Chapter 2: The Meeting with Professor Riggs

Alden Cross sat outside Professor Riggs' office, his knee bouncing restlessly. The faint hum of the fluorescent hallway lights did little to ease his nerves. He had been at Sentinel Academy long enough to know that being personally summoned by Riggs usually meant one of two things: either you were getting promoted to an elite training course, or you were in deep, deep trouble.

Considering the vending machine explosion and the accidental demolition of Felix Grayson, Alden was banking on the latter.

Across from him, Iris Vale leaned against the wall, arms crossed, golden eyes watching him with quiet amusement. "Relax. It's not like they're going to expel you for breaking a vending machine."

Alden shot her a skeptical look. "Vending machine aside, I may or may not have accidentally launched our strongest first-year across the gym."

Iris smirked. "May or may not?"

"He got up, didn't he?"

"After making a Felix-shaped dent in the wall."

Alden groaned and buried his face in his hands. "This is bad."

"Or maybe it's not," Iris mused. "Think about it—if you really did awaken a Gift, that means you're finally on the board. No more 'zero potential' rankings, no more training as the only powerless guy at Sentinel Academy. You could finally start proving yourself."

He exhaled. That should have made him feel better, but instead, his stomach twisted. A Gift? No, that didn't make sense. He had been tested when he enrolled—like everyone else. His biometrics, neural responses, genetic markers—all blank. He wasn't supposed to have anything.

And yet… the vending machine exploded. The energy surged through his body. His reaction speed was inhuman. And Felix, someone who could tank hits from trucks, went flying from a single punch.

Before he could dwell on it, the door to Professor Riggs' office clicked open. A deep voice cut through the silence.

"Cross. Get in here."

Alden shot Iris one last desperate look. She just grinned and gave him a thumbs-up before vanishing into a shadow portal. Traitor.

Taking a deep breath, Alden stepped inside.

The office was surprisingly minimalist—no clutter, just a steel desk, a few tactical displays on the walls, and a massive data console flashing various academy reports. Professor Jonathan Riggs sat behind the desk, studying Alden with sharp, calculating eyes. A former high-ranking hero, Riggs had transitioned to training the next generation. The man was built like a retired war machine—broad shoulders, graying beard, sharp blue eyes that seemed to see through everything.

Alden stood stiffly. "Uh, sir."

Riggs gestured to the chair across from him. "Sit."

Alden did. He waited for the verbal hammer to drop.

Instead, Riggs tapped a screen on his desk, and a holographic replay of the training gym incident appeared midair. Alden watched as a recording from a security camera showed the entire event—his casual kick to the vending machine, the explosion, the sudden surge of blue energy around his body, and, of course, the moment he one-punched Felix into the stratosphere.

Alden swallowed. "...It looks worse on video."

Riggs didn't react. His eyes remained locked on Alden. "Explain."

"Uh. Explain what exactly?"

"Let's start with this," Riggs said, rewinding the footage to the moment Alden dodged Felix's punch. The camera had picked up something strange—the motion blur on Alden seemed distorted, like he had moved faster than what should have been biologically possible.

Then Riggs pointed at another part of the screen—Alden's punch.

"You countered mid-dodge, without looking. Felix is ranked A-Class in combat strength—even trained fighters struggle to react to his speed. You didn't just react. You moved faster."

Alden hesitated. "I… don't know."

Riggs raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie to me, Cross."

"I'm not! I swear!" Alden shook his head. "I didn't do anything special! I thought I was gonna die, so I dodged, and then my body just... moved on its own."

Riggs tapped the table again. New data flashed across the display—biometrics, neural scans, energy outputs.

"A few hours ago, you were classified as a Non-Gifted individual with a recorded potential of zero. But after the vending machine incident, your body began emitting energy signatures equivalent to high-tier combat enhancers."

Alden stared. "...That sounds bad."

"That sounds impossible."

Riggs leaned forward, studying him carefully.

"I had your bio-readings cross-checked with Sentinel Academy's power analysis database. Your reaction speed, force output, and enhanced perceptional awareness suggest that you're operating at a level beyond a first-year combat trainee."

Alden exhaled slowly. "So… what are you saying?"

Riggs narrowed his eyes. "I'm saying you need to be monitored. If you've suddenly developed a Gift, we need to identify its properties and limitations before it causes serious damage. Sentinel Academy has a protocol for this."

Alden shifted uncomfortably. "So what happens now?"

"You're being transferred," Riggs said simply. "Effective immediately, you're no longer in Class 1-G. As of tomorrow, you'll be training with the elite hero track."

Alden nearly choked. "Wait. What?!"

Riggs didn't blink. "Your physical output and reaction speeds are too high for standard first-year combat courses. We'll be running controlled evaluations to determine how your Gift functions."

Alden tried to process this. "But—what if this is a mistake? What if it was just a one-time fluke?"

Riggs held up the data display again. "That fluke measured off-the-charts energy readings."

Alden slumped in his chair. This was insane. He had spent his entire life being a background character in a world full of heroes. And now, because of a vending machine explosion, he was suddenly getting thrown into a training course with people who could level buildings.

"But I don't even know what my power is," he protested.

"Then we're going to find out," Riggs said.

Before Alden could argue further, there was a loud beep from the office's intercom. A robotic voice crackled through the speakers.

"Alert. Unidentified superhuman presence detected near the academy perimeter. Security dispatch requested immediately."

Riggs' expression darkened. "Damn it." He stood swiftly, pressing a control on his desk. "Dispatch all available units."

Alden swallowed. "Uh. Should I—?"

The entire building shook as a distant explosion rocked the academy grounds.

Riggs looked at Alden, his expression unreadable. "Congratulations, Cross. Your first real test just arrived."

The intercom buzzed again. "Warning. Hostile superhuman entity approaching training sector. Estimated power level: A-Class or higher."

Alden stared at Riggs. Riggs stared at Alden.

A second explosion boomed outside.

Then the alarm system screamed.