Superpower

Before leaving for work, Mr. Wilson scattered bread crumbs and squash seeds into the nest box and poured some milk for the stray cats in his corridor.
Every morning, he left at 8:00 AM to catch the 8:10 bus to Central Library, where he worked as a part-time librarian. That day, the bus never came. After waiting until 8:30, he handed his spare change to a homeless man nearby and decided to walk—the library wasn’t far.
Mr. Wilson was a simple man, known in his neighborhood for his quiet generosity.
The morning felt strange. The sky was lucid and pale as though rain was imminent, and the streets were unusually empty.
He walked on.
After a few turns, he entered a deserted lane. For some time, he had the strange feeling that he was being followed.He stopped, turned. No one. He resumed walking, faster now.
Suddenly, he tripped over something unseen and nearly fell—but a firm grip caught him from behind.
Startled, he looked up.
Three figures stood before him—two men and a woman, dressed oddly for a Tuesday morning, as if out of place in both time and world.
“Thank you,” Mr. Wilson said, steadying himself. “That could have been serious.”
One of the men tapped a band on his wrist. His voice came out mechanical.
“Hello, Mr. Wilson. We are Robust 1, 2, and 3. We come from another planet. We have been trying to reach you.”
The second added, “We seek your superpower. Our world needs it. You may name your price.”
Mr. Wilson chuckled.
“Alright, where’s the hidden camera? I’m not in the mood for pranks.”
“This is no prank,” the woman said, her voice sharp.
“I’m getting late,” he replied, uneasy now. “Please let me go.”
The first man stepped closer, gripping his arm.
“We do not have time. We are superior in strength, speed, and knowledge. We can scan, transform, become invisible. We have followed you for weeks. Your power is unique. Trade it, and we will fulfill all your needs.”
Mr. Wilson pulled away.
“You’re mistaken. I’m just a librarian. I don’t have any superpower.”
“Stop denying it,” the woman snapped. “We know everything.”
Thunder cracked. The air thickened.
Mr. Wilson’s mind raced. There was nothing extraordinary about him. He had once tried the army, left it. Worked briefly as a fireman. Nothing remarkable.
Rain began to fall.
The second man adjusted his wristband. A flicker of light—and the rain stopped mid-air.
“We prefer no interruptions,” he said calmly.
The woman stepped forward again, her tone now quieter.
“We have observed you. You give without hesitation. You help without expectation. You care without condition. We have studied these traits—kindness, compassion, gratitude—but we cannot create them.”
She paused.
“We have everything… except that. That is your power.”
Mr. Wildon stood still absorbing their words.. The silence that followed felt deeper than the sky itself.
For the first time, he did not try to deny it.
His face flushed, uncertain, almost embarrassed—but his turquoise blue eyes shone with a quiet light, as if something within him had awakened.
For the first time, he didn’t dismiss them.
He looked at them, these powerful beings who could stop rain and bend reality, yet stood searching for something invisible.
Something human.
“If that’s what you’re looking for,” he said slowly, “it isn’t a power.”
They watched him closely.
“It’s a choice,” he continued. “A small one. Made every day. When no one is watching.”
The wind stirred lightly through the empty lane.
“You can’t take it,” he added. “And I can’t give it away",his face blazed red, but his turquoise blue eyes were glowing brightly as if reflecting his soul.
The three exchanged glances—uncertain for the first time.
Mr. Wilson adjusted his bag and stepped past them.
After a few steps, he paused and turned back.
“And if you really want to understand it…” he said, almost as an afterthought, “start with someone who cannot give you anything in return.”
The woman lowered her gaze.
Their bands flickered, but none of them spoke.
Mr. Wilson smiled faintly and walked on.
Behind him, the three stood motionless in the quiet lane—beings who could command storms, yet now faced something far more complex:
The impossibility of acquiring humanity without becoming human.
And for the first time since their arrival, they did not follow.