The gates were huge and super shiny. Seriously, someone had gone all out polishing them.
"Heroes Academy — Train to Protect," the sign screamed in big letters.
Tony read it, sighed, and kicked a small stone. "…Where idiots guide themselves to early graves,"."
Tony fidgeted, tugging at the high collar of his ill-fitting uniform. The cheap fabric scratched at his skin, a constant reminder of his present predicament. It was a world away from his previous life.
It was just a handful of weeks back when Tony was just a cog in the machine of a villainous faction. His days mostly consisted of maintaining equipment, transporting supplies, and enduring endless reprimands. But now, here he was, standing before the very institution responsible for his former life's demise.
His presence here was all due to a shadowy figure who had approached him with a proposition:
"If vengeance drives you, infiltrate their ranks. Adopt their facade. Climb through their system, and when the moment is right… strike with precision."
The plan itself was simple, at least on paper. The execution, so far, proved to be problematic.
Tony steeled himself, taking a long breath before advancing past the gate.
The courtyard buzzed with activity. Cadets stood rigidly in formation, a sea of identically dressed figures awaiting instruction. The training staff, positioned on an elevated platform, issued commands that cut through the air. Each cadet wore a pristine blue uniform, completed with spotless boots.
Tony glanced down at his own attire. The uniform bore the marks of wear and tear, with faded spots and scuffed edges.
"This is going great", he muttered under his breath.
A sharp voice broke through his thoughts.
"Recruit! You are tardy!"
The source was a tall woman, her presence amplified by a piercing whistle and a voice that could shatter glass. It was Instructor Vega, a figure defined by her unyielding discipline.
"State your name!" she barked, her eyes fixed on Tony.
"Uh—Tony. Tony… Brightfield."
"Transfer student?" she questioned, her tone devoid of warmth.
"Yes, ma'am," Tony replied, his voice wavering slightly.
"From which institution?" Vega pressed, her gaze intensifying.
Tony paused, caught off guard as he hadn't thought about what he would say.
"Uh… from… South Unit… training… zone?"
Vega's expression shifted to one of skepticism. "That is unfamiliar."
"Precisely! It's a top-secret area! Tony stated, hoping to end the situation.
A ripple of suppressed laughter spread through the ranks of cadets. This response only earned Tony a glare from Vega.
"Drop to the ground and give me twenty, Mr. Secret Agent."
"Twenty what—oh, push-ups. Understood."
By the fifth repetition, Tony's muscles began to tremble. By the tenth, his face was pressed against the dirt.
"This is going perfectly as i thought it would," he thought with a sigh.
Later that day, the recruits were organized into smaller teams. Tony found himself grouped with:
Mira — loud, cheerful, talks too much.
Leo, quiet, serious, probably hates everyone.
And Tony, trying to keep up with the other two.
Their first assignment was a Rescue Simulation 101.
The scenario involved a staged hostage situation in a crumbling building. The task seemed simple; however, Tony felt underprepared.
"Remember," Mira reminded them, "we must prioritize civilian safety!
Tony nodded in agreement. "Civilians first. Understood. No unnecessary explosions."
"Why would explosions be involved?" Mira asked, her brow furrowing.
Tony averted his gaze. "…Just covering all bases."
The simulation started. Mira took point, enthusiastically shouting commands. Leo followed closely, kicking open doors. Tony tripped over a loose prop, setting off a chain reaction that resulted in a dummy wall collapsing.
"TONY! WHAT DID YOU DO?!!" Mira exclaimed, her voice laced with frustration.
""I was… trying to open the window!" Tony argued, defending himself.
"That's not a window, that's a trap trigger!" Leo stated.
By day's end, Tony's team ranked at the bottom.
"Brightfield," Instructor Vega said, her voice dripping with disapproval, "your instincts are those of an impending disaster."
Tony straightened to attention. "Understood, ma'am. I will endeavor to improve."
"That was not a compliment."
"Nevertheless, I choose to interpret it as such, ma'am."
Later that night, Tony found himself in his dormitory, staring at the ceiling.
His muscles ached, his dignity was wounded, and his carefully constructed disguise teetered on the verge of falling apart.
A smirk played on his lips regardless.
He was in. He was among the future protectors whose actions had resulted in the erasure of everything familiar to him.
"Heroes Academy," he murmured. "Let's see how long it takes before I corrupt you from the inside."
The dawn arrived rapidly, catching Tony unprepared. He had barely managed to steal a few moments of sleep, his body protesting from the prior day's training, which included endless push-ups, simulated rescue operations, and countless flights of stairs.
He sat up on his bed, his gaze fixed on the newly posted schedule. Scrawled across the top in bold letters were the words: "Evaluation Day — Basic Skills Test."
"Just what I needed," he mumbled, a touch of sarcasm lacing his voice. "Yesterday was almost a fatal experience, and today they plan to put me through testing".
His roommate, Leo, passed by, methodically tying his boots with the practiced efficiency of a seasoned soldier straight out of a war film. "Quit your complaining. It's just a basic test, not an interrogation."
Easy for you to say, Tony retorted under his breath. "For me, it's more like a public display of my shortcomings with extra steps."
The academy recruits assembled at the training field, a mix of apprehension and determination on their faces.
Instructor Vega stood on the raised platform, her arms crossed and her expression stern.
"Attention, recruits! Today, your reflexes, teamwork capabilities, and strategic decision-making will be put on trial. The five recruits who achieve the best performance will be awarded merit points, which will certainly benefit your progression here."
Tony leaned closer to Mira, whispering. "What becomes of those who end up at the bottom of the list?"
"Probably more push-ups than we can count."
"...Yeah, I'm doomed."
The first challenge was what it seemed: an Obstacle course.
At least, that's how it seemed when Tony first eyed it. As soon as he made his first move, he realized this was not a course but rather an ordeal.
He managed to leap onto the first wall, but momentum betrayed him to gravity, causing a rather fast return to the ground.
He attempted to crawl beneath the barbed wire, only to find himself entangled and stuck halfway.
Then, in a final display of clumsiness, he tripped right before the finish line, landing face first on the ground.
Vega blew her whistle, her tone dry as she announced, "Brightfield, You've broken the record!"
Tony lifted his head, a hopeful glint in his eyes, Wait, really?
"For the slowest time."
"…Still a record, right?"
The following part: "Strategy simulation."
The recruits were separated into groups, presented with an exercise: rescue a civilian while dodging traps set by the enemy.
Mira quickly took charge, giving directions like someone born to lead. Leo began mapping out possible courses. Tony on the other hand, was still trying to figure out which direction was north.
"Tony, take the rear!" Mira called out.
He quickly faced the direction. "Understood!"
Two minutes later, he tripped, falling on something, but somehow his fall triggered a switch that disarmed a trap.
Silence fell as everyone paused.
Leo was shocked. You…you actually did something useful.
Tony grinned, turning what was pure luck into a calculated move. Yeah, I totally planned that.
By the completion of the test, Team Mira somehow managed to secure a spot in the top five. How they did it left everyone in doubt.
Vega raised an inquisitive eyebrow, scrutinizing Tony. "Brightfield, your methods are… unorthodox. Nevertheless, they produced results."
Tony gave a salute. "That's my specialty, ma'am. Mister Unorthodox."
"You're either a fool or a genius."
"Why not both?"
Some students started their laughter. Vega even gave a slight smile.
That night, Tony was awake, staring at the ceiling.
He could not believe it, surviving the test. Not only that, people were taking notice of it.
He overheard several recruits referring to him as The Wild Card.
Some thought he had weird instincts. While others thought he was just lucky.
Tony didn't care what they thought. All he cared was staying inside the academy, and his plan was working.
Smiling he pulled the blanket up.
"Let them consider me as 'The Wild Card'. The longer they believe it, the easier it'll be to undermine them later."
He paused.
"…I still need to learn to run without tripping."