Tejas arrived back in his small bedroom not as a blur, but as a silent flicker, reappearing in the space between heartbeats. He pulled off the orange mask, his face flushed, his heart hammering against his ribs, not from the speed, but from the sheer audacity of what he had just done. He had stopped a major robbery. He had revealed himself. He had talked to a reporter. He had claimed responsibility for the lab fire rescue. He was Tej.
He quickly changed back into his normal clothes, hiding the suit components in their carefully concealed compartment under his bed. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to calm the electric buzz of adrenaline still singing in his veins. He looked in the mirror. Just Tejas Joshi, science student. But it felt like a disguise now.
He walked out into the living room, trying to appear completely normal, just returning from a late study session. His parents, Eshwar and Komal, were sitting on the sofa, watching the evening news. Their faces were pale, their eyes wide with shock and something else… fear?
On the TV screen, the news anchor was breathlessly reporting the dramatic events of the afternoon. Grainy cell phone footage showed the disabled SUVs, the bound robbers. Then, the clear, professional footage from the news crew cut in – the bright orange figure, the confident stance, the name spoken clearly: "TEJ." And his claim: "I saved them."
Eshwar and Komal turned simultaneously, looking at their son standing in the doorway. There was no accusation in their eyes, just a dawning, horrified understanding. The speed, the mystery hero… their quiet, intelligent son?
"Tejas?" Komal whispered, her voice trembling. "That... that looked like... the way you move sometimes... when you think we're not watching?"
Tejas froze. He hadn't realized they'd noticed anything. He had been so careful.
Eshwar stood up slowly. He wasn't angry. He looked deeply worried. "Son, the fire at the lab... you told the police you just went inside and passed out from the smoke. But that reporter... she said the scientists were saved by someone fast. You told her that was you."
The secret was out. Not to the world, perhaps, but to the two people who mattered most. He couldn't lie to them. Not about this.
He took a deep breath. "Yes," he said quietly. "It was me. Both times."
He spent the next hour explaining, not everything, but enough. The accident at the lab (leaving out the orange core itself, calling it just an 'energy surge'), the impossible speed he discovered, his secret practices at the mill, and what he had done today.
His parents listened in stunned silence. Komal cried softly, not just from fear for his safety, but perhaps also from the shock of realizing her son was capable of such impossible things. Eshwar sat heavily, his face etched with worry, running a hand through his hair.
"Tejas, this is... dangerous," Eshwar said finally, his voice strained. "What you're doing... fighting armed men... you could be killed!"
"Someone had to do something, Dad," Tejas replied, his voice firm but respectful. "I have this... ability. I can't just stand by when people are in danger. I saw that woman today, I saw those scientists... I couldn't not act."
"But to reveal yourself?" Komal asked, wiping her eyes. "Now everyone knows! What if those thieves come after you? What if the police try to arrest you? What if that lab comes after you?"
"I don't know," Tejas admitted honestly. "But hiding forever wasn't an option either. Maybe... maybe this way, people won't be as scared. Maybe they'll see that someone is trying to help."
They talked late into the night. His parents were terrified for him, but they also saw the determination in his eyes, the sense of responsibility that now rested on his young shoulders. They didn't forbid him, didn't demand he stop. They knew their intelligent, thoughtful son had made his choice. They just held him tight, their love and fear a heavy blanket.
The next day, Mumbai was buzzing. "TEJ" was the headline on every newspaper, the top story on every channel. Social media exploded with #TejSpeedster, #OrangeStreak, #MumbaiHero. Opinions were divided. Some hailed him as a much-needed savior in a city plagued by crime. Others called him a dangerous vigilante, taking the law into his own hands. The police issued a cautious statement, acknowledging his help in apprehending the robbers but warning against vigilantism. Futura Dynamics, the lab, remained suspiciously silent, offering no comment on the fire or the claims of their scientists being rescued.
Tejas watched it all unfold from the quiet anonymity of his college classes. People around him were excitedly discussing the new hero, unaware he was sitting right there. It was a strange, isolating feeling.
That evening, he stood on the roof of his apartment building, looking out at the vast, glittering expanse of Mumbai. The city stretched out before him, a sea of lights and noise, millions of lives intersecting, full of potential dangers and moments where someone might need help.
He felt the familiar thrum of energy under his skin, the call to move, to run, to be Tej. His parents' fear was a heavy weight, the public's scrutiny was a new burden, and the silence from Futura Dynamics was a worrying unknown. But overriding all of that was the memory of the woman's relieved face, the feeling of making a difference.
He had made his choice. He had revealed himself. There was no going back.
He pulled the simple orange mask up, the cool lenses settling over his eyes. The city waited. And Tej was ready. He crouched low, focused on a distant point on the skyline, and then he vanished, a silent orange streak launching himself into the heart of the Mumbai night, embracing the speed, embracing the danger, embracing his new life.
[THE END... of the beginning.]
Support me: vanshbosssrahate@oksbi (UPI ID)
Author: Vansh Rahate
Editor: Vansh Rahate
Story by: Vansh Rahate
Under: Alaukika Studios