The crowd’s pace picked up as we got closer to the gym, murmurs growing louder, excitement building with every step.

I was no different. Despite telling myself over and over to keep my cool, it felt like I’d break out into a sprint if I lost focus for even a second. There was a draw to this place that was near irresistible, and there were multiple factors to it.

The closer you got to the gym, the more impressive—and less practical—the buildings flanking Silver Road became. They took on more of a unified theme; lots of classical architecture that brought to mind Ancient Greece or Rome, pillars abounded, mixed curiously together with the retro-futurism vibes to match Foresight City’s dominant aesthetic.

It shouldn’t have worked, but somehow did.

The gym itself was the main event hall, boasting facilities and equipment that could comfortably host countless inexperienced superheroes. That didn’t mean it was the only training facility on the school grounds, just the most eye-catching. Any of the stadiums, gymnasiums, towers, and myriad others surrounding it would have been the pride of any lesser school.

Walking the Silver Road was a steady transition from the real world to one of fantasy, one of superheroes.

And the effect was only pronounced by the actual, real superheroes who soon became visible on the balcony above the gym’s front entrance.

Three of them stood over the crowd, shouting instructions and encouragement as they tried to direct the flow of people in a way that wouldn’t cause too much congestion. Their efforts were futile against the sheer number of people approaching, but it was admirable all the same.

“Go on,” Ashika said with a wry smile. “Tell me who they are.”

“You’re assuming I know?”

Ashika just rolled her eyes. She raised her hand, but seemed to think better of flipping me off at the last moment, awkwardly lowering it back to her side.

I scoffed. “This is a hero school, not a church.”

“Really? I heard Herakles was big on smiting sinners.”

“I don’t think policing rude hand signs is part of his jurisdiction,” I said. “But I suppose it’s good that you’re learning. Maybe you won’t struggle so bad in PR lessons after all.”

“I just didn’t want to make a bad first impression,” Ashika said, frowning at the heroes ahead of us. She lifted her hand close to my face, raised her middle finger, then rubbed it around on my cheek.

“So much for that,” I said, my voice slurring as she made sure to be as obnoxious with her ministrations as possible.

Ashika gave me a gigawatt smile. She stopped mushing my cheek, but kept her finger firmly planted on my face.

I resolved to ignore her. “So the heroes you’re making a horrible impression with—I’m sure they all hate you now and think you’re going to become a villain, in fact they’re probably getting ready to arrest you right now—are, from left to right: Stargaze in the bodysuit with constellations on it, Palette with the robe that looks like it got covered in every tub of paint on earth, and Silverback is the gorilla dude.”

“Never heard of ‘em.”

I sputtered. “Palette and Silverback I can understand. They’re more involved in regular law enforcement stuff rather than headliner superhero news. But Stargaze?”

Ashika shrugged.

“She’s a solid B-lister! Come on, she’s got one of the flashiest powers out there. Her lasers look like spiral galaxies.” I plucked her finger from my face and threw it down with disgust. “I refuse to believe you were able to recognise Scarlet Haze from halfway across the city, but you don’t know who Stargaze is. She’s been in the gladiator circuit for half a decade. She got top 10 at the Austin Games.”

“Sorry I’m not a cape geek like you,” Ashika said with a sniff.

“Heathen,” I said. “Hope you’re feeling confident about the written test.”

“No problemo.”

I squinted at her. “Sure.”

We fell quiet as we approached the entrance of the gym. In the end I could barely hear the three heroes above, though their instructions were clear enough. We entered the front doors side-by-side, and it was only because we’d been here before—if long ago—that I didn’t pause upon entering the lobby.

The room was big enough to fit at least two basketball courts and several tiers of seating besides. Giant screens covered the far wall, playing a video that had to be four stories tall, introductory trailers showing off the myriad achievements and merits of the academy. The din of conversation echoed off the black marble walls and floor.

Dozens of lines had formed in front of registration tables at the back of the room, and we moved to join the nearest.

About halfway there, I heard a familiar voice and let out a sigh. A moment later, the inevitable happened.

“Holy shit, is that Emmet?”

Ashika tensed, and I laid a hand on her shoulder. “Ignore him,” I said.

“Like hell,” Ashika hissed.

“Ignore him,” I repeated, and was unable to say any more before Lucas Paulson was a few metres in front of me.

“Ha! It is you. I can’t believe you actually showed up,” he said. He grinned, hands stuffed in his pockets, all casual-like, like we were just a couple of pals catching up after a while without seeing each other.

In fairness, he had changed a lot in just a few weeks. His coal black hair had been shoulder-length since kindergarten, but someone had evidently convinced him to get it shaved down to a stylish fade at the sides, leaving the top just long enough to style with some product. Gone was his omnipresent blue jeans and white shirt combo, replaced with a tailored black suit. Even his shoes were newly polished, and he’d once sworn to me he’d never put anything but combat boots on his feet.

A small part of me was curious what had brought on this change.

The rest of me didn’t want to hear a word he had to say.

I stepped around him without even a glance of acknowledgement.

His arm raised, blocking my path. Of course he wouldn’t make it that easy.

“You wanna start something, Lucas?” Ashika growled. “Feel free to give me an excuse.”

He blinked innocently. “What? Can’t catch up with my old buddy?”

“No. Fuck off.”

“Well, that ain’t a nice way to talk to your childhood friend.”

“If it bothers you so much, stop being a colossal dickhole. Find something better to do with your life than harassing Emmett.”

“Forgive me for being concerned about our dear Level 0 here, Ashika. Maybe you’re okay with enabling his delusions and letting him get himself hurt, but I have more of a heart than that.”

I let out a sigh. To think there’d been a time, however brief, when I might have believed that crap.

Thing was, I’d actually known Lucas longer than I’d known Ashika, if only by a year or so. We’d been inseparable as kids, brought together by family connection and bonded over a shared dream. In all my life, I’d never met anyone else who understood like Lucas did, who worked as hard, who spent as much time researching.

We’d planned out hundreds of hypothetical careers for ourselves. Spent countless hours playing hero. Watched, read, and listened to every bit of cape media we could get our hands on.

Then the Shimada Scale test came along, and suddenly there was a gulf between us.

I’d never forget coming out of that clinic with my life crashing down around me. Lucas had been waiting, and that had buoyed me a little. The world was ending, but at least I had my best friend. Or so I thought.

He’d sneered at me. Genuinely disgusted. It hadn’t been an act, no matter what he tried to claim.

“I thought we were the same,” he’d said.

So had I.

Later, I found out he’d made sure the whole school knew about my Level, and what they should think about it. He made me a pariah, an outcast. Treated like I was carrying a contagious disease. The only reason things hadn’t escalated to outright bullying aside from Lucas’ own taunts was Ashika. Getting on her bad side had been inadvisable even before she got rated Level 6 at thirteen years old. After? No one would dare.

She’d been my only friend for the last six months or so, and the cause of my suffering was right before me.

I should’ve been filled with anger, overflowing with hatred. There should’ve been murderous fantasies flashing through my mind, a montage of ironic revenge.

Instead, I was just bored with it all.

“Genuinely, I’m confused here. Why are you two keeping up this bullshit?” Lucas was saying as I tuned back into his argument with Ashika.

“What bullshit? Emmett’s gonna be a superhero, and that’s that.”

“Come on. There’s no way you actually believe that.”

“I believe in him more than I believe in you, asshole. This weird crusade you’ve been on sounds like a villain origin story.”

“Good one. Maybe leave the jokes to your brother?”

“I’m serious. Do you actually think you’re the good guy here? You’re acting like some small town high school bully, and you don’t even see it.”

“By stopping someone from getting themselves hurt, or worse? He’s literally powerless!”

“Like that means anything.”

Lucas scoffed, turned to me. “Nothing to say, Emmett?”

“I hope you do well on your test, Lucas,” I said, and I shouldered past him.

“Hey,” he reached out for me, but I ducked his arm and power walked away, moving to join the back of a line further across the room.

Six months ago, his words would have devastated me. Hell, even last week that confrontation might have dealt my confidence a serious blow.

But mere hours ago, one of the greatest and most powerful superheroes on Earth had told me he believed in me.

~~~

Tempest’s lips twitched upwards. He shook his head. “I had a feeling you might refuse. You’re certainly your father’s son.”

“Sorry, sir. I mean no disrespect, but—”

He waved me off. “None taken. I understand your reasoning. It’s admirable to want to forge your own path, win your achievements on your own merits. Between you and me, you’re the second to refuse my offer recently.”

“... sir?”

“Alanna,” Tempest clarified. “Her reasons were similar, though I think rooted in a different cause. Living in my shadow, as she calls it, has been difficult for her in recent times.”

A memory flashed through my mind. Alanna on the ground, gashes torn through her torso, blood splattering the ground around her.

“I can imagine,” I said, a little nauseated.

Tempest looked at me for a long moment. With a huff, he pushed himself back to his feet. “Well, I had to make the offer. I still think it would do you good to accept, but I’ll accept your wishes. It wouldn’t have diminished your standing in my eyes if you’d accepted, I hope you know?”

I nodded slowly.

It would’ve diminished my standing in my own eyes, though.

Tempest crossed to the curtains, where he paused. Twin whirlpools started spinning above his shoulders, spouting a deluge of water that rolled over his body like a tsunami. Storm clouds whirled back into existence around his head. Muffled thunder rolled.

“I also hope,” he said, “that my offer adequately communicated what I wanted it to. I am not a man who tolerates nepotism. I do not believe in giving out positions to those who do not deserve it, no matter what service they may have provided me or how I feel about them personally. If you believe my offer was a favour in exchange for saving my daughter’s life, you were mistaken.”

I swallowed. “Sir—”

He turned then, fixing me in place with his lightning glare. “I offered because I believe in you. I believe that you are capable of passing the test. I believe that you are capable of flourishing in the competitive environment Aegis Academy provides. I believe, Emmett Shaw, that you are capable of being a great superhero.”

“But…”

“You’re a Level 0? So what?” He leaned forward, close enough I could see the debris caught up in the storm that covered his head. “I’ll let you in on a secret I’m sure you would have heard from the man himself, in a better, kinder world: Valiant was once powerless.”

Words failed me. I gaped like a fish.

“Valiant was once powerless, a Level 0 before that horrible damned scale ever burdened us with its foul existence. And yet… Well, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you anything about his career. You’ve probably forgotten more than I’ll ever know.”

“Yes, sir,” I managed. “I’d never forget a thing about him.”

“I’ll bet.” He placed a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry he never got to tell you this himself. I carry zero doubt he would have in time. But the world is an imperfect place, and so here I am as his inadequate stand-in.

“You can be a hero, Emmett. I believe in you, and I’m certain Colin would as well.”

I’d been through a life-threatening, high-stress situation. I’d dealt with the aftermath and the sinking disappointment of my inadequate performance. I’d even got through a conversation mentioning my dad.

But Tempest’s words crashed through the dam, and I couldn’t hold it back anymore.

I burst into tears.