The city was waking up, but Alex wasn't slowing down.
He jogged through the streets, feeling the steady rhythm of his steps against the pavement. The usual sounds of New York filled the air—honking taxis, distant chatter, the occasional "Hey, I'm walkin' here!" shouted from a disgruntled pedestrian.
But as he turned a corner, something caught his eye.
In the dim light of an alleyway, a man was pressed against the wall, hands raised defensively.
Two guys stood in front of him—one holding a switchblade, the other rummaging through the man's pockets. The victim stammered, trying to reason with them, but the thugs weren't listening.
Alex slowed his jog, watching the scene unfold.
Old him? He would've hesitated.
New him? Not a chance.
He pulled his hood down lower, stepped into the alley, and spoke.
"Hey, jackasses."
The two robbers snapped their heads toward him.
"The f*** do you want?" the one with the knife sneered.
Alex cracked his knuckles, noticing for the first time how much louder it sounded. "Oh, nothing. Just figured I'd ruin your day."
One of them laughed. "You serious, buddy? Get the hell outta here before you get hurt."
Alex smirked. "Yeah, about that..."
He stepped forward.
Strength Test: Accidental Demolition
The guy with the knife lunged first.
Slow.
Alex barely had to react—his Spatial Awareness kicked in instantly, making it seem like the guy was moving through molasses.
He casually sidestepped, grabbed the thug by the jacket—
And threw him.
A little too hard.
BOOOOOOM.
The guy slammed into the alley wall.
And the entire brick wall collapsed inward.
A giant hole gaped in the side of the building.
Dust and rubble rained down. The man he'd just thrown groaned from inside the wreckage.
Alex stared.
"Uh… oops?"
The second robber froze. His eyes darted between Alex and the absolute devastation he just caused.
Then? He ran for his life.
Alex blinked.
"...Huh."
He looked down at his hands. He hadn't even tried. That was barely a fraction of his strength, and he'd just turned a brick wall into modern art.
The victim, still in shock, finally spoke.
"...T-thanks?"
Alex nodded slowly.
"Yeah. No problem."
He quickly pulled his hood up and jogged out of the alley before anyone asked too many questions.
Because, uh.
That was a LOT more strength than he expected.