One of the multiple suns illuminating the planet began to dip toward the skyline as Raphael walked beside Topanga along the polished stone walkways of the campus quad. He held her heavy stack of textbooks tucked securely under his arm, matching her easy, rhythmic pace.
Topanga glanced over at him, a soft, appreciative smile tugging at her lips. "I really appreciate you holding my books for me, Raphael."
"No problem, anytime," Raphael replied, adjusting the weight of the books with a quick shrug.
"I actually wanted to ask you something," Topanga said, turning her head toward him as they walked. "Me and Merlin are going to a martial arts tournament next month. I absolutely love watching martial arts, and I saw how skilled you were when you fought Midas back there... Maybe you'd be interested in coming with us? I mean, I feel like I owe you at least that much for trying to save my life when that assassin attacked."
She paused, flashing a quick grin. "Plus, I love watching two fighters give it everything they've got in the ring watching them fight to the death!" She burst into laughter, waving a hand defensively. "Okay, obviously not to the death! But you know what I mean."
Raphael's eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm. "Yeah, I would love to go! I'm a huge fan of martial arts. Plus, I haven't seen Merlin in a really long time. Honestly... I might even compete in the human division of the tournament."
"Really? That would be amazing!" Topanga reached into her bag, pulling out a small stack of sleek, holographic passes. "I actually have multiple extra tickets, so you can bring your friends too Jax and Maya can definitely come along."
"That's awesome, thank you," Raphael smiled, taking the passes. He paused, looking over at her. "You're going to work today, right?"
"Yeah, that's where I'm headed right now," Topanga confirmed, gesturing toward the transit terminal in the distance.
"Well, I actually just got a job yesterday," Raphael said, a proud grin breaking across his face. "Today is my very first shift."
"Congratulations!" Topanga smiled.
"On your lunch break, or maybe after your shift, you should stop by," Raphael offered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can probably get you some free food."
Topanga chuckled. "If I can find a ride, definitely! I still don't have a hover-car."
"I'm surprised you don't have one yet," Raphael admitted, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you make pretty good money at the news reporting station now?"
"I do, but I'm saving up for a really good one," she explained. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her sleek holo-phone, and tapped the screen, casting a floating three-dimensional model of a luxury sports craft between them. The vehicle shimmered in gold and metallic black with ultra-high-grade thrusters. "A girl like me can only drive in style."
Raphael stared at the exorbitant price tag floating on the display, a quiet wave of insecurity washing over him.
How am I ever supposed to impress her just as regular Raphael? he thought to himself, feeling a slight sting in his pride. She makes way more money than me, she's smarter than me, and she's already rising in her career...
He shook his head with a quiet chuckle, turning back to her. "Yeah, you definitely have expensive taste," he admitted, forcing a light smile. "Well... if I ever manage to get my car first, I can drive you around."
"Oh, thanks!" Topanga laughed softly as she swiped the projection away.
They kept walking, passing clusters of students lounging on the lawns and heading toward the dorms. Whispers and heated debates drifted over from every direction:
They kept walking, passing clusters of students lounging on the lawns and heading toward the dorms. Whispers and heated debates drifted over from every direction:
"Did you see what happened earlier? Hero One came in and completely demolished that giant monster!"
"I heard he defeated the Hero Killer too!"
"I heard he's not even ranked in the Superhero Organization yet. How is that even possible? I'm surprised the official heroes haven't arrested him yet for using his powers illegally and acting like a vigilante."
"Seriously," another classmate chimed in, rolling his eyes. "If any of us did that, we'd be thrown straight into a cell! Man, I get tickets just for flying in no-fly zones whenever I use my abilities to get across campus!"
"Legal or not, I think he's way better than those corporate heroes," a girl with small silver wings argued, crossing her arms. "He saves people all the time and doesn't ask for a single credit! He saved my grandmother just last week, and she doesn't even have Superhero Insurance. He didn't charge her a dime just pulled her out of the wreckage and flew off!"
"If he ever actually joined the Organization, he'd instantly be ranked in the top 50, easy," a guy nearby chimed in. "I heard he's actually the son of Infinity Man."
"Honestly, that makes sense," another student added, nodding. "They wear the exact same symbol on their chest! And Infinity Man was one of the strongest heroes to ever live. Too bad he was never ranked either guy completely refused to join the Superhero Organization."
Another student scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. "Top 50? Try Top 5! Honestly, I think he could even take on Superior Man."
The surrounding crowd immediately burst into loud laughter, staring at him like he had lost his mind.
"Are you insane?!" someone shouted through giggles. "Superior Man is the Number One hero for a reason! The guy is completely invincible his physical body can't even be scratched! No one in history has ever made him bleed. Hero One is strong, but Superior Man is a god!"
Raphael subtly shifted his gaze, keeping his face completely neutral as he turned to Topanga. "Speaking of... did you see what happened with Hero One earlier today? And did you finally get your interview with him?"
Topanga abruptly stopped walking right in the middle of the pavement.
Raphael paused, turning around to look at her. To his shock, tears were welling up in her sharp orange eyes. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her sleeve, letting out a shaky, frustrated sigh.
"Yeah, I did," she muttered, her voice cracking slightly before she forced it back into a firm, irritated tone. "He finally gave me the interview. I'm going to release it soon I'm still working on editing it right now, but it was... it was a great night. And then he broke up with me."
She shook her head, letting out a humorless laugh. "I mean, we weren't even dating! But you know what I mean. You know how it is... I hate boys so much! He gave me everything I wanted that night, and then right at the very end, he told me it would be way too dangerous for him to stay close to me. He said we should just be friends... and that he could help me investigate the missing citizens, the sudden mutations, and that superdrug turning people into zombies, while I could help him keep track of the whole crisis."
Raphael felt a sharp, heavy pang in his chest. He looked down at her, his tone dripping with quiet sincerity. "He's... he's only doing that to protect you, Topanga."
"I know," she murmured softly, staring down at her shoes before tossing her hair back and forcing a brave smile. "I just have to try and move on."
Raphael cleared his throat, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks as he nervously adjusted his grip on her books. "Well... maybe this weekend, if you want to... maybe I could take you out on a date? Just to make you feel a little better? There's this really nice restaurant I know. With the money I'm saving up from my new job, we can totally go there I'll pay for everything."
Topanga looked up at him, her expression softening into a gentle, apologetic smile. "Raphael... I only see you as a friend. And honestly, I really don't want to talk to any boys like that right now. But we can definitely hang out! Just... not as a date."
Panic flushed through Raphael's face, and he stammered over his words, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Right! Yeah! That's that's totally what I meant! As friends! Just hanging out as friends!"
Before the awkward silence could settle, a towering seven-foot shadow fell over them both.
Kaelen Vance, draped casually in his varsity jacket with his sharp, pristine features gleaming in the sunlight, strolled up alongside his usual entourage of wealthy upperclassmen.
"Hey, Topanga," Kaelen called out smoothly, flashing a charming, picture-perfect smile. "You need a ride to work again? I can't have someone as pretty as you walking these dangerous, zombie-and-monster-infested streets alone."
Topanga sighed with relief, nodding gratefully. "I appreciate it, Kaelen. Can you give my friend a ride too?"
Kaelen's eyes flicked down to Raphael holding her books, his smile turning into an arrogant, amused smirk. "No way. Am I really expected to give a ride to that loser?"
Topanga's eyes flashed with annoyance. "Don't call him a loser, Kaelen!"
"Relax, I'm just joking," Kaelen chuckled, holding his hands up defensively.
He tapped a sleek silver keyfob in his hand, and with a soft, electronic chime, his multi-thousand-credit luxury flying car drifted out of the upper parking structure, descending smoothly and locking into a hover right beside the curb in front of them.
Kaelen's friends immediately piled into the plush leather backseats, laughing and chatting among themselves.
As Kaelen opened the passenger door for Topanga, he casually leaned over the roof of the vehicle. "So, Topanga... are you going to the martial arts tournament next month?"
"Yeah, I'm going," Topanga said, handing her books back to Raphael with a quick, appreciative nod before stepping toward the hover-car. "Merlin is going too."
"Good," Kaelen smirked, sweeping his long black hair back. "I'm actually one of the main competitors this year, and I'm taking the whole trophy home. I won the junior division four years in a row, and I've got black belts in multiple martial arts disciplines. So even though there are actual heroes competing in the brackets, I already know I've got this in the bag."
Topanga climbed into the sleek passenger seat, pulling her door shut. As the engine hummed to life and the thrusters flared with a brilliant cyan light, she leaned out the window, waving down at Raphael.
"See you later, Raphael!"
"See ya, Topanga," Raphael muttered, watching as the high-end vehicle lifted vertically into the air and streaked away into the upper traffic lanes, leaving him standing alone on the sidewalk.
Raphael stood in silence for a long moment, staring up at the empty sky where the glowing thrusters had vanished.
She thought we were dating, he thought, frustration and confusion churning in his gut. What is wrong with me? Last night I shouldn't have told her that we should just be friends. I'm an idiot. I should just tell her I'm Hero One. I should just do what Jax told me to do. No... I can't. It's way too dangerous. But how am I supposed to compete with guys like Kaelen if I can't even tell her the truth? Look at the car he has. The money. The fame. Making twenty credits an hour, it's going to take me forever to afford something like that.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, flipping it open to stare at the sleek, metallic black card issued by the Superhero Organization holding a massive balance of leftover reward credits.
"Damn it..." Raphael muttered under his breath, his thumb running over the plastic edge. "I can't just spend this money. What if T-Rex needs help again with money?"
He paused, remembering Halo and the desperate words he had spoken about his family starving.
"It wouldn't feel right using it on myself. But... I could literally buy that exact same hover-car right now."
He snapped the wallet shut, shoved it deep back into his pocket, and aggressively scratched his hair in sheer frustration. "Why is everything so complicated?! I don't even know what I'm supposed to do..."
TAP.
A hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder.
"AAAH!" Raphael shrieked, jumping a foot into the air and losing his footing completely, tumbling backward onto his rear.
Nearby students walking across the quad burst into loud, pointing laughter. Raphael groaned, looking up from the pavement only to see Maya standing over him, her shoulders shaking as she tried and failed to suppress a fit of giggles.
"Need a hand?" Maya laughed, extending her arm to pull him up.
Raphael dusted off his pants, glaring playfully at her. "Not funny, Maya."
"Jax told me you got a job and today's your first day," Maya said, wiping a tear from her eye. She gestured toward the nearby transit lot. "Since I don't have to work today, I can give you a ride if you need one... unless," she leaned in, dropping her voice to a playful whisper, "you were just planning on flying there?"
Raphael let out a relieved breath. "Yeah, I'll take a ride. Where's Jax at?"
"No idea, probably already locked in his room playing games," Maya said with a shrug as they walked toward her modest hover-craft.
Minutes later, her car hummed into the upper transit lanes, cutting through the city toward the lower sectors. As the gleaming skyscrapers began to give way to crumbling apartment complexes and rusted industrial scaffolding, Maya glanced out her window, her brow furrowing.
"I can't believe you're working out here, Raphael," Maya said, her hands tightening on the steering wheel. "This is literally one of the most dangerous parts of town."
"Yeah, well, that's actually one of the main reasons I decided to work here," Raphael explained, leaning his head against the glass. "I can work my shift as a normal human, and whenever trouble pops up nearby, I can slip out and solve some crimes as Hero One."
Maya tilted her head, considering it. "Well... that's actually pretty smart, I guess. Just be safe, okay?"
Raphael smirked. "You worry too much."
"And you don't worry enough," Maya shot back, rolling her eyes.
She glided the vehicle down into a cramped, neon-lit alley street and pulled up directly in front of a grease-stained storefront with a giant, glowing alien squid logo.
Maya slammed on the brakes, staring at the sign in utter shock. "This is where you work? Squid King Alien Burgers?! Raphael, when I think of you, I definitely don't picture a chef."
Raphael grinned, popping his seatbelt open. "If you don't believe me, you can stop by after I get off work today. I'll make you a full meal. I'll prove you wrong."
A sudden, bright pink blush erupted across Maya's cheeks. "You're... you're gonna make me a meal?"
She caught herself instantly, her eyes widening as she quickly turned her face away, snapping back into her usual sharp demeanor. "I mean I bet it's gonna taste like absolute trash! But hey, I welcome the challenge!"
"So, consider it a friendly date," Raphael said with a small smile.
Maya caught his eye, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks her pointed elf ears twitching slightly—before she quickly looked away to keep her cool. "Deal. See ya later, Raphael."
"See ya, Maya," he replied.
She smiled, turned, and headed out. Raphael chuckled, shaking his head as he pushed open the heavy glass doors of Squid King Alien Burgers.
The moment he stepped inside, a screeching, high-pitched voice echoed from behind the counter.
"RAPHAEL! You are TWO MINUTES LATE!"
His boss, Mr. Squid a stout, four-armed alien manager with slimy purple skin and three bulging eyes slammed a clipboard onto the register.
"You haven't even clocked in yet! That is already TWO CREDITS docked off your pay! Do it again and you're FIRED!"
"Sorry, sir! Won't happen again!" Raphael said quickly, sprinting to the back to grab his apron.
For the next four hours, Raphael's shift was an absolute nightmare.
He was stuck behind a scorching industrial grill, flipping slimy, twitching alien meat patties that hissed and spat glowing purple grease. When he wasn't cooking, he was assigned to clean the dining floor. Groups of unruly, hyperactive alien kids tossed wads of sticky trash at him, laughing hysterically. To make matters worse, as Raphael lifted a massive, overfilled garbage bag toward the dumpster, the plastic ripped wide open, spilling rotting alien food scraps and thick grease all over his clothes and shoes.
"Just twenty credits an hour..." Raphael whimpered under his breath, wiping a blob of mysterious blue goo off his cheek. "Just twenty credits..."
Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted from the front dining room.
A massive crowd of customers had gathered around a table where a giant, six-armed alien construct was attempting the infamous "Squid King Omega Challenge"a mountain of spicy alien delicacy burgers and glowing fried tentacles that had to be finished in under thirty minutes.
Raphael stood near the edge of the crowd, clapping his hands and cheering along with everyone else, happy for a brief distraction from his chores. "Come on! You can do it! Ten seconds left!"
The challenger shoved the final massive burger into his mouth, his face turning a dark shade of blue as his eyes bulged out.
BLEEEEEAUUUUGHHH!
Without warning, the alien violently projectile vomited across the entire table and directly onto Raphael, covering his head, face, and chest in thick, steaming alien throw-up.
The crowd scattered in horror.
The manager stomped over, looking down at the vomit-drenched Raphael with pure disgust. "Disgusting! You know what? You can take your lunch break NOW. You have 45 minutes, and don't you dare be a single second late. And your break starts right NOW not after you clean yourself up!"
"Are you serious?!" Raphael gasped, but Mr. Squid had already turned his back.
Fuming with anger, Raphael went to the employee restroom to scrub himself clean with paper towels and cold water.
Ten minutes later, still smelling faintly of alien bile and drenched in water, he stepped out of the restaurant to clear his head. Just a few buildings down, the glint of polished chrome caught his eye.
It was a high-end luxury dealership.
Raphael stopped, staring through the glass showroom window at a sleek, matte-black flying sports craft. The price tag projected above it read: 45,000 CREDITS.
Raphael reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet again.
50,000 credits left on this card, he thought, his chest heaving as he stared down at the black chip in his hand. I could use this money so I don't have to work for a year and a half... or I could literally just buy that car right now. My food, my car problem literally all of my problems could be solved right this second.
He raised the card, his hand trembling slightly as he looked between the dealership doors and the money in his hand.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! GET OFF OF ME, PLEASE! STOP!"
The sharp, terrified scream of a woman echoed from a dark alleyway across the street.
Raphael snapped out of his trance instantly. He glanced down at his wrist, checking his watch.
"Damn it," Raphael hissed, clutching his head. "I only have 20 minutes left on my lunch break! Hopefully it's not that bad..."
Without another second of hesitation, he shoved the wallet back into his pocket, bolted straight into an adjacent alleyway, and in a crimson blur of Battle Spirit energy, transformed into Hero One launching into the sky like a rocket.