The polished white walls of New York University's private fusion research lab gleamed under bright fluorescence. Clean floors. Humming computers. A dozen containment monitors tracking thermal regulation with unblinking precision. It was the kind of place where genius was supposed to thrive unbothered—until today. Outside the building, three girls walked toward the front entrance dressed in the most harmless pastel hoodies and denim skirts imaginable. Kara Zor-El tightened her ponytail, brushing invisible lint off her pale lavender sweatshirt. Beside her, Gwen adjusted the strap of her faux-leather purse, a wide-eyed innocence in her step that only years of perfected deceit could simulate. Rogue trailed behind, tilting her head left and right like she wasn't quite sure if she was supposed to be on this campus or if they were headed for a Starbucks.
"Alright," Gwen whispered, leaning in close, eyes scanning the surroundings. "Kara, Rogue—remember the mission. Be harmless. Be sweet. Be absolutely adorable."
Kara grinned softly, adjusting the hem of her skirt with practiced grace. "It's the official. First deployment of the Green Tea Bitch Squad."
Rogue raised one brow as she glanced toward the entry. "We're kidnapping a scientist with manners. I love this job."
The door hissed open ahead of them, and they stepped into the lab. Dr. Otto Octavius stood at the far end, fiddling with a touchscreen panel beside a massive cylindrical reactor unit. The machine shimmered faintly, glowing from the inside with shifting plasma. A thin cable of energy coursed through insulated copper tubing into a central console. Octavius hadn't yet noticed them. Kara immediately wandered off to the right, pretending to fumble through her purse. She blinked rapidly, looking around with the anxiety of a teenager who'd just lost her lifeline to the outside world. Her voice was soft but projected just enough. "Where's my phone? Where is it? Oh no, this is such a disaster..."
Gwen and Rogue stepped forward toward the machine, catching Otto's attention with wide, imploring eyes. Gwen clasped her hands in front of her chest. "Sir, sorry to bother you. Our friend lost her phone and we're totally lost."
Otto looked up, adjusting his glasses. For a moment, he blinked, taking in the sight of two apparently harmless girls standing in his domain. Then the old gentleman scientist's face softened with warmth. "Oh, not a problem, not a problem at all! Please—use mine. I've got unlimited everything." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sleek Apple smartphone, handing it over without hesitation.
Gwen's expression brightened like morning sunshine. "Thank you so much, sir. You're so generous." She took the phone delicately between two fingers like it might bite, then turned and exited the room to "make a call."
Otto turned back to his console, but Kara had now made her way across the floor toward Rogue, eyebrows knit in distress, her hands now patting down her coat pockets. "Oh no, I still can't find my phone. This is such a disaster!"
Dr. Octavius chuckled, voice warm. "Young lady, don't fret. These things have a way of turning up when you least expect them."
Rogue tilted her head and pointed with curiosity toward the large glowing device at the heart of the room. "Sir, what is that?" Her accent was sweet, touched with Southern warmth even if carefully dulled for the mission.
Kara's eyes widened, pupils dilating, her hands rising to clasp beneath her chin. "It's so shiny. Is that… fusion energy?"
Octavius puffed out his chest, his posture lengthening an extra inch with pride. "Indeed it is. A working prototype, in fact. Peter Parker and I designed it together." He walked toward the machine and gestured to the core, where luminous pulses of plasma ebbed and shimmered in self-contained balance.
Kara leaned in closer, her breath catching as though she were seeing magic for the first time. "Wow… a machine that could change the world..."
The good doctor smiled wider, clearly flattered. Rogue crossed her arms, eyes sparkling with a feigned sense of awe. "You're a credit to scientists everywhere, sir."
He chuckled again, shoulders shaking gently, clearly delighted by their enthusiasm. "You know, I don't often get this kind of praise from students. Usually it's budget complaints and lab access requests."
Kara tilted her head, a hand lifting thoughtfully to her chin. "We're just really passionate about science, especially when it could change the future. Real fusion energy… that's incredible."
Octavius motioned toward the back end of the reactor, launching into a friendly explanation about magnetic confinement, plasma stabilization, and dual-loop field generators. Most of it didn't matter—his tone alone said what needed to be known. He was talking. And more importantly, trusting.
Kara said nothing. But in the back of her mind, a single thought echoed with razor clarity. Phase one complete. The target is falling for it.
The far door opened again. Gwen stepped back inside, wearing a sunny expression and clutching her purse strap. "Phone call made! We're totally safe now, thanks to you, sir."
She walked toward them with a casual swing in her step, the stolen phone now fully copied, wiped, and tucked neatly into the inner lining of her jacket. Her posture betrayed nothing.
Kara turned to Otto, head slightly tilted, eyes wide with a rehearsed blend of reverence and shyness. "Would it be alright if we took a closer look? Just for a second?"
Otto beamed, arms spreading with generosity. "Of course, ladies. Anything for aspiring scientists."
And so, with a twinkle in their eyes and not a weapon in sight, the Green Tea Bitch Deployment Squad closed in on their unsuspecting prey—because evil, when it came wrapped in charm and innocence, was the most dangerous force of all.
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