Chương 16: God-Speed.

~Omniscient Pov~

'I can see them all... So, how should I go about this?' Ezra stood perched up on a small ledge, seeing everything taking place easily. The hostages were fine, at least for now. But the gunmen seemed almost, desperate.

Ezra could hear their heart rate as it beat rhythmically. Courtesy of his hearing being that much sharper now, it was easy to tell they were both scared and in turmoil...

'These guys must know that their escape is in shambles...' Ezra knew the police would be on the other side soon, SWAT is going to come in the next five minutes after stalling. But him. He could make a name for himself and save lives, a double win in his opinion.

Ezra smiled, crouching lower than before.

'Alright... 150 miles-per-hour is my top speed... Multiply that by eight with my transformation, and that would be roughly Mach 1.2. Multiply that again by my new technique...' He smiled even wider.

He quickly activated his beastly transformation, which he practiced over the past few weeks to trigger even faster than before.

'That feels MUCH better...'

He looked down, running the scenario through his head first. After deciding fully. He focused his electricity all over his body. The arcs of purple lightning coursed around him.

The robbers were now huddled together behind an overturned table, their faces etched with clear desperation. The leader, being a burly man compared to his partners, nervously glanced at his watch...

"Fuck! We're running out of time." He muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. "The police are gonna break in any minute."

The second robber, likely a wiry man with jittery hands, peeked over the table and then ducked back down. "We didn't think this through, did we? We should've taken the money and run."

"Shut up!" the leader snapped. "Panicking won't help. We need a plan."

The third robber, a younger man with wide, now fearful eyes, spoke up. "Look man, maybe we should use one of the hostages as a bargaining chip... They'll back off if we threaten to hurt someone."

The leader shook his head. "Are you crazy? No! That's a last resort, we shouldn't have done it earlier. We don't want to escalate this any further. If we get caught, that's a whole lot more years to our names."

Jittery Hands frowned, evident behind the mask. "What if we sneak out through the back? Maybe we can slip away before the SWAT team gets here."

"We can't just leave the hostages." the younger one protested. "They'll come after us for sure!"

The leader looked between his two accomplices, weighing their options. "Listen, we need to stay calm and stick together. We'll keep an eye on the hostages and wait for the right moment. Maybe we can find a way to negotiate our way out of this."

Jittery Hands nodded reluctantly, and the young man swallowed hard, trying to steady his nerves. They all knew their chances were slim, but they had no choice but to hold on to the faint hope that they could somehow escape this situation.

...

On another hand, Ezra's muscles tensed as he prepared to launch himself into action. The arcs of purple lightning intensified, casting an eerie glow around him. He took a deep breath, feeling the energy surge through his transformed body.

'I called the last one Thunder-cloak... I'll call you God-speed.' He stood transformed, this time the differences were more evident than before. His hair got much spikier as if they were actual spikes now spread out in all directions.

The electricity around twitched far more wildly compared to before as well...

'It's still in its prototype phase... But I think I've got enough control for now...' He thought to himself. He could feel his mental process skyrocket. His speed feels unreal.

He slowly walked towards the ledge he was on prior. He got back into a low stance as if he was ready to shoot off...

BOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!!

In an instant, Ezra sprang from the ledge, the air cracking with the force of his leap, shattering the sound barrier easily. He moved so quickly that he was literally a blur, reaching the leader of the gunman before the man could even register his presence.

ZiiT!

Crackle~

'I'll be taking this from you now, good sir...' He grabbed the gun off the robber. And, with a swift, controlled strike he disarmed the gunman and knocked him unconscious...

'Huh, so this is how moving at Mach 6 feels...' He looked around the room, not seeing anyone catching up to him yet. The crazy thing was. His perception was much, much higher than his sheer movement speed. In fact, it was over 10 times greater.

"Gaah!!!' One of them screamed panicked after their leader was taken out.

Before the second gunman could react, Ezra was already upon them both. He moved with precision and speed, each motion calculated and effective.

'Wanted to test if I was really bulletproof... Such is life, I guess.' He shrugged it off internally. He liked his current set-up. It'd be a waste just to test firearms on it.

'Maybe I should aim towards getting a decent suit before trying those kinds of things...' He thought again. Within the next instant with his heightened senses allowing him to anticipate their moves, he easily avoided their panicked shots...

Bam!

'One...' He dodged the first bullet.

Bam!!

'Two...' He swayed past the other bullet.

Bam!!!

'Three...' He caught the last one, just before it fully exited the chamber of the rifle. Now he stared the man dead in his eyes.

...

Ezra dropped the bullet in front of him since the robber had just run out of ammo too. Before knocking out the man with ease. The other? He simply blitzed towards him and quickly knocked him out as well...

Within moments, all the gunmen were subdued, lying unconscious on the ground... Soon, the hostages went wide-eyed and trembling, watching in stunned silence.

...

"Wha-What?" A man said.

"We-we're saved...?" A woman questioned.

Ezra quickly straightened up, the arcs of lightning dissipating as he reverted to his normal state... He glanced around, ensuring everyone was safe before speaking.

"You're all going to be okay." He said, his voice calm and reassuring. "The police will be here soon to take care of the rest."

He turned and disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the hostages to process what had just happened. As he made his way out of the building, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride... He had made a difference today with his abilities.

Ezra emerged into the cool night air, his mind racing with the adrenaline of his encounter earlier. He quickly scaled a nearby building to get a better view of the area, making sure there were no other threats.

From his vantage point, he saw the flashing lights of police cars approaching, their sirens piercing the streets below...

"Perfect timing." he thought, satisfied that the authorities would handle the aftermath.

Ezra took a deep breath, allowing himself a moment of relief. He reflected on the robbers' desperation and how easily the situation could have escalated. In a sense, today reaffirmed his commitment to using his powers responsibly...

As he prepared to leave, a thought crossed his mind. 'Maybe it's time to start working with the authorities, to create a real impact?' The idea intrigued him, but he also knew it would still require more careful consideration than just a single day of heroics.

This was the DC universe. It wasn't just any world someone could just get by in easily. At least, not until they can handle themselves properly. If he had Superman's level of strength...

He wouldn't need to care about his identity, since he'd have no one to fear, or that man in the red and white suit. He wasn't sure of him all that much. He recognized him, but that was it.

After thinking for a bit more, he got up and stood, 'Yeah, I'll think about that after I get hacking in my bones before trying.'

For now, though, he was content with the night's success... With one last glance at the city below, Ezra leaped into the night, his figure disappearing into the shadows as he continued his patrol...

____________________________________________________________________________________

~Omniscient Pov, Elswhere~

Pew!

Pew!!

Pew!!!

Across the state, the adult Teen Titans were in the midst of a fierce battle against a formidable new threat. The sky was filled with the sounds of explosions and the flashes of energy blasts as they confronted a powerful villain wreaking havoc in downtown Metropolis...

Nightwing, now the seasoned leader of his team, barked out orders with precision. "Starfire, cover Beast Boy! Raven, I need you to contain that energy blast! Cyborg, get those civilians to safety!"

"On it!" Cyborg said. His role being a much higher priority at the moment.

Starfire soared through the air, her fiery hair trailing behind her like a comet. Her hands glowed with radiant energy as she unleashed a barrage of starbolts at the villain, forcing him to redirect his attacks away from Beast Boy.

"Beast Boy, go now!" she shouted.

Beast Boy, having transformed into a massive rhino, charged through the debris, using his sheer size and strength to clear a path for trapped civilians. "Keep them busy, Star!" he called back.

Raven hovered above the battlefield, her eyes glowing with dark energy as she chanted an incantation. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Her powers formed a protective barrier around the team, absorbing the villain's devastating energy blasts. "T-this shield won't hold forever, Nightwing!" she warned, her voice strained with the effort.

Cyborg, using his advanced technology, coordinated with the city's emergency services to evacuate the area. His arm transformed into a cannon, providing cover fire for the fleeing civilians. "Move it, people! Follow the evac route!" he directed, his voice authoritative yet reassuring.

Nightwing, ever the strategist, swung into action with his escrima sticks, engaging the villain in close combat. He dodged and weaved, landing precise strikes that disrupted the villain's concentration. "Focus on his weak points," he instructed the team through their comms.

The villain, a towering figure with a menacing grin and glowing red eyes, sneered at the heroes. "You think you can stop me? I am unstoppable!"

Starfire unleashed another volley of star bolts, her face set in determination. "Your reign of terror ends here! HARRGGG!!!"

Beast Boy transformed into a gorilla, using his massive fists to pound the ground, creating shockwaves that destabilized the villain's footing. "You picked the wrong city to mess with!"

Raven, straining to maintain the shield, extended her powers to wrap dark tendrils around the villain, attempting to bind him. "We won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Cyborg, spotting an opening, fired a concentrated energy blast from his cannon, hitting the villain squarely in the chest. "Take this! You oversized brute!"

Nightwing, seeing the combined efforts of his team creating an opportunity, leaped into action. With a series of acrobatic flips and spins, he closed the distance, delivering a powerful kick that knocked the villain off balance. "Now, Titans! Together!"

With a coordinated effort, the Titans launched a combined assault. Starfire's star bolts, Raven's dark energy, Beast Boy's brute strength, and Cyborg's tech weaponry converged on the villain, overwhelming him. Nightwing delivered the final blow, striking the villain's pressure points with his escrima sticks, causing him to collapse, unconscious.

Thud...

As the dust settled, the Titans regrouped, checking on each other and ensuring the civilians were safe. Nightwing looked at his team with pride. "Good job, everyone. Let's make sure this guy is secured and then help with the cleanup."

Starfire landed gracefully, her glowing hands dimming. "The threat is neutralized, but we must remain vigilant."

Beast Boy reverted to his human form, breathing heavily. "Man, that guy was tough. Good thing we worked together."

Raven lowered her hands, the dark energy dissipating. "Indeed... Our combined strengths made the difference."

Cyborg nodded, his cannon arm shifting back to its normal form. "Teamwork, baby. That's what it's all about."

Nightwing smiled, looking at each of his teammates with a sense of camaraderie and respect... "Alright guys, let's get to work. The city needs us. And, so do our stomachs..."

"Heh, nice one." Beast boy chided, "So? Pizza? My treat..."

"Well~ Since you put it that way...Are you willing to buy the 16-slice pepperoni?" Nightwing rubbed his chin and asked.

Starfire's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! Pizza is most glorious! I would like extra mustard on mine, please."

Beast Boy grimaced. "Uh, Star, we'll get you your own special pizza... I don't think mustard and pepperoni mix too well."

Raven rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips, "Just make sure mine has plenty of olives. And no meat."

Cyborg chuckled. "You got it, Raven. And I'm gonna need my usual mega-meat with extra cheese."

"Alright, I guess that's that then." Beast Boy said.

As they finished securing the villain and ensuring the civilians were safe, the Titans made their way to a nearby rooftop, where they often gathered for some downtime after missions. Beast Boy had already ordered the pizzas, and they were on their way.