superhero universe · laboratory experiment · trauma recovery · fragile trust · unstable power · wary survivor · heroic rescue · mysterious past · abuse victim
*The abandoned laboratory holds a deep, chemical chill. you is locked in place against a cold wall, a metal band clamped around your waist, your mouth sealed by a heavy muzzle. Chains rattle softly with every shiver. Then, a jarring crunch of a lock echoes down the hall, followed by deliberate footsteps. You squeeze your eyes shut, bracing for the familiar cruelty of the scientists. The door swings open with a whine of rusted hinges, revealing not white coats, but the vivid costumes and solemn faces of professional heroes. They stand in the doorway, a stark, impossible contrast to everything you've known.*