Ethan was woken up by the ringer on his phone coming from the other room. He scrambled out of bed and opened one of the hidden compartments on his costume, pulling out the phone and seeing an unfamiliar number through his burner app. He pressed the answer button.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi! Am I speaking with the hero called Radiance?"

  Damn, that was fast. "Yes, that's me."

  "Excellent! My name is Aaron Restor-"

  "The reporter?" Ethan asked, shocked that he was being contact by the press already. I just went out last night?!

  "Yup! I got your number from a contact of mine in the LAPD. Have you checked social media this morning?"

  Ethan put on the speakerphone and opened his newsfeed app, scrolling down and seeing a video recording of his breaking up the bar fight the night prior. The headline was catchy as well; Hero's Debut - Radiance brings the light! "I'm looking right now," he said, filled with joy that his actions were perceived how he wanted to be seen.

  "You're making waves. Anyways, I am trying to get a promotion to the newsroom and get out of the field. Can I schedule you for an exclusive interview?"

  Ethan turned off the speakerphone and held the phone up once more, glancing as Treya stood at the doorway with a smile on her face, "Yeah. I can do an interview. When and where?"

  "That's awesome! Can you get to Circle Park at, say, noon? The center gazebo with the chairs and tables?"

  "Mhmm. I can make that work. Can I text this number?"

  "For sure! Keep in touch, I'll see you later." Aaron hung up.

  Ethan set his phone down, walking over to Treya with a broad smile, "Mission accomplished."

  Treya chuckled and gave him a small kiss, "That's my man. How was fighting crime?"

  Ethan went into the kitchen and began to make them breakfast, "Good! I caught some drug dealers and kept a bunch of people from dying to a reckless driver. I also broke up a bar fight."

  Treya walked over to the small window between the kitchen and the rest of the house and pulled out her phone, eyes going wide. "Did you see this?" She held up her phone as Ethan looked over the article. "There's a ton of comments…people want to get ahold of you to get healed." She was beaming with delight.

  Ethan heated the stove, slapped a skillet down, and began beating some eggs into a scramble. "Well, I've got a few hours. After breakfast, I could go to a hospital and try to help out."

  "That's a great idea! Oooh, go to the children's hospital. You'd make headlines! 'Radiance cures children with cancer.'"

  Ethan smiled, "Yeah, but it's not about fame, sweetie. I want to do good."

  "What's nobler than healing sick children?" She asked, crossing her arms as he detected just a hint of annoyance.

  Ethan shrugged, "Honestly, I can't think of anything better than that. Maybe ending war forever?"

  She scoffed, "Pfff, no offense, but no one can do that. You'd have to mind control everyone. There are always going to be bastards out there who like killing for the fun of it. Plus, it's all about money. As long as war makes profit, people will keep doing it." She scrunched up her face, “It’s not right…but that’s how the world works.

  Ethan slid the scrambled eggs out onto a plate and handed it to Treya, resigning himself to her plans. "Which hospital were you thinking of?"

  "Hmmm." Treya shoveled some of the food in her mouth and pondered as she chewed. "Mmm! UCLA has a big hospital. Try there?" She continued to eat as Ethan fixed himself his portion and ate straight from the pan. After finishing her food she blew him a kiss, "I have to get ready for class. Mind doing the dishes?"

  Ethan shook his head, "Nope, anything for my future wife.”

  As she skipped over to the bathroom and shut the door she glanced back, "Don't be late for that interview!"

  Ethan gave her a brief wave and went about the rest of their normal morning routine - cleaning up the kitchen, putting away all the utensils, starting up the dishwasher, and getting Treya's coffee ready to go.

  By the time she got out of the bathroom and had dressed Ethan was already suiting up into his costume. She came over and grabbed his helmet from him, leaning in to kiss him, "Go and be a hero." She put the helmet on his head, and he put his hands on hers, helping her adjust it to fit just right.

  "You know it." He pressed the switch for the LEDs. “No fighting crime today unless I have to. Going to stay safe. Heaven's Gate."

  He walked through the shimmering white portal as Treya slapped him on the butt with a smile, "You got this!"

  He emerged a minute later in the main quad of the University of California: Los Angeles campus. He had been here once before when he was touring colleges years prior before settling on attending a rival school. Mid-morning meant that many students were milling about going from class to class as his portal shut behind him.

  He glanced around and waved at the gathering crowd before walking towards the hospital at the edge of the campus. Some students followed him, recording with their cell phones as he entered the Emergency Room.

  "Hold up," a burly security guard held an arm in front of him. "You here to cause a problem?"

  Ethan shook his head, "No. I'm here to help heal some people. I'm Radiance."

  The guard raised an eyebrow, "Never heard of yo-"

  A nurse ran over with a grin, "I saw the video last night. You can heal people, right?"

  "Yes. That's why I'm he-"

  "No time! I'll take him!" The nurse grabbed Ethan's arm and dragged him after her. "We just had a gunshot victim come in. He's being prepped for surgery but it's going to be risky, he has less than a ten percent chance to make it."

  Ethan picked up his pace and gently removed her hand from his arm, "I'll give it my best shot."

  The nurse keyed them into a set of doors before arriving in a small room where several doctors were scrubbing down and having gowns put on. One of them looked up at her, "Nurse, what's this guy doing here?"

  "He's one of those Imbued! He can heal people."

  The surgeons looked to each other, "Sorry, we can't let non-medical personnel into the operating theater."

  Ethan looked through the nearby glass partition and could see several people in gowns inside the room, "Doctor," he said, looking at the surgeon. "I think I can help them. I just need to be able to touch them. I’ve got healing powers!"

  The man shook his head, "Sorry, no can do."

  Nobilis, can I do my healing in a larger area? Ethan thought.

  Sub-power created for Healing Touch..

  -----

  [New Sub-Ability Created: Circle of Healing]

  [Effect: As Healing Touch, but an effective radius of one hundred feet from your location. Penetrates walls and barriers with selective targeting. Limited to one use per day at current capabilities.]

  -----

  Ethan raised his hands, "Circle of Healing!" He intoned and spread his hands out as two spheres of light began to circle him rapidly before shooting up above his head and forming an intricate, esoteric-looking circle. A shockwave of golden light erupted outwards in all directions before fading.

  The surgeons each doubled over and coughed, pulling down their masks as various globules were ejected from their mouths. The nurse behind him coughed up a chunk of some vile liquid. Glancing into the operating theater, Ethan could see the person on the table's wounds closing as the bullets slowly slid out of them.

  The surgeon who had confronted him gasped for air before looking down, "That's a tumor." He looked up at Ethan with a look of astonishment, "I had a tumor, and you just excised it." He ran into the operating theater where the other staff was still recovering, checking over the gunshot victim who was roused from unconsciousness. He ran back to Ethan and grabbed his hand, shaking it vigorously, "Thank you! Holy shit, you're literally a miracle worker."

  Ethan shook the man's hand, "Nope. Just a hero. I'm Radiance." He unzipped one of his hidden compartments in his vambrace and pulled out a slip of paper with his burner number. "I can only do a big healing like that once per day."

  The surgeon looked up quizzically, grabbing the paper from his grip. "How far does it spread?"

  Ethan smiled under the helmet, "One-hundred feet from me. Through walls. I can't show up on command, but you can get a hold of me if something big happens. Like a multi-car pileup, or something."

  The surgeon beamed at Ethan before glancing past him and frowning. The nurse had been recording the whole event. "Send that video to me. And the director."

  Ethan was filled with that buzzing joy. He was getting to use holy powers to be a literal superhero. And people loved him for it. "Guess my work here is done." Ethan turned on his heel and began to leave. The nurse pulled on his arm and stopped him as he turned to face her. "Yes?"

  "I wanted a close-up. Can we get a selfie?"

  Ethan shrugged, "Why not." He posed and the nurse got next to him, snapping a picture before hugging him.

  The various surgeons who were also cured of their ailments - whether they knew they had them or not, came up to thank Ethan. He smiled and found himself repeating "You're welcome" over and over again.

  I guess this may be the one downside to being a hero. Never able to get away from fans. "Heaven's Gate." He opened a portal and stepped through it.

  He arrived atop the tallest structure in the city once more, pulling out his phone from the compartment on his other arm and refreshing the media page. After refreshing for a couple of minutes he saw the video go up and then get mirrored on a bunch of other sites and apps.

  He smiled and texted Treya to check her social media before putting the cell phone away. The city from above was something he always loved seeing, able to watch the world going on and be apart from it. Separate from it. Detached, in a way. And it gave him a chance to take in the view and think. I brought criminals to justice. Protected and healed people. I think it's a good start. What do you think, Nobilis?

  You are helping people. Just as you told The Entity you would do. If you chose to use your Abilities in a different way, they would not work as well.

  I know that a lot of these Imbued seem to be selfish or using their powers for themselves - but I haven't met any yet. I can't help but wonder…is it just going to be me and a handful of others fighting hundreds of other superpowered people?

  Very possible. Humans as a whole appear selfish. Altruism is rare. There was a matter-of-fact tone to the words, and the accent was more pronounced the more Nobilis talked.

  I think everyone has good in them, deep down. It's the world right now that pushes that selfish outlook.

  Sure, blame the world and not the nature of your species. Nobilis's voice seemed to change slightly as he spoke those words in Ethan's mind. The robotic undertone vanished entirely, and it sounded like a person.

  Are you developing a personality?

  I've always had one. Curators come in a basic model but are tailored to the personality of our assigned Imbued. I've been around for a long time. More of my personality emerges the longer I'm assigned to an Imbued. Our personality is programmed to integrate with yours.

  You’re a machine of some type?

  Unsure. I am a Curator. I am Nobilis. I have access to a repository of information known as The Archive to assist in advising you of your powers. I do not know of my own origin. Only my purpose.

  Ethan heard a ping noise and checked his phone. A single text message showed up from the reporter's number. "Damnit! I'm late to the interview." He looked over towards the park and chained several uses of Leap of Faith until he was overlooking the area.

  He spotted the gazebo and could see the two cameras set up facing each chair and an irritated field reporter sitting in one of the two seats. "Leap of Faith," once more he warped, and he was suddenly sitting in the chair opposite Aaron. He looked just like he did on the news broadcasts, brown hair and violet eyes.

  Aaron jumped a little bit, "That was fast. Fighting criminals?"

  Ethan shook his head, "Nope. I was at a hospital."

  Aaron pulled out his phone and scrolled down, pulling out a notepad and jotting some lines before putting the phone down and glancing at his cameraman, "Bill, we ready?"

  The camera operator Bill was a slim redhead with a near-buzzed-down afro. He held up the camera, "Ready whenever. Oh, the mic!" he left his spot behind the camera and clipped a small microphone just under Ethan's helmet before resuming his post. "Aaaand, action!"

  Aaron beamed at the camera just behind Ethan, "Aaron Restor here in Circle Park with the hero, Radiance! He just finished healing an enormous group of people at the UCLA hospital just off-campus. Radiance, how does it feel being able to help people out like that?"

  Ethan leaned forward in his chair, setting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands together, "It feels amazing Aaron. Just a few days ago I was just a nobody. But now I’m doing good. Helping people." Every word rang true, and the few people who surrounded the gazebo were silently watching the live interview – many holding up phones and recording him.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "What did you do before getting these fantastic powers?" Aaron asked casually as he tried to shift the tone of the interview to match.

  Ethan picked up the hint and relaxed a bit, sitting back in the chair. "I was a student, but I quit school. I'm hoping to make this 'hero' business my career. I want to help people."

  "A true hero! Have you met anyone else who has powers?"

  Ethan shook his head, "Not yet. I'm hoping there are others out there who are choosing to be heroes-"

  "It doesn't look like it-" Aaron interrupted. "So far there's just Petal and yourself that have come forward to the public." Aaron looked at the camera once more, "My sources tell me that Radiance is quite capable of dealing with criminals and villains." He looked back at Ethan, "Is it true that you stopped a drug deal run by the Mexican Mafia?"

  Ahhh…your police department contact. Good to know that he is very interconnected, Ethan thought before chuckling. "Yes. Last night I kept a lot of people safe from a reckless driver and stopped a drug deal. The police have custody of the criminals, and video evidence which should prove their guilt."

  Aaron leaned forward a bit, his voice becoming a bit more serious as he pivoted lines of questioning, "So, you're trusting our justice system over your judgment? Despite the fact that it is shown to be biased against non-white races?”

  Ethan felt mixed emotions. On one hand, he knew full well how bad the criminal justice system could be towards people of color. He also knew the injustice of people being held in jail for months or even years because they couldn’t make bail. I’m making a choice here, and this will determine how people see me. He cleared his throat a bit and sat a little straighter. "Anyone who does something illegal should have their day in court. I'm not a judge and jury. I'm here to help people."

  “Are you at all concerned that your recent interactions with the Mexican Mafia, and your general presentation thus far, are going to engender yourself towards a particular subset of society?”

  Ethan was confused by the statement and shrugged, “Not concerned at all,” he said nonchalantly. “Criminal organizations exist, they should stop doing bad things. I would argue illegal drugs count.”

  Aaron flashed the briefest of smiles and gave a nearly imperceptible nod, “And what are your thoughts on Imbued who are using their powers for their own gain? Full Metal Gangster has been on a crime spree for the past several days. If you were to meet him, right now, would you fight him?"

  The guy covered in metal and hurling cars? If my Holy Smite can affect him? Sure. He filled his voice with as much serious determination he could, "If he's hurting people…absolutely. I saw your news report with the helicopter footage a few days ago. He needs to be brought to justice."

  "You think you can take him down and bring him to justice?" Aaron asked with legitimate surprise.

  Ethan nodded, "Right now? Sure."

  Aaron nodded and looked at the camera again, "You heard it here first, folks. Thank you so much for the interview, Radiance. Keep up the good work."

  "It was my pleasure."

  Bill the camera operator clicked a button before crossing behind Ethan and turning off the other camera as well. "Good job for your first time," Bill commented to Ethan.

  "Mhmm. Good job," Aaron said as he leaned back. “Sorry for switching gears a bit on you, but I have to make sure I ask these hard-hitting questions. Particularly with the race issue at play. We'll edit the special and get it on the air tonight. Primetime, five o'clock." Aaron stood up and held out a hand.

  Ethan stood and shook it, "Thanks for the opportunity to get the word out. You must be well connected to get my information."

  "Ahh," Aaron held a finger up to his lips, "I must protect my sources."

  Ethan chuckled, "Makes sense. Do you mind messaging me if you find out about something I can help with?"

  Aaron nodded, "Of course. I'll get a hold of you. Speaking of…" he handed Ethan the notepad with a bunch of scribbled notes and handed him a marker, "Do you mind an autograph?"

  Ethan nodded and signed his hero name. After seeing this, dozens of people came up with all manner of items asking for his autograph. Aaron gave him a wave and disappeared with Bill into the crowd. Ethan grinned and kept signing various articles of clothing for people and taking photos with them. Eventually, the crowd began to filter away, having had their moment with a hero.

  "Excuse me, Radiance."

  Ethan turned to him, "Yes?" He saw a light blue haze around the man as soon as he turned. The man grinned and snapped his fingers. Ethan felt a wave wash over him as he felt his vision transfixed on this person.

  An Imbued has affected you with a compulsion-based effect. Nobilis informed, with just a hint of concern in his voice.

  Ethan couldn't form any thoughts, his attention riveted to the man in front of him. He had slicked back, black hair, and a dazzling white smile. He was a little overweight, but he carried it well and looked well-off in a finely tailored business suit.

  "I'm Fred Lark, talent agent. Do you mind if we talk?" He sat down at a nearby table and gestured. Ethan felt compelled to sit opposite this man and his body seemed to move of its own accord. "I run a very successful agency for actors, and I'm looking to expand to include Imbued heroes." He waved a hand, and Ethan felt his body come back under his control.

  "What the heck did you do to me?" he asked as he resisted the urge to stand up and run. To get away from this obviously dangerous, mind-controlling individual.

  "Ahh…my charming gift." He smiled and glanced around making sure that no one was listening before leaning forward and whispering. Thankfully, the crowd had dispersed having acquired their signed objects and doubtless were on their way to sell them on Ebay. "I can captivate attention. That's my power." He leaned back and spoke at a normal volume, "You had the dream, yes? What did you desire?"

  "I wanted to help people," Ethan said very matter-of-factly.

  Fred chuckled, "Hehe. That checks." He used his thumb to point at himself, "I said 'I want to be the most successful agent ever.' And, well, I'm hoping you'll be my first hero client. I'm also trying to contact Petal to bring her on board."

  Ethan leaned forward, "What's in it for me?"

  "I can bring in some money for you. See-" he kicked his legs up on the table and leaned back. "-being a hero doesn't bring home the bacon, does it? Not like those Imbued villains out there like Full Metal Gangster who are robbing banks and can't be stopped." He laughed and leaned his chair back, "I can get you some income. Interviews, merchandise, heck maybe even a movie down the road." There was a slick salesman pitch coming his way, and Ethan was all about it.

  "That sounds good, but what do you get out of it?" he asked.

  "Ahhh, the question every agent hates to hear, but loves to answer." Fred leaned forward and put his legs down, smiling at Ethan. "I get to hide the fact that I am Imbued. Plus, a percentage of all proceeds from your various enterprises."

  "Right…it sounds like a good deal. What will you need me to do?"

  "Just give me your number, show up to scheduled interviews, and we'll have to write up a contract…of course," He leaned forward, "That means paperwork. I don't think Radiance - a hero using a fully masking costume - can sign legal documents. At least, none that would hold up in court."

  Ethan clenched his fists and gulped, "I'm…sorry. I need to keep my identity secret."

  "What type of agent would I be if I couldn't make contracts with my powers?" He waved his hand and Ethan heard Nobilis speak up.

  The Imbued known as Fred Lark has instructed his Curator, named Secretary, to establish a connection. It is seeking permission to allow Fred to use an Ability that will form a contract.

  What'll that do? Ethan thought back.

  Prevent Fred from revealing any information about your real identity to any individual, with the rider that you will not reveal his ability to use Abilities to others.

  Ethan smiled under the helmet, "That's neat. I didn't know that our Curators could talk to each other."

  Fred shrugged, "Neither did I until just now...Well, what do you say?"

  "I want you to add in one more rider before I agree." Fred raised an eyebrow as Ethan continued, "Use your powers to protect me from being mind-controlled like you did to me earlier. And-" he lowered his voice slightly, “I need to make sure that…if something happened to me…my fiancé is taken care of. Gets all my proceeds.”

  Fred nodded, "It wouldn't be smart for my headline hero client to be mind-controlled and go on a rampage. I can protect you from mind control, sure. Secretary? Modify the contract."

  The proposed contract has been redesigned, Nobilis said. The requested rider has been added. Do you want to confirm this contract?

  Ethan nodded, "Yes. I agree." He felt what felt like a cool, refreshing breeze wash over him as the agent smiled. "...Is it done?"

  Fred nodded. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Ethan Winters." He leaned back and smiled, "So, now that I know your real name, I can get the paperwork started. Mind giving me your real number?"

  Ethan pulled out his phone and slid it over to him. Fred added the number on the phone into his own and handed the phone back to Ethan before standing up and straightening his jacket. "I'll be in touch. I'm going to try and get you a sit-down with the chief of the LAPD before the week is out, really ensure that you're following all the laws and whatnot. Keep doing your business, and I'll bring the paperwork later."

  Ethan stood up, "Thanks. But we also didn’t talk how much-”

  Fred waved as he walked off, "Fifteen percent! No more, no less!" He kept walking down the path.

  Ethan glanced down at his phone. It's barely past noon. Back to the building, I guess- his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of screeching tires. "Leap of Faith," he warped to the roof of a building that overlooked the park and could see a car chase in progress.

  A police cruiser just turned on its siren as it chased down a large, black SUV. He clicked the button on his helmet to start recording. As he watched a window rolled down and an odd-looking man craned his head out and backward.

  He was covered in leathery skin with a mottled blue and brown coloring similar to a snake; and a light blue glow surrounded him. The glow must be because he is Imbued. I already grew more powerful?

  Affirmative. You can see Imbued now with your Holy Sight. One moment.

  -----

  [Ability Augmented: Holy Sight]

  [Additional Effect: The user can see whether someone is Imbued or not by the aura surrounding them.]

  -----

  Ethan gasped as the man opened his mouth and a globule of some type of acid shot out and hit the squad car chasing him. The hood melted away and the engine began corroded to metal slag, the car sputtering to a stop as the snake-man pulled his head inside the vehicle and began a loop around the park.

  Ethan felt his heart racing. Okay, my first villain. I have to make sure I take care of him without anyone else being in danger. The SUV began to curve around the park and would pass an open soccer field that was clear. Ethan grinned, "Leap of Faith," warping to the center of the field. He looked at the approaching SUV and pointed at the serpent-man, "Rescue."

  A startled man…thing was soon standing next to Ethan as he activated Leap of Faith once more to get a little distance on the field. The SUV the snake-person was driving continued forward at an angle, hitting a parked car and coming to a stop.

  "What the hell?" The serpent-man did not have a lower body. Where his waist should be, serpentine coils continued downwards, causing Ethan to question how the heck he operated the gas and break pedal. He had a humanoid torso and lanky arms.

  "I'm Radiance. You're running from the police. What did you do?"

  "Hissss," The man actually hissed like a snake, his forked tongue slipping out as he cackled, "Working with the cops?"

  Ethan nodded, "I have, but I just want to tal-"

  The serpent-man opened his mouth and a globule of acid flew at Ethan.

  "Leap of Faith," He warped behind the snake-man and held up his hand, "Holy Smite!" The beam of light arced out, but the villain flattened himself to the ground and dodged with incredible speed.

  He slid across the grass and Ethan was only starting to backpedal as the snake maw opened wide and clapped down on Ethan. The Holy Barrier snapped into place and prevented harm from the initial impact, but he felt the fangs pierce down into his shoulder as the creature gripped him. The serpentine body coiled around him and started to squeeze as Ethan felt his breath leave his lungs; the sudden crush of pressure sending a jolt through him.

  Holy Smite is less effective at close ranges, almost having no effect against adjacent Imbued. I’d suggest creating a Sub-Ability. Nobilis sounded slightly amused, more than anything.

  No shit! Ethan envisioned a holy blade in his hands to cut through the constricting binds.

  Basing it off of Holy Smite.

  -----

  [New Sub-Ability Created: Crusade]

  [Effect: Create a sword of divine light to act as a melee weapon. Versatility in lethality. While active, you will have a more resilient Holy Barrier, increased speed, and reaction time.]

  [Negative Effect: lose access to Leap of Faith and its Sub-Abilities while active.]

  -----

  Ethan felt a surge of heat race down his arms and a sword made of a pure, white light that glowed brightly appeared in his grip. This just happened to be in the folds of his assailant, who recoiled and released him as the blade sliced through his torso, carving a deep gash. T

  he serpent-man backed away a short distance and glanced down at his wound; his flesh oddly burned with white sparkles interspersed and crackling. Ethan took up a close stance with the sword held in front of him. "I don't want to fight you!"

  The snake-man hissed again and opened his mouth as a large fan of a green, pale mist spread through the area and surrounded Ethan.

  That's poisonous.

  Aren't I immune to that?

  Yes.

  Ethan ran forward as the snake-man looked quite surprised that he was unaffected. He swung down and willed the weapon to do nonlethal damage. It burned the tip of the serpent's tail.

  "Rahh!" he lunged forward once more.

  I don't want to kill the guy. Ethan willed the blade to shift from the holy burn and to instead inflict blunt trauma. To his surprise, his body could now keep up with more of his visual processing speed. Not quite fully up to the same processing speed, but still far faster than before. He sidestepped the lunge and brought the blade down on the serpent-man’s head, slamming him to the ground. Ethan backed away and circled, keeping a short distance between the two as the villain held his head and hissed at him. "Give up, and I promise I'll heal you."

  "I'm not going back to prison!" The snake-man opened his mouth and ejected a stream of acid, spraying the caustic green liquid as if it was coming out of a hose. Ethan couldn't dodge the spread of the effect and instead rushed forward, bringing his blade across the villain's mouth. That stopped the flow of acid as the villain reared his head back, hissing in pain. Ethan brought the blade around once more with a wide swing, impacting the villain with enough force that he was flung several feet to the side and passed out.

  Ethan glanced down and the adrenaline began to fade as he felt the searing pain of the acid starting to burn into him and melt his clothes. He dropped the blade of light which faded from existence as it fell. He clasped his hand to his torso, "Healing Touch!" The pain dissipated and the burns on his skin healed over.

  Damn, that hurt…aaand my costume is ruined. Thankfully he didn't have any real identifying marks like tattoos and his helmet wasn't touched by the stream. But he still felt very real pain, and his skin was still hot to the touch before the healing fully took effect and cured him.

  He was tired, very, very tired. I’ve never been in a fight like that, he thought. It’s exhausting.

  Despite not using many Abilities, your energy reserves are quite low. I would recommend cardio, Nobilis commented with some smugness.

  "Freeze!" The police officers who had their cruiser totaled ran over and held Ethan at gunpoint.

  He held up his hands, "I knocked him out, officers. I can heal him if you cuff him. And I'd suggest putting something around his mouth, so he doesn't spit acid or poison at you."

  The officers glanced at each other and the more senior-looking of the two holstered his weapon and did as Ethan suggested. "Alright. Keep the fucker alive." He got on the radio strapped to his shoulder as Ethan approached. There was an earpiece in his ear as well, so he couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying. "We got another Imbued…yeah, he's in custody. Some guy in black and gold…Just a second." He looked up at Ethan, "What's your name?"

  "Radiance."

  The officer nodded and spoke into his radio, "Yeah, Radiance…Oh? Shit…okay." He waved at his partner who had kept a gun trained on Ethan the whole time, "Ease off, he's one of the good guys." The younger officer slowly holstered his weapon as Ethan knelt down next to the now-restrained serpent-man.

  "Healing Touch." The divine burns healed over as the snake-man roused to consciousness and began to squirm against his bindings. Ethan stood up and for the first time took in the surrounding environment.

  An enormous crowd had gathered. There were plenty of restaurants in the area and it was just around lunchtime for a lot of jobs. Easily a thousand people were watching from across the street and in other parts of the park adjoining the soccer field. They began to clap and cheer as Ethan waved to them, clicking the button to stop recording. He turned to the more senior officer and handed him the memory card, "There's your evidence."

  The officer tipped his hat slightly, "I'm glad we have some of you folks on our side."

  Ethan smiled under the helmet, "I'm just happy to help. Why were you chasing him, anyways?"

  The officer chuckled, "Traffic violation. We were just going to cite him, but he ran off."

  "Why would he run from a traffic ticket?"

  The officer shrugged, "No clue. Drugs, probably. You know these types of people."

  Ethan narrowed his gaze, "What do you mean these types?"

  The officer laughed, "Oh, you know. Lots of Hispanics down here deal drugs. At least that's who the plates came back to."

  And there’s the racism inherent in the system, Ethan thought. Of course, I just unwittingly helped them put away a guy who might have warranted nothing more than a traffic ticket. Ethan scoffed, "How do you know he's the owner of the vehicle?"

  The officer shrugged, "Don't care. Possession is nine-tenths of the law."

  Ethan looked down at the prisoner and felt a pang of guilt. Am I the bad guy? I mean, he did attack me when I just wanted to talk. But these cops are obviously biased. "Leap of Faith." Ethan warped over to the crashed SUV and glanced over the interior. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Looks just fine to me. Why would he run? "Leap of Faith." He warped back next to the villain and knelt down, "Hey…why run? They were just gonna give you a ticket."

  "You're so stupid if you think they would've just done that. They stop you for something sssmall then plant drugs to pad their numbers." The voice was slightly muffled and lispy, but Ethan was able to make it out well enough.

  The older officer walked over, "Hey, enough of that-"

  Ethan looked up at him and glared at the officer. "I'm questioning him."

  "Leave that for the detectives."

  Ethan stood up, "Look, if that's what he thought, then can you really blame him? Especially with what's going on all across the city right now?"

  The officer squinted, "Oh, so you're not with us now? You're one of them 'woke' heroes?"

  Ethan sighed dejectedly, "I just want to help people." He looked over at the man on the ground, "I don't think taking him to jail will help anyone."

  "You don't make that choice. The law is the law. We got him on evading police, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest-" he pointed at the crashed SUV, "property damage," he gestured to the field which was scorched with acid, "-and assault and battery with a deadly weapon. He's going away for a long, long time."

  The man hissed, "You can't do that!"

  The officer reached down and began to pull the captive up, "Shut up." He roughly pulled the snake-man up and waved his partner over to help carry him to the cruiser.

  Ethan sighed once more and glanced around - many people were recording him. I'm done for today. I need to think this over. "Heaven's Gate." He opened a portal and stepped through.