“So you think we're better off having politicians deciding when and where Capes are needed? Come on, Eryk,” Violet exclaimed.

  “You know that's not what I'm saying. Government oversight isn't as evil as you paint it to be. The BNA is proof that a clearly defined structure can do a ton of good in handling Neuvohuman problems and solutions. Arguably more good than the Heroes' Union,” I countered.

  “The United Nations has a very clear policy on governing the BNA. There is no single leader of the worldwide organization. It is a true democracy, with every nation having a singular vote. The US government is nothing more than the hand of its leader, and having one person dictating Neuvohuman policy is a slippery slope, especially when the president is human. The United States is a flawed example to use, especially given its track record in handling weapons of mass destruction,” she said.

  Got you.

  “So you agree that Neuvohumans can be counted as weapons of mass destruction? The only difference is that the nuclear warheads aren't emotional beings capable of being misled, tricked, or accidentally wiping out entire towns. There are checks and balances for WMDs and there are multiple groups of people that have to agree to fire it. There is no such thing for Capes and Cowls. The Middletown Massacre caused by Schizophobia and the Whore of Babylon, the warlords of South America deposing multiple countries’ government leaders overnight, Noxus making the entire city of Paris inhabitable; there are countless examples of the damage that Neuvohumans can do when left to their own supervision,” I said, adding a bit of emotion to my voice.

  “The Middletown Massacre predated the foundation of the Heroes' Union and was the catalyst for its creation. But you already knew that. Also, do you know who went in and removed the South American warlords? It was the Heroes’ Union, not the BNA or the United States government. The Heroes' Union is also the reason Noxus is contained within the city of Paris and can’t wipe out the rest of Europe. They are the ones who have maintained a vigilant quarantine around the former French capital for over a decade. What is your reason for bringing up those tragedies? Do you expect the Heroes’ Union to anticipate threats before they appear? Sorry, the Heroes’ Union doesn’t have a legion of clairvoyant Capes constantly looking into the future. And all those examples you used were well over ten years ago; the Union has only gotten better over time,” Violet argued.

  “The only thing the Union has gotten better at is PR. Last year it's estimated that the Heroes' Union was responsible for hundreds of billions of dollars in property damage in just the U.S. That's ruined businesses, displaced families, factories blown to bits, and vital city structures that have been decimated. And it's taxpayers who have to foot the bill; why should the common man have to pay to fix the New York City subway system because Aquarius flooded it fighting Mineral Man?” I asked.

  “The Heroes’ Union is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving people. Without them there the Cowls would’ve caused even more damage, and the potential loss of life is incalculable. Also, the Union is often the first group on the scene when it comes to rebuilding efforts. You don’t even have to look all that far for proof of it. When the Olympians messed up the Quickrail lines in and out of Quinstin it was Titania who went and repaired them. For free, mind you. And I’m positive if you went and polled ‘the common man’, every single person would say they’d rather their car gets totaled than they get turned into street paste. Unless you disagree with that; are you saying that property is more important than human lives?”

  You bitch. Great rebuttal.

  “No, of course not. But you’re saying that the Capes are holding the Cowls accountable. Well, who is holding the Capes accountable?”

  “We can stop here—Ms. Graves and Mr. Blakely. Well done. Let's get a round of applause for the two of them for such a spirited discussion,” Professor Armol said, encouraging the rest of the class to clap.

  Professor Armol is the Ethics 101 Professor and a fantastic teacher. He’s on the younger side of fifty, with curly brown hair tied back into a ponytail, thick-rimmed glasses, and his signature weathered green cardigan and corduroy pants combo. His dark brown skin has a few smile lines that only serve to make him look even friendlier. A kind, approachable uncle is the vibe he captures perfectly. His class is challenging in the way it pushes your thinking in different directions. It’s helped change the way I approach people. The man has quite the gift for oration.

  His class is held in one of the classrooms that are unique to QUTD. Artistic Architecture, they call it. What they mean is that the room is built in a way that is barely OSHA-compliant. The room we’re in now is a giant sphere with a flat bottom. The chairs exist in a ring on a raised platform where the entrance is. From the platform there are four sets of stairs leading to the bottom like it’s a gladiator pit. Our voices carry in here due to the room's acoustics and the way sound bounces off the curved walls. It isn’t helped by the fact that our class only has ten students. An eight am course devoted to morality and hypothetical ethical dilemmas isn't exactly most people's cup of tea, but I figured there would be more than ten.

  Besides Professor Armol, most of the class are plain, utterly unremarkable, cardboard people. After spending so much time around the others, my classmates seem so gray compared to the colorful cast that surrounds me. The only exception is the woman standing across from me. Violet Graves, aka Virtue. Perhaps the strongest Neuvohuman I’ve ever met and that’s including Vivienne. She looks so normal when she’s not hovering around lasering people. But I suppose so do I when I’m not wearing my mask.

  “You two can take your seats. Let's break down the two sides that your classmates presented,” the professor said.

  As Violet and I walk back to our seats, she elbows me in the side—such fine control to be able to bump me without sending me flying.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “You play devil's advocate way too well, Eryk.”

  “What makes you think that? Is it that unbelievable that I might want governmental oversight for Neuvohumans?” I asked.

  “Because you’re a bastard who delights in irritating me. You know what? I’m not going to let you upset me. I'm not falling for this again,” Violet said.

  “I'm hurt that you would insinuate I would purposely try to agitate you. Me, the nicest, sweetest, most kindhearted man you know. It wounds me deeply, and I thought we were friends,” I said, feigning hurt.

  “Mhmm. You don't give a shit about Capes or Cowls. You're just lucky I didn't have a counterargument ready,” Violet said.

  “Oh yeah, I'm so lucky you weren't prepared. Otherwise, I wouldn't have stood a chance. And our football team would win more games if they didn’t concede so many points. More at eleven,” I said, mocking her.

  We take our seats as the rest of the class begins to discuss our arguments. Violet sits next to me. We became friends after Aubrey introduced us, and we realized we shared this class. The irony that my new friend group is made up entirely of Capes isn't lost on me. It wasn't on purpose. I planned to find my own friend group, but Aubrey dragged me into this one, and now I’ve been adopted into their circle, out of the pan and into the fire.

  Violet Graves is much more tame when she isn't wearing the Virtue costume. Violet is a fit, wealthy, attractive woman, and she knows it. From her warm brown complexion with the line of freckles across her nose and cheeks to her curated style and body that shows she consciously works on herself, Violet is the type of woman to stand out in any crowd. She’s the type that effortlessly attracts people to her side by sheer confidence. Maria was just as pretty, but there were so many ingrained insecurities that hindered her growth as a person. Violet is sure of herself, charismatic, and unafraid to speak her mind. The difference between her and Maria is like that of a housecat and a lioness.

  Our closeness is reaching a point where I will have to make a choice soon. I can't have another Maria situation. Maria was just a regular girl who couldn't shoot lasers out of her eyes or crush a truck with a punch. Dating doesn’t have any benefits. I can milk the Maria breakup for a while. And if Violet is hiding her craziness like Maria did, and I do something to upset her, she might melt me down. I hear my name and focus on the class again.

  “Eryk’s point, and that of the pro-government oversight side, has so many statistics and examples of why it should be adopted. But another angle he could've taken is how there is a ban on footage of Neuvohuman fights, so the only videos the public sees are carefully edited and curated to maximize people's inherent hero worship,” Leon said.

  He's right, but the point is just to edge out Violet slightly. I don't want to crush her completely. I'm smarter than her, but outclassing her will breed resentment over time. Better to keep things close, friendly, and competitive, at least until I decide where to go with this.

  “Does anyone have a counterargument against Leon's observation?” Professor Armol asked.

  “Yeah, I do. The most obvious reason for the ban is not to panic the public. We live in a world full of people who can fly, control the elements, and transform into terrifying creatures. This is a fact we all live with and accept, but only because we don't have to see it constantly. It's like how before the emergence of Neuvohumans and the end of what was considered conventional warfare, the army didn't stream drone strikes. It is the responsibility of the people in charge to protect their citizens from the uglier sides of the world,” Ricky said.

  “So you'd rather live like an ostrich, shoving your head in the dirt to avoid what's going on? The BNA’s video ban is fascist and doesn't even work that well. You can find footage of Neuvohuman fights if you know where to look. The real reason the ban exists is to keep the public sedated and uninformed. I mean, we could even look at what’s happening in our state. That vigilante that goes after the Neuvos that manage to evade consequences is proof that things are going on that we’re not even aware of,” Leon said.

  “You mean the guy who’s murdering people and leaving that creepy message? Seriously, Leon, you’re arguing in favor of anarchy and people dishing out violent retribution through vigilante justice. If you find yourself agreeing with a guy who scrawls messages in blood, you might want to get yourself checked out. Come on, man, do you want us to go back in time to the days of stand-your-ground laws? Where does it stop? If you borrow my tablet and don’t return it quickly enough, am I allowed to break into your room and take it back with force?” Ricky asked.

  “Relax. Both of you gentlemen are making excellent arguments, but I would warn against letting your opponent get you angry. It is an unfortunate reality of the world that society tends to dismiss arguments made emotionally. We are out of time for today, but I hope you'll bring this same youthful enthusiasm tomorrow. We'll be going over one of my favorite hypotheticals next time. Class dismissed,” Professor Armol said.

  I put my notebook into my bag and toss it over my shoulder. My next class is Engineering Design. It is in the same building as Ethics, so I don't have far to walk. Violet grabs my sleeve as I'm leaving the classroom.

  “Hey, are you going to that Delta Sigma party later? Everyone else is going,” Violet said.

  Delta Sigma is the single biggest fraternity on campus. Its frat house is more like a frat mansion. The fraternity is relatively controversy-free and even does some charitable work through fundraisers and large donations to soup kitchens by their alumni. This is one of those situations where I can’t say no. I think I vaguely remember seeing a notification about that in the group chat. It's a hassle, but it'll be more of a hassle if I refuse.

  “There's a party later?” I asked.

  “Yes, Eryk, jeez, would it kill you to check the group chat?”

  “Sorry, I do check it; I just forget to respond. Count me in.”

  “We’re planning to head over there around nine-thirty. Everyone else is coming over to Aubrey and I’s dorm to pregame. I know you don’t really drink that heavy, but it’s fun to catch up before the party. It would be nice to be able to talk before the party,” Violet said.

  “Sure. I don’t have any plans for tonight besides going to the gym after class. I'll text you later when I’m on my way.”

  Current Powers/Personality Pieces Nobody has:

  1. Alter ability to choose where your center of gravity is/ Addictive personality (Froggy)

  2. Manipulator ability to absorb electricity, control and wield electricity/ Envy (Lee Daeshim)

  3. Manipulator ability to create up to three orbs of sound that can absorb all sound within and then be released all at once at a later time/ Joy (Murmur)

  4. Mentalist/Alter ability to see trajectories of moving objects and can make themselves and other nonliving things bouncy in a way that defies physics/ Pride (Tramp)

  5. Traveller ability to pull objects to themselves, pull themselves to objects, and swap themselves or objects through tunnels in reality/ Compassion (Callback)

  6. Caster ability to create short-range kinetic beams from their extremities/ Aggression (Punch)

  7. Traveller/Alter/Manipulator ability to separate their body into sections, dissolve said sections, clone pieces of their body, and rematerialize them anywhere in sight/ Increased libido and voyeuristic tendencies (Jeremy Swaim)

  8. Caster/Traveller/Manipulator/Alter/Ruler ability to create constructs, weapons, and objects out of different forms of energy/ Flair for drama and theatrics (Father Forward)