It was an ordinary Friday afternoon in Seaford, and the sun shone brightly as Jack Brewer, who was wearing a red shirt, tan jeans, and his hair in a ponytail, Jerry Martinez, who was wearing a white t-shirt and black jeans, and Milton Krupnik, wearing a gray sweater with red & white diamonds on it and plaid shorts strolled into Seaford National Bank. After a training session at the Wasabi Warrior Academy, Rudy asked them to deposit a check for new equipment for the Academy. The sleek white interior of the bank bustled with patrons, the sound of soft chatter filling the air. Jerry had been trying to convince Milton that he was the undiscovered "fashion genius" of Seaford, while Milton was, as usual, deep in thought about some obscure fact. Jack was enjoying the break after a week full of intense training.
As they stood in the long line, Jack thought out loudly "Only Rudy would have us do something he doesn't want to do himself.".
"You know, now that you're superhuman, you could've forced Rudy to do this himself." said Jerry, who stood right behind Jack in line.
"Jerry, you know that's not how I do things." Jack said a-matter-of-factly.
"But you had Carson & his friends got down on their knees and kissed your feet just last week." said Milton, who was behind Jerry.
"That was different. They deserved it." Jack replied.
"Or maybe you could have Carson cash the check." said Milton with a grin.
"This is why you're the brains of the group." said Jerry.
But as they approached the counter, the banter was abruptly shattered. The bank doors swung open violently, and three masked gunmen stormed in. Each one was wearing black ski masks, carrying duffel bags, and brandishing firearms; one had a .45 and the other two had M-16 assault rifles. One of them put a metal sign in-between the door handles, sealing it. Panic erupted instantly as customers screamed.
"Get on the ground! Nobody move!" shouted one of the masked men, his voice distorted by the mask. Panic erupted as customers and employees alike hit the floor, scrambling for cover. The lead gunmen moved swiftly to a young female teller, pressing his .45 against the terrified woman's head. Two security guards tried to intervene, but the lead gunman said, "Disarm or I kill the woman!"
Realizing that they couldn't save her in time, the guards removed their guns from their holsters, laid them on the floor, and kicked them to the other two masked men. They then laid down on their stomachs too.
"Good." said the lead robber. "As for you," his head turned to the teller, "give me all the cash. Now!" he said. The teller began to empty out the drawer.
Jack, Jerry, and Milton also got on their stomachs with the rest of the customers. They also moved away from the criminals. "Oh, man! I didn't see this one coming!" squealed Jerry. But Jack surveyed the scene for a moment and then glanced at Jerry and Milton. "Stay low and keep away from the main floor!"
"Jack, what are you going to do? asked Milton.
He stood up and calmy said, "I'm going to take out the trash!" as he cracked his knuckles.
Jerry opened his mouth to protest, but Jack was already moving. His protective instincts kicked in; Jack Brewer was not the kind of person who stands by while innocent people were in danger. He had proved that over the years. And now, he was going to do it again.
He removed his shirt and his t-shirt, revealing the powerful & chiseled physique he'd built over the past few years. His pecs were round & firm, his biceps had veins on them, and his six-pack abs where perfect squares. When Jerry saw it, he was both impressed & envious. He had great-looking abs, but Jack's were much better. As soon as the 18-year-old stepped forward, the robbers paused, momentarily taken aback by the sight of him.
"Let them go, or you'll be sorry!" Jack said in a voice that carried the weight of a promise. His posture was calm, but his tone was steely.
The leader of the robbers, the one of the .45, sneered. "You think you can stop us? You're just some guy with muscles, not a hero. You should get on the ground and pray we don't shoot you."
Jack didn't flinch. "You've made a mistake. I'm not the one you should be worried about."
The robbers turned, momentarily stunned by Jack's fearless presence. The one with the .45 pointed his gun at Jack. "You want to play hero? Here's a taste of reality!"
The gunman pulled the trigger, its bullet flew towards Jack's face. But in an astonishing display of speed and reflexes, Jack caught the bullet in between his right pointer finger & thumb. He crushed it and dropped it to the ground.
"You probably shouldn't have done that!" Jack said.
Jerry & Milton grinned. They knew that whenever Jack said that sentence, things were going down.
The gunman's eyes widened, but he was not deterred. He opened fire on Jack, but he caught every single bullet in his hands When the gun clicked empty, Jack tossed the bullets aside and grinned.
The remaining two gunmen stared in disbelief, their jaws dropping slightly. "What the heck!?" one of them exclaimed.
With newfound determination, they opened fire with their machine guns on Jack, but he stood firm in his place, his chest bracing for impact. Jerry & Milton both gasped and said "NO!"
But their fears were unwarranted.
The bullets collided with him, but all they did was bounce harmlessly bouncing off his solid physique like pebbles hitting a wall. Jack didn't flinch, his muscles rippling beneath his skin. Jack felt the slight thud of the bullets, but it was nothing compared to the adrenaline coursing through him. When their magazines clicked empty, he smirked.
"Looks like you're all out of ammo. How convenient!" Jack taunted, his confidence unwavering.
Panicked and rushing, the robbers removed the bullet chambers from their guns and got set to reload their weapons. But Jack was quicker. In a blur of movement, he darted between them, his speed honed from months of training. He snatched the .45 out of the leader's hands as well as the M-16s out of the other tows hands. He had disarmed all three robbers and sent their guns flying, leaving them with empty hands.
"Uh, where's my gun?" asked one of them.
"Oh, there right next to me." answered Jack as she pointed to all three weapons on his right side.
"What the fart bot?!" said one of them. They didn't see Jack move and take their guns. It happened in an instant; Jack can now move/run faster than the eye can see.
"Now, here's the deal," Jack said. He reached down, picked up the .45 in his right hand, and said in a low & menacing tone, "Surrender, or this will be your heads!" He then crushed the handgun in his hand, then dropped it to the ground.
The robbers' faces reflected a mix of terror and disbelief. This kid was superhuman with steel-hard skin and super strength. As Jack began a bodybuilding-esque flexing routine, the robbers, with wide eyes and shaking hands, dropped to their knees, submitting to Jack's overwhelming prowess.
"Okay! We surrender! Just don't hurt us!" the leader cried, trembling.
Jack stepped back, his chest rising and falling as he regained his composure. "Good choice." he said, nodding toward the bank security personnel who have retrieved their guns. "Take them away." The dumbfounded guards rounded up the trio without resistance from them. As the people were getting to their feet, Jack approached the shaken bank manager, a middle-aged Caucasian man with short blonde hair wearing a dark blue business suit, who was by the vault door. "Are you okay, sir?"
The manager nodded, still stunned. "Y-yes, thanks to you, young man. We owe you one."
Jack smiled, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Don't mention it."
Jerry then rushed over to Jack with Milton, their eyes still bulging from what they had just witnessed. "Jack! That was amazing!" Jerry exclaimed, still processing what happened.
"Holy Christmas nuts! You're a human tank!" exclaimed Milton
As he was putting his shirts back on, Jack calmy told them, "I'm surprised that you guys are surprised. Remember the Iron Shirt technique? The one I used against to survive the swinging metal wrecking ball?"
"Yeah. But wrecking balls are one thing. Bullets fired from guns are something else!" exclaimed Milton
"Yeah, they were something else. They hit softer!" mused Jack.
Moments later, police officers and reporters began to arrive outside the bank, the reporters' cameras flashing as they caught wind of the astonishing story unfolding inside. As the masked criminals were being led out of the bank, one of them turned to Jack, who had exited the building with Milton & jerry in tow and asked, "So, what happened here today?
Jack simply said, "Just doing what the martial arts were meant for-protecting others."
Jerry, sensing an opportunity to shine, turned to the nearest reporter and chimed in. "Absolutely. I was, uh, instrumental in stopping the robbery!" Jerry declared, puffing out his chest. "You know, I told Jack to go save the day! Didn't I, Milton?"
Milton shook his head in disbelief, but a smile crept across his face. "Sure, Jerry. You definitely, um, inspired Jack by yelling out stuff."
Ignoring the sarcasm, Jerry continued, gesturing dramatically. "Without my unwavering support from the corner, who knows what would have happened?"
The reporters, sensing the lighter mood amidst the chaos, turned their cameras on Jerry, who beamed with pride. Jack couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's antics.
As the robbers were led away in handcuffs, Jack turned to Milton. "I guess sometimes it takes more than just martial arts to save the day."
"Yeah, like a bulletproof chest, super speed, and a loudmouth!" Milton laughed, shooting Jerry a playful glare.
"Hey, I was just trying to help!" Jerry defended himself, but the lines of camaraderie knitted the trio closer. Milton rolled his eyes and muttered to Jack, "Does he really think anyone will buy that?"
Jack just shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let him have his moment. I don't need the spotlight. Besides, I'm pretty sure everyone in the bank knows who really saved the day."
The bank patrons cheered, clapping and offering their thanks to Jack, who remained modest and calm.
As the robbers were loaded into the police cars, Jerry continued to talk animatedly to the reporter, embellishing his role in the events more and more with each word.
Jack stepped aside, crossing his arms and leaning against a pillar. He felt a quiet pride in the fact that once again, he had protected the people he cared about. Like he told Milton, he didn't need the spotlight. The look of gratitude from the hostages and bank employees was all the reward he needed.
The day had been saved, thanks to Jack Brewer—who, as usual, was more than ready to take on whatever challenges came his way.
And as for Jerry? Well, he would always find a way to make sure he wasn't left out of the action. Even if it meant bending the truth just a little bit.