[John – Inner Monologue | Camera zooms through glass dome of the stadium]
> "Two months. 60 days. 1,440 hours. And somehow, I made it through meta-human boot camp without blowing something up—or myself. Mostly."
Camera pans across a diverse crowd of young meta-humans in sleek utility uniforms, the kind that scream "I'm barely qualified but probably dangerous." A banner above reads:
> "Congratulations Class 97 – Serving a Safer Tomorrow!"
---
> "Now, you might be wondering... how did a dude with no known relatives, an affinity for coffee-stained spreadsheets, and a reflex faster than my brain, end up here among the shiny elite? Same. Me too. Honestly, I thought I was just mildly athletic with caffeine-induced instincts. Turns out... I'm mildly dangerous with coffee-induced super reflexes. Progress."
---
Cue Instructor Varon – a tall man with cybernetic arms and a voice like gravel wearing sunglasses indoors (because, obviously).
> Varon: "Today marks the end of your training cycle and the beginning of your true test — field integration. Remember: The cape doesn't make the hero. The choices do."
---
> "Ugh. Classic graduation line. 7 out of 10 delivery. Lacks emotional punch. I'd recommend a retake, tighter frame on the jawline, maybe some rain for dramatic tension."
---
[John turns to a fellow recruit, a guy with glowing eyes named Max]
> Max: "I'm gonna fry a villain today. First one I see."
> John (internally): "There's always one guy who thinks he's the main character. Newsflash: If your arc starts with 'I wanna fry something,' your end scene probably involves body bags and regret."
---
[Background Characters – for comedic relief and emotional foreshadowing]
> Girl with shadow powers (emo haircut): "I just want my mom to be proud of me…"
> Boy who controls bees: "Does this uniform make me look like a wasp? I feel like a wasp."
> Fire-kid who sneezes fire: "ACHOO!" (Small flame hits Varon's shoe)
> Varon (without looking): "Try that again and you're on mop duty for a month."
---
> "Honestly, it's like the B-list Avengers out here. Someone's gonna get a spin-off, someone's gonna die in the first movie. And someone—me—is currently—wait—am I breaking the fourth wall?"
Camera zooms in on John's blinking eyes. He looks directly at the audience.
---
> "Wait… I am breaking the fourth wall. I see you. You see me. Writer? Hi. Love your work. Appreciate the dramatic pacing, the subtle tension between me and my manager—I see what you're doing."
> "So if I'm a fourth-wall-aware character… does that mean I don't die early? That's like plot armor, right? That's like... immunity necklace in a murder mystery!"
---
John looks up at the sky and raises his hand dramatically like Hamlet holding a crumpled diploma.
> "Thank you, dear narrator. For this precious gift. I shall use this self-awareness wisely… to not die like an idiot."
Beat.
> "Although I do feel like my thoughts are limited… I think I can't stay here longer than the writer wants... oh god, is this… the time-out zone?!"
---
His eyes twitch. A glitched visual of him flickers briefly.
---
> "Shit. I thought I was infinite. Time's... leaking. Focus, John. You've got screen time left. Don't waste it monologuing about monologuing!"
---
Back to the ceremony. John smiles genuinely, watching his peers celebrate. He claps slowly, awkwardly, still partly thinking he might dissolve into code any second.
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[Varon – Final Words]
> "You're not heroes yet. You're candidates. This world won't hand you applause. It'll hand you chaos. So go earn your cape."
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> "He really likes that 'cape' metaphor. He should write Hallmark cards for vigilantes."
Cue freeze frame on John grinning with his certificate, making finger guns at the camera.
---
TEXT ON SCREEN:
> JOHN REED
Power C
lass: Reflex Tier-3
Assignment: Team Beta, Recon & Analysis
Probability of Survival: 74%
Fourth Wall Awareness: Confirmed (Pending Exploitation)