(Ash POV)
The gym hallway had become a war zone. Smoke curled from scorched lockers. Sparks shot like fireworks from shattered walls. Students screamed, stumbling over debris as drones scuttled across the tile floor, claws slicing anything in their path.
I froze for a split second. No—there was no time to freeze. Peter was already guiding a group of younger students toward the exit, Gwen and MJ crouched behind a toppled locker, and Jake and Noah were doing… something, probably trying to calculate trajectories like math geniuses in mortal danger.
"Everyone, follow me!" I shouted, sprinting toward a group of kids trapped near the lockers.
The drone targeted a little boy, claws slicing the air. I lunged, shoving the boy out of the way just in time. My shoulder slammed into the wall as the drone screeched in frustration, sparks flying. Pain radiated, but I couldn't stop. I wasn't thinking about the blow, just the people behind me.
The morpher pulsed again, warmth radiating through my bag like a heartbeat. Yes. This is right, it seemed to say. And I realized—I was actually enjoying this. Not the danger, but the act of saving people. Protecting people.
Another drone dropped from the ceiling, hissing as it scanned the hallway. Gwen froze. I dove, catching her in my arms, rolling her behind a row of desks. "I've got you," I said, breath coming fast. She blinked at me, eyes wide. Do I really have to tell her my secret yet? No, not now.
Peter was hurling his gadgets with incredible precision, zapping drones, pulling students away from danger. MJ stumbled, tripped, and I grabbed her wrist just before her head met a locker. She clung to me, muttering, "You're crazy."
"Maybe," I admitted, yanking her out of the line of fire, "but it's working."
The hallway exploded with sparks and smoke. A drone swung at Ms. Benson, her physics book slipping from her hands. I caught her, dragging her behind a half-collapsed wall, her grateful gasp cutting through the chaos.
Jake and Noah were leading a small group, yelling instructions while dodging blasts. Jake tripped over a piece of debris. I grabbed him, yanking him out of the path of a spinning drone leg.
"Man, this is insane," Jake said, breathing hard, "I knew high school could be dangerous, but this is…"
"Way above normal," I interrupted, looking at the drones circling, scanning, calculating. Every one of them was precise. Programmed to maximize fear.
Another drone charged at Gwen, claws extended. I threw myself in front of her, feeling sparks ricochet off the floor. My heart was pounding, adrenaline surging. Gwen grabbed my arm. "Ash, be careful!"
I swallowed and kept moving. My legs and instincts felt superhuman. No morph yet, but the Grid inside me pushed me forward. I grabbed a loose fire extinguisher and swung it at the drone. Sparks exploded, the device barely denting the metal, but enough to distract it so the kids could escape.
I could hear MJ screaming as a drone flew toward her. My chest tightened. Not today. I dove, catching her just before it could strike.
By the time we made it to the courtyard, I was soaked in sweat, my arms shaking. The kids were safe—for now. The drones were still active, skittering, searching for targets.
And then… I saw him.
Nick Fury. Calm, calculating, standing at the entrance to the courtyard, arms crossed. He didn't rush in. He didn't flinch. He just watched, surveying the scene like a hawk.
My chest froze. My hands tightened into fists. If Fury noticed me—noticed what I could do—what would he think? Would he see me as a threat? An ally? Or worse, someone to control?
The answer terrified me more than the drones ever could.
If he knows… if he knows who I am, what I can do… is being a hero even worth it? Or should I just disappear and pretend to be normal?
I glanced at Peter, Gwen, MJ, Jake, Noah—all safe, for now. My stomach twisted. The chaos had nearly killed them multiple times, and I had done my best to save them. Yet even with the adrenaline pumping, I couldn't ignore Fury's presence.
His single eye seemed to pierce through the smoke, through the drones, and right into me. And for the first time, I felt small.
I shook my head, forcing myself to move. There was still work to do. The fight wasn't over. The drones weren't gone. Every student here depended on me, whether they realized it or not.
I took a deep breath, chest still pounding, morpher pulsing faintly at my side. I can do this. I have to do this. I'm not ready to morph yet, but I can save them.
With renewed determination, I darted back toward a group of kids trapped near the cafeteria exit, ready to block drones, push, pull, and protect. Each movement precise, each second crucial. Every choice mattered.
And yet, in the back of my mind, Fury's gaze lingered. Watching. Waiting. Judging.
The day's fight would end. But the real decision—the one about who I truly wanted to be—was still waiting. And now, more than ever, I understood that the path of a hero wasn't just about saving people. It was about choosing to be one, even when it could cost everything.
I swallowed hard, tightening my grip on the backpack, feeling the faint heartbeat of the morpher, and ran.