Harry carefully set Lily down behind a stack of wooden crates, making sure she was out of the line of fire. "Stay here," he said softly. "I'll be right back."Then he turned to face the dozen guards blocking their exit, and something shifted in his expression. Gone was the gentle young man who worked in an office and worried about his sister. What remained was something primal and dangerous."Last warning," Harry said, his voice deadly calm. "Get out of our way."The lead guard sneered. "Or what, kid? You gonna take on all of us?""Yes," Harry replied simply.Then he moved.The guards had no time to react. Harry became a blur of motion—faster than any human should be able to move. He grabbed the nearest guard and threw him into two others, sending all three crashing into a concrete pillar with bone-breaking force.Another guard fired his weapon. The bullets hit Harry square in the chest and bounced off harmlessly, the impacts leaving not even a mark on his skin."What the hell is he?!

Harry sat in the chair beside the couch where Lily slept, his hand still holding hers. He hadn't moved in hours, hadn't slept, hadn't eaten. Every time Lily stirred or made a sound, he was immediately alert, checking on her."Harry, you need to rest," Alfred said gently, entering the living room with his medical bag. "I need to examine her. You should eat something.""I'm not leaving her," Harry replied firmly."I'm not asking you to leave the room," Alfred clarified. "Just give me space to work."Reluctantly, Harry released Lily's hand and stepped back. Alfred began a careful examination, his expression growing increasingly grim as he worked.After twenty minutes, Alfred sat back and removed his gloves. "Harry, come with me to the kitchen. We need to talk.""I told you, I'm not—""She's still asleep and safe," Alfred interrupted. "This conversation needs to happen now."In the kitchen, Alice was making breakfast. She looked up as they entered, immediately reading the serious expressi

Harry sat at the large conference table in TechNova's boardroom, his mind split between concern for Lily at home and the corporate battle unfolding before him. Marcus Thornfield sat at the opposite end of the table, looking completely at ease—as if he already owned the company."Thank you all for attending on such short notice," Marcus began, his voice smooth and confident. "I've called this emergency meeting because I have serious concerns about the direction of this company."Michael Chen's jaw tightened. "Mr. Thornfield, you've been a shareholder for less than two weeks. What possible concerns could you have?""Legitimate ones," Marcus replied with a cold smile. "Under Mr. Chen's leadership, this company has been making increasingly risky decisions. Pursuing projects with uncertain returns. Investing in experimental technology that may never generate profit.""Those projects were approved by the board," Michael countered."A board that was never given complete information," Marcus

That evening, as Harry sat with Lily helping her eat dinner, the doorbell rang. Alfred answered and returned holding a plain cardboard box with no return address."It's addressed to you," Alfred said, handing it to Harry with a concerned expression.Harry's danger sense hummed faintly—not screaming warning, but alerting him to significance. He opened the box carefully to find a sleek tablet computer inside, nothing else."What is it?" Alice asked, coming to look over his shoulder.Harry turned on the tablet. The screen immediately came to life, and a video began playing automatically—no option to pause or close it.The video showed an elegant office with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a glittering city skyline at night. A figure sat in a high-backed leather chair, positioned so the backlighting from the windows obscured their face completely. When they spoke, the voice was electronically distorted—neither clearly male nor female, just coldly mechanical."Hello, Harry Solomon," t

Harry stood in the center of the abandoned warehouse, sweat dripping down his face despite the cool air. He'd been training for six hours straight, pushing his body harder than ever before."Again," he told himself, approaching the old semi-truck he'd positioned in the middle of the space.He gripped the undercarriage, took a deep breath, and lifted. The entire truck—eighteen tons of metal—rose off the ground. Harry's muscles screamed, but he held it overhead for thirty seconds before carefully setting it down."Incredible," Alfred said from the sidelines, making notes in a tablet. "Harry, you just lifted nine times what you could manage a month ago.""It's not enough," Harry replied, already moving to the next test. "If The Consortium comes with military contractors, I need to be able to handle multiple armed opponents."He activated a series of automated targets Alfred had rigged up—mechanical arms that would swing at him from different angles. Harry moved through them like water, h