John didn't release the song.
Not yet.
The Burrowers were moving too fast.
The System pinged with a warning the moment he stepped outside after school:
[Threat Level Rising.]
[Burrower activity detected near Midtown.]
[Distance: 1.2 miles.]
"One mile…?" John muttered. "That's basically here."
He started running.
He didn't care that people stared.
He didn't care that school papers flew out of his bag.
The creature was moving toward a crowded area.
He had to intercept it.
Midtown — Chaos Begins
By the time John reached the block, people were already gathering, forming a circle around something in the middle of the street.
Police cars blocked the road.
Screams echoed.
John pushed his way forward—just in time to feel the signature in his Observation Haki:
Danger. Heavy. Immediate.
The asphalt cracked.
A claw broke through.
The crowd freaked out—
And then someone shoved John back hard and stepped in front of him.
A woman.
Tall. Red hair. Black tactical suit. Combat batons already drawn.
She didn't look confused.
She didn't look surprised.
She looked ready.
For a second, he froze.
He knew that face.
Black Widow.
Except… she shouldn't be here.
The Avengers weren't a thing yet.
SHIELD operated in the shadows.
Which meant she was here alone on an off-record mission.
And she definitely noticed him.
"Kid," she said sharply without looking at him, "get behind the barricade. Now."
Her voice—deadly calm
her stance—perfectly balanced
her eyes—locked on the ground.
Another Burrower was coming up.
John clenched his fists.
He couldn't just leave.
He stepped forward instead.
"I can help."
Natasha Romanoff turned her head just enough to look at him.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Help? You're sixteen."
"I've dealt with one of these already."
Her expression flickered—barely.
A brief, sharp calculation.
Then—
BOOM!
The Burrower erupted from the ground, roaring, its glowing yellow veins pulsing violently as it lunged toward the crowd.
Natasha dashed in instantly, spinning a baton and smashing it into the creature's head—electric shock sizzling against its scales.
John jumped in as the Burrower swung its claws.
With Observation Haki, he felt the attack before it came and slid under it.
He grabbed the creature's arm—
—and slammed it into the pavement.
The ground cracked.
People gasped.
Natasha's eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
"You're enhanced," she muttered.
The creature recovered, screeching, and Natasha flipped onto its back, planting a shock device under a scale plate.
John jumped up and landed a punch that bent a parking meter behind it.
The Burrower reeled back, stunned from the combo.
Natasha rolled off and spun her baton.
"You weren't lying," she said. "Good. Because it's not alone."
Rumbling echoed beneath the street.
Three more signatures.
John felt sweat roll down his spine.
"Three more…"
Natasha flashed him a tight, serious look.
"You've got strength. But strength without training gets people killed. Stick to following my lead."
John nodded, swallowing hard.
This was real.
This was dangerous.
This was Black Widow leading a live mission.
And he was in it.
The Burrowers circled underground.
Natasha braced herself.
John flexed his hands, muscles buzzing with power.
The next wave was coming.
And together—
They were going to stop it.