"Psst! Ayyo, Ross twins! Over here! Yoohoo! We saved y'all some seats!"
"Shhh! Stop! You embarrassing us! That ain't cool!"
Riley and Hannah navigated through an orchestra of legs and backpacks as they made their way across what could only be described as a massive stadium—calling it an auditorium would've been an insult. It was easily the size of an indoor arena.
Which begged the question: why did a school with less than 30,000 students need something this massive?
Two-thirds of the seating had already been blocked off so the students wouldn't be scattered too far apart. Still, Hannah wasn't about to complain—it made finding their group easier. Not to mention Benjamin waving his arms in the air like a bird in a flamingo-patterned coat didn't exactly help them blend in.
"Bro, stop!" Bella hissed, yanking her brother back into his seat. But the damage was done—eyes were already staring at them. The semester hadn't even started, and they were well on their way to being labeled the weird group of the freshman class.
Pauline, who truly wanted no part in that, sank into her seat and kept her head down.
Hannah and Riley, on the other hand, continued to walk toward them without a care in the world.
"What the fuck are you wearing!?" Hannah greeted Benjamin with a dap before he stood up again and spun around dramatically.
"You like it? Found it in the trash, no cap," he said proudly.
"What?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as she also extended her hand to Bella.
"That's truth," Bella also dappped Hannah and even clicked thumbs with her before Hannah finally took a seat beside her. The twins tried to dap Riley, but he just stared, waved at them, and sat down.
Riley's eyes slowly scanned the auditorium. The sound of thousands of voices blended into a single hum that made the air itself buzz. He raised his hands to cover his ears, feeling the vibrations seep into his bones.
"I brought headphones," Hannah whispered, pulling a pair from her bag. "You want 'em?"
"I am fine, Sister," Riley replied. "I have just never seen this many people in one place before."
"Wild, right?"
"Not at all," Riley said again. And then he just… paused.
And just like that, a thought crept in—one I know she would never understand. The sound reminded me of him. Of Ryan, screaming while I peeled off his fingernails—slowly, precisely. I left them dangling, just enough so each struggle tore him open a little more.
It wasn't the pain that fascinated me. It was the music. The rhythm. His screams were… beautiful.
Now I wonder… What if all of them screamed like that? Together. A choir of agony. Would it be even more beautiful?
I think… yes.
Yes, it would.
"Bro…" Hannah leaned back, catching the wide smile creeping at Riley's lips. "Stop that. You look like a serial killer."
But I am a killer now, Sister. There is truth in your metaphor. Literally. But if this smile, this uncontrollable curve of muscle between my ears, lets you believe otherwise…
Then maybe I should not smile at all. Not in front of you. Especially not you.
"I was joking, Riley—but seriously, you still look a little creepy," Hannah laughed, pressing a finger against his cheek. "You sure you don't want the headpho—Ack!"
Before she could finish, an earsplitting whistle rang through the stadium, sharp enough to make everyone flinch. The chatter died instantly as all eyes turned to the stage.
And there, glowing like a human spotlight. Literally. Standing there in front of the stage was a man glowing gold, and everyone knew who it was.
Bulwark.
[Ahem. Ahem.] He tapped his earpiece a few times.
[Everyone, please settle down,] he said, flashing his signature radiant smile. [I'm glad to see many of you have made new friends in such a short time—if only life could always be this way: free of bias, full of curiosity, and driven by the urge to understand one another. Did you know the World Health Organization now reports that 20% of the population are Supers?]
"Psst. Hannah," Bella leaned in, whispering, "You think it's true he like… four thousand years old or somethin'?"
And Hannah—Hannah knew for a fact that Bulwark really was that old. She'd grown up hearing his stories when their dad, Bernard, used to bring her and Riley to the Hope Guild HQ. But, of course, she couldn't exactly say that.
"How would I know?" she shrugged casually. "He doesn't look that old. Look at his skin."
"Girl, I know, right? I'm tryna figure out what kinda skincare he usin'."
"Since when you care about your skin, tho?" Benjamin butted in, only to immediately get elbowed in the ribs by his sister.
"Ugh!"
Bulwark's speech continued, and—surprisingly—a lot more people were actually paying attention than not.
[Despite what the world says about our Academy, you are not here to learn how to be superheroes.]
Bulwark sighed as he started walking around the stage, and as he did so, a translucent golden step appeared before him, making a set of stairs for him to walk up to.
[You are here to learn how to live as a Super. Because the truth is—no matter how much society claims to accept us, there will always be a lingering fear. And how could there not be? Some of you can walk through walls. Some of you can vanish. Some of you can level a house with a thought.]
The mood in the auditorium shifted. Even Hannah's group, easily among the loudest moments ago, fell completely silent.
[Most crimes in the world are committed by Supers,] Bulwark continued. [That's not a stereotype. It's not bigotry. It's a fact. And often, it's not even malicious—some don't even realize they already committing crimes.]
Bulwark once again sighed.
[So no, Mega Academy is not here to teach you how to be superheroes—we are just here to teach you how to be decent, normal people. And I do hope that when you join society, you will be.]
There was a long pause. And then, Bulwark smiled. He clapped his hands, and the echo cracked through the silence, jolting everyone awake.
[That said…] he beamed, [Some of you are here to learn how to be heroes.]
His voice brightened as energy filled the room again.
[Yes, despite everything I said—we will teach you to be heroes. But understand this: only a percent of you will make it. Most Supers? They hold regular jobs. Or should I say… super jobs.]
"…"
Dead silence at his attempt for a joke. Not a single chuckle. Well—except for one person.
Riley Ross. He was clapping. And if it wasn't for Hannah pulling her down, he would have also stood up.
"Bro…" Hannah slid down into her chair. She dropped so low she ended up nearly face-level with Pauline, who was already trying to vanish into her hoodie. Bella, on the other hand, let out a loud snort and pointed at Riley, laughing.
[Ahem. Thank you, thank you,] Bulwark chuckled awkwardly before continuing. [Which brings me to your schedules. At Mega Academy, each student has two sections. The first is based on the career path you selected from the email you should have received sometime this week. The second? Focused on hero training. You'll find your section assignments posted on the bulletin outside…]
"Riley," Hannah leaned over and whispered, "What did you choose?"
Riley blinked, tilting his head slightly before replying.
"A chef, Sister."
"What?" Hannah stared at him. "That's… so random."
"It is," Riley sighed, almost disappointed. "What I wanted wasn't listed. So I just picked the closest thing."
"Okay…? What did you want, then?"
"A butcher."
"...Huh?"