Nova City.
It stood as a shining symbol of progress and power. With its towering skyscrapers, glowing skylines, and industries filled with advanced tech, it stood as the most developed city in the world.
But what truly made it special wasn't just its technology—it was the people who protected it.
It was known as the Awakened Capital, Nova City was home to some of the strongest awakened individuals ever recorded. From elite academies to ranked factions, heroes were trained, tested, and celebrated here. It was a place where power thrived, battles erupted, and legends were born.
In Nova City, heroes didn't just live—they ruled.
For anyone living in this city, it was a blessing as heroes watched over them like a guardian angel, but to Mason, it was a curse, a curse he has longed to break for years.
As Mason arrived at school, it was bustling with excitement, a little more than usual.
"Mason! Mason!"
A voice called out to him, and as he turned, he spotted two boys sprinting toward him at full speed—like their lives depended on it.
"Luke, Conner, what's wrong?" He asked, realizing that their current behavior blended perfectly with the buzzing excitement in the school's yard.
"Take a look at this." Without another word, Conner held out his phone. As the two boys gathered round, he pulled up a live news channel—drawing their full attention in an instant.
There a clip began to play, showing a fierce battle between several individuals dressed in black fitted suits and a lone superheroine.
"Mason's eyes rolled backwards as recognition hit him—he knew exactly who she was. The woman on the screen was none other than the city's number two hero, Lady Impulse.
"Bro!! Did you see how she took down Borian Crime Syndicate!?"
"Damn it... Lady Impulse is awesome!"
Mason sighed, not particularly fond of Lady Impulse, he had nothing against her, but in his eyes she was the perfect description of a hero who was only in that line of work just for the fame and power.
The clip they showed him proved it, her battle with the Syndicate wasn't the highlight of the clip, it was her costume which drove majority of her fanboys crazy.
Her skintight black and scarlet suit clung to every curve in her body with precision, sculpted like armor yet fluid like a second skin. Gold accents shimmered faintly at her waist and legs, catching the light with every subtle movement.
To Mason, it felt less like a battle and more like a fashion show. Honestly, he wouldn't be surprised if the syndicate lost simply because they couldn't focus properly.
In that sense, it was a clever tactic—throwing the enemy off guard with something they simply couldn't handle.
"Dude, how are you not impressed by this? It's Lady Impulse we're talking about here!" Luke and Conner refused to believe he wasn't moved by such a scene.
"I'm not a die-hard fan like you two, I mean you literally started her fan club and God knows what's going on in there." Mason replied with a sigh.
"Yeah boys, and he also has a girlfriend." A voice spoke from behind them, and without even turning around, a smile curled up Mason's lips.
It was his girlfriend, Vanessa.
She stood at about 5'7", with a slender, athletic frame—balanced and strong, built more for precision than brute force. Her long, dark auburn hair was tied back in a loose braid, practical but elegant.
Her figure and size was average but her athletic nature brought out her curves, making her unbelievably flexible in most places.
As she intertwined her fingers with Mason's, she shot his two friends a cold, unwavering death stare.
"You two sound more like slaves than actual fans, it's actually sad to watch." She grinned, enjoying every moment of it.
"What did you say!? I'll have you know that we are the founders of the Impulsers, we are her number one fans in the entire city, how dare you call us slaves!?"
Vanessa chuckled, obviously enjoying every moment of their crash outs, she dragged Mason by his hand, pulling him away from his friends.
"Right, if you excuse me, Mason's attention is needed somewhere else." She dragged him away, biting her lower lip as she locked eyes with him, a teasing, seductive glint shining in her gaze.
"Oh and, assuming you weren't this obsessed, you would have found someone to ride you instead of riding a fan clun Lady Impulse doesn't even know exists." She said mockingly, before dragging Mason into the school.
"Hey!"
She dragged Mason into one of the empty classrooms and shut the door behind her.
"What are you doing Vanessa? We just got to school, I just showered several minutes ago."
She slid her fingers up his chest, before pushing him back against the wall. All he said was none of her concerns, at least not while she was in a frenzy.
"Oh please, after you've starved me for a week, you haven't responded to my next since last night, you thought I was going to ask for your permission this time around?"
She slid her hand slowly down his chest as she leaned in, her touch deliberate and slow. When her fingers brushed against something firm below his waist, a wicked grin spread across her lips.
"You complain about doing it here and now yet Mason Junior begs to differ, well then, like all naughty children, I'll take of you properly."
She leaned in, closing the distance between them—and in the next moment, their lips met in a deep, passionate kiss.
With each kiss, soft moans slipped from her lips as her hand gently massaged the tension between his legs. In response, Mason's hands slid down to her waist, then lower, gripping her butt firmly. The sudden squeeze sent a jolt of pleasure through her, her eyes snapping open as a louder moan escaped her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until his face was pressed against her chest. Their lips met again—this time fiercer, hungrier. For a moment, it was wild, intoxicating, and electrifying.
But everything changed in an instant—Mason's body tensed as he felt a sharp pressure on his back, his bones creaking under the sudden weight, like an invisible force was crushing him from behind.
He knew Vanessa was an athlete, that she was strong—but this was something else entirely. When he tried to pull away, her grip only tightened. She was lost in the moment, completely consumed. Every attempt to break the kiss failed. She kissed him with such wild, unrelenting force it felt like she was trying to steal his soul from his body.
He might've been fine if she focused that intensity and passion down there—but now, with her weight pressing down and her grip tightening, he couldn't even breathe.
"Vanessa!" He called out to her the moment her hand squeezed his right shoulder—the very spot where his burn scars were. The pain shot through him, sharp and immediate, snapping her out of the moment before she could accidentally choke the life out of him.
As she let go, he dropped to his knees, gasping for air. His hand clutched his right shoulder, fingers digging into the scarred skin as he gritted his teeth, trying to steady his breath.
"I'm sorry." Vanessa's hands flew to her mouth as the weight of what she'd done hit her, she had gone too far.
"D-damn it... Just what kind of freakish weights are you lifting to be this strong?" He assumed her strength came from the daily training she did to keep up her athletic stature, after all he was just an average guy so he wasn't that strong compared to other men.
But he had no idea her story about her being an athlete was merely a lie, they had been dating for almost a year now and before they became a couple, he told her about his dislikes for heroes.
However, unknown to him, Vanessa had awakened a talent a year before they met, she liked him, a little to much. She knew telling him she awakened would destroy everything they had for each other, so she lied about being an athlete, at least that way she had an excuse for her superhuman strength and speed.
"I'm so sorry Mason, I got a little too excited." She reached out a hand to help him up, but he brushed her off without a word. Rising to his feet on his own, he adjusted his collar and straightened his tie.
"It's alright." He tried to offer some reassurance, but frustration simmered beneath the surface. He wasn't angry at her, just at the day itself.
It started with a nightmare he couldn't shake, followed by the painful reminder of what took his parents from him on the news, and now this?
He couldn't even enjoy sex properly.
"I'm sorry." She kept trying to apologize, but he had already lost the thrill, the excitement of what was to come.
The bell rang almost instantly, signaling the start of classes. That meant the classroom they were about to mess around in would soon be filled with students.
"Classes has started, I'll see you around." He picked up his bag and walked out without a word, one hand cradling his right shoulder. The scars didn't hurt like they used to, but even the slightest touch left it numb—a dull, lingering sensation that always brought back memories he'd rather forget.
"Stupid! Stupid!! Stupid!!!" The moment he walked out, she slammed her fist against the table, reducing it pieces of wood and metal.
She knew about his injuries, his scar, the painful memory attached to it, and now guilt clawed at her.
But more than that, she was grateful, grateful he still didn't know the truth about her.
Because if he ever found out who she really was… it would all be over. But it didn't change the fact that her excuses were becoming more vague each passing day, Mason was a smart man, she knew not telling him would make things even worse.
"Fine then, I'll tell him after school."