One Agitating Consistency

"IT'S OVER IN A FLASH! VAN-TASH HIGH'S STUDENT HERO HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT BY THE UNDERDOG FROM BENNING HIGH!" The video on the television screen played in a skipping CD loop. An older man smoked a cigar in a white t-shirt. "Ya know... you really used to be something miraculous, kid." Said the older man sitting on the stoop of a small apartment. 

Grey stared into the former pro-hero's eyes with nothing but callous hate. "Yeah... and You used to be worth something." Said Grey as he hopped into his emerald green pickup truck. As he started it, the bitter sting of the former pro's words did their best to try and break through but found no such luck. The pickup left the apartment and headed onto the freeway. As the truck's outdated cassette deck played a cassette tape labeled "Retro Laserwave" Grey sped across the lengthy bridge to the central island. It was there that he was attending a hero course at H.P University. As the small green pickup rumbled into the parking lot, yet another challenger awaited him, just as the challenger had, every day for two years straight. 

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the historian playing hero." Sneered a guy, looking to be the same age as Grey. He wearing a K.P.U letterman jacket, had bright blonde hair, and the glare from his golden-tinted sunglasses annoyed Grey. As Grey stepped out of his truck, two other built-jocks hurried over and helped corner him. Grey sighed, "If you actually think you three can take me, you must be dumber than you look, Lennox." Lennox rolls his eyes, "Don't you worry, the Homecoming Battle Tournament will finally silence that worthless mouth of yours. You and the stupid science bit-..." Lennox and the two jocks froze as Grey stared daggers from over his shoulder. Green voodoo runes had surrounded them. 

"If I were you... I'd shut my mouth before I got used as a mop for parking lots' asphalt." Grey said walking away. Once he was inside, the runes vanished into thin air. Grey shook his head, muttering something under his breath before entering his class. The day dragged on as class after class, lecture after lecture wore him out. Eventually, he arrived at his work-block. In other words, he was to head to the design student's lab for outfit modification before reporting to the training center. As he opened the door, Juno, a female student who'd chosen to work with him as her day-one pick, smiled. Grey! Welcome in! I have the items you requested in the locked case on my bench! Check those babies out!"

Grey walked over and inserted his bio-signature key. The case opened to reveal a pair of armored gauntlets with a monochrome Star-Spangled paint scheme. As Grey took them out, Juno smiled. "I know just how much old American history resonates with you. So, I took the "liberty and freedom" to paint them." Grey laughed at Juno's play on words as he kept pulling things out. Next, he pulled out his newly upgraded optical aviator goggles, then his remade costume suit, colored to resemble a Red Tailed WWII fighter plane, but instead of a chrome main color, it was gunmetal black with red accents. A monochrome US aviator star symbol was stamped onto the center of the costume's chest. 

"You've outdone yourself, Juno!" Said Grey. His enthusiasm prompted Juno to move her modified tinker's goggles from covering her eyes to now resting on her forehead. Her hazel eyes, her pasty grim cover cheeks with freckles all seemed to glow as she smiled. "Just say thanks by kicking some ass in training today!" She held out her closed fist to which Grey bumped his fist against hers. "Deal, I'll see you after training." Said Grey as he walked out with the briefcase and went into the locker room to change into his costume.

As he changed, everyone always snickered about how silent he was. He was like a living shadow, but those sentiments couldn't be further from the truth. Within the confines of his mind, something unheard of and unique was happening. As he pulled up the top portion of his costume, one of the other students caught a glimpse of a tattoo that spanned his shoulders, "The Prototype". Grey reached down to grab his mask when he noticed a note underneath it. He unfolded it and read it silently.

"Grey, I upgraded the mask per the requested specifications. That includes the "special items" you requested. Just... be careful, okay? ~ Juno." 

Grey nodded and put the note in his costume's utility pocket, then put on his mask. It wasn't a full face mask, as it just covered his mouth and nose leaving room for his aviator goggles. However, as he put on both the mask and his goggles, two needles jumped out of the mask's underside and injected themselves into his jugular, releasing a small dose of an orange chemical. His eyes suddenly widened, and the pixels he normally, (visual snow syndrome-VSS), became distorted as if they were a computer glitch. As he recovered, he stood upright with a legion of ghastly figures standing behind him. "Time to get serious," said Grey to himself as he left the locker room, fully ready for whatever training had in store for him.