One of the men shoved him.
"Then call the police!"
They dared to do so because everyone knew the police weren't coming. The drama escalated which Reed continued to watch quietly.
Suzie would probably punch him if she saw him standing there doing nothing.
The men grabbed the remaining food supplies the shop owner had hidden in the closet and attempted to leave.
That was when Reed moved, stepping forward casually.
"Leave his supplies behind."
The men turned towards him, seeing a young lad, one of them sneered.
"Who the hell are you?"
Reed's expression remained calm.
"A nobody."
The tallest man laughed angrily.
"And a nobody likes to meddle with trouble?"
Reed shook his head slowly.
"I just want you to leave and to leave behind the supplies you have stolen."
The three men exchanged glances, then suddenly one stepped forward aggressively.
"Or what? Do you think you take us three all on your own, mr. nobody?"
As he finished, he reached for Reed's collar, but that was a big mistake. Reed's hand moved faster than the man could see. With a sharp twist of his hand, Reed calmly dislocated the man's wrist bone, causing him to scream in pain.
"Aaaghhh, y-you, aaaghhh!!"
The man screamed as his wrist was disconnected while the other two men froze.
Reed released him and spoke calmly.
"Leave."
And this time they listened, having learnt their lesson. Within seconds the three men hurried away, cursing quietly.
Shocked, the shop owner bowed repeatedly.
"You helped me… I don't know how to thank you. Th-thank you…"
Reed just nodded slightly as he looked around the street. Several people had watched the confrontation. Their expressions mixed of fear and cautiousness.
No one stepped forward to thank him, but no one looked hostile either. In a collapsing society, neutrality was already a form of acceptance.
The city stretched before them.
Hundreds of thousands of people, some would become enemies, some would become allies, some might even become future powerhouses.
Reed turned and continued walking down the street without another word.
The city stretched before him like a restless organism.
Hundreds of thousands of people lived here. Most of them still believed this crisis would pass in a few days, that the government would stabilize the power grid, The heat would calm down and life would return to normal.
But Reed knew better.
In his previous life, this illusion had lasted for about a month.
Then everything collapsed completely.
Some people would become enemies, while some in desperation turned into monsters faster than any virus could potentially make them.
Some would become allies, the kind who could still think rationally when the world burned around them.
And a very small number—perhaps one in a thousand—would awaken extraordinary abilities when the next phases of the apocalypse arrived.
Those people would become the powerhouses of the new world.
Elise floated beside him lazily as he walked along the sidewalk, invisible to everyone else.
"You're thinking about recruiting people already, aren't you?"
Reed's gaze moved across the street where a long line had formed outside a pharmacy.
She folded her tiny arms with a mock huff before drifting ahead of him.
"So where are we going now?"
Reed's gaze moved across the street where a long line had formed outside a pharmacy.
People stood shoulder to shoulder, sweat dripping from their faces as they argued with the exhausted pharmacist inside.
Some demanded more medicine, others begged for water purification tablets, and a few simply stared blankly at the shelves as if hoping something useful would magically appear.
Elise folded her tiny arms with a mock huff before drifting ahead of him.
"So where are we going now?"
Reed looked up at the sky.
The red tint had deepened as the day faded into night. The heat had dropped slightly with the sun sinking behind the buildings, but the air still felt heavy, almost oppressive.
"Somewhere to sleep."
He replied calmly.
"That's it?"
Elise was surprised. She spun around in the air dramatically.
"You drove all the way from your luxurious mountain fortress to… sleep in the city?"
Reed continued walking without reacting to her theatrics.
"Patience... Elise."
Elise sighed loudly.
"Humans invented boredom and somehow you've perfected it."
The streets gradually quieted as night approached. Most shops had closed early due to the heat and the unstable electricity.
Neon signs flickered weakly in some areas while others had already gone completely dark.
People moved quickly through the streets now, eager to return to whatever shelter they had before the temperature rose again the next day.
Reed eventually stopped in front of a modest hotel.
The building was five stories tall, slightly old but still operational. A faded sign flickered above the entrance, its light buzzing irregularly.
Elise tilted her head.
"You're staying here?"
Reed nodded once.
"It will do."
Inside, the lobby was nearly empty.
A tired receptionist sat behind the counter fanning herself with a magazine while a small battery-powered fan spun weakly beside her.
She looked up when Reed approached.
"One room?"
"Yes."
She slid a registration form across the counter.
"The air conditioning only works intermittently, afterall the city power grid is unstable."
"That's fine."
Reed filled out the form quickly.
The receptionist handed him a keycard.
"Fourth floor."
He thanked her briefly before heading to the elevator.
The elevator itself had a handwritten sign taped to the door, which said.
"Out of Order."
Elise giggled.
"Well, that answers that."
Reed walked toward the staircase without complaint.
By the time he reached the fourth floor, the hallway lights had dimmed significantly.
The room itself was simple but clean. A bed, a desk, a small refrigerator, and a narrow window overlooking the city streets.
Reed placed the bag he had on the chair and sat on the edge of the bed.
Elise floated toward the window and looked outside.
The city at night looked strange.
Normally it would be bright with lights and traffic, but tonight entire blocks were dark. Only scattered lamps and vehicle headlights cut through the gloom.
People moved cautiously along the sidewalks.
Some carried flashlights while others carried bags of supplies.
Fear was beginning to spread.