6:00 A.M.
The alarm screams from the nightstand.
A hand reaches out blindly and smacks the clock… missing twice.
"Alright, alright—I'm up."
Feet hit the ground. Slippers on.
He shuffles to the bathroom.
Morning routine.
Splash water on his face.Brush teeth.
He glances at the clock.
6:14.
"Alright… let's get ready."
He steps back into the bedroom.
The room is cozy but crowded.
Bed against the wall. Desk by the window. A fire escape visible just outside the glass.
Shelves cover nearly every wall.
Comics. Manga. Paperbacks stacked everywhere.
DC Comics. Marvel Comics. Image Comics.
Volumes of Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Vagabond, and One Piece fill the rest of the space.
The closet door slides open.
"Alright… let's build something nice today."
Black jeans.
Green-and-white shirt.
Green sweatshirt.
Socks.
Converse.
He looks in the mirror.
"Looks good."
He pauses longer, studying his face.
Long curly hair.
Black-brown eyes.
"My hair's a mess… where's my school ID?"
He says it out loud before suddenly remembering.
"Wait… my backpack."
He grabs it from the chair and starts digging.
Laptop.
Notebook.
Pencils.
Charger.
Book.
Headphones.
Then he finds it.
"There we are."
He flips the card over.
Lincoln Kane — Junior in High School
He sighs.
"Hate that they don't use my preferred name."
"It's Link."
"How hard could that be?"
He shrugs.
"Whatever… it's fine I guess."
He zips the bag shut.
"Alright."
"Let's make a bagel for the journey."
He checks the time.
6:45.
Class starts at 8:00.
Plenty of time.
The bagel goes in the toaster.
While it cooks, he checks the front door.
No boots.
No lunchbox.
"Guess that means I gotta take the train today."
He scratches his head.
"Hope everything's alright, Uncle Tom. Didn't get to see you."
Then he pauses suddenly.
"Oh—right."
He walks to the freezer and pulls out a pack of meat.
Sets it in the sink to defrost.
"Spaghetti for dinner tonight."
The toaster pops.
Bagel done.
Link puts on his jacket, grabs his bag, and slides his headphones on.
Music starts playing.
He closes the apartment door behind him and takes a bite of the bagel.
7:00 A.M.
The Train
Link walks toward the subway station.
Music playing in his ears—something from J. Cole.
Morning commuters move around him in that usual rushed rhythm.
Everyone going somewhere.
Everyone focused on their own day.
He heads down the stairs toward the platform.
Near the entrance, he notices a homeless man sitting against the wall, quietly playing a guitar.
A small cup sits in front of him with a few crumpled bills.
Link slows.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out some cash.
Twenty-five dollars.
He hesitates.
That's lunch money.
He sighs.
"All I can give, man. Sorry."
He places five dollars into the cup before continuing toward the platform.
The train arrives with a metallic screech.
Doors slide open.
Link steps inside and finds a seat near the middle of the car.
He pulls a comic from his backpack.
A Spider-Man origin comic.
He flips through the pages, smiling.
"Great power… great responsibility," he mutters quietly.
He leans back slightly.
"I wish people actually thought like Spider-Man sometimes."
He closes the comic and slides it back into his bag.
Then he notices something.
A man standing a few seats down.
Black mask.
Hood up.
One hand buried deep inside his jacket pocket.
Something about him feels… wrong.
Link watches him for a moment.
Then—
"EVERYBODY GIVE ME WHATEVER YOU GOT!"
The shout cuts through the train car.
The man pulls out a gun.
Panic erupts instantly.
"DON'T MAKE THIS DIFFICULT!"
People freeze.
Some scream.
Others scramble for wallets and phones.
Link's heart slams against his ribs.
Holy shit.
This can't actually be happening.
The robber moves down the aisle collecting money.
He stops in front of Link.
"Hey kid."
The gun points directly at his chest.
"Run it."
Link slowly pulls out his wallet.
"I don't got much, man."
He hands over the twenty dollars inside.
The robber snatches it.
"That'll do."
He moves further down the car.
Then he stops again.
An old woman sits near the end of the row, clutching a necklace in her hands.
The robber points the gun at her.
"Hand it over."
"No," she says weakly. "It's the only gift I have left from my husband."
The robber's patience vanishes.
He strikes her across the face.
"I ain't asking again."
Something inside Link snaps.
Time slows.
His mind races.
What are you doing?
Stay seated.
Don't get involved.
But his body is already moving.
Link runs.
He tackles the man hard.
The gun slides across the train floor.
Gasps fill the car.
The robber shoves Link away and kicks him in the ribs.
Link crashes into a seat.
"Should've stayed put, kid!"
The robber lunges for the gun.
Link dives for it too.
They grab it at the same time.
The weapon twists between them.
The robber rips it free.
"Sorry, kid."
He raises the gun.
The train suddenly jerks along the tracks.
The gun fires.
A deafening crack fills the car.
The robber collapses.
The gun slips from his hand.
Link grabs it instinctively and fires twice into the man's leg.
The robber screams.
Link throws the gun away across the train.
Passengers rush forward now that it's over.
Someone tackles the robber.
Others crowd around Link.
The old woman pushes through.
She kneels beside him.
"I'm sorry," she whispers through tears. "I should've just given him the necklace."
Link opens his mouth to answer.
Then he feels it.
Warmth spreading through his chest.
He looks down.
Blood.
A lot of it.
"Oh…"
"That's… not good."
The pain finally hits.
His breathing grows shallow.
The old woman grabs his hand.
"Oh my God—someone help him!"
Link forces a small smile.
"It's okay."
His voice is weak now.
"I had the power to do something…"
He coughs.
"…and I did it."
He looks at the necklace.
"Don't feel bad."
His vision fades.
People shout.
Someone calls for an ambulance.
But everything sounds distant.
The old woman squeezes his hand and begins praying.
Link barely hears the words.
The train lights blur.
The world grows quiet.
And everything slowly goes dark.