“We report several incidents of a new villain. Currently, he has killed several criminals and hurt innocent civilians. The P.W.H. classifies him as a C+ criminal; he is approximately 5’9”, slightly tanned, with brown hair. Civilians should run and call the authorities if they see him. His power is blood manipulation. Currently, the P.W.H. has not disclosed the abilities and capabilities of said power.”

Ah, the news is typical, as usual. I’m not surprised my actions have gotten around fast, but C+ is crazy. Often, most early villains get D rank, but whatever.

I got up from my bed slowly, then closed my computer with the aching in my arm and wrist. Then I returned, feeling my crippling pain.

Last night was a clusterfuck. I messed up on so many things: taking the blood, fighting against Kereos’s members, and Jake. But I would need rest if I wanted to be back in some condition to fight. I felt my power didn’t work as I tried to manifest it. Another thing is I woke up this morning with a migraine.

Then, a loud bang made me jolt up.

“Hey, open up, Louis!” I heard my dad yell. I opened the door, not wanting to know what would happen if I kept waiting. Then, I saw his face with his fist tightened. “Good morning,” I said, hoping his fury would lower. Yet he slapped me across the face. My eyes squinted in pain as I felt my body trembling.

“None of that attitude. What did I tell you about doing funny shit?!”

Damn it, I should have prepared for this? “Listen, I just lashed out. I didn’t hurt anyone,” I said, then my dad hit me again. This time, I fell to the ground.

“You’re grounded for two weeks!” After he said that, he stepped over me and grabbed my computer and phone. “Wait, I need those for school,” I said.

“Fine!” my dad said, putting down the computer but keeping the phone. But, for two weeks. I expect you to come home right after school, and if not...” He pulled his belt out and snapped it together. I had gotten the belt in the past from my mom, which wasn’t that bad, but from my dad, it was a whole different story. It would still sting even if I were more durable due to being a superhuman.

My dad slammed the door, which made me jump a bit, even though I had dealt with it worse. Your parents are a different level of scary, stringent ones. I still hated my dad after what he said two nights ago. Yet, I need some rest after that ordeal.

...

It was Sunday morning. I was feeling better than yesterday. I could move and walk, but my power felt stiff like yesterday. Though the migraine was less of an issue, it was still present.

I walked out of the room to check on my brother. I cracked the door to see him sleeping, then closed the door, not wanting to bother him.

My brother usually sleeps for most of the day and night. It was weird. He could be asleep and not wake up, which made me think he was dead. But he was fine.

Today, I could go out. My parents were gone. My mom went to church and shopped at cheap stores for food or anything valuable while my dad went to work. This meant I could get out of the house. I grabbed some of my winter clothes and my jacket to go outside.

My target was simple: to get medication. I needed to heal faster, and some meds could do that, but they were expensive.

Things like ‘Heal it all’ or ‘Hyper Heal’ were used easily because hospitals were overwhelmed, which caused the government and P.W.H. to invent a drug that allowed people to heal without hospitalization, except in severe cases. This drug lowered mortality rates and increased life expectancy if you had the money to spare.

Though I had ten grand in my possession, I didn’t want to waste any of it on myself, even if I had a limit. I need that money for my family and food which. I know it could seem dumb, but why the fuck would I give money to those companies that profit off of people’s lives?

I walked outside of my apartment into the open streets of Chicago. I could smell the dirty trash and feel the cold air around me. Loud cars beeped in the distance. Yep, it was Chicago as usual. Luckily, no one was around.

I traveled a mile to the closest store. Sure, I could go to a pharmacy. But I needed to ensure I could steal what I needed and get out without people noticing. The store was massive—it had three stories and was almost the size of a city block.

The biggest issue with this store is that cameras are everywhere. Luckily, my jacket has a hood, so I don’t have to look into a camera.

I walked inside with some nervousness and some hint of thrill. Stealing is wrong, but I needed to recover fast, or else I wouldn’t fight for a long time.

I will choose ‘Heal All’ because it was the easiest and cheapest to steal, even though it costs $30. This is because, unlike ‘Hyper Heal,’ it is not locked up.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Oh my god, Diana!” I looked over to see two teenage girls, one younger than the other. The older teen I recognized as a hero was Diamond Diana. She was one of the few heroes who revealed their identities. The only reasons people would do this are to want the public to trust them or they hate keeping a secret identity.

Diana’s only advantage is that she is part of the Rosa family, which gives her money to protect herself.

“Can you sign my phone case?” I heard her say as she pulled out her phone, which had a pink bunny case. “Oh, sorry. How about a Selfie,” Diana said.

I moved on because if I stayed too long, she could become suspicious of me, jeopardizing my goal.

The Pharmacy was on the third floor, with the first two floors being clothes and groceries. The way up the floor was in the middle with the stairs or elevator.

I took the elevator because taking the stairs had two disadvantages: I wasn’t risking a fall, and it would take a long time.

After entering the elevator, I covered the hidden camera in the buttons. Most people don’t know that these cameras exist. They aim to get a close-up of a person’s face and then scan it.

I made it to the third floor without issues. When I got out, there were two different areas. On the right side was the alcohol section, and on the left was the Pharmacy.

I walked down one aisle and bumped into a young blond girl on her phone. These are typical kids who ignore their surroundings. I mean, geez, not everything is on the phone.

“Hey, Kid. Watch it,” I snarled. The girl looked up from her phone and flipped me off. God damn, I hate little shits like her, not caring. No sorry, no respect, nothing. Sure, I do some of these things, but at least it’s because of the bullshit I have to deal with.

So, how about I have a little Troll? I spun around and put my foot out, pretending to run toward her. She fell to the floor, and her face turned from smirking to fear. Then she ran off in a panic, yelling. I felt the pain of doing that, but it was worth it.

“Pss. Phone addicts.” I traversed, looking for ‘The heal all,’ but I heard a voice that made my blood run cold as I recognized the voice.

“Hey!” I Turned to see a familiar face, Candice. Her face was red, and her fist was clenched. She was wearing an oversized pink jacket and grey sweatpants. “Why did you try to... Louis?” Her expression changed to one of confusion and then laughter.

“What so funny?” I said. Her anger had turned to laughter in a second, and I was completely confused. “Louis, explain to me why you scared my little sister,” she said with a little smile. Candice had a little sister. When has it been since? And why is she smiling like that? It’s creepy as fuck?

“Your sister had no manners when bumping into me, no apology or anything. Just a middle finger,” I said, which made her smile drop, but not enough to be neutral. Then Candice looked at her sister, which made her stop looking at her phone. She turned back to me.

“Ok. Magical cosplayer... but I guess you’re right.” Then she grabbed her sister’s phone. “Hey! give it back!” She yelled, but Candice responded. “I told you about proper manners,”

Both walked away, with Candice giving me this nasty look. I wasn’t happy either, as Julie made those threats. Everyone in the school knew I played as a magical girl, but I wasn’t going back there, and it was the least of my worries.

I searched the rest of the aisle, yet the ‘Heal it all’ was behind a lock now. Damn it! If I tried to open it, an alarm would go off unless I opened it with a key.

My blood was still stiff, but I could use a small amount. I put one finger up to the keyhole and built a key shape. Then I opened the lock and grabbed what I needed.

I looked around to see if anyone was looking. None. Good.

I made my way back to the elevator. On the first floor, I hid somewhere. Then, I opened the box, took out the pills, and shoved them in my coat pocket. ‘Heal it all’ was pills, while Hyper Heal was mostly injections. Often, these medicines can be highly addictive if you are not careful what you are taking.

Then I looked to see if Diana was around. All I knew from her was that she could use gems or something. On the superhuman wiki, they were vague as fuck because of bullshit laws.

The coast was clear, so I exited the store and saw Candice with her little sister. Candice was yelling, but I could hear what they were saying, likely how rude she was.

But, before I could move, some invisible force pinned me to the wall. “there will be no stealing on my watch,”

I recognized the voice; it was Diana. “Diana, what the fuck?! I didn’t steal anything.” Then I could feel her hand reach into my pocket and take out the pills. “what is this then? I saw you stealing these. You have no excuse to lie, kid.”

Then I could feel her let me go, which caused me to fall to the ground. Then I could see her turn visible. I could see a bracelet of gems on her left arm.

“So explain. Drugs? Selling for profit?” Diana said. I could see her dismay. Heros goes through a lot. I mean, she had to deal with the death of Octoplum.

“I’m just poor. I can’t afford any healing medicine, and I can’t go to the hospital,” I scoffed as I got up. Then Diana’s face turned from a frown to one of worry. “Let me check something. Can I touch your arm?”

“Uh, sure. I guess?” I asked nervously. Then, her bracelet switched to a green gem, and she touched my arm. It was awkward; I didn’t know how to feel.

After a few seconds, she let go of my hand and stepped back.

“How are you still alive!? You have cracked bones and ruptured organs. What happened?” she yelled. “A villain attack. Luckily, some heroes show up before it gets worse,”

It was silent for a few seconds before she responded. “Listen, I’m not going to arrest you, but I will need your name and those pills back.”

“Ok, but do you have a gem to help me?” I said, figuring out her power. She pulled out a device. “Yes, after you give your name,”

I didn’t know if I should give my real name. If I did, someone might put me on the criminal watch list, leading to my discovery.

“My name is Jordan Winker,” I lied, of course. It was a real name, but Jordan deserves investigation. Diana typed on the device and then put it away.

“Ok. Now pull your hand out.” I pulled my hand out, and she put her left hand, with the gem device, on my wrist.

My body felt warm, and my nerves were being touched in a pleasurable way. This was the best feeling I had felt in a long time, but as blissful as it was, it soon faded like everything else.

After gaining my senses, she removed the gem from her bracelet. Then she put it in a little bag.

“Now, don’t do that again, or you will get arrested. Louis.” after saying that, she walked off with a smug look. I stood there in shock. How the fuck did she know, Julie? Or spying. Damn.

I walked home in defeat, knowing I could work again if you call it that.