Riley Ross

Spectacular Mustache Man truly didn’t expect this.

He and Chieftain Amerika had overseen countless mock battles together over the past few years. She always picked her strongest student first—it was practically tradition.

As for him, he chose Riley for the sole fact that he said that the name Spectacular Mustache Man sucked. Of course, he knew what Riley was capable of since they all reviewed the demonstration, and he watched the footage when he casually tore off a piece of the platform.

So, in a way, Riley was actually a good contender as his class’s strongest student.

But truthfully? Spectacular Mustache Man had expected him to lose—badly. He also knew what Silvie Savelievna was capable of.

Never did he expect to see what he was seeing now.

His mustache quivered along with the ground beneath them, and the surrounding air seemed to hum. Car alarms screamed to life, their shrill cries echoing through the mock city. Window panes across nearby buildings vibrated, and dust danced in slow suspension, as if the laws of gravity were beginning to falter.

All of it—centered beneath Riley’s feet.

But Riley stood completely still, blood still dripping from his nose, yet everything around him shook like the prelude to an earthquake.

"He’s... crazy," Spectacular Mustache Man narrowed his eyes at Riley, "What else should I have expected from Bernard’s son?"

"The two siblings are both monsters," Chieftain Amerika said, standing beside him and crossing her arms. A faint smile tugged at her weathered face as she watched Riley. "But this is why they are here, and why we are here—to nurture them."