Rachel kept glancing at Amelia as she drove, her worry evident in her expression. The silence in the car felt heavy, like a cloud of unasked questions hovering between them. After a few minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Amelia, are you sure you’re okay?” Rachel’s voice was soft but filled with concern as she quickly looked over her friend again, eyes scanning for any injuries.
Amelia smiled tiredly, brushing her hand through her dust-covered hair. “I’m fine, Rachel. I promise.”
She looked down at her swollen ankle wrapped in a cloth, wincing. “Just… a little shaken up, I guess.”
Rachel nodded, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. “What exactly happened?” she asked, her voice low, trying not to push too hard. The sooner she knew everything, the sooner she could help.
Amelia sighed. “I was taken. You already know that. But…” She trailed off, leaving Rachel hanging on the edge of her seat.
“And?” Rachel’s voice pressed forward, urgency creeping in.
Amelia bit her lip, clearly hesitant. “Someone saved me.”
Rachel glanced sharply at her. “Someone? Who? Did you get their name, their face, anything?”
Amelia hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. “No… I didn’t get his name. He disappeared before I could even thank him properly.” She was telling the truth, but Rachel noticed something in her voice—something she couldn’t quite place.
Rachel’s eyes narrowed in suspicion but she nodded, letting it slide for now. “Alright. We’ll figure it out later,” she said, though her mind was already spinning with questions. She didn’t believe Amelia was lying, but something felt off.
Meanwhile, Noah was standing outside Aiden’s house, still looking like he had just survived a demolition derby. His motorcycle sputtered to a stop, and he stared down at his torn pants, his shirtless torso smeared with dirt, and the dust cloud settling around him.
“Ring-ring”
“Hello?” replied Aiden, with a sleepy voice.
“Hi, I’m outside your house. Come out quickly,” said Noah.
“Okay,” replied Aiden, whilst yawning and then hung up.
Soon enough, the front door swung open, revealing a sleepy-looking Aiden, who squinted at him in disbelief.
Aiden’s jaw dropped, taking in Noah’s wild appearance. “Bro… what happened to you?” he asked, eyes wide with shock, but his mouth curling up into a grin.
Noah couldn’t help but laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Man… long story. But you remember when you said I was like Batman?” Noah’s grin widened, leaning into the absurdity of the situation.
Aiden raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “Oh no, don’t tell me—”
“Yeah, dude,” Noah cut him off, “I had to go full Batman. Noah Wayne had to protect the city,” he added, dramatically pointing to his dirt-covered self.
Aiden burst out laughing, slapping his knee. “No way, man! You look like you crawled out of a zombie apocalypse, not Gotham! What did you do? Save a kitten from a tree?” he teased.
Noah smirked, shaking his head. “Kitten…” he muttered, briefly thinking of Amelia’s wide-eyed expression, soft and vulnerable like a kitten. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?” he laughed. “You actually saved a kitten?”
Noah waved him off, grinning. “Long story. Anyway, I need some clothes, man. I can’t go home looking like this.” He gestured to his dust-covered, torn pants, shirtless state, and the dirt smeared all over him. “My parents would think I joined some weird post-apocalyptic cult or something.”
Aiden looked him up and down, shaking his head with an amused smirk. “Yeah, I don’t blame them. You look like you’ve been an extra in Mad Max or something.” He opened the door wider, still chuckling. “Come on in, I’ve got some clothes you can borrow. Let’s get you out of this superhero mode before Alfred sees you.”
Noah chuckled, stepping inside. “Yeah, yeah. Batman’s gotta blend in with the civilians now,” he joked, trying to dust off some dirt but only making it worse. “Honestly, though, I’m surprised I made it all the way here without someone calling the cops on me.”
Aiden snorted. “You probably would’ve, if people weren’t so confused trying to figure out whether you were a shirtless beggar or some model doing a weird street photo shoot.”
Noah rolled his eyes, laughing. “Oh man, the looks I was getting. Like, yep, just your average guy, cruising around half-naked on a beat-up motorcycle. Totally normal.”
Aiden went to grab some clothes, coming back with a pair of jeans and a shirt. “Here you go, Bruce. Let’s get you back to civilian mode before your Batmobile gives out.”
Noah took the clothes with a grin. “Appreciate it. And hey, thanks for not asking too many questions,” he said, grateful for the break from the craziness of the day.
Aiden chuckled as he leaned against the doorframe. “Oh, trust me, I’m definitely asking all the questions later. But for now, I’m just going to assume Gotham’s safe because of you.”
As Noah headed to change, Aiden couldn’t resist one last quip. “Hey, next time you go, full Batman, maybe wear a cape. It’ll complete the look.”
Laughing from the other room, Noah called back, “Noted! I’ll add it to my hero wardrobe.”
Noah arrived home, the cool evening breeze following him as he stepped through the door. The sun had set an hour or so before, so it was quite dark outside. But It was only 7:10 p.m, so he knew his family would still be up.
He could hear the muffled voices of the TV in the living room and the faint clattering of dishes from the kitchen.
As he walked in, his mom, Caroline, was packing up the leftover dinner, neatly placing containers in the fridge. His dad, David, sat on their old, slightly flickering TV, watching the evening news.
Noah’s eyes shifted to the screen. A reporter was speaking animatedly about a kidnapping that had taken place nearby, only a few miles from where they lived. The headline read: “Young Woman Kidnapped in Shocking Incident.”
Caroline, noticing Noah, glanced back from the kitchen. “Oh, you’re back! We just had dinner, but I left some for you in the fridge,” she said warmly.
David, not looking away from the TV, chimed in, “Hey, kiddo. Did you hear about that kidnapping earlier? It was pretty close to here.”
Caroline walked over, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Yeah, Noah, you need to be extra careful these days. It’s dangerous out there.” Her face was filled with motherly concern.
Noah smiled, doing his best to look casual. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be careful.”
David turned to face him, his brow furrowed in thought. “You never know who’s lurking around, especially after dark. You don’t need to be some sort of hero out there. Just be smart.”
Noah chuckled, his expression lighthearted. “Got it, Dad. I’ll stay out of trouble.”
But inside, his mind was racing, a grin forming in the back of his thoughts. “If only they knew…” he mused silently.
Noah could hardly believe the day he’d just had. It was hard to process that just a couple of hours ago, he had been in the middle of a high-speed chase and taking down kidnappers. He stifled a laugh at the irony, biting back his urge to say something ridiculous like, “I already saved the woman.”
Instead, he kept his cool, sat down at the dinner table, and started eating after reheating the meal his mom made, quietly enjoying the normalcy of it all after his adrenaline-filled afternoon.
Caroline came over, gently ruffling Noah’s hair. “I swear, you’re always off doing something. One of these days, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”
Noah laughed, finishing a bite. “Nah, Mom. I was just studying.”
“By the way, this food is banging Mom. Keep it up and you will be ready for the interview in a week at most.” Said Noah, complimenting his Mom’s food.
“I hope so, son. I’m trying my best,” she replied, with a warm smile on her face.
As Noah was about to take another bite of his reheated dinner, a sudden realization hit him. His eyes widened, and he muttered, “Shit! I forgot dinner with Sarah!”