It was a rainy day; the rain was pouring down hard, lightning flashed and crackled with thunderous sounds. Thadeus was weaving and shooting fire at a boulder, but his flames were engulfed by the rain. 'Push past your limits!' yelled Mr. Cipher. 'But I can't!' Thadeus responded, dropping his hands in defeat. Mr. Cipher looked at him dead serious and asked, 'You can't or you won't?'
These words ignited a flame of fire inside Thadeus. He shifted his hands and feet accordingly in sight and uttered an incantation before unleashing a whirlwind of flames that engulfed the boulder, melting it into magma. Thadeus had unlocked his true potential. He gave Mr. Cipher a thumbs up and grinned.
Later that day, they entered a temple. Mr. Cipher seemed to be talking about fire mages and dragons, but Thadeus couldn't pay attention; he was shivering due to hyperthermia. 'Are you listening?' he asked. Thadeus nodded his head.
'Anyway, I brought you to this temple so you can meet the first superhero,' Mr. Cipher said, presenting Thadeus with a wooden statue of a beautiful woman with big, subtle breasts and wide hips. Thadeus narrowed his eyes. 'This is sus,' he said. Mr. Cipher wondered why he said that and turned around to see the statue. His face immediately turned pale as he desperately tried to hide it.'Aaaaaaaaahhhh!'
A monk, wearing priestly attire and holding beads, walked towards them, smiling devilishly. "Well, hello!" the monk waved, swaying side to side. Thadeus folded his fists, preparing to fight. But Mr. Cipher placed his hand on his shoulder and shook his head NO.
'Where's the Sun King?' he asked. 'Haven't you heard? Temples all around the world are switching to goddess worship. They have hips and curves in all the right places, and it's common tradition to put them in mini skirts,' the monk replied, touching the statue's leg and licking it. 'Something tells me that you made them that way so you can Goon to them,' Mr. Cipher replied. 'How dare you!?' The monk raised his aura, shaking the temple's pillars. Mr. Cipher motioned to Thadeus that they should get going, so they left the temple and were now well on their way.
Somewhere in a secluded forest, Thadeus and Mr. Cipher seemed to be walking in silence. Thadeus wanted to ask about the Sun King but didn't want to bother him with too many questions. Mr. Cipher noticed his eagerness to ask and decided to say, 'The Sun King is the first superhero.' Thadeus's face seemed to brighten up after he said those words.
'Once upon a time ,in a land far,far away, there was a boy named Nova. Nova was born to a royal family and lived most of his life behind castle walls; secluded from the outside world. He heard stories about a girl who was mistreated by her stepmother but ended up getting married to a prince. Another story was about a wolf who huffed ,puffed ,and blew away two houses except one . But the story that intrigued him the most was the story of Robinhood. He couldn't quite fathom why the rich steal from the poor when they already have life's many riches . So the next morning, Nova decided to help the maids with their chores and whenever he could, he would sneak out loaves of bread to his father's peasants. Everyone seemed very fond of him , and word quickly spread about his generosity. However, there was a void inside of Nova's heart , a void that couldn't be filled by generous acts . So he wandered the world in search of his better self and learned all of the fairytale stories. He realized that there's no fairytale story about superheroes. At first people thought that his idea was too sudden , and not very well thought-out, but after a while they decided to give it a try . He founded the first superhero school,shaping heroes and Legends. But a sea monster emerged and wanted to destroy everything he ever built. It's name was the Leviathan,and it was very big. A cataclysmic battle ensued between the leviathan and Nova . Seeing that he couldn't win ,Nova self- destructed , injuring the creature good enough to make it retreat back into the sea.Nova's story spread like wildfire, a beacon of hope ,whose light illuminated the darkness. He became known as the sun king, a legend shinning brightly , inspiring generations. The end...'
Thadeus's eyes shone with determination as he whispered, 'I want to be just like him!' Mr. Cipher smiled, his eyes cr crkling with approval. 'I have no doubt you will. Let's continue training!'
The next day, Thadeus shuffled into the classroom, his uniform a mess, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. Aries, passing by, felt an intense heat emanating from him and got scorched trying to touch him. 'What the...?' he exclaimed, surprised.
Thadeus dropped into his seat, zombie-like, as the class erupted in chaos – unicorns playing holla hoop, talking animals making out, and young elves observing Thadeus with pity. Aries, still frowning from his burn, slammed his hands on Thadeus's desk. 'Fight me!'
Thadeus looked up, his eyes dull, and said, 'Maybe next time.' Aries's face twisted in confusion – was it a yes or a no?
Mr. Cipher strolled in, refreshed, and chuckled at Thadeus's appearance. 'Geez, Thadeus, who mugged you?' Thadeus narrowed his eyes, unimpressed.
'Listen up, kids,' Mr. Cipher began, 'You've passed the entrance exam, but things are about to get harder from here. A superhero needs to embody truth, justice, and hope. You must be willing to sacrifice your life for others.'
Aries rolled his eyes, repulsed by the thought. Mr. Cipher continued, 'A superhero also needs a cool catchphrase and a costume!' The students lit up, and someone wheeled in a human dummy dressed in a superhero costume
The students used it as an inspiration to sketch out their outfits, Mr. Cipher was impressed by Thadeus and Aries's designs – Aries's sketch was the best, but Thadeus's concept, inspired by the Sun King, caught his eye.
Days later, the students donned their costumes, beaming with pride. Thadeus and Aries became overnight sensations, their rivalry simmering beneath the surface.