A Few Hours Earlier
LIVE BROADCAST: "CHAOS ON THE JUMP CITY BRIDGE"
JumpNews Network – 6:09 PM – "Urgent Transmission"
📡 REPORTER'S VOICE FROM THE HELICOPTER (live):— "We are now flying over Jump City's main bridge where, in the past few hours, a coordinated attack by insect-like creatures has put hundreds of civilians at risk. Local authorities have yet to secure the area… but the Teen Titans have arrived and taken the front line!"
Reporter:— "We still don't have official confirmation of casualties, but… the destruction here is absurd. It looks like a war zone."
The camera focuses on the Titans in combat — Raven hovering in the air opening portals of dark energy, Beast Boy shapeshifting mid-flight, Starfire firing explosive blasts.
Reporter:— "Do you see this?! The winged creature known as Killer Moth seems to be overwhelmed by the Titans — Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy appear to finally be gaining ground!"
📡 Reporter:— "Robin is holding the rear, and Cyborg seems to be guiding civilians off the bridge! We're seeing heroes in action, ladies and gentlemen — but there's something else… zoom back in… there!"
Cut to ground level — Robin spins in combat, taking down two enemies with his batons, while Cyborg guides a group of civilians through destroyed vehicles.
📡 Reporter:— "Robin is holding the rear, and Cyborg seems to be guiding civilians off the bridge! We're seeing heroes in action, ladies and gentlemen — but there's something else… zoom back in… there!"
[Zoom into the thick smoke on the side of the bridge.]For a brief second, a boy can be seen holding up a steel beam with both hands, shielding a group of people beneath a collapsing structure.
📸 The image shakes, but the frame is captured.
🟧 CUT TO STUDIO — JumpNEWS
🎙️ ANCHOR:— "You've just seen an image circulating on social media at this very moment. A man — still unidentified — reportedly helped rescue civilians during the chaos. Witnesses claim he fought the creatures directly. The question now echoing is: who is the mysterious man on the bridge?"
📺 Frozen image on screen: the young man in a dark helmet still holding the beam.Caption below:
"Mysterious Rescue in Jump City — New Titan or Heroic Civilian?"
QUICK CUTS TO CIVILIAN INTERVIEWS
[A middle-aged woman, face dirty, baby in arms, wrapped in a thermal blanket]🎤 "He came out of nowhere… held that beam over us. I thought it would collapse, but he… he just stayed there, firm. I really don't know what to say."
[A man in a cap, with a bandaged arm and a stunned look]🎤 "I saw him take down one of those bugs with a shotgun! He wasn't a Titan… but he definitely looked trained."
[A child excitedly holding a Cyborg toy]🎤 "Cyborg saved him! Then he grabbed me and ran! He said, 'Booyah!' and a monster exploded!"
[A young nerd wearing glasses and a Titans T-shirt]🎤 "Dude, what if he's like… a secret new recruit? I even drew him here!"(Shows a very inaccurate fanart of Ethan with wings and horns.)
Cut to influencers reacting online:· A nerdy podcaster: "That kid held up a bridge beam with his arms, bro! META-HUMAN, yes or yes?!"· A young woman on Instagram: "Call him BeamBoy! Or BridgeMan, I dunno hahaha."· A forum with a poorly photoshopped image of Ethan in a hero cape: "New Titan confirmed?"
Screenshot from an online forum — "JumpCityLeaks.com"Thread: "THE BRIDGE BOY — WHO IS HE?"💬 User RedCloak: "If he's not Kryptonian, at least he must be an alien, right?"💬 User BugHunter88: "Clearly a government secret agent."💬 User NotAHero42: "Just some lucky guy with a gun and a good personal trainer."
Cuts of TikToks and Reels with memes:· One showing Ethan holding the beam with Nickelback's 'Hero' playing.· Another with an exaggerated edit of Ethan holding up an entire bus with flames behind him.
BACK TO STUDIO🎙️ ANCHOR:— "According to our analysts, this young man may have saved more than twenty people with his actions. But many questions remain. Who is he? And… where is he now?"
Static interference. Screen flickers before turning off.
Current Time: 11:37 PM
Total darkness.At that moment, only the sound of rain hitting the wet cobblestones seemed to fill the air.Droplets on metal, rhythmic drips.In the distance, the muffled echo of sirens.
KRRAAAACK-BOOOM!A thunderclap tore the sky.
In that very instant, Ethan opened his eyes on reflex.Then he breathed.A sudden gasp, like someone breaking the surface after too long underwater, followed by a harsh, uncontrollable cough.
Gasping for air, he removed his helmet, letting it drop somewhere in the alley.Rain poured over his face, washing away the blood, clearing the remnants of battle. He stayed there for a few seconds, just breathing and gathering his thoughts — as if the world had stopped for a moment to let him exist.
He felt heavy, as if his muscles had been crushed under tons of stone.For a moment, the lightning above revealed the scene —— a narrow alley, toppled trash cans, water trickling down the corners, soaked bags piled like dead rats.
He tried to move. His fingers responded sluggishly. With difficulty, he sat up, leaning against the wall behind him. His legs were numb, a dull ache pulsing through his ribs.
He closed his eyes for a moment.This…Reminded him of Gotham.The smell of rain mixed with garbage. The alleys where no one cared if someone fell. The cold that came not just from the wind, but from the indifference of the walls.
He staggered to his feet. Each step was a struggle, his muscles protesting.Then the System beeped before him — a yellow message appeared in hologram.
🌀 [ Emergency Recovery Mode – 47% Complete ]
[ Passive skill: Shadow Regeneration interrupted — will reactivate once user enters suspension mode. Sleep is recommended. ]
With a simple wave of his hand, he dismissed the alert. He had no mental strength to deal with the System right now.
Ethan staggered to the nearest wall, leaning on his forearm. One step. Then another. Cold water seeped through the shredded clothes as he walked down the dimly lit alley.
Streetlights reflected in puddles, creating distorted colors like shattered paintings.He turned the corner.
There, as if the world had waited for him, a yellow cab idled with its engine running, exhaust steaming into the rain.
Ethan entered without a word, collapsing onto the back seat like dead weight.
The driver, a middle-aged man in a cap with a tired expression, looked at him in the rearview mirror — a mix of boredom and suspicion.
"Where to, kid?"Ethan let out a hoarse murmur, barely audible, giving the name of a street in the city's upscale district."Want me to drop you at the gate?" the driver asked, still watching him through the mirror."The corner's fine," Ethan replied without looking up, his voice rough with exhaustion.
The driver kept his gaze for a few seconds."Kids these days…"
The taxi drove off. The city passed by the windows as a wet blur of lights, reflections, and siren echoes.
Ethan leaned his forehead against the glass. The cold felt more awakening than any thunderclap.He was safe. For now.
Current Time: 00:24 AM
The rain didn't let up.The taxi vanished into the night like a fading memory.
Ethan stood on the deserted sidewalk under the flickering light of a lamppost. His soaked clothes clung to him like a second skin. His shoulders slumped. His eyes, hollow. Every step he took seemed to drag the weight of an entire world.
He walked up the street in silence until he stopped at the side gate of the house. His trembling hands pushed aside the wet branches of a bush until they found the loose brick at the bottom corner of the wall. The spare key was still there, cold to the touch.
He unlocked the back door quietly. The kitchen light was off. Everything was silent.
He headed straight to his room, stepping lightly to avoid waking anyone. He stripped off the shredded clothes, letting them fall to the floor, and stepped into the shower. The hot water was quick and painful, just enough to rinse off the filth.
When he stepped out, he grabbed a loose T-shirt and clean sweatpants. The fresh fabric clung to his open wounds, as if his own body rejected it. But he didn't make a sound.
Dressed, he took a deep breath and went toward the living room.As he came down the stairs, the darkness was lit only by the occasional flashes from outside. The TV was off. The sofa was messy, a blanket tossed aside. And there, lying on her side with a nearly empty wine glass still in hand, was Elena Vale —The mother who had waited awake until her body could no longer bear it.
On the small table beside her, an open bottle of sleeping pills. And her phone — screen still lit — his name dialed more than ten times, unanswered.
Ethan stood still, his chest tightening. "…I'm sorry, Mom," he murmured, voice hoarse and low.
He approached silently, kneeling beside her. Elena shifted slightly, her brow furrowed even in sleep."Ethan…?" she mumbled drowsily. "When… did you get home? I was… so worried…"
He held her hand gently."I just went to visit a friend… lost track of time," he said, with a tenderness he barely recognized in himself. "Let's get you to your room. We'll talk in the morning, okay?"
He lifted her carefully, as if she were made of glass. He climbed the stairs slowly, guided by the familiar darkness of the house. He tucked her in gently, adjusted the pillow, and allowed himself a moment of peace as he kissed her forehead before turning off the light.
Then he went back to his own room.His back sank into the mattress as if it were the first time he'd lain down in years. The sound of rain still echoed outside. But here, in the dark, far from chaos and monsters…
Ethan slept.A deep, dreamless sleep.For now.
[One Week Later]
The city lights flickered outside, but in here — all was quiet.
In the renovated attic of the Vale house, the sound was different:
Bzzzzt!The bluish arc of electricity danced against the darkened visor of the welding helmet, reflecting off the dark glass.
The place looked more like a clandestine workshop than an attic.Synthetic leather and Kevlar scraps, tools, metal alloys scattered among cables, rivets, and prototypes.
On a chair rested a black helmet with opaque lenses. No emblem. No identity.
Sparks leapt from the small metal workbench. Ethan adjusted the welding mask over his eyes and pressed the arc once more.
A strip of steel smoked against the Kevlar chest plate — thick, improvised, but functional.The base of his armor was almost ready.
He finished attaching the reinforced gauntlets. Tested their mobility with a few punches in the air. They were well balanced.
In the corner, a brand-new punching bag — already bearing deep marks — swayed slightly, as if still feeling the last blow it took.
Ethan then removed the welding mask, exhaling hard. He was sweating — but not tired. The System demanded his growth, even on days without fights.
His muscles still ached, but the shadow recovery worked wonders.
He still didn't fully understand what the System was… but one thing was certain:He was getting stronger.And faster.
He wiped his face with a towel, grabbed his water bottle, and sat on the floor, eyes fixed on the suit before him.It wasn't pretty. Nor elegant.But it was functional.
Steel-reinforced boots — sturdy but light enough for running.Padded gauntlets adapted to absorb impact.A dark overcoat, modified with internal padding.A Cyberv2 chest plate bought on eBay, modified with Kevlar and steel alloys.And the mask — a steel-and-Kevlar helmet that hid not just his face, but his origin.
He needed to be a ghost."If they find out who I am… my family will be in danger."
[Later — Vale House Kitchen]
Elena was making tea while Ethan dried dishes with a towel.The smell of ginger and mint filled the air. The window stayed open, letting the cool night breeze drift in.
"You've been staying up late these days, you know?" Elena said, lightly but attentively. "Yeah… haven't been sleeping well," he replied, avoiding her gaze. "Just trying to… organize some things." "'Some things,' huh? That's what moms hear when their kids are hiding something."
Ethan smiled faintly, with tenderness.She chuckled too. For a moment, everything felt normal.
She stepped closer, running a hand through his hair gently. "Just… take care of yourself, okay? I was really scared that night. Don't disappear like that again."
He held her hand, closing his eyes for a moment. "I promise."
[Later That Night — In His Room, On His Phone]
Ethan: Hey. How are things over there?
Nathaniel: Chaos. ValeTech opened a new branch in Metropolis. I'll be spending the next few weeks there.
Ethan: And the Gotham HQ?
Nathaniel: Abandoned for now. I'm trying to send someone trustworthy… but it's hard.
Ethan stared at the screen for a few seconds. The cursor blinked.
Ethan: I can go.
Nathaniel: You?
Ethan: Yeah. The boarding school grades are still in the system if you want to check — I was one of the top students. I can represent you there.
Nathaniel: …You just want to get closer to trouble, don't you?
Ethan: No. I just… want to do something useful. For all the years I didn't.
(seen 10 min ago)
The reply took a while.
Nathaniel: Fine. I'll approve your trip. But one mistake… and you're back. Understood?
Ethan: Understood… and thanks for trusting me.
Ethan stared at the screen for a moment, even after the last message. The dim glow of the phone reflected in his eyes, but his mind was already elsewhere.
Permission had been granted.
Gotham awaited.
He set the device on the desk beside him and leaned back in the chair, eyes on the ceiling without really seeing it. His body was still adapting — firmer muscles, sharper reflexes, heightened senses. The System was accelerating everything.
Gotham…The city where he had spent the last three years in boarding school.The city where he had learned to get lost — and maybe now, could begin to find himself.
It was the perfect stage to start his real journey. Familiar enough not to be caught off guard, but chaotic enough to offer challenges. And, above all, it was a place where he could operate far from his mother's constant presence… and the worries that would consume her if he came home with a bloodied face or broken ribs.
In Gotham, he could make mistakes. He could test his limits without compromising the emotional safety of those he loved.
"Distance," he thought. "Sometimes… it's the best way to protect the ones who matter."
He rose slowly, eyes fixed on the still-incomplete armor on the table. His reflection was hidden behind the dark lenses of the mask.
This was the beginning of something.
And Gotham would be the proving ground.