Atomic Rebooted

17. Psyche

CLAIRE

Sun streamed through my window, but it didn't really feel like a Saturday morning, in a way. Sure, I wasn't going to school or to a tournament, and for once I got a decent amount of sleep. But i still felt exhausted from what had happened while I was home alone the night before.

No one asked, and no one suspected that I'd tried to fight a supervillain while no one was home.

Definitely not one of my brightest ideas.

I let out a heavy sigh—- I knew I should get up, get some breakfast, and figure out what I was going to do. Besides my esports practice from 2:30 to 4:00. That left a big chunk of my day, with so much to possibly do.

But. I couldn't let go of the image of the superhero suit in Dad's comic collection. It was definitely a woman's suit, based off of the color.

It wasn't the kind of thing I saw my mom going for, though— super or not. Not that I didn't still have my doubts about that.

So how and why did Dad have it?

I propped myself up on my elbows. The only way to find out was to research whoever the mysterious super was. Maybe that would give me a clue?

But how would I even get started?

Then I remembered that I knew somebody who could help with anything superhero-related.

I rolled awkwardly onto the floor and then scrambled to my feet to unplug my phone. I quickly swiped into my contacts and texted Stephanie:

ME: hey, need ur help w/ something superhero. can u come over before 2:30?

I didn't have to wait long for a response.

Stephanie: I'll be there by ten

I looked at the clock on my phone— it was already 8:13.

ME: great, see u then

I was about to close my phone and go down for breakfast when I noticed a notification of a text from an unknown number. Curious, I clicked.

???: be careful, Claire. I won't always be around to save you. -R

I wanted to throw my phone across the room. I instead elected to send back a snarky response :

ME: I never asked you to save me

"Score one for me," I muttered.

"So what do you need my help with, again?" Stephanie made herself at home, flopping onto my bed as I took the computer chair.

"I need you to promise me something first." This was the closest I would get to telling anyone about anything that I'd been going through since the attack on the monorail.

"What is it?" Stephanie folded her arms over her chest.

"Promise you won't tell anyone what I'm telling you, or what we were doing," I said.

"I mean, yeah, unless you're about to do something that could give me a criminal record, because those things are permanent," Stephanie mumbled.

"Great." I closed the attic trapdoor and the door-door behind us and locked the real door for good measure. "Last night— it's not important what led up to it— I found a real Super's suit in my dad's comic book room downstairs."

"Really?" Stephanie gasped. "How would he have gotten one of those?"

"I don't know, and I want to find out."