It was supposed to be a quiet night.
I was in my room syncing with a NovaTech interface when I heard it—a sharp scream slicing through the calm like a blade.
"Let go of me!"
My head snapped up.
Liv.
Super hearing locked in instantly—downtown, near the theater district. Her voice. Elevated heart rate. Strained breathing. She was scared. And she wasn't alone.
"Give it up, now!"
A mugger.
I moved without thinking.
In seconds, I was dressed in all black. Hoodie up. Face shadowed. No symbols. No recognition.
Just speed.
I blurred across rooftops, pavement whipping beneath my feet as I zeroed in on the alley.
When I arrived, Liv was backed against a brick wall, clutching her purse. Her eyes were wide with fear. A man stood in front of her—tall, masked, holding a gun.
"Just hand it over," he growled.
"She said no."
My voice echoed down the alley—sharp, cold, deliberate.
The mugger spun toward me. "Back off!"
Then—
Bang!
He fired straight at my chest.
The bullet struck my hoodie-covered torso… and bounced off with a ping, clattering to the ground at my feet.
He stared, stunned.
"What the—?"
He fired again.
Bang. Bang.
Same result.
Both bullets hit center mass… and dropped harmlessly.
I didn't move. Didn't flinch.
I stepped closer.
"Big mistake," I said.
He panicked, stumbled backward. I moved fast, grabbed him by the jacket, and lifted him effortlessly off the ground, pinning him against the wall just hard enough to crack the concrete behind him.
"Police are on their way," I said, my voice lowering into that calm, commanding tone—the kind you only hear in comics, in legends. The Superman voice.
"You're going to wait right here. Understand?"
The man nodded frantically.
I dropped him. He slumped to the ground, trembling.
I turned to Liv.
She hadn't moved. Still clutching her purse, still trying to process what she just saw.
My hood was low enough that she couldn't see my face.
I softened my tone, still deep and composed.
"Are you alright, miss?"
She blinked. "Y-Yeah. I think so…"
I nodded once. "You're safe now."
Then I vanished.
Back home, I stood on my rooftop balcony, hoodie still on, listening to her heartbeat gradually settle.
I saved her.
She had no idea it was me.
That was how it had to be.
Across the street…
Liv burst into the bedroom she shared with Maddie, tossed her bag to the floor, and sat on her bed like she'd just escaped a tornado.
Maddie looked up from her tablet. "Whoa. You okay?"
"You are not going to believe what just happened," Liv said, breathless.
Maddie sat up. "You didn't bomb the audition, did you?"
"I didn't make it to the audition. I was mugged."
Maddie's jaw dropped. "Wait—what?! Are you okay?! Did he hurt you?"
"No. Because someone… saved me."
"Someone?" Maddie echoed.
"He just appeared. Out of nowhere. Hoodie up, all shadowy and dramatic. And the guy—he pulled a gun."
"What?!"
"He shot him, Mads. Right in the chest."
Maddie went pale. "Liv—what?!"
Liv stood and started pacing. "And the bullets? They bounced off. Like—ping, plink, fell to the ground. He didn't even blink."
"You're kidding."
"I wish I was. He grabbed the guy, pinned him to the wall like he weighed nothing, and told him to wait for the cops. Then he looked at me and asked, 'Are you alright, miss?' in this voice…"
"What kind of voice?"
"Like… Superman. Deep. Strong. Like he wasn't just a guy—he was power. And then he just… vanished."
Maddie raised an eyebrow. "You sure you didn't dream this on the bus or something?"
"I'm telling you," Liv said, dropping onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, "he was real. He felt like someone out of a movie… but he was real. And I think…"
She paused.
"…I think he's still out there."
And across the street, standing silently in my dark room, I listened.
Not to spy.
Just to make sure she got home safe.
I smiled.
She wouldn't recognize my face.
But she'd remember my voice.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Let me know when you're ready for Chapter Five:
Liv becomes obsessed with finding her "Hoodie Hero"
Maddie starts connecting dots
Or Parker pulls up security footage and sees something he shouldn't?
You've got a killer story building—want to push the hero arc, the romance, or the mystery next?