The Blacksmith's contract with Horizon Heroes was more than just ink on paper, it was a declaration.
A leap from local legend to continental contender.
A clean break from the modest Mzansi Heroes salary and cramped township ops van... to six-figure weekly paychecks, million-dollar missions, and holographic war rooms with AI-assisted strategies.
[Name: Tanaka Nare
Alias: The Blacksmith
Agency: Horizon Heroes
Duration: 1 year
Weekly Salary: $100,000
Bonuses: $10,000 per mission completed. $100,000 for each award won.
Release Clause: $30 million.
Image Rights: 50/50 shared with the agency.]
Two million dollars, just to buy him out. Enough to turn heads in hero circles, and breed enemies in others.
But to Tanaka, it wasn't only about the money.
It was about proving something. To his father. To himself.
And soon… to Firepower.
Now, with the ink dry and the trial passed, step one was complete.
He was in.
But as he stared out the window of the Horizon transport, the city lights flickering below like embers, one truth hung heavier than any sword on his back:
You don't take a contract like this without paying for it later.
Kurt sat beside him, enjoying the plush comfort of the transport seat. He deserved it. He'd worked damn hard to get Tanaka where he was.
"There's more to this than slicing through buildings with your fancy swords," he was saying. "We've got to build a brand. You, kid, have to be a brand. Horizon cares more about sales than saving lives. Same as every other agency out there."
"I know," The Blacksmith said, not looking away from the window. "But it's exhausting... ads, merch, interviews with annoying people who call themselves journalists."
He exhaled. "I just want to meet Firepower...and let him know I'm coming for his spot."
"You will," Kurt said. "Soon. But first, we need to sell you to the people. And lucky for us, that shouldn't be too hard."
Tanaka finally turned. "Why's that?"
Kurt smirked. "Let's not pretend you don't know. You've got the face for it."
Tanaka raised an eyebrow.
"I've seen how Ms. Bennet looks at you," Kurt added with a knowing grin. "Laura."
Tanaka looked away, saying nothing.
"Bullseye," Kurt laughed. "Your skills and that face? Perfect marketing combo. We're gonna make handsome money."
From the front seat, their chauffeur, Jack Williams, chimed in. "Just don't forget to send some of that money back home...buy your people some water or something."
Tanaka didn't miss a beat. "Don't make me cut you in half on my first week in America."
Kurt burst out laughing. "That old 'Africaneeds water' cliché. I swear, it's the one misconception that just won't die."
They cruised through Times Square, neon lights flickering against the car windows. Towering screens flashed one hero after another, Firepower in his blazing armor, Steelfist crushing a tank with his bare hands.
Then came the new wave: The Blacksmith. Froststorm. Steel Alfredo.
Their unveiling ad lit up the skyline.
Jack glanced at Tanaka through the rearview mirror. "You're already a big deal, boss."
The Blacksmith shook his head slightly. "Not yet. I'm still just Level Five."
....
An hour later, The Blacksmith stood beside Froststorm and Steel Alfredo, just behind the curtains of Horizon Arena's main stage. The stadium beyond was packed,fans, media, sponsors, waiting for the grand unveiling of Horizon's newest recruits.
Their PR lead was already in full throttle.
Amber, a tall, sharp-tongued woman with fiery red hair, designer glasses, and surgically enhanced curves, paced in front of them like a general before battle. Her voice cut through the air.
"I need confidence. I need presence. I want to feel the goddamn aura the moment you step out there," she snapped, pointing dramatically toward the stage. "You're not just heroes. You're Horizon Heroes. Act like it."
She turned on her heel to face Tanaka.
"You," she said, jabbing a manicured finger at his chest. "You're the first African hero we've signed. That's history. You don't just walk out there for yourself, lllyou're carrying a continent on your back. That alone builds a fanbase overnight. So give them something to believe in. Look like you belong on that stage."
Tanaka gave her a slow nod. Silent. Focused. Internally tightening the armor straps on his shoulders, both literally and mentally.
Amber smirked, satisfied. Then turned to Froststorm.
"You? You're ice-cold, mysterious, dangerous. Sell that. Don't smile unless you're freezing someone's blood."
She moved to Steel Alfredo. "And you? You're the tank. You're loud, proud, and unbreakable. Play to it. Flex a little. No one remembers a statue."
The roar of the crowd surged louder. A tech assistant gave the cue,they had sixty seconds.
Amber clapped once. "Okay, team. Showtime. Cameras are live. You get one first impression. Make it legendary."
She stepped aside as the LED screens lit up, and the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen... please welcome the newest recruits of Horizon Heroes, The Blacksmith, Froststorm, and Steel Alfredo!"
The curtain began to rise.
Tanaka rolled his shoulders once, adjusted his swords, and stepped forward with the weight of a continent and the fire of ambition burning in his chest.
The audience erupted, a thunderstorm of applause, cheers, and flashing lights. Fans packed every row, the air electric with energy. Most wore Horizon Hero merch: glowing visors, replica gauntlets, jerseys with numbers and nicknames stitched in chrome thread.
But one name dominated them all.
Firepower.
He wasn't even present, yet his shadow loomed over the arena like a crown atop the sky. His face was everywhere, on shirts, hoodies, capes, glowing LED signs. Over seventy percent of the crowd wore something with his name or logo on it.
The undisputed number one.
Tanaka took it all in from just behind the rising curtain. The spotlight bathed the stage in gold, but his eyes scanned past the glare,searching.
Searching for him.
Of course Firepower wouldn't be here. He didn't need to be. The crowd carried his name like gospel. The Blacksmith's jaw clenched slightly.
He wanted to be like this. His name to be legendary like his. Firepower was his idol but he wanted to dethrone him.Beat him.
Beside him, Froststorm adjusted his cloak. Steel Alfredo pounded his fists together, soaking in the hype. But Tanaka wasn't thinking about the show. He was thinking about the throne.
Not the lights. Not the cameras. Just the target.
The stage lights flared. The curtain lifted.
As the curtain rose and the golden lights swept over them, a surprise awaited.
Standing at the center of the stage, flanked by Horizon security and PR staff, was a man none of them had met before.
An aging figure in a tailored navy suit. Thin, frail-looking, but with a spine straight as a sword blade. He wore sleek glasses, and his presence seemed to bend the air around him, not with power, but authority.
Kurt leaned in from behind the curtain and whispered, "That's no PR puppet. That's Valerio Crane. Vice President of Horizon."
Tanaka hadn't expected this. Neither had the others.
Valerio Crane stepped forward with a slow, deliberate calm. The spotlight found him. The crowd hushed.
He raised a hand, and his voice, smooth, aged like oak, rolled through the stadium.
"Ladies and gentlemen… media, fans, fellow heroes… tonight marks more than just a contract signing or flashy welcome. Tonight, we witness the future of Horizon."
The crowd erupted. Crane waited. When the noise settled, he continued.
"We live in a world where symbols matter. Where strength must be matched with story. Where heroes are not only judged by the battles they win, but the belief they ignite."
He turned slightly, gesturing to the trio behind him.
"Behind me stand three warriors. Not rookies. Not backups. But headliners. Champions in the making. I've seen thousands of heroes come through Horizon's doors… and very few walk through with the fire I see in their eyes tonight."
He pointed with a slow, ceremonial motion.
"Steel Alfredo, the living fortress. When others break, he stands. He does not flinch. He does not fall."
The big man raised a fist to the crowd, who roared their approval.
"Froststorm, the enigma. Cold precision. Deadly calm. A ghost on the battlefield, a storm in the silence."
Froststorm gave the crowd a half-nod, his cloak billowing slightly with the wind machines on either side of the stage.
Then Crane stepped forward again, this time turning fully toward Tanaka.
"And last… but destined never to be least… The Blacksmith."
The crowd surged. Cheers, camera flashes, fans waving flags and banners with his name.
"From the heart of Africa, a continent too often overlooked. Tonight, that changes."
Crane paused. Then added, his voice dropping lower:
"He came to win in the world's greatest superhero agancy."
The arena exploded. The screens lit up with a dramatic slow-motion montage, Tanaka training in the veldt, slicing through drones in a Horizon facility, standing silhouetted against a rising sun.
Crane raised both hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen… give them your energy, your support, your belief. Because from this moment on… the age of Horizon's new elite begins."
The music blared. The spotlights swirled. Confetti cannons erupted in silver and blue.
Tanaka stood tall, eyes scanning the crowd one last time.
But still, even in all that noise, all that glory…
This was only the beginning. The hard part was still to come.
But he was ready...he was ready for his first mission as a Horizon Heroes Superhero.