Bubble Boy

Sunday morning, Troy sat at his desk, staring at his computer screen. The video was ready to go, unedited, raw, and real. Footage of Seaman fighting The Orphan, of Bubble boy stepping in at the last moment, saving a villain from certain death.

He hovered over the "Upload" button.

This is going to make people angry.

Heroes didn't hesitate to kill villains. That was how the world worked. If a villain ran, they were hunted. If they fought, they were put down. That was justice.

But… was it?

Troy clicked "Upload."

Within minutes, the comment section exploded.

@HeroFan34: Bubble Boy is an idiot. That villain could've killed more people!

@TruthSeeker88: Seaman was about to EXECUTE someone. This is what heroes do now?!

@GladiatorFanClub: This kid is lucky he isn't dead.

Troy exhaled, leaning back in his chair. The world was watching now.

And not everyone was happy.

In a massive cityscape, two blurs of energy zipped between buildings, one a streak of lightning, the other a shifting construct of ever-changing shapes.

Bolt and Construct. The Legion's problem children.

"Alright, Construct, on three!" Bolt shouted, running alongside his partner on the side of a skyscraper.

Construct, mid-air, crafted a floating countdown sign. 3...2...1...GO!

Both launched themselves at a burning building, tearing through a window like a pair of reckless idiots.

Inside, a group of civilians screamed.

"DON'T WORRY, CITIZENS! WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOU!" Bolt grinned.

Construct snapped his fingers, forming a massive slide made of glowing blue energy. "Evacuation express, my dudes! Complimentary snacks not included."

The people hesitated.

"GET ON THE SLIDE!" Bolt yelled, still grinning.

The civilians scrambled onto the construct, sliding down safely to the streets below.

"Boom! Mission success!" Construct cheered.

Bolt dusted his hands off. "Easy money."

A chunk of the ceiling collapsed.

Bolt caught it in an instant, moving so fast it barely had time to fall. "Okay, time to leave."

"Hold on," Construct said, eyes narrowing. "There's someone still here."

They rushed deeper into the building.

A child sat alone in a corner, coughing, surrounded by flames.

Bolt wasted no time. He grabbed the kid, Construct formed a massive trampoline beneath them, and both leapt out of the building just as it collapsed behind them.

They landed safely. The crowd cheered.

Construct tossed the kid a lollipop. "You survived, congrats!"

The child sniffled. "T-Thanks."

Bolt patted his head. "Stay away from burning buildings, little dude."

Another mission done. Just another day.

And then the earpieces in their suits crackled.

"Bolt. Construct."

They froze.

Starman.

His voice was as cold as space itself.

"Return to base. Now."

Construct glanced at Bolt. "Oh… we're screwed, aren't we?"

Bolt sighed. "Probably."

Back at the Legion Base

Starman sat in his chair, watching the uploaded video on a massive screen. His face was unreadable.

Gladiator stood nearby, arms crossed, avoiding eye contact.

Seaman stood behind Starman, looking equally unreadable.

Bolt and Construct entered, both fidgeting slightly.

"Funny video," Starman said.

He turned toward them, eyes glowing faintly red.

"Tell me," he said softly, "what do you think of this… 'Bubble Boy'?"

Silence.

Construct scratched his head. "Uhh, seems kinda stupid? But ballsy?"

Bolt shrugged. "Yeah, kid's got guts. Not smart, but gutsy."

Starman leaned back. "He saved a villain's life."

The room grew colder.

Seaman finally spoke. "It's… unusual."

"Unusual?" Starman repeated. He turned to Gladiator. "And you?"

Gladiator hesitated. "He's an idiot. But…" She bit her lip. "He believes in something."

Starman studied her.

Then, suddenly, he laughed. A quiet, eerie laugh.

"He believes in something," he echoed. "Interesting."

His fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair.

"Bolt and Construct search the city for his next appearance even if you get no sleep , break his bones. Let's see how Bubble Boy deals with that."

Bolt and Construct tensed.

Gladiator's fists clenched.

Seaman simply nodded.

Mr Mars stood quietly in a corner.

And then, in an instant, the tension faded as Starman smiled again.

"Now," he said, standing. "Let's remind the world why we're the greatest heroes."

As he walked away, the room exhaled.

Bolt leaned toward Construct. "We're so dead."

Construct sighed. "Yeah, I know."

Later that night, Bolt and Construct sat on the edge of a rooftop, overlooking the city.

Neither spoke for a long time.

Finally, Bolt broke the silence. "You ever think about leaving?"

Construct glanced at him. "The Legion?"

Bolt nodded.

Construct scoffed. "Yeah. Every damn day."

A beat of silence.

Then Construct laughed. A real, genuine laugh.

"But let's be real, man," he said, shaking his head. "We're cowards. We'd never make it."

Bolt sighed. "Yeah."

They both knew the truth.

No one left the Legion.

Not alive, anyway.

Bolt leaned back, staring at the stars. "Well… at least we're in this together."

Construct smirked. "Damn right."

They fist-bumped.

A silent promise.

Whatever happened next…

They faced it together.

Troy knew walking into school today would be a nightmare.

The second he stepped through the front gates, the whispers started.

"Did you see the video?"

"That was definitely Bubble Boy."

"No way. Bubble Boy's got guts. Nah, he is a loser."

He kept his head down, gripping the straps of his backpack. The entire school was buzzing about the video. Some thought Bubble Boy was a hero. Others thought he was an idiot. A lot of people just wanted to see him get beat up.

Troy had been at Nightingale long enough to know how this worked. The strong ruled. The weak suffered. And right now, Bubble Boy was a target.

And since everyone suspected him…

Troy sighed. Today was going to suck.

It didn't take long before trouble found him.

On his way to chemistry, Troy took the back stairwell usually less crowded, less chance of running into people he didn't want to deal with. Unfortunately, it seemed like Emily and Carter had the same idea.

He barely had time to react before they stepped in front of him, blocking the stairs.

Emily smirked, crossing her arms. "Hey, loser."

Carter leaned against the railing, his expression unreadable. "So… you gonna admit it?"

Troy blinked. "Admit what?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't play dumb. Everyone's talking about Bubble Boy."

"Yeah. And?"

"And we think it's you," Carter said.

Troy kept his face neutral. "That's stupid."

Emily scoffed. "Come on, Troy. Some nobody with a weak power just happens to show up, fighting like he actually matters? You expect us to believe that's not you?"

"I expect you to use common sense." He shrugged. "I'm a freaking F class. I'd be dead in two seconds if I tried something like that."

Carter tilted his head. "Maybe."

Troy forced a laugh. "I mean, what would even be the point? The world doesn't need another hero."

Emily stepped closer, her eyes gleaming. "That's where you're wrong."

Troy frowned. "What?"

"We want in," she said.

Troy blinked. "You what?"

Emily smirked. "Bubble Boy's famous. Everyone's talking about him. He's making waves." She leaned in. "We want a piece of that."

Troy couldn't believe what he was hearing. Emily and Carter were bullies. They were the last people he'd expect to want to be heroes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said flatly.

Emily's smirk widened. "Oh, please. You think you can lie to us? You think we're stupid?"

"Yes," Troy said immediately.

Carter snorted. Emily scowled. "Listen, Bubble Boy..."

"I'm not..."

"...you need backup. You barely survived your last fight." She crossed her arms. "You need people who actually matter."

Before Troy could respond, another voice cut in.

"If you guys are joining, then so am I."

Troy's stomach dropped.

Jackson.

The most popular guy in school. The king of Nightingale. The last person he wanted involved.

Jackson stood at the top of the stairs, hands in his pockets, watching the conversation unfold like it was a movie. His presence was overwhelming. It was impossible not to look at him.

Emily's whole demeanor changed instantly. "J-Jackson?"

Jackson ignored her, his eyes locked on Troy. "So? You letting us in or what?"

Troy swallowed. His brain was screaming no, but his survival instincts were screaming yes.

Emily and Carter were A and B class. Jackson was an S class.

If they were on his side… he'd be safer.

After a long pause, Troy exhaled. "Fine."

Emily grinned. "Smart choice."

Carter just smirked.

Jackson nodded. "Good. Where do we start?"

Troy hesitated, then said, "Meet me tonight. 9 PM. Warehouse 17, by the docks. Come in costume."

Emily's eyes sparkled. "Oh, this is gonna be fun."

Troy had a bad feeling about this.

The warehouse was abandoned, dusty, and perfect. No cameras, no police, no interruptions.

Troy arrived first, dressed in his makeshift suit, blue hoodie, mask, gloves. Basic, but it worked.

Then the others arrived.

Emily wore a sleek black outfit, her blonde hair tied back. She looked like she belonged in a spy movie.

Carter's suit was dark purple, with a hood that cast shadows over his face.

And then there was Jackson.

His suit was perfect. Black and gold, flame patterns running along the arms. It was expensive, tailored, and intimidating. He looked like a professional hero already.

Troy sighed. Of course Jackson had the best costume.

"So," Jackson said, crossing his arms. "What now?"

Troy hesitated. He hadn't actually thought this far ahead.

Emily grinned. "First things first, we need names."

Jackson smirked. "I'm Inferno."

Of course he was.

Carter nodded. "I'll be Umbra."

Emily tapped her chin. "Hmm… I'll go with Psion."

They all turned to Troy.

He sighed. "You already know mine."

Emily smirked. "Say it anyway."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Bubble Boy."

Jackson chuckled. "Still a dumb name."

Troy crossed his arms. "Still better than Inferno."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "You wanna fight?"

Troy smirked. "Not even a little."

Emily laughed. Carter snorted. For a second, it felt… normal.

Like they weren't about to risk their lives.

Like they weren't about to challenge the entire system.

Then Jackson stretched. "Alright. So when do we start?"

Troy exhaled.

"…Right now."

And just like that, their journey began.