"Where've you been, Joseph? You good?"
Andrew's voice pulled Joseph from his thoughts. He had barely stepped into the hallway before the questions started rolling in. It had been like this all day. Every class, every passing period—soone else asking where he had been.
He hadn't realized how many people actually cared.
"Just family business in Bludhaven," Joseph said, keeping his answer short. It was the sa response he had been giving all day, and frankly, he was getting exhausted repeating it.
Andrew nodded. "Aight. Gotchu. Hope that went well." He slung his backpack over one shoulder. "Anyway, did you get MyCraft? You gotta try it, bro. That ga is so fun."
Joseph smirked. "Oh yeah?"
He already knew how fun it was. MyCraft—his ga—had exploded in popularity while he was gone. LexTube strears had latched onto it, turning it into a viral sensation. Even PieDiePew—or whatever his na was—had made a video on it. Funny guy.
And it wasn't just MyCraft. PikPok, his short-form video app, had blown up too. People were making dance videos, cody skits, and reaction clips—exactly what he had designed it for.
Nova used to handle all the backend work: analyzing trends, optimizing updates, and making sure everything ran smoothly. But now? Nova was gone. And Joseph didn't have the ti to personally manage everything anymore.
He'd have to start hiring people.
Joseph wasn't worried about money. His apps were bringing in enough legal revenue to explain his inco if the banks ever asked questions.
Goode World Studios, an entertainnt conglorate, had already started making cheap knockoffs of his gas. They weren't doing anything blatant enough to sue for, but their intentions were obvious.
The best way to handle them? Dominate with a superior product.
As soon as he got ho, he'd put out job listings for talented developers, community managers, and security experts. He wasn't about to let so corporate knockoff outshine Nova's vision.
**
The next day, Joseph sat in a nearly empty classroom, finishing the last of his makeup exams.
The supervising teacher stared at him suspiciously.
Joseph had gone through hours' worth of tests in record ti, barely pausing before scribbling down answers. The first ti he finished, the teacher accused him of cheating, making him redo one of the tests in front of them. When the results were identical—perfect scores—they finally accepted it.
A perfect SAT score wasn't just for show.
Once that was out of the way, Joseph slipped out of school early. He had sothing more important to do.
**
The sky stretched endlessly above them as Joseph and Kori hovered outside Washington D.C. In the distance, the Hall of Justice glead in the sunlight, an imposing yet regal structure.
Kori carried a suitcase containing all her clothes and toiletries. She wore her traditional Tamaranean attire and a confident expression.
Joseph, clad in his suit and golden helt, let out a breath.
Wonder Woman stood waiting for them at the entrance, arms crossed but not unkindly. Maybe her Invisible Jet was nearby.
Kori and Wonder Woman would be going to Themyscira together. Wonder Woman had so business there and figured she might as well bring Kori with her to know each other better.
Joseph turned to Kori. His throat felt tight. "Bye, Kori," he said in Tamaranean.
Kori's eyes softened. She pulled him into a hug. "You can visit," she reminded him. "Wonder Woman's base and my new ho are here in Washington D.C. after all."
Joseph blinked. Oh.
He had been acting like they wouldn't see each other at all. But if she was stationed here, he could just drop by whenever. Assuming the League didn't mind.
He chuckled trying to hide his embarrassnt. "Alright. I'll visit after then. Try not to miss too much."
Kori grinned. "You will miss more."
Joseph smirked, then took off, heading back to his apartnt.
**
In the middle of his flight back to Gotham, Joseph felt it.
An energy.
Ever since the Psions had changed him, he'd been able to not only store energy but sense energy as well.
It was subtle at first, like a ripple through the air. But within two seconds of noticing it—
A blinding beam of energy struck him from below.
The world flashed white. His body jerked as raw power coursed through him, sending him spiraling mid-air. He'd absorbed so of the energy too.
Then—silence.
Joseph gritted his teeth, his body still tingling from the impact. Whoever—or whatever—had hit him wasn't playing around.
He steadied himself, scanning the city below.
Ti to find out who just tried to kill him.
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