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DATE:16th of May, the 70th year after the Coronation
LOCATION: Concord Metropolis
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I was woken up by a familiar girl kissing my neck. It was Alice, wearing an apron over her usual baggy clothes. I wasn't sure whether I'd forgotten to close the door or she'd gotten a key for it.
Whatever the case, she had a surprise in her hands. It was a box of cereal—Tubbies, I think they were called. They were small colored grain tubes with "fruit flavors." Apparently they could also have toys in them.
We ate some in the lounge while watching TV. She was going on a monologue about how "I" used to eat them with UltraMan and that we would fight over who got the better toys, or who got the current toy first. You'd think I was the one supposed to talk about them considering she was monologuing about "my" experiences, but I really had no memories of eating Tubbies when I was young, or any cereals for that matter. Father always said "I wouldn't deserve the grace of God." Such hypocrisy to bring a being like that into the discussion when talking about some stupid cereals. He was religious, but in a bad way.
My mother was even worse, going on about how they wanted to brainwash us with sugary products and chemicals. How the Normandians were devils in human skin. After growing up, I wasn't sure if she was exactly wrong...
In any case, I wouldn't say Tubbies was a bad product, but as I didn't grow up with them, I couldn't really say I liked the overly processed taste.
Alice seemed to really enjoy them.
But what was more important was what they discussed on TV:
"The Comedian escapes prison. Sources say he joined the Combine gang."
Now that was really bad. That was horribly bad. The Comedian—or Dovan, going by his actual name—was one of the biggest terrorists in the history of Concord. I actually didn't know why he was called the Comedian, as he was never stated to make jokes, but in the short five years he'd been active, he'd managed to kill the mayor thrice just to make a point, to destroy the Big Seven hero headquarters, and to kill more people than I had in ten lifetimes.
His power? It was very well documented. One of the most studied abilities because of its level of danger.
Anything he touched, he could then explode. The intensity was determined by how long he kept contact with the object.
That was an insanely powerful ability. I remembered one time when I was deployed in the Southern desert—he'd reached headlines by just touching random things on the street and detonating them at the same time. He'd destroyed ten city blocks at once.
UltraMan had recently detained him and he was going to be executed, but with the hero now being UltraDead, I supposed the Combine gang wanted to recruit more talent. I wasn't sure why they were even called a gang—they were a giant mafia at this point. Seriously, what was SuperiorWoman doing if she'd managed to let him escape from one of the highest security prisons?
Perhaps the real joke was how he still managed to roam the streets?
I got chills from such a revelation. What I'd managed to arrest together with Alice was just a lieutenant of the Combine gang, a guy called... Hellraiser? I didn't remember. He didn't even have any superpower, but I didn't know how he'd gotten that unnatural strength.
Going against the real supervillain? Yeah, I didn't think so. Against the Comedian, I wouldn't be able to escape with my life even with the highest dosage of cocaine. He'd just catch me by surprise. And I did not want to become another blood stain on his record.
I needed to escape this whole "joining the heroes" thing.
I looked at Alice and she was unusually angry. Like she was actually growling at the screen. Did she have some personal history with the Comedian? I could feel the negativity, so I wrapped my hand around her waist and dragged her closer to me.
"Hey. It's alright. I'm here."
And that... worked? I could feel her calm down as she pulled me in for a hug. Yup, she'd definitely lost someone to the Comedian.
But another matter was at hand. I pulled up my phone and contacted this inefficient AI.
"So how come this place isn't swarmed with the men after you? It's been a few days already."
"After observing the advancement of technology, I was able to create a form of VPN."
"Huh? What is that?"
"A virtual private network. I overtook such a service. But what I did isn't exactly that, as you usually need a physical server for it. I took diverse IPs from other connected local devices and scrambled this phone's location with them."
"Wouldn't that still only limit the scrambling to devices in Concord?"
"Yes. But this is just to delay their arrival. I still advise that we leave as far away as possible from here."
"Can't really do that yet."
"Is it because of Alice?"
"Kind of."
I hoped she wouldn't get to see these conversations, otherwise she'd misunderstand my intentions. In any case, I got bored of this sugar, so I went to my classes and then to train.
Today's training session started like most others. I stood still, feet shoulder-width apart, ready to begin the breathing exercises.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, pulling the air in slowly. One, two, three, four—until my lungs were full. I held it, focusing on staying still. Uncomfortable, but that was the point.
Then I exhaled, slow and controlled. Steady pace, no rushing.
Next, I added resistance—grabbed a thin straw from the table and repeated the process, breathing in slowly and letting the air out through the narrow opening. Each breath felt more labored. My chest tightened, my lungs strained, but that's where the progress came from.
Halfway through, I introduced movement—holding a plank while focusing on my breathing. The burn in my arms and core combined with the pressure in my lungs was intense. My breath became shallow, but I stayed with it, counting the seconds, forcing myself to stay in control. Every second stretched out, slow and grueling.
When I finally let go, dropping from the plank and releasing the last bit of air, I felt lighter. Fatigued, but satisfied.
I was getting close to that four-to-five-minute goal. Strangely, I seemed to have even more control when under the effect of the mysterious packets from the professor.
The rest of the day was mostly uneventful.
We started preparing for the end-of-year celebration, and in the evening I watched a movie with Alice in the lounge.
She said it was a "classic" I had to remember from childhood, but I had the same problem as with the cereals. How could I fake nostalgia to this level? Was she so naive she didn't understand how forced I sounded about everything? I doubted it. She chose to be blind. That was why I feared Alice.
What would happen when she opened her eyes?
I went to sleep close to midnight.
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DATE:17th of May, the 70th year after the Coronation
LOCATION: Concord Metropolis
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I felt refreshed.
No classes today.
I got up early and prepared for the festivities. The water was especially cold—no doubt a lot of students were also showering.
At the end-of-year celebration, all teachers wore a unified accessory designed for the occasion. A sleek silver pendant in the shape of a laurel wreath with an emblem of an open book and the school's crest. I think this was a policy from the Unified Kingdom? I wasn't sure. We were supposed to wear them over our suits, but I neither had one nor wished to buy such an aged fashion product.
The end-of-year celebration took place in the school's small theater. The atmosphere was more personal than grand—possibly disappointing? UltraMan used to come to these events, and his cousin, SuperiorWoman, didn't bother. Well, I could afford her some slack. She was too busy losing her grip on this city.
The stage was modest but functional, with a large banner displaying the academy's insignia hanging in the background. Each student entered the spotlight in turn to receive recognition for their progress.
The teachers sat in the front rows, wearing their laurel-shaped pendants that shimmered under the soft lighting. The temporary headmaster—the English teacher, I forgot her name—delivered a speech from the stage, her words focused on the importance of balance. Of understanding not just how to wield their powers, but when and why to use them. Strange thing to focus on when their former role model was involved in such a shady cover-up. I could feel that sentiment brewing between them. I supposed this was also a lesson: no matter how powerful you are, someday, sometime in the future, a drug addict will find you.
I honestly didn't know why they thought of me that way.
Or I did.
When it was time for each student to receive their badge, the room was silent except for the proud murmurs of parents. There were many heroes in the room—I knew that even if they were in civilian clothes. The badges bore not only the academy's emblem but a personalized inscription for each graduate, recognizing their unique strengths and contributions.
As the ceremony drew to a close, the students gathered for one last shared moment. They would be the next puddle of terror drowning this city.
Or was the good they might do enough to pardon them from all the horrible actions? Blazer came from this very academy. Mr. Perfect also did. Hell, even the Haymaker hailed from this place. What the hell was that supposed to mean about their training?
Sure, some would say those were outliers, broken people not caught by the system, but how was that any excuse? Yakov acted like a killer even now. Silvia's whole gang was made up of these very people, yet they weren't put on any kind of watch. They weren't observed, nor punished. The teachers were so scared to push these losers away because of their "familial bonds" that they consciously let them become monsters.
Wasn't this a horrible academy? Three of the biggest killers came from this place. They weren't even the only ones.
But whatever. Let's be cheerful for these dangerous students we care about "as if they were our children." Let us praise them and inflate their egos. Let us ignore any kind of humility and drown in the idea that "the world is at our feet." Balance? Such a poignant matter. No—a lamentable one.
This whole festivity was deplorable. I hated it.
At least this was the last day I'd spend in this horrible place.
After the main event, the parents, representatives from hero agencies all over the Unified Kingdom, and the teachers met to negotiate about who got to recruit which student.
Alice wanted my support, but what exactly was I supposed to do for her? I wasn't part of her agency. It was strange that they let a girl with so little backbone manage such an important matter, but I thought it just showed how little manpower SuperiorWoman had to spare. Was it arrogance that she didn't ask for help from others? Or was it because they wouldn't provide any?
That wasn't my problem. Or was it? If I thought about it, if Alice really brought me into her clique, I'd have to deal with all these active villains. Was that a punishment for what I'd done? Too late to run away now. I might as well use their support in dealing with the Don.
So while Alice dealt with that, I remembered to call the Changeling. Just as she'd previously said, I'd found her number on my desk one evening.
I called and there was a long ring before I got hung up. Just as I was getting bored, a hand wrapped around mine. The skin was unnaturally cold. It was the Changeling. I elbowed the figure behind me, but she countered by pulling me closer.
The Changeling had a different appearance. Red hair falling in loose waves past her shoulders. Pale, freckled skin. Green eyes. She looked to be in her late thirties. Earthy tones, casual but elegant style.
"Did Bobba Boo miss me?"
"As if." I pushed her away, managing to beat her dexterity this time.
"I wondered if you ran away."
"There would be no point." I could see a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.
"Anyhow, let's go for a walk!"
"Sure, but not around here. Too many eyes."
"That... is true." We left the academy and continued our conversation when we'd gotten some distance.
"You said you would leave this place after the end of the year, right?"
"Yes, kind of, but it appears that Liliam will more or less forcefully recruit me into UltraMan's legion." I could see a hint of surprise in her expression, but I was sure it was faked. Covering her mouth in amazement certainly didn't help quell this impression.
"I didn't know you two were so chummy."
"Yeah, apparently we are."
"So..." Still covering her face, the Changeling's cheeks reddened, as if embarrassed to continue.
"Did you two... do the wanky?" What the hell was wrong with her?
"Do you want me to beat you right here?"
At that dare, she beamed with confidence and threw her hair back.
"Haha, little man, you only get to touch me when I want you to. Let's not—"
I breathed in and threw a hook at her cheek. Her reaction wasn't even close to avoiding it.
Even still, the Changeling's superior strength meant she only stumbled backwards instead of falling.
"W-what!? What the heck!" She clutched her cheek, but it wasn't bleeding.
"How could you just hit a maiden?"
"Bitch, you are the farthest thing from a maiden in this city." I was done with her bullshit.
"Hehh, well, I guess I also like rowdy boys?" It was clear I'd caught Sophie at a loss for words.
"So did you fuck around this past week or did you progress on finding the Don?"
"I... Uhh... What have you done if you want to play, Mr. Efficient?" These weak-ass responses... The Changeling had lost her touch.
"I, in fact, am working on something."
"Yeah? Impress me."
"You know about AI?"
She put her hand in those dense red locks—it seemed like it disappeared within them.
"Like... the movies?" I was sure the Changeling wasn't cultured enough to know what I was actually talking about. She was the kind of person who would only watch movies as an excuse to have sex.
"I'm trying to get one online."
"No, wait a second. How?"
"It's complicated. I won't bother to explain the whole thing. Just keep in mind it will take me a while, so you should also try something else in the meantime."
"Like what? Mr. Roboto got promoted to idea man?" Such a brat. Act your age, grandma.
"Can't you infiltrate? What else is your power even good for?"
"If I was enough to do it alone, I wouldn't need your help, Boo."
"I'm not saying to get to the Don. I'll need a phone from one of his agents. Preferably an important one."
"What? You'll download his passwords?" She asked that in a sarcastic tone, but I had no idea why. What else would I do with an AI?
"Exactly."
"No way!" I always disliked how false the Changeling acted.
We walked for another half hour before returning to the academy for the adult celebration. I watched the students be picked up by their parents—some for the upcoming holiday, some to never return. Others remained at the campus, either because they'd leave later or because they wouldn't leave at all. This academy was also a refuge for superhero orphans.
Afterwards, the teachers and what heroes remained went to the gymnasium for a little party.
It wasn't as grand as the celebration for the academy's founding, but the idea that I'd finally leave this place at least made me more relaxed.
Alice was tense, and I had the idea it wasn't from the negotiations. Thinking clearly, it could only be that she'd heard some bad news or... it was because of me. I couldn't imagine any reason for her behavior, except... someone saw me leave with Sophie?
Either way, this wasn't good. Alice didn't want to talk, but I dragged her outside the gymnasium. She was very grumpy, and I was having a hard time relating this girl to the cheerful one I knew. Perhaps it was her period?
No.
I asked her directly what was happening, and my worst thought came true.
She was actually jealous that I'd left with some girl she'd seen among the parents.
That was so stupid.
I won't go into detail. I explained how there wasn't anything between us, just that the woman was inappropriate, that she didn't respect others' private space... Blah blah blah.
I cringed internally with every word, but what point was there in angering my biggest tool at this very moment?
She then went into an outburst about how she felt sorry and how she loved me... What was this scene?
I honestly wanted to kill myself. Was I supposed to say "I also love her" and place a soft kiss on her lips while I caressed her hair to let Alice know how much I loved her too, and how... How... So stupid. I was too old for this crap. Far too uninvolved to care.
With a neutral tone, I told her that "I felt the same." Apparently that was enough. We embraced each other in an "honest" display, where we stayed for a couple more minutes.
Afterwards, I suggested that we return to the party.
I was very tired.
When the festivity was finished, we said our goodbyes and went to get our clothes. I'd already finished packing mine in the morning, cramming everything into a duffel bag, but I had to help Alice with hers for another hour.
What kind of woman was this horrible at housework? Did she live with a maid? I didn't think she was that rich.
Anyway, we took one final goodbye from the teachers in the lounge and went to the car. I was unnerved by the look Mr. Perfect gave me. It was so deranged... and I didn't even think it was intentional.
Alice pushed the acceleration pedal like a maniac, speeding through the packed streets.
This was when I remembered I hadn't talked with her about where we'd be going. It was too late to get my initiation paperwork.
"You don't have an apartment, right? I remember you said you were a freelancer."
"No, I don't. Why?" I could feel her curling up in the driver's seat. The temperature in the vehicle rose dramatically. She was blushing.
"Then... how about you live with me?" I wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of spending more time with this girl, but I also didn't exactly have the funds to waste on lodging for the upcoming operation on the Don.
"Sure. I'd be happy."
"Y-you would?" I was honestly concerned by how much she was blushing. Not because I was moved on an emotional level, but she was still speeding above the legal limit and she wasn't looking at the road anymore. Look at the road, dammit!
Our destination was an old, giant structure—an antique skyscraper built in the era of the Concordian Nobility. The neighborhood was made up of office buildings, yet this one was entirely residential. It was so big I wouldn't be surprised if it could house two thousand people.
Of course, nowadays these were quite expensive places of residence. Was this an apartment she'd received from her family, or was Alice making that much money from graphic design?
I actually didn't care to ask.
In the past years, some architects had managed to build underground parking between the giant beams used as foundation.
Our next step was to take the elevator. This was the part of the building that looked most antique.
The Balßh Tower, as it was called, had an intricate elevator system based on hydraulic pressure. Alice tried to explain it to me, but it was way out of my comprehension of engineering. It had no electric parts—that's what I understood. This meant the inside cabins were pitch black except for some antique oil lamps.
I'd argue that such a safety hazard should be replaced, history be damned, but it wasn't really my place to talk. What was interesting was that it had five elevators—four small ones for people and one giant thing made to bring luggage. I heard it was now referred to as the carriage compartment.
We exited on the 13th floor. Her apartment number was 1313. I'd heard that in Chou culture it was considered a bad omen. No wonder. Or was it a cursed omen?
She excitedly started a tour of the place.
The apartment was spacious and modern. Large, comfortable sofa. Trendy accent chairs. Glass and metal coffee table. Soft, neutral colors on the walls with abstract art that didn't really make sense. I called it presumptuous.
There was a large window that let in natural light with a view of the city skyline. It was inviting, but something was off—it was too immaculate, like it had never really been lived in. Everything was organized with not a single item out of place. Especially strange for someone like Alice.
The kitchen was equally modern—stainless steel appliances, sleek island, though it looked hardly used. That was what I'd expected. She was more of a "take-out" kind of girl.
In one corner was a desk with a high-tech computer setup, full of screens and gadgets that seemed more advanced than necessary for working from home. Impressive, but excessive.
The bedroom was simple. Neatly made bed, dresser with a lot of books on top—and I meant a lot.
Overall, it was a nice apartment, but there was something off about it. Too perfect for Alice.
It was the start of something new.