𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐤

11⇢weights

JAMIE

I dodge the mugger's fist and send one to his face. He tumbles back before swinging once more, this time, hitting me straight in the jaw, and I tumble backwards, my back hitting a near ATM inside the bank.

This was not a good start to my Monday morning.

Ever since the most recent broadcast Voltar sent out, I haven't been able to focus on anything.

I'm behind on schoolwork, I can't focus on crime, and I have no idea where to start when it comes to meeting up with Phantasm.

I quickly turn around only to be struck in the face with another fist, and it pummels me to the ground. I groan, shaking out the pain as I try to keep my head straight.

I sit up from the ground and immediately see the thug pull out his glock, cock it back, and aim it at me. I hear the gun go off, and I lift up my hands and shut my eyes.

When I open my eyes, I see the bullet, vibrating in mid-air in front of my hands.

I look up at the mugger as I reach out and grab the bullet, maintaining eye contact with him as I gently place it on the ground. I stand to my feet, making him take two steps back, and I hear slight police sirens ring in the distance.

I look back at the mugger, gesturing for the bag of cash, and he throws it at my feet. The sirens get louder, and in a quick second, officers pile through the doors of the bank, running to the mugger and grabbing the cash.

Suddenly, I feel my phone vibrate in the pocket on my leg. I nod to the officers before running out of the bank, pulling out my phone, and answering the call. "Jamie? Are you here yet?"

Shit. I completely forgot. "No, not yet, but I'm on my way. I'll be there in a bit."

"Okay. I'll go ahead and order you a coffee."

"Thanks, Mia. I'll see you there," I finish, hanging up the phone.

I curse myself for forgetting our study date. Mia and I made plans to go over the nervous system notes since she missed them last week.

I quickly launch myself into the air and skywalk over to my apartment complex which is only a couple blocks away when I start to think about the purple electricity that's been distracting me.

I can't stop thinking about what she said and what she carried.

A bomb. An electric grenade. Who knows how dangerous that could be? It could either be dangerous enough to electrocute one person or dangerous enough to kill everyone in Brooklyn.

Voltar only appeared a week ago, and now, she's more threatening than Lex Luthor and Red Skull come alive... Okay, maybe not that threatening, but who knows what she's capable of?

She's scary, powerful, and she definitely has it out for Phantasm and I.

♔♚

After changing out of my suit and grabbing my notes, I made my way over to Jumpstart Cafe, where I found Mia waiting for me in the corner booth.

I smile as she waves me over, and I sit in the booth across from her. "Hey. Sorry, I'm late."

"Oh, no worries," Mia reassures me, and she pushes a cup of coffee my way. I quickly take a sip and recognize it as my favorite drink: iced coffee. "So what have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. You?"

"Nothing much," she replies, giving me a small smile. I smile back at her before grabbing my binder and placing it on the table. "Right! Notes."