The bloke started to look up and down the street. ‘This is one of those TV programmes, isn’t it? Where they play tricks on unsuspecting members of the public? Where are the cameras?’

‘There aren’t any cameras!’

‘I bet they’re in that van, aren’t they?’ He started smiling and waving at a van on the other side of the road. ‘Hello Mum!’

I was getting a bit fed up. I didn’t come into the superhero game for this sort of thing. Iron Man doesn’t spend his time arguing with people on pavements, trying to get them to take him seriously, does he? It was . . . undignified. And it wasn’t like I really gave a monkey’s where the guy parked his car anyway.

‘All right,’ I said. ‘I’ve had enough of this. You can park your car where you like, but if you get a ticket, don’t blame me.’

And then I launched myself up from the pavement and zoomed into the sky. I glanced down when I was above roof height and the bloke was goggling up at me in disbelief.

I flew on. I should explain about how it felt to fly. It didn’t take any effort at all – it wasn’t like swimming. I just pointed in the direction I wanted to fly and that’s the direction I went in. And I could go faster or slower just by thinking about it. It was like if you decide to raise your hand, and it goes up – you don’t really know how, it just does.

Then, at last, I looked down and saw something going on in an alley. Two figures, one big and one small, and the big one had pushed the little one up against a wall.

‘This looks like a job for Awesome Man!’ I said to myself.

I dived down and landed beside them with a thump.

The bigger one looked round with a start, and I recognized him.

‘Hiya Scorpus. Just thought I’d drop by.’

He had one hand round the smaller boy’s neck, and the other hand clenched in a fist, cocked and ready to go. The smaller boy was a blond kid with spots. Really bad spots. Quite inflamed. And I thought, That’s pretty bad luck, not only do you get a seriously bad skin day but then you get mugged into the bargain.

Scorpus was like, ‘Who are you? How do you know my name?’

‘I’m Awesome Man. Awesome Man knows all kinds of stuff!’

‘Yeah? Well, get lost and mind your own business, and you won’t get hurt!’

‘I won’t get hurt. It’s you I’m worried about.’

I grabbed hold of his arm and squeezed with my super-strength. Scorpus’s pale face went even paler. He let go of the kid.

‘Are you OK?’ I said to the boy. ‘What was he doing to you?’