Los Angeles never really sleeps. Neon signs buzz, cars hum along endless streets, and the skyline pierces the night like a jagged heartbeat.
But on the quieter side of the city, where alleys smell of rain-soaked asphalt and garbage bins rattle in the wind, a strange pod landed. Not a spacecraft like in movies — small, battered, and glowing faintly with a color no human could name. Inside it, a baby wailed, tiny fists clenching in confusion.
Mr. Vale, a middle-aged man walking home from his night shift, froze. His eyes caught the glow first. Then the sound. Curiosity won over caution. He approached, knelt, and peered inside the pod.
A child. Not crying for long — but there was something in his eyes. Something too knowing, too aware.
Mr. Vale didn't know the pod had traveled across universes. He didn't know this baby was the last hope of a world destroyed long before Earth-58 even existed.
He only knew he couldn't leave him there.
⸻
Thirteen years later, Scott Vale walked home from Los Angeles High. To everyone else, he was just another teen — backpack slung over one shoulder, earbuds blasting, sneakers scuffing the pavement. But inside, he always felt… different. Stronger. Faster. Sharper.
He had no idea just how different he was.
That afternoon, gym class pushed him closer to the truth. A coach tossed a medicine ball toward him. Scott caught it easily — too easily. The ball shot back like a cannon, knocking over a trash can.
Whispers followed him down the hall. Some laughed, some gawked. Scott's stomach twisted. Something in him snapped — curiosity mixed with fear.
After school, Scott didn't go home. Not yet. He climbed the fire escape of an old apartment building near downtown. The wind tugged at his hair. He looked at his hands. They were steady. Too steady.
He gripped the railing. The metal bent like tin foil.
Heart racing, Scott stepped back. Took a deep breath. And ran.
Then jumped.
For a heartbeat, panic surged. He was too high. Too far. But gravity didn't work the same on him. He glided, awkwardly, landing in an alley a block away. Concrete cracked beneath his sneakers.
He stared at his hands. His heart. The world.
Alone.
Different.
And for the first time, he didn't feel entirely human.
⸻
Later that evening, Scott sat on the roof of their apartment building, knees pulled to his chest. Mr. Vale leaned against the doorframe, quiet, patient, knowing.
"You're not like the others," he said gently.
Scott swallowed. "I… I don't know what I am."
"You're still Scott," Mr. Vale said. "And that's enough."
Enough. The word echoed in Scott's mind. Maybe being different didn't mean being alone. Maybe Earth-58 wasn't just a normal place. Maybe it could still be home.
A noise from the rooftop entrance made him turn. A shadow emerged. Kate. His best friend since age four. She leaned casually, backpack slung over one shoulder, hair messy, eyes sharp as ever.
"You've been weird all day," she said, smirking. "Don't try to tell me it's homework."
Scott smiled, for the first time feeling like himself again.
"Yeah," he muttered. "Just… thinking."
Kate sat down beside him. No words. Just presence. The kind of presence that made the world feel smaller, safer, human again.
And for the first time in a long time, Scott vale
Felt a little less
⸻
Scott Vale sat on the rooftop, the city of Los Angeles stretching endlessly below. The neon lights shimmered on puddles in the streets, and a breeze tugged at his hoodie. For the first time, he felt the strange energy inside him stir—not frightening, just… alive.
Kate shifted beside him, her backpack at her feet. She'd been quiet for a long while, studying him with those sharp eyes that somehow always saw more than he wanted. "You've been hiding something," she finally said, voice low but steady.
Scott glanced at her. "I… I don't know what it is."
Her lips pressed into a line. "It's not normal, Scott. You're not normal." She paused, then smiled faintly, trying to lighten the tension. "I mean… you're my friend. And friends notice stuff."
A laugh escaped him, shaky. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to notice. Or… do."
Just then, a loose railing on the edge of the rooftop creaked. Scott instinctively reached for it—and the metal bent beneath his grip as if it were made of paper. His heart jumped. He pulled back, shaking. "Did you see that?"
Kate's eyes widened. "Yeah… you're… not human, are you?"
Scott swallowed hard. "I… I think I'm something else. I don't know."
From the doorway, his father, Mr. Vale, appeared. He had a calm presence that always seemed to cut through panic. "Scott," he said, voice gentle, firm, "being different isn't a curse. It's a gift. One you'll need to learn to control. And not just for you—for everyone around you."
Scott turned, searching his father's eyes. "But what if I… mess up?"
Scott's father smiled, a mixture of pride and understanding. "Then you learn. That's all any of us can do. Power without control is dangerous. But power guided by purpose… that can change the world."
Kate reached out, touching his arm lightly. "I'll help. If you let me, I'll help you figure it out."
Scott exhaled slowly, feeling the warmth of their support. His fingers twitched unconsciously, and the air around him hummed softly. The rooftop seemed to bend with him, subtle ripples of energy brushing against the edges of the building.
For the first time, he felt a choice. Fear still lingered, but hope was stronger. He could hide, ignore it, pretend to be normal. Or he could try… really try.
"I want to learn," he whispered. "I want to control it. I want to use it… for good."
His father nodded, stepping closer. "That's all I ask. And remember, Scott… the world doesn't just need power. It needs someone who knows how to use it right. Someone who cares. That someone is you."
Kate smiled softly. "Then let's start tomorrow. Small steps."
Scott looked out at the city lights again, the glow of Los Angeles reflected in his eyes. Somewhere in the distance, the hum of traffic, the flicker of neon, the whispers of the wind—they all seemed alive now. Watching. Waiting.
And Scott Vale, the boy who had always felt out of place, felt the first real stirrings of purpose. A spark. A promise that being different didn't mean being alone.
The night stretched on, full of possibility, full of unknowns. And in that quiet moment, Scott Vale wasn't just a boy from Los Angeles. He was someone who could change everything.
⸻
If you want, the next section can show Scott experimenting with small powers under Kate's guidance, struggling, scared, but slowly learning control. His father can guide him emotionally, giving heartwarming speeches that mix suspense with the feeling of destiny.