Glancing at Amelia, Noah's expression softened. "Could you kindly keep this a secret between us?" he asked, his voice casual but firm.
"I have exams tomorrow, and the police won't let me off easily after firing a weapon. Can you say the man accidentally shot himself or something? And maybe tell them someone in a mask saved you, but you don't know who it was and they just left."
He smiled—a warm, sincere smile that made her heart flutter in spite of everything. For a moment, Amelia was lost in the calm of his expression, nodding her head almost instinctively.
Noah, noticing her agreement, leaned down and patted the wounded man, retrieving a phone. Handing it to Amelia, he gestured toward it. "Call the police. Tell them what happened—minus the part about me."
While she made the call, Noah went to the van, grabbed some ropes, and swiftly tied up the unconscious kidnappers, including the one he had kicked out of the van earlier. With every knot, he worked efficiently, showing a level of skill that was far from ordinary. He then dragged the men back into the van driving seat making them cramped above each other hilariously. When everything was set, Noah turned back to Amelia, who still looked shaken. "You'll be fine. The police are on their way," he said reassuringly.
"But... what if they escape your ropes?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Noah smiled, the same easy, confident grin that had carried them through the ordeal. "They can't."
Her worry didn't fade, and she asked again, "But what if they do?"
Noah sighed softly, shaking his head. "Okay, fine. Want to walk with me?" he offered with a small chuckle.
Amelia nodded quickly, but as she took a step, a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She yelped in pain.
"Hsst-"
Looking down, he noticed the swelling of her ankle. Noah then knelt beside her.
Without hesitation, he tore a piece of his shirt, revealing his toned abs beneath the fabric. With quick hands, he wrapped her injured ankle, the makeshift bandage snug but not too tight.
"That should help for now," he said gently. Then, without missing a beat, he knelt down in front of her, turning his back. "Hop on."
Amelia hesitated, her face flushing, but she couldn't deny the pain in her ankle. Blushing, she climbed onto his back, her arms loosely wrapping around his neck. Noah stood effortlessly, and for the next 15 minutes, he carried her through the quiet streets, the weight of what had happened starting to settle in.
When they finally reached the spot where Noah had left his motorcycle, he gently let her down. "Sit tight," he said. "The police will be here any second."
He moved toward the motorcycle, preparing to leave. Amelia, still processing everything, called out before he could ride off. "Wait... who are you?"
Noah glanced back, his face softening again. With a playful grin, he said, "I'm just a passerby. Don't let this scare you from going out—they're just a bunch of losers, okay? Forget this happened."
He revved the engine of the cheap motorcycle and was about to drive off when he heard her mutter quietly, almost too softly for him to catch, "I'm afraid I won't be able to forget... you."
Noah smiled, unseen, as he sped into the distance, leaving Amelia staring after him, her heart racing faster than it had even in the midst of the danger.
Rachel was gripping the wheel tightly, her eyes focused straight ahead as she sped through the streets with three police cars following close behind.
The tension in the air was visible, every second feeling like an eternity as she raced toward Amelia. Her heart pounded in her chest, not knowing what state she'd find her best friend in.
As she drove, Rachel barely registered a half-naked young man on a small motorcycle zipping past in the opposite direction. She glanced briefly at him, but quickly shifted her focus back to the road—there was no time for distractions, not with Amelia's life at stake.
A minute later, her breath caught in her throat as she spotted Amelia sitting on the side of the road. Her clothes were tattered, dust clinging to her once pristine appearance. Rachel's heart sank at the sight.
Slamming on the brakes, Rachel pulled up beside Amelia, jumping out of the car as soon as it stopped. Her eyes were wide with worry as she rushed over to her friend, quickly scanning her for any visible injuries.
"Amelia, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Rachel asked, her voice frantic as her hands gently but urgently searched for any sign of wounds.
Amelia, despite the ordeal she had just endured, smiled softly. "I'm fine, Rachel," she said, her voice tired but calm.
Rachel, still not fully convinced, continued checking her over. "Get into the car," she ordered, her voice firm but filled with relief. "We need to make sure you're safe. I'll handle the rest."
Amelia nodded and slowly made her way toward the police car, but as she did, she casually mentioned, "My kidnappers are about four minutes away by drive, on the side of the road, in a van. They're on the side, already tied up."
Rachel paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Tied up?" she repeated, her tone filled with both surprise and confusion.
But she quickly shook it off—this wasn't the time for questions. They had to secure the area and apprehend the criminals before anything else.
She gave Amelia a reassuring nod and waved the police officers forward. "Stay in the car. We'll take care of them," Rachel said as she signalled the officers to move ahead.
But in the back of her mind, one question lingered: "Who in the world was able to tie them up?"
As the officers arrived on the scene, their eyes widened in disbelief. They found four criminals piled up haphazardly like a human stack of rag dolls.
Three of them were unconscious, and the fourth was wailing with a bloody hand, clutching the spot where a bullet had grazed him.
One officer muttered, "Well, that's a new one. Only Batman could pull off something like this."
Another officer, shaking his head and trying to stifle a laugh, added, "Yeah, I'm half-expecting to find a bat signal somewhere around here."
They all chuckled, exchanging glances and amused grins. The sight was so absurdly comic that they could hardly take it seriously.
Rachel, who had been waiting nearby, looked at the scene with a mixture of confusion and relief. The officers continued to chuckle, while the tied-up criminals groaned in frustration.
One of the officers quipped, "Well, whoever this guy is, he sure knows how to make an entrance. Thanks for saving the day, Batman."