The "Superpowered" Man Chased by Stray Cats

The early spring evening breeze carried a sharp chill, sweeping scraps of paper from the trash cans into spirals at the mouth of the alley. Lin Mo carried his tool bag and took a shortcut through the old alleys of Queens—this route was ten minutes faster than the main street, but it was always piled with discarded furniture, and clusters of stray cats crouched along the walls. Their green eyes glimmered in the darkness like scattered glass beads.

"Just three more, and I'll have enough for the trip to New Mexico." He touched the loose change in his pocket, the extra money he had earned helping Carlos move servers today. The heavy coins pressed against his palm. The synchronization rate of Physical Enhancement had already risen to 45%, and Dynamic Vision allowed him to clearly track every falling leaf in the alley. Even the rats darting through the cracks in the walls could not escape his eyes.

As he passed the third trash can, Lin Mo instinctively slowed down. This was the stray cats' "base." Last time Ted had come to throw out the garbage, a lame black cat had scratched his arm, leaving three faint scars that were still there. "Be good. Don't block the way," he murmured into the darkness, quietly tightening his grip on the strap of his tool bag—not because he was afraid, but because he was worried he might hurt them if he failed to control his strength when they pounced on him.

The moment he finished speaking, three black shadows sprang down from the wall like arrows leaving a bow. The leader was an orange-and-white tomcat with a notch missing from one ear. It let out a low, threatening growl, its claws gleaming coldly under the moonlight. Two gaunt black cats followed close behind, flanking him from both sides and cutting off Lin Mo's retreat.

In the past, Lin Mo would have been scared enough to turn and run, probably tripping and falling flat on his face. But now, Physical Enhancement's reaction speed activated in an instant—he almost instinctively shifted sideways, his right leg springing half a step back as if it had a coil inside it, neatly avoiding the orange-and-white cat's leap. The cat missed, rolled across the ground, then immediately flipped back onto its feet to fight again, its fur puffed up like a fluffy ball.

"Hey, you're pretty persistent." Lin Mo did not know whether to laugh or cry. He could feel the strength flowing through his muscles like coiled springs ready to release, but he did not want to get serious with these stray cats. After all, they were only protecting their territory. They were no different from an "intruder" like him.

The second black cat spotted an opening and lunged at his ankle. Lin Mo bent down, his right hand shooting out like lightning. Just before the cat's claws touched his pants, he steadily caught it under the belly. The cat had probably not expected to be caught, and it froze instantly. Its green eyes widened round, and its tail went stiff as a stick.

"Don't make trouble." Lin Mo gently scratched beneath the cat's chin, his fingertips brushing against rough fur. The cat in his arms suddenly bristled, flailing all four limbs. Its sharp claws raked fiercely across his arm—with a rip, the sleeve of his hoodie tore open, revealing the skin beneath.

Lin Mo's heart tightened, and he quickly set the cat down. The moment it landed, it fled with its fur standing on end and rejoined the other two cats. They crouched on a pile of garbage not far away, staring at him warily and rumbling low threats in their throats. He looked down at his arm and saw several pale scratches on his skin. There was not even any blood. Two seconds later, even those pale marks vanished.

"Holy..." Lin Mo froze. What was going on? Those claws had clearly scratched him hard. Before, he would have bled at the very least, but now they had not even broken his skin? He suddenly remembered the wristband's earlier prompt. Besides strength and speed, Physical Enhancement seemed to come with "increased basic defense"—was this what it meant by being thick-skinned?

He tried scratching his arm with his fingernail. It only left a faint red mark, lighter than a tickle. "This ability's great." Lin Mo could not help smiling. He had always worried about getting beaten up by street punks, but now it seemed ordinary punches and kicks probably could not even break his skin, much less stray cat claws.

"Mo? Who are you talking to?" Ted's voice came from the alley entrance, accompanied by shuffling footsteps. He carried a plastic bag filled with freshly bought fried chicken. The oily aroma drifted over on the wind, making the stray cats restless again as their threatening growls turned into anxious whimpers.

"The cats cornered me." Lin Mo pointed at the three cats on the garbage pile. "Look, they just scratched me, but they didn't even break my skin."

Only when Ted came closer did he see that Lin Mo's hoodie had a hole in the sleeve, while the skin beneath was as smooth as ever. He clicked his tongue in amazement and poked Lin Mo's arm. It was hard as old cowhide. "Not bad. Your skin's tougher than mine. That lame cat scratched me last time, and I've still got the scar." He opened the fried chicken bag a little and tossed out a piece of chicken skin. "Here, this is for you. Stop picking on my buddy."

The stray cats hesitated. Then the orange-and-white cat was the first to give in, cautiously stepping forward to snatch the chicken skin. The other two immediately crowded around to fight over the food. Ted took the chance to pull Lin Mo toward the alley exit. "Come on, Aunt May's barbecue is getting cold. By the way, does this tough-skin thing of yours count as a superpower too?"

"I guess so." Lin Mo touched the hole in his sleeve, still replaying the sensation from earlier in his mind. Physical Enhancement actually had this hidden effect. That was an unexpected bonus. Even if he ran into street punks trying to get rough in the future, he could probably take a few hits without having to rely on phasing through walls to escape every time.

At the alley entrance, they ran into Martha walking Snowball. The fat cat saw Lin Mo and immediately broke free of the leash, running over to rub its head against his pant leg. The Titanium Alloy bell around its neck jingled. "Fighting cats again?" Martha said irritably as she looked at Lin Mo's torn hoodie. "You're a grown man. Why are you picking fights with animals?"

"I wasn't picking a fight. They attacked first," Lin Mo quickly explained, afraid the old woman would start lecturing him again.

"I saw it all." Martha snorted and glanced into the alley. The stray cats were hiding behind the trash cans with chicken bones in their mouths. "Those cats were thrown out by that drunk who moved away a while ago. Poor things. Don't hold it against them next time. I've got leftover food in my kitchen. Take it to them tomorrow."

Lin Mo paused, then nodded. "Okay." He suddenly felt that these stray cats were a little like him. They were both "outsiders" struggling to survive in Queens. There was no need to be at each other's throats.

When they arrived at Aunt May's house, Peter was hunched over the dining table doing homework. His notebook was open, filled with sketches of various cats, with notes beside them reading "Speed: approximately 30 km/h" and "Claw force: approximately 5 kg." "Brother Lin! You're here!" The boy looked up, his glasses slipping down to the tip of his nose. "I just saw you getting chased by stray cats. Was it exciting?"

"How did you know?" Lin Mo asked in surprise as he sat down. Aunt May had already brought the sizzling barbecue to the table, and its aroma instantly covered the cat smell on him.

"I watched from the windowsill with binoculars." Peter proudly waved the binoculars in his hand. "Your reactions were so fast! Faster than that spider I filmed last time! Oh, right, is your arm okay? I saw the cat scratch you."

"I'm fine. Look." Lin Mo rolled up his sleeve, exposing his smooth arm. "Even the marks are gone."

"Wow!" Peter's eyes widened like bells, and he quickly wrote in his notebook, "Additional effect of Brother Lin's Physical Enhancement: increased skin defense, capable of resisting ordinary cat claw attacks." He looked up at Lin Mo, curiosity glittering in his eyes. "If you keep training, will you become invulnerable to blades and bullets? Like Wolverine?"

"What are you thinking about?" Aunt May smacked the back of Peter's head and put a charred, fragrant rib into Lin Mo's bowl. "Eat your dinner. Lin, don't indulge this kid's nonsense. He spends all day thinking about things that don't make sense."

Lin Mo smiled and bit into the rib. The juices burst in his mouth, mixed with Aunt May's special sauce, so delicious that his eyes narrowed with satisfaction. Ted had already wolfed down two pieces, mumbling through a mouthful of food, "Mo, you should really enter that Strongest Man competition or whatever it's called. You'd definitely win first place. I heard the prize is ten thousand dollars."

"No." Lin Mo refused without hesitation. "Hawkeye already noticed me after that street performance. If I enter another competition, S.H.I.E.L.D. will probably send me an invitation."

At the mention of Hawkeye, Ted paused and lowered his voice. "Seriously, do you think he's still watching us? These past couple of days, I've kept feeling a chill down my back, like someone's staring at me."

"I don't know." Lin Mo glanced out the window. The bench beneath the streetlamp was empty, but he knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance was never that obvious. Maybe it was the hot dog vendor. Maybe it was the old man at the shoe repair stand. It could even be the mailman who occasionally passed by—they were like shadows hiding in the dark, silently recording his every move.

"Don't worry." Aunt May suddenly spoke up, adding a piece of potato to Ted's bowl. "When soldiers come, we'll block them with generals; when water comes, we'll dam it with earth. If they really show up, the people in this building aren't easy to bully. Martha's broom, my rolling pin, Peter's slingshot, plus you two and your 'abilities'—are we really afraid of a few men in black?"

Lin Mo's heart suddenly warmed. Aunt May was always like this. She seemed carefree, yet she always knew how to put people at ease when it mattered most. He remembered the embarrassment of being chased by stray cats earlier, remembered the bristling black cat in his arms, and suddenly felt that he, the cats, and the people in this building were actually all the same—ordinary, yet trying hard to live, each protecting their own little patch of ground in their own way.

After dinner, Lin Mo helped clean up the dishes. Peter leaned close and said mysteriously, "Brother Lin, I think I found another effect of your Physical Enhancement." He pointed at the hoodie the cat had torn earlier. "Look, the outer hoodie was ripped, but the T-shirt underneath wasn't. That means your muscles can automatically cushion impacts, like... like a car's airbag!"

Lin Mo paused and picked up the hoodie to inspect it. Sure enough, the thick outer hoodie had been scratched open in a triangular tear, but the thin T-shirt underneath was completely intact, without even a loose thread. "You're right." He smiled. "With your powers of observation, it'd be a shame if you didn't become a scientist."

"I'm going to become a superhero consultant someday!" Peter puffed out his chest, his eyes sparkling. "I'll analyze your abilities and design equipment for you! For example, I could make you a coat that protects against cat claws, and a sonic emitter that attracts cats. Then they won't chase you anymore."

Lin Mo laughed, rubbing Peter's hair. "Sure. I'll be waiting for your inventions."

By the time Lin Mo left Aunt May's house, the night had grown deep. He deliberately circled back to that little alley and found the leftovers Martha had mentioned placed on top of a trash can. The three stray cats were eating eagerly with their heads lowered. When they saw him, they did not bristle again, only warily lifted their heads.

He leaned against the wall and watched the cats' shadows beneath the moonlight when his wristband suddenly vibrated.

[The host has gained new understanding of Physical Enhancement. Synchronization rate increased by 3%, current rate: 48%. New effect unlocked: Impact Buffer (reduces physical collision damage by 50%).]

"Impact Buffer?" Lin Mo smiled. So Peter's airbag theory had been right. He lightly punched the wall, and sure enough, he felt none of the usual pain, as if a thick layer of sponge stood between his fist and the wall.

Footsteps came from the alley entrance. Ted staggered over with an empty beer bottle in hand. "You're still here? I knew you'd come back." He set the bottle on the ground. "It can be a pillow for the cats."

Lin Mo watched him place the bottle beside the leftovers and suddenly felt that this friend who always loved to brag had a gentle side too. "Come on. Let's go back and sleep."

The two walked back side by side, their shadows stretched long by the streetlamps. Ted suddenly said, "Actually, getting chased by cats isn't so bad. At least it proves your superpower really works, right? Better than being like me, unable to even make magic props properly."

"Your magic is great," Lin Mo said seriously. "At the Christmas market last time, when you made the turkey disappear, Martha laughed so hard her dentures almost fell out."

Ted froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. His laughter echoed through the alley and startled the night birds beneath the eaves into flight. "That's right! Next time, I'll do a magic trick for these cats. I'll turn them into house cats and find them a good family to adopt them."

Lin Mo smiled and nodded, but he was thinking that perhaps this was the meaning of superpowers—not for fighting, not for showing off, but for being able to dodge with a smile when stray cats chased you, to catch a cat mid-pounce, and to have a little more confidence in handling trouble and a little more possibility for warmth in ordinary days.

He touched the wristband on his wrist. The synchronization rate was 48%, not far from 50%. He wondered what new ability would unlock then. Would he be able to run faster, or become even tougher? Lin Mo suddenly found himself looking forward to it. He was even a little looking forward to the next time he got chased by cats.