More Than a Hero’s Fame

The sky was streaked with red.

Explosions shook the city.

Screams filled the streets, and towering over the destruction was the cause: the massive fifty-meter-tall mechanical beast, stomping through the city like an unstoppable force.

Its sharp metal limbs tore through buildings, and its eyes glowed with a menacing light.

In the middle of the chaos, Miss Mercury was trapped under a huge piece of concrete.

『Ugh, fuck it all…』

Her black and yellow costume was torn and she had taken a lot of damage.

… Nghk!

She struggled to free herself.

Her super-speed was drained from trying to dodge the mech's relentless assault.

The mech's massive foot hung above, ready to crush Miss Mercury.

… PHIIIIISSSHHH!

Suddenly, a streak of violet light flashed across the sky, leaving a trail of energy behind.

Pulsar was on her way.

With a loud boom, she slammed into the ground and landed between Miss Mercury and the mech's foot. Her cosmic energy flared, swirling around her like a storm, burning with the overwhelming intensity of a dying star!

Raising her hands, Pulsar created a shimmering energy field that stopped the mech's foot just inches above her head.

『Phew… that was close…』

A relieved look appeared on her face.

Even she didn't know her own strength.

"Hang tight, Miss Mercury!"

Pulsar shouted, gritting her teeth as the sheer weight of the mech pressed down on her barrier.

"I've got you."

With a quick wave of her hand, the energy barrier surged outward, blowing off the mech's leg and making the massive machine stagger backward.

Miss Mercury gasped for breath, looking up at her savior.

"Thanks… I was almost a pancake."

She spoke the words reluctantly, knowing full well the backlash she'd get from her sponsors for being rescued by another superhero.

『It shouldn't be a problem to be rescued by another hero, but in this world… that's not how things work.』

Miss Mercury clenched her fists in frustration.

Oblivious to the female speedster's inner turmoil, Pulsar simply grinned as her eyes glowed purple.

"No problem."

Pulsar giggled softly.

"But let's get you clear of this wreckage first."

She reached down and managed to carry Miss Mercury like an egg, even with the raw star power surging through her body. In an instant, she wrapped them both in a glowing field of star energy and shot them skyward, taking them to safety on a nearby rooftop.

Miss Mercury nodded her thanks, but her eyes went wide with shock when she saw the mech charging up for another attack.

"Pulsar, look out!"

Pulsar didn't waste any time.

She shot up into the sky to become a blur of purple and white light as she flew toward the mechanical monster. As she soared, the energy inside her pulsed—each heartbeat made her faster and stronger, causing the star power around her to grow until she looked like a living comet!

… WHIIIIIZZZZ!

The mech roared, firing energy blasts from its chest cannons, but Pulsar zigzagged through them effortlessly, dodging each beam.

She knew her target.

The glowing core at the center of the beast's chest!

… BOOOOOOOM!!

With a surge of speed, she shot forward, crashing through layers of steel and circuitry with a burst of star energy.

… FWIIIIIISSSHHH!

Sparks flew in all directions, and for a moment, the mecha monster seemed to shudder in confusion.

"This ends now."

Pulsar's eyes narrowed fiercely.

She concentrated her star power.

After charging up enough energy, she blasted through the mech's core and tore straight through its chest.

────KRAAAAAAK!!

The sound of metal ripping echoed throughout the city as the giant machine convulsed and its systems failed.

Titanus Magnus swayed, almost tipping over.

Pulsar shot back up into the sky and hovered just above the massive wreckage.

She extended her hands to shot out beams of light that quickly wrapped around the falling mech like glowing tendrils.

"RaaAARrrgGHhh!"

Letting out a primal yell, Pulsar lifted the entire 50-meter monster off the ground.

… VWOOOOOOSH!

To gain some momentum, she spun the massive machinery around with so much speed and force that it nearly caused a disastrous tornado.

Then, with one final, powerful throw, she hurled the mech into the sky. The huge machine shot up into the upper atmosphere, breaking through the clouds and disappearing into the vastness of space!

Pulsar hovered for a moment, watching as the stars slowly took back the remains of the mech.

"Oh, Miss Mercury!"

Her glowing aura dimmed a little as she drifted back down to the rooftop, where Miss Mercury was supposed to be. But when she landed, she was suddenly surrounded by a crowd of reporters, and she had no idea where they had all come from.

Pulsar barely had time to catch her breath before the crowd was upon her.

Reporters shoved microphones in her face, cameras flashed from every angle, and fans screamed her name from below. The rooftop was now crowded with people, many having rushed up through the emergency stairwell the moment the battle ended.

"Pulsar! How does it feel to save the city?"

"Can you comment on how you defeated Titanus Magnus?"

"Are you planning on taking a huge sponsorship deal with ArcTech?"

Pulsar blinked, overwhelmed.

Her star power had dimmed, and her glowing aura was nearly gone.

She felt… small, even though she had just hurled a 50-meter mech into space.

A shy, sheepish smile crossed her face as she awkwardly waved at the flashing cameras.

"Uh, hi, everyone…"

Before she could say more, a group of men in sharp suits made their way through the crowd.

Their presence parted the sea of reporters.

They flashed bright, corporate smiles, carrying slick holo-pads and business cards.

"Pulsar, we represent MetaVision. Have you thought about starring in a campaign for our new energy drink line?"

Another man, dressed in a sleek silver suit, jumped in.

"Infinity Corp would love to have you as the face of our new hero-tech initiative! We're offering the best rates on the market!"

Pulsar's eyes widened as more and more agents pushed through, each with offers more lucrative than the last.

It all became a blur.

Her mind swam as the crowd buzzed around her, words like "endorsement" and "campaign" smashing together to just become a mess of corporate jargon.

『What… is happening?』

She tried to stay polite, to keep that friendly smile, but it was exhausting. As she struggled to answer the rapid-fire questions, she caught a glimpse of Miss Mercury standing at the edge of the rooftop.

Their eyes met for a split second.

Miss Mercury's expression was unreadable.

Her gaze was hard but not cold.

She stood there silently, dusting off her tattered costume.

It was clear she had been through hell during the fight, but no one in the crowd seemed to care.

No reporters rushed to her side.

No agents offered her deals.

In that brief moment, Miss Mercury turned away.

She left without saying a word, slipping into the shadows as her footsteps got heavy with quiet frustration.

Miss Mercury couldn't hate Pulsar. Not really. But she couldn't help the sting of envy that crept into her heart. She didn't want to be a hero for the fame, or for the sponsors. She just wanted to be the kind of hero who was admired for something more than her body. But in this world… that wasn't always how things worked.

As she disappeared down the stairwell, Pulsar's smile faltered.

A firm hand clapped her on the shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.

… Hm?

She turned to see a well-dressed man in a tailored dark suit standing beside her, a professional but calm smile on his face. He wasn't like the others—he didn't shout, didn't push his way forward. He just waited until the moment was right.

"Ms. Pulsar…"

His voice was smooth and steady.

"My name is Vincent Lakewood. I represent a massive trillion dollar company officially registered under the Hero Agency. We handle the most elite heroes, those who go beyond simple sponsorships."

Pulsar's brow furrowed slightly.

"I'm not really sure I'm interested… my boyfriend would really be unhappy with me."

Vincent raised a hand, politely stopping her.

"Before you say no, hear me out. We have a very selective roster. Fortitude, Lady Fortress—powerful heroes you may have heard of."

Pulsar's eyes lit up at the mention of Fortitude. She had admired him since her early days as a hero. His strength, his dignity, the way he carried himself… it was everything she had dreamed of being.

Vincent smiled knowingly, catching her reaction.

"We think you could be a great fit. We don't just look for marketable heroes. We look for real heroes. The kind who inspire people not just with their powers, but with who they are. We don't over-commercialize. We build legacies."

Pulsar glanced back at the throng of reporters still clamoring for her attention, the agents waving contracts in her face, and the endless stream of flashing lights.

It all felt… hollow, compared to what Vincent was offering.

Her heart raced.

Fortitude… Lady Fortress. Real heroes.

This was a strong temptation. Probably the kind Scott wanted her to avoid at all costs.

"So… what's the catch?"

Pulsar could no longer hold her excitement back.

Vincent chuckled lightly.

"No catch. Just a commitment. A commitment to be more than just a face in the crowd. To be something bigger."

Pulsar bit her lip.

She wanted that.

She wanted to be more than just a glowing hero who swooped in to save the day, only to be forgotten the moment the next big crisis hit.

『I kinda… want to matter…』

She looked up at Vincent and nodded.

"Okay. Let's talk."

"Haha, good girl!"

Vincent grinned brightly.