The night was filled with the relentless sound of gunfire. Bullets rained down, ricocheting off Paritraan's suit.
The girl clung to him, her trembling arms wrapped tightly around his body. Her heart pounded in her chest, but it was nothing compared to what she could hear—his heartbeat.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The rhythmic, heavy beats resounded in her ears, steady yet filled with strain. The suit absorbed most of the impact, but even one bullet's force was enough for her to realize—this pain was real.
It didn't leave physical injuries, but the shockwaves coursed through her body like needles piercing deep into her bones.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Was this what he was enduring to protect her?
And then, amidst the chaos, a voice—one she didn't recognize—broke through.
"Wow, you cry ugly," the voice commented playfully.
The girl gasped. It wasn't Paritraan. She hadn't seen anyone else inside the suit, yet she could hear someone speaking as if they were right beside her. Her wide eyes darted around in confusion.
"Wh-who—?" she stammered.
Before she could even finish, Paritraan's chest began to glow, illuminating the surrounding space. The girl turned her gaze upward, and at that moment, she saw it—his face.
Paritraan revealed his real face for the first time. And to her shock, he was crying.
The glow reflected in his damp eyes, his jaw clenched in silent agony. Every bullet that struck him sent another jolt of pain through his body, but he endured it without a sound. He wasn't invincible. He wasn't untouchable.
He was suffering.
She wanted to say something, but before she could, that voice spoke again.
"Hah, I was going to add pain resistance later. But then I thought… watching you suffer would make my day!"
Paritraan's eyes snapped toward the unseen speaker. "Anahata!" he growled through gritted teeth.
Anahata, within his heart, continued in a mischievous tone. "I mean, it's not like it actually injures you. It just hurts a little."
"A little?!" Paritraan shot back.
"If I made it completely pain-resistant, you'd just go around smashing everything. At least this way, you know your limits and can overcome them!"
Anahata then turned its attention to the girl. "So, what do you think? Was that a good enough excuse to not include pain resistance?"
The girl was speechless, still shaken by everything that had just happened.
Paritraan exhaled sharply. "I can hear you, you know."
"Oh, I know," Anahata replied smugly. Then, to lighten the mood, it suddenly started singing:
"Rain is falling, chama-cham-cham~"
Despite the pain, the absurdity of the moment almost made the girl laugh. Almost.
But the gunfire suddenly stopped.
The criminals had realized the bullets weren't working. They exchanged glances, their frustration turning into a new plan.
"Forget the guns," one of them snarled. "We'll run them over instead!"
One of the men jumped into a car and started the engine. The headlights flared to life, and with a screech of tires, the vehicle came charging straight toward them.
The girl barely had time to react.
But before the car could strike, the blue emblem on her back pulsed.
From it, four tendrils shot out—two anchoring themselves deep into the ground, while the other two lashed out like whips.
In a single, fluid motion, they sliced through the charging vehicle, splitting it cleanly in half. The two halves flew in opposite directions, crashing into nearby debris.
The criminals froze in terror.
First, bullets didn't work. Now, even their car had been ripped apart effortlessly.
Before they could regroup, the distant wail of police sirens echoed through the air. Their faces paled.
"Shit, the cops are coming!" one of them cursed.
Paritraan had called them earlier. He knew he couldn't fight while protecting the girl forever.
But now, another problem arose—he couldn't just leave her behind.
The criminals still had their weapons, and if they got desperate, they might try something reckless.
And worse, if the police saw him, it could lead to even bigger problems.
He had no choice.
"Anahata," he muttered, "we need to get out of here—fast."
Anahata chuckled. "Hold on tight, hero. And hey… want to become Spider-Man?"
Before Paritraan could react, the suit's tendrils shot out again, wrapping around a nearby streetlamp.
Then, with a powerful yank—
They were airborne.
The city lights blurred beneath them as they swung through the night sky. The full moon cast a silver glow over them.And with that, they disappeared into the moonlit horizon.