Nico limped his way home, every step a painful reminder of the beating he had just taken. His clothes were torn, his face bruised, and his pride shattered. Kyle had humiliated him in front of half the school, and even though he had fought back for the first time in his life, it hadn’t been enough. The borrowed power had slipped through his fingers, leaving him feeling weak, helpless, and stupid.

He clutched his side, wincing as he walked down the cracked sidewalk. His mind raced, replaying the fight in his head. He had copied Kyle’s abilities—strength, speed, even the fire—but he hadn’t known how to use them properly. He had power, but not the control. And control was everything.

Five minutes. That’s all he had.

By the time he reached the corner of his block, the sun was already setting, casting long shadows across the quiet suburban street. His house was just up ahead, but Nico paused, leaning against a lamppost to catch his breath. He glanced down at his body—bruises and cuts were scattered across his arms and legs, and his shirt was stained with dirt and blood. His reflection in a passing car window showed a kid who looked defeated, broken.

He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. “What good is power if I can’t even use it right?”

Just as he pushed himself off the lamppost, he heard a sound—a muffled scream from around the corner. His body tensed, the pain in his muscles momentarily forgotten. Nico narrowed his eyes and quickly moved toward the source of the noise.

He peered around the corner and froze.

A few feet away, in an alley between two old buildings, he saw her—Jenna Walsh, one of his classmates. She was cornered by a gang of four, their figures shadowy but menacing. They weren’t just any gang members, though. Nico could tell by the strange glow in their eyes and the way they moved—they were power bearers. Just like Kyle. Just like him.

Jenna, her back against the wall, was shaking with fear. Her backpack had been ripped from her shoulder, its contents spilling out on the ground. One of the gang members, a tall, wiry guy with short blonde hair, was holding a knife, twirling it expertly in his fingers.

“Please,” Jenna stammered, her voice trembling. “Just take what you want and go.”

Blonde Hair grinned, the knife glinting in the fading light. “Oh, we’ll take more than that, sweetheart.”

Nico’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t just stand there. He couldn’t let this happen. His hands clenched into fists as he stepped out of the shadows. He was still bruised and battered, but something stirred inside him.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I can stop this.

“Hey!” Nico shouted, his voice echoing off the alley walls.

The gang members turned toward him, surprised to see someone interrupting them. Blonde Hair raised an eyebrow, his knife still twirling in his hand.

“And who the hell are you?” the guy sneered.

Nico swallowed hard, his mind racing. These guys had powers. He could see it in the way they carried themselves, in the way their eyes glowed faintly. One of them, a lanky kid with quick, darting movements, had already started moving toward him, his body unnaturally fast. Another was fiddling with a lock on a nearby door, effortlessly twisting the metal as if it were made of clay.

Lock-picking. Agility. Knife skills.

Nico’s pulse quickened. He could copy any of their abilities, but he had to choose carefully. He only had five minutes, and he couldn’t afford to mess this up. The fight with Kyle had taught him that much.

“Get lost, fat boy,” one of the gang members spat. “This isn’t your business.”

Nico ignored the insult, his eyes locking onto the blonde guy’s knife. Knife skills, he thought. That could work. The guy’s grip on the blade was practiced, effortless—he wasn’t just holding it; he knew how to use it.

Nico took a deep breath and reached out with his mind, focusing on Blonde Hair’s movements, on the way he handled the weapon. He felt the familiar rush of power flood through him as he copied the ability, his muscles suddenly reacting as if they had trained for years.

Without warning, Nico lunged forward, closing the distance between them faster than the gang members expected. Blonde Hair barely had time to raise his knife before Nico’s fist connected with his face, sending him staggering backward.

The other gang members moved in, but Nico was ready. The knife was now in his hand—his grip steady, precise. His body moved on instinct, spinning the blade with the same ease the blonde guy had shown earlier. One of the gang members, the agile one, darted toward him, but Nico sidestepped him effortlessly, slashing out with the knife. The guy yelped as the blade grazed his arm.

Blonde Hair recovered and charged at Helmut, rage twisting his features. He swung his knife wildly, but Nico was faster. He ducked under the swing and slammed his elbow into the guy’s ribs, knocking the wind out of him. In a blur of motion, Nico twisted the knife out of his attacker’s hand, now holding two blades.

The gang members hesitated, realizing this wasn’t going as they had planned.

Jenna’s eyes were wide as she watched Nico move, disbelief and shock etched across her face. Nico wasn’t the same awkward, powerless kid she had seen in school. Right now, he was in control—because, for the next five minutes, he had the skill.

One of the other gang members, a stocky guy with short black hair, tried to charge at Nico, swinging a metal pipe. Helmut’s newly gained knife skills kicked in, and he expertly blocked the swing, twisting the blade in his hand and slashing at the guy’s wrist, forcing him to drop the pipe. Nico could feel the adrenaline coursing through him, but there was something else, too—the clock. He could feel the timer ticking down. The power wasn’t going to last much longer. He had to end this.

The agile one made another move, but Nico anticipated it this time. With a quick, precise motion, he tossed one of the knives in a spinning arc, and it buried itself in the wall right next to the guy’s head. The agile guy froze, his eyes wide with fear.

Blonde Hair took a step back, realizing they were outmatched. He spat on the ground, glaring at Nico. “You got lucky,” he growled. “This isn’t over.”

With that, the gang members retreated, disappearing into the shadows of the alley.

Nico stood there, breathing hard, the knife still in his hand. The power was fading now, the skills slipping away like water through his fingers. His body ached, and the adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off.

Jenna rushed over, her eyes filled with both gratitude and shock. “Nico… you… you saved me.”

Nico stared at her, still processing what had just happened. He nodded, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over him. “Yeah… I guess I did.”

He turned, watching the last of the gang disappear down the street. Five minutes. That’s all he had. But in those five minutes, he had fought. He had saved someone.

And for the first time in his life, Nico knew—he could make a difference