Remy didn’t even have time to attempt to chase after Hayato. One second the old man was standing outside his house, both legs spread apart in a wide stance, and the next second two bamboo shoots erupted at the exact spots his sandals laid, catapulting him into the air and sending him chaotically flipping forwards.
Call the hovercar!” Jay yelled, dashing ahead down the nearby pathway, “
“Already done!”
Less than thirty seconds later, the Staress V20 drove parallel to them and they both hopped in. Remy flipped some switches and the hovercar burst through the air, then quickly lowered to the ground.
Civilians rushed about, desperately getting to their traditional wooden houses lining the narrow cobblestone streets, their tiled roofs adorned with intricate designs and blooming flowers. They found Hayato nearby, decimating a horde of red-eyed Mechanical Wolves. The artificial beasts converged on him, but a single ear-bursting palm strike countered their strategy of pouncing simultaneously.
Remy’s jaw almost dropped as screws, bolts, and other small scraps of metal flung into the air. Before Jay could run ahead of him, he stuck his leg out, tripping him over.
“Hey! What’s your problem?”
Remy shook his head. “You’ll only get in the way. We’re not needed here.” He didn’t like the words coming out of his mouth but he had seen one-sided fights like this over a thousand times through his sister’s perspective. An obstacle Wide Awake tended to face many times was not only the villainous threats but the ones who accidentally inhibited her capabilities by simply being in the way.
Sensei Hayato stretched both arms out horizontally and dozens of vines erupted out of the ground, squeezing any isolated wolves roaming about in the town like a boa constrictor. He clenched both his fists and the robots shattered into pieces.
“Safe!” Hayato called out in Japanese. As if nothing happened, the civilians began exiting their houses and continuing their evening. He slowly hobbled towards them and gave a weak smile, the pain on his face far too evident. His posture was no longer perfect, slightly hunched over.
“That was amazing!” Jay cried with enthusiasm. “What was that attack you just did?”
Hayato got into their hovercar’s passenger seat. “Stop yelling.”
“Are you okay, Sensei?” Remy asked. “You don’t look too good.”
Hayato sighed heavily, leaning backwards. “Remy-san. I’m getting too old for this.”
----------------------------------------
Congratulations! You have completed one-quarter of Stage One!
Stage One: Fixed Staring for 20 minutes (250/1000)
The following evening, Remy stared at the display only he could see. While Jay began his staff training under the guidance of Sensei in the morning, Remy had been cruising through the Fixed Staring challenge. Unlike most students, it was remarkably easy for him to not blink for three minutes. The task was neither boring nor enjoyable. It felt like something to do. It felt like progress.
Remy smiled as he violently shook Jay awake. “Don’t sleep yet. It’s not even late.”
“Go away,” Jay whined. “Sensei beat the snot out of me. I need to recover from these bruises.”
“Let’s explore the town,” Remy hissed. “I’m sure there’s medicine, food and women who can turn that frown upside down.”
Jay shot up from his futon, ears perked up like a dog. “Women?” His excitement vanished quickly, and he nonchalantly shrugged. “I mean… I guess I could go for some ramen if you’re paying.”
Remy laughed. “Sure.”
Thanks to the Staress V20 and Jay’s burning passion for “Ramen”, they were in a popular self-titled Whisperwind pub within a matter of minutes. The air filled with the aroma of sizzling yakitori skewers and steaming bowls of ramen, while the sounds of cheerful conversation and clinking glasses mingled with the gentle strumming of a shamisen in the background.
Jay quickly learned the problem of language barriers as he failed to strike up a conversation with two pretty Japanese women. He sat beside Remy with a defeated scowl. “I should have bought an automatic translator back at Lumina.”
Remy ordered two bowls of ramen in fluent Japanese. “Yes, you should have.”
“You speak Japanese?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why?” Remy said, chuckling. “Because I wanted to? Because I thought it was worth my late nights?”
“Lucky,” Jay scoffed. “I wish I had your superpower. By the way, the next time you wake me up, I’m going to slap the shit out of you.”
“I like the way you think,” Remy said. “That’s a creative way to quickly go back to sleep.”
They both laughed and then began to eat their ramen, simply absorbing the good taste and the warm atmosphere until a conversation caught their attention, mainly due to the fact it was in English.
“This can’t be happening,” a man said in a slurred, drunken voice. “I can’t believe I did it again.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“I keep telling you,” a woman replied energetically. “You’ve got to stop pissing your money away on the gambling floor. Stay for the karaoke only. Your voice is angelic.”
“No,” the man growled. “I’m so close to winning it all back. I can feel it. I have the Sixth Sense ability.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I can see into the future.”
“No, you can’t.”
“I will win it back!”
“I doubt it.”
“The fuck?” the man yelled. “Are you saying you don’t believe in me?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” the woman replied.
Thud.
The man fell hard on a tatami mat. “Does anyone have a deck of cards? Someone play poker with me! I’m willing to bet everything right here and now because that’s the type of man I am.”
Remy finally swivelled in his seat to face the rambling drunk. “Can you quiet down, please? I’m trying to eat here.”
“Huh?” The man elongated the single word tremendously. “Do you know who you’re talking to?”
“I do. Unfortunately.” Remy’s eyes narrowed, looking the man up and down, nose crinkled like a foul smell had wafted into the air. It was the A-tier superhero, Blur Man, ranked #713. He wore an alcohol-stained grey super suit with a symbol of a lightning bolt on the torso. Drool hung from his lips as he gripped a bottle of Champagne which made no damn sense– what was there to celebrate?
Clinging onto his arm was Flaunt Woman, ranked #749. Her clothes barely qualified as clothes, comprising merely a thong and a tight-fitted bra. As a B-tier superhero slash “influencer”, she garnered one of the most unfavourable public receptions in the ranking system. Remy hadn’t even exchanged words with her, yet one glance was enough to convince him that the negative stories surrounding her were likely accurate.
“Watch your mouth,” Flaunt Woman said. “Show some respect to your local superheroes.”
“Show some self-respect first,” Remy retorted, allowing his cousin to read his mind.
“Shouldn’t you be on duty?” Jay asked, turning to face them, fists clenched.
The two superheroes looked at each other and then laughed.
“That won’t be necessary, sweetheart,” Flaunt Woman said. “We’re in Whisperwind, a beautiful and peaceful town. The likes of us are hardly needed.”
Jay stood up from his seat. “Then what about yesterday? Robots invaded the town!”
“Really? Wow, I guess some remnants must have escaped from Tokyo’s squad. Now that’s fascinating.”
Blur Man cleared his throat. “We don’t need to act when the town can handle itself. Any threat is neutralised by the great majestic Blood Hound. Am I wrong?”
“He’s supposed to be retired,” Jay snapped. “You’re taking advantage of him. How about you fulfil your duties and let the man rest.”
Blur Man raised both eyebrows. The sharp words alone seemed to have sobered him up a little. “You seem passionate kid. If that wasn’t a rhetorical question, the answer would be a big fat, stinky, slimy no. We don’t have to do shit so we’re not going to do shit. Because of our reputations and low ranks, we’re never going to get live coverage so it makes sense for us to make the most of it. It’s common sense. You would do the same in my shoes.”
“No, we wouldn’t,” Remy said calmly. Ignore them. Just sit down.
Jay shot him a glare, his eyes burning with fury. But they’re frauds! I can’t believe these guys.
Remy kept a straight face but shook his head. I know, Big Cuzzy. I know. I feel the same way but it would be wise to keep things peaceful. There’s no need to fight.
Jay slowly sat back down. They continued to eat but the atmosphere dramatically shifted, and the tension was palpable. Blur Man called the bartender for more drinks before burping loudly. “You on the right… your face is kinda familiar. I swear I’ve seen you before.”
Remy didn’t respond, slurping his delicious ramen.
“I think I know,” Flaunt Woman said, almost cheered. “Doesn’t he look like Wide Awake?”
“That’s right! ” Blur Man agreed. “Holy shit, the eyes and nose look too similar! That’s funny. I remember her. We went to the same super school.”
“Really?” Flaunt Woman said. “What was she like?”
Jay turned to Remy and gave him a bloodthirsty look along with a telepathic message. Just say the word.
“She was really something that woman,” Blur Man said. “I think she was the first person to pass a superhero entrance exam with only a C-rank ability. The physical embodiment of dedication and hardwork. Always cheerful. Never seemed phased by anything.”
“Were you friends with her?” Flaunt Woman asked
Blur Man laughed like the question was a joke. “No. I never understood why she tried so hard all the time. She never seemed to rest. It creeped me out.”
Jay relaxed slightly and drank some of his lemonade. But several seconds later, when the conversation seemed to have concluded, Flaunt Woman spoke once more…
“Well, I thought Wide Awake was a pretentious, self-righteous bitch. I’m glad she’s dead. Never met her but–”
THUD!
Remy got out of his seat and unleashed a clean uppercut, sending the half-naked woman flipping backwards before sliding across the hardwood. Gasps of shock rang around the pub while he exhaled, cracking his knuckles. During one of his many private livestreams with Amelia, she responded in quite an unusual way when asked about the bottom 50 ranked superheroes. Remy never understood her sombre words at the time but now he finally got it.
He echoed his sister's sentiments from long ago. “You’re not real superheroes. Your existence is a disgrace and you deserve to be in jail.”
“How ironic for you to be saying that,” Blur Man said casually, slowly rising to his feet, his eyes sparkling with electricity. “I can’t let this one slide I’m afraid. Assault is a crime.”
Flaunt Woman staggered to her feet and angrily slapped herself multiple times. “Try that again, boy! I dare you.”
Jay stood by Remy’s side and telepathically, they already began to strategise a plan of attack. The two pairs began to close the gap but before anyone could make the next move, Sensei Hayato appeared between them.
“Stop this at once! Jay-san, Remy-san, how dare you dishonour me like this?”
“But Sensei–” Jay began.
“Silence!” Hayato roared, his wrinkly face shaking with fury. He bowed deeply. “I’m sorry for the insolent behaviour of my two students. I take full responsibility.”
Blur Man stared at Remy, then looked around at all the civilians staring at them. He shrugged and lightly patted Hayato on the shoulder. “You’re forgiven. It can’t be helped. Some idiots never know their place. Now… I hear you encountered an alien threat yesterday. I’m sure you had no problems?”
“The eradication went smoothly. It was only a C-rank threat but it was not an alien. They were Mechanical Wolves. I fear they might be symptoms of a skilled hacker still on the loose or even–”
“Good, great,” Blur Man interrupted, clearly not paying attention. “Just remember, if it’s an A-rank threat or higher call us and we’ll come running along to help you. We’re one call away.”
“Understood.”
“See, kids?” Blur Man said, looking between Remy and Jay. “Now you understand we have a clear system. When the real attention-grabbing threats appear and the cameras come flashing, we’ll make our appearance.” The superhero belched loudly and strolled away. Flaunt Woman gave Remy a death stare before storming after her colleague.
“Superheroes who try less survive more!” Blur Man shouted from afar. “I should have told your sister that!”