Hero Wanted - 6. Chapter Six

“—Nathaniel Johnson, in an exclusive interview with our network, admits to having another son, occurring only days after the third anniversary of the Chicago attack that claimed the life of his son, Rory Johnson. Opponents are declaring that the Nobel Prize winner and founder of HERO has committed treason by withholding the existence of another child who, by law, must be recruited into the Champions. However, Johnson has confirmed that his son, Ryan Johnson, is currently in boot camp as a cadet, and officially calling the statement from his opponents ‘a smear job against him and his family.’

“Many still question the legitimacy of Johnson’s marital history despite stating that he had a relationship with another woman only after the death of his wife almost two decades ago. Some are even speculating that Johnson’s son is an artificially engineered clone. Though it has been confirmed that Ryan has been implanted with Rory Johnson’s nodes, the former President has adamantly denies the claim of cloning which is an illegal act under HERO’s charter. This is due to the questionable ethics of implanting the conscience of a deceased person into a cloned body that could lead to the creation of immortality—”

***

“—Concerns are growing over the radioactive waste generated from the manufacturing of nodes that are derived from the gold-like substance that scientists have confirmed is actually concentrated light. Scientists are still trying to discover a solution that will reduce the amount of waste generated and increase the production of nodes that are still only accessible to the wealthy class of America and other countries around the world—”

***

“—And in other entertainment news, the breakup between the top-ranking cadet of the US Champion Academy, Christopher Shepherd and his latest girlfriend has caused a lot of buzz in social media today. The French model is just one of the many hearts that Christopher has broken over the past years, but this has not stopped many fans from expressing their glee, knowing that the brooding son of a very notorious political and corporate family is single again—”

***

“—Kids of America! Are you tired of your boring trading cards? Well, right now you can buy trading cards of your favorite top-ranking Champions from around the world! Do you want the trading card of First Lieutenant Ferrari who used his spear to defeat the Colossus that attacked Rome? What about the trading card of First Lieutenant Schmidt who used her sword to end the Colossus attack in Berlin? Buy any of them in booster packs at your local trading card store today and help support the Champions with twenty-five percent of proceeds being donated to research used to fight against the Colossus. Buy them now and you too can become a Champion for humanity—”

***

“—In today’s news, veterans of the Colossus attack in Manila are partnering together in a lawsuit against the corporation that developed the first generation of nodes that were implanted into them. These veterans marked the first victory against the beings that began invading Earth ten years ago, however adverse effects have been discovered with these nodes that were still considered prototypes. Symptoms include radiation poisoning and schizophrenia, causing the nodes to be discontinued and more compatible versions to be developed later.

“The corporation being sued, Synergy, is just one of several corporations that helped fund research to finding a solution to combatting against the Colossus. This was led by the Humanity’s Egalitarian Reconnaissance Organization, otherwise known as HERO, that only included the United States and the Philippines during that time. The founder, Nathaniel Johnson, was dependent on these corporations when other world leaders ignored the Colossus as an isolated threat. So due to their involvement, a lawsuit against a corporation will most likely not see its chance in court. This is coming after claims of illegal experimentation on Iraq War veterans by Synergy whose president’s son might have benefitted from. Though an investigation into these claims has already been thwarted by the president of Synergy himself—”

***

“—A woman who could transform ginger into gold and was believed to be a diwata from Filipino mythology, Maria Makiling is a figure worshiped by an indigenous tribe in the Philippines and the believed creator of the gold utilized to create nodes. In today’s program, we will be discussing the history of Maria from her involvement during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines to all the way when she created the three sacred treasures that gave birth to the nation of Japan—”

***

“—The story of the fall of the North Korean regime is continuing to develop as the newly liberated country continues to recover after the Colossus invaded its capital of Pyongyang only two weeks ago. The Champions of Japan have successfully defeated the Colossus, but many still question why Japan waited so long before deploying their forces to North Korea, the delay resulting in the deaths of the entire regime. Nathaniel Johnson recently released a statement, expressing his concern after South Korea released its research of North Korea’s nuclear weapons program to the Japanese government as gratitude for liberating the country. Possible ulterior motives have quickly been denounced by Japan’s Prime Minister, while the Philippines begins preparations for possible war with Japan—”

***

“—The president of Synergy recently smeared Nathaniel Johnson on social media today, calling him a cheater for using his political influence to allow his son, Ryan Johnson, to be implanted with the nodes of a top-ranked Champion that allows him to quickly advance through the ranks. Johnson responded by stating that a Champion’s status should not be used to promote an agenda, most likely referring the Synergy President’s son who campaigning for his father to win a seat in the Senate.

“This is just one example of the growing feud between the two well-known figures that began when Synergy became the first donor for the research that led to the creation of the node. The corporation was given more political influence by relaxing several antitrust laws as compensation despite Johnson’s initial objection of using corporate money which he campaigned against during the 2024 presidential election.

“However, the denial of the Colossus’s threat by major world leaders caused Johnson to depend on Synergy and other corporations for their support. As a result, the United States Champions has become a mostly corporate-funded military organization compared to other countries and has disrupted the balance of power in an otherwise democratic republic society—”

***

Three months later…

Placing the last of the boxes onto the floor, Ryan looked around his room that was in the co-ed barracks of the academy. However, barracks was not the most appropriate term since he could have all his personal items in here like a dormitory, a dormitory that was the size and in the style of a luxury hotel room. He guessed that this was just one of the many perks of being a Champion, and as a third year in the academy he had additional privileges that the underclassmen did not have. And Ryan was grateful for his surroundings, especially after boot camp where he lived in actual barracks with other cadets who snored every night for the twelve weeks that he was there.

It was nice to have his own room where he could display all his collectible figures and comic posters, making this place feel like home. He wanted to do that since he was now in Washington DC, many miles away from New York City at the United States Champion Academy. In the academy, he will train for two more years before becoming an official active duty Champion, so he may as well make the academy his home.

Ryan took all his personal possessions from his old bedroom with him, while donating all his old clothes to a homeless shelter since he could not fit in them anymore due to his new build that only improved further during boot camp. However, it was hard to donate his mother’s clothing, feeling like he was giving away a part of her to the shelter. He managed to give them away, though, since he still had the locket that he wore around his neck every day. He also brought any pictures that were taken during his childhood when his mother had the time to spend with him. Unfortunately, they were all pictures of him since his mother was the one who held the camera and took the shots. It would have been nice to have at least one picture of her, but at least he had his memories that knew the true beauty of his mother, both inside and out.

And next to the boxes were shopping bags full of clothing, all purchased with his father’s debit card since his wardrobe only consisted of white shirts and khakis. It was strange shopping for new clothing at the mall since he and his mother always went to the local thrift store instead, and to be holding a debit card gave him goosebumps since had he never owned or even held a payment card before that was connected to a bank with disposable income. Ryan did not know where to begin, but thankfully a couple of girls, twins, saw his confusion when he was looking through a rack that he did not know was in the women’s section of the store.

They must have been smitten by Ryan since they not only redirected him to the men’s section, but they also helped him shop for the most up-to-date fashions throughout the mall as well. He knew that his appearance turned some heads, but having personal fashion consultants because of his looks still made his head spin a little. Before being implanted with Rory’s nodes, no one gave a second glance to the person with the pale, scrawny body that made him look younger and sicklier than he was. So, it was amazing how mature he looked because of his muscles and the tan he received when training under the bright sun enhanced that. He also grew his hair out again, but was styled with the top kept longer than the sides and back and was combed to the side which increased his appeal even more. Never had Ryan felt so confident about his appearance, however he was still humble and was not going to let his aesthetics transform him into an egotistical prick like the people in those dumb reality television shows.

With new clothes and a couple of phone numbers from the twins that he only accepted out of curtesy for their help, all Ryan had to do now was unbox his belongings and place them on the appropriate shelves and drawers. However, he was wondering if having new clothes was even necessary since he was going to be wearing his service uniform most of the time anyway.

Ryan’s service uniform comprised of a blue, two-buttoned, double-vented coat; a white, straight-collared shirt; a red tie; white, double-pleated pants; white, knee high socks and black dress boots. The uniform also included a red, waist length, cape with vertical ripple pleats attached to the left side of the yoke and a red, cowl with horizontal ripple pleats draped loosely on the right shoulder with both ends attached to the back and front side of the yoke. All together it looked very regal.

Ryan was about to change into his uniform when a knock on his door caused him to turn around. “Yes?”

“I’m here to give you a tour of the campus. May I enter?” a female voice said.

“Yeah. Of course.”

The door opened and a pretty, dark-skinned woman entered Ryan’s room. The woman was wearing a similar uniform, but she wore a red bow instead of a tie; a white, knife-pleated skirt; white stockings and black dress heels. She had her hands placed behind her back and a genuine-looking smile on her face that seemed to radiate happiness.

“Are you Ryan Johnson?” the woman asked.

“Yes. Yes, I am,” Ryan answered, extending his hand to her.

Shaking Ryan’s hand, she said, “Wonderful! My name is Josephine Carter and I’m the senior class president of the academy.”

“It’s great to meet you, Josephine. I heard you’re also ranked third in the entire class,” Ryan added.

Josephine giggled lightly and said, “Yes, that is true, but don’t let that stop you from getting to know me. I have built many friendships with cadets of different classes and ranks, and you’re no exception. Understood?”

“Yes!”

Josephine smiled. “Great. Well, like I said, I will offer you a tour of the campus since the junior class president is currently doing another assignment. All you need to do is put your uniform on and we can begin.”

“All right, I’ll do that now.”

“Awesome. I’ll just wait outside in the hallway.”

Josephine walked out of the room and closed the door behind her. Walking to his king-sized bed where his uniform was placed, Ryan unzipped the cover bag and pulled it out. He then took off his clothing, folding it neatly onto the bed before putting on his uniform.

After doing so, Ryan walked into the private bathroom of his room and looked at the mirror. He was taken aback by what he saw, the uniform that was tailored to fit his body perfectly made look more than regal. It made him look like royalty. He had his concerns about wearing a uniform, all day, every day, but looking at the mirror erased those concerns away and he was looking forward to how people will perceive him as he walked through the campus.

So much for being humble.

***

The tour of the campus was in its second hour, but there was still so much to see and experience. The entire campus looked like the hybrid of a college campus and a luxury hotel. From the exercise facility that contained several pools to the cafeteria where one side looked like a food court and the other side looking like a five-star restaurant that served gourmet and ethnic food in the form of an open buffet.

As they toured the campus, Ryan noticed heads turning from passing cadets, but the expressions they made were very mixed. At boot camp, all the cadets viewed him with neutrality, mostly because boot camp isolated everyone from what was happening in the outside world and the news about him being Nathaniel Johnson’s other son was not seen during the twelve weeks he was there. Now, though, everyone who passed him had to turn their head to look at him. It unnerved him a little, but he continued to follow Josephine who did not seem to notice.

They eventually stopped at a wooden bench under the shade of a tree where they sat and took a break. They were at the park where he saw several cadets were walking through the park’s freshly cut, green grass. The scenery was enhanced by the cloudless blue sky that allowed the sun to shine at full capacity. This was totally different from the scenery of New York City where layers of smog and the smell of garbage ruined any beauty that the city wanted to display.

“So, what do you think of the campus?’ Josephine asked.

“It’s great,” Ryan said. “I feel like I am at a luxury hotel than a military academy.”

“Well, it’s true that Champions have many benefits since many of them come from wealthy backgrounds, however during boot camp, you and the others hopefully learned how to be grateful for the privileges you all have in the academy. But from what I understand, you’re different.”

Ryan nodded. “Yeah. I lived in a small apartment with my mom in the middle of New York City. It was far from perfect, but it was our lives, and we had each other to get by… What’s your story, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Josephine smiled. “I don’t mind at all. I’m the daughter of one of the Champions who defeated the first Colossus in Manila.”

“Woah. I remembered when that happened. The Colossus materialized in Manila Bay, destroying three warships in the process.”

“I was twelve when it happened. I still remember the day when my father kissed me goodbye, promising me that he’ll be back, right before entering the Icarus and synchronizing his nodes with the aircraft along with the other Champions. They then were lifted up to the air before traveling at the speed of light to Manila.”

“From what I remember, all the Champions survived. Right?”

Josephine nodded. “Yes, and my father is still alive today, though retired which he deserved to be for a long time. And because I’m the child of a former Champion, I automatically got recruited when I turned eighteen.”

“Was that what you wanted?” Ryan asked.

“Yes. Definitely.” Josephine said with a smile.

Ryan was about to ask why when a female cadet came running towards their location.

“President Josephine!” the cadet said between pants.

“Yes? Is there something wrong?” Josephine asked as she stood up.

“There’s an unauthorized match happening right now at the simulation facility and I thought you should know, so you can stop it. I would’ve told an instructor, but—”

“No. You made the right decision. Thank you. I’m go there right now.” Turning to Ryan, Josephine said, “Do you mind coming with me? I could use some assistance if needed.”

Ryan stood up too and nodded. “Of course.”

Josephine then began sprinting towards the facility and Ryan had to activate his nodes just to catch up with her.

They managed to reach the facility in under two minutes and they went inside. They walked up a series of stairs and then entered a mezzanine-like structure that provided an open view of the facility below.

Ryan looked down and saw not only two people fighting each other, but also several simulated people with various weapons engaging in the fight as well. He also noticed that the facility was flashing red which did not look good at all.

“Not again,” Josephine muttered.

“What should we do?” Ryan asked.

“I think I can handle it. Just remain here and continue monitoring the situation,” Josephine ordered.

“All right.”

Josephine suddenly extended her arm halfway to the side before materializing a bomb weapon that was in the form of a gray cylindrical cannon. It had to be at least six feet in length and one and a half feet in diameter with a flared muzzle and dome-shaped cascable. She positioned the heavy-looking cannon on her right shoulder and she wrapped her hands around the thin, cylindrical handles on the either side of the cannon before jumping onto the railing. Ryan watched Josephine as she used her cannon to launch herself to the facility below with what must have been boosters or rockets installed in the back end of her weapon.

Ryan knew that things were going down now.