May 31, 2000
A young brunette entered the large room a few minutes later with her recruiter. Her shoulder-length hair waved, her earrings sparkling under.
"I still can't believe any of this is real," she mumbled, a comment that Hiro overheard.
"I'm right there with you," Hiro replied, surprising her.
"Oh, was I speaking too loudly?" she darted her eyes on the ground, embarassed about the volume of her voice.
"Not really, but loud enough for me to hear," Hiro responded.
"I'm sorry about that, did you just get here?"
"Yeah, probably just a few minutes before you."
The girl glanced around at the twelve others in the room, "Some look older; a few could pass as teachers, but most are around our age."
Hiro squinted, "Maybe the older ones are recruiters?"
"Not sure," she nods toward a woman in the corner, "See her? That's my recruiter."
Hiro followed her gaze and noticed Max standing next to the woman. "Okay, so what's your point?"
"I think the recruiters are behind us, and the ones in the center are the superhumans."
Hiro considered her words, "Yeah, you might be onto something."
"Could be totally off, though," she was uncertain and this is only her assumption.
"No, I think you're right," Hiro agreed on her statement.
The girl smiled, pleased to have made an acquaintance, "What's your name?"
"Hiro, and you are?"
"I am Talia, nice meeting you."
"You seem kind," Talia giggled.
"Oh really? You seem pretty talkative."
"Hey—"
As Hiro and Talia chatted, the final two superhumans arrived: a man in a lab coat and surgical gloves, and a woman in a leather jacket with a vibrant, electric blue colored viper emblem on the back.
"They look so cool," Talia gazed them in awe.
"To me, they look pretty dangerous," Hiro countered.
Both had opposite reactions to the two superhumans who definitely made impressions for everyone.
Suddenly the lights dimmed, a distinguished figure approached the stage and began talking, "Ehem."
"I am your headmaster, and it's a pleasure to meet our first batch of superhumans this year. The gods have chosen you, and starting today, the sixteen of you are now superhumans who will serve justice to this city." There was so much authority in his voice.
Hiro still couldn't believe that superhumans do exist and he is a part of it. He exchanged a quick glance with Talia who look equally wide eyed as him. A nervous whisper and a stifled yawn can be heard in the back.
"As superhumans, you possess the potential to protect this place from the forces that seek to disrupt our way of life. You are here because we believe in your abilities to make a difference."
He gestured toward the screen, displaying images of the agency's past heroes, "Since 1964, this agency has recruited superhumans every year."
The superhumans were captivated but some were skeptical.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the heroes of 1964 for quickly forming a team and establishing this agency for future generations. Each one of you is given a gift. Your training will hone your individual skills while also teaching you how to work as a cohesive unit."
"However," the headmaster's tone shifted to something more serious than it already was, "You will face challenges that may test your limits, your capabilities, and even your moral code. These challenges will push you to your breaking point. Always remember, you are not alone. There are sixteen of you, plus the support of everyone working in this agency."
He stepped closer to the edge of the stage, locking eyes with every single one of them, "Your purpose as superhumans is clear: protect the innocent and catch the villains."
Once the headmaster concluded his speech, one of the superhumans broke the silence with an applause, and the rest quickly followed. A shared understanding settled among them: whether they liked it or not, they had to accept their roles and face whatever lay ahead.
"Alright, I apologize for bringing you all here but it needed to happen," the headmaster shifted his tone more casually now, "This will be to some of you, a new life. Don't worry; we'll take care of all your needs like hunger, hygiene, energy. It's all complimentary."
A murmur of relief rippled through the group. "I believe everyone's hungry, so the cafeteria is in the left wing of this building. Enjoy your lunch."
Talia immediately started towards the cafeteria but paused when Hiro didn't move. "Aren't you going to eat?" she asked.
"I'm still dazed about this," Hiro scratching his head, "You know what, I'll just come with you."
Everyone walked to the cafeteria to eat. It was mostly quiet between the superhumans, with only the clinking of plates breaking the silence.
A agirl named Sasha came first in line and immediately ordered her breakfast, "Can I get two of these?" She pointed at the hot dog sandwiches.
"Certainly ma'am, anything to fulfill your appetite." The cashier of the cafeteria smiled, Sasha smiled back.
Talia and Hiro chatted until it was their time to order.
"I'm going to have curry," Talia ordered, "How about you?"
"I'm good."
The cashier handed Talia a vibrating disc, "Please wait at a table while we prepare your order, ma'am."
Hiro and Talia found a table and from there, they continued to observe the other superhumans. "I was right," Talia noted, "Those two older individuals are indeed superhumans, and so is that one who looks like a retired soldier."
"I never said you were wrong," Hiro countered.
"Whatever," Talia scoffed.
"Oh I noticed that our recruiters didn't follow us here."
"Oh yeah you're right." Talia looked for where her recruiter was only to found two people having their first interaction, "Look at them. They're so cute!"
Hiro followed Talia's gaze, spotting a girl holding two hotdog sandwiches and a boy sitting by himself at a table.
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"It looks like you could use a sandwich, want some?" Sasha offers one of her sandwiches to the young guy who was sporting a short spiky blonde hair. His beige collared shirt made him look so good in Sasha's eyes.
"No, I'm good."
"It's on me, or well, this is free to begin with." Sasha chuckled to lighten up the mood.
The boy hesitantly accepted her offer, "Are you sure you don't need to eat this?"
"I thought I could handle eating two, but dude these sandwiches are huge, I'm already stuffed halfway eating this first one."
"Oh," he laughed, "thank you for this."
"If you're still hungry, you could always order."
"Yeah, I would do that."
"What's your name by the way?"
"My name's Dylan."
Sasha sat on the same table, extending her hand for a handshake. "Sasha," she introduced herself. "You seem a little nervous, Dylan."
"I'm just a bit shy right now, but I'm usually not like this," he replied. "It's just that all of you are new people."
"I understand, would you like to be my first friend here?"
Dylan pondered for a moment, but eventually...
"Sure, why not?" he said with a shrug, eventually accepting Sasha's handshake.
"I understand that you might not feel at ease at the moment, but I believe we can become great friends eventually," Sasha assured him with a warm and inviting smile.
Dylan stared at her, perhaps the idea of forming a friendship wasn't as far-fetched as he had initially thought.
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The disc vibrated, surprising them both, "I'll be right back," Talia walked to the counter to get her order.
Hiro waited while looking at the other superhumans, the elders and adults seemed to sit on one table.
Talia came back with her curry, "Look at it, it's very appetizing!"
Hiro salivated looking at it, "Damn, now I want one."
"Just order, there's no line anymore." Talia mixed the sauce with the rice.
"Next time."
"Your loss," Talia started to eat the curry.
The recruiters entered the cafeteria, and one announced, "You're free to go home after this; your own recruiters will drive you back home. We'll see you again soon."
"Now that's good news," Talia clearly relieved she could return home after her delicious meal. She continued smiling, "I'll see you again soon, bye." She left the cafeteria and went to her recruiter.
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Three days had passed since the incident at the school and the agency. The university suspended the entire campus for a week after that terrorist attack at Hiro's class.
Hiro's mom and his sister has been worried sick after the incident, Hiro hasn't been going out from his room. They know that Hiro dissappeared during the incident, that there was a stranger who dragged him out there. Hiro wouldn't talk about it, they just respect and gave him time to eventually tell them what really happened three days ago.
Now, Hiro is all alone in his house. His mom and his sister are working and he hadn't received any texts or calls from Max the past few days.
And then his phone rang, "Hello?"
"Hiro, where are you? I'm waiting outside your house." It was Max calling him all of a sudden.
"Do I have to attend some event again?"
"No, I do want to talk to you though if you're available."
"I'll be there."
Hiro went outside, "What's happening?"
"How are you doing?"
"Good, is there a task I need to do right now or?"
"Sort of. I'm just slightly concerned,"
"Of what?"
"You've been missing from the agency for the past three days."
"But you just said there's no meeting or event in the agency?"
"No, there isn't," Max responded, "but your fellow superhumans are already training after discovering their powers."
That's when Hiro had an epiphany, "Right, I never found out mine... what is my superpower?"
"You need to take some test for the lab chief to know," Max replied, "That's why I waited for you to come to the agency."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I would've come right away!" Hiro exclaimed.
"I thought you'd eventually show up, but I'm getting impatient now... in an excitment way. I'm curious about your superpower too," Max admitted.
"Isn't it just the supernatural eye?"
"No, every superhuman has that eye."
"Oh."
"Let's go to the agency."
Max immediately headed to his car with Hiro following close behind, quickly driving towards the agency.
Max drove until he reached the agency building and upon arrival, Hiro and Max went directly to the laboratory located beside the main building.
"I can't come with you, kid."
"Why not?"
"You're the one who's going to be tested by them, I'm not needed inside."
"Oh damn, now I'm nervous."
Max chuckled as Hiro stepped into the laboratory's office, where he was greeted by the agency's red-haired lab chief, "Good noon, Hiro," she said, "It seems you're here to have me check your superpowers, right?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Glad you're not the last one to come here."
"There's still someone who hasn't arrived?"
"Yes, there's one last person, a fellow doctor like me named Dr. Sheppard. You likely saw him at the event, he was the one in the lab coat and surgical gloves."
"Right, I did notice him along with that leather jacket lady."
"Oh Ms. Helen Parker, she just came this morning too."
The lab chief drew Hiro's blood with a syringe, then said her goodbyes. "You can come back to the lab in about," she checked her watch, "five or six hours." She returned to her lab, and Hiro left her office.
As Hiro and Max walked, Hiro asked, "So, should I just head home?"
"Or you could actually sleep in your own room here in the building," Max suggested.
"I have that?"
"Yes."
They arrived at Hiro's room, "Thanks for showing me the way, Max."
"No worries, I'll be heading to my room now."
"I'll see you in six hours."
Max nodded as Hiro entered his room and closed the door.
There, he walked to his desk stacked with books, posters of superheroes he idolized in the comics are taped through the wall, "This feels like home," Too weirdly like home, does this agency know about what his actual home looks like?
He lay down on his bed, "What would mine be?" Still pondering about his powers.
What if he got the ability of flying over the buildings of the city, or probably an element like fire or water. The thought made him feel excited, the possibilities are endless if you have superpowers.
He looked at the clock in his room, "It's 12:15 PM, and I have to wait for like five hours, I'll be home late again," He muttered.
Hiro couldn't still fully convince himself that all of this is happening, he's going to weigh on balancing his studies as a student and his duties as a superhuman, it felt pretty overwhelming for him to handle.
"Can I really do this?" He contemplated while also thinking of the fifteen others, "Would we make a great team? Can we really handle the challenges we are about to face?"
"This is just the beginning," he promised himself, "I'll find out what my superpower is, and I'll make it home in time."
Hiro drifted off to sleep, only to be roused a few hours later by a knock at his door. He opened it to find Max,"What a great sleep you have there."
Disheveled black hair, half-closed black eyes, itchy body, "Wait, is it already been six hours, Mr. Westley?"
"Five hours, but I am sure Gracie is done analyzing your superpower right now."
"Let me wash my face and brush my teeth," Hiro fixed himself before meeting the lab chief.
They both went straight ahead to the laboratory. Max waited outside the office as Hiro re-entered.
Gracie, seated at her desk, held Hiro's test results. "We've concluded our findings about your blood cells, Hiro," she announced, a statement that sent a jolt through him.
Gracie cleared her throat and stated his superpower, "You have the C-Class Hypercompetence."
"The C-Cla-what?" Hiro stammered, struggling to grasp the complex term.
"This superpower gives the user proficiency in a wide range of fields," Gracie clarified. "On the physical side, it covers things like martial arts, gunfights, knife combat and many more. Intellectually, it provides an instant boost to your intelligence as long as you've processed and understood the information you've gathered."
Hiro gasped, "Now it makes sense-"
"What makes sense?" Gracie stopped midway to her explanation.
"I aced my exams days ago," Hiro began, "and I didn't even pull an all-nighter; I just absorbed the lessons by listening to my professors."
"Yes, yes, that's an effect of your superpower," Gracie confirmed, reviewing her notes before delivering the pivotal information. "However..."
Hiro cleared his throat, "Is there something wrong?"
"Not really a problem, but you're a C-Class, which means your ability to master and manage your skills is average," Gracie explained. "Some skills might come easily to you, while others could be a bit more challenging. But don't worry, if you're committed to learning the skills you want, I'm sure you'll succeed."
"What does this class you're talking about actually mean?" Hiro interrupted, never having heard of a power hierarchy among superhumans.
Gracie stood up and flipped a whiteboard that shows the levels of the class type, "There's a class structure rarely found in super-humans; you're a rare kind, Hiro. Typically having an unknown class is common for super-humans."
"F-Class..." he reads, "...E-Class, D-Class, C-Class, B-Class, A-Class, S-Class, SS-Class, G-Class..."
Gracie explained. "F-Class is the weakest level for a superhuman, and G-Class is the strongest, almost like a god, hence the name for that level."
"So, to make sure I understand this, you were able to determine both my class type and my superpower? While the other results only tells their superpower and not their class type?" Hiro asked, still confused.
"Exactly," Gracie smiled at him, "Do you have any more questions, Hiro?" Gracie is happy to oblige all of his questions.
"I don't think I have one but maybe later."
"You can come back anytime to this laboratory office. I'll be taking my leave." Gracie left the office and went back to her laboratory.
Upon stepping outside, Hiro was immediately greeted by Max, who was seated on a bench, "So... what's your superpower, kid?"
"Ms. Gracie told me that I have the C-Class Hypercompetence...?"
These words caused Max to bolt upright, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Wait, why are you so surprised?" Hiro asked.
"Kid, you need to start training tomorrow," Max declared, "I need to call the higher-ups and get myself assigned as your trainer too."
"Wait, what the hell is going on?" Hiro exclaimed.
"I'm a user of that same superpower of yours," Max gripped Hiro's shoulders, his expression unreadable Hiro couldn't tell if he was happy or angry.
"Really?" Hiro questioned.
"Yes! I can train you to maximize your true potential. You can learn so much from me!" Max's excitement was now undeniable.
"Let me drive you home," They headed to the parking lot and both entered the vehicle.
"So are you a C-Class too?" Hiro fastened his seatbelt, glancing over at Max.
"What? No. I never said we have the same class type."
"So you don't know your class type?" Hiro raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah, I have an unknown class type. Heck, you're actually the first person I've met with a class type. In my batch all of us didn't have one."
Hiro leaned back on his seat, "What does having a known class type even mean anyways?"
"To be practical about this, class types indicate how powerful or talented you are, it's a ranking system like how its always been."
"So, there are weaker and stronger variants of superpowers?" Hiro digesting the information.
"Yes, on the positive side, anyone with a lower class type will always be weaker than you. On the negative part, anyone with a higher class type will always be stronger. That's only if they have a known class though. If you face someone with an unknown class, you can use psychological tactics against them,"
"Psychological tactics?" Hiro tilted his head confused.
"You can make them think that your C-Class is superior to their unknown class."
"But what if they actually have a better class type, even if it's unknown?" Hiro was doubtful about the effectiveness of such tactics if his opponent was genuinely more powerful.
"Well, the simple solution is to call help with your fellow superhumans," Max offering a power of friendship solution.
Hiro remained skeptical, unconvinced that such a straightforward approach would be effective.
All of a sudden Max reached his home while they were chatting.
Later that night, Hiro's phone buzzed with a notification from Max: "Hey, are you up later at dawn?"
"I can't, Max," Hiro replied.
"Okay, how about tomorrow afternoon?"
"Uhh... sure, my classes are done at noon."
"Perfect, I'll treat you at lunch, you can take a break, and we'll start our training by 2 PM."
Hiro didn't respond, simply amazed at Max's sudden enthusiasm after learning about his superpower.
The next day, everything Max promised came to fruition, and now after letting Hiro take a break, they found themselves in his personal training room, "You've probably seen the other superhumans practicing, right?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I saw Talia by the swimming pool. I guess she has some kind of swimming ability or something."
Max just laughed then declared, "Welcome to your training camp, Hiro! Are you ready?" The room was filled with a lot of types of guns, various types of knives, and training dummies.
Hiro nodded, although nervous, "I think I have no other choice."
Max went straight ahead on starting the training session, he demonstrated a series of basic punches and kicks.
Hiro is able to follow the basics but that itself lacks the force and power that Max was expecting, "Okay we need some practice on that one but you pretty much got the textbook delivery of it."
Max then demonstrated a tornado kick, Hiro immediately tried to implement the same kick...only to lose his balance and crash into a nearby punching bag.
"Nice move you got there," Max chuckled as he helped him get up.
Next, they moved to the knife training area, "I used to be great at this too," Max handed Hiro a training knife.
Max explained the basics of grip and stance to Hiro.
As he practiced his thrusts, he accidentally sent the knife flying across the room, where it stuck into the wall with a resounding thunk.
"Impressive!" Max laughed but saw something to Hiro he didn't see earlier with his hand-to-hand combat, "You've got some serious throw strength, just aim for the dummy next time, okay?"
Afterwards, they moved to the shooting range. Hiro starts to watch how Max does it, precise aiming, hitting his bullets to the target's head.
Hiro came next and took aim at the target, but as he pulled the trigger, he was so excited that he forgot to brace himself. The recoil sent him stumbling backwards, nearly colliding with Max, who was trying to contain his laughter, "You're too focused channeling those superheroes you see in the comics, act normally, Hiro." Max advised while shaking his head from laughing so hard.
They wrapped up the session for the day, Hiro leaned against the wall, exhausted for the practice prepared for today. Max patted him on the back, still chuckling, "You've got potential, Hiro. Always remember that the key is to channel that energy, not let it scatter everywhere."
Hiro laughed as he glanced at the mess around the training room: knocked-over dummies and knives that are stuck in walls, "I'll try to be a little less...enthusiastic next time."
Max grinned, "That's the spirit! Now let's clean up this mess before the headmaster sees this."
Training might be chaotic but Hiro is determined to master the abilities Max taught him, he couldn't wait tomorrow for another session.
Hiro spent the next seven days practicing his skills of hypercompetence: dodging while throwing punches to the dummies, having an improved aiming to a shooting range target, and attempting to slice through fabric all around the room with the knife.
As he rushed through the course, he tripped, sending him tumbling into a roll. In pure luck, he landed perfectly on his feet, knife in one hand, and managed to hit a target with a stray bullet from the gun on his other hand.
"Now that's a lucky shot!" Max laughed loudly, although he's proud that there are signs of improvement on Hiro's arsenal.
Hiro stood up panting, "I meant to do that!" He exclaimed, unable to suppress the joy in his voice. He wiped the sweat from his brow when the loudspeaker crackled to life, "Attention, all new superhumans, please gather in the grand hall immediately."
Everyone heard the announcement of the grandmaster, Hiro exchanged glances with Max, who shrugged but grinned.
The other superhumans joined him in the grand hall, once everyone was settled, the headmaster was at the stage, his presence alone made everyone falter into silence, "Thank you all for coming. After all the training you've completed, I believe it's now time for the sixteen of you to be divided into two teams."
A sudden cheer and anticipation rippled throughout the group as the headmaster began to call out names.
"In Team A: Kenji Shun, Sasha Green, Clyde Peterson, Veronika Ivanov, Cathy Schofield, Ivan Hanley, Ramona Thorburn, and Dylan Millard."
"WOOHOO! This is a perfect team!" Clyde clapped his hands, a basketball coach who seems to be in an enthusiastic mood.
Cathy immediately followed the scream to hype the rest of the group, she immediately wrapped her arms around Ivan, "Interesting muscles, big guy."
Ivan played it cool, "These muscles are nothing, babe."
Veronika was hesitant on Clyde's offering of a hug but she did not want to leave him hanging.
Ramona is leaning against a wall off to the corner and Veronika took notice of this, "Ramona, how are you doing, honey?"
Ivan and Sasha approached Ramona, "I don't feel quite good, oh my god," Ramona leaned into Ivan and Sasha for support.
Dylan, who had been noticeably reserved since the welcoming event, remained distant even with his friend, Sasha, on the team.
Kenji, an old martial artist observed the commotion with a raised eyebrow. He kept his distance like Dylan.
The headmaster continued to state the names of Team B.
"In Team B: Timothy Haywood, Kristine Sampson, William Arthurson, Bernadette Swanson, Hiro Naito, Talia Walton, Jaison Sheppard, and Helen Parker."
Timothy immediately hugged Talia, "With a team like this, we're set to save everyone!" Timothy's energy was infectious, and Talia cheered in agreement.
Helen, the gang lady, rolled her eyes slightly seeing these youngin's excitement.
"This is dumb..." William muttered, arms crossed tightly over his chest, clearly unimpressed. A retired soldier equipped with a sniper rifle.
Talia noticed his behavior, she shot a glance at Timothy, "Just because he's a retired soldier doesn't mean the world revolves for him."
Meanwhile, Bernadette, an older woman with a warm smile attempted to strike up conversations, "So how is everyone?" The younger teens mostly didn't hear or chose to ignore her.
Dr. Sheppard lingered on the fringes. He glanced around, seemingly uninterested in the chatter, as if he were an observer rather than a participant.
"I think we need to get to know each other first," Hiro suggested to the group, but his words seemed unheard or disregarded. He glanced at Talia, who was engrossed in conversation with Timothy, then at Kristine, who appeared to be deliberately ignoring everyone while being absorbed reading her book. Hiro stared at her for a while until...
"I really need to take a piss!" Timothy yelled, raising his hand as he headed for the restroom.
The sixteen superhumans are finally getting to know each other but then a sudden alarm blared throughout the agency, cutting all the hype of the superhumans, the headmaster, recruiters, trainers, and even the staff.
"Attention! Intruder Alert!" Echoed through the loudspeaker repeatedly.
Before anyone could react, the doors burst open, and a group of masked men stormed in, weapons drawn. Hiro's heart raced as these events transpired.
"Protect the agency!" The headmaster shouted, but it was too late. Max, the other recruiters, and trainers were knocked out cold one by one before they could even use their superpower.
Hiro scanned his fellow superhumans; their eyes betrayed their fear. They were outnumbered and completely surprised as henchmen, guns drawn, systematically tied them up.
Then, a prolonged, obnoxious voice echoed, "Heyyyyy...", startling the superhumans.