Antonio knew that the villain standing before him was actually an official hero playing pretend.
He knew that the half-naked girl in the bed wasn't real, and in fact, was not in any danger at all.
Yet it didn't feel that way to Antonio. With the mop in his hand, he was determined to take the man down and save the woman.
"Come on Mop Man." The masked thug taunted. "Show me what you've got".
Antonio did exactly that.
Travelling fast and raising his mop high, he brought it down with as much force as he could muster.
The strike was predictable, and the thug simply stepped to the side, making the mop crash to the ground.
Shit!
But Antonio wasn't finished. He swept the mop to the side, aiming for the Thug once again.
Horizontal strikes were harder to dodge, but easier to guard, so he raised his hand and blocked the attack with his forearm.
The mop smacked against his bone, but rather than injuring the enemy, the wood splintered. In only a few more hits, it would break.
Shit, shit, shit!
"Come on man, you're making me feel bad here." The fake villain taunted. "I'm not even using any powers."
Neither am I... I barely have any.
However, he didn't not allow himself to be deterred. Wasting no time, he charged forward with a flurry of strikes.
He swung his mop widely, intentionally missing with every attack. His goal was no longer to land, but rather to keep his opponent on guard and make sure that his attacks remained unpredictable.
A sharp chuckle from the thug as he dodged beneath an attack was a good enough sign that he had gotten comfortable.
The next strike, Antonio feinted an attack with the mop, only to pause halfway through, and thrust his head forward.
CRACK
He felt his head smash into the nose of the thug, sending him stumbling backwards, clutching at his face.
"Agh, you brute!" The man said as his mask began to soak up the blood from his nose. "What type of hero fights with his head?"
Antonio flashed a smile. It might have been the first one he had shown in the last few days.
A man who hasn't got any other way.
The two continued fighting, Antonio starting to mix in strikes with different parts of his body. When he finally landed a knee to the thug's stomach, he sent him running away, leaping from the window with practised agility.
Antonio rested his hands on his knees and took in deep breaths.
He knew that the Superhero was, of course, not fighting to their full capabilities, but he was just proud of the fact that he had managed to succeed.
After recovering his energy, he turned to the woman on the bed. She had the covers pulled over her chest, covering her imaginary breasts.
"Umm... so what do I do now?" Antonio muttered.
As if on cue, she smiled, and then the woman's body suddenly vanished. What she left behind was a small coin with the emblem of the super academy on it.
Nice!
Antonio placed the coin into his pocket and left the apartment with his broom in hand. For a moment, he forgot about his trash powers and thanked the mop for the extra provided strength.
Afterwards, he made his way through the city streets and back towards the city centre.
---
"Oh look, Mop Man's back, and earlier than I expected."
Antonio wasn't surprised to find that he wasn't the first student to make it back to the city centre. There were roughly twenty-five others.
In a laughing group of three were well-known students, though only one of them stood out.
A slender, black haired boy named Tyrelle.
He had been given the Superhero name Breeze, which was due to his wind and speed-related powers. His father was a well-known superhero named Bolt, who was ranked in the top 50 superheroes of the Former States, and also the captain of the Speed Squad.
Antonio ignored the man and handed his coin to Truth. The muscular, suited man looked down at him with surprise.
"Well done. Not the fastest, but certainly a surprise for someone with your powers."
At this point, the jests came naturally. Students chuckled at the remarks, but it was normal for him to be openly mocked.
I swear it. Once this power becomes stronger, I'll make you all—
"You did well."
Antonio's thoughts were cut off as a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned around to find Marbelle standing there, face still stern, but her words genuine.
The other students stared in shock.
"Hey, hey, hey," Tyrelle said, stepping forward. "You trying to catch his germs?"
Marbelle ignored him, returning to her spot. However, Antonio's fists were now clenched in anger.
He was getting tired of being disrespected.
He tightened his hands around his mop and glared at Tyrelle with ferocity.
"Oh? The Janitor wants to clean me up?"
Then, he cracked his neck and knuckles as if warming up for a fight.
"Fine. I'll show you what the future captain of the Speed Squad looks like."
The students began to gather round, watching with anticipation as they wondered what was about to go down.
But before they could get started, Truth's voice cut through the crowd.
"Congratulations students, you've all managed to return with a coin."
Suddenly, the mirage around them faded, and they found themselves in the hall once again. Above the stage was the same television screen that displayed to them their profiles.
Now, it showed a leaderboard with 50 students' names ranked in order.
"On the screen, you can find the leaderboard. I've asked the fake supervillains to put this ranking together, determined by combat efficiency, civilian distress, and time to completion."
Chatter spread throughout the crowd as the names on the list were read.
—Class Rankings—
1. Marbelle (Nightgirl)
2. Adonis (Slipstream)
3. Tyrelle (Breeze)
4. Felix (Jet)
5. Bison (Red Muscle)
6. Cassidy (Waspgirl)
7. Zachary (Tearfall)
8. Graciana (Daughter Delicate)
9. Ophelis (Glass Giant)
10. Antonio (The Janitor)
Antonio couldn't believe what he was reading. Most of the students who achieved high ranks had powers that allowed them to enhance their speed, or perform combat at a high level.
He however, had simply fought with a mop.
Yet it was his determination and innovation that allowed him to place in the top ten.
Maybe I can make it far in the Superhero world after all...
---
Current Characters:
Antonio (The Janitor): The main character, ridiculed for his cleaning powers.
Ranera: Antonio's Stepmother, whom he seems to have a very close relationship with.
Tyrelle (Breeze): A know bully with speed related powers.
Adonis (Slipstream): One of Tyrelle's friends, also with speed related powers.
Felix (Jet): One of Tyrelle's friends, also with speed related powers.
Marbelle (Nightgirl): Top ranked of the Superhero Academy. Powers related to the night and shadows.
Captain Truth: The Superhero currently appointed to the development of the Superhero Academy. Captain of the Honest Squad.