"Goodnight, Mom." I closed the door, wait for the footsteps to fade, and immediately dove into the map of Metropolis on my phone.
Thirty minutes. That's all I needed for my parents to fall into a deep sleep before I could make my move.
The plan was simple: the Daily Planet, Lex Tower, and maybe a peek at Star Labs. I'd memorized the routes because Google Maps doesn't exactly work when you're moving at Mach 1.
10:18 PM. It's showtime.
I stuffed a giant teddy bear under my blanket as a decoy. It's a classic, clichéd move, but in a dark room, it passes. Hopefully.
I snuck out to the yard, swapped my clothes for a tracksuit via the inventory, and threw on my ski goggles and headphones.
Time to test my "step-jump" theory. Full acceleration on the step, glide on the air time.
The world didn't just slow down; it froze. I took a step, and the world blurred past like I was a passenger in a jet with the pedal to the floor.
Panic flared as a turn approached. I tried to "brake" by digging my heels into the asphalt. My ankles screamed, and my sneakers were practically shredded.
Note to self: super-speed in the dark is a death wish without a headlight.
I ran back, grabbed Dad's headlamp from the garage, and looked like a complete idiot—but a functional one. Back to the race.
Somewhere on the highway, a group of teenagers in a convertible thought they were the kings of the road.
Until a "cyclops" with a single glowing eye and a blurred humanoid shape overtook them at 100+ mph, shook its head in disapproval, and vanished over the horizon.
I'm pretty sure I just cured their desire to speed for at least a week. Or turned them into teetotalers.
I was starting to get winded when I saw the city lights. Finally, the City of Tomorrow... wait.
I slowed down to a walk, breathing hard, and looked at the welcome sign. It was covered in graffiti.
GOTHAM. I took a wrong turn at the junction. Instead of the bright Metropolis, I ended up in the "City of Madmen."
The fog, the grim architecture, the GCPD blimps circling above... yeah, this is definitely the wrong neighborhood.
I had a choice: run another 100 miles to Metropolis or make the best of it here.
[ Skill: High-Speed Running increased to Level 7 ]
[ Endurance and Agility increased +1 ]
"Fine. I'll walk around. If nothing happens, I'm out."
Ten minutes. That's how long it took for Gotham to show its true colors.
I walked into a 24-hour convenience store to grab an energy drink. The old cashier looked at me like I was a serial killer—well, I am wearing a ski mask and winter gear in the middle of summer.
Then, a guy in a hoodie walked up to the counter, hand in his pocket, pointing a gun at the trembling old man.
Really? Not even ten minutes and I witness a robbery.
I activated the Rabbit Talisman. The world slowed to a crawl. I walked up to the guy, encased his hands in ice, and stepped behind him.
As time resumed, I delivered a spinning kick that sent him flying into the wall. He was still conscious, so I coated my fist in ice and knocked him out cold.
"Call the police," I told the shocked cashier.
"Aren't you... hot in that outfit?" he stammered.
"Not when I'm casting," I replied, walking out into the night.
I decided to linger. Within the hour, I'd stopped four separate crimes.
Gotham is a literal dumpster fire.
Batman was watching from a rooftop. He was analyzing the scene of the shop robbery when he heard me yelling at a group of hoodlums in a nearby alley.
"Are you kidding me?! FOUR! FOUR CRIMES IN ONE HOUR! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS CITY?!"
The hoodlums found their feet frozen to the ground. I appeared behind their leader with an ice sword in my hand.
"If you aren't gone in ten seconds, I'm sticking this sword up your ass and twisting it for 'orgasm'! ONE!"
They scrambled to break the ice and ran for their lives.
"Three," I sighed. "I'm done. This city is cursed. I'm going home."
I blurred away, leaving a confused Dark Knight to examine my ice shards.
I crossed the city limits, and the System pinged.
[ Quest "First Flight" Completed! ]
[ Reward: 250 XP + 125 Bonus XP + 5 Fantasms ]
[ Hero Mark Obtained ]
[ Level Up! ]
[ Notification: You have attracted the attention of... ]
Wait, whose attention? The police? The mob?
Probably Batman. This city is built on Indian burial grounds and the bones of pilgrims; everyone is watching everyone.
"Well... I hope it's just Batman."