Dust hung in the air like smoke after a blast; heat still hissed from the fractured street where Trio's trail had ended.
Trio stayed on one knee, palm pressed to the pavement, jaw locked. He looked forward through the mess of his bangs.
All around, voices tangled together—laughter, cheers, whispers, the city's chaos folding into gossip.
Shockwave stood a few paces ahead, center of it all. Golden jacket gleaming, arms folded like he owned the sunlight.
Phones were already out. Students circled close, the glow of their screens painting the courtyard in white flickers.
"Shockwave! Can't lie… kinda clean bro!"
"Dang, he didn't even try and still made him eat dirt."
"So much for Tony's son when you got the real deal right here, huh Shockwave?"
Shockwave smiled faintly, polite, practiced—the kind of grin meant for magazine covers. He offered a nod here, a fist-bump there. Winked at a few girls from a distance. A couple of kids ran up to him asking for training tips; he gave them a few pointers before sending them off with a thumbs up.
Trio stood up with an irritated grunt. He dusted himself off. His eyes narrowed ahead as he watched the mob treating Shockwave like was already a celebrity.
Of course it's this asshole. The golden boy. Look at them… cheering like he just saved the world, when all he did was pose for it. They don't even see it… how stupid can you be.
Then the other side of the noise grew louder. Groups of students stared at Trio from a distance. Some still held their phones out, recording the whole thing. Others backed away. One freshman student leaned over and whispered to his friend.
"Yo, bro. Is that actually Trio?"
The friend just stared, eyes wide in shock. "I mean… who else could it possibly be?"
"Sheesh. They weren't lying. This guy is not subtle. What's his rookie rank?" The kid asked.
"He doesn't have one."
"What. Why?"
"Because… he didn't join the program last year… duh."
"Huh? That's dumb. Why wouldn't he? He could easily be a top hero if he actually tried."
Another student, slightly older, confidently walked up. "Because he's a psycho, did you not see him earlier? He could've killed somebody, Shockwave did us all a favor."
Trio heard it all—every word slicing a little deeper.
His knuckles cracked tighter.
The pavement under his feet began to burn.
His jaw tightened hard, then he angrily stepped forward. "Yo, SHOCKWAVE. What the hell is your deal, huh?"
Students' heads whipped toward Trio from every direction. Shockwave turned to face him, his tone lifting into mock politeness. "Oh c'mon, Trio? You of all people should appreciate a little friendly competition, right?"
A twitch ran through Trio's eye. He stomped forward, heat hissing beneath his shoes.
Shockwave's smile held firm as Trio pointed a finger at his face. "Listen here, I'm not your friend dumbass. If I were you, I'd run back to your little course… and stay the hell out of my way."
Shockwave's frame hadn't broken, his innocent smile not fading once. He held his hands behind his back, silently daring Trio to try something. "That's funny you bring up the Hero Course. Still having some regrets about not joining? It's all good, bro. You can still hop in this year; I can teach you a lot of stuff, you know."
He calmly pointed past Trio at the street still hissing with fire and ice. Every head turned to see the chaos he'd carved through the city. "Like how to properly control your powers… like a real Hero."
Trio stepped closer, standing face to face now. "First things first, you can't teach me shit about being a real Hero. Secondly… fuck you… and that course."
The crowd erupted into hyper amusement. Murmurs broke throughout the courtyard.
"Ouuuuuu."
"Oh shit."
"Dang. Are they about to fight?"
"Wait what? He just said F the course? No lie, Shockwave… just kick this guy's ass."
He swept his gaze across the crowd, irritation cutting through his composure as he shifted his focus back to Shockwave. "Believe it or not… I don't need an audience cheering me on just to know I'm strong."
Even more noise broke out, whispers and laughter echoing louder, tension rising in the air. That line stung Shockwave harder than he wanted it to. His hands tightened behind his back as he tried to hold his composure.
He paused for a beat—then squinted his eyes as a condescending smile crept across his face. "I don't need my dad's name to win my battles."
Gasps rang through the courtyard. Trio froze. The sound bled out of the world in an instant. His gut twisted, breath hitching sharp and shallow. Hands trembling, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. Everything sounded distant to him—like the world had moved ten feet away. But that didn't stop the noise—
"DAAYYUUMM!!"
"WOAH, DID HE JUST SAY THAT?"
"AHAA, HOLY CRAP, SHOCKWAVE IS NUTS."
The crowd burst into a frenzy. Kids leaned over each other, climbed benches, laughing, chanting, picking sides, instigating behind the safety of their phones.
"Hit him! Hit him, Trio!"
"C'mon! Don't let him talk about your dad like that!"
"You're strong right? Show him."
Their voices tangled into one cruel rhythm—desperate for spectacle, for drama, for entertainment through watching someone else burn.
But Trio didn't hear them. The mention of his father had already broken him. He looked off to the side; the world around him seemed to slow down. The only voices he could hear were the ones in his own head. The memories of his mom's warning lingering in his psyche.
"The school is giving you one last chance to get your act straight."
"If you get expelled now it's all over. What are you going to do then?"
"You promised you'd be better this year. I trusted you!"
Then the other side of his memories started to flicker. Much more faint, but way more gutting, way more painful. These words drug like glass across his skin.
"Breaking news: Hero Command confirms Tony's final mission a failure—"
"The so-called 'Number One Hero' couldn't even protect his own country."
"How many cities burned under his watch during the war?"
"#TonyTheFraud trending again—people want answers. He had power beyond belief, and still… he lost. What does this mean for Hero Nation?"
The voices layered, warped, each one slicing through his chest like wire. Every syllable hissed with that same venom he'd heard for years—online, on TV, whispered in alleys, printed under his father's photo.
A chorus of ghosts telling him that mercy was weakness.
That his father failed.
That he would too.
Then—his fist IGNITED. A giant ball of inferno bursting from his hand, lighting up the courtyard. The crowd jumped back. Shockwave's smile faded. A reckless grin cracked across Trio's face as fire raced up his arm. "No more fucking talking."
HE SWUNG—the fire tore through the air as his arm lashed out.
Shockwave was taken aback by the sudden escalation. He was expecting a gesture, but he didn't see one. His cocky demeanor faltered for half a second.
But—
A blinding flash flared through the courtyard. Everyone's vision distorted for a moment. They covered their eyes, backed away, dropped their phones.
When the light readjusted, Trio's fist stood inches away from Shockwave's face. He quickly recomposed himself, and glanced aside.
A hand, firm, strong, authoritative, gripped Trio's wrist. Trio looked up and saw a figure. An older man with a look of pure exasperation.
Instructor Null.
Null stood between them, hand still held firm on Trio's wrist, eyes half-lidded like a man who hadn't slept in a decade.
"Trio…?" he muttered, rubbing his jaw with his other hand. "Ten minutes… school hasn't even been in session for ten… minutes… and you're already tryna get yourself booted?"
He let go of the wrist but didn't move. "I at least held out hope for an hour. You two had three months of summer to kill each other. Why now?"
Trio backed off, eyes still burning. Instructor Null turned to the crowd. "Alright, show's over. Everybody clear out before I start handing out write-ups. I'm not playing this year, act up and I'll get you outta here faster than you can blink."
The crowd started to disperse, kids laughed amongst themselves, mumbled insults, some still reeled with adrenaline. A few hung back in secret, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation.
Null tilted his head to Trio. "Listen here tough guy, you wanna prove yourself so bad? Join the damn Hero Program. Maybe then you'll actually learn how to fight like a man instead of a train wreck."
He turned to address both.
"But NOT on school grounds. This is a safe space—for everyone. You're lucky I don't hate you, Trio. This will be the last time I let something like this slide. Anything, and I mean anything else from you…" Null sliced his hand across his neck. "…and you're done."
He then shifted his attention to the Shockwave. "And you? You're not off the hook either, pretty boy. Stir up some more drama and we're gonna be deducting a few stripes from your rank."
Shockwave blinked in disbelief. "Huh? I didn't even do any—"
"Exactly. You didn't do… anything. That's the problem, not only are you the face of this academies Hero Program, but you're the symbol that society clings to for 'hope'."
He leaned down with a half tired smirk. "You uphold the standard. You're responsible for every room you walk into. You know what that means? You can't afford to do nothing."
Shockwave turned his head and smacked his lips. Trio said nothing, his blood still boiling with pent up anger.
Instructor Null eyed them both before turning to walk away. "Now… both of you… get the hell outta my courtyard."
He walked off, slicing through the dwindling crowd as he let out a deep sigh.
Man, looks like it's gonna be another one of those years. Great… how fun.
He looked down at his watch, checking the time.
Five more hours until lunch? God… I'm getting too old for this.
He disappeared back into the pile of bodies. Shockwave's smile returned ever so smug, as if it never left his face. "Welp. You heard the man, I'm outta here. See you later, Hotshot. Try not to hurt anybody okay? I wouldn't wanna have to… put you down."
Trio didn't flinch, didn't react, he took deep breaths, trying to compose himself. There were still a few kids lingering around, watching from a safe distance.
Shockwave turned away but before he started to walk off, he pivoted back to say one last thing. "By the way, I understand if you don't wanna become a Core Hero. It's a tough job, not everyone's built to handle that kind of pressure."
He started backing away as he put his hands up like an innocent peacemaker. "After all, that's why people like me exist… to protect people like you." He then turned his back and walked off.
Trio didn't respond, he clutched his fist to suppress his frustration. Knowing how much was at stake, his future hanging on by a fraction of a thread.
Still, that didn't stop the crowd from picking sides:
"That's the #1 rookie for you. Didn't even flinch."
"Yooooo. Can't lie, that was smooth Shockwave."
"He's lucky that Instructor guy stopped him, he didn't even know what he was getting himself into."
Shockwave cracked a heroic smile, nodded his head, and gave a 2 finger salute the crowd before strolling to the far end of the courtyard.
Some of the kids still leaned together in small groups around Trio. Silently instigating amongst themselves, quiet enough to stay hidden, but loud enough to be heard.
One student leaned closer than the rest, a devious smile tugged across his lips. "Dang, Trio. You just gone let him walk away after saying that? Man, I thought you were stronger than that."
Trio snapped his head at the student, fury written in his intense gaze. "Shut the fuck up. You wanna fight me? Huh?"
The kid's face went pale, eyes wide. He took a few quick steps back before throwing his hands up in a panic. "Woah. Gosh. Chill man. I was just kidding. Calm down, alright?"
They all started slowly backing away, Trio held the stare a moment longer, squinting his eyes at the kid like a dare. The young student still desperately held his hands out like he was pleading for his life.
Trio then turned his head back and walked forward through the courtyard. "That's what I thought… pussy."
With every step he took, groups of students parted out of his way. He could still hear faint mumbles cutting through the air as he passed through. He shook his head, put his hand to his face, and let out a deflated sigh as he rubbed his forehead.
Shit man, that was way too close. I almost lost everything back there… all because of some dumbass poster boy? Dammit… I don't know how I'm gonna—
As Trio's inner thoughts spiraled, a voice, soft, kind, fragile, spoke out to him. "Hey… uh T-T-Trio?"
Trio stopped in place, he dropped his hand, opened his eyes, tilted his head, and slowly slid his gaze to the direction of the voice.
Off to the side, a few steps back, stood a young boy—no older than 15. His head was down, avoiding eye contact, he trembled in his boots, hands held close to his chest. Then he gained the courage to speak. "I-I just wanna say… forget those guys, man. You're a beast, and your dad was a freaking legend. Don't let them get to you, I know you can prove them wrong."
Trio froze, he dropped his shoulders, his face grew a little softer. Then he turned to face the young boy and offered a calm smile. And even though it didn't reach his eyes, it was still enough to show that those words meant something. A slight flicker of hope in a society that he deemed worthless. "Thanks, kid."
He lifted his hand to the young student, the boy blinked, looked down, paused for a beat, then smiled.
Fist bump.