The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

The Aegis extraction team picked us up from the roof twenty minutes later. They flew us back to the Aegis Tower in a heavily armored transport helicopter.

Genevieve didn't say a word the entire ride. She just stared at the floor, shivering.

When we landed on the roof of the Tower, Captain May and Mr. Graves were waiting for us.

"Frostbite," Mr. Graves said, stepping forward. "Get to medical. Then get to hair and makeup. We have a press conference in two hours."

Genevieve nodded silently and let the medics lead her away.

Mr. Graves turned to me, his smile widening.

"Shay Fawn," Graves said. "Captain May told me you unlocked some new abilities. Flight and instant heat generation. Very impressive. The drone footage of you melting those swords is spectacular."

"Thanks," I said. "What about Zachary? The Gadol tank?"

Graves waved his hand. "He is in critical condition at the city hospital. His armor shattered, and he took severe internal damage. Gadol's medics are handling it."

I frowned. "He saved Genevieve's life and pushed her out of the way of the blast."

"Yes, he did," Graves nodded. "Which brings me to the PR strategy. Captain May, show him."

May stepped forward and handed me her tablet. "This is the edited footage we are releasing to the major news networks in ten minutes."

I looked at the screen. The video played the ambush at the Plaza.

It showed the energy blast coming down from the roof but it didn't show Genevieve freezing in terror. The video was cut to make it look like Genevieve was bravely standing her ground to protect the civilians.

Then, it showed Zachary lunging forward. But instead of looking like a heroic sacrifice, the video was angled to make Zachary look clumsy. It looked like he panicked, ran in front of Genevieve, and got blown up because he didn't know what he was doing.

Finally, the video showed me flying in, melting the swords, and carrying Genevieve away to safety.

"What is this?" I asked, handing the tablet back to May. "This is a lie. Zachary didn't panic. He took the hit on purpose."

"It is a narrative, Shay," Mr. Graves corrected me. "The public is terrified of Black Hole. They need to know that Aegis Heroes are strong, calm, and capable. Gadol's tank getting blown up makes Heroes look weak. We are simply adjusting the context to show that Aegis survived while Gadol failed."

"You're using Zachary's injury to make Gadol look bad," I said.

"We are winning a corporate war," Graves smiled. "Gadol is already struggling. This footage will prove to the remaining sponsors that Aegis is the only agency capable of handling the Black Hole threat. By tomorrow morning, Gadol's Hero division will be bankrupt."

"You did excellent work today, Shay," Graves said, patting my shoulder. "You protected our most valuable asset. I am transferring a twenty-thousand-dollar hazard bonus to your account."

He turned around and walked back toward the elevator with May.

I left the roof and took the elevator down to the lobby. I walked out of the Aegis Tower and hailed a cab.

"City Hospital," I told the driver.

When I got to the hospital, the waiting room was packed with reporters trying to get a story on the Plaza attack. I kept my hoodie pulled up and slipped past them, flashing my Hero License to the security guards to get into the private wing.

I found Leo sitting in a plastic chair outside a surgery room.

He was staring blankly at the wall.

"Leo," I said quietly, walking up to him.

Leo slowly looked up, his eyes red.

"Shay," Leo whispered. "They say he might not make it. The energy... it burned his internal organs. Even with his high Constitution, the System can't heal it fast enough."

I sat down in the plastic chair next to him not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, Leo. He saved Genevieve. He was a real hero."

Leo let out a dry laugh. "A real hero. Yeah."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and put his face in his hands.

"I prayed, Shay," Leo said, his voice shaking. "I prayed to the Church of God. I asked them why this happened. Why did God let Zachary get hurt while that fake coward got away without a scratch?"

He looked at me, his eyes filled with anger.

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"You know what the priest told me?" Leo asked. "He said it was the Divine Alignment. That Zachary's B-Tier Blessing meant he was destined to be a shield for others. He said Zachary fulfilled his God-given purpose by bleeding for Genevieve."

I clenched my jaw. "That's garbage, Leo."

"I know," Leo whispered, staring at his hands. "The Church lied to me. Gadol lied to me. The whole System is a lie. We follow the rules, fight with honor, and we get crushed. Aegis cheats, they hide, and they get rich."

He slowly looked up at the ceiling.

"Black Hole might be right," Leo said quietly.

A chill ran down my spine. "Leo, don't say that. They are terrorists that kill innocent people."

"They kill fake Heroes," Leo corrected. "They kill the people who use the System to step on the weak. The corporate sponsors. The mega-churches. Maybe... maybe they are the only ones telling the truth."

I stood up. I couldn't stay here nor could I fix this.

"Don't do anything stupid, Leo," I said.

I walked away, leaving him sitting alone in the hospital hallway.

The next morning, the city was in a panic.

The Aegis PR video played on every screen downtown. It worked exactly how Mr. Graves wanted. The public saw Aegis as the strong defenders who survived the Black Hole ambush, and they saw Gadol as the clumsy amateurs who got blown up.

I sat on the couch in my apartment, eating room service and watching the news.

A reporter was standing outside the Gadol headquarters.

"Breaking news," the reporter said. "Following the disastrous showing at the District 2 Plaza yesterday, Gadol’s Hero Division has lost its three largest corporate sponsors. Investors are pulling their money out rapidly."

The screen cut to a live press conference.

Standing at a podium in a wrinkled suit was Mr. Besby, the executive who ran Gadol’s Hero Division.

"Mr. Besby!" a reporter shouted. "What is your response to the Aegis footage showing your Hero, Zachary, panicking during the ambush?"

Besby gripped the podium. "That footage is highly edited and entirely misleading. Zachary did not panic. He threw himself in front of an Aegis Hero to save her life. He is a true hero, and he is currently fighting for his life in the hospital."

"Mr. Besby, considering the rising threat," another reporter yelled, "do you condemn Black Hole and their terrorist actions?"

Besby hesitated and looked down at his notes.

"I condemn violence against civilians," Besby said carefully. "However... I understand their frustration. The Hero industry has become corrupt. It is focused on money and PR instead of saving lives. While Black Hole's methods are absolutely wrong, I... I see the good in all movements that seek to expose corruption."

I almost choked on my bacon.

I see the good in all movements.

He actually said it on live television.

The reporters erupted into shouting while the news anchor immediately cut back to the studio.

"Shocking words from the Gadol executive," the anchor said, looking grave. "Mr. Besby appears to be sympathizing with the Black Hole terrorists who executed a Hero just days ago."

I muted the TV.

Besby was an idiot. He tried to be nuanced and honest on television but he just handed Aegis the final nail for Gadol's coffin. You can't sympathize with terrorists on live TV and expect to keep your sponsors.

My phone buzzed. It was Captain May.

"Did you see the Gadol press conference?" May asked.

"I saw it," I said. "Besby just ruined his company."

"Exactly," May said. "Gadol stock is in freefall. Their remaining sponsors are currently calling Mr. Graves to sign with Aegis. We won the war, Shay."

"Great," I said. "Do I have to go on patrol today?"

"No," May replied. "The city is too volatile right now. Black Hole might strike again. All Aegis Heroes are ordered to stay in secure locations until further notice. Enjoy your day off."

She hung up.

I put my phone down. A day off. I should have been happy. I could stay in my bed, watch movies, and order expensive food.

But I couldn't relax.

I kept thinking about Leo. His agency was collapsing. His partner was dying. His faith was shattered. And he was starting to think the terrorists were right.

I stood up and walked over to the window and looked out at the downtown skyline.

If Black Hole kept attacking, they would eventually come for me again. And if Leo snapped and joined them, I might have to fight him.

I needed to be prepared.

I grabbed my black hoodie, put on my sneakers, and left the apartment.

I went back to the Aegis Private Training Zone Facility.

The attendant at the front desk looked surprised to see me again so soon. "Room 4B again, Mr. Fawn?"

"Yeah," I said. "And turn off the auto-heal function."

The attendant blinked. "Sir, if I turn off the auto-heal, the Zone won't stabilize you if you take critical damage. You could die."

"I know," I said. "Turn it off."

I walked down the hall and entered the room.

In the real world, there was no auto-heal. If an energy ball hit me, I wouldn't magically recover. I needed to train my reflexes and learn how to fight without relying on the System to save me.

I walked to the center of the room and pulled up the control panel on my wrist communicator.

I set the Zone to spawn Level 15 agile Constructs.

I wanted to practice BP manipulation in close combat. To learn how to fight like I did against the blood manipulator in the alley—efficiently, quietly, and lethally.

Three Constructs spawned around me, fast and moved like George, blurring forward to strike.

I dodged the first punch, feeling the air rush past my face. I created a tiny pocket of air right behind the Construct's knee, forcing its leg to buckle.

Cost: 1 BP.

As the Construct stumbled, I dropped the temperature around its neck to absolute zero, making the clay brittle and then shattered it with a quick strike from my elbow.

Cost: 2 BP.

It was harder than using a Skill, requiring intense focus. My head pounded, and I took a few hits that actually hurt, leaving bruises on my ribs.

But I kept going.

I fought for hours. Until my BP was completely empty. I sat on the floor, sweating and bleeding, waiting for it to refill.

Then, I stood up and fought again.

I hated working hard and sweating.

But I hated the idea of dying even more.

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