In the gleaming metropolis of Paragon City, where skyscrapers pierced the clouds and neon lights illuminated the nights, power reigned supreme. Not just political or economic power—though those mattered—but the raw, unrelenting might of superhuman abilities. Heroes and villains alike dominated the city's skyline, their battles shaping the fate of the powerless masses below.
For 18-year-old Darren Cole, the Awakening Day ceremony had been the end of a dream and the start of something far grittier.
Darren sat alone in his apartment, his uniform laid out on the table: the dark-blue gear of a law enforcer. Beside it, his badge gleamed faintly in the dim light. He traced a finger over the engraved words: **Darren Cole - Enforcer ID 78192.**
"Guess this is it," he muttered to himself, his voice a mix of resignation and determination.
The memory of his Awakening Day played in his mind like a cruel joke. Every citizen underwent the ceremony at 16, standing before the Nexus Crystal, a relic said to unlock latent abilities in those who had the potential. Darren had stood with hundreds of others, heart pounding, as the crystal pulsed with light. Person after person stepped forward and discovered their gifts—super strength, telekinesis, pyrokinesis. But when it was Darren's turn, the crystal remained dim, unresponsive.
"Unawakened," the Overseer had declared, the word cutting deeper than any blade.
Darren was one of the many who failed to awaken. Unlike most, however, he refused to fade into obscurity, resigned to a mundane life. Instead, he chose a different path: becoming a law enforcer, one of the few who dared to stand between the city's heroes and villains without the shield of superpowers.
---
The city streets were alive with chaos as Darren patrolled his assigned sector. Tonight was no different from the countless other nights of turmoil. Villains wreaked havoc for their own twisted agendas, and heroes fought them with all the flair and collateral damage one could expect. The line between justice and destruction blurred with every skirmish.
As Darren rounded a corner, a deafening crash echoed through the narrow alleyway. He drew his baton, the closest thing he had to a weapon, and crept toward the source. Smoke billowed from a toppled delivery truck, its metal frame twisted like paper. Standing atop the wreckage was a villain Darren recognized immediately: **Shockjaw**, a mid-tier menace with electricity coursing through his veins. Sparks danced between his fingertips as he laughed maniacally.
"Another delivery for the scrapyard!" Shockjaw sneered. Civilians cowered nearby, trapped by the wreckage.
Darren's instincts kicked in. He activated his comm device. "HQ, we've got a situation in Sector 14. Shockjaw is on the move. Civilians in danger. Requesting backup."
"Acknowledged, Cole," came the response. "ETA on hero support: five minutes."
Five minutes. Darren glanced at the terrified civilians and gritted his teeth. That was too long.
"Alright," he muttered, steeling himself. "Let's do this."
He stepped into the open, baton raised. "Shockjaw! Stand down and surrender!"
The villain turned, his expression shifting from amusement to incredulity. "You've gotta be kidding me. They sent a normie?"
"Last chance," Darren warned, his voice unwavering despite the pounding of his heart. "Release the civilians and come quietly."
Shockjaw's grin widened. "Oh, I'll release them, alright. After I've fried you to a crisp!"
Electricity crackled as Shockjaw unleashed a bolt of energy. Darren dove behind a dumpster, the attack scorching the ground where he'd stood moments before. He rolled to his feet, heart racing. His comm buzzed with static, HQ calling for an update, but he ignored it. Right now, it was just him and the villain.
Drawing a smoke grenade from his belt, Darren pulled the pin and tossed it. The alley filled with a thick cloud, obscuring vision. Shockjaw cursed, firing bolts blindly into the haze. Darren moved quickly and quietly, using the cover to close the distance. As the smoke thinned, he sprang from the shadows, baton swinging.
The blow caught Shockjaw across the temple, and the villain stumbled, his concentration breaking. Sparks fizzled as Darren pressed the advantage, delivering precise strikes to disarm and incapacitate. Despite the odds, Darren's training and grit carried him through.
When the heroes arrived moments later, led by the flamboyant **Silverflare**, they found Shockjaw unconscious and cuffed, with Darren standing over him, bruised but victorious.
Silverflare raised an eyebrow. "Impressive for a normie. But you should've waited for us."
Darren wiped the blood from his lip and glared at the hero. "If I'd waited, those civilians might be dead."
Silverflare shrugged. "Suit yourself, lawman. Just stay out of our way next time."
---
Back at HQ, Darren filed his report in silence. The other enforcers gave him nods of respect, but he could feel the weight of the unspoken words: *You're only human.*
Darren knew the risks of his chosen path. He knew that clashing with both villains and egotistical heroes would make his life a constant struggle. But as he placed his badge back on his chest, he reminded himself why he did it.
Because someone had to.
In a world dominated by powers, Darren Cole would fight to prove that justice didn't require superhuman abilities—just an unbreakable will.
---