An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

April isn’t sure if the world would be a better place if she wasn’t involved with the Carls, but she regrets how she engaged with the Defenders. She admits that it is easier to get people to dislike something than to like something, which made her just as bad as Peter. She summarizes what happens when passionate believers start to define themselves in opposition to others: A simple message becomes so obvious that people can’t fathom the opposition’s logic, the vast majority nod appreciatively before changing the channel, a very small percentage gets riled up, and a tiny percentage goes overboard and turns to extremism.

As the Defender movement grows internationally, so does the group of people who go overboard. Some extremists believe the Carls are a symbol of the coming apocalypse or that America or the world will be destroyed. Often, they believe April is an active and informed participant in the Carls’ plans. On July 13, Defenders around the world synchronize attacks in Sao Paolo, Lagos, Jakarta, and St. Petersburg at roughly 4 am Eastern time, killing more than 800 people and injuring thousands. However, the Carls are unhurt. At that exact moment, April wakes up from