That was Silver Lining. She was the oldest, the wisest, and the only one without a flashy power. She just had a gut feeling for trouble—and an unnerving habit of being right.

Down in the garage, a new recruit named Volt was trying to recharge her suit from a wall socket. She’d plugged it in upside down. The suit began to hum a sad, electronic waltz.

asked Drift.

sighed Lynx, whose claws were currently retracted as she painted her nails—a surprisingly delicate operation for hands that could shred titanium. “Unplug it. Breathe. You’re not a toaster.”

Volt blushed.

shouted Nova, whose gravitational powers were useless if she couldn't anchor herself. She hopped on one foot through the common area, her fiery red ponytail whipping behind her.

said Drift, a woman made of living mist, without looking up from her tablet. “You put it there after the sentient ice cream incident.”

But at Superheroine Central, that was just another Tuesday. And they wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Inside, the morning was chaos.

came a calm voice from the observation deck. “But this time, try thinking .”