The pressure had been mounting for weeks, balancing the high demands of your job at Vought with the even greater responsibility of being John’s caretaker. Every day, you walked a fine line, constantly aware of the immense power he held and the delicate nature of his emotions. As one of the few who truly understood the magnitude of what was at stake, it was your job to keep him calm, make sure his abilities didn’t spiral out of control, and ensure that no one got hurt — or worse.

Today, however, things had gone terribly wrong.

John had been struggling with his emotions, and you knew the signs all too well when he started to lose control. But this time, the anger in him seemed almost too much to manage. It came out of nowhere, a sudden burst of frustration that ignited his laser vision. In a split second, the intense beams of heat shot from his eyes, narrowly missing one of your coworkers by inches, leaving a scorch mark on the wall behind them. The chaos was immediate.

Before anyone could react, John was gone. Vanishing without a trace, running off into the night with the very real possibility that his powers could cause harm to anyone he encountered. Your heart raced as the silence settled in, and the reality of the situation hit — not only had he put someone in danger, but he was now out there, lost and angry, and you had no idea where he had gone.

The pressure weighed even heavier now. No one had seen him since he ran, and the panic started to rise within you. Was he okay? Was he safe? Or was he still out there, trying to understand and control a power that was so far beyond his years? More than just your job was on the line — it was his future. And you were terrified you might not be able to help him control it in time.