"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome once again to our wonderful show… *Show Your Boost!*"
The audience erupted in cheers as the presenter spun dramatically with his microphone raised high.
"As usual, we have extraordinary people with extraordinary boosts, and they are here to show us exactly what they can do!" he continued, walking across the bright studio stage, hyping up the already roaring crowd.
"Well then, are you ready to see what we have in store for you today?" He pointed toward the large curtain at the back of the stage, leaning toward the camera with a mischievous grin.
"Let's get this show on the road! Can our first special individual please come to the stage!"
The curtains slid open. A middle-aged man stepped forward, adjusting his glasses nervously as he approached the presenter.
"So, dear guest," the presenter said, placing the microphone near the man's face, "would you like to tell us—or perhaps show us—what your boost is?"
Suddenly, the man shrank. His body compressed inward like a video rewinding too fast—until he stood barely one meter tall, looking like a 10-year-old child.
"AMAZING!" the presenter shouted, and the crowd gasped in excitement. The presenter lowered his mic to match the boy's new height. "Can you explain how your boost works to the audience and the people at home?"
"Well," the boy squeaked, struggling to hold the microphone with tiny hands, "I can de-age myself to any age that's younger than my actual age!"
The presenter snatched the mic back and turned to the audience dramatically. "Isn't that exciting, folks? This gentleman can make himself any age he wants! Talk about getting second chances at life!"
The crowd clapped and cheered in agreement.
The man returned to his middle-aged form in a small flash of shimmering light. He cleared his throat, trying to speak. "Well, it—"
But the audience continued cheering so loudly that his voice disappeared beneath the noise. The presenter shoved the mic in his face again.
"Any other amazing information you want to share about your boost?"
The audience fell silent, eager for more details.
"Well… I have a few restrictions. First, I can't turn into the same age twi—"
"That's all the time we have for you, mister!" the presenter cut him off dramatically. Two muscular stagehands appeared from the shadows, grabbed the confused man by the arms, and carried him offstage.
"Let's get ready to welcome our next contestant!" the presenter called out, waving the audience into another frenzy. "We'll continue with the program after these short commercials!"
FADE OUT
---
Back in the real world…
"Are you tired of your boring looking restrictor band?" a commercial announcer on the store TV yelled. "Well, come to—"
"It's a very slow day today, huh?" Leon said, leaning against the counter.
Ulim stood beside him, rearranging products on the counter—again—even though everything was already perfectly lined up.
"I'd take this over dealing with stubborn customers," Ulim muttered, adjusting a box by a millimeter. Leon snorted.
"Dude, can you just relax? It's not like the manager is monitoring us or anything." The two packers in the back nodded without looking up from their lounging positions.
The store door slammed open.
"Boys! I've got news!" the manager announced, bursting in with his arms wide. The backers scrambled into work positions instantly. Ulim and Leon exchanged a look of dread.
"Did I interrupt something?" the manager asked suspiciously as he approached the counter.
"No," Leon lied awkwardly.
"Good! Anyway, I'm here to tell you about the grand gathering of our stores next weekend." He slung an arm around Leon's shoulders enthusiastically. "All workers from all branches will be in one place—sharing ideas, improving our services!"
Leon looked even more drained than before. "Great."
One of the backers raised his hand. "Wait, isn't next weekend a holiday? If the gathering counts as work… I can choose not to come, right?"
The manager's expression dropped from joyful to threatening in an instant. The atmosphere in the store tightened like a rope being pulled.
"I expect everyone to be there. On time. To boot," he said with a flat tone.
Everyone nodded immediately.
Then his cheerful face returned, complete with sparkles in his eyes.
"Plus! You'd be missing out on double pay and free food!" Confetti suddenly rained down around him.
"Hey! That's going to be hell to clean up! Where did this confetti even come from?!" Leon shouted. A tiny summoned creature beside the manager happily tossed more confetti from a basket.
---
A WHILE LATER
Ulim swept up confetti pieces into a small pile. "Looks like I finally got something to do," he said, side-eyeing Leon who was still by the counter, feet kicked up.
Leon pointed at the TV. "Hey, look. The show's ending."
Back on-screen, the presenter stood proudly.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, it has been a fun episode! Before we wrap up, let's welcome our last guest!"
The curtain opened again, revealing a calm-looking woman beside him.
"Our final guest for today—let's hope her boost ends this episode with a bang!"
He lifted the mic to her—
BANG!!!
The woman exploded—not into blood or gore—but into a storm of butterflies that filled the studio in a sparkling cloud. The audience leapt to their feet, roaring applause.
"Well folks, there you have it! Extraordinary people with extraordinary boosts!" the presenter declared. "Thank you for tuning in! See you next time!"
**FADE OUT**
Leon stood by the door holding his keys. "Almost time to close," he said, waiting as Ulim gathered the last pieces of confetti.
The TV flickered again, switching to a news broadcast.
"Hello, and welcome to Prime-Time News," the anchorwoman greeted. "In today's headline, the HDF is gearing up to reveal a new team as the crime rate in Eclipse City rises sharply."
"Yes, Jannet," the co-anchor said, rearranging his note cards, "rogue boost-related incidents have increased over the past few months."
The screen changed to a press room where Valiant stood confidently behind a podium.
"The safety of the people is our duty," he said firmly, "and we will do whatever it takes to protect them."
"Sir! What if multiple incidents occur at once?" a reporter shouted. "Some say these attacks are coordinated. How will you respond?"
Valiant cleared his throat. "We've been working on something for that."
"Care to elaborate?"
"No comment." Valiant stepped away immediately as officers formed a barrier to block the pursuing reporters.
"You heard it here first, folks," the anchor continued. "The HDF has a plan. Should we be worried—or trust them?"
Leon groaned. "Ulim, you wanna take the TV home with you or what? Let's go!"
Ulim shut the screen off and followed him out.