Whisperwind was no longer Whisperwind. Instant’s mere presence seemed to have sucked the identity out of it. Remy felt like he was back in Everforge when a group of S-class superheroes would defend the city. Thousands of humming flying capsules littered the skies, eradicating the town’s characteristic quiet nature. Everyone inside them seemed to be cheering with excitement and joy

Remy took a step back, struggling to measure his breathing. Flashes of Amelia’s dead body flashed in his mind, followed by her last conversation in Everforge before being abducted.

I never trusted you, Instant, but this? Really? What are you doing?

It’s only business. Now come.

Jay gently shook Remy’s shoulder. “You don’t have to watch this. We can leave now if you want.”

“No,” Remy said. “Sensei is finally taking a stand like you wanted, and he told me not to look away. We must see this through.”

Vines tossed Sensei Hayato’s katanas back into his hands. Instant cracked his neck to one side before slowly advancing. He teleported and hurled a punch. Hayato deflected with one sword, but it turned into dust.

The commentator, John, laughed. “Instant shows off his newly acquired Disintegrate ability from the Transmutation Flow Site. How magnificent!”

Hayato ducked, weaved and danced away from a whirlwind of punches, but Instant still managed to catch him off guard, punching through his last katana, reducing it to dust. Many vines zoomed after Instant, though he teleported away, before displaying his signature move, teleporting to such an extent dozens of afterimages formed.

The commentators and spectators cheered. Even Remy was mesmerised by the ability. He had, of course, seen it many times online but seeing it in person was a different experience entirely, especially when exacerbated by his super vision. The superhero was teleporting one hundred times per second. Maybe even more.

Hayato extended his arms forward. From the rich soil, dozens of plant entities began to take shape, their forms resembling that of humans. Thick hardened vines intertwined to form limbs, while leaves and petals adorned their figures like vibrant garments. They charged towards Instant who quickly went to work, decimating them one by one with a single punch, still teleporting chaotically. Within mere seconds, the small army Hayato had conjured along with all of the thorned vines were gone like they never existed.

Instant raised a fist in the air and the crowd went wild.

“And there it is!” Rich cried. “An act of bravado. Instant gives his signature taunt–no, not a taunt. A signal! A signal for an execution!”

Instant teleported behind Hayato and threw a flurry of punches. Remy’s heart thumped, noticing the pained expression on Sensei’s face, as he narrowly dodged each attack. The old man had not been hit once but it was clear he was physically and mentally exhausted. All of the adrenaline must have finally disappeared.

Two Instants suddenly appeared, the result of a level of teleportation speed nearly unfathomable. They circled Hayato as if they were different people entirely before lashing out with a swift kicking combination.

Hayato avoided the first kick aimed at the stomach but another leg crashed into his shoulder, violently sending him to the ground. He did not move.

“Sensei!” Remy yelled.

One Instant held Hayato up while the other pummelled him with merciless, unnecessary punches. They removed Hayato’s mask to reveal a bruised, bloodied face, one eye completely swollen shut. Remy sunk to his knees, though refused to look away.

“Instant has taken down Blood Hound!” John boomed. “As expected, the blue-masked superhero succeeds once again!”

The holographic display in the sky showed a quick replay of the brutal assault, but Remy did his best to ignore it, focusing on Hayato’s face. The old man nodded once slightly, smiled, and whispered something. Jay took off his blindfold, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Stolen novel; please report.

From head to toe, Sensei Hayato slowly crumbled into dust.

----------------------------------------

Unlike their first jubilant hovercar ride, they cruised through the night sky in silence. Both of them seemed to crave it after the chaos and screaming commentators back in Whisperwind. Remy didn’t bother starting a conversation because Jay needed to be left alone. It was evident in his sullen expression void of the usual joy and excitement.

Remy knew exactly how his cousin felt because he felt the same. From the moment they had first met Sensei Hayato to his brutal end, they had been completely useless. They had come to him for guidance and training but Remy had assumed they could return the favour somehow.

They had not.

Hayato had done so much for them yet they had done nothing for him. They had been helpless and the result was a stinging emotional pain.

Remy blinked rapidly, holding back tears. He glanced at Jay who had fallen asleep and switched on the radio, making sure it wasn’t too loud. Almost every news station ranted about the “exhilarating” S-class duel between Blood Hound and Instant but he was eventually able to find a popular podcast about the superhero industry…

“A lot of people are in denial and stuck in the past… Films, TV shows, and books are almost obsolete in this day and age. People don’t want to consume fiction anymore when reality is now more exciting than ever. Any live broadcast of a top-ranked superhero protecting humanity surpasses any derivative superhero film stuffed with archaic tropes and overused comedy…”

“Why do you think that is?”

“It’s the combination of unpredictability, realism and gore. There are no planned outcomes, and every superhero goes to battle knowing it could very well be their last. The real stakes elevate the entertainment to an incredible level. Your favourite superhero could be rising through the ranks one day, courageously saving a family from a horde of aliens, and get decapitated the next...”

“You say this with such passion, but aren’t you concerned about the ethical issues–”

“Screw the ethical issues! This is the Super Era! Earth is the number one public enemy of the universe and we’re invaded almost every day. There’s nothing wrong with turning it into entertainment and monetising it! This is the beauty of capitalism!”

Remy huffed and switched off the podcast. He had no strong opinions on the topic… but based on vibe and instinct alone, he strongly believed the man answering the questions was a lunatic.

Moments later, a familiar chilling voice whispered…

“Your Amelia’s brother aren’t you? Why were you in Whisperwind?”

Remy jolted. Instant sat in the backseat, leaned back, arms folded. His blue demon mask was still stained with Sensei Hayato’s blood. Remy tensed but only momentarily, managing to delete any trace of shock within seconds of it arising.

“Why are you in my vehicle in the dead of night?”

“Business and curiosity,” Instant answered quickly. “Now answer my question.”

Remy hesitated. “We wanted superpowers and Sensei Hayato helped us get them. We’re aspiring to be superheroes.”

“Did Hayato tell you of his plans?” Instant asked.

“Yes. But we couldn’t have done anything about it.”

“Why do you want to be a superhero?”

Remy focused on the night sky ahead of them. “I want to be strong. Do you think I could be stronger than you Instant?”

“No. But you’re more than welcome to try. You remind me of my son. He’s also exploring Flow Sites. You two might get along.”

“I doubt it.”.

Instant made a slight grunting sound and Remy wondered whether the superhero was smiling or not. “My condolences for your sister. We worked together a few times. She was an amazing woman.”

“I know,” Remy said calmly, but turmoil and pain raged within him. How could he give such a casual compliment when he had betrayed and abducted her?

“I believe her death was down to a few bad decisions. You must be careful, young one, or you might suffer a similar fate. Instant leaned forward only slightly but Remy still noticed it. “That reminds me…. Do you know if Amelia ever livestreamed?”

“No. Though she seemed to think that most superheroes who livestreamed were narcissistic pricks.”

“Hm. I tend to agree.”

Instant teleported away and Remy immediately sunk in his seat, letting out a deep, shaky breath. There was something strange about the superhero, from the wobbly sound of his voice to his demeanour. He didn’t seem human.

Remy’s hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel. Wide Awake had once fought against Instant four years ago but it seemed like he had gotten even stronger. Could they really avenge his sister and change the corrupt ranking system? Was he preparing and planning for a war that could not even be won? Was it wiser to turn a blind eye and pretend the corruption didn’t exist?

Despair haunted him until he remembered what Jay had told him– Sensei’s final words. His nerves calmed down and determination and passion filled his eyes once more.

Jay-san and Remy-san. Become strong.