Aubrey hadn’t set foot in Swellview in over a year. Not since her dad, Ray—better known to the public as Captain Man—insisted she stay somewhere “safer” after the city’s crime rate spiked. So, she left the Man Cave behind, moving in with her mother in a quiet suburb far from explosions, villain attacks, and her dad’s overprotectiveness.

But now, she was back. Older. Different. And Ray had no idea.

Her old room was untouched—white walls, soft blue accents, framed photos, and all the soft, pretty things she loved at thirteen. Now she was sixteen, and that room felt like a time capsule. Ray hadn’t let anyone touch it. Not even Schwoz. Not even Henry. Especially not Henry.

Which, of course, only made Henry more curious.

Ray always said the room was “off limits,” and Henry, being Henry, eventually ignored that rule.

He expected posters. Glitter. Maybe a diary he’d instantly regret reading. What he didn’t expect was a girl—her—sprawled across the bed in sweats and a tank top, headphones in, chewing bubblegum like she owned the place. Her legs were crossed lazily, one hand resting behind her head. Her expression? Unbothered.

Henry froze. His brain short-circuited for a second. Ray had shown him baby pictures—braces, pigtails, goofy grins. This? This was not that. She was the 2.0. Confident. Cool. Dangerous in a very non-supervillain kind of way.