The bell rang.
Chairs scraped. Conversations reignited. Gotham Academy's polished hallways filled with the hum of expensive shoes and louder opinions.
Ryker slipped out of class with his usual lazy confidence, already texting before he cleared the doorway.
Ryker: On my way after School. Reply: We'll be waiting.
He smirked slightly at the phrasing.
Subtle.
Very subtle.
He slid the phone into his pocket just as the group he usually orbited drifted closer.
They were mid-argument. Animated. Dramatic.
"—I'm just saying Batman is the most important one—"
"Because he's rich?"
"Because he's human!"
"Because he's traumatized," someone added.
"Ryker," one of them called. "Right?"
He blinked, pulling himself back into the present. "Huh?"
The group stared.
"You weren't listening."
"Was too."
"What were we talking about?"
He paused.
"…Global economics?"
Dead silence.
One girl facepalmed.
"Justice League."
"Oh," he said, nodding once. "That."
They resumed the debate rapidly, filling him in. Ranking heroes. Moral philosophies. Public trust ratings.
Ryker listened for about ten seconds.
Then shrugged.
"Batman seems like a crazy emo dude with a billion dollars and unresolved childhood issues."
The hallway froze.
"…What?" someone whispered.
He leaned casually against the lockers.
"I mean think about it. Grown man dressed as a bat. Lives in a cave. Probably journals in black ink."
A couple of suppressed laughs broke out.
"And Superman?" someone challenged.
Ryker tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Superman has it together on the outside. But there's something simmering in there. Guy could move planets. Chooses to help cats out of trees. That's either incredible restraint or terrifying self-control."
"That's called being a hero," a boy muttered.
"Or repression," Ryker shot back.
A girl crossed her arms. "What about Wonder Woman?"
He blinked once, then smirked slightly.
"Oh, she absolutely moonlights as something dramatic."
They gasped.
"Not like that," he added quickly, holding up a hand as a few faces turned scandalized. "Relax. I mean dramatic like ancient warrior princess vibes. She probably walks into rooms and everyone just—" he mimicked an exaggerated slow turn of heads "—freezes."
He paused mid-thought, briefly distracted by his own mental image of an Amazonian warrior walking through a gala.
He blinked hard.
Focus.
"Anyway," he continued smoothly, "she's terrifying in heels and battle armor. That's range."
They were staring at him.
"You can't just roast the Justice League," someone said.
"Why not?" he replied lightly. "They're public figures."
"They saved the planet."
"Multiple times."
"And?"
"And you're just… analyzing them like they're celebrities."
He shrugged again.
"They are celebrities. Just with better branding."
A few of them looked horrified.
A few looked amused.
One guy shook his head. "You're insane."
"No," Ryker said calmly. "I'm observant."
He pushed off the lockers.
"Batman's paranoid. Superman's restrained. Wonder Woman's intense. Flash probably talks too much. Green Lantern has commitment issues. Aquaman's perpetually annoyed. Martian Manhunter is the only one who actually seems emotionally stable."
They stared.
"You thought about this," one girl accused.
"I think about everything."
There was a beat of silence.
Then someone asked carefully, "So… you don't like them?"
Ryker's expression shifted slightly. Not mocking now. Just thoughtful.
"I don't trust them."
That quieted things more than the jokes had.
"Why?" someone asked.
He slid his hands into his blazer pockets.
"They operate above the law. Decide what's right. Decide what's wrong. That's a lot of power."
"Better them than criminals," a boy countered.
"Sure," Ryker replied smoothly. "Until they're wrong."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
He smirked again, lightening the mood.
"Relax. I'm not starting a revolution. Just saying… heroes are still people. And people are messy."
One girl narrowed her eyes playfully.
"So what would you do? Be better?"
He chuckled softly.
"I'm not auditioning."
The bell rang again, scattering them toward their next classes.
As they walked, someone muttered, "You've got some wild opinions, man."
He flashed a grin.
"Hot takes keep life interesting."
They laughed nervously and moved on.
Ryker lingered for half a second longer, eyes drifting toward the window overlooking Gotham's skyline.
Heroes.
Villains.
Public trust.
Private power.
He didn't hate them.
He just didn't believe in clean narratives.
Then his phone buzzed again.
He checked it discreetly.
Elena: Don't keep us waiting.
He slipped the phone away with a faint smirk.
Justice League debates could wait.
He had plans.