Carl stood in front of the wounded robbers who were now bleeding and crawling out of their wrecked car. He stared down at them, uncertain.
"What do I do with you?" he muttered, half to himself.
Before he could act further, the sharp buzz of media vans and flashing lights filled the air. News reporters began to swarm the scene.
"Just a minute, sir! The whole city would like to know who you are," one of them pressed.
"Are you a new hero? What are your abilities?" another chimed in.
Carl panicked internally. I can't tell them my secret identity, he thought. I'll just say something vague and get out of here.
"Sir… Sir?" one reporter pushed, trying to get his attention.
Carl turned to the cameras. "I'm not a hero. I'm just one of you—a citizen who's decided to use his powers to uphold law and order. I may not be as strong as the other heroes, but I'll do my best when times are tough."
Just then, the wailing of police sirens approached fast. Carl tensed. Damn it, the cops are here, he thought, then said out loud, "I'll be taking my leave now."
"One last question!" a reporter called. "What's the name of this new valiant hero of ours?"
Carl froze. Crap… I didn't think about that. I need something simple and fast. Ideas raced through his mind—Magnetic Man? No, too cringe. Gravo Boy? Ew, no. Then it hit him.
"My name is… Magnograv," he announced with sudden certainty.
He activated his suit, using gravity manipulation and magnetic repulsion to launch himself into the air, vanishing from sight in a shimmer of invisibility.
News Reporter 1 turned to the camera. "Well, there you have it, folks—the city's newest hero: Magnograv."
Meanwhile, at Katy's house, she was curled up on the couch when Beatrix called her attention to the news. As she caught sight of the report, she burst into laughter.
"Magnograv? Where the hell did he get that name from? It sounds so lame," she said through giggles.
Back at the crime scene, high above on a building rooftop, someone had been silently observing the entire encounter. Cloaked in invisibility, they watched with interest.
"That was nice to watch," the figure murmured. "Good thing I decided to stop by instead of going straight to HQ. Magnograv… I'll have to keep an eye on him."
Across the street, Carl slipped into an alley and removed his suit. Now back in his regular clothes, he emerged into the crowd unnoticed.
Now that I think about it, he mused, that name sounds just as cringe as Magnetic Man. Oh well, the deed is done. It's not like I'll be doing more community hero work. I just need to find out what Silver is up to, stop him if needed, then go back to my normal life.
Elsewhere, in a dim apartment, Silver sat watching the same news broadcast, his expression twisted with disdain.
"Ahh… Magnograv," he muttered bitterly. "How pathetic. I'm sure these so-called heroes won't be able to stop Roctus when he arrives. I just need to finish my plan before he finds me."
The next day, Carl was walking through the school hallway during lunch break when he overheard a group of students talking.
"Hey, did you guys hear about the new hero who stopped a robbery yesterday?" said one excitedly.
"Yeah! I heard he took down all the robbers without even touching them," another added.
"Wow, that's awesome. What's his name?"
"I think it was… Magnograv or something?"
"Yeah, it sounds lame, but it kinda makes sense based on his powers. I saw the video—he was definitely manipulating gravity."
"And I heard he looks like a high schooler."
"Yeah, totally. Imagine if he's been a student here all along and nobody knows."
Carl walked past them, feeling a surge of pride. If only they knew I was really the one who…
Suddenly, Katy bumped into him in the hall.
"Don't even think about it," she said sharply.
"Don't think about what?" Carl replied, trying to look innocent.
"You were just thinking, 'if only they knew I was the one behind the mask,' right?"
Carl frowned. "How do you know that?"
Katy smirked. "Your bad habit of smirking gave you away. Or should I say—devilishly smirking."
"What?! I don't do that."
"Oh yes, you do," she teased. "Next time you come to the office, I'll have Beatrix play back every clip we've got of you doing exactly that."
"Okay, okay, that's enough."
She leaned in slightly. "How are things going with Silver?"
Carl shook his head. "I haven't exactly talked to him yet… but that's where I'm headed now."
"Alright then. Good luck," she said before heading off to class.
Carl exhaled deeply as he approached Silver's classroom. "Whew. Let's do this."
Inside, Silver was at his desk, reading as always. Carl slid into the seat across from him.
"Hey, dude!" he said with forced cheer.
Silver marked his page and looked up. "Hi, Carl. It's not every day you just drop by. What's up?"
"Nah, I just felt like coming to see you today. No reason."
Silver narrowed his eyes. "You know something, Carl? You suck at lying."
Carl laughed awkwardly. "Okay, you got me. I actually wanted to hear your opinion on this new hero guy."
"Oh, you mean Magnograv?" Silver asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's it to you? You're not usually into what people are gossiping about."
Carl shrugged. "Everyone's been talking about it. I figured my best friend and I should talk about it too."
Silver chuckled darkly. "Alright, I'll tell you what I think. I've been dying to vent to someone anyway."
Carl perked up inside. Yes! Silver's finally going to praise me after all these years. Even if he's praising Magnograv, technically, that's still me…
But Silver's tone turned cold.
"He's a weak, egotistical, mannerless, self-absorbed, glory-seeking jerk."
Carl blinked in shock. It's funny how it feels like he's describing both Magnograv and… me.
Silver let out a deep breath and smiled, clearly relieved. "Ah, that felt good. Why do you look so surprised? Were you expecting me to praise him?"
"Well… kinda. Everyone else I've heard has nothing but praise for him."
"Well, I've got my reasons. Now tell me why you really came."
Carl gave up the act. "Fine. I want to go to your house today. I want to see where my best friend lives."
Silver tilted his head. "That checks out. But why now?"
Carl shrugged. "We've been friends for years and I've never even been to your place. It's weird."
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to decline. I've got a lot going on today."
Carl smirked. "Oh, that wasn't a request. I've already decided I'm tagging along."
Silver stared at him for a moment, then sighed. Ha… okay, you can come since you're so set on it. But don't say I didn't warn you—I'm running a lot of errands before heading home. And seriously, stop smirking.
Carl smiled innocently. "Glad we've come to an agreement."
He stood, pushed in the chair, and left the classroom.