The morning after Claire and Su Zhan parted ways, the air in the small Texas town was fresh and full of promise. Claire's cheeks still carried a faint blush as she got out of the car, glancing back one last time. "I… I'll go back now," she said softly, her eyes lingering on Su Zhan.
He smiled gently. "Go on. I have to leave, but believe me, we'll meetn, and it won't be long."
He watched as Claire disappeared around the corner, her steps light but hesitant. For a moment, Su Zhan stood in silence, feeling the warmth of her trust and the weight of their connection. The system's prompt echoed in his mind: Claire's friendship had risen to one hundred seventy-five percent. He had never expected the percentage to go so high, and he wondered what it meant for thee—perhaps, with this bond, he could truly bring her into his own world.
But there was no time to dwell on it. He had other goals to pursue, and his next destination was clear. After a quick check with his location ability, he found the Haitian and met up with him. Together, they set out for New York, leaving the quiet town behind.
The flight from Texas to New York was uneventful. As they landed and stepped into the bustling city, Su Zhan could not help but compare it to the New York of the Marvel universe. The skyline was familiar, yet different. There was no Stark Tower, no Iron Building. The city felt less tense, more relaxed, as if people here had never known the constant threat of alien invasions or superhuman battles. The streets were alive with energy, but it was the energy of ordinary life, not the undercurrent of fear and vigilance that ran through Marvel's New York.
Su Zhan and the Haitian blended into the crowds, moving like tourists among the throngs of people. Times Square was as dazzling as ever, its giant screens and billboards flashing with color and light. The sidewalks were packed, and Su Zhan noticed more than a few faces that looked like his own—Asian tourists, students, and locals mingling in the urban rush.
He wandered over to a bookstand on the corner, drawn by a comic book displayed prominently on the rack. The cover showed an Asian man with glasses standing in Times Square, his expression a mix of surprise and excitement. Su Zhan picked up the comic and flipped through its pages. The story was simple: the man, Hiro Nakamura, discovered his ability to bend time and space, first in Japan, then on a subway ride that brought him straight to New York. The final panel showed Hiro demonstrating his power again, vanishing from the city as easily as he had arrived.
Su Zhan frowned slightly. The comic's plot was not quite as he remembered. The middle was missing, and the ending felt abrupt. Was this a sign that Hiro had sensed Su Zhan's approach? Was he trying to escape, knowing someone was coming to devour his ability?
Before he could ponder further, a voice rang out nearby, bright and enthusiastic. "Awesome!" someone shouted in Japanese.
Su Zhan looked up to see a young Japanese man with glasses standing in the middle of Times Square. Arms wide, face beaming, he shouted, "Hello, New York!" His accent was thick, and his English halting, but his joy was infectious. He greeted everyone who passed, switching between English and Japanese, undeterred by the puzzled looks he received.
Su Zhan watched with a mixture of amusement and admiration. Hiro Nakamura was exactly as he remembered from the stories—a little awkward, a little naïve, but brimming with hope and a desire to be a hero. He was a middle school boy at heart, dreaming of saving the world.
As Hiro wandered through the crowd, he caught sight of Su Zhan and the Haitian. His eyes lit up when he saw Su Zhan's face. He hurried over, waving. "Hello! Are you… Japanese?"
Su Zhan could not help but laugh. "No, I'm not Japanese," he replied in English, then added with a smile, "But I do speak a little."
Hiro's face fell for a moment, then brightened again. "That's okay! New York is amazing, isn't it? I love it here!"
Su Zhan nodded, watching Hiro's excitement with genuine affection. For all his power, Hiro was still just a young man eager to do good in the world.
The Haitian, ever silent, stood a step behind Su Zhan, watching the exchange with calm eyes. Su Zhan knew that soon, he would have to approach Hiro more directly to find a way to gain his trust and, eventually, his time-space ability. For now, though, he was content to observe, to let Hiro enjoy his moment in the city.
As the day wore on, Su Zhan and the Haitian explored more of New York, blending into the city's rhythm. Su Zhan's mind was already working through plans—how to approach Hiro, how to convince him to share his power, and how to avoid attracting unwanted attention from others like Sylar. He knew that the next steps would be crucial, that every choice he made could alter the course of this world's story.
But as he watched Hiro Nakamura stand in Times Square, arms raised to the sky, shouting his love for New York to anyone who would listen, Su Zhan felt a rare sense of optimism. In this moment, anything seemed possible.