*Hero*

  What does that even mean anymore? Everyone throws that word around like it’s easy, like it’s some title anyone can earn by doing one good deed or making one right choice. But is it ? Is being a hero about wearing a cape or getting recognition ?, Is it about fame or glory ? Is it about something deeper, something harder ??

  Jace Carter wasn’t like other teenager. On the surface, he appeared average: shaggy brown hair, a lean, athletic frame, and a typical life of balancing school, work, and the occasional night out with friends. But what no one knew was that he possessed an extraordinary power: superhuman strength. He could lift cars with one hand, crush steel beams like they were twigs. What’s more, his courage was boundless, an unshakable confidence that made him nearly fearless. Struggling with what to do with his new abilities Jace decided to do what most of us would do: don a costume and fight crime

  Jace was patroling on roof tops in his neighborhood when he heard a commotion coming from the local corner store. He paused, his sharp senses picking up the sound of a struggle inside, followed by the unmistakeable scream of agony. His muscles tensed.

  Without hesitation, he jumped down a roof of another building sprinting towards the store, his footsteps silent as he approached. He peered through the window and saw him—a man in a black, metallic suit that glistened under the store’s fluorescent lights. The suit wasn’t just for show; it was fully armored, complete with a visor, mechanical limbs, and weapons embedded in the gauntlets. This wasn’t an ordinary robber.

  The man had the cashier pinned very hard against the wall with one hand, while the other aimed a gun to the trembling store clerk. Jace knew this was the moment he’d been waiting for. His heart pounded, not from fear, but from the rush of knowing that he could finally use his abilities to stop something truly dangerous.

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  Jace pushed the door open, stepping inside with a calm confidence. The bell above the door chimed, and the robber immediately whirled around, his visor locking onto Jace.

  “You don’t want to do this,” Jace said, his voice steady. “Walk away now, and no one gets hurt.”

  The man chuckled, his voice distorted through the helmet. “Who do you think you are, kid? I’ve got a suit that can level buildings, and you think you can take me on?”

  Jace smiled, cracking his knuckles. “I know I can.”

  The robber didn’t hesitate. He raised his arm cocking his gun to shoot. Jace was already moving. In a blur of motion, he crossed the distance between them, swatting the weapon aside just as it fired. The bullet flew past him, shattering the glass door behind them.

  The robber staggered, caught off guard by Jace’s speed. He swung a metal fist at Jace, who caught it easily in his hand. The metal groaned under Jace’s grip as he crushed the mechanical limb, twisting it until the suit sparked and whined.

  The robber let out a furious growl, releasing a hidden blade from his other arm. He lunged, but Jace was ready. With a quick, effortless motion, he dodged the strike and delivered a punch to the man’s chest. The blow sent the robber crashing through the shelves and into the wall with a deafening thud.

  Jace’s strength was terrifying, but he held back just enough to avoid causing any permanent damage. The robber’s suit was durable, but even it couldn’t handle the raw force Jace had unleashed.

  Staggering to his feet, the robber tried one last time to launch a desperate attack, activating the boosters in his suit to rocket toward Jace. But Jace simply sidestepped, grabbing the man mid-flight and slamming him into the ground with a force that left the floor cracked beneath him.

  The fight was over.

  Jace stood over the man, breathing evenly, his eyes calm but resolute. The police sirens wailed in the distance, and Jace knew it was time to leave.

  As he slipped out the back door and into the shadows, Jace couldn’t help but smile to himself. He may not seek the spotlight, but in moments like this, he knew that his strength, his courage—his responsibility—would always lead him to the fight for what's right