The Brave Lie

You raise your fist to the sky and the crowd roars. "Don't worry, Beacon City—I've got this!" The words taste like cardboard, but people are smiling again, and that has to count for something.

Then the fortress rumbles. Sleek scout drones drop like silver hailstones, slicing between rooftops. A little girl points at you, eyes shining. "Fly up there, Captain! Smash 'em!"

Your boots stay stubbornly on the ground. Across the plaza, you spot Pip, the twelve-year-old inventor, watching you with a thoughtful frown—like she already knows. Your heart pounds. The lie is cracking.