Spectacular World

The Man

The rain and hail were heavy, solid blocks of ice hitting hard enough to shatter glass and dent cars, the water soaking a grown man to the bone in seconds. It came down harsh and wild, with the winds ripping vehicles off the streets. The rain was loud, but the siren warning of the incoming danger was far more deafening.

'A tsunami is approaching the city. Evacuate to higher ground immediately. A tsunami is approaching the city. Evacuate to higher ground immediately.'

Big enough to cast a shadow on the entire city, bringing a wave that would smash most of the buildings flat at any moment, this freakish storm had seemingly appeared from thin air and without warning. With nowhere to run or flee, many people stared in horror, shock, and some acceptance.

Yet, they sometimes say that in the darkness, a person will truly see the light. On the road, a woman had been running in an effort to escape, despite the fact that there was nowhere to go. She reached her breaking point, her legs buckling and giving out beneath her. She dropped down, breathing heavily, her head cocked to the side as she stared at the massive wall of water. It was so dark that it almost looked black, and she knew how stabbing the cold would be when it engulfed her.

That was when something in front of the massive wave caught her eye.

The woman's eyes squinted ever so slightly as she stared at the tsunami that would crush her any second now. It almost looked like there was a golden glow that came from the road directly in front of the black wave.

"Oh, my God." The realization hit her. She wasn't the only one who had stopped and stared. Many people turned to the light as it began to grow. Even as the ice fell and the water spilled, the glowing didn't stop as something waited for it.

"Is that... It is! It's really her! The Victorian!"

The light in the darkness. A woman stood, waiting for the tsunami. A red flowing cape was wrapped over her, a skintight suit showed off her muscles, and a golden light seemed to burst forth from the air around her. The woman, the Victorian, the greatest hero in the world, took a deep breath.

Then, in an instant, she breathed out. It came out so hard and so fast that the tsunami was instantly frozen, an entire ocean's worth of water changing into a wave of ice. Slowly, the woman pulled her fist back.

Then, with a single mighty punch, she exploded the tsunami.

And just like that, it was over.

***

"This is the winner of this year's 'Best hero moment of the year' poll!" On the screen of a TV, a news channel was currently playing. One with a pretty anchor, showing footage of a disaster that had been diverted. The scene showed the Victorian easily halting a sky-sized wave of water with her bare hands. "Another deed by the greatest hero of our generation, the one and only Victorian!" The woman announced. "It's no wonder why she is considered to be the leader of the Enforcers! And she isn't the only hero working hard!" The image changed, showing hundreds of cities and thousands of names. "At this rate, there won't be any crime-"

"Hey." A loud voice yelled on the bus. "Turn that off. We're about to start."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Jack." There was a click, and the TV turned black, fading out. Only the sounds of the bus hitting a bump could be heard as an awkward silence filled the cabin.

"Yeesh." Someone muttered as the bus finally stopped in the streets of Lillian City, and they began to pile out. "The Enforcers made one heck of a mess this time. It'll be massive overtime, for sure."

Standing on the street, they saw what was left after the Enforcers finished one of their battles. Buildings lay in ruins, the roads were cracked, cars were tipped over, and in the center of it all was the reason they had been called out on such short notice.