CHAPTER 143: CELEBRITY STATUS

The ground cracked like a drumbeat as a Titan Beetle barreled through a row of cars, tossing them like toys. Its mandibles snapped, jagged and wet, tearing through steel with ease. Civilians screamed, running in all directions.

"Formation!" Eris barked.

"On it, sis!" Somner’s Sirentone cut through the panic, his voice booming. "Left side, straight line, keep your heads down!"

The crowd obeyed without hesitation, funneling neatly away.

"Hermes!" Eris snapped, pointing at the monster’s charging path.

"I see it!" Hermes planted his feet, frost blooming from his palms.

Ice spiraled upward, weaving into jagged walls that locked the beetle in place. The beast slammed against it, shrieking as its carapace scraped sparks off the frozen prison.

Victorina grinned wide, twirling her tutu as skeletal tigers leapt from her shadow. "Dinner time, my pretties!"

The undead swarmed the beetle, tearing at its joints. The monster screeched, thrashing, and Hermes thrust his arm forward. Fire roared from his hand, erupting through the cracks in its shell.

The Titan Beetle fell, smoking, twitching, its legs curling inward.

Civilians stared.

One boy pointed, eyes wide. "That’s him! That’s Copy Cat! Can I have your autograph?"

Hermes blinked, chest still heaving. "...Me?"

Somner jogged up beside him, panting. "Yeah, genius. They’re not pointing at me."

He smirked, nudging Hermes’ arm. "You’re trending already."

"Trending?" Hermes frowned. "I just—"

"Saved their asses, yeah." Somner cut in, voice dry. "You’ll get used to it."

Hermes glanced back at the boy still staring at him like he’d stepped out of a comic book. Something fluttered in his chest. He felt uneasy, but also... warm.

Two days later, the squad faced a swarm of Wasp Drones. Sleek black wings buzzed across the skyline, dropping acid onto rooftops.

"Fiero!" Eris shouted.

"Got it!" Fiero yanked powerlines from the poles, weaving them midair. "Ironcage coming up! Don’t let ’em scatter!"

Hermes jumped ahead, throwing spears of ice that split the swarm in half. Vera whispered her spell, and spectral unicorns galloped into the sky, horn-lights piercing through wings.

Cam’s eyes flashed with his Snapshot. "Nerve clusters under the thorax. Aim there."

"Copy that!" Hermes slid on a sheet of ice, closing in.

He struck the thorax with a blazing punch, fire searing through. The drone shrieked and spiraled down, crashing into the street.

By the time the last wing hit the pavement, civilians were already cheering. Phones were out. Flashes lit Hermes’ vision.

Victorina posed dramatically, flexing her massive arms. "Remember to get my good angle, darlings!"

"Um, can you please move a little? You’re blocking him." A teenager shouted. "Copy Cat iced the whole swarm! He uses ice powers much better than Cryoshift! Look!"

Hermes nearly tripped over his own ice path. "Wait, what?"

Somner clapped him on the back. "Smile, hero. You’re on ten different livestreams right now."

Hermes froze in place, staring at the crowd. People chanting his name. People... recording him. For the first time, his stomach knotted with something other than fear.

By the third fight, it wasn’t even surprising anymore.

A pack of Void Hounds tore through the metro tunnels, snarling shadows with glowing red maws. Cloud Nine met them head-on.

Victorina’s skeletal wolves crashed against the hounds. Vera’s unicorns trampled them. Fiero swung an electrified rail like a whip, shattering jaws. Cam shouted weak points with military precision.

And Hermes... Hermes froze an entire tunnel, then lit it ablaze in the same breath.

Fire and ice spiraled together in a torrent, scattering the hounds like ashes in the wind.

When the smoke cleared, reporters were already there.

"Copy Cat!" one shouted. "How does it feel to fight alongside Cloud Nine?"

"Did you train with the McNamaras?" another pressed.

Hermes stared, caught like a deer in headlights. "I... Uh.... Yes, we all train with Eris and Somner daily after all..."

"Do you feel like this is your chance to rise in the ranks of the top heroes? Do you plan to reach the monster quota of the Top 10?"

His throat tightened. "That’s not even in my mind right now. We were just doing our job...."

The questions flew away like a swarm more intimidating than the Void beasts they fight everyday.

Somner grabbed Hermes by the arm, dragging him out of the chaos with a smirk. "Rule one of hero PR: never stop for questions unless you’ve rehearsed your lines. You sounded like a fish choking on air."

"I didn’t... I wasn’t... " Hermes stammered.

Somner only grinned wider. "Relax. You’ll get used to it."

They gathered in the safehouse that night. Cloud Nine sprawled across couches, licking wounds and swapping jokes.

Hermes sat in the corner, scrolling through his wrist console. His feed was flooded with articles, headlines and clips about their battle... And most of them focused on him.

[Unknown Hero Freezes Out Titan Beetle!]

[Cloud Nine’s Newcomer: Copy Cat, the Jack of All Trades]

[Is He the Future Face of Heroism?]

Hermes’ throat went dry. "This... this is ridiculous."

"Nope." Somner said, tossing a popcorn kernel into his mouth. "This is what being a hero is about. We’re not just saving the world, we’re also practically celebrities."

"I didn’t ask for this."

Somner shrugged. "Neither did I the first time. Comes with the cape, Master."

Hermes set the console down, pressing his palms to his face. "I just... I only ever wanted..." His voice cracked. "I just wanted to be one of them. A real hero."

"And now you are." Somner’s tone softened.

Hermes’ hands dropped. "But it doesn’t feel real."

"It never does." Somner said simply. "Not at first. You’ll get over the imposter syndrome eventually."

Hermes stared at the console again. His own face frozen mid-battle, eyes blazing, cape snapping in smoke. The crowd cheered behind him.

It was everything his childhood self had dreamed of. Everything he thought he’d never have.

And it terrified him.

***

The next morning, his wrist console buzzed.

Hermes answered without thinking. "Hello?"

A crisp voice replied. "Copy Cat of Cloud Nine? This is Charlotte Freeman, head producer at the Global Hero Network."

Hermes blinked. "The... news channel?"

"Yes. We’d like to schedule your first live interview. Prime-time slot. The public wants to hear from you directly."

Hermes’ mouth went dry. His heart thudded.

"I... An interview?" His voice faltered.

"Tomorrow evening, if you’re available." Freeman continued smoothly. "We’ll send the official details. Congratulations, Mr. Copy Cat. You’ve made quite the impression."

The call ended.

Hermes stood there, console still glowing in his hand. His heart hammered against his ribs.

Somner leaned against the doorway, arms folded, smirking. "Well? Who was that?"

Hermes swallowed hard. "...The Global Hero Network."

Somner’s smirk widened. "Let me guess. Interview?"

Hermes nodded numbly.

"Called it." Somner clapped him on the back. "Better get ready, Master. The world’s about to know your name."

Hermes just stood there, staring at his own reflection on the console screen. But instead of his own face...

The little boy who dreamed of being a hero was staring back at him. Little Hermes, with that innocent smile...

And for the first time...

Hermes wasn’t sure if he recognized him.