Weeks passed as Michael traveled around, going from town to town doing odd jobs to make as much money as he could to support his travel. He had originally wanted to go back after Tom, but between his power loss and having no idea of how to kill the man, he decided to leave that for a later date. He still had no idea what the fuck had happened with that strange dream but he was not in a rush to repeat it. He finally made it to his destination halfway through the third week. The home of the Crimson Accord and the city said to be on top of the world, Pinnacle.
When he laid eyes on the city for the first time, he could not help but gape. It was one thing to hear about it or see it in a photo, but actually seeing it, Michael couldn’t help but be in awe. Floating islands hovered around buildings almost twice the size of the skyscrapers he was used to, stretching into the sky. He flew down and entered the city, looking around like a wide-eyed tourist. He saw people in pressed suits holding briefcases, flying from building to building. He saw technological inventions and architecture that he did not think possible.
Hours passed as he explored the marvellous city before, with a little help from some kind passersby, he was able to find what he was looking for. The superhero recruitment building. It probably was not the best idea for him to be putting himself in the open like this, but he didn’t care. He was done doing something he didn’t want to just because of some asshole. With the distance he had traveled and the fact that he would register with a pretty standard power. He wasn’t too worried about Tom coming after him anyway. Especially when the man still had his hands full trying to keep Raymond’s empire from crumbling. He walked inside the bustling building and found himself in a crowded waiting room. Looking around, he sighed, pulling a ticket from a nearby stand and sitting down with his number 424. He looked up at the large board showing the current ticker. Now serving 387. He sighed Did I pick a popular day or something?
Almost two hours later, they finally called his number. He walked up to an open counter, a man whose constant frown, sunken cheeks, and slumped eyebrows made him look like he would rather be anywhere else. He didn’t even look up from his computer as Michael sat down.
“Welcome to the public sector registration agency. How can I help you today?” the man asked.
“I'm uh here to register as a superhero.”
The man typed something into the computer. “Mhmm, I'm going to need your name, ID, and power.”
“Uh, Silverwing, I don’t have an ID, and my power is eagle-like abilities.”
The man looked at Michael for the first time, peering around him to get a good look at his wings. He nodded, typing something else into the computer.
“Power check out. Since you don’t have an ID, and we are unable to do an extensive background check, you will be required to have a 2-year probationary period after your skill assessment and basic training. If that all sounds ok to you, take this.”Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
He placed an ID badge with Michael’s superhero name and a photo of him on it.
“And make your way through the door on the left there.”
“Thank you,” Michael said, grabbing the badge and walking through the door. He found himself in a large classroom.
“Please take a seat,” a large man with a gruff voice said.
Michael nodded, finding an open chair in the back. The room consisted of ten long, narrow tables with five chairs at each. It was almost entirely filled when Michael entered, and after a few more minutes, more applicants walked through the door, bringing it to capacity.
The leader of the class cleared his throat. “Welcome to hero boot camp, I am Commander Hank. I will be serving as your instructor for the next week. You will be tested and trained to ensure you have what it takes to be a public sector hero.”
The man paused for a moment, taking a look around the room and nodding. “I will warn you now, this course will not be easy, and many of you will fail. If you feel unprepared for this challenge, this is your only chance to leave.”
Michael looked around the room, seeing a few others do so as well, but no one ended up leaving the room.
The man nodded. “Now, if all of you are determined to take this course, please follow me.”
Michael stood with the rest of the class, following the man out of the back door of the room and to a large metal room with an arch standing in the center. Several people in lab coats stood at panels around the room, focusing on several blinking lights and switches.
“Trial ground seven, please,” Hank said.
The archway flashed to life as a swirling swirl opened in its center.
“Woah!” several class members, including Michael, exclaimed.
Commander Hank smirked. “First time seeing a portal, ay? These wonderful pieces of technology were a gift from the brilliant minds of Torque and Quanta.”
Several applicants nodded.
“Alright, please form a line and step through one at a time,” Hank said.
Michael took his position and waited for his turn to step through the device. His vision shifted, and he found himself in an open area filled with obstacle courses and other trial grounds framed by the marvelous city in the background. He waited as the remaining applicants, followed by Commander Hank, stepped through the device.
“Everyone, line up and follow me!” Hank shouted.
He led the group to a small building and began handing out uniforms. They were made out of a soft, elastic gray fabric and had a spot to attach their IDs. Next, Hank led them to a group of two buildings filled with beds.
“This will be your home for the next week. Now get changed into your uniform and meet me back out here.”
Michael emerged a few minutes later, dressed in his uniform, with his ID pinned to his chest. He thought he would have had to tear holes in the uniform for his wings, but as soon as he placed the uniform on, it passed straight over them, conforming to his body and allowing him full mobility. His fellow applicants followed him, forming a line in front of Commander Hank. The large man nodded when he saw the entire group had reassembled.
“We will start with an aptitude test. Do your best because the bottom five performers will be sent home.”
Michael looked around at his competition without much worry. Except for the commander himself, he doubted any of his classmates would even classify it as a challenge. No, the hardest part of this test would be trying not to gain attention. He hoped to shoot for the middle of the pack after all his goals extended further than just becoming a hero. It would also be nice to keep Tom from knowing he was still alive for as long as possible. It would be nice not to have to look over his shoulder for a while. He smirked as they approached a small arena. So that’s how they're planning to test us.
“We will start with a test of your power, followed by rounds of one-on-one combat to determine the strongest among you.”
Let’s see what these wannabe heroes can do.