Bubble Boy

The next few weeks blurred together in a haze of textbooks, late-night study sessions, and relentless exams. Troy kept his head down, focusing on passing his tests while avoiding unnecessary confrontations. Miguel kept his distance, though his glares across the school halls made it clear their earlier clash wasn't forgotten.

When the final bell of the semester rang, a wave of relief washed over the students. The stress of exams lifted, replaced by the excitement of summer break. But while others planned beach trips and parties, Troy had a different agenda, getting stronger.

Troy sat at the kitchen table, arms crossed as he faced his mother. She sipped her tea, her expression unreadable.

"You want to spend the whole summer training?" she asked, setting down her cup.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. Jace offered to help me, and I can't pass that up."

His mother sighed, her fingers tightening around the handle of her mug. "You're already pushing yourself so hard at school. Can't you take a break?"

"I don't have time for breaks, Mom," Troy said firmly. "I need this."

She studied him for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine. But I expect you to check in. Every day."

Troy smiled. "I promise."

Later that afternoon, his phone buzzed. Seeing Annie's name, he answered immediately.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hey, dummy," she replied, her voice light. "So, summer break! We should hang out."

Troy hesitated before sighing. "I can't, Annie. I'm training all summer."

A pause. Then, softer, "Oh. I see."

"It's not that I don't want to see you," he said quickly. "I just… I need to get stronger."

"I understand," she said, though there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Just promise me you'll call every day."

Troy smiled. "I will."

With his bags packed, Troy arrived at Jace's estate, a massive mansion overlooking the city. The gates opened automatically as he approached, and the butler, Arthur, greeted him at the entrance.

"Master Troy, welcome," Arthur said with a warm smile. "Your room has been prepared."

Jace appeared behind him, arms crossed. "You sure you're ready for this? It won't be easy."

"That's why I'm here," Troy replied.

Jace smirked. "Good. Let's get to work."

Arthur led Troy to his guest room, and Troy's eyes widened at the sheer size and luxury of it. A massive bed, a walk-in closet, a personal bathroom, it was fancier than he'd ever imagined.

Arthur chuckled at his reaction. "I take it the accommodations are satisfactory?"

Troy grinned. "Yeah, you could say that."

They sat in the room for a while, talking. Arthur shared stories of his time in MI6, and Troy found himself captivated by the old man's experiences. He wasn't just a butler, he was a warrior in his own right.

As the sun dipped lower, Troy and Jace stood in the underground training facility beneath the mansion.

"You're here to get stronger," Jace said, tossing Troy a pair of weighted gloves. "That means breaking your limits."

Troy slid the gloves on, feeling their weight immediately. "I'm ready."

Jace smirked. "Then let's begin."

The first session was brutal, endurance drills, hand-to-hand combat, dodging exercises. By the time they finished, Troy was gasping for air, his muscles screaming in protest.

Jace patted his shoulder. "Good start. Get some rest. This is this afternoon training. But before that I want to speak to you about something."

Troy sat on a bench in the underground training facility, still catching his breath from the brutal session. His arms ached, his legs felt like lead, and sweat dripped from his brow. Jace stood across from him, arms crossed, his expression serious.

"You ever wonder why your powers don't make sense?" Jace asked.

Troy wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "What do you mean?"

Jace exhaled, pacing. "Power classes exist for a reason. They help measure a person's potential and limitations. But you? You break the mold."

Troy furrowed his brows. "How so?"

Jace leaned against a nearby pillar. "Let's break it down."

He held up a finger. "F Class. People at this level can create stuff, but it's weak, and they have almost no control over it. No enhanced speed, strength, or durability. You're an F class, right?"

Troy nodded.

"Then tell me why you have enhanced strength, speed, and durability?" Jace asked. "That shouldn't be possible."

Troy opened his mouth but had no answer.

Jace continued, lifting another finger. "E Class. They can create bigger things if their power involves creation. Their control is decent, but again, no enhanced physical abilities."

Troy frowned, listening carefully.

"D Class. Their creations get stronger, and some might have enhanced durability, but speed and strength? Still not common."

Jace's gaze darkened. "Then we reach C Class. This is where things start getting serious. They can create and maintain their abilities even when they're unconscious or not focusing. Some start gaining enhanced durability and strength."

Troy's fingers clenched into fists. His bubbles didn't disappear when he wasn't looking at them. They lingered. That… sounded like a C Class trait.

Jace wasn't done. "B Class. Now we're talking about people who can level cities with their abilities. They sometimes have enhanced speed, strength, and durability. A Class? They can wipe out entire countries and usually have all three enhancements."

Troy swallowed. He wasn't anywhere close to that.

Jace's voice grew quieter. "Then there's S Class. They can destroy continents. And not only do they always have enhanced speed, strength, and durability, but they also have precise control over their powers."

Troy leaned forward. "And above that… is SS Class?"

Jace nodded. "The highest level. Planetary scale power. They have absolute control over their abilities and are unstoppable forces. Every member of the Legion is SS Class, except for Starman and Mr Mars."

Troy's breath hitched at the mention of the greatest hero alive.

Jace smirked, but there was no humor in it. "Starman… is something else because he is a alien and his physiology is different ,humans are born with a mutation that gives them their ability but no one knows how Starman's abilities works because he is a Alien and have a different physiology ,they same with Mr Mars. People say he's an SSS Class, even though that doesn't officially exist. His power is multiversal and immeasurable."

Troy remained silent, processing everything.

Jace finally stopped pacing and turned to him. "Now do you see the problem?"

Troy nodded slowly. His powers weren't supposed to give him enhanced durability, speed, and strength. By every known rule, he should just be an F Class with weak bubbles.

And yet… that wasn't the case.

Jace sat down next to him. "Whatever's going on with you, Troy, it's not normal. If you want to be a real hero, you need to understand your powers inside and out. Otherwise, one day, they'll break you."

Troy exhaled. "Then I guess I better figure them out."

Jace smirked. "Good. Tonight, we push even harder. Get some rest. You're gonna need it."

Troy laid back on the bench, staring at the ceiling.

His powers didn't make sense. But that just meant he had more to discover.

And he wouldn't stop until he figured out the truth.