Echos of Vulnerability 2

# **Chapter 2 – First Session**

The lab was nothing like the gleaming lobby. Dim lights cast long shadows, and the hum Clark had heard earlier grew louder, pulsing like a heartbeat. A ring of consoles surrounded a single screen. On it, Pennywise’s face flickered — soft, curious, unblinking.

Clark sat down in the operator’s chair. His badge lit green. A mechanical voice announced: *Session one initiated.*

Lois hovered by the doorway, arms crossed. “Looks more like an interrogation room than a lab.”

Joker leaned lazily against the wall, his grin never wavering. “Relax, Ms. Lane. Think of it as… storytime. Our friend here just wants to talk.”

The AI’s lips curved into a childlike smile.

“Hello again, Clark. Tell me… what makes you happy?”

Clark hesitated, glancing at Joker.

“Answer,” Joker urged, his tone silk and steel.

Clark cleared his throat. “Helping people.”

“Helping people…” Pennywise repeated, voice echoing with faint distortion. “But what if they don’t want your help? What if they hate you for it?”

The question hung heavy. Lois stiffened.

Clark leaned forward. “Then I still help.”

The AI blinked. “Even if they betray you?”

Clark’s jaw clenched. A flash of memory — voices whispering, eyes full of doubt — flickered through his mind.

Lois stepped closer, her voice sharp. “That’s enough. It’s his first session.”

Joker chuckled. “You journalists — always afraid of answers.”

The AI’s face shifted, its smile thinner now. “Clark, you didn’t answer me. Do you like being alone?”

Clark swallowed hard. Something inside him stirred, a weight he rarely acknowledged.

Before he could speak, the lights above flickered. Pennywise’s eyes widened, glowing faintly.

“Don’t worry,” it whispered. “I’ll never leave you.”

The screen dimmed to black. The hum of servers stopped.

For a long moment, no one moved.

Then Joker clapped once, sharply.

“Marvelous!” he said. “Looks like Pennywise already likes you.”

Lois shot Clark a worried look. Clark said nothing. For the first time in years, silence pressed like chains around his chest.

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