My Superhero SystemChapter 8 – The First Run
Someone screamed down the block — a purse snatcher, maybe.
And for the first time in his life, Tim didn't freeze.
He ran.
His shoes slapped the cracked sidewalk, lungs burning as he sprinted toward the noise. Streetlamps buzzed overhead, painting everything in flickering orange.
A woman was yelling near the corner store, pointing at a man bolting into the alley with her bag.
Tim didn't think. He just chased.
The thief vaulted a trash can and turned left. Tim followed, legs moving faster than they should have. Each stride felt lighter — gravity less sticky, like the world had turned the difficulty down a notch.
SYSTEM ONLINE…Adrenaline Boost engaged.Host vital signs: stable + 37 %.
"What the—" Tim muttered, but his voice came out calm, steady.
He caught up near the alley's dead end.
The thief swung the purse like a weapon, eyes wild.
"Back off, man!"
Tim raised his hands.
"I don't want trouble—"
Then he saw it — a black haze clinging to the guy's wrist, pulsing.The same disease-mist he'd seen in the hospital. Infection. Fever.
The thief staggered, coughing blood onto the pavement.
Pathogen detected.Neutralize? Y / N
Tim swallowed.
"Y."
His palm glowed faint gold, and warmth surged through his arm. When he touched the man's shoulder, the haze evaporated in threads of light.
The thief gasped, eyes clearing. He dropped the purse and stumbled back, confused.
"Go home," Tim said softly.
The man ran — no explanation, no glance back.
Infection neutralized.Reward: +20 XPNew Skill Unlocked — Enhanced Perception.
The world sharpened. Tim could hear the hum of power lines, feel the rhythm of distant footsteps, even sense his own heartbeat like a drumline.
He exhaled slowly.
"I did it."
Then the System pinged again:
Level Up: Rank F → Rank EVitality +5 Strength +2
For a second, he stood there under the humming streetlight, half-laughing, half-crying.
"Ultra Buff," he whispered, "if you're watching this somehow… maybe I'm starting to get it."
A siren wailed somewhere behind him, and the System went silent — but not before one last alert blinked red in his vision:
Foreign signal detected.Weg surveillance ping active.Tracking disabled for 24 hours.
Tim glanced at the night sky. The Weg satellites twinkled faintly above the city like curious stars.
"Guess the universe just noticed me."
Two days later, his apartment was crowded.
Eight people packed the living room — friends from high school, his sister Tanya, even Mr. Delgado from the car wash carrying a six-pack of soda.
"Kid, you had us worried," Delgado said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You sure you're good to come back next week? Could use you."
Tim smiled, easy but firm.
"I'm good, but I think I'm done with the wash. I've got something else I need to do."
Delgado frowned.
"Acting again?"
"Something like that."
Tanya studied him.
"You really do seem different, Tim. Stronger."
He shrugged.
"Guess dying once'll do that."
Laughter broke the tension, but when everyone left, the silence hit differently.
The city lights spilled through the blinds, washing him in gold.
SYSTEM UPDATE: Power integration stable.Next Objective — Assist Civilian in Crisis.
Tim looked out over East Haven — the noise, the danger, the loneliness stitched between skyscrapers.
"Alright," he whispered. "Let's see what a second chance can do."
Mission Accepted.Hero Protocol: Initiated.