Chapter 19: Myriad's Shadow and a Hard Choice
The air in National City wasn't just thick with tension anymore; it was humming. A low, insidious frequency vibrated through the city, a silent, unseen wave washing over everyone. Then, the blank stares. The vacant eyes. The collective, terrifying stillness. Myriad. Non had activated it. The entire population of National City, mind-controlled.
Adam felt a strange, almost imperceptible shimmer around him, a brief surge of energy that dissipated as quickly as it appeared. He blinked. Nothing. He felt… normal. Unaffected. His Adapt System, with its passive resistance to mental manipulation, had done its job. He was immune.
He looked around CatCo. People were standing still, their faces devoid of emotion, their movements robotic. Cat Grant, however, was still her usual, fiery self, albeit looking utterly bewildered.
"What in the name of all that is holy is happening?!" Cat shrieked, staring at her unmoving employees. "Did everyone just decide to take a collective coffee break and forget to tell me?!"
"More like a collective brain vacation, Ms. Grant," Adam said grimly. "It's Myriad. Kryptonian mind control. Looks like you and I are among the lucky few who are immune. Probably because we're too stubborn to be controlled." He offered her a wry smile. "Or maybe because my brain is already a chaotic mess, and there's no room for extra programming."
Cat stared at him, then at the unmoving masses. "Mind control? You're serious? This is… this is worse than a hostile takeover! At least with Maxwell Lord, I could sue him!"
Kara, who had arrived, looking equally unaffected but utterly terrified, joined them. "It's Non. He activated it. He's controlling everyone." Her voice was a strained whisper.
Adam nodded. "Yeah, I figured. Myriad's central control is Fort Rozz. Or at least, that's where the signal originates. We need to find a way to disrupt it. Or overload it. Or, you know, just unplug the giant alien mind-control device."
Cat, surprisingly, snapped into action. "Alright, Mr. Stiels, Ms. Danvers! We are not going to stand here and let these… these drones take over my city! What do we do?"
Adam, with Kara's reluctant agreement, became a key asset. He used his meta-knowledge to pinpoint Myriad's central control, guiding them through the eerie, silent streets of National City. He suggested ways to disrupt the signal, theorizing about frequency jammers and power surges.
As they navigated the mind-controlled city, they encountered civilians, their faces blank, their movements stiff, attempting to stop them.
[ADAPT SYSTEM: Host in danger. Threat: Physical assault (mind-controlled civilians). Adaptation: Doubled physical strength and resistance to blunt force trauma.]
A mind-controlled security guard lunged at Kara, his eyes vacant. Adam quickly stepped in front of her, his body momentarily hardening. He subtly deflected the guard's punch, making it look like the guard just stumbled, then gently but firmly shoved him away. "Seriously, guys? No personal space! We're trying to save the world here, not join a synchronized walking club!"
He continued to deflect or shove away civilians, making it look like they just tripped or he was "surprisingly strong." He was a human shield, a subtle force field, protecting Kara and Cat from the unwitting attacks of the mind-controlled masses. Cat, observing Adam's inexplicable resilience and quick reflexes, raised an eyebrow, a flicker of deep intrigue in her eyes.
"You're remarkably… resilient, Mr. Stiels," Cat commented, as Adam casually pushed a mind-controlled man who was trying to block their path.
"Just a good breakfast, Ms. Grant," Adam quipped, barely breaking a sweat. "And a healthy dose of stubbornness. It's my superpower."
Kara, however, knew better. She saw the subtle glow, the way he moved, the impossible strength. Their bond strengthened immensely as they faced the Myriad crisis together, relying on each other completely. He was her rock, her partner in this terrifying, silent battle.
"He's always there," Kara thought, watching him effortlessly redirect a mind-controlled civilian. "Always protecting me. Always fighting by my side. And he's not even supposed to have powers. He's just… Adam."
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