The plane finally touched down in the U.S.A. as the sun was beginning to set, casting a golden hue over the sleek airport. As the hatch opened, the roar of a massive crowd echoed through the aircraft.
Students peeked through the windows, stunned.
"Oh man… it's so awkward!" Shinitsu whispered, nervously adjusting his hoodie.
Xavier stretched lazily, smirking. "Welcome to the country of superheroes, villains, crimes… and maybe weird pizza toppings, like pineapple and shrimp." He shuddered. "Monsters, I tell you."
Virat stepped out cautiously, the sound of cameras clicking and drones flying overhead making him feel like a celebrity… an unprepared one. In his head, though, thoughts spun out of control. Everyone already awakened their powers... and I don't even know how mine works. How am I supposed to train with Titan like this? What if he throws a planet at me?
"Why you sweating like a popsicle in a microwave?" Xavier teased, nudging him.
"Huh? N-nothing," Virat replied with an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his head.
As they moved forward, a giant glowing billboard flashed over them:
"Welcome, Future Heroes! Your Journey Begins NOW!"
They were ushered through high-tech gates into a futuristic W.H.O. facility. It was a sci-fi dream—transparent elevators zoomed past, robotic drones patrolled corridors, and holograms projected 3D maps of the training compound.
One of the floating drones stopped in front of the group. Its mechanical voice chirped:
"Greetings, participants. Please follow me to your private lounges. Your superhuman ability examination will begin in precisely 10 hours. Rest well."
"HOLY WHAT?!" Virat blurted. "It's tonight?!"
Shinitsu's mouth fell open. "N-no way… I thought we had, like… time to breathe?"
"Guess not," Xavier sighed. "They ain't playing around here."
Virat dragged himself to his private lounge. It was fancy—bed, food dispensers, a massage chair, and a gaming console with the latest Super Smack Bros Ultimate X. Despite the chaos in his head, he couldn't resist booting it up.
One game won't hurt, he thought.
Two hours and 43 matches later…
Knock knock.
Virat opened the door, surprised. "Inferno?"
The No.1 hero stood there, arms folded, face serious.
"Time to train. Titan's waiting."
Virat gulped. "Right now?"
"No time like the present."
They drove through a sleek underground transport to a hidden facility: Titan's Gym.
It wasn't a gym. It was a labyrinth of pain. Giant weights hung from the ceiling. Lava pits. Training bots armed with swords. There was even a boulder bench press machine.
Standing in the center was Titan.
The man was a mountain—6'8" tall, armor covering his body, glowing red eyes behind a mask that looked like it ate steel for breakfast.
"Virat Singh," he rumbled. "You don't need to explain your powers. I already know."
"Oh… okay, cool," Virat replied. "So, uh… what's first?"
Titan cracked his knuckles. "Hell."
Before Virat could react, the floor beneath him shifted.
"Wait wha—AAAAAAAAAA!"
He was launched down a tunnel and landed face-first in a dirt field. The ground vibrated as two massive four-ton boulders slammed down, one chained to each leg.
Titan's voice echoed from above.
"Your first task: drag those rocks 1 kilometer under 35 minutes."
Virat looked at the rocks. "Are you sure this is training and not a torture session?"
Titan started a countdown. "3. 2. 1—BEGIN."
Virat pulled. Nothing moved.
He pulled harder.
Still nothing.
He screamed, veins popping in his arms.
"WHY DO THESE WEIGH MORE THAN MY ENTIRE FUTURE?!"
But he didn't give up.
Every step was like climbing Everest with pianos strapped to his legs. His knees wobbled. His back screamed. But slowly, he made progress—inch by inch.
Sweat poured down his face. Time blurred.
And then…
THUD.
He collapsed past the 1-kilometer line.
"Time: 34 minutes, 48 seconds," Titan said.
Virat panted. "Can I… can I rest now?"
Titan tilted his head. "Rest?"
Virat's eyes widened. "Please tell me that wasn't sarcasm—"
Suddenly, the ground opened, and three combat robots jumped out.
Each had a fighting stance: kung fu, Muay Thai, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Titan smirked. "Fight them. You have 10 minutes."
"What?! I just finished pulling 8 tons of stupid rock!"
Titan chuckled. "This is the warm-up."
Virat groaned but got into a stance. The robots charged.
It was chaos. He dodged, blocked, got punched, got kicked, screamed, and tripped over his own shoelaces once—but he kept pushing.
When the final robot fell, Virat collapsed on his knees.
Titan stared down at him. "You done?"
"I think… my spleen is in my socks," Virat gasped.
Titan ignored him. "Final round. Carry that log—" he pointed at a tree-sized pole— "around the arena while dodging lasers."
"LASERS?!"
But the training went on. Titan kept giving Virat bizzare, punishing tasks for eight hours straight—from climbing a wall while holding buckets of boiling water to solving math problems while fighting drones.
By the time they stopped, the sun was rising.
Titan looked him over, arms crossed. "Good kid. You might survive tomorrow."
Virat lay flat on the ground, covered in bruises and pride. "Wait… tomorrow? You mean today, right?"
Titan looked at him blankly. "It's 4 a.m."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaat?" Virat's scream echoed through the valley.
Inferno entered the room with a coffee in hand, sipping casually. "How was training?"
"I saw my ancestors halfway through," Virat croaked. "They were telling me to run."
Titan handed him a protein bar. "You'll pass the exam. Barely. Maybe."
Virat stood up slowly, wobbling like a penguin on stilts. But then he looked at the rising sun.
He raised a fist.
"I can do this."
[TO BE CONTINUED]