I didn't mean to get involved again.
Really, I didn't.
But when you hear tires screeching, a metal guardrail snapping, and a teenage girl screaming for help three miles outside of Ridgewood… it's hard to pretend you're not built to fix it.
It was 2:34 a.m.
I was out of the house by 2:35.
By 2:36, I was standing in front of a totaled car, smoke billowing from the hood, a terrified girl—Carly Jensen, junior, track team—trapped inside, unconscious, seatbelt jammed, airbags half-deployed.
The engine hissed.
I didn't hesitate.
I ripped the door clean off and pulled her out just before the hood burst into flames.
She stirred, dazed but alive.
By the time she opened her eyes… I was already gone.
By second period the next morning, Ridgewood High was buzzing.
"Did you hear?"
"It happened again."
"The Hooded Saviour's real."
Someone had snapped a blurry photo of the burning car. Someone else had caught what looked like a shadow moving at inhuman speed.
"Same hoodie. Same guy," someone whispered behind me in AP Chemistry. "Bulletproof, remember?"
"Liv said he was fast, too. What if he's like a superhero?"
I sat in the same seat I always did. Hoodie off. Calm. Eyes half-lidded, like I hadn't spent the night carrying burning cars and disappearing before cops could blink.
But inside?
I knew this was going to get worse.
At lunch, the whispers turned into a roar.
Joey sat down with a dramatic flair. "Bro, you're not going to believe this. There's a fan page now. HoodedSaviour_RWG. Nearly five thousand followers and growing."
Liv was practically glowing. "He saved someone else! It wasn't just me. That means it's not random. He's choosing people. Protecting people."
Maddie sat next to her, arms crossed, unreadable. "Or he's covering something up."
Her eyes found mine for a second too long.
I smiled casually. "It's probably just some guy with a hero complex and a lot of gym hours."
"You sound like you're defending him," she said.
"I sound like I read the comments section."
She didn't smile back.
By the time gym class rolled around, I thought I might get a break.
I was wrong.
Dodgeball.
"Alright, people!" Coach Pete Rooney—Maddie and Joey's dad—barked with his usual theatrical energy. "Time to test your reflexes and resolve! Let's see who's got what it takes to survive dodgeball… and life!"
Joey leaned over and whispered, "Dad treats dodgeball like it's a military simulation."
"Noted," I muttered.
We split into teams.
Maddie ended up across from me.
And the second that whistle blew… she made it clear.
This wasn't a game.
She wasn't aiming for anyone else.
Just me.
First shot—straight at my chest.
I dodged easily.
Second—fast, low. I side-stepped.
Third?
I let it hit me. Right in the ribs.
"OUT!" Maddie called, a little too loud.
Coach Pete blew his whistle. "Nice one, Mads! That's the precision we like!"
I jogged off the court with a slight smirk.
Because I knew exactly what that was.
That wasn't just a throw.
That was a test.
She wanted to see if it bounced off. If I'd flinch. If I'd crack.
I didn't.
Because I let it hit me.
Because I knew she was watching.
"Medic save!" Joey shouted from our side. "Get back in, Steele!"
He slapped my shoulder like we were on a battlefield.
Coach Pete nodded approvingly. "Good hustle, Falcon!"
Joey winked at me. "Let's give the people a show."
Back in the game, I kept my movements clean but imperfect.
Just a little too slow.
Just a little too off.
Let one ball glance past me.
Missed a catch on purpose.
But then—someone tried to side-peg me near the line.
I caught it.
One-handed.
Spun. Returned fire. Two players out.
The class erupted.
Even Coach Pete blew a celebratory whistle. "Now that's the fire I want to see!"
Joey threw both fists in the air. "The Falcon and Steele! Unstoppable!"
But across the gym?
Maddie wasn't cheering.
She was watching.
Still. Focused. Suspicious.
I'm watching you, her eyes said.
I know, mine replied.
As we left the gym, the whispers were back.
"Did you see that throw?"
"He's insane. Maybe he's the Saviour."
Joey walked beside me, drinking it all in. "You're seriously starting to trend, bro."
I shrugged. "I'm just trying to pass gym."
Maddie walked a few steps behind us.
Quiet.
But I could feel it.
The weight of her attention.
The closer she got to the truth…
…the harder I'd have to work to stay hidden.