Bubble Boy

The city streets were quiet at night, but not empty.

A class B villain, a bulky guy in a black jacket and metal gauntlets, was currently smashing his way into a jewelry store. The alarm blared, but the guy didn't care. His fists glowed with kinetic energy, and every punch sent glass and metal flying.

From a rooftop across the street, Bubble Boy and his new "team" watched.

Jackson, Inferno, grinned. "Perfect. Our first real villain. This is gonna be fun."

Emily, Psion, crossed her arms. "We should make an entrance. Get people talking."

Carter, Umbra, nodded. "Yeah, we need a signature."

Troy blinked. "A signature?"

Jackson smirked. "A message. Something that says we're here." He pulled out his phone, hit record, and pointed the camera at Troy. "Say something cool."

Troy stared at the phone. "Uh, what?"

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Come on, man. First night on the job. Introduce us!"

Troy hesitated. Then, sighing, he pulled up his hood and stepped forward. "Alright. To whoever's watching..." He glanced back at the others. "...we're the new guys. The real deal. The ones cleaning up the mess."

Emily grinned. "We're gonna make villains wish they never stepped out at night."

Carter smirked. "And heroes wish they were us."

Jackson's eyes burned like embers. "We're not just playing hero. We're setting the new standard."

Troy nodded. "And tonight? We start with this guy."

Jackson stopped the recording. "Perfect. Now, plan time."

Troy blinked. "Plan?"

Emily frowned. "You do have a plan, right?"

Troy shrugged. "I usually just jump in."

Silence.

Then Carter burst out laughing. "Oh, that explains why you keep getting wrecked."

Emily facepalmed. "Seriously? You've just been throwing yourself at fights with no plan?"

Troy crossed his arms. "Hey, it works. Eventually."

Jackson chuckled. "Not anymore. We do this smart." He pointed down at the villain. "He's a B class with enhanced strength and kinetic gauntlets. That means we don't go head-on. Umbra, you take the shadows and cut off his escape. Psion, you keep him locked down. Bubble Boy..."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. I distract him?"

Jackson smirked. "Nah. You start the fight. Make it flashy. Inferno style."

Troy sighed. "I hate that this plan actually makes sense."

Emily cracked her knuckles. "Alright. Let's do this."

The villain, known as Ironclad, had just finished loading his loot into a duffel bag when a soft pop echoed behind him.

A floating, shimmering bubble drifted past his face.

He blinked. "The hell?"

Then it popped, right in his ear.

"Ow...!" He spun around. "Who..."

Troy stood in the center of the store, arms crossed. "Yo."

Ironclad frowned. "Who the hell are you?"

Troy grinned. "Bubble Boy."

The villain stared. Then burst out laughing. "Bubble Boy? Are you serious?"

Troy smirked. "Dead serious." He raised a hand. "Also, you should probably dodge."

Ironclad blinked. "What?"

A giant bubble exploded in his face, sending him crashing into a display case.

Then the real fight started.

Troy darted forward, firing a rapid series of bubbles that popped with concussive force. Ironclad staggered but recovered fast, slamming his gauntlets together. A shockwave rippled through the air, sending Troy flying...

Right into Emily's telekinetic hold.

Psion flicked her fingers, stopping his fall mid-air. "You're welcome."

Troy gave a thumbs-up. "Appreciated."

Ironclad charged, but before he could reach them, the lights cut out.

Darkness swallowed the store.

Carter's voice echoed. "Welcome to my domain."

Ironclad cursed, swinging wildly. But his attacks hit nothing.

Then, boom! A jet of fire erupted from behind him, nearly singing his jacket. He turned just in time to see Jackson stepping forward, flames dancing across his hands.

Ironclad raised his gauntlets. "Oh, you wanna go?"

Jackson smirked. "Buddy, I was hoping for this."

With a roar, Ironclad charged...

And Inferno met him head-on.

The fight was brutal. Ironclad's punches cracked the floor, but Jackson's fire danced around him, deflecting the blows. Every time Ironclad tried to land a hit, Umbra's shadows pulled at his legs. Every time he tried to retreat, Psion locked him in place.

And then, in the final moment, as Ironclad raised his gauntlet for one last desperate swing...

Troy popped a bubble right in his face.

Ironclad gasped. "You..."

Then a massive bubble swallowed him whole.

Troy grinned. "You're done, buddy."

The villain thrashed, but the bubble held firm. He was trapped.

Carter chuckled. "Huh. Guess Bubble Boy is useful."

Emily smirked. "Shame he sucks at planning."

Troy rolled his eyes. "Are we really doing this now?"

Jackson snapped his fingers. "Alright, let's wrap it up. Call the cops and ghost."

Fifteen minutes later, the police arrived to find Ironclad stuck in a bubble, unconscious.

No sign of his attackers.

Just a note taped to his chest.

Crime doesn't pay. Heroes do it for free.

Troy and the crew regrouped at an old rooftop, watching from a distance.

Troy shook his head. "That… was way easier than usual."

Jackson grinned. "That's what happens when you've got a team."

Emily stretched. "And that was just a B class. Imagine what we could do with an A or S class."

Carter smirked. "Think we could take Starman?"

Silence.

Then Jackson snorted. "Okay, let's not get cocky."

Troy exhaled. A real team, huh? He had expected them to hesitate, to back down.

Instead, they had jumped in without fear. Without doubt.

High classes really were different.

He grinned. "Alright. Who's next?"

After taking down Ironclad, the night was far from over.

Jackson uploaded the video to their burner account while they kept moving through the city, looking for more action. They didn't have to wait long.

A gang of masked robbers stormed a convenience store, waving guns and yelling at the cashier. The crew exchanged glances, no words needed.

This time, they had a system.

Carter vanished into the shadows. Emily held the robbers in place with her telekinesis. Jackson walked in, fire flickering at his fingertips. "Evening, gentlemen. Shopping spree?"

The robbers barely had time to react before their guns were yanked from their hands by Emily's power. Then, Troy stepped forward and popped a bubble right in the leader's face, knocking him out cold.

It took all of thirty seconds.

"Alright," Troy sighed, hands on his hips. "This is starting to feel unfair."

Jackson grinned. "What, you miss getting your ass kicked?"

Troy scoffed. "No! I just..." He glanced at the groaning robbers. "Okay, maybe a little."

Carter's voice came from the shadows. "Bro, that's so concerning."

They left the scene, another win under their belt. They weren't just stopping crime. They were making a name for themselves.

The night rolled on, and so did the fights.

A low-level villain with acid spit tried to mug a couple. Emily slammed him into a wall before he got the chance.

A car thief hotwired a sedan. Carter dragged him under the vehicle with his shadows.

A small-time energy manipulator started a street fight. Jackson turned his energy blasts into fireworks, leaving him unconscious before the show was over.

Every fight came with jokes, teasing, and a growing sense of camaraderie.

At one point, Troy found himself laughing mid-battle. He was actually having fun.

By the time they wrapped up, they had racked up over a dozen successful stops.

And they had it all on video.

The crew ditched their masks and headed to Grillmaster's, a late-night burger joint known for its greasy, oversized meals. They slid into a booth, exhaustion setting in, but the adrenaline still buzzing in their veins.

Jackson took a massive bite of his double-stacked burger. "Alright, moment of truth." He pulled out his phone and opened the comments on their latest video.

Troy took a sip of his milkshake, watching over his shoulder.

The first comment read:

"Who the hell are these guys???"

Emily smirked. "Exactly what we wanted."

Carter scrolled down. "Oh, this one's good, 'Bubble Boy? LMAO, what kinda name is that?'." He burst out laughing.

Troy sighed. "Every damn time."

Jackson grinned. "Hey, look on the bright side, people are talking about you."

Troy glanced at the next comment.

"Yo, these guys took out Ironclad? No way."

Another:

"They're actually better than half the heroes out there. Hope they don't start killing people."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. People are already expecting us to go bad."

Troy frowned. "That's the problem with heroes now. They fight crime, but they don't give people hope. They make them afraid."

Carter snorted. "We literally scared criminals all night."

Troy shook his head. "Yeah, but we're fun. You guys ever see Legion do this?"

Jackson smirked. "Pretty sure Starman doesn't stop for burgers after a fight."

Emily leaned back. "Starman's a monster. We all know it."

The mood dipped slightly.

Troy exhaled. "And he's what people see as the ideal hero."

Silence.

Then Carter shoved a fry in Troy's face. "Eat. You're thinking too much."

Troy chuckled, taking the fry.

Jackson leaned back, scrolling through the comments. "Point is, people are watching. We keep this up, we might actually change things."

Emily grinned. "And have fun doing it."

Troy looked around the table, Jackson, the high school king with fire in his veins; Emily, the telekinetic genius; Carter, the shadowy strategist. And him—Bubble Boy.

A month ago, he was just a punching bag for Nightingale's strongest.

Now?

Now, he had a team.

Troy smirked. "Alright. Who's up for round two tomorrow?"

Jackson raised his shake. "To the first of many hunts."

Emily and Carter clinked their cups against his.

Troy grinned.

The legend of Bubble Boy's crew was just beginning.