Nashino City, morning.
The blazing sun hung over the city, its golden rays stinging people's skin. The asphalt road gave off a faint sizzling sound beneath the sunlight, like a red-hot iron plate.
A black truck hauling a long trailer stopped in front of the bank. Several people jumped down from the rear of the trailer one after another. Wearing comical animal-head masks and shabby clothes barely better than The Tramp's, they carried an assortment of firearms and charged murderously through the bank's entrance.
The thug in the pink pig mask riddled the surveillance cameras at the entrance with bullets. The one in the zebra mask rushed to the center of the lobby and swept the ceiling with gunfire, leaving a ring of bullet holes. In a rough voice, he roared, "Everyone! Get on the ground and don't move!"
The people in the lobby panicked for a moment, but quickly obeyed under the threat of gunfire. One brave security guard instinctively reached for his holster, only for the pig-masked thug to gun him down without a word. Moments later, he breathed his last in a pool of his own blood.
The hostages were too terrified to even breathe loudly. Two thugs tossed wide burlap sacks before the tellers behind the counter and ordered them to stuff in as much cash as possible. Another two prowled among the hostages with guns in hand, making sure no one tried anything foolish. The last one remained by the bank entrance, standing watch for his companions.
Nashino City's police would need at least three more minutes to reach the scene. That was more than enough time for them to grab plenty of cash and make their escape.
Cody Hawkins was twenty-five years old, a newly appointed officer at the Nashino Police Department. Like many young people his age, he had pinned on his badge with a heart full of passion and ambition. Unfortunately, he was among the hostages today. He lay calmly on the lobby floor, observing the situation like a crouching hound waiting for its chance to strike.
The zebra-masked thug was yelling impatiently at a teller whose limbs had gone weak with fright, briefly drawing the attention of the two thugs on patrol. Cody immediately realized this might be his only chance. Soundlessly, he reached for the pistol beneath his coat.
But perhaps today was not his lucky day. The thug in the rabbit mask suddenly turned around and noticed his small movement. The dark muzzle of his gun swung toward Cody as he shouted, "What are you doing? Don't move!"
Everyone's attention turned toward him. Cody had no choice but to stop.
Still keeping his gun trained on Cody, the thug cautiously crouched down and pulled out his pistol and badge. Furious, he kicked Cody in the face and shouted, "There's a damn cop here!"
"Hey, calm down," one of his companions urged. "Don't make more trouble. Let's grab the money and then—"
Apparently, the rabbit-masked thug did not have a mild temper. Before his companion could finish, he pulled the trigger without hesitation. A dazzling flash burst from the rifle's muzzle, and three bullets shot from the flames almost simultaneously, racing toward the young officer's back.
At such a distance, gunfire was practically a sentence from the Grim Reaper, unless a miracle happened.
Then a miracle truly arrived. Trailing a red-and-blue afterimage, she smashed through the lobby ceiling like a cannonball and descended in a brilliant blur, far faster than the bullets. Her graceful figure landed amid a fierce whirlwind between the young officer and the flying rounds, stopping the three deadly bullets with her chest.
She was a blonde, blue-eyed girl with snow-white skin and exquisite features that stirred an irresistible tenderness in anyone who saw her. Her upper body was wrapped in a blue bodysuit, her long legs encased in red boots that rose above her knees. The red cape lifted by the pressure of her supersonic landing fluttered like a battle flag, highlighting her dashing presence.
Most eye-catching of all was the "S" emblem on her chest. Once upon a time, that symbol had held extraordinary meaning across the entire world.
An eerie stillness fell over the bank lobby. Everyone held their breath at the girl's sudden arrival. A vicious glint flashed through the rabbit-masked thug's eyes, as though he had decided to make a desperate stand. With a roar, he pulled the trigger again. The rifle bellowed and spat out a long stream of flame. Bullets rained down on the girl with a rapid crackle, leaving only tiny sparks on her body before scattering in every direction. Some bounced near the hostages lying on the ground, making them scream in terror.
Supergirl, like Superman, was a Kryptonian. Unreliable rumors claimed she was Superman's younger sister. During the age of superheroes six years ago, she had been active in Nashino City. In Nashino City, her status had been the same as Superman's in Metropolis, and she had frequently appeared on the front pages of the city's major newspapers. But like the other superheroes, she had rarely appeared in public since the apocalyptic crisis six years ago, and the media had not carried any trace of her since. Though rumors claimed she was still watching over the city from the shadows, most people believed that was nothing more than hearsay.
Supergirl's figure blurred, moving as swiftly as a phantom. In an instant, she appeared before the thug. She blocked the muzzle with her body and crushed the barrel out of shape with one hand. The rifle exploded with a piercing shriek, and the rabbit-masked thug fell backward with a scream, his hands stained crimson with blood.
In an instant, the other thugs stopped what they were doing, having completely abandoned any thought of resisting or even fleeing. The zebra-masked thug, who had just been berating the teller, stared in disbelief. "Super... Supergirl? I thought... I thought you were gone."
It was no wonder he thought so. Most people did. For six entire years, she had not appeared in any newspaper, media outlet, or major legitimate website. She surfaced only occasionally on unverifiable private forums or small websites, which was truly unusual. People generally believed that the age of heroes had passed and that superheroes had become history after the apocalyptic war.
Supergirl looked straight into his eyes and replied calmly, "When I'm needed, I'm real."