Standing above Times Square, I found the neon lights of the massive billboards a pleasing sight compared to the horrible quality of the police radio crackling in my ear. The city breathed below me, completely unaware of my existence, just showing how many moved blissfully unaware of their surroundings.
"All units, we got a bank alarm on 32nd!"
The scenery changed to the very street. The robbers before me had already broken into the bank—a very efficient group, moving like a trained team of soldiers.
One was already stripping safety deposit boxes, another lunged for the vault, one stood guard near the shattered glass, and the last kept their van warm under the flickering streetlights. All were wrapped in crinkling, oversized yellow quarantine suits paired with the unsettling face of a plastic clown.
"Big mistake, bastard!"
Bang! Bang!
Two bullets flew at me without hesitation. I've got to give it to the dude; he had perfect execution. Clearly, this was an experienced team.
As the bullets got closer, they slowed down to 0 speed, falling to the ground with a satisfying "ding" sound. The robber tensed, but he didn't hesitate to pull out all the stops.
Bang! Bang!
One of the robbers unloaded a whole clip, but nothing happened. The idiot just wasted all of the bullets.
"You're lucky you aren't a serious criminal; otherwise, I'd dismantle you."
I reached out, my fingers curling as I manifested a spark of Blue to pull him forward. The sudden distortion made him curse as he tried to run; a tug on my hand sent him flying towards me. Before he could even curse, I socked his gut, the impact folding him over my fist and knocking him out cold.
I continued by flicking my wrist, the fallen bullets rising from the floor as if pulled by invisible strings. With a sharp gesture, I sent them screaming toward the tires of their van, the rubber shredded instantly as the air deflated with a long, mournful hiss.
With that handled, I walked farther into the small local bank. The other two robbers were stunned to see me. Their duffel bags definitely weighed more heavily on them under my gaze.
"Tch."
One clicked his tongue, throwing his backup plan to the ground.
PSHHHH!
"Smoke grenade. Not bad."
I waved the smoke away, Blue catching both the robbers in its stream. I circled and circled them until vertigo hit its peak, then…
Pa~
"Ooof."
Smashing them together knocked them out cold. As soon as they fell to the ground, the sound of police cars surrounding the place somewhat hurt my ears. The sirens were really annoying, man.
"FREEZE!"
All the cops pointed their guns at me. I couldn't help but laugh seeing them like this. Walking closer to them, they kept trying to scare me.
"Stop wasting your breath. The criminals are right there, knocked out, except Mr. Van, as you can see right there." I pointed with my thumb behind me.
"You are equally under arrest for vigilante work!"
"Nah." I gave the cops a playful wave, teleporting away to the next scene.
…
..
.
"Don't jump, man."
On top of a random building in New York, I found a guy ready to end it all. His dull eyes said it all. Walking up to him, I sat down with my back facing the city lights.
"Why shouldn't I? I have nothing. My wife cheated on me, she got custody of the kids, and I got let go from my job. All the things I've maintained collapsed all at once. I don't see a point in continuing."
I nodded my head at his tragic circumstances.
"Did you like your job?" I asked.
The guy scoffed.
"No, but it's all I'm good at."
"If you're good at it, why not be your own boss or find somewhere better that utilizes similar skills?"
"I-I don't know how to do all that."
"I'm sure you didn't know how to be a parent, but you still became one, didn't you?"
"And what good did that do me?!"
"Hm? Your children didn't choose who they wanted, right?"
"No, it was all determined without them!"
"So, why are you acting as if you failed as a parent? To me, it just sounds like you're a good person, but it's your ex-wife causing you problems."
"But still, what is the point of it all?! So much time down the drain…"
"I think you fail to realize all that time wasn't wasted. You have skills, knowledge, and experience you didn't have when you started. The second time will be way easier."
His eyes regained a spark of light. The thought of what he was about to do hit him hard as he started crying. Tears of everything that had built up finally escaped.
As I sprang up, I hugged the dude. While I didn't understand a cheating wife or the problem with his kids, I did know what it felt like to be separated from a life that I spent plenty of time building.
Minutes passed as he let his heart out. I broke the hug, going back to sit.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"My name?"
"Clearly, you are a hero, right? Like that, Spider-Man or that Ghost-Spider."
"Yeah, good friends of mine actually. I haven't thought of a name, though."
"Hahaha~," he chuckled lightly. "You just jumped into it?"
"Absolutely! The only way to truly succeed is to take the first step, my man!"
His smile spoke volumes. I felt so happy, deep down, that I had saved a life like this. Stopping crime was cool, but stuff like this was way better. It felt like I was really making a difference instead of just beating some idiots up.
'I wonder how I'll feel when I protect Felicia or the entire earth in the future?'
The stars were beautiful to look at. Coming back down from my head, I said, "I don't have a name right now, but I'm sure you'll hear it in the future."
"I feel like that's the case too."
"Good!" I jumped up, putting a hand on his shoulder. The top of the building was replaced by the nightlife below. "If you can think like that, then I trust you'll overcome your challenges."
"Yeah! My emotions just blinded me. Thanks to you, I was able to clear that fog."
"That's what I'm talking about, man." I vanished, feeling proud of myself. While nighwatch was far from over, this was something I would remember for a while.