Jack stepped out of the grocery store with a bag of food in one hand. The cool Queens night wrapped around him as he walked down the quiet street. A few cars passed slowly, and streetlights stretched long shadows across the pavement. His stomach growled loudly.
"Yeah, yeah. I know," he muttered.
Stopping a robbery apparently burned more energy than he expected.
He reached his apartment a few minutes later. The building looked just as depressing as always, with old paint, dirty hallway lights, and the smell of cheap food drifting through the corridors. Jack unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"Home sweet home."
He dropped the groceries on the table and immediately started cooking noodles. Within minutes, he was eating like a starving animal.
"Okay... note to self," he said between bites. "Using aliens probably burns a lot of calories."
He leaned back in the chair and turned on the television, and news channels filled the screen. While eating, Jack glanced around the apartment. The place really was terrible, with old furniture, peeling paint, and cheap lighting. After leaving the orphanage years ago, this was the best place he could afford while working part-time as a delivery driver.
"But now..." His eyes drifted down to the Omnitrix on his wrist. "That might change."
Suddenly the TV volume jumped.
"BREAKING NEWS!"
Jack looked up. The reporter on screen looked panicked.
"Live reports coming in from a bank in Queens. An armed robbery is currently taking place."
The camera switched to the scene. Police cars surrounded the building, and hostages were visible inside. Jack slowly set his bowl down.
"...Well."
He stood up.
"Looks like dinner break is over."
His eyes lit with excitement.
"Hero time."
KRR-CHAK!
The Omnitrix dial slammed down, and green light erupted around Jack as his body began to change.
Queens National Bank
Inside the bank, chaos filled the room. Three robbers stood near the entrance, and one of them held a young woman hostage with a gun pressed against her head.
"Stay back!" the robber shouted toward the police outside. "Come any closer and she dies!"
People inside the bank were trembling. Outside, officers hid behind their vehicles.
"Snipers ready?" Captain George asked through the radio.
"Ready, sir."
"Wait for the signal."
The situation was on a razor's edge. If the robber panicked, the hostage could die in an instant. Then something strange happened.
A gust of wind rushed through the bank. The robbers blinked in confusion.
"What the—"
Before anyone could react, the hostage suddenly appeared outside beside the police. Then another hostage. Then another. Within seconds, every civilian had been moved outside. Inside the bank, all three robbers collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The entire event lasted less than a second.
The officers stared at the scene in shock.
"What the hell just happened?"
One of the snipers slowly lowered his rifle.
"...Did anyone see that?"
A nearby security camera replayed the footage, but the video showed only one thing: a blue-black blur moving faster than the camera could track.
Captain George frowned.
"...Find out what that thing is."
Manhattan Rooftop
Far away, a streak of wind shot across the city skyline. XLR8 slowed to a stop on a tall rooftop. Jack straightened and looked down at the streets far below.
"Whoa."
The city looked different at this speed. Cars crawled along the streets like toys, and people moved as if they were stuck in slow motion. Jack flexed his claws, and instincts flooded his mind. It wasn't just speed. His body already knew how to move, how to turn, and how to balance. The Omnitrix wasn't just giving him an alien body, it was guiding him. Running felt natural.
"This feels amazing."
He looked across the skyline.
"Queens to Manhattan in thirty seconds..." He whistled. "And the whole city in about three minutes."
The wind rushed around him, and Jack laughed.
"I was definitely born to do this."
But after a moment, he turned serious.
"Still... better be careful."
The Marvel world had plenty of advanced technology, and some organizations might already be tracking him. He crouched down on the rooftop edge and watched the city below.
"Tonight was a good start."
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"Tomorrow... things will get interesting."