The Hero (Rewritten)

Jack's gaze lingered on Sarah for a moment longer before he finally stood up from the counter and began to make his way toward an empty table in the corner of the pub. Sarah hesitated for a moment, then stood up and followed him.

As they walked, Sarah took in the way Jack moved. There was a fluidity to his gait that spoke of a lifetime of training and discipline.

When they reached the table, Jack pulled out a chair and gestured for Sarah to sit down. She hesitated for a moment, then took the seat he offered. They sat there in silence for a few moments, the only sound of the clink of glasses and the murmur of conversation from the other patrons.

Jack's eyes bore into Sarah's, his gaze searching for any hint of deception. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Did Katherine send you?" he repeated, his voice firm.

Sarah felt a chill run down her spine at the intensity of his gaze. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself before responding.

"No, Jack," she said, her voice calm but resolute. "Katherine doesn't know that I'm here. I came on my own."

For a moment, Jack didn't say anything, his eyes still fixed on Sarah's. But then, as if satisfied with her answer, he nodded slowly.

"How do you know about me?" Jack asked Sarah, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I saw you with Katherine that day," Sarah replied, offering him a small smile.

"But don't worry," she added quickly. "Nobody else knows about you."

Jack relaxed slightly at her words, but he was still wary of this woman who seemed to know so much about him.

"Why didn't you join the association?" Sarah asked him suddenly, her expression curious. "You know, I had to work really hard to get any information about you."

"I had my reasons," he said finally, his voice low. "And they're personal."

Sarah's small smile faded away as she pulled out a set of documents from her leather bag and placed them on the table. Jack's curiosity was piqued, and he picked up the documents, scanning them quickly.

As he read, his expression grew more serious, and after a while, he placed the documents back on the table, his gaze fixed on Sarah.

"This is just for your information," Sarah continued, her tone serious. "It's the same as last time, but something is different."

Sarah quickly gathered the documents from the table and stowed them away in her leather bag. As she zipped it up, she retrieved a business card and slid it across the table toward Jack.

"You may contact me in the future," she said, her tone serious. "But the situation is serious this time. Three of our S-class superheroes have fallen."

"What happened to them?" Jack asked, his voice low.

Sarah shook her head. "We don't know yet. All we have is a location and some...strange activity that's been reported in the area. We need all the help we can get on this one."

Sarah stood up and gave a small smile before turning around to leave, Jack couldn't help but let his gaze linger on her retreating figure. His mind was racing with thoughts of what he had just learned, and his hand unconsciously drifted to the sword hilt tied at his waist.

After a long, heavy sigh, Jack leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. He knew what he had to do, but the thought of it filled him with dread.

Finally, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. As he waited for the call to connect, he took another sip of his beer, the cold liquid soothing his nerves.

"Jack?" a tired woman's voice came through the phone.

"Hi, Kath. How are you doing?" Jack replied.

After a brief pause, Kath responded, "I'm doing okay. And yourself?"

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking," Jack said, a faint grin appearing on his face.

"Just to let you know, a woman named Sarah stopped by earlier," he continued, his eyes flicking to the business card in front of him. The card only displayed her name and phone number.

After a moment of silence, Katherine let out an exhausted sigh and said, "So, she finally came to you."

Jack leaned back and rubbed his finger over the phone as he asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to bother you," came the response. "Besides, you made it clear that you didn't want anything to do with the association."

A long sigh escaped Jack's lips. "Well, I guess I'll be heading over there," he said.

"I'll be waiting for you," Katherine replied before Jack ended the call.

Jack slipped the phone back into his pocket and stood up from his seat. He glanced in the direction of the manager and gave a small nod before making his way toward the exit, his hands tucked into his pants pockets.

It had been three long years since Jack found himself on the strange planet of Cosmosis. He remembered the battle he had fought for what felt like days against a powerful creature. Just as he delivered the final blow, he had resigned himself to death. But somehow, instead of meeting his end, he found himself transported to this alien world.

This world was a stark contrast to his old one, where chaos and destruction reigned supreme. Here, the culture was different, the language foreign and technology had advanced beyond his wildest imagination. Despite the differences, this world was relatively peaceful, without the constant threat of darkness engulfing everything.

Yet, just like his old world, this world was also inhabited by humans. And like his old world, some of these humans possessed incredible powers, abilities beyond what normal humans could ever dream of. They were known as Superhumans, beings who had awakened their latent potential.

For three long years, he had been living a mundane existence, far removed from the life of a celebrated hero. In his previous world, he had been revered as a champion, with the weight of his people's expectations bearing down upon him like a heavy yoke upon his broad shoulders. But now, he had left that all behind, seeking solace in the simplicity of ordinary life. No longer was he constantly under the watchful eye of his admirers, nor was he called upon to perform great feats of courage and strength. Instead, he walked among the common people, a mere mortal like the rest of them, free to pursue his own desires and passions without the heavy burden of being a hero.

As he reflects on his past, he shudders at the thought of experiencing the pain of loss once more. The memories of losing his dear friends and loved ones are still vivid in his mind, haunting him like ghosts from another world. The mere thought of reliving those heart-wrenching moments is enough to make him want to stay far away from the dangers of being a hero once more.

He arrived in this new world with a sense of confusion, unsure of why he was brought here. He had hoped for a simple life, free from the worries that plagued him in his previous world. Yet fate seemed to have other plans for him as if his presence here was meant to fulfill some unknown purpose.

Jack was lost in his thoughts as he walked through the crowd. His solitary figure blended in with the people around him and eventually disappeared from sight.