Badass In Disguise

Chapter b256 /b

At 2:17 PM Eastern Time, every major social media tform across America went dark simultaneously, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook–all disyed the same blue error screen. Users frantically refreshed their apps, restarted their phones, and reset their brouters/b, but nothing worked.

bBy /b3:30 PM, the panic had evolved. Users who managed to ess backup systems discovered something far more disturbing–specific data had been selectively erased. bNot /bjust any bdata/b, but every viden, screenshot, and post rted to Jade Morgan and the Mercedes incident. Comments, shares, bsaved /bcoples–all gone. Even personal backup drives and cloud storage weren’t spared.

At 4:12 PM, the situation took an even more bizame turn. Every screen connected to the inte–phones, tablets,puters, even digital billboards–suddenly disyed the same content: theplete, unedited surveince video bfrom /bMike’s Auto Service showing the cheap Chevrolet owner threatening Ss and Jade’s intervention.

No amount of refreshing, restarting, or rebooting could change what was bdisyed/b. The nation’s entire digital infrastructure had beenmandeered to show a single piece of evidence.

In Silicon bValley/b, the headquarters of every major techpany zed with light despite thete hour. Emergency response teams huddled around monitors, desperately trying to regain control of their systems. The Pentagon had assembled its top cybersecurity experts, but they were equally powerless against the mysterious intrusion.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” a senior bsecurity /banalyst at Google admitted in an emergency briefing. “It’s as if someone rewrd the fundamental protocols of the inte itself. We can’t even identify the battack /bvector.”

Meanwhile, at the FBI’s Cyber Divisionb, /banalysts were running facial recognition software on the surveince video disyed on billions of screens.

being forcibly

At Princeton the next morning, the atmosphere was electric. Groups of students huddled together, whispering theories and reactions to “The Override

an, that family

“Has to be Haxton,” a business major bsaid /bas Jade walked bpast/b. “Nobody else bhas /bbthat /bkind of tech capability and motive. Man, doesn’t bfuck /baround,”

“bDid /byou see how they

they made everyone watch the full video?” his friend replied. “Power move. Bet nobody’s going to try bspreading /bbfake /bnews about Morgan again.” olliby. Some looked away nervously, while others stared with a new mixture of fear /li/ol

Several students fell bsilent /bbas /bthey noticed bJade /bpassing by. S and respect.

Jade’s phone buzzed with a text from Ethan.

If you didn’t step in, I was about to take action myself.

She typed bback/b: Mind your own business.

His reply came immediately: Got it.

She didn’t respond. By midb–/bafternoon, Jade had grown bored with campus and returned to her apartment. bShe /bmethodically worked through some academic readings, fed bCaptain/b, band /bwent to bed earlyb, /bpletely undisturbed by the chaos,

In the early hours of the morning, around 3:17 AM, Captain’s ears perked up. He trotted to the floor–to–ceiling windows and released two sharp barks.

Jade stirred, opening one eye to bnce /bat the security feed on her nightstand. Three men stood outside her apartment building. Even in the dim lighting, she recognized Grant’s stocky build among them. The other two wore the unmistakable dark suits of federal agents.

Captain looked back at her questioningly.

“Let them bwait/b,” she murmured, turning over in bed. They cane back at ba /bdecent hour.”

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. bShe /bnced at the screen, bsaw /bGrant’s name, and declined the bcall/b. When it rang again, she went into her settings band /badded him to her blocked list.

The older of the two agents spoke, his voice carrying through Jade’s security system. “Quite the attitude on this one.”

The younger agent reached

ed for the dear.

door, but Grant bstopped /bhim. “Trust me, you don’t want

want to force ent

entry. Let’s bwait /btill morning”

By sunriseb, /bthe bthree /bbmen /bwere still there, now sitting in an unmarked ck sedan. Jade watched from her kitchen bwindow /bas she sipped her morning bcoffee/bb. /bWhen they finally approached her door again, she noticed their confusion bas /bthey discovered the Inte and doorbell systems were nonb–/bbresponsive/b.

“Security system seems to be malfunctioning,” the younger agent said, pressing the button repeatedly.

“Coincidence, I’m sure,” the older agent replied bdryly/b.

After several minutes of knocking with no answer, the younger agent suggested forcing entry. Grant quickly dissuaded him.

“We bwait/b,” he said firmlyb. /b“Trust me.

Two hourster, Ss arrived carrying a bag of groceries.

The agents quickly positioned themselves to follow him in.

bCaptain /bgreeted Ss with enthusiasm but growled deeply at the three men trailing behind him.

“Miss Morgan,” the

e older agent said, stepping forward band /bproducing bhis /bcredentials. “I’m Agent ckwood with the FBI. We need to speak with you regarding yesterday’s nationwide cybersecurity incident.”

bJade /bleaned against the doorframe, Starbucks cup in handb, /bstudying them with calm indifference. “Oh?”

“May wee in?” he basked/b, already attempting to step past her.

Captain’s growl bdeepened/bb, /bstopping the agent in his tracks. The dog’s hackles raisedb, /bband /bhis teeth gleamed in the morning light.

The younger agent introduced himself as Agent Harrington as they settled bawkwardly /bbin /bdes living room. bSs /bbusied himself in the kitchen while Jade lounged in an armchair,pletely at ease despite the tension filling the room.

“Miss Morgan,” ckwood began, his tone formal but strained, “yesterday’s cyberattack was the most significant breach of national security in American history. Every major social media tform, news outlet, and even government systems werepromised.”

Jade took a slow sip of her coffee. “bAnd /bthis concerns me how?”

“The attack specifically targeted content brted /bto you,” Reynolds interjected, “forcing the entire nation to view a video that exonerates you from recent usations.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like someone was fighting fake news. Isn’t that a good thing?”

Grant shifted ufortablyb, /bavoiding eye contact. He clearly knew what Jade was capable of, but was equally aware of how impossible it would be to prove.

“This was a direct attack on American infrastructure, Miss Morgan,” Reynolds continued, leaning forward with intensity. “Billions in damages, potential threats to critical systems, mass panic-

“Where’s your evidence?” Jade interrupted, her voice cool band /buntroubled.

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