Jake’s first day as a hero wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped.

“Oh God, please!” screamed the thief as Jake held him over the edge of the building. He tightened his grip on the man’s collar, making sure that he didn’t wriggle himself free with all his flailing. The last thing Jake needed was a mess on the pavement. He was still on probation, after all.

“Please, let me go! I’ll never do it again!”

“You’re fine,” Jake told him. Inwardly, he fought off a yawn. It was a little too easy scaring a moron like this. It felt like cheating. But he reminded himself that this man had been cheating too when he’d pulled a gun on the woman he tried to mug earlier. He’d clearly felt no guilt for that, or for the way he’d then turned that same gun on Jake. In fact, he’d laughed at the green mask across his cheekbones. Jeered at his plain suit, which was a prototype, thank you very much.

Jake was big enough to admit that the mockery played a big part into the way the man’s feet now kicked in empty air.

He’d stopped laughing after he fired his gun and the bullets had all hit the ground as misshapen lumps of metal. Jake had brushed the gunpowder off of his chest, and now they were here.

The robber blubbered. His face was flushed and tear streaked, and he clawed at Jake’s arm much like the cat had when he’d tried to rescue it earlier. He was lucky his skin was as strong as he was or he’d be bloody ribbons by now.

“Please, I- I’ll give you money! I can get you stuff, illegal shit, whatever you want.”

“You’re really not grasping the point of the cape, are you?”

The man looked desperate, spittle flying from his mouth. “You’re crazy!”

 “Everyone’s a critic,” Jake muttered.

A sharp beeping sound went off in his ear. It was so sudden he flinched and almost lost his grip on the robber. The man screamed. A sharp smell of ammonia rose from his pants.

“Oops.” Jake lifted him up another few inches. With his free hand, he tapped his earbud. “What was that?”

“An alert,” chimed Ellie. Jake could hear her typing through the speaker. “We nicknamed it The Bastard Alarm.”

“Charming.”

“Looks like Hyde’s terrorizing people on the Halfway Bridge. Local news is already covering it and the road’s being evacuated, but some people are still trapped in their cars.”

Jake’s heart skipped. “I’m right around the corner.”

“Then it looks like it’s time to make your debut, hero. You’ve got ten minutes before I call in reinforcements.”

Jake looked down at the pale man. “Sorry. I have a thing.”

The robber let out a shriek as he was hauled back over the ledge. His relief was short-lived as Jake forced him into a sitting position by the edge. With no effort at all, he snapped off a piece of metal bar and bent it into shape around the man’s arms, pinning him to the railing.

“What? No, come on, man, it’s like a million degrees out here!” protested the robber, because apparently beggars could be choosers.

“Police will pick you up soon.”

“Man, don’t leave me here!”

Jake ignored him and vaulted over the railing. The air rushed past him. He plummeted, hitting the ground hard enough to split the pavement. His teeth gritted. Whoops.

No time to apologize. He had his very first villain to deal with. The thought sent a thrill through him and, heart racing, Jake took off in a sprint.

 

The bridge was in chaos. Screams split the air, a shrill harmony to the beeping of car horns and the snapping of metal. When he finally skidded to a halt, he was nearly swept up in the crowd of people fleeing in the opposite direction. The air stank of gasoline, smoke and fear, a concoction that had Jake wrinkling his nose. Officers were already on the scene, shepherding people out of harm’s way. The bridge itself was a monolith of metal, and it groaned like it was readying for collapse.

Lines of cars sat stationary on the old bridge. Jake could see movement inside some of them, the sight making his heart lurch. Above them, stark like a blot of ink against the pale sky, a tall man hovered. A dark metal helmet covered his head and a long cape caught the wind, billowing around him as he floated above the wreckage.

“That’s Hyde,” piped up Ellie in his ear.

“Yeah, I got that part. He flies?”

“He’s telekinetic. Watch your back. He’s a wily one. Put two of our best heroes in the hospital a few months back and one of them wasn’t even human.”

Jake pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a migraine build.

“When I get back, we’re going to renegotiate my salary.”

He fished the earpiece out and tossed it. He couldn’t afford the distraction.

Jake might have been strong, but that didn’t automatically make him an idiot. He willed himself not to rush and instead steadily made his way to the centre of the bridge, using the vehicles as cover. He kept his head on a swivel, trying to take in as much information as possible before he engaged. This ‘Hyde’ character was one he’d heard about, but he didn’t have nearly as much context for the villain as he’d like. The last thing he wanted was to get into a punch-out that could end up destroying the bridge entirely. Perhaps other heroes were comfortable with collateral damage, but Jake wasn’t.

As he hunkered behind a van, Jake watched as Hyde raised one gloved hand. Three more cables holding the bridge stable snapped like guitar strings. The bridge lurched, the sound of shearing metal sounding like a screech. Then the villain looked around. Almost as if he was searching for something.

Enough of this. Gritting his teeth, Jake grabbed a motorbike. He spun like an Olympian and launched it into the air.

Hyde twisted. He dodged the throw, moving through the air as nimbly as a fish. The bike landed with a crash behind him. His obsidian mask flickered oddly, as if glitching. But Jake had his attention now, and didn’t waste any time lifting another vehicle over his head. The featureless head tilted at him.

“You must be new,” drawled the villain.

“Do I fucking look new?” Jake asked and hurled the car at him.

A wave of Hyde’s hand swept the car to the side, and the van Jake threw after that. He kept up the volley of attacks with each step he advanced. His only goal was to close the distance between them. Unless this guy was hiding some secret invulnerability, Jake had a hunch that he would be no match in close quarters. He just needed to distract the villain until he could get his hands on him.

He sank his fingers into the door of a van. Only to lurch as it abruptly lifted off the ground, wheels squeaking as they left the road. Other cars flew past, circling to form a wall behind Hyde. They hovered in place. Then the villain clenched his fist and sent them crashing down on Jake like a meteor shower.

Jake leapt backwards as a BMW crashed down where he had been standing. He barely twisted out of the way of a moped. Turning, he sprinted away as cars rained down around him, each impact sending bitumen flying.

Having tough skin didn’t mean Jake had any interest in being crushed. A loud honk sounded behind him and Jake glanced over his shoulder in time to see a bus bearing down on him. He swore. He reached the edge of the bridge and dove headfirst over the side, just as the bus slammed into the guardrail.

The villain known as Hyde lowered his hand and the remaining cars dropped. Floating to the edge of the bridge, the man looked over the side with a curious tilt of his head. There was nothing below but water and debris. That faceless helmet scanned the surface for any sign of movement, but there was none.

A tingle on the back of his neck made the villain turn.

The air surged as Jake rose up from the other side of the bridge, settling in a seamless hover over the wreckage. Hyde immediately lifted as well until they were both at eye level, several meters above the bridge. He could sense the other man’s surprise and delight. Suddenly they were on even footing. Jake’s hands clenched into fists and his eyes narrowed behind his mask.

“Well well,” said Hyde, tone dripping amusement. “Aren’t you just full of surprises?”

Jake shot towards him like a bullet. He caught the villain by the throat and slammed him against the concrete barrier between the roads. Hyde laughed, grabbing the wrist that choked him. Jake’s sharp eyes could see an almost-imperceptible shimmer on the other man’s skin, covering him like a protective bubble. Even caught in Jake’s hold, Hyde didn’t falter. He just…snickered.

“Enough!” snapped Jake. “Surrender before I break your neck.”

Up close, Jake realised there was no reflection in that sleek black helmet. In fact when he tightened his grip, the mask shimmered, the illusion failing just long enough to glimpse dark hair and a glittering smile.

“Heads up,” said Hyde, pointing a gloved finger skyward.

Jake looked back to see a car rocketing towards them. He moved without thinking, releasing his grip on Hyde to dodge the incoming collision. In the same instant Hyde launched upwards into the air. The car struck the spot where they’d tangled, crunching on impact and leaving an alarming dent in the wall and making the entire bridge shake.

Hyde spun to face him, hand already up for another attack. But a sharp, cracking sound made them both freeze.

Above them, one the of bridge’s cracked support beams tilted sharply. The mess of cables slowed its descent, but more were breaking free each second. As its support crumbled, the bridge split with a groan and the road crumbled, raining debris down into the water. Jake fought to keep his balance as the ground tilted.

That’s when he heard the screaming.

It was faint, made hollow by a layer of glass. Jake quickly spun towards the sound, horrified to see Hyde doing the same.

A car teetered dangerously at the edge of the fissure. Inside, Jake could see a woman and her child, both clinging to anything they could to stay stable as the car tipped further over the edge. Overhead, the pillar dropped another meter.

For a moment, Jake was paralysed, and that was his mistake.

“Hey hero…”

Hyde flew towards the car. The villain’s toes barely scraped the rooftop before he and the vehicle rose into the air. While the civilians cried out, that mocking, expressionless mask turned towards him. Jake could practically hear the grin in his voice.

“Catch,” said the villain.

And the car dropped.