Hello everyone!!! How are you all doing? I hope you're doing well. I want to apologize because I'm going to be taking a break. Not from the story, but from posting. What I posted so far is only a couple of chapters away from where I'm currently at, and it's honestly stressing me out because I'm struggling with creativity and can't deliver chapters to you all more frequently. Not only that, but I'm going to be busy with some things over the summer, which is why I'm informing you all beforehand, so you don't think I'm dropping this story outright. I also want to express my gratitude for all the comments I've received. It made me happy seeing that a lot of you enjoyed the chapters up to this point. I also want to thank those who pointed out my grammar issues and recommended Grammarly. I also want to apologize to those who felt the MC was nerfed. I was trying to write a good character development arc.
I just wanted to write this to clarify some things for those who haven't read the recent review I posted. First of all, I won't be writing a harem. I personally don't like the idea of a harem in this story. I feel like it would contradict Devin's character. I want you all to feel that my Mc's future love interest is built on genuine emotion. Second, I was recently made aware of all my grammar mistakes and just started using Grammarly.
And yes, I had been using AI in a few of my chapters. I would write some paragraphs, conversations or scenes and use AI to refine them.
With that said, let's get started!!! Please enjoy.
Wildcat Gym
The 5:00 AM air inside Wildcat's Gym was a thick soup of peppermint liniment, old leather, and the metallic tang of sweat. The world outside was still draped in Gotham's pre-dawn gloom, but inside, the rhythm had already begun.
Thwack. Thwack. Snap.
Devin moved to the center of the ring, his shadow dancing long and distorted against the canvas. He wasn't the same "muscular twig" who had stumbled through these doors months ago. His movements were fluid now, anchored by a center of gravity that felt as heavy as lead.
Ted Grant leaned against the turnbuckle. He wasn't wearing his Wildcat cowl, but the scars on his knuckles spoke of a lifetime of violence.
"Again!" Ted barked. "And this time, stop thinking like a scientist and start moving like a predator. You're calculating the angle. Don't calculate. Anticipate."
Devin breathed out a sharp hiss as he stepped forward. He threw a double jab left, followed by a left jab and a straight right.
"Better." Ted grunted, finally stepping into the ring. He held up the focus mitts, his eyes narrowing. "But your feet are heavy. You're bracing for a hit that hasn't come yet. You do that against a pro, and they'll take your legs out from under you before you can blink."
Ted suddenly lunged, a massive right hook aimed at Devin's temple. Two months ago, Devin would have flinched. Now, he performed a crisp slip, the wind of the punch whistling past his ear. He didn't just dodge; he used the momentum of the slip to load his rear hip.
Pop.
Devin's counter-cross caught the center of Ted's mitt with the sound of a gunshot.
"There it is." Ted whispered, his eyes gleaming with a rare spark of pride. "The snap. You felt that, didn't you? That didn't come from your bicep. That came from the floor."
---
Nearly an hour later, Ted called for a break. Devin slumped against the ropes, his chest heaving, his hands trembling within their leather wraps.
"You've got the tools, kid." Ted said, tossing him a towel. "But you've got a tell. You fight like you're afraid to hurt the other guy. You're pulling your punches at the last millisecond."
Devin looked down at his bandaged knuckles. He thought about the shipping container he'd crushed as Four Arms. He thought about the pavement he accidentally melted as Heatblast. "I just don't want to get carried away and do something I regret."
Ted stepped close, his presence looming. "Listen to me. In this city, mercy is a luxury you earn after you win the fight. If you hesitate because you're afraid of your own strength, the bad guys will use that fear to bury you. You don't have to be a killer, Devin. But you have to be the one who finishes the dance."
Devin nodded, the weight of the advice sinking into his bones. He grabbed his water bottle, drank it, and stood back up.
"Five more rounds." Ted commanded, slamming the mitts together. "Show me you can finish it."
Devin stepped back into the center of the ring, his eyes sharpening. He wasn't just training for a boxing match; he was training to survive a city that was finally starting to look back at him.
---
Devin's Apartment.
Devin finally crossed the threshold of his apartment, his skin slick with sweat and his muscles radiating A dull, rhythmic throb from the day's grueling training. Each movement felt heavy, as if the air itself had turned to lead. He shed his clothes in a trial towards the bathroom, too drained to care where they landed. At that moment, this world had narrowed down to a single, desperate craving: the stinging spray of a hot shower and the weightless relief of his bed.
---
He emerged from the steam with a towel haphazardly over his head, scrubbing at the damp hair as he navigated towards the bedroom by memory alone. When he reached the mattress, he didn't so much as collapse, letting out a long, shuddering breath that seemed to carry away the last of his tension. The exhaustion was absolute, a heavy shroud that pulled him into a deep, dreamless sleep before his head hit the pillow.
---
The sun was showing over the horizon. It was 10:05 am, and Devin was standing in his kitchen, having woken up a few minutes ago from a very relaxing rest. Waking up from slumber that was the result of hard work had always been rewarding.
Beep Beep Beep
The sound came from the microwave. Not long after Devin had woken up, he came to his kitchen to warm up one of his meal preps.
He opened the microwave and took out his food. It was the right combination of proteins and vegetables. He had been Grey Matter when he was deducing the optimal food intake for himself to maximize the result of having a strong and lean body. It may take a while, but the results will be worth it.
"One day at a time." He muttered to himself before eating this food.
He moved to the couch and turned on the TV to the news channel. The news first displayed the weather. He watched as the weatherman spoke of cloudy skies today, which wasn't that much of a surprise, before Gotham was cloudy most of the time, making the city have a gloomy vibe to it. The news then changed to a local event in the city, which basically showed the common event a person would guess would most occur in Gotham, such as robberies, escaped criminals from Arkham, sightings of Batman, etc. The only difference was that it also displayed footage of himself. Or rather, his transformations, saving people.
He watched listen as there were positive and negative comments about him from pedestrians. Some spoke with gratitude for his intervention, saying things could've been worse if he hadn't been there. Others spoke with judgment, thinking he was reckless and saying he was making the law enforcement look bad.
"I guess this is to be expected." Devin chuckled at himself. People would always say good and bad things about something new, especially the heroes who are just trying to do the right thing. He wouldn't let it discourage him. He was determined to give his all in being a hero.
He wasn't sure if he could change Gotham. The rot ran deep in this city, and there were powerful people keeping it that way. Bruce Wayne had been trying to change the city for years and very little progress had been made.
Then again, Bruce doesn't have the abilities of an Osmosian or 11 alien species stored in his DNA.
Devin looked out the window and looked at the city. the very city that was slowly drowning in its own evil.
"I have to at least try." he spoke, his tone resolute. He thought of his parents, Ms. Joanne and the orphanage and the mother and her children he had fed. "I have to try to make life better for those in this city."
After finishing his food, Devin grabbed his sketchbook that was resting on the table. He opened it and the pages flipped to reveal sketches of various designs of costumes ranging from simple to flamboyant.
For the past few days, he had immersed himself in coming up with a design for his future costume that would mark a significant step in his life as a hero.
He wore a contemplative expression as he looked at the sketches because he couldn't decide on how he wanted to design his costume.
"They make it look so easy." Devin said as he let out a frustrated sigh. Designing a costume looked so easy in the shows he watched in his previous life. one day, you'd see the hero drawing his costume, then "boom": they're wearing their costume the next day.
While he didn't necessarily need a costume, he had his reasons for wanting to do so. While he could use his transformations to conceal his identity, there was no telling what situation would make him run out of steam and change back like how Kevin did in his fight with Ben on the bridge. The other was that he wanted to seem more relatable in the eyes of the people of Gotham, feeling that seeing a silhouette that was clearly human would make the people feel more at ease.
"The inspiration will come eventually." Devin said as he closed his sketch book. "I just hope it'll be soon."
---
The afternoon sun was uncharacteristically bright, cutting through the usual Gotham haze and turning Robinson Park into a vibrant tapestry of green and gold. Devin moved along the winding stone paths, his pace steady but relaxed. He was dressed in a simple black hoodie, his hands shoved deep into his pockets—one hand loosely gripping the steel lug nut he always carried, a silent habit of preparation.
On his head, he wore a pair of grey headphones. He hummed a happy tune due to the jovial and bombastic melody of showtunes playing in his ears. The music was a contrast to primarily negative atmosphere of Gotham. Even as a child, he always loved listening to showtunes. The music always spoke to that small part of a person that was still a child and it always reminded him that there is still light even in the darkness.
He was so focused on his stroll that he almost didn't notice the two familiar figures across the street. His eyes widened with a welcomed surprise when he saw them.
"Jade! Artemis!" Devin called out, waving his hand.
Both sisters simultaneously turned their heads in the direction of hearing their names being called. Their expressions were alert but eased slightly when they saw Devin waving at them before crossing the street.
"Levin?" Jade replied, her gaze fixed on the person she hadn't seen in two months since she stitched him up. her eyes then noticed the slight increase of his muscle mass since the last time she saw him. not only that, but she noticed how he moved. His steps were measured and calculated, a contrast to the clumsiness she saw in the alley.
"You've been training." She said matter-of-factly.
"Glad you noticed." He said with a smirk and his chest puffed out a bit in pride. "I felt it was time to finally build some muscle so I joined and am learning how to handle myself in a fight."
"Just don't get a big head." Artemis replied, her shyness giving way to Devin's theatrics.
"I'll keep that in mind." Devin replied with a chuckle.
"Anyways, what were you two up to before I called you out?" he asked, his expression both humble and curious.
"Nothing for the time being." Jade replied, looking out of her peripheral vision to see if they were being watched. "Just walking around."
"I see." Devin replied when his expression turned enthusiastic after getting an idea. "Hey! I know this shaved ice shop that's just a couple of blocks away from here. "You two wanna come with me?"
Both sisters looked at each other with gazes that showed unspoken wariness. They both knew better than to accept anything from anyone that wasn't in their family. Their father taught them that.
But it was different when standing in front of Devin. His gaze didn't hold any sort of scheming and his presence didn't feel malicious in the slightest. In Gotham, something like that was rare and even considered dangerous to the most hardened Gothamites.
"Fine." Jade answered for herself and her sister. "But don't expect a thank you."
---
Blizzard Snow cones.
Sitting at a table within the establishment of frozen treats were Devin, Jade and Artemis; each of them with a snow cone in hand. Devin was enjoying the Tiger Blood syrup flavor. It became his favorite when he was a kid in his first life because the name sounded cool. Across from him, Jade had gone for something tart and green, while Artemis was methodically attacking a cup of plain blue raspberry.
"Slow down, Artemis." Devin said, a small, amused smirk tugging at his mouth. "no one's going to take your snow cone."
"Plus, if you keep inhaling it like that, you're going to hit a wall." Jade added, her tone dropping into that familiar, bossy cadence she used when she was trying and failing to be maternal. "Keep it up and you'll get a brain freeze."
"It's not a-" Artemis started to protest, but her words were cut short. Her face suddenly scrunched in a mask of pure agony and she let out a sharp gasp, one palm flying up to clutch at her temple.
"Tried to warn you." Devin said, not boasting.
"Touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue." He instructed. "The warmth will relieve the pain."
Artemis did as he said and touched the roof of her mouth with her tongue. In the next moment, the pain faded.
"Better?" Devin asked, his tone genuinely concerned.
"Y… yeah." Artemis said with a nod, a bit embarrassed by the display before continuing to eat her snow cone at a much slower pace now.
"So…" Devin decided to start a conversation as they enjoyed the frozen desserts. "What did you two have planned to do today before I spotted you and practically dragged you both here for a snow cone?"
"Like I said earlier." Jade replied in a tone that was both flat and sharp. "We weren't particularly going anywhere." Her tone then softened fractionally. "But… we were going to pick up some groceries on the way home."
"I see." Devin said with a humble smile.
Jade finished her snow cone and looked at Devin with analytical suspicion.
"What's your aim, Levin?" her question was sharp and straightforward. "Nobody in this zip code is this nice for free. What's the catch? What are you actually getting out of this?"
The topic of the question didn't come as a surprise to Devin. In Gothen, there were two common types: those who were trying to kill something and those who were trying to use someone. It was the sad reality of this city.
"It's a cliché to say this." Devin spoke, his tone full of sincerity and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "But kindness is its own reward."
Jade didn't look impressed with his answer while Artemis just looked curious.
"But… that's not the only reason." His voice dropped an octave as she looked between the two sisters. "It's pathetic… or maybe it isn't but… You two are probably the closest friends in this city."
That statement actually surprised the Crock sisters. Most of the days were filled with harsh training and so they didn't have time for anything normal. The fact that someone they barely knew considered them friends was… unexpected."
"Friend, huh?" Jade said with a small, amused chuckle as she poked Devin's shoulder. "Careful, Levin. Sentimental talk like that gets people killed in the Narrows. Or worse, it makes me think I can start charging you for my company."
"I'll put it on my tab." Devin joked.
"In all seriousness." Jade added, her eyes flashing with that observant, dangerous light again. "Friends are a liability in this town. But... liabilities are what keep you human. Don't go getting all 'lone wolf' on us just because you're starting to grow some muscle."
"wouldn't dream of it." Devin chuckled.
The remainder of their time at the snow cone show continued peacefully and uninterrupted, allowing them to momentarily forget the chaos in their lives.