For 30+ Advance/Early chapters :p
atreon.com/ScoldeyJod
Leo put Ginger aside on the sofa, leaned back against a comfortable cushion, and finally started checking the messages that had piled up on his phone. Most of them were from Twitter, with a few text messages mixed in.
His popularity at school was pretty average. There was only one person who would send him a virus-like flood of messages: his childhood friend, his good 'brother,' Nami.
He quickly scrolled through her messages. They started with Christmas greetings, then some photos of her family and their holiday celebrations. As he swiped his finger over the photos, one in particular caught his eye. It was a picture of Nami in pink bunny pajamas. It was… very seductive. He unceremoniously saved it to his collection.
Then, the messages took on a more worried tone. She had noticed that he hadn't replied and had started sending messages to check if he was okay, and even calling. By the third day, she had thought he was missing. Captain Morgan, at his daughter's behest, had even started to investigate, only to find out that Leo's family had gone abroad.
Captain Morgan is probably keeping a very close eye on me now, he thought with a wry smile, and quickly typed a reply.
Leo: "Sorry, Nami. I worried you."
Leo: "My aunt and I went on vacation. It was a last-minute thing, and I forgot to tell you."
Within half a second, she replied.
Nami: "Hmph! If an apology was enough, what would we need the Marines for? I need sincere compensation!"
Leo: "Okay, okay. Just tell me what you want. If I can do it, I will."
Nami: "Good. I'll have to think about it. Don't you dare try to get out of it later!"
Leo: "Okay."
He continued to scroll through his other messages. He saw that Kayla Danvers had also sent him a message on Christmas Eve. But there was only one. And her last update on Twitter was from five days ago. It seemed she hadn't been online since.
Did she go on vacation, too? he wondered, and tapped out a reply. He apologized for not responding sooner, wished her a late Merry Christmas, and asked if she was okay. Just a senior's concern.
He checked the class discussion group and saw that the teacher had updated the information for their class trip. It had been moved up from mid-January to New Year's Day. Today was the second to last day of 2025. So, after one more day of school, they would have a three-day trip to New York.
He was speechless. He still had some lingering trauma from his last "trip." He just hoped that this time, it would be a real vacation, a time for entertainment and relaxation, and not another forced "save the world" or "train to become a warrior" ordeal.
He was so bored that he started scrolling through the news. And then, he saw it.
His eyes widened in surprise, and he sat up straight on the sofa, his expression solemn.
In the few days he had been on Paradise Island, two major events had captivated the world.
The first was about Captain America, Steve Rogers. He had made his first public appearance since being found in the ice, as a pallbearer at the funeral of former agent Peggy Carter. His lover from a bygone era had aged and passed away, but he was still a young man in his early twenties. No peers, no comrades-in-arms, and a promise that could never be fulfilled. The world was now wondering what would become of Captain America in the 21st century.
The second was about the god of Metropolis, Superman. For the past year and a half, he had been hailed as a savior, but now, public opinion had turned against him. After a recent battle that had caused a great deal of destruction and some accidental injuries, a public protest had broken out. The Metropolis court had announced that it would be holding a public hearing to question Superman on January 2nd. The world's greatest hero was very likely to be convicted and jailed.
The world was changing. More and more super-powered individuals were appearing, and with them, came fear and distrust.
"I need to be prepared," he muttered, looking at the sleeping Ginger on the sofa. An infant Flerken and a dormant Venom… not counting his aunt, his own power was not robust enough. He needed to be able to protect the people around him. And for that, he would be fearless, even against old gods, aliens, and monsters.
Two days later, on January 1st, the first day of the 2026 New Year, the weather was fine and sunny. A conspicuous yellow school bus was parked at the school gate.
"Alright, everyone, let's move it!" the male teacher shouted through a megaphone. "Grab your luggage and find a seat on the bus."
"Leo, what are you waiting for? Get on the bus!" he suddenly shouted.
"Coming!" Leo replied, hurrying out of the school building with his schoolbag. He had just gone to Kayla's classroom and found that she wasn't there. She hadn't responded to his message, and she had taken another sick day. He was a little worried.
As he got on the bus, he glanced at the thermos the teacher was holding, and the corner of his eye twitched. The teacher had put a sticker of Leo's "silver-haired goddess" on it. Who can stand this?
He sighed and got on the bus. He saw Nami in a seat near the back, waving at him. The seat next to her, the most coveted seat on the bus, was occupied by her small schoolbag. He waved back and went to sit next to her.
"Alright, let's go!" the teacher's vigorous and powerful voice boomed, and Leo's trip to New York began.