The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

Genevieve finished posing for the drones. The HRC police arrived a few minutes later, loaded the frozen George into the back of an armored van and drove away.

The crowd that had gathered outside cheered for Genevieve. She waved at them, blew a kiss, and then turned around to walk back toward the Aegis Tower.

I followed her, keeping my hands in my pockets.

"You're quiet," Genevieve said. "Are you mad?"

"A little," I admitted.

"Get over it," she said. "That's how downtown works. The HRC only cares about the final arrest report. If you want the XP and the bounty, you have to be the one to finish the fight on camera. You hesitated. I didn't."

"I didn't hesitate," I said. "I was getting the zip-ties."

"Zip-ties don't look good on TV," Genevieve scoffed. "A giant block of ice looks good on TV. I needed that arrest. My contract with Apex Energy is up for renewal next month. I need high-level arrests to prove my worth."

She stopped walking and turned to face me.

"Listen, Shay. You have a strong Blessing, but you don't know how to play the game. You're invisible. If you want to survive at Aegis, you need to learn how to steal the spotlight. Next time, try to actually do something flashy before I take the kill."

She turned back around and kept walking.

I watched her walk away and thought about what she said.

You have to be the one to finish the fight on camera.

I pulled up my Status Screen and checked my bank account on my phone.

I didn't get the bounty for George, but I did get a notification from Aegis Payroll.

[Daily Base Salary Deposited: $1,000.00]

I smiled.

Genevieve didn't understand me at all.

I didn't care about the spotlight, in fact, I hated the spotlight. The spotlight meant pressure. It meant sponsors expecting you to work hard every single day and Villains targeting you because you were famous.

If Genevieve wanted all the credit, she could have it.

I had a guaranteed base salary of a thousand dollars a day just for showing up. If I let Genevieve take all the kills, she would get all the media attention, all the sponsor pressure, and all the danger.

I could just stand in the back, use a few invisible wind tricks to make the Villains stumble, and let her do all the heavy lifting. I could be her secret weapon, and nobody would ever know.

I would get paid a thousand dollars a day to take a walk and do absolutely nothing on camera.

It was the ultimate loophole.

I jogged a little to catch up with her.

"You know what, Genevieve?" I said, walking beside her. "You're right."

She looked surprised. "I am?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I don't know how to play the game. I should leave the big arrests to a pro like you."

Genevieve smiled. "Finally, you're making sense. Don't worry, Shay. As long as you stay out of my way and let me handle the cameras, I'll make sure you look decent by association."

"Sounds like a deal," I said.

We walked back to the Aegis Tower. Captain May met us in the lobby looking very happy.

"Excellent work, you two," May said. "The footage of Frostbite freezing George is already trending. Aegis stock went up half a point. Mr. Graves is very pleased."

She looked at me. "Shay, you didn't do much on camera, but you secured the perimeter well. Good job following Genevieve's lead."

"I try my best," I said, keeping a straight face.

"Because of this success," May continued, "the HRC has requested Aegis to participate in a joint-agency patrol tomorrow afternoon. It's a high-profile assignment in District 1."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"A joint patrol?" Genevieve asked, her smile fading. "With who?"

"Gadol," May said. "The Mayor wants to show the public that the two biggest mid-tier agencies can work together to protect the city. It's a major PR event."

Genevieve groaned loudly. "I have to work with those Gadol losers? They are going to ruin my aesthetic. They don't even wear sponsored suits!"

"It is non-negotiable," May said. "You and Shay will meet the Gadol team at noon tomorrow. Play nice. Smile for the cameras. And most importantly..."

May leaned in closer. "...make sure Aegis looks better than Gadol."

"Don't worry, Captain," Genevieve said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'll make sure we steal the show."

I kept my hands in my pockets and smiled. I couldn't wait to do absolutely nothing.

The next day at noon, Genevieve and I stood on a busy street corner in District 1.

District 1 was the richest part of the city. The sidewalks were made of white stone. The stores sold diamond watches and designer clothes. There were no trash cans, just automated cleaning drones that swept the streets every hour.

Genevieve was posing for a small group of photographers who had gathered across the street.

I was standing in the shade of a coffee shop.

"They're late," Genevieve complained, checking her reflection in a store window. "Gadol Heroes are always late. They probably stopped to rescue a cat from a tree."

"They're not late," I said, pointing down the street. "They're right there."

Walking toward us were two Heroes.

The first was a massive guy, easily six-and-a-half feet tall. He was wearing dark green tactical armor, covered in scratches and dents. He looked like the heavy armor guy from the exam.

Walking next to him was a guy I recognized immediately.

He was wearing a bright yellow tracksuit with spiky brown hair and a big smile on his face.

It was Leo.

"Shay!" Leo yelled, waving his hand enthusiastically as he jogged over to us. "Man, it is so good to see you! I heard you got picked up by Aegis. I knew an S-Tier wouldn't stay Level 1 for long!"

"Hey, Leo," I said, shaking his hand.

Genevieve looked at Leo's yellow tracksuit with disgust. "You must be the Gadol team," she said.

"That's right!" Leo smiled, turning to her. "I'm Leo. Hero name: Kinetic. And this big guy is Zachary. Hero name: Bulwark."

Zachary gave a slow nod and looked around the street, keeping an eye out for danger.

"I'm Frostbite," Genevieve said, crossing her arms. "Let's get one thing straight. This is a PR patrol. You follow my lead. Do not engage any targets unless I tell you to. I am the senior Hero here."

Leo blinked, looking confused. "Senior Hero? I'm Level 18. Zachary is Level 20. What Level are you?"

Genevieve’s face turned slightly red. "I am Level 15. But I have three major sponsors and higher public approval ratings. That makes me the team leader."

Leo laughed. "Sure thing, Frostbite. We just want to keep the streets safe. We don't care who gets the credit."

Genevieve turned around and started walking down the street, making sure she was in front of the cameras.

Leo fell into step beside me as we followed her. Zachary walked a few feet behind us, acting as a rear guard.

"Man, she is intense," Leo whispered to me. "Is she always like that?"

"Always," I said. "How have you been, Leo? Level 18 already?"

"Yeah!" Leo beamed. "Gadol is amazing. They send us into the real hot zones. We fight real Villains and save people from burning buildings. It's hard work, but it feels incredible. I feel like I'm finally doing what I was born to do."

I looked at him. He had dark circles under his eyes and his knuckles were wrapped in white tape but he looked genuinely happy.

"You look exhausted," I pointed out.

"I am," Leo admitted. "But it's worth it. God gave me a B-Tier Blessing for a reason, Shay. He wants me to protect the weak. I have to use my gift to serve His divine plan."

I stopped walking for a second. "God?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Yeah. Have you heard of the Church of God? COG?"

Of course I had heard of COG. They were a three-hundred-billion-dollar mega-church. They owned half the real estate in the city. My parents occasionally went to their exclusive VIP services just to network with other rich Heroes.

"I joined them a few weeks ago," Leo said proudly. "Their teachings changed my life. They teach the Doctrine of Divine Alignment."

"What is that?" I asked, starting to walk again.

"It means the System isn't magic or science," Leo explained. "The System is God's will. When you are born, God looks at your soul. If you have a good soul, He gives you a high-Tier Blessing. If you have a weak soul, He gives you a low-Tier Blessing. It's a cosmic hierarchy."

I stared at him. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"Leo," I said slowly. "My sister has an S-Tier Blessing. She is the meanest, most arrogant person I know. She is definitely not a good person."

"God works in mysterious ways," Leo replied. "Maybe He gave her that power as a test. But the point is, we have to accept our place in the hierarchy. We have to fight the Villains because they are rebelling against God's order."

I shook my head.

"I think the System is just random," I said.

"You'll understand one day, Shay," Leo smiled, patting my shoulder. "You have an S-Tier Blessing. You are deeply favored by the Divine."

The ground shook, shattering the windows in the stores. People started screaming and running in every direction.

Genevieve stopped posing for the cameras.

Zachary immediately stepped in front of us, raising his arms to shield us from the flying glass.

"What was that?!" Genevieve yelled over the panic.

I looked down the street. Black smoke was rising from an armored bank truck that had been flipped onto its side.

"A robbery," Zachary said, his voice deep and calm. "Let's move."

Leo charged forward toward the smoke, his fists glowing with kinetic energy. Zachary ran right behind him.

I looked at Genevieve. She was looking around for her media drones.

"Come on, Frostbite," I sighed. "Time to go look heroic."

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