Super in the Shadows

The best protagonists are resolute, crazy, and totally PTSD-inducing! This one is no exception. ENJOY!

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“ORA ORA ORA!”

Jack watched shellshocked.

The training instructor’s punching was INTENSE!

His fists could be seen flying In the air, leaving afterimages as he displayed what he meant by technique in an earth-shattering instant. “Remember, power, technique, and fitness.”

He gave a pleased grin as the students nodded, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. At that moment, he really looked the epitome of a martial arts teacher.

He was a man of black and white… and red.

A white judo outfit that fit with the white bandages covering his sturdy forearms. Then there was the black belt that was the same color as his slick hair and powerful runic tattoos on his arms. And, lastly, his eyes gleamed red with ferocity.

Those eyes quickly scanned his new class… only to stop on Jack!

“What is it? There's something you want to ask, right?”

How observant! Jack actually had a question at the tip of his tongue. As he glanced at the powerful martial arts teacher, he couldn’t help but compare him to his own Teacher.

“Power, technique, and fitness, was it?”

He paused, hesitating, but as the teacher gestured for him to continue, he kept going at the risk of offending him. He wanted to know where the difference lay.

“What about power, knowledge, and common sense?”

Jack had barely asked when the other students scuttled a few meters away. Was this dumbass contesting the teacher’s teachings? Did he have a death wish or a death wish?!

The latter was already growling like a beast…

“You, where did you hear that?”

“Friend in Support.”

That’s when the teacher’s entire aura seemed to change. He started to laugh madly, and then his energy became chaotic, as if a dragon about to destroy the world!

Then he wordlessly stepped up to a training dummy and…

The ground and the gym shook!

“HYPER PUNCH!”

He punched so hard that the dummy exploded in a thousand pieces! All that remained of it was a crater of destruction and remnant explosive energy still crackling behind.

And that punch was so awe-striking that Jack couldn’t help but replay it in his head. Runic Tattoos lightning up, crackling energy filling his body, and then it all exploded in his fist!

Hyper Punch? The name sounded so damn over the top, but it was fitting. Even he, who was always watching Supers, found himself gulping in awe.

This power, it was at least A-Rank?!

“Do you understand now?”

The teacher gave him a wink, Jack stilling. Then a second later the man turned toward the class, in teaching mode. “Know yourself and the enemy, and you won’t ever lose a battle.”

He sighed, a wry smile appearing on his face, seemingly reminiscing. For a moment, he appeared sorrowful. “Except knowing your enemy’s not always an option.”

And soon, the sorrow turned into fiery resoluteness.

“So keep working on yourselves! ALWAYS!”

“That’s the philosophy you should have here. Supports will study all they can, but at the end of the day, we’re the ones in the field taking the risks and facing the unknown.”

“It could be a portal going haywire, it could be a new villain appearing, it could even be a new mutated beast variant. But in our line of work, all you can know is yourself!”

That’s when it suddenly clicked for Jack. Knowing yourself AND the enemy was near-impossible, but it would be far more manageable if one focused on one part only.

Super, and Support, eh? His own preference was obvious…

‘But without a Quirk, that ship has sailed.’

He sighed to himself, his thoughts interrupted by a very lively teacher clapping his hands together. “Now, enough talk. This is the Battle Complex, not the Boring Complex!”

“Volunteers time! Let’s have some fun! Who’s ready to die?”

Many eager hands went up, only to falter a second later. Wait, had they imagined it, or had he said “ready to die”? It was a joke, right? It had to be! But they were beaten to it­.

One hand had remained high this whole time.

As he felt the stares from his “colleagues,” Jack didn’t budge one bit. Honestly, he was scared, probably more than they were, but unlike them, this could be his last chance!

At that moment, student and teacher shared a glance, the latter laughing.

“Good! We have our first hero! Now we need a villain…”

“Me! Me! I’ll crush him for sure!”

A youngster happily waved, his excitement contagious. He was young, loud, and amazingly flashy. More importantly, he was orange: the hair, the shirt, and even the shoes! His footwear especially looked weird, glowing a radioactive orange.

Looking at those shoes seemed to make the instructor pleased.

“Oh? Go on, then. Use those, and give us a good show.”

He didn’t have to repeat himself.

The youngster instantly jumped on stage, seemingly flying?! Yet, as he landed, it was as if his soles were absorbing the impact. Wait, were those KineSteps?!

Even now, Jack could still remember the ad jingle…

“Tired of breaking your legs? By Supers, for Supers, KineSteps!”

He suddenly felt a pinch in his heart. Was everyone here rich as fuck?! Was this what his sister had to endure daily at her Pre-Super high school?

At this moment, he swore to himself he’d spoil her more!

“Now, as per custom, introduce yourselves…”

“Kai Hearthstone! Let us fight till we drop!”

“Jack. Jack Bright.”

That was it?! Many couldn’t help but still at the very lackluster introduction. What was he, a nihilist? Not only that, but his stance was also lackluster.

The Kai guy already had rock pebbles flying around him, a preview of what was to come, but Jack was just standing there… not that menacingly, listening to the Teacher.

“BTW, there are Medipods in the back, so have fun, you two!”

“Other than that, don’t get off the stage.”

“Get ready. 3… 2…. 1… FIGHT!”

That was it!

No more talking, no more preparing, straight-up fighting! And it clearly suited Jack’s enemy, the latter summoning a bunch of rock pellets and shooting them over!

Fast, so goddamn fast! Jack suddenly felt like a target practice!

But so what? He hurriedly side-stepped the first wave, rushing at the enemy. And before him, there was an intimidating scene. A youngster glowing orange, rocks flying next to him as he bounced in place!

With every single wave of his, a new rock would launch itself!

Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!

It was akin to a machine gun.

As rocks flew at his head, Jack ducked, but then it was followed by rocks aimed at ground level, trying to impale him. He barely rolled sideways, surviving.

That’s when he stopped advancing, his heart in his lungs. What the hell was this?! So damn fast! But that wasn’t the worst. No matter how he looked at the rocks, he—

Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Yet another volley? Didn’t that guy have any cooldown?! But that’s when he realized. The rocks he was throwing were as small as sharp.

Small rocks probably didn't take too much power. And so many tiny projectiles didn’t leave him any time to recover. Jack was akin to a clown dancing on stage. Yet, he had to do something!

He focused his eyes on the rocks’ trajectories….

Zoom! Woosh! Curve!

Curve! Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Curve! Zoom?!

It was all over the damn place! It was as if the rocks had a will of their own! He even tried following the man’s gaze to see his intent, but it was pointless. True, Fake. True. True. Fake?!

The guy kept interchanging true and fake glares. This clearly wasn’t his first time fighting! As for Jack, he was left speechless, like a sitting duck, his opponent taunting him.

“Hey, better use your Quirk already. I’m about to get serious!”

Wait, that wasn’t even his full power?! Would he turn from a rock machine gun to a celestial rock shower? Or would he throw him a boulder the size of the stage?!

What was he even supposed to do against that?!

After all, he was merely a powerless regular guy. He had watched many self-defense videos on MeTube at home and practiced lots, but it was useless if he couldn’t even get close!

But then he berated himself, forcing himself to calm down.

‘Think like a Support Jack, not like a Super!’

The gaze was a no-go. The rocks, too. What else was there? He was at a loss, already getting pissed at his all-orange opponent. Was he trying to cosplay a Cheetos or something?!

Hell, even his eyebrows were an orange brighter than his future!

“Well, if you’re not gonna attack, I WILL!”

Frowning, the man attacked again!

As another salvo flew his way, Jack did his best to dodge. His best wasn’t good enough. He felt a burning pain in his sides, a shattering pain in his ass, and his feet were killing him.

And even now, the man was still frowning, so— WAIT, FROWNING?!

Jack suddenly gasped, forgetting his pain.

This guy, he wasn’t frowning at him. He was frowning every time he went for a decisive blow! At that moment, he mentally replayed the man’s earlier attack sequence and gaze.

Attack — Frowning!

Feint — Not Frowning!

Attack — Frowning Again!

Feint— Not frowning anymore!

That’s when everything changed, Jack opening his eyes wide!

As the next volley flew, he hurriedly dodged! Like an agile monkey, he tilted his body a bit, every projectile missing him one after the other! It was as if he could predict them!

It just happened that many students were currently dissing him….

“Such a fool! Ah?! He managed to avoid? Must be luck!”

“Still gonna lose. That guy's way too arrogant!”

“No kidding, not using any Quirk is dumb!!”

They knew a reversal wasn’t so easy. The more damage one accumulated, the harder using one’s Quirk became. After all, this wasn’t a Shonen Anime! But amidst all the doubt, a certain instructor chuckled…

‘So you’ve seen it too, eh? How entertaining!”

And a second later, the class had the shock of their life. The half-dead Jack stood his ground, hurriedly dodging as the next wave came, and the next, and the next?!

“You?! How’s this possible?! Is that a prescience Quirk?!”

“Who knows? Why don’t we find out?”

That’s when Jack charged!

He went straight in!

He felt his blood pumping, heard the rocks’ deadly whistles next to his ears, and felt overwhelmed, yet he still pushed on. Frown? DODGE!!!

But his heroic charge was bound to stop abruptly. The closer he got, the less time to dodge.

20 meters… still manageable.

15 meters… struggling.

10 meters… screwed!

He lacked speed. He lacked agility. He lacked cover. But there was one thing he didn’t lack: determination! He braced himself and still kept going, focusing on protecting his vitals.

A rock chipping his ear off? Ignore it!

A rock in his eyes? Dodge it asap!

A rock to the arm? Sacrifice it.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

This wasn’t a fight. It was downright torture. Every cell in his body called for him to run. His tongue wanted to wag for forgiveness so damn much. And yet he kept pushing.

‘Don’t mind the blood. It’s just like the Nightmare.’

‘Don’t mind the pain. There’s a Medipod.’

‘Don’t mind any of it…’

Calculative madness overtook him.

A face magnified before his eyes, but so did the fist he swung with all his strength. This was the last one. This was all he had. There would be no getting up from this one!

“Take this, you rocky bastard!”

“BRIGHT PUNCH!”

~ SMASH!

Fist met nose. Both broke.

The sound of crushed bones echoed, a fountain of blood spurted, and then it was deathly silent. As for the fighters, both fell to the ground, twitching and bleeding profusely?!

The baffled bystanders suddenly felt like their eyes would explode.

“What am I watching?! Don’t tell me they’re both KO?!

“What did he call that technique? Bright Punch?”

“I swear, that was just a regular punch!”

“Bright’s his name, right?”

Confused, they all glanced at the Teacher, who seemed lost in thought. But a second later, he gave a small smirk, declaring:

“Victor, Kai Heartstone! Still, good fight!”

Kai? Wasn’t this the rock guy? The latter was the first to recover his senses, rolling back on his feet. And as he did, many couldn’t help but wince. He didn’t even look human!

His nose was almost flat, his face bashed in, and there was so much blood! Yet, he totally ignored his injuries, glancing at his opponent in shock. Jack was even worse!

The boy on the ground would have shamed Swiss cheese!

He had so many holes in him, and both arms were bending the wrong way! Actually, even one of his legs seemed to have failed him as he had fallen down. And yet he was smiling?!

Jack felt in a daze. His entire body hurt, and yet…

‘I’ve bashed a Super! I’ve bashed a Super!’

Sure, it was only a student, but it still counted, right?! He had even lost the fight, but at this moment, he couldn’t stop himself from grinning like a dreamer. There’s a chance!

His chances to grow strong enough to best Supers were probably one-in-a-million. ‘BUT there’s a chance! Hehehehe!’ And as he laughed like an idiot, a shadow leaned over him.

“Jack, right? Why?! Why did you go so far? Why did you fight like that? Why—” The bashed-in Kai stopped in shock, at a loss for words.

“Why? Because I won’t forgive myself if I give up…”

There was too much on the line!

After all, he—

“CLAP! You guys are cute and all, but at this rate he’ll bleed out, you know. Grab him, and let’s get going already. Ever used a Medipod? You’ll see, it’s super comfy!”

The teacher interrupted the moment, lest his two new favorite students perished. And while the rest of the class still had their jaws hanging open, the trio disappeared in the back.

Medipods? They were large lab-like tubes!

A green radioactive liquid, an unnatural whooshing sound, and… wait, was the liquid waving at them?! It had merely been for a moment, but why did it feel alive?

“This thing’s safe, right? It won’t devour us and—”

“Less talking, more healing, ENJOY!”

A mighty throw and two splashes later, Jack and his new buddy found themselves swimming in goo! But that was only the start, the liquid violently entering every orifice available?!

“What is this th— Gawk! Gawk!”

It was EVERYWHERE!

He soon felt as if he was enveloped by a warm sun. Then the heat spread to his entire body, his wounds tingling all over and actually closing?!

It was as if someone had pressed an X 1000 button. He could see his flesh growing to fill the holes, then the liquid wrapped his limbs straightening them up as they healed too.

This felt phenomenal! He felt himself brimming with energy, and as it stopped, he almost felt forlorn?! “Don’t tell me it’s already over?” It was, his body already floating out.

As if sentient, the liquid gently brought both youngsters out. They couldn’t help but glance at each other shell-shocked. “What was that?!” “Medipods are insane!” “We're as good as new!”

No matter how they twisted and twirled, they were intact?!

“Dude, it’s even crazier than that! Look!”

“Wait, even our clothes are fine?!”

“What? How can clothes heal?!”

“I’ve heard of it, but still…”

Jack couldn’t help but sigh, impressed. Medipods contained pure healing energy, but also repair energy! As long as the target wasn’t anything magical, they would easily fix it.

After all, the liquid was akin to millions of magical nanobots that—

“You boys done? You’re just in time for round two!”

The teacher’s booming voice echoed.

Hearing it, they hurriedly returned to the gym’s main area, the other students staring at them anxiously! Any sign of damage, and they'd refrain from fighting for sure!

But seeing them, they gasped…

“Not a single visible wound, seriously?”

“Look at them. They look fresh out of a spa!”

“Am I dreaming, or is their skin like way smoother?!”

A girl cried out, her eyes gleaming with desire. Who cared about healing? She wanted to try a Medipod for that sweet skincare! Her body was already rising in anticipation.

“Pffft— You girls never change. Medipods are strictly for healing. They’re—”

The teacher started rebuking her, but then he quickly froze. Instead of taking place among the other students to relax, Jack had already walked before him and was bowing?!

“Please teach me! I believe this can help the rest of the class, too. Please enlighten me!” He earnestly begged, the teacher looking quite puzzled.

“You, are you sure? Don’t you want to get some rest first?”

No! There would be a time for rest. Just not yet. Jack didn’t say a word, but his eyes said it all. Please! He NEEDED this! And seeing how headstrong he was, the man gave in.

He towered over them as he began a new lecture…

“There will come a time when being a Super won’t be enough. Maybe you’ll run out of Mana. Maybe a villain will counter your Quirk. Maybe you’ll be in a shitty plane.”

“When that time arrives, you run! Understood?”

He gravely swept his gaze across the class, continuing with a grin.

“Now, sometimes even running’s impossible. Then, you’ll have two choices: curl up and die, or fight with every last breath until the world trembles beneath your resolve.”

World trembling beneath their resolve? A certain orange-haired youngster suddenly shook. At that moment, he was picturing blood-tinted dark eyes and a world-shattering punch.

Fight. Jack had long made his choice!

But the best was yet to come, the teacher chuckling:

“Now, Jack Bright, was it? Watch this, and ingrain this in your memory! As for the others, try to grow half the spine and the balls that guy showed earlier! Now, begin!”

He guffawed, already in motion, jumping from side to side…

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

[Movement Technique Detected!]

[Ding! Do You Wish to Learn It? Y/N?]

[Error! Error! Host is Not a Super: Canceling!]

Jack didn’t care. Whatever the voice of the world was going on about, it could go screw itself! No, at that moment, he opened his eyes wider than he had ever done before.

He was glaring even more than a horny teenager discovering the Internet. He was glaring more than a Karen at a waiter! He was glaring more than a cop staring at a donut!

The world disappeared, only the teacher left…

The man’s more than muscular legs.

His ever-so-fluid movements.

His powerful strides.

Then it was over. The world resumed, the teacher’s voice echoing once more. “Did you get it?” Jack hesitantly nodded, the scene burned on his retinas.

No matter what, he would practice this technique! He bowed again to the teacher, the latter shrugging as if it was no big deal. Hell, the man even turned to the class.

“Now, who wants to volunteer for the next fight? It will be fun!”

He casually asked, only to see shocked students staring at his back while shaking. What the hell was this?! Behind him, a certain Jack Bright was once again raising his hand?!

“You, why do I get the feeling that hand of yours isn't going down any time soon?"

The Teacher had understood well. Jack was only getting started! A smile even blossomed on his face as he thought about pitching a tent here if he had to, just like back then.

The happy memories merged in his vision, his resolve only growing stronger…

Sensing this, the teacher stilled. What was up with that kid’s eyes and smile? How could they be so vibrant, sorrowful, and unwavering at once? Thus, he quickly relented.

“Second fight, Jack Bright versus…” JUMP!

He didn’t even finish when a youngster jumped on stage. Orange hair, orange shirt, and even orange shoes. Was he trying to cosplay a Cheetos or something? But this time, Jack smiled.

His smile grew even bigger as his opponent shouted.

“Kai Hearthstone! You ready?”

“Jack Bright. Always!”

“Let’s FIGHT!”

The two didn’t even wait for the teacher, already shooting and rushing at one another, the students gawking endlessly. Seriously, what were they even watching?! This was crazy!

Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh! Woosh!

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

DODGE! DODGE! DODGE!

“BRIGHT KICK!”

Rocks flew. Blood splattered. Skin splintered. Bones shattered. Flesh ruptured. Teeth escaped their owners. Holes appeared where— BARF! Many students vomited.

And soon, two students collapsed on a silent stage.

“I-Is this what the Super Program’s like?!”

“WTF?! I’m transferring to Support!”

“Gulp. Someone wake me up.”

Except, it was only the beginning. Before long, two crazed youngsters were thrown in healing vats. That should have been the end of it, right? It wasn't. A few minutes later, Jack was back on stage.

“AGAIN! I can still go on…”

Ridiculous! He was completely cuckoo! Was this how every gym class was gonna be from now on?! Students had long lost all colors, not realizing that this would probably be his last day here.

In fact, he was still as motivated as ever! After all…

‘Pain is temporary. But Medipods are expensive as hell!' He felt like crying. He didn’t want to do it either, but it was the best time to get some practice in! And soon, in the training gym…

“AGAIN! I can still go on…”

“AGAIN! I can still go on…”

“AGAIN! I can still go on…”

…..

After the fifth fight, the place was surprisingly empty. Puddles of vomit, shellshocked students gone for good, and a training partner who had just left after reaching his mental limit.

Jack was left soaking in a Medipod.

But it was a good thing everyone was gone….

There was a slight issue as Jack came out of the healing pod. His eyes bled, his nose bled, and even his skin bled, sending the nearby teacher into a panic!

“What?! That’s impossible! Freshmen can heal ten times!”

“Ten times? Ah, you mean Mana backlash?”

“Yes! This doesn’t make any—”

He was about to start cursing when he froze, shellshocked. Why wasn’t the kid freaking out? Couldn’t he see himself bleeding all over?! And why was he extending his hand for a greeting?

“Jack Bright, Support. Quirk… NONE!”

This… this…. THIS?!!

That’s when everything clicked. Late? He was from Support. Not using his Quirk? He had none! Showing such zeal? Supports weren’t even allowed here! He suddenly understood it all.

And as he did, rage rose from the bottom of his stomach...

“Fuck them! Fuck those admission bastards! They forced you to go Support, didn't they? I don’t fucking care! Fuck them all! Those snobbish sonuvabitch! They think they know what a Super is?!”

“Flashy powers? Powerful families? Grade-S-Gear? Fuck them all!”

“A Super fights! A Super protects! A Super—”

At that moment, he seemed so pissed, as if he was about to fight the entire world for his sake! Realistically, it was dumb as hell, yet Jack felt touched, and his vision turned blurry.

This guy. He really was a teacher!

“Jack, you’re not going anywhere tonight! You’re staying here and recuperating. Luckily, the Mana Backlash's not too bad. You just need sleep. Also, remember, four’s the limit!”

He was already counting on his fingers, calculating. But then Jack’s cell phone suddenly started vibrating madly, as if it was possessed! Hell, it was even screaming out!

< WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! >

< CLASS 7 AURORA DETECTED! >

< NORTHERN REACH! >

Jack’s face instantly twisted as he forced himself to rise. His hands were wet with blood, his vision was crimson, and even his shoes were soaked, but he didn’t give a damn.

“Sorry, I have previous engagements….”

“WHAT?! It’s Class 7! That will only make it worse! You’ll survive, but it will be so painful you’ll wish you were dead a thousand times over! Besides, it’s illegal to run around when—” he stopped.

He had just seen Jack’s gaze, a terrifying one.

The determination he had shown before was nothing compared to this. After all, he knew. He would forever regret if he didn't go. More importantly, this could be his last chance.

And for this, he would break any law…