Chapter 16: Luck of the Draw

Trainwreck, whose real name was Billy Ray, was in his apartment in Fairhaven when a notification from the academy popped up on his device. He was supposed to take on a student. A student?

Sitting there in a plain white t-shirt and shorts, Billy looked like the very definition of average. No bulging muscles, no tall frame, nothing that screamed "superhero" at a first glance.

His company, however, was anything but ordinary. From a dimensional portal emerged Overlord, dressed in an Omega 6 combat suit and a cowl. The sight of the armor-clad, stern-faced Overlord next to Trainwreck painted a rather ironic picture.

Overlord, upon learning of the situation, rolled his eyes in disbelief.

"Why on Earth would the academy assign a sidekick to you, Billy? You're practically my sidekick," he scoffed, his tone carrying the good-natured ribbing typical of their relationship.

Billy, otherwise known as Trainwreck, bristled slightly at his friend's comment.

"Oh, c'mon, you're just miffed 'cause I don't spend all my time playing space cowboy like you," he retorted, gesturing towards the cowl and the shiny Omega 6 combat suit that Overlord wore.

Overlord simply shrugged, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Yeah, sure. I'm 'miffed.' Whatever helps you sleep at night, Billy."

"I may not be as powerful as you, but I know how to get myself out of a situation." Trainwreck shot back.

At that, Overlord's grin widened. He snapped his fingers, opening a portal. Beyond it, a desolate wasteland stretched out. This desolate landscape was home to the enslaved Flux aliens. Small blue-skinned figures, they were known for their exceptional intelligence, despite their diminutive stature.

As the portal snapped open, casting a surreal light over the barren wasteland, curiosity sparked in the eyes of the enslaved Flux aliens. The tantalizing possibility of freedom, of escape from the mighty Arcanians who had chained them, stared at them from across the portal. Their small forms moved closer to the portal, their blue eyes reflecting the shimmering gateway that had sprung up so unexpectedly in their world.

Overlord gestured towards the portal, his gaze never leaving Billy.

"Alright, if I kicked you into that portal, would you make it back here?"

Billy raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly replying.

"Why on earth would you kick me into that portal, Overlord? Planning on giving me a vacation?"

His sarcasm, while biting, did little to mask the amusement flickering in his eyes. Their banter continued, adding a lighthearted rhythm to the day.

Simultaneously, on the other side of the city, David stood outside a nondescript apartment building, his expression a mix of disbelief and frustration. The Elite Future Academy had sent him the address, leading him to this remarkably ordinary location.

David stood there for a moment, his gaze lingering on the nondescript building.

"Seriously? An apartment? No fortress, no high-tech bunker, not even a bloody loft!" his mind raced.

His frustration was almost palpable, seeping into the cool evening air. He threw up his hands in exasperation.

"Of all the damned places, it had to be an apartment!"

"Could they not afford to give the heroes a decent place to live? Or does my mentor just prefer the thrill of a landlord breathing down his neck for rent?" David continued to grumble, irritation making his words sharper.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, he mumbled a final curse under his breath before pushing past the entrance. His footsteps echoed through the quiet stairwell as he reluctantly made his way up to meet his new mentor.

As David approached the entrance, he was stopped by a door attendant, an older man with a grizzled beard and a keen gaze.

"Can I help you, young man?" he asked, eyeing David's academy uniform with a hint of curiosity. David, still seething with irritation, grumbled out his response.

"I'm here to see Billy Ray... he's... my mentor," David muttered, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

The attendant blinked, surprised. "Billy? The superhero?" He chuckled lightly, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, I'll be! Didn't expect to hear that today. He's up in apartment 42B."

With a polite nod, David thanked the attendant and headed towards the elevators, his mind a whirl of disbelief and frustration. Billy Ray, a superhero, living in such a mundane place? What on earth was he getting himself into?

"Apartment 42B, huh?" David repeated, disbelief tingeing his words.

"That's right, son," the attendant confirmed with a nod, a twinkle of amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Best of luck with that one."

David couldn't stop the sigh that escaped his lips, the reality of the situation sinking in. He was about to embark on his journey as a sidekick, under the guidance of a hero who lived in an ordinary apartment in a regular neighborhood. Not a secret lair, not a high-tech hideout, just a plain old apartment building.

He took a moment to digest this information, rubbing his temples in exasperation. "This has got to be some sort of joke," he mumbled under his breath, casting a last glare at the apartment building before reluctantly stepping into the elevator.

Inside, the mirrored walls reflected his disgruntled expression back at him. Shaking his head in disbelief, David jabbed the button for the 42nd floor, grumbling about the lack of secret passageways or high-speed turbo lifts.

"So, this is the glamorous life of a sidekick, huh?" He murmured to his reflection. He tried to imagine his soon-to-be mentor, Billy Ray. If he lived in a place like this, what kind of hero could he be? What kind of mentor would he be?

As the elevator ascended, each passing floor seemed to amplify David's growing sense of unease. It was a sharp contrast from the grandeur of his home, the magnificence of the academy, and everything he had imagined about the life of a superhero. His mind buzzed with questions, doubts, and a healthy dose of resentment.

David knew Billy Ray was the embodiment of the saying "fortune favors the bold." In the world of fiction he had created, Billy was a character who managed to defy all odds, routinely escaping situations unscathed that should have, by all means, ended in disaster. This was because of his unique power, which could best be described as 'luck.'

This wasn't the traditional super strength or lightning manipulation like David's family wielded, or even the psychic prowess that others had developed. No, Billy's power was something more elusive, an ability that manifested in the most opportune moments. He could walk into a hail of gunfire, and each shot would miss him by inches. He could stumble upon the precise solution to a complex problem just in the nick of time. Against all logic and reason, Billy Ray seemed to skate through life on a wave of improbable luck.

David had written it as a playful plot device, a way to keep readers on their toes. But now, he found himself wondering how such a power would translate into the real world. In a world where danger was not merely a storyline and death was not an erased paragraph, could Billy still rely on his luck? He was about to find out.

The elevator chimed as it reached the 42nd floor, the doors sliding open to reveal a nondescript hallway. Taking a deep breath, David stepped out and approached the door marked '42B'. He raised a hand and knocked, the echo of the sound marking the beginning of his new journey.

As he waited outside the door of Apartment 42B, David shook his head in bemusement. Here he was, about to meet a man who, in the story he'd written, should not be alive. But Billy Ray was very much alive and apparently living in an apartment building in Fairhaven. David couldn't help but wonder just how interesting his time as a sidekick would turn out to be.

"Here goes nothing..." He muttered, waiting for the door to swing open and reveal the man who was supposed to guide him in the world of superheroes.