A soft breeze rustled through the towering buildings of the city as the sun began its slow rise. The streets were calm—for now.
Narrator (Internal Monologue)
This is the story of a boy. A good kid.
One who wanted to be a hero…
But he didn't become one.
Instead, he became a monster.
A villain.
The very thing he swore he'd never become.
And by the way…
Everyone gets their powers when they turn seven.
A tattoo appears, one gifted by something ancient—something viral.
It all began with a girl who stumbled upon a strange stone.
It embedded itself into her DNA like a living virus, marking her heart with a tattoo.
And from there… it spread.
Morning light filters through a cozy bedroom.
Zuko stirred under the covers before rolling out of bed—literally.
Thud.
"Ouch… my back… that hurt," he groaned, rubbing his side.
From downstairs came a cheerful voice.
"Zuko! Honey, come downstairs!" his mom called.
He perked up instantly.
"Okay, Mom! Be right there!" he shouted, already jumping into his black joggers and matching shirt.
As he descended the stairs, he looked around.
"Okay… Mom? Dad? Where are you?"
Suddenly, from behind the kitchen counter, his parents leaped out.
Together:
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, OUR LITTLE GOOFBALL!"
"AHHHHHH!" Zuko screamed in shock, then burst out laughing. "Why would you do that?!"
His dad chuckled. "Because it's your birthday!"
Zuko froze. "…Wait… it's my birthday!"
He paused, eyes widening.
"That means… I get my superpower soon! YES!"
He ran up to his parents and hugged them tightly.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. I love you."
His mom smiled warmly. "We love you too, Zuko."
His dad glanced at his wife before speaking gently. "Zuko… there's something else."
"Huh?"
"Your mom is pregnant. You're going to have a little brother."
Zuko's eyes widened.
"Mom… are you serious? You're pregnant?"
"Yes, honey," she said, laughing softly. "I am."
He stood in stunned silence for a moment, then whispered:
"I swear… I will be a hero one day. I mean it. I will be Top 5."
His parents exchanged a look—half proud, half heartbroken—and embraced him again.
7:00 AM. A run-down house with peeling paint and broken windows.
Dom sat up slowly in bed. His room was cold. Bare. Empty.
"It's my birthday…" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
From downstairs came a sharp, slurred voice.
"Get down here! I need a beer—now!"
"Okay, Mom. I'll be down in a sec."
"No, now! Or I'll beat the hell outta you!"
His heart pounded. "Okay! I'm coming!"
He pulled on his oversized pants and torn shirt, grabbed a can from the fridge, and brought it to his mother.
She snatched it from his hands. "Why the hell isn't it cold!?"
SMACK.
Her hand struck his cheek.
"Go to your room. I've got a guest coming."
One hour later…
Dom lay curled in his closet, listening. He heard the front door creak open, followed by heavy boots—two sets.
Then, the sound of footsteps climbing the stairs… a door slammed shut… and noises he tried to block out.
Tears streamed silently down his face as he buried himself in his pile of clothes.
Two hours passed.
Then shouting.
"We're not paying you, you filthy slut!" one of the men growled.
"Yeah! What are you gonna do about it?" the other laughed.
Dom's mother snarled. "You bastards—"
A flash of power surged as she used her ability to blind them. But it didn't last.
One of the men let out a deafening sonic scream, blasting her into the wall. She collapsed.
The second man's fist ignited with fire. He began to strike her, blow after blow.
Dom rushed down the stairs, screaming. "MOM!"
But he was thrown across the room like a ragdoll.
"Stay down, brat!" one of them barked.
Then—a blade. A stab to her ribs.
Everything stopped.
A sudden presence filled the room.
The air became heavy. Cold.
From the shattered doorway, a woman entered—calm, regal… dangerous.
"What the hell are you doing?" she said, eyes glowing faintly.
She looked at the bloodied woman, then at the child.
"So what?" said one of the men. "We can do whatever the hell we want."
The other prepared to scream again, mouth opening wide.
"Stop," the woman said.
Everything froze.
"Wha—why can't I move?" the man stammered.
"Why does my mind feel like… it's not mine? I can't… I can't control it… No—it can't be her."
Narrator (internal):
Her name is Rae Komanda.
Hero Alias: The Silent Queen.
Principal of NHS.
Power Name: Sovereign's Paradox.
Her voice controls the will of others. Her mind, a fortress against the supernatural.
But the cost? Absolute focus. If she breaks… so does her control.
"Why her?" the man panicked. "She's ranked #80! Why is she here? NHS is in Georgia!"
The other man charged, fire blazing in his fists.
"Lay down," Rae whispered.
Both men collapsed.
She called the police, who arrived and took them away.
Rae turned to Dom.
"Hey kid… what's your name?"
He looked up, broken. "Dom Hollowmere."
She knelt beside him. "Your mom is gone. I'm sorry, kid."
Dom nodded faintly. "It's okay…"
She studied him—torn clothes, bruises, oversized pants.
In her mind, she whispered, He's been through hell…
"Dom," she said aloud, "Come with me."
"Huh?"
"I want to adopt you."
He looked down. "You sure? I'm just… useless. A waste of space."
"No, Dom. You're not. Come on."
They got into her car. The road ahead was quiet.
"So…" Rae asked gently, "How old are you?"
"Seven."
"Then you should be getting your tattoo soon."
"Yeah… I guess."
"You ever wonder what your power will be?"
Dom looked out the window. A crashed car sat on the roadside. A crying child sat beside it, alone.
"I want to be a hero," he said softly.
Rae glanced over, pausing.
There it was—a faint tattoo glowing on Dom's forehead, just above his left brow.
"You already got your tattoo," she said, a hint of surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes," she confirmed, her voice unreadable.
Zuko skipped alongside his parents, laughing.
"Can we go to the Iowa Fair? Please please please?"
His parents chuckled. "Okay, okay! Let's go!"
They danced to the car, smiling.
Suddenly, Zuko froze.in the car
"Look! It's the Number 10 hero—fighting a villain!"
Name: Ryker Solis
Hero Name: Overdrive
Hero Rank: #10
Power Name: Cyber-Shifter
Ryker's body is enhanced with nanotech, allowing him to morph into mechanical animals—wolf, gorilla, falcon, and more. He can mix traits, forming unstoppable hybrid beasts. His final form, Titan Protocol, fuses several at once—but at a high cost of system strain and exhaustion.
As Ryker fought in his cybernetic rhino form, he lost control and smashed into a nearby car.
Zuko's dad, reacting instantly, raised a glowing force field around his son.
Zuko blacked out.
When he came to, the car was wrecked.
"Mom? Dad?"
He ran to the twisted metal, heart pounding.
But no one answered.
In the distance, a car passed by. Inside sat a boy, the same age as Zuko. Their eyes met for a moment.
Zuko fell to his knees.
"Why couldn't it have been you…?" he whispered.
A glow burned on the right side of his face, a wing-shaped tattoo stretching from his temple to his cheek.