The sun hung high in the sky as Aric and Loren continued their stroll through the streets of Valoria. The city's energy buzzed around them, but Aric's thoughts were elsewhere. His eyes were set on one destination—his favorite video game shop.
"I'm telling you, Loren, they have this new game. It's going to blow your mind," Aric said, his voice full of excitement.
Loren, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic. "I know. Every new game always blows your mind. But I wonder why your head isn't in pieces."
After taking another step, he added, "I'm... tired." Loren was dragging his feet behind Aric. "We've been walking for ages, Aric. Can't we just take a break?"
Aric grinned mischievously, slowing his pace just enough to tease his cousin. "Tired already? We haven't even gone that far. Maybe I'm wrong about you heading to the Novas Academy—you might not survive the training if a stroll through the city wears you out."
Loren shot him an unimpressed look. "Very funny. But seriously, can we—"
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Aric interrupted, clapping Loren on the back with a playful grin. "I know a shortcut."
Loren immediately stopped in his tracks, suspicion flashing in his eyes. "Aric... what kind of shortcut?"
Aric waved his hand dismissively. "It's just through a few alleys. We'll be there in no time. Easy."
Loren paled. "Wait—alleys? As in dark, creepy, narrow alleys? Oh no, no, no. I'm not doing this. I've seen enough movies to know how this ends, Aric."
Aric laughed, thoroughly enjoying himself. "Come on, don't be such a wimp. We'll be fine. Besides, you're with me! What's the worst that could happen?"
"I don't know... maybe we get mugged, kidnapped, or worse—have to talk to strangers!" Loren groaned, his voice dripping with exaggerated dread.
"Oh, stop being so dramatic," Aric said, still chuckling. "I promise we'll be at the shop before you know it."
Loren sighed, knowing he had no choice. Aric wasn't going to change his mind. He couldn't let his cousin head into some shady alleyway alone despite his reservations.
"Fine," Loren muttered, his shoulders slumping. "But if something jumps out at us, you're taking the hit."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Aric quipped, leading the way toward the alleys with a grin.
The narrow streets soon closed around them, the city's noise fading as they delved deeper into the alleyways. Loren kept glancing around nervously, jumping at every slight sound.
The walls were close, the shadows deep, and the air had a stillness that Loren disliked.
"I hate this," Loren whispered, clutching his coat tightly. "I hate this so much."
"You're doing great," Aric teased, patting Loren on the back.
They were halfway through when they heard a commotion up ahead. Aric paused, holding a hand out to stop Loren. The faint sound of angry, aggressive voices drifted toward them, and Aric's playful demeanor shifted into something more serious.
As they crept closer, they saw them—a group of five men, all wearing tattered clothes, surrounding a lone figure backed up against a wall. The man looked terrified, his hands raised in a defensive gesture, while the others brandished a small knife and moved in menacingly.
"Give us everything you've got!" one of the men snarled, waving the knife dangerously close to the victim's chest.
Loren's eyes widened in horror. "Aric, we need to go get help!"
Aric, however, had already assessed the situation. He could tell immediately that these men weren't Novas.
They were normal humans, trying to mug someone with the only weapon they could get their hands on—a knife.
No Nova would bother using something so crude, especially against another human.
"No time for that," Aric said, his mind working quickly. "They're normal humans. We can take them."
"Wait, we?" Loren whispered, his eyes darting between Aric and the muggers. "You mean... I have to be part of this?"
Aric smirked. "It'll be fun. Besides, we can't let that guy get hurt. I've got a plan. You distract them, and I'll sneak around and take them out individually."
Loren's face paled even more. "You want me to distract them? Me?"
"Yeah," Aric said confidently. "You're smart. You'll figure it out. Just keep their attention long enough for me to get in close."
Loren gulped. "I can't believe I'm doing this…"
But despite his protests, Loren straightened up and took a deep breath. He gave Aric one last terrified glance before leaving their hiding spot. "Hey!" Loren called out, his voice cracking slightly. "What's going on here?"
The muggers turned around, their eyes narrowing at the sudden interruption. "Who's this?" one of them sneered, eyeing Loren up and down.
Loren raised his hands in mock surrender, trying to appear non-threatening. "Uh, nothing to worry about. You might need a hand… or, you know, maybe you could let that guy go? It'd be nice."
The muggers glanced at each other, confused by Loren's clumsy attempt at diplomacy. Meanwhile, Aric took advantage of the distraction and moved quietly along the side of the alley, staying low and out of sight.
As he neared the first thug, Aric's heart raced. He wasn't a Nova, but he'd been Ryan's sparring partner for years, enduring countless beatdowns from his older brother. He knew how to handle himself in a fight, and for the first time, he was grateful for all those grueling sessions.
With a quick, practiced move, Aric lunged forward, catching the first thug off guard. He grabbed the man's arm and twisted it behind his back, forcing him to drop the knife with a yelp. Before the others could react, Aric kicked the thug's legs out from under him, sending him crashing to the ground.
The other muggers turned in shock, but Aric was already in motion. He ducked under a wild punch from the second thug and delivered a swift elbow to his stomach, knocking the wind out. As the man doubled over, Aric followed up with a knee to his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Loren watched in awe as Aric moved with precision and confidence, easily dispatching the muggers. "How are you doing this?" Loren muttered, half in disbelief.
Now realizing they were outmatched, the remaining muggers hesitated, unsure whether to run or fight. Aric smirked, his confidence growing. "You've got two choices," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Leave now, or I will finish what I started."
Aric's threat hung in the air, but instead of fear, the muggers smiled at each other, a sinister gleam in their eyes. Without a word, they each reached into their pockets and pulled out small vials containing a dark red solution. Aric's eyes narrowed, sensing something was off.
"What are they doing?" Loren muttered under his breath.
The muggers uncorked the vile and gulped down the liquid in one go. Almost instantly, their bodies began to change. Muscles bulged grotesquely beneath their skin, their veins throbbing as their frames grew more menacing.
In moments, they had transformed into hulking figures, their clothes tearing under the strain of their rapidly expanding physiques.
Loren's face drained of color. "Aric… this is bad."
Instinctively, Loren pressed a button on his smartwatch, sending out an emergency alert. The Sentinels, Valoria's specialized police force, were immediately notified, and their system pinpointed the exact location of the distress signal.
Aric had already expected Loren to take this action because he knew Loren was smart. But even with their advanced technology and superpowers, it would take a few minutes for the Sentinels to arrive—and Aric knew that in their current situation, a few minutes was more than enough time for things to go horribly wrong.
"Loren," Aric said quietly, watching the muggers' transformation in disbelief, "what is happening?"
Loren was just as shocked. "I… I don't know! This—this shouldn't be possible!"
One of the muggers stretched his arms, admiring his now grotesquely muscular form. "Well, looks like the product works," he said with a manic grin. "With this, we'd be able to take on Novas. This is gonna be fun!"
The others laughed, their voices booming with newfound strength, their eyes gleaming excitedly.
"Trying to play hero, are we?" one of them sneered, glancing between Aric and Loren. "You should've stayed out of it, boys. Now we're gonna make sure you regret it."
Aric tensed, his mind racing. He had never seen anything like this. These men—once normal humans—had turned into something else entirely.
It wasn't just their size; there was a raw, inhuman strength behind their movements now. The odds had shifted dramatically against Aric and Loren.
"Aric!" Loren shouted, snapping him out of his thoughts. "We need to run. Now!"
But before either of them could move, one of the transformed muggers lunged at Loren frighteningly. His fist connected with Loren's side, and the force of the blow sent Loren flying across the alley.
Loren crashed into the wall with a sickening thud, the brick crumbling around him as his body fell to the ground, motionless.
"Loren!" Aric cried, his voice filled with panic. He sprinted toward his cousin, but before he could reach him, the other four muggers charged at him, their massive forms blocking his path.
Aric ducked and dodged the first few blows, using every bit of agility he had honed from sparring with Ryan. The muggers were too strong but weren't as fast as Ryan. For a moment, Aric felt a glimmer of hope. If he could just hold them off until the Sentinels arrived.
But hope quickly faded as one of the muggers landed a brutal hit from the right, the force of the punch sending Aric sprawling to the ground. His body screamed in pain as he tried to push himself up, but before he could react, another blow came—this time to his arm.
The sound of bones cracking echoed in the alley. Aric gasped, clutching his right arm in agony as a searing pain shot through him. His hand was limp, his arm completely useless.
The muggers circled him, laughing as they closed in.
"Well, look at the little hero now," one of them taunted, his massive form looming over Aric. "You're nothing without powers. Just like us before. You should've known better than to get involved."
Aric's vision blurred with pain, but his thoughts were focused on Loren. He had to get to him—had to protect him. But with his right arm broken and the muggers closing in, the situation seemed hopeless.
Aric's body screamed in pain, his vision blurring as the muggers loomed over him. One of them raised a fist, ready to end his life.
"This is the end for you, hero," the robber growled.
Aric braced himself, too injured to fight back, when a sharp metallic sound suddenly rang. A blur of movement followed, and before the robber could land the killing blow, his chest was pierced by a steel fist.
The blow was brutal and precise. The robber's eyes widened in shock, his body going limp as the fist drove clean through him, spilling blood across the alley. He collapsed to the ground, dead before he even hit the pavement.
Aric blinked in disbelief, his heart still pounding. His vision cleared just enough to see the figure standing above him—a man in a blue and white uniform, his dark grey hair slightly tousled beneath the bright lights of the alley. He wore large glasses that seemed out of place on someone who had just dispatched an enemy so effortlessly.
There was no mistaking it. The blue and white uniform—this was one of the Sentinels.
The man with the glasses pulled his arm back, the steel shifting away to reveal a normal hand. His expression was calm, almost indifferent as if what had just happened was routine for him.
He glanced down at Aric, making sure he was still breathing, then turned his attention to the remaining muggers, who froze in terror at the sight of their fallen comrade.
Before anyone could react further, another voice cut through the tension.
"Cassian, don't kill them!"
Aric turned to see another Sentinel approaching, much larger and sturdier. Despite his imposing frame, he had a round, almost cute face, softening his presence's intensity. His voice carried authority, but there was an underlying warmth to it.
"If we kill normal humans, we'll be in trouble with the higher-ups," the big Sentinel said, his tone more exasperated than angry. "Remember the rules."
Cassian, the glasses-wearing Sentinel, glanced down at the corpse of the robber he had just dispatched. He let out a quiet sigh. "I know. But he was about to kill the kid."
The big Sentinel shook his head, stepping forward to stand next to Cassian. "Doesn't matter. They're normal humans, not Novas. We can't just go around killing them, even if they've committed a crime."
Cassian adjusted his glasses with a slight shrug. "Noted."