The biker strolled in like he owned the place, his leather jacket half-zipped and a smug grin on his face. His boots clunked against the floor with each lazy step as he sauntered into the center of the training room.
"You are exactly twenty-one minutes late," Bob said, his arms crossed and his tone sharp enough to cut steel. He didn't yell—he didn't have to. The annoyance in his voice was like a slow-building storm, the kind that made the air feel heavy and tight.
The biker didn't even flinch. He raised his hands in mock apology. "Yeah, sorry about that, bro, but I forgot my alarm." His tone was casual, like he'd just missed breakfast, not a scheduled combat training. He looked around the room and smirked. "What'd I miss?"
Silence lingered for a beat. Everyone was staring at him.
"Nothing," the military guy finally said, arms folded across his chest, his voice clipped. "He made us wait until you came."
The biker's grin widened. "Oh wow. You all waited for me? I feel kinda special now."
The seductive girl rolled her eyes so hard it was practically audible. "You're not," she muttered, brushing imaginary lint off her suit as she leaned against the wall.
The other girl, dressed casually in a hoodie and jeans, whispered something under her breath that made Alex chuckle. Even the military guy's jaw clenched a little tighter, clearly resisting the urge to snap.
Bob took a step forward, his presence heavy and deliberate. "This isn't a joke," he said, his voice low and cold. "You think I'm doing this for fun? You think any of us are?"
"No, sir," the military guy said.
Bob had just noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him. They all looked almost scared. "Shit, I got angry," he muttered. "Okay, let's start again. Everyone state your name and age."
The military guy stepped forward. "I'm Axel Crest, twenty-five years old. Served two years in the Marines."
"Just name and age, cadet!" Bob barked with a wide grin, clearly joking.
"My deepest apologies, sir. I will gladly accept my punishment," Axel replied, dead serious. That made everyone laugh—everyone except him.
"I was kidding," Bob said with a chuckle. "Now you!" he continued, pointing at the girl in casual clothing who was watching something on her phone.
"Elizabeth Moni, fourteen years old. You can call me Beth," she said, not looking up.
"Alright… Alex, your turn," Bob called out.
"Hi, I'm Alex. Almost fourteen," Alex said, clearly flustered as he glanced at Beth.
"You're barely thirteen," Bob said, looking smug. That earned him a glare from Alex—a rare sight.
"Okay, okay."
"Me now!" said the girl in the seductive outfit, stepping forward confidently. "I'm Selena, twenty-three years old, and I'm into older men." She said it while locking eyes with Bob, her tone as direct as her gaze.
"Okaaay…? Hey, it's your turn, brat," Bob said, turning to the biker.
"Ryan. Twenty. The strongest hero alive—now that Hope is dead," he said, totally smug and completely unaware that Hope's son was standing just a few feet away. An awkward silence followed.
"I'm Bob Dickson. I'm twenty-three years old," Bob said, stepping forward. "Anyone have any questions for me?"
Everyone looked at one another, hesitant. Then Ryan spoke up. "What makes you so special? What's your power?"
"Why do you think I'm special?" Bob replied casually. "And my power is way above your concern."
"Well, you're the same age as us and you're our teacher," Selena said, arms crossed.
"How are you gonna teach us to use our powers if you can't show yours?" Axel added, serious as ever.
"That leads us to our first lesson," Bob said, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I'll defend myself without using my powers. If any of you can beat me, I'll tell you what mine is. But if you lose… I'll tell you what yours are."
The room went silent for a heartbeat, the challenge hanging in the air like a loaded weapon. Then Ryan scoffed and cracked his knuckles.
"Oh, this is going to be fun," he said, stepping forward with a cocky grin. "You want all of us, or one at a time?"
Bob didn't move, didn't even blink. He stood with that same relaxed confidence that somehow made him more intimidating. "One at a time. I want to know what I'm working with."
Selena crossed her arms and leaned back slightly. "You sure you don't want us to go easy on you? We wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face."
Bob smirked. "You can try. Who wants to go first?"
Axel took a step forward, standing straight as if still in uniform. "Permission to engage, sir."
Bob raised an eyebrow. "Granted, soldier."
Axel didn't waste time. He launched forward with precise, practiced movements—a punch aimed at Bob's center mass, fast and efficient. Bob sidestepped effortlessly, letting the fist cut through the air beside him. Another jab, another dodge. Axel was trained, that much was clear. But Bob was more than trained—he was instinctual.
"You're good," Bob said, ducking under a kick. "But you're thinking too much."
Axel grunted and adjusted, switching tactics mid-swing, trying to catch Bob off-guard. But Bob anticipated it, stepping into Axel's space and tapping him on the chest with two fingers, not hard enough to cause damage. "Dead. And your ability is to harden your skin, isn't it?"
Axel froze, then took a sharp step back and saluted. "Understood. And yes, that is, indeed my power."
"Okay, next," Bob called, already turning away. "And don't be afraid, use your power."
Beth looked up from her phone. "Yeah, no thanks. I'd like to keep my bones intact."
"Noted," Bob said, not unkindly. "Selena?"
She grinned. "Normally, I don't like to break a sweat this early, but I guess I can make an exception."
She stepped forward with feline grace, her heels clicking softly against the training room floor. Her eyes were locked on Bob's, predatory and playful.
She came close—too close—pressing a hand against his chest. Her touch was light, almost teasing, but there was a strange pull to it, something deeper. Her perfume curled in the air like a trap, sweet and deliberate.
"You're going to sit on your knees for me, honey…" she purred, her voice like silk dipped in danger. She leaned in slowly, her face inches from his, her lips parted ever so slightly.
Across the room, Alex's eyes widened. "What's going on?" he whispered, practically breathless, like he was watching the climax of a drama.
Beth, still lounging against the wall with her phone half-forgotten in her hand, whispered, "That's her power. The power of seduction."
Selena's lips hovered just millimeters from Bob's, her breath warm against his skin. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation. For a heartbeat, it looked like he might actually fall under her spell.
Then in one fluid, vicious motion, Bob's hand snapped up and clamped around her throat, his grip firm but controlled.
"Power of seduction," he muttered, his scarlet eyes now glowing faintly. "Cute. But I've seen better."
Before anyone could blink, he shoved her back with one arm, tossing her to the mat like she weighed nothing. She landed with a thud, rolled once, and came to a stop on her side. The room fell silent.
Selena groaned, pushing herself up with one arm. Her grin didn't fade. "Totally worth a try, you smell great," she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face, her voice only slightly strained.
Bob rolled his shoulders like nothing had happened, glancing toward the others. "Lesson one—your powers don't mean much if your opponent doesn't play by your rules."
Alex blinked. "That… was kind of awesome. Wait, the fight's not over."
She came at him with fluid, almost dance-like movements—fast, unpredictable. But Bob blocked every hit with minimal motion, almost playfully. When she tried to sweep his legs, he simply jumped over it and stepped aside, guiding her past him with a hand on her back.
"Better than I expected," he said.
"Don't patronize me," she muttered, swinging again.
Bob caught her wrist mid-strike, gently twisted it, and stepped behind her in a blur, his other hand hovering just above her neck. "Dead," he said, then released her and stepped back.
She turned around, panting slightly. "I think I like you more now."
Bob rolled his eyes and looked at Ryan. "You're next, tough guy."
Ryan cracked his neck. "Finally."
He charged without warning—pure strength and speed, no finesse. Bob stood his ground, dodging the first punch by a hair, blocking the second with a forearm. Ryan was powerful, clearly enhanced, but sloppy—emotional. His fists were burning, like actually burning. Yet his skin didn't seem damaged, a fire user.
"You rely too much on brute force," Bob said, grabbing Ryan's arm mid-swing and using his momentum to flip him clean over his shoulder.
Ryan hit the ground with a grunt, stunned.
"And you talk too much," Bob added.
Ryan glared up at him from the floor, rubbing his back. "Lucky throw."
Bob smirked. "Sure. And you're a fire user, such a common ability."
Alex couldn't hide his amazement. "You're really not using your powers?"
Alex then gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I figured…"
But Bob's expression shifted, growing serious as he took a step back and looked at Alex directly.
"But it's not over," Bob said, his voice calm but firm. "You haven't given it a try. Alex."
The room fell silent again. Even Selena, who was still brushing herself off from her failed attempt, paused mid-motion. Axel and Beth both turned to look at Alex, surprise flashing across their faces.
"Wait… me?" Alex asked, pointing at himself, wide-eyed. "You want me to fight you?"
Bob nodded. "You've got power, kid. You've just never pushed it. Time to try. Right here. Right now. That's the reason I'm here, to train you."
Alex swallowed hard, taking a step back instinctively. "But I—I don't even know how to control it."
"That's exactly why you're going to try," Bob replied, his tone unflinching. "This isn't about winning. It's about feeling it. About trying. No one expects you to land a punch on me. But if you never swing, you'll never learn how."
Alex hesitated, caught between the burning weight of expectation and the memory of everything he'd been through to get here. Everyone was watching him now. His heart pounded in his chest.
Beth gave him a small nod of encouragement. "Just go for it."
Bob took off his jacket and dropped it to the floor. "Come on, kid. Show me what you've got."
Alex took a deep breath. Then another. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.
"Alright," he said, stepping into the ring. "But don't hold back. hehe."
Bob grinned, just a little. "Wouldn't dream of it."