Really bad

Chapter: A Shocking Discovery (rough draft v1)

Josh's heart was aching for connection and solace. The weight of the day's events pressed down on him, urging him to seek comfort in the familiar presence of Felicia. As he dialed her number, the hope of hearing her voice brought a momentary lightness to his chest.

The phone rang, and rang, but there was no answer.

Confused and a little concerned, he assumed she must be at work. The idea of seeing her face and planning a date night for when she got off work was appealing, a small beacon of normalcy amid the chaos. Even If it would have to be a short one so he could make his first night shift.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he made his way to her workplace, expecting to find her immersed in her daily tasks. But when he arrived, the confusion turned into a gnawing worry.

"She didn't come in today," her coworker explained, a concerned frown on her face. "No call, no show. It's not like her."

Josh's mind raced as he thanked her and headed for Felicia's place. Something wasn't right. The sinking feeling in his gut grew heavier.

Arriving at her apartment, he found no sign of her. Everything was in its place, but Felicia was nowhere to be found.

"AISYS, I need you to hack into the network and find any information about Felicia's whereabouts," he instructed, his voice tinged with desperation.

The AI responded, her tone serious and focused, "I'm on it, Josh."

Minutes that felt like hours passed as AISYS worked, the silence in Felicia's apartment growing oppressive.

"Josh, I found something concerning," AISYS finally spoke, her voice filled with uncertainty. "Her phone has been off for a little over a day, and there's no other digital footprint since then on any local network."

Fear and determination gripped him. He knew he had to investigate further, but where to start?

Josh had started pacing around Felicia's apartment, his mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. AISYS was working in the background, scanning the surroundings, trying to find a clue.

"Josh, stop for a moment," AISYS's voice broke through his thoughts, sounding unusually alert.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling a flicker of hope.

"I've detected something unusual. There's a hidden panel in the wall behind the bookshelf, and it's not connected to any network. It seems to be shielded and probably air-gapped not only from the networks but from the power grid. I'm only detecting it because I started running my sensors above rated power limits and the software being unable to detect anything in the exact shape of a control panel, look." She shows him an overlay of her scan and there it is, TV static in the exact shape of a control panel very similar to the ones at the hero agency.

Josh's heart raced as he moved towards the bookshelf, pulling it away from the wall. There, concealed behind a painting, was the panel.

"Place your hand on it," AISYS instructed. "I'll use the suit's interface to analyze and potentially unlock it."

With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, Josh complied, feeling the strange sensation as AISYS extended tendrils of the living armor to interface with the hidden panel. The seconds ticked by.

"I've cracked the code," AISYS announced, her voice filled with a hint of triumph. "Brace yourself."

The floor beneath the bed creaked and groaned as it split open, revealing a hidden staircase leading downward to what was supposed to be one of the empty apartments getting renovated on the level beneath Felicia's.

Josh's breath caught in his throat as he descended the stairs, his mind struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. The walls were adorned with newspaper clippings about Voltara, maps, and various notes.

When he reached the bottom and flicked on the light, he found himself in a secret hideout of some sort. There were workbenches filled with tools, electronic gadgets, and even what appeared to be parts of a costume.

"What is this place?" Josh whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.

"It appears to be a hidden base of operations," AISYS replied, her tone as confused and shocked as his own. "I'm analyzing the data now, but it seems to be directly connected to Voltara."

Josh's mind reeled as he continued to explore the room, finding more evidence of Felicia's connection to the villain. The room was filled with plans, photographs, and personal belongings that tied her to Voltara.

He sank into a chair, his mind racing, the weight of the discovery pressing down on him.

"Felicia, what have you been hiding?" he murmured

Moments later his alarm went off, It was time for his first night shift.