The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

The written test was a disaster.

After the physical exam, they moved everyone who passed into a white classroom. There were rows of desks with tablets on them. Only about fifty people had made it this far. Leo was sitting two rows ahead of me, looking exhausted but happy. The elites sat in the front, looking bored.

I sat at a desk in the back corner feeling pretty good. I had crushed the physical test with zero effort. I thought the written test would be easy consisting of simple questions like, Is it bad to rob a bank? or Should you save people from a fire?

I was very, very wrong.

Proctor May stood at the front of the room. "You have two hours to complete the written exam," she said. "This test covers Hero Law, public relations, collateral damage insurance clauses, and corporate sponsorship regulations. Begin."

I tapped the screen on my tablet and the first question popped up.

Question 1: Under Section 4B of the Hero Regulation Act, if a Pro Hero damages a city bus while apprehending a Rank-C Villain, what percentage of the repair cost is covered by the city's subsidy, and what percentage is deducted from the Hero's agency paycheck?

I stared at the screen.

I had no idea. I didn't even know Heroes had to pay for broken buses. I guessed 50/50 and moved to the next question.

Question 2: When acting as a private contractor for Aegis Defense, what is the required PR protocol if a civilian captures a video of you using a lethal-force Blessing in a public space?

I rubbed my eyes. PR protocol? Aegis Defense? I hadn't studied a single book since I was fourteen years old. I used to sleep through all my classes at Metropolitan Academy. I didn't know anything about laws or insurance.

I looked around the room. The elites were tapping their screens quickly. They had studied this stuff for years. Even Leo looked focused, reading the questions carefully.

I looked back at my screen.

Question 15: Explain the legal difference between a Vigilante act and an Unlicensed Self-Defense act in a Zone-designated area.

I didn't know the difference nor did I care.

I started guessing, tapping 'A' for every multiple-choice question. For the short-answer questions, I wrote things like, Try not to break the bus, or Tell the camera guy to go away.

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I finished the test in fifteen minutes, put the tablet face down on the desk and put my head down on my arms. I closed my eyes and took a nap while everyone else finished.

Two hours later, a loud buzzer woke me up.

"Time is up," Proctor May announced. "Your tablets will now lock. Please proceed to the waiting room. Your final results will be emailed to you."

I stood up and stretched. My back hurt from sleeping on the hard desk. I followed the crowd out of the classroom and back to the lobby.

I walked out of the HRC building and into the afternoon sun taking a deep breath of city air.

I pulled out my phone and opened my email. There was a message from the Hero Regulation Committee.

Applicant: Shay Fawn.

Physical Exam Score: 100% (Pass)

Written Exam Score: 12% (Fail)

Final Status: Disqualified.

I stopped walking and stared at the word Disqualified.

Twelve percent. I got twelve percent. That meant I got almost every single question wrong.

I put my phone in my pocket and felt a heavy weight drop in my stomach.

I had failed. The perfect score didn't matter. Because I didn't know the stupid insurance laws, I wasn't getting a Hero License.

I thought about my apartment and my rent due tomorrow. Five hundred dollars I spent on this test fee. I was completely broke.

I had no job. No trust fund. And now, I had no license.

I started walking home. For the first time in a long time, I actually felt scared. I was going to be homeless. My lazy plan had failed and there was no backup plan.

I reached the subway station and swiped my card. I walked down the stairs and waited for the train.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out. Unknown number.

I answered it. "Hello?"

"Shay Fawn?" a man's voice asked.

"Yeah. Who is this?"

"My name is Mr. Graves. I am an executive at Aegis Defense, a private Hero contracting agency. I am calling regarding your exam results today."

I frowned. "I failed the exam. The HRC just emailed me."

"Officially, yes, you failed," Mr. Graves said. "But unofficially, Aegis Defense is very interested in your physical exam footage. We love your... efficiency. And we love S-Tier Blessings."

"So?" I asked.

"So," Mr. Graves said, "I just had a very expensive conversation with Proctor May. We bought your test results. Your failing grade has been erased. Congratulations, Mr. Fawn. You passed."

I blinked. "Wait. You bribed the HRC?"

"We prefer the term 'sponsored intervention'," Mr. Graves replied. "Come to the Aegis Defense building tomorrow morning at nine. We have a Hero License and a contract waiting for you."

The line went dead.

I stared at my phone. I couldn't believe it. The system was so corrupt that a rich company could just buy my license for me.

I smiled. It just saved my life.

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