Do you know how some people have a bucket list? Full of promises for the future, let's be honest, probably will never happen. Or they might. Life works funny that way.

For example, becoming a 'superhero' and fighting a 'supervillain' weren't probably on mine, but I guess I can mark it off now.

Alright, to set the stage for all the lovely people just tuning in...

It's June in the city of Dallas, Texas. School ended not that long ago, and people are taking advantage of the activity. You'd think people would be warier because of the rise in crime, but the public has put their faith in Iki Jigoku, the vigilante who's been saving lives and stopping crime one night (and occasionally day now) at a time. They had no reason not to; the hero has had yet to fail in the crimes they stopped.

Until one starless night.

The night started off easy enough; crime has been at an all-time low lately. I was flying around the city when I saw the shadow for the first time. It was very clearly a person, a person trying to hide from lights. Me, being far too nosy for my own good, decided to hide and see what this shadowy stranger was up to.

I probably should've gotten at a better angle, because I couldn't really see what was going on, but I was at risk of getting spotted already. All I saw was the masked stranger pull something out of their utility belt and toss it before running off. The whole ordeal was shady as all hell to me, but a hunch told me that I should probably stay at the apartment building. I didn't even have enough time to question why before the reason blew up in my face. And I mean that literally.

The explosion cut all of the support bars, making the structure fall.

Or, it would've, if I had reacted 2.341 seconds later in having the concrete reconnect and catch the levels with continuous support. The flames still spreaded quickly during that time, which drew me into a slight panic. Heart started ramping up with adrenaline as my thoughts started swirling. I needed to get everyone out and safe. NOW!

I couldn't make sure the structure was sound again, there was no time. I jumped through an open window and started carrying people out while trying to settle the fire as quick as possible. The tricky thing about fire, though, is that there isn't much to change it to. The only way I had to settle it at the time was to take away oxygen for the building, but these people, much like I do, need air to breathe. So, in the spur of the moment, this seemed to be the best decision.

I had finished clearing out the third floor when the fire department finally decided to join the party. Not that the sight of a hose taking out the fire wasn't welcoming. I've been taught to be grateful, and I sure was grateful for that at the moment. While they took care of the damage, I cleared out the rest of the building, setting its residents on the ground. I checked those that were closer to the flames for injuries and helping treat minor ones. But in the first attack, only one person was beyond my help.

He was a grown man, slightly balding, wearing a green polo shirt and khakis, judging by the remnants of clothing. I visited him in the hospital the next day; he lived, but he certainly won't ever look the same.

After the firefighters said they could handle the rest, I immediately flew home. I had gotten some severe burns in the midst of helping, and was ready to do nothing but sleep for the next week. Unfortunately, as that might just cause suspicion, I was forced to heal myself. Mind you, while it does vary in severity of an injury, the self-healing process of reverse-cauterizing a chunk of skin and flesh and re-stitching said chunk back with the rest of the body cell by cell is a very slow process that requires ALL of your focus and concentration. If I decided to put on some TV to help pass the time, it was either going to stop or become even slower.

My apologies if it seems like I'm whining or something, but I'm not a very patient person, despite my best efforts to be.

Thankfully, my first gig wasn't until noon, so after going to bed at three in the morning, I got a full seven hours of sleep. Which. I. Needed. Otherwise, I might've thrown hands, and kids don't need to see that.

After making breakfast and getting into 'uniform', I put on the news on my way to the address. The one responsible, the masked one in the shadows, hadn't been caught yet. No one had seen them; the explosion was being claimed as an accident for the time being. And by the look of that belt, they were far from over.

Alright, I thought. Guess I get my first villain. Wooooooo.

I parked the car, smiling fondly at the blue birthday balloons in the yard. Getting out, I waved to the parents as I made my way to the 'stage'. (It was really just some blankets tied up behind the wooden patio, but still.)

Showtime.