Time was running out, but Heatblast moved with the confidence of a man in complete command of his abilities. Having successfully evacuated everyone from the burning apartment building in just two minutes, he propelled himself back to the roof with controlled bursts of flame.
Standing atop the burning structure, Heatblast raised both palms and began to draw the flames inward. The fires that had consumed the building responded to his pyrokinetic control like obedient servants, converging on his position and being systematically absorbed into his volcanic form. Within moments, the entire blaze was extinguished, leaving only wisps of steam rising from the now-safe building.
Down below, the rescued civilians gathered around the approaching fire trucks, trying to explain their incredible experiences to the stunned firefighters.
"I'm telling you, there was this alien made of fire that just walked through the flames like they weren't even there!" insisted one survivor.
"He carried my whole family out at once, lifting all four of us like we weighed nothing!" added another.
The firefighters exchanged skeptical glances. How could anyone believe such an outrageous story? A person made of fire? It sounded like something out of a comic book.
"Looks like the pros have everything under control now," Heatblast observed, glancing down at the fire department's organized response. His flame-crowned head tilted in satisfaction. "Time to take care of these armed robbers!"
Without hesitation, Heatblast pointed his feet downward and unleashed powerful jets of flame, launching himself skyward like a rocket. His blazing form streaked across the morning sky like a crimson meteor, following the path the criminals had taken as they fled.
"What's that?" a firefighter shouted, pointing to the fiery trail cutting through the air.
"There really is someone on fire!" gasped another, his professional skepticism crumbling as he witnessed the impossible with his own eyes.
The crowd of onlookers stood transfixed until the flaming figure disappeared over the horizon. They had just witnessed something that would change their understanding of what was possible in the world.
This world really is becoming more like a superhero story, Heatblast mused as he flew. Armed robbery and arson were bad enough, but now there are alien robots and who knows what else out there.
His flying speed wasn't as impressive as some of his other potential transformations, but it was certainly faster than any getaway vehicle. Soon he spotted the large cargo truck barreling down an elevated highway, its desperate occupants pushing the vehicle to its limits.
Two robbers sat in the front cab, while two more hung precariously from the sides of the truck, secured by safety lines as they brandished assault rifles with reckless abandon.
Ding!
"Login target detected: Armed robbers committing assault and arson!"
"Defeat them to complete the enrollment!"
"Perfect," Heatblast said with grim satisfaction. "Time for some justice!"
Raising his index finger with the precision of a marksman, Heatblast aimed at the truck's front tire. "Fire Gun!"
BOOM!
A concentrated fireball shot out of his fingertip like a bullet, hitting the tire with pinpoint accuracy. The superheated projectile didn't just puncture the rubber, it completely incinerated it, leaving a small crater in the asphalt where the molten remains hit the road.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Heatblast quickly fired three more concentrated bursts of flame, systematically destroying each remaining tire with surgical precision.
"What the hell was that?" the driver shouted as the truck began to shake violently.
"Did we hit a nail strip?" his partner demanded, panic creeping into his voice as he struggled to maintain control.
Before any of the four criminals could comprehend what was happening, their vehicle began to sway dangerously. The driver immediately released the accelerator and applied the brakes, but the momentum carried the disabled truck nearly a hundred yards before it finally came to rest on the shoulder of the highway.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The four robbers jumped aggressively from their damaged vehicle, assault rifles in hand, and spread out along the roadside. Their eyes scanned the area with predatory intensity.
"Who was that?!" the apparent leader growled, his finger hovering over the trigger of his weapon. "Show yourself, coward!"
"If you've got the guts to mess with us, then face us like a man!" shouted another.
They were convinced that some do-gooder citizen had sabotaged their escape, and they were eager to teach that person a lasting lesson about interfering with their business.
BOOM!
Their bravado vanished in an instant as a fiery red figure fell from the sky and landed gracefully on the asphalt directly in front of them with enough force to crack the pavement.
It was a seven-foot alien, completely engulfed in flames!
"That would be me," Heatblast said casually, tilting his flame-crowned head in curious amusement. "Is there a problem?"
"What... what the hell is that thing?" one robber stammered, his rifle trembling in his suddenly unsteady hands.
The four criminals stood frozen, their fingers on the triggers but their minds struggling to process what they were seeing.
"I don't care what it is!" the boldest robber growled, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to act. "Anyone who gets in our way dies!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Muzzle flashes erupted from his assault rifle as he unleashed a fully automatic spray of bullets at the pyronite.
"Fire Gun!" Heatblast responded instantly, his fingers releasing a rapid series of superheated projectiles.
The metal bullets struck the concentrated bursts of flame in midair, instantly liquefying on contact with the incredible heat. But Heatblast's projectiles continued past the molten metal, hitting the ground around the robbers' feet, creating a series of explosive impacts that left smoking craters in the asphalt.
The message was unmistakably clear: He could have hit them directly if he'd wanted to.
"That was a warning shot," Heatblast said, his voice carrying the cold authority of absolute power despite the searing heat radiating from his form. "Surrender now, or I will not be so considerate next time."
The display of overwhelming firepower sent ice-cold terror through the criminals' veins, despite the waves of heat emanating from their opponent.
This alien wasn't just powerful, he was holding back!
Clatter! Rattle! Clang!
One by one, assault rifles hit the pavement as the robbers dropped their weapons and fell to their knees in complete surrender.
"Wise choice," Heatblast acknowledged, calmly walking toward the vanquished criminals. He lifted his foot and placed it on the pile of discarded weapons, flames erupting from his sole, reducing the guns to ash and twisted metal.
With all hope of escape gone, Heatblast prepared to take off and return to his family.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
But as he launched himself into the sky, the Omnitrix symbol on his chest began to flash with increasing urgency. The familiar warning chime told him he had only seconds before the transformation would automatically end.
And he was still hundreds of meters in the air!
"Damn!" Heatblast muttered, realizing his predicament.
At that very moment, salvation came in the form of a notification from the system:
Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully logging in!
The sound was music to his ears, and hopefully the reward would help him survive what was about to become a very dangerous situation.