Ultra City — Nighttime. 11:12 PM
Tora link way, Beside The Massacre Factory.
Night had fully taken over. The bustling city had quieted; people were now at home, relaxing with their families as Ultra City's day came to a close.
High above, on a rooftop near the submerged district, stood Blaze and Mega Panther. They'd been patrolling for hours, long enough for boredom to kick in hard.
Blaze leaned against a block wall, one leg propped up, arms crossed, his face full of irritation.
"We've been up here for hours scanning, watching, looking around and nothing. Not even a rat fight. Derick, let's go home."
Mega Panther rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Dude, I get it. It's boring for me too. I wish I brought my phone. Just thinking about the others relaxing while we're up here? That annoys me more than the silence. But we've got a job. A couple more hours and we're done."
Blaze pushed off the wall and walked over to where Derick crouched, his expression half-serious, half-playful.
"My hands are itchy," he said, flexing his palms. "I want to punch something so bad. Hey Derick can I hit you real quick?"
Mega Panther stared at him, surprised.
"What? No! Go punch the wall."
Minutes passed.
Then, Mega Panther's ears twitched — his enhanced hearing caught something from a nearby alley. A faint shuffle. Low voices.
He turned to Blaze with a sly grin.
"Looks like your itch might get scratched. I'm hearing movement down there. Some people are having... business."
Blaze's lips curled into a smirk.
"Let's go."
They leapt off the rooftop in sync, heading straight toward the alley.
***
In the alley, a young girl stood clutching a basket, cornered by five men.
"Hey, young lady," a big-bellied man slurred, stepping forward. "You wanna have some fun with us?"
"Yeah, just stay a minute. We're cool," another drunken voice added, grinning.
The girl whimpered in fear, stepping backward as the men moved closer. She pleaded, her voice shaking,
"Please stop... my mom is waiting for me. I don't have time for this."
She kept backing away, dodging their hands as they reached for her. Her terrified face told it all she was trapped.
One of the men, his tone turning harsh, growled,
"Listen, little girl... we've been deprived for too long. You look like someone who can help us. Don't even think of running."
The men closed in, brushing against her in disgusting ways. She tried to fight back, but they were too strong. Her hope was fading fast...
Until two shadows dropped into the alley.
Blaze stepped forward first, his voice cold with anger.
"So this is what you scum do, huh? Harass anyone you find alone in the dark? I bet this isn't even the first time. But tonight — it's going to be your last."
The men froze.
"Shit! It's Blaze!" one of them yelped.
"What do we do now?" another asked, panicking.
"We take him!" one idiot barked.
Blaze blinked — then burst into laughter, running a hand through his hair.
"Hahaha... You losers think you can fight me? Oh, this'll be fun. Guess I get to crack a few skulls tonight."
From the side, Mega Panther watched calmly.
"Hey, try not to kill them."
The men spun toward the voice, their faces draining of color when they spotted Mega Panther standing near the wall, arms crossed.
Now they knew they were done.
Blaze grinned.
"Oh, come on. There's no fun if I don't spill at least a little blood."
Distracted, the men didn't notice the girl slip away and sprint down the alley, escaping their grasp.
Then Blaze launched forward — fast and furious.
A right jab.
An uppercut.
A spinning kick to the ribs.
Each move dropped a man like a rag doll.
Only one tried to run — but he didn't get far. Mega Panther caught him mid-step and delivered a brutal punch to the face, flattening him instantly.
With all the threats neutralized, the two heroes approached the girl.
"You okay?" Mega Panther asked.
"Y-Yes… I'm okay. Thank you. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't shown up," she replied, her voice still trembling.
"No problem, miss," Blaze said gently, offering his hand. "Can we escort you home?"
She took his hand, and the three of them walked out of the alley together. They made sure she got home safely. She bowed in gratitude as they waved goodbye.
Now alone, the two heroes stood side by side.
"I think we can wrap up for the night," Mega Panther said.
"You didn't need to tell me. I was already planning to sneak off," Blaze replied with a smirk.
Derick grinned.
"You miss your boyfriend that much, huh? Trying to get back to him early?"
Blaze turned to him, confused.
"What? Who are you talking about?"
"Rudy. Duh." Derick chuckled.
"Why would you say something like that?" Blaze said, annoyed. "Just because we're close doesn't mean anything. And for your information, I only met him after arriving on this planet. We weren't friends before that."
Derick raised a brow.
"Really? You two didn't know each other in space?"
"Nope. Just got lucky, I guess. We clicked here."
"Okay, okay, dropping it," Mega Panther said, waving it off.
Blaze gave him a once-over.
"You're one weird dude, Derick."
The two heroes split up.
Blaze shot into the night sky like a rocket, while Mega Panther revved up his bike and rode off into the depths of Marion Ocean.
***
Inside the Base – Marion Ocean, 11:45 PM
Jakson and Derick stepped into the base and found the rest of the Hero Squad gathered in the living room.
"Welcome, you two. Right on time," Timothy said, glancing at his wristwatch.
"Nope, they're not, Cap. They still had about 20 minutes left on patrol," Larry added with a smirk.
Blaze shot him a death glare.
"Shut your mouth, Larry."
"It's late. No arguments," Raymond said calmly. "You're adults. Act like it."
Just then, Tyler walked in from the hallway.
"Ah, the weak ones are back. Nice."
"Weak?! How dare you call me weak?" Derick snapped.
"Don't mind him," Sage said with a smirk. "He's just giddy because of the new rankings."
"What rankings?" Jakson asked, raising a brow.
Timothy stepped forward, grabbing the remote.
"The Hero Association just released the updated rankings. We've all been placed."
He clicked the red button. A large screen lit up, displaying each member's name and current position.
"We're at the top of the B-rank heroes," Raymond said. "That's a good start."
The screen zoomed in:
B-Rank Hero Rankings
1 – Vilex
2 – Frost
3 – Blaze
4 – Dark Flame
5 – Sage
6 – Superbolt
7 – Thunderstorm
8 – Mega Panther
9 – Hi-Tech
"I think it's a pretty solid list," Sage commented.
"Hmph," Jakson scoffed, glancing away. "I should be first."
"You should be happy we're even leading the B-rank," Timothy said. "What we did—most B-ranks wouldn't have dared. That's why we're here. Little by little, we're creeping into A-rank territory."
He clicked the remote again. Another screen projected on the wall.
Top Team Rankings
1 – The Invincibles
…
…
…
20 – Hero Squad
"We're ranked 20th as a team," Raymond said. "That's good, but holding that spot is going to take serious work. And breaking into the top ten... that's another mountain. Don't even get me started on the Invincibles."
"Raymond's right," Timothy added. "Our spots aren't permanent. They can rise — or drop. But for us? We rise. No one's falling behind. We're going up — always. Stronger, together. We'll become the beacon of hope."
Derick folded his arms.
"How come we never hear about the Invincibles' missions?"
"Their missions are classified," Timothy explained. "That's why you rarely hear anything. But our goal remains: reach the top... maybe even surpass them."
Everyone nodded in silent agreement. Slowly, the team began to disperse, each heading to their quarters.
Only Timothy and Raymond stayed behind.
Raymond leaned on the wall and said,
"I expected a bigger reaction. No one even flinched."
"That's because they're not satisfied," Timothy replied. "Sure, we're top of the B-ranks, but individually... the ranking stings. It'll push everyone to work harder — to climb higher."
"It'll also spark envy," Raymond warned.
"True. But that's why we're here as leaders. We keep them focused. And I promise you this, Raymond — by the time the next rankings are out, you'll see changes."
"If we keep those top spots," Raymond said, his tone low.
Timothy chuckled softly.
"Yes... if we keep those top spots."