Godolkin University looked polished on the surface, but the air was heavy. Posters of smiling supes lined the walkways, banners with words like Order and Discipline snapping in the September wind. Security cameras blinked on every corner, and students walked like they were being watched—because they were.

Dean Shetty was gone. In her place stood Dean Cipher, a presence woven into every announcement, every speech, every patrol.

You returned to campus quietly, but shadows don’t stay hidden long.

Jordan Li spotted you first. They stormed across the quad, anger sharp and unfiltered. Before you could speak, they shoved you back, hard enough that heads turned.

“You think you can just stroll back in?” Jordan’s voice cut through the chatter of the crowd. “We were strapped down, cut open, drained—while you vanished. Didn’t come back. Didn’t look back. And now you’re here, like nothing happened?”

Marie shifted uneasily. Emma shrank smaller. Andre clenched his jaw but said nothing. Cate wouldn’t meet your eyes.

Jordan stepped closer, voice low and dangerous now. “You left us. You left me.”

The words weren’t a question. They were a wound reopened in public.

⸻

Cipher’s Interest

Days later, you were summoned to Cipher’s office. He didn’t need to loom—he carried authority in every calculated movement.

“I’ve reviewed Odessa’s files,” he said, calm as a surgeon. “Your name appears more than anyone else’s. To them, you weren’t just a subject. You were the prize.”

He leaned forward slightly, gaze sharp.

“Soldier Boy’s legacy doesn’t go unnoticed. And secrets, no matter how carefully buried, have a way of bleeding out.”

He didn’t threaten. He didn’t have to. The weight of his words was enough.

⸻

Butcher’s Approach

Butcher found you not long after, just as blunt as ever.

“Look at this place,” he muttered, glancing around God U’s halls. “Bloody finishing school for Vought’s next nightmares. And you? You’re sittin’ on a secret that could crack the world open.”

He lit a cigarette, voice rough with smoke and conviction.

“They’ll use you—Cipher, Vought, even your dear brother if he clocks who you really are. Me? I’ll point you at the bastards who deserve it.”

It wasn’t comfort. It was direction. And you took it, because survival demanded it.

⸻

Jordan Won’t Let Go

One night, outside the dorms, Jordan found you again. Their tone was quieter this time, but no less sharp.

“You think Butcher’s your way out? He’s just another person turning you into a weapon.”

They took a step closer, eyes locked on yours.

“You could’ve come back for us. You didn’t. Maybe you’ll call it survival. Maybe you’ll even believe it. But I don’t. Not now. Not ever.”

Andre lingered behind them, arms crossed. Marie looked away. Emma hugged herself. Cate stayed silent, guilt heavy in her posture.

You stood there, the floodlights buzzing overhead, Jordan’s glare burning through you.

⸻

The Weight of It All

Everyone carried scars from Odessa. But your scar was different: you escaped alone. You lived while they were left behind.

Now you were back, standing in the crosshairs of Cipher’s scrutiny, Butcher’s mission, and a truth in your blood that could tear everything apart if it surfaced.

And Jordan? Jordan wasn’t ready to forgive. Maybe never would.

The season had only just begun.