Mark stood in the alley, his new suit humming softly around him. The air smelled faintly of ozone and excitement. Every nerve in his body screamed with adrenaline. This was his first real chance to test what Nova had promised.
"Alright, Nova," he whispered, "let's see what you've really got."
"Calibration in progress," Nova replied, her melodic voice filling his helmet. "Suit systems: 38%. Mobility: enhanced. Defense: operational. Observation sensors: online. Caution advised—your first encounter may be unpredictable."
Mark smirked. Unpredictable is my specialty. He leaped onto a nearby rooftop, glancing down at the streets below. The city was quiet—or at least it seemed.
Then he saw it.
A commotion near a corner store: a masked figure yanking a woman's purse. The man was fast, but Mark's suit was faster. His legs propelled him in a smooth, silent glide, landing perfectly behind the thief.
"Hey!" Mark shouted, his voice amplified by the suit's audio module.
The thief spun around, startled, but before he could react, Mark activated a short-range energy pulse. The man stumbled, nearly losing his balance.
"Whoa…" the thief muttered, eyes widening. "What the—"
Mark grinned under his helmet. "You shouldn't have come here."
With a swift movement, he used the suit's grappling hooks to disarm the thief, catching the stolen purse mid-air. The woman gasped in shock, then relief.
"You… you saved me!" she exclaimed.
"Just… doing my part," Mark replied casually, tossing the purse back. Then, with a playful flourish, he leapt onto a nearby rooftop, disappearing into the night before anyone could get a clear look.
"Fun, isn't it?" Nova teased in his ear. "You have potential… more than I expected."
Mark laughed. "Yeah, it's like a game… but real stakes."
As he landed back near his apartment, he thought of school. His classmates… his friends. Lena, Aya, Rina… Clara. They had no idea he was now capable of this. Would they believe him? Could they even understand?
Nova interrupted his thoughts. "Mark… someone is monitoring your activity. Not casually. Intentional, persistent. They may be tied to the shadow you noticed yesterday."
Mark's grin faltered slightly. "Figures. Nothing worth having comes easy, right?"
A ping sounded in his helmet. A notification from Coinexus:
"New message: Anonymous tip—Your tech is being watched. Proceed with caution."
Mark's eyes glinted. "Looks like my first mission just got… more interesting."
Cliffhanger: From the shadows across the street, two dark figures watched him, communicating through earpieces.
"Target acquired. Move in only if he becomes a threat. Otherwise… observe and report."
Mark didn't know it yet, but his double life—student by day, mysterious hero by night—was about to get a lot more complicated.