Chương 2: I Want to be a Hero
Stepping out into the cold night air, Sol felt the crispness of it bite at his cheeks.
The streets were quiet, only a few people milling around, their jackets pulled tight against the breeze.
His apartment was in a part of Manhattan that always seemed to be in transition — not quite the chaos of downtown, but not the quiet comfort of the suburbs either.
Sol walked through the city streets, his hands deep in his jacket pockets. The store wasn't far, but tonight, the walk felt longer. The chill in the air seemed to seep deeper into him.
After about 15 minutes of walking, he arrived at the small convenience store on the corner of 9th Avenue, its neon sign buzzing faintly against the night sky. Sol paused for a moment, looking up at the store before stepping inside.
The warmth of the shop was quite pleasant compared to the cold outside. He grabbed the few things his mom had asked for — milk, eggs, bread — and paid the cashier, trying to ignore the gnawing sense of unease that had followed him since he left home.
Stepping back out into the brisk night air, Sol walked whilst carrying the bag.
His breath fogged the air in front of him as he walked, his eyes focusing on the ground, lost in thought.
As he passed a narrow alleyway, a sudden noise broke through the quiet atmosphere — a scuffle, the unmistakable sound of someone being shoved against a wall.
Sol froze, his pulse quickening.
It was distant but clear, and now that he was listening, he could make out voices, low and rough, and someone else's — softer, female — trying to resist.
Someone was being assaulted!
Sol bit his lip slightly.
Was this that strange sensation he had been feeling?
He hesitated. His heart pounded in his chest, his instincts screaming at him to walk away. This was New York. Things like this happened. It wasn't his business. He wasn't a cop like his dad; he wasn't a hero.
But something pulled at him. He wanted to help.
Although it was quite naive and dumb.
He wanted to be a hero...
The thought slipped into his mind, unbidden, and once it was there, it rooted itself in his heart. Sol clenched his fists, feeling the tension ripple through his body.
"I can't just... leave her."
Before he could think twice, Sol flipped up his hood of his jacket and turned down the alleyway, his feet moving before his mind had a chance to catch up. The alley was dark. Shadows played on the brick walls, stretching and twisting as he approached.
Six men surrounded a figure slumped against the wall — a girl, about his age, her silver hair catching the faint light as she struggled against her attackers. They hadn't noticed him yet. The girl kicked out at one of them, her movements quick and precise, but the odds were against her.
Sol's stomach lurched. 'What am I doing'
He looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. No weapons. No plan. Just... instinct. The instinct that told him he couldn't walk away.
One of the men grabbed her by the arm, pinning her back against the wall. "You shouldn't have tried stealing from our boss," he growled, a lecherous grin spreading across his face. "Now you're gonna regret it, sweetheart."
The others chuckled darkly, their eyes gleaming with sickening intentions. Another man spoke, his breath heavy as he sneered at her. "Maybe we'll play with you first. You like games, don't you?"
Felicia's eyes narrowed, fury and fear mixing in her expression. She tried to resist against their hold, but they tightened their grip, laughing.
Sol could barely breathe, his mind racing as he watched the scene unfold. He wasn't strong enough to fight them head-on, but there had to be something he could do.
His eyes darted around the alley, scanning for anything useful.
And then, he saw it — a rusty metal pipe leaning against the wall nearby, half-hidden in the shadows.
Keeping low, Sol moved silently toward the pipe. His heart pounded in his chest, his breath shallow as he crept closer. The men were still focused on the girl so they didn't notice him.
Sol's fingers closed around the cold metal, gripping it tightly.
He took a deep breath.
His eyes locked onto the man closest to him — one of the bigger guys, holding the girl by the arm and pressing her against the wall.
In one swift movement, Sol swung the pipe with everything he had.
Thud!
It connected with a sickening sound against the side of the man's head, and he crumpled to the ground without a sound.
"What the—!" one of the other men shouted, startled by the sudden attack. In the confusion, Felicia seized the moment, yanking her arm free from her captors. With a quick, well-aimed kick, she knocked one of the men backward before darting past them, slipping into the shadows.
For a split second, Sol felt a rush of victory. She escaped!
But then the men turned toward him, their faces twisted in anger. "You little bastard," one of them spat, fury in his eyes. "You're dead!"
Before Sol could react, the remaining five rushed at him. He barely had time to lift the pipe again before one of them grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the wall. Fists immediately rained down on him.
Pain exploded in his ribs and stomach as they punched and kicked him mercilessly, each blow knocking the wind out of him.
"Think you're a hero?" one of them sneered, driving his knee into Sol's side. "We'll see how brave you are now!"
Sol tried to fight back, but the hits kept coming. Blood filled his mouth, and the world spun around him.
He was outnumbered, and they were ruthless... but he refused to cry out.
As he got assaulted with countless attacks, he didn't know how, but he had somehow sent out a strike.
"AHHH! You piece of shit!" One of the men cried out in pain, blood dripping out from one of his eyes. Sol had luckily pierced one of his eyes with the sharp, rusty end of his pipe.
As he tried to push past, suddenly!
There was a loud crack as a gunshot sound echoed through the alley.
Bang!
Time seemed to slow as Sol felt the sharp, burning pain rip through his chest. His legs buckled, and he slid down the wall, clutching his chest, blood seeping through his jacket.
Bang! Bang!
Another bullet shot, then another, and the world blurred in a haze of pain. His vision started to fade, the alleyway spinning into darkness.
The men stood over him, their faces contorted with rage. "Not so tough now, huh?" one of them sneered, before walking to their partner that was knocked out, leaving Sol crumpled and bleeding on the ground.
Sol gasped for breath, his chest on fire, his hand pressed weakly against the gunshot wounds.
This sensation of death was all too familiar to him...
He could feel his consciousness slipping, the cold creeping deeper into his body.
That was then...
A dim light had suddenly shone in the sky as a strange rip in space opened. It was like a small part of the sky had been cleaved into two.
Coming out of this rip in space, was a small and delicate spider that glitched in and out of reality.
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