A New Generation Is Born

By: Kyle George

Static from the speakers rang through the stadium, which seated roughly seven hundred fifty thousand people. A video and audio 

played on the 

Jumbotron in the middle of the stadium.

“In a world where everyone is born with their unique ability, a certain group of people believe they have a moral obligation to help others. These people are known as heroes, where multiple heroes have proven they can rise above the rest and reach the top ten of heroes. We are gathered here today to commemorate what happened on January 23rd, 2067 when the top 5 heroes at the time answered a distressed call. When they saw where it was, they noticed it was under the Nexus, the hero organization they organized under. They found a hidden lab that housed multiple people locked in cells. The scientist in the lab running these experiments was swiftly taken care of, and all the people were set free. The heroes suffered pushback from opposing forces, and when the battle was done, only one hero walked away from the battle. The top four heroes at the time perished during this mission, the only survivor being the top five heroes at the time, “Elemental.” So, as you are here, take time to show recognition to the heroes around you and the sacrifices they make for all of us. So, without fourth ado, let's start the event we all came for, “The December 2067 Hero Ranking.”

An hour passed into the hero rankings, going through the top ten to seven. Now, it is time for the top three heroes to be revealed.

The announcer who spoke at the beginning of this event continued. “Now, onto the top three heroes this year. First off, the third most ranked hero is “Night Owl.” This hero has proven their worth by the way they use their owl-like abilities to dominate over their enemies.

Along with his exceptional talent for espionage, I’m sure if he wanted to, he could take down a small country in a night. Do without further ado, I present to you 'Night Owl.'" Night Owl walks up the third rank base wearing his iconic suit in the shape of an owl, with a grey color shine, bright white secondary coloring, and black undertones. The cowl he wore represented an owl with wide eyes, with his lower face exposed. He was an average-height male with a bulky physique.

The crowd applauded for two minutes until the announcer cut them off. “Now presenting the second-ranked hero “Jean,” the only thing stronger than his will to be a hero are the fibers he manipulates in the clothes around his body and all the fabrics you find around you. Without further ado the number two hero “Jean.” The hero walked out of the second-ranked base. His suit was made up entirely of jeans; the only thing exposed on him was his upper face and hair, along with his bare hands. After Jean's introduction, the lights in the stadium all shut off, and three beams of light shined on the first-ranked base. “And last but not least, introduce the number one hero, “elemental.” The courage and sacrifice he showed that fateful night brought him to where he is now. With his amazing power that lets him create, be, and manipulate all elements in nature like fire, water, earth, and air.” He walked up to the podium in his signature grey suit, which had an emblem with a grey circle in the middle. The color of this suit and the symbol on his chest will change depending on the element that Elemental uses at the given time. His mask wasn’t a normal mask; it was made up of condensing technology where it took the form of a Mohawk on his head but, when activated, would wrap itself around his head and neck. It had grey and yellow eyes, which gave a virtual display of Elemental situations.

As the day passes, the event starts to die, and we skip to find our number one hero in his room inside The Nexus. The towering spires of  The Nexus reached over the clouds, within the headquarters, the humidity of high tech. While most would marvel at the marvel walls in the Nexus Elemental, who was known as Elliot Nash, considered this place to be a glorified daycare for the overpowered and overly dramatic heroes. Elliot sat in his quarters, a mess of old relics, empty coffee cups, and Prototypes of different masks that hadn't been finished for months. His nanotechnology mask sat on the table beside him next to a photo of the old top five heroes. He stared at the picture and tapped as if hypnotized by the image. The door slid open, and Felicity Stone walked in without warning; she was coming in and had a tablet under her arm.

“You missed the briefing,” she said.

”He retorted, “ Oh no, I bet Jean crying right now.”

Felicity raises an eyebrow at this. “Jean isn’t crying, but he did call you. I remember him calling you a “Walking force of nature in need of adult supervision.”

”Aww, that’s cute,” Elliot says, swinging himself up on his feet. I guess he does care.”

“Well, don't let that inflate your ego too much now,” Felicity said with a smirk. “ You really should’ve taken some time to go today. Jean even had a big motivational speech is was oddly… inspiring.”

”Oh? Really? It was inspiring, that’s great, but I think I'll skip out on the speeches.” Elliot grabbed his mask and put it on his head; it wrapped snugly around his head, and he began walking toward the door.

”You are fortunate I like disasters,” she said while smirking at him. As oblivious as ever, Elliot performs a sarcastic bow before his exit.       

The training hall buzzed with activity as Adrian, the latest recruit, sparred with a holographic opponent. Sparks flew from his electrified staff as he swung wildly, each miss making him visibly more frustrated. From the sidelines, Elliot leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, his mask displaying faint yellow pulses as he observed.

“You’re trying too hard,” Elliot called out.

Adrian paused mid-swing, his breath ragged. “I’m hitting the target!”

“Really? Because it looks more like you’re auditioning for a fireworks show,” Elliot replied. “Congratulations. You’re scaring birds across the city.”

The teenager was flustered, and he tightened his grip on the staff. “Maybe if you actually trained me—”

Elliot held up a hand, cutting him off. “Training’s fine. But you’re overthinking it. Focus. Flow. Zap. Repeat.”

Up in the observation deck, Jean leaned on the railing, smirking as he watched the exchange. “You really have a way with kids, Elliot.”

“Thanks,” Elliot shouted back. “I aim to please.”

Felicity appeared at Jean’s side, tablet in hand. “One day, that sarcasm is going to backfire,” she said.

Jean chuckled,  “That day can’t come soon enough.”

A  call came for their first mission as a team; Adrian's nerves were written all over his face. He sat at the briefing table, his staff leaning against his chair, while Felicity projected a holographic map of District 14.

“Localized chaos,” she explained. “Enhanced criminals stirring up trouble. Should be a cakewalk.”

“Should I really—,” Adrian said hesitantly.

“Don’t care you’re going,” Elliot interrupted, his tone light but firm. “Unless you’re busy alphabetizing your insecurities, in which case we can wait,” Adrian glared at him, and Jean squeezed out a laugh.

“Elliot,” Felicity said with a warning edge.

“What?” he replied, shrugging. “I’m encouraging him.”

“Encouraging?” Jean asked. “You’re practically a motivational poster.”

“Exactly,” Elliot said. “Just one with better hair.”

The mission was anything but a cakewalk. Smoke filled the streets, and electricity arced through the air as Adrian tried to hold his ground against an opponent twice his size. Elemental, meanwhile, conjured a wall of fire to block reinforcements from reaching their position.

“You holding up, SparkPlug?” Elliot shouted over the commotion.

Theo focusing his energy. “I’m trying!”

“Try harder!” Elliot quipped, dodging a projectile. “I’d like to not die today.”

Jean swooped in from above, using threads of fabric to disarm an enemy. “You could at least pretend to care,” he said to Elliot.

“It’s fine,” Elliot replied. “Nobody’s crying yet.”

“Give it time,” Jean muttered.

Back at The Nexus, the med bay was quiet. Adrian sat on a bench, staring at his hands. Felicity tended to his cuts, and her touch was gentle despite her brisk movements.

“You did fine,” she said.

“I froze up,” Adrian admitted. “If Elemental hadn’t…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Felicity said firmly. “You’ll get there.”

Elliot entered, his suit battered but his mask firmly in place. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

“You didn’t die,” he said. “That’s a win.”

Adrian looked up at him, guilt in his eyes. “All I wanted was to be a hero like you.”

Elliot’s posture stiffened. Slowly, he reached up and removed his mask. Scars across his face. Along with his eyes, usually so sharp, he looked tired.

“A hero?” he repeated, his voice quieter now. “Kid, look at me. Really look.”

Adrian's gaze didn’t waver, but his expression shifted.

“I’m not a hero,” Elliot continued. “I’m a guy who’s survived long enough to pretend I know what I’m doing. I’ve lost good people because I thought being a hero was worth it. And you know what? It’s not. Not always.”

For a long moment, the room was silent.

“But you saved lives today,” Adrian said. “Isn’t that worth something?”

Elliot studied him, his mask dangling from his fingers. “Maybe,” he said finally. “But don’t kid yourself into thinking it’s easy.”

As he walked out, Felicity’s gaze lingered on him. Jean appeared in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

“He’s not as tough as he acts,” Jean said softly.

“No,” Felicity agreed, her voice almost a whisper. “But he’s tougher than he knows.”

And Adrian, sitting in the quiet of the med bay, clenched his fists. He would prove himself—not just to Elemental, but to the hero he aspired to be. That’s what he did. The next morning, Adrian walked out to the main hall, seeing Elemental, Jean, and even Night Owl. They were standing there waiting for Adrian to come out of his room.

“So kid, you ready?” Elemental asked with a smirk.

”For what?” Adrian raised an eyebrow.

“To become your own hero finally,” Elemental chuckled, “I thought Sparky could be the official name. Has a ring to it, don't you think?”

“Stop teasing the kid,” Jean said while putting his hand on Elemental's shoulder.

“How?” Was the only question Adrian had for Elemental

”Well, what can I say? Being the number one hero has its perks,” Elemental pushes Jean forward a bit, “He also maybe put in a few good words.”

“You’re a good kid, and I think you’ve proven yourself,” Jean said with a genuine smile, “And night owl is here to say congratulations.”

Adrian did not know what to think. All he could do was crack a large smile, looking forward to what would come. He stood in the middle of the room with the top three heroes behind him, ready to teach him what he needed to know to become the best hero he could be.