power surge to mask their movements, to disable the security systems. If they were planning to do the same thing tomorrow, the parade would be the perfect cover. The crowd, the noise, the confusion—it would give them all the time they needed to strike.

  Daisy’s fingers flew across the keyboard, running simulations, trying to predict the impact of the surge. The results were worse than she had imagined. If the spike reached its peak during the parade, the city’s entire infrastructure could collapse in minutes. Emergency services, transportation, communication—all of it would be crippled. And in that chaos, the attackers could do anything.

  She glanced at the time. Less than twenty-four hours until the parade.

  Her mind raced as she considered her options. She could go to the Guardians, but they were already stretched thin, and they were more focused on managing the event than on the threat lurking beneath it. She could go to the city’s emergency team, but without concrete proof, they would dismiss her concerns as paranoia.

  No, she had to act on her own.

  Daisy stood, her heart pounding as she made her decision. She would attend the parade—not as a spectator, but as a guardian of her own kind. She would be there, watching the power grids, monitoring the surge, ready to shut it down the moment it reached critical levels. She would stop the attack before it could begin.

  But she knew she couldn’t do it alone.

  As she gathered her equipment, a thought crossed her mind—a wild, dangerous thought. Veil. The masked vigilante had disappeared after the NovaTech attack, but he had been there for a reason. He had seen something she hadn’t, something important. And if anyone could help her navigate the shadows, it was him.

  Daisy hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the keyboard as a thought took hold. How was she supposed to reach Veil? It wasn’t as if she had a direct line to a masked vigilante who operated outside the system. No, the encrypted line idea wasn’t practical, and besides, she had never imagined herself needing to contact him. But now, with the city on the brink of disaster, she needed him.

  Her mind raced. She remembered something—a message board buried deep in the folds of the internet, frequented by anonymous users who shared tips, sightings, and rumors about unregistered supers. It wasn’t an official hero forum, far from it, but she had heard whispers that Veil sometimes scanned through the noise, checking for information that might be useful. If she left a message there, something only he would understand, she might just be able to reach him.

  Quickly, Daisy opened her tablet and accessed the forum through a series of security protocols she had set up for situations just like this. NovaTech employees weren't allowed to engage with these kinds of spaces, but she had long ago figured out how to stay invisible online when she needed to.

  Once logged in, she navigated to a thread titled “In the Shadows,” a digital hub for speculation about vigilantes. She had scrolled through the posts before, mostly out of curiosity, but this time she had a purpose. With steady fingers, she began typing, her message cryptic enough to avoid attention, but clear enough for Veil to understand if he saw it.

  “The storm is building. Need your eyes for tomorrow’s memorial. Check the grid. 19:00. They’re moving in the shadows, and I’ll be there too. - Molecule.”

  She stared at the screen, her heart pounding as she reread the words. It was risky. There was no guarantee he would see it, or even care. But Veil was a man of patterns. He watched, he moved where others didn’t, and he understood the power of the quiet warning. If he picked up on the message, he would know exactly what she meant.

  With a deep breath, Daisy hit send.

  The message was out there now, drifting in the sea of digital noise, and all she could do was hope. Veil might be the only one who could help her navigate the chaos that was coming. And if she was wrong? Well, she would have to face whatever was coming alone.

  But Daisy wasn’t one to back down, especially not when the city was about to erupt.

  As she stood, gathering her equipment and slipping her tablet into her bag, she cast one last glance at the screen, the glowing message still flickering in front of her. She was taking a risk—maybe the biggest one yet—but there was no turning back.

  Tomorrow was the memorial parade. The world would be watching. But she would be watching something else—waiting for the cracks to appear.

  And this time, if the shadows moved, she would be ready.