The courtyard still hadn't cooled down,
phones still pointed at the spot where the altercation happened like ghosts replaying the scene on loop.
Trio walked through it slow, hands in his pockets, eyes low. Every step kicked up the leftover dust of his own temper.
Whispers followed him like static—his name passed around, chewed up, exaggerated.
As he started to separate from the gossip—ZOOM—Speed dashed up next to him in a blur. "Trio! What did you do? Everyone's tossing your name around like a dodgeball."
"Don't worry about it. Just some more Hero Society bullshit." Trio flicked his hand dismissively. But heat was still simmering in his aura.
Speed squinted his eyes. "Hm. Liar. I know something happened. You better not have done something stupid—"
"I already told you…" Trio snapped. "It's nothing. Just had a little meet up with that Shockwave guy."
Speed recoiled and raised a brow in petty confusion. "Shockwave?! You're over here getting all heated up over Shockwave??"
He bumped Trio's shoulder with a cheeky smirk. "What happened? Did he hurt your little feelings?"
"Shut upppp." Trio exhaled.
"Awww, poor guy." Speed said before perking up. "Hey! You want me to beat em up for you? I did 5000 pushups in 10 minutes this morning… I can take em."
He put his fists to his face, bobbing and weaving like he was simulating a boxing match. "First—I'll run around for a little bit, get em tired out. Then—I'll run around him and hit em with a zip-zip, bam-bam. Then—I'll run around him again and hit em with a ZOOM-BOOM. Then—I'll run around him again and hit em with a flying knee to the face—WHAM. Then—I'll—"
*Pfft* Trio let out a soft chuckle. He put his head down, covering his mouth, tryna play it cool.
Speed blinked. "What?? I was actually being serious that time."
Trio looked back up at Speed with a half-smile. "Bruh, that's so stupid. Does every attack you do involve 'running around'?"
Speed scratched his head as he thought. "…Well I mean… yeah. That's kinda the point. Gotta build up that momentum! Everybody can't just burst into flames like you."
He then pondered for a second, taking a look at the sky. "Wellll, I guess I cooouuulldddd skip gears… but I've never used that for fighting before. That might do more harm than good."
Trio shook his head with a soft laugh. "Hm, whatever. Thanks for the offer little guy, but I don't need your help. Especially not for that clown. By now he should've already re-applied for the Hero Course, so I won't have to worry about seeing him around too often."
Speed flinched, realization flashing across his face. "Oh crap, the Hero Course? What time is it?"
He checked his watch: 8:23 am.
Speed clenched his teeth. "Aww, dangit. Almost 8:30? I gotta go, wouldn't wanna be late to sign up."
Trio's brow arched in suspicion. "Sign up… for what?"
Speed rubbed the back of his neck, his grin stretching wide. "Heheh oh yeahhh, forgot to mention… I decided I was gonna sign up for the Hero Program this year."
Trio stared flatly. "…what the hell?"
Speed shrugged. "Listen, it's my first year even being eligible. I just wanna see what it's all about, okay? No big deal."
Before Trio could speak, Speed checked his watch, looked up, and threw a peace sign with a wide grin. "We'll talk later. Gotta go. BYE."
Trio extended a hand after him. "Wait a minute—"
ZOOM.
Gone.
Trio let out an irritated sigh. "Dammit, not you too."
Then a voice boomed over the academy's loudspeaker: "Attention students, power probation starts at 8:30. Any students using power related gestures will receive an immediate five-day suspension."
Trio shook his head and finished his walk through the courtyard, hands in his pockets.
As he stepped inside, he was greeted by a sleek, giant lobby, teeming with life and energy. Metallic shine and futuristic polished tech scaling the walls. Powers, chatter, laughter, and motion filled the air; no two students looked remotely the same. Levitating notebooks. Limbs stretching down halls. Bionic arms, and spotlights where eyes should be. One kid was showing off his marble skin to a few girls before being mistaken as a floor tile by a cleaning drone.
Every second before the power probation period was a chance to flex. one final window to flaunt their abilities before having to suppress their powers for the day. Once probation hit, every spark, flame, or levitation went dark until the final bell.
Trio slipped past the chaos and into the main hall. Digital walls flickered with schedules, names, and rules—each one humming in fluorescent light. The sunlight beamed through the glass roof like a liquid dome. Teachers and instructors doing their best to create order. The entire atmosphere screamed prestige, prominence. The heartbeat of the Hero Society's next generation.
Trio strolled through it all, unimpressed. Even with all the laughter and movement happening around him, he still somehow felt isolated. Like an outcast in a society blinded by glitter and glam.
Still, he only had one goal… stay out of trouble… get through this last year… and finally graduate. With a diploma, he could still find a solid career, make a decent living, still train to get stronger, protect his family from danger. At this point, anything outside of the maximum sentence in a penitentiary would make his mother proud. But what about his father? That's the question he could never face.
As his mind started to drift, his inner thoughts were cut off by a familiar voice. "Yo Trio!" A girl called out to him.
His face brightened as he turned — three familiar figures approaching through the crowd. At the head of the pack walked a short, young lady with rolled sleeves and a grin that could outshine morning light.
Weapon Girl
Long brown hair tied back into a messy bun, oversized book bag clanking with random tools, she walked with a confident little bounce in her natural gait. She carried an easy, childlike energy that softened every edge around her.
Behind her was a young man with a small frame and sharp eyes tucked away behind a pair of thick bifocals.
X-Ray
He carried a calm demeanor and a quiet posture, along with his signature polite smile that always looked halfway apologetic. His hair neatly combed, uniform crisp like he ironed it twice, as if he was the ocd of the group. Way too organized for his own good.
Standing next to him was a guy who could best be described as 'unapologetically himself'. His button-up shirt halfway untucked, his athletic frame being betrayed by his potbelly that subtly hung down in front of him.
Investable.
He lazily finished his half-open bag of chips before crushing the bag and tossing it behind him, looking around to make sure nobody saw.
The gang walked up to Trio. They grouped up like they always did, not forced, not awkward, just… natural. And even though none of them shared anything in common, they still somehow clicked in a way only broken teens could. A quiet bond through unspoken hardship.
Weapon Girl stepped forward with a friendly mocking smile. "How you feeling, big guy? We heard you were about to give Shockwave a real good one to the FACE!"
Trio rolled his eyes as she bounced beside him and lightly punched his arm. "Glad summer hasn't changed you much. You somehow manage to outdo yourself every year."
"No kidding," X-Ray said, shaking his head in exasperation.
He raised his phone up to Trio's face. "Some of them already started posting the video. People are going crazy over it. You're practically already going viral and school hasn't even technically started yet… quite impressive if I'm being hones—"
Ping-Ping.
"Goddammit, this is ridiculous!" Investable blurted out, eyes locked on his phone while his fingers rapidly tapped away at the screen. "Are these people stupid? Almost everyone in the comments is saying you were about to lose. Nah, this slander is insane."
He started typing faster, face tense with conviction. Then, with one hand still hammering out replies, he shot Trio a confident thumbs-up. "Don't worry, I got this."
His split a confident smile as his focus locked in. Fingers still frantically typing. "Damage control, baby. I'm gonna reframe the narrative, turn the tide, boost engagement, and flip the algorithm back into YOUR favor."
He dug his face deeper into his phone. "Okay, let's see… a few buzzwords here, a quote there, a flex there. Then, you gotta sliiideee in the jab ever so slightly."
He rubbed his chin in thought for a beat—then. "Got it." He jumped back to typing. "How… hot… is… your… fire… brokie?"
X-ray took a confused blink. "Why are you calling them broke? This has nothing to do with money."
Investable gave X-Ray a quick glance. "Because, if your power is weak you're basically poor… duh."
Trio waved to grab his attention. "Bro, just chill. It's pointless anyway. Talking is easy when you can't fight. Let those dumbasses believe what they want. It's not that deep."
Investable raised an eyebrow in utter confusion. "…Not that deep?! This is everything! This is your brand we're talking about! What these people are doing is no less than defamation of character!"
Investable walked up and put an arm around Trio, poking his chest as he spoke. "You're not seeing the big picture, Tri-man. These people are trying to ruin your 'anti-hero' image. I as your friend cannot sit back and let that happen. That's bad business!"
Trio just stared with a confused expression. "…I don't own a business."
Investable leaned closer with a sleazy smirk. "Not yet, Tri-buddy, not yet!"
He let go and tapped Trio on the arm. "Don't worry, we're gonna work on that. After we graduate imma hook you up with my starter plan. I gotchu alright?"
X-ray pulled Investable back. "Investable, just stop, okay? You're not helpin—"
Ping—Ping—Ping.
X-Ray was cut off by Investable's phone pinging with notification. Investable looked down. "Ah, shit. More comments. Sheesh man these people won't quit."
He started frantically typing away at the screen again, muttering the words out loud as he typed. "Why don't you… come… show him… how weak… he… is…"
Weapon Girl dashed up to Investable and snatched the phone from his hand. "You dummy! Why would you indirectly threaten people for Trio? And what are you gonna do if they actually show up for real?"
Investable shrugged confidently. "That's easy. Just tell Trio to beat 'em up—"
BONK!—"OWWWWWWW!"
Investable started rubbing the lump on his head after Weapon Girl hit him up side the temple. "Quit being stupid! You know he can't afford another fight! What's wrong with you?"
She grabbed him by the collar and aggressively pulled him up. Eyeing him with protective intensity. "What? Are you trying to get him expelled or something? Huh?"
Investable stared at her with an intimidated grimace. He clenched his teeth hard in fear. She leaned in closer, daring him to say something dumb. Then—he lowered his head in defeat. "nooooo…"
She gripped his collar tighter and pointed at Trio. "Then apologize!"
Investable slowly turned his head to Trio with a look of defeat on his face. "sorry, Trio…"
Trio and X-Ray chuckled hard while shaking their heads. "You're a dumbass, bro…" Trio folded his arms. "But you're good."
Then—in an instant—Weapon Girl snapped back into her friendly demeanor and released his collar with an innocent smile. "Okay, we're good! 😁"
X-Ray shook his head and turned to Trio. "Anyway, what class do you have for homeroom, Trio?"
Trio waved his hand through his hair. "World history… Mr. Stern."
"Oouuu yay! Me too! This should be fun then!" Weapon Girl said bouncing over with excitement. She leaned in and whispered in Trio's ear. "Don't worry,
I know how much you hate history class. You can copy my homework, just try not to make the teacher cry this year, okay?"
"Hm, no promises." Trio said with a cocky smirk.
X-Ray stepped up with concerned confusion. "But wait, Weapon Girl… what about if you make it past tryouts? Then you'd just be part of Hero Course… right?"
Weapon Girl's shoulders dropped, she let off a sad frown. "Ahh mann, that's true. I forgot about that…"
Trio raised an irritated brow. "Wait a minute, you signed up for Hero Course too?" He said as his voice started to rise.
Weapon Girl perked up again. "Yup! We all did! I mean, I do plan on becoming a Core Hero after all. Plus I wanna see what cool stuff they might teach, I think it'll be interesting."
Trio flashed an expression of pure disgust. His voice got louder with every word. "Interesting?! You're about to join some bullshit training course because it's interesting??"
X-Ray followed up. "I don't really how to feel about it myself. However, all I care about is acquiring more strength. I'm sure the Hero Course will help with that."
Trio facepalmed in disbelief. "I can't believe y'all are actually signing up for that dumbass course."
He looked up at Investable, who stared back at him with a confident smile. "Let me guess Investable… you joined too?"
"Ohh yeah!" He said with a self-assured nod. "You wanna know why?" He then put up three fingers. "Money… money… and guess what else…" he smiled. "…money."
Then, he put his hands up like he just cracked a code. "All I need is a B-Rank rating and I'll be set for life. THEN… I can drop my new course. I'm gonna call it…"
He reached down into his pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and confidently slid them on his face with a cool smirk. "…Alpha Hero Strategies."
They all stared at him in disbelief. He started pacing back and forth like a preacher. "First, I'll document my lifestyle as a Core Hero, market that to the average blue collar Hero, then—I'll provide a step by step game plan of how they can live a life just like mine… IF they buy my course. Heheh."
He pulled his glasses down and looked up to the ceiling with a twinkle in his eye. "Ahhhh… genius."
Nobody said anything; everybody just stared in confused silence. The sound of laughter and chatter in the background filled the empty space with white noise. Then, Weapon Girl finally spoke. "…You're an idiot."
"Thank you!" Investable said with a point.
Then He walked up and nudged Trio's shoulder. "And what about you Tri-man? You gonna stop playing around and actually join this year or what?"
He leaned in with a devious smirk. "I mean, cmon… someone as strong as you still having to go to Econ?! That's a bad look, my guy."
Trio pushed his face away. "Don't piss me off." He said with casual aggression. "My opinion hasn't changed since last year… I'm not joining."
All three simultaneously gasped in disbelief. They all looked at each other with the same confused expression.
Weapon Girl threw her hands up. "I don't understand, Trio. You're so strong! You could easily be a top ranked Core Hero… maybe even an S-Rank!"
Trio folded his arms and looked off to the side. "That sounds nice… too bad I'm not a Hero."
She blinked once with a look of concern on her face. "…So… you're a Villain?"
"Of course not." Trio said with a snark.
Investable looked at Weapon Girl while gesturing his arms toward Trio. "I told you already—he's an Anti-Hero. Isn't that obvious?!"
"Shut up, Investable." Trio barked. Investable's face instantly dropped to a frown.
He subtly flicked his trident earring before he spoke. "Look. I'm not a Villain, not a Hero, not an anti-hero… I'm just me."
Then he folded his arms. "Why would I risk my life to save people who couldn't give two shits about me? People who'd love me one minute then spit on me the next? No thanks."
All three looked at each other in confusion.
Trio shrugged his shoulders. "This world doesn't need anymore Heroes. It needs a realist. Someone who's actually gonna put a stop to this bullshit."
He approached the group and eyed them all. "Y'all wanna run around and save people from burning buildings all day? Be my guest. I'll be the one to take out the bastard who lit the match."
A long silence swept through the group as they all glanced upon each other.
Then X-Ray spoke up. "Hey trust me, I understand how you feel. But I do believe you're being a bit closed minded. Is self sabotage really the best option?"
His eyes sharpened at Trio as he spoke. "Hero or not, look at the benefits of the course. You'll get to fight for free. You can productively take out all your anger. Don't have to worry about write ups, or expulsion, or homework. You'll get training to be able to protect the people you love and make a good living while doing it."
Trio still stood with his arms folded. X-Ray narrowed his gaze. "You know that. But you're intentionally making life harder for yourself. Why?" He asked with a firm tone?
He paused for a beat before continuing. "Why do you seem to hate Heroes so mu—"
X-Ray was cut off by a loud shout heading their way. "HEY! THERE HE IS!"
In an instant a group of three freshman kids ran up to Trio and the gang. They bombarded him with questions and comments like unaware paparazzi.
"Hey, Trio we saw you about to go crazy out there!"
Trio squinted his eyes at them with a deadpan stare.
"No really. I'm so mad that teacher guy stopped it, I wanted to see you go demon mode one time!"
Trio's jaw clenched, his anger started growing hotter. Weapon Girl and X-Ray stared with concern in their eyes.
"Especially when that Shockwave guy started talking shit about Tony! Ohh man, I saw the look in your eye, you were about to beat the crap outta him!"
Trio's eye twitched, his fist clenched, blood starting to boil over. Investable covered his mouth and looked away, already knowing this interaction was bad news.
The other kid smacked his friend on the shoulder. "Hey, don't bring up Tony's name like that! Don't you know he hates when people talk about his dad?! What are you tryna do? Get us all murdered?"
Trio didn't move, he just stared at the young students. Malice flooded his eyes, rage building in his core.
Still, they didn't notice. Too caught in their own hype to be aware of their foolishness.
"Forget about him, Trio, he's not a real fan like us."
"YES I AM!"
"No you're not! I heard you rooting for Shockwave earlier!"
"SO? WHY CAN'T I BE A FAN OF BOTH."
"Cuz if you're a Shockwave fan then you can't be a Trio fan, stupid. That's the point!"
"NOT TRUE!"
"Shut up before you make him mad again." The kid at the front of the pack yelled. "Don't listen to them, man. Anyway, can we get an autograph? Huh, Trio? Huh? Can we?" One kid said, holding out his notebook with an innocent smile.
Silence…
Nobody said a word. Trio just stared at them, fire blazing behind his eyes. They stared back with unaware amusement. Weapon Girl, X-Ray, and Investable braced themselves, ready for the worst.
A few seconds passed, Trio still didn't speak. His gaze hadn't dropped once. The kid pulled back his notebook and took a step back. "Umm.. is.. is that a no?"
Trio still didn't speak, It was almost as if the air around them started to rise in temperature. The kids started sweating.
Weapon Girl's eyes flicked between the group of kids, then at Trio, then back at the kids, then back at Trio. Then she looked back at the kids. "Ummm, you guys should probably leave."
They all took a reluctant step back. "Uhh… what do you mean. Trio… you good, man?" He said with a loud gulp.
Investable walked up to the side of Trio and poked his arm—
Tssss—"Ah! Crap!"—his finger sizzled on contact; he yanked his hand back and waved it frantically in the air. Then he looked back up at the group of kids. "Yeah… on second thought… you guys should run."
They took 3 quick steps back. "Uh, Really?"
Trio nodded. "…yeah."
They all flinched. "Oh crap… maybe this was a bad time. We'll leave you alone for now… maybe after school then?"
Trio took one step forward—they all nearly jumped out of their skin. "Shit. Okay guys, time to go. BYE TRIO. WE LOVE YOU."
FEWM—they dashed off without a second thought. As they ran, their yelling could be heard in the distance.
"See, this was all your fault."
"Why??"
"I told you don't bring up his dad, stupid. Now he hates us."
"That's not my fault. How would I know that a simple word would make him mad? Maybe he should get therapy or something."
"You need therapy, birdbrain."
"Shut up!"
Trio just stared at them as they disappeared to the far end of the school lobby. Anger, annoyance, confusion, and pity were all emotions that were shown on his face.
Then he looked back at his friends. "…that's why."