The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. Treya had to go to her classes, but Ethan dropped out as soon as the campus offices had opened. His program advisor expressed disappointment but didn't make any other comment.

  The rest of the time Ethan was working on his costume with the news on in the background. One of the perks of being a nerd who watched anime and playing video games at an elite level is that he had attended his fair share of conventions, often in cosplay.

  But this particular broadcast forced him to pause his work.

  "This is Chip Masters coming to you live from the newsroom. Further reports have emerged all across the city of angels as these 'Imbued', as they are calling themselves, have wrought havoc. The most famous criminal as of this report, Jaurez Citro, now calling himself 'Full Metal Gangster', has robbed yet another bank and posted his exploits on social media. But there is a bright ray of hope in this dark time. For that, we go live to our field correspondent, Aaron Restor. Aaron, who are you there with?"

  The scene shifted to the same young news anchor, who was standing next to a woman wearing skin-tight latex with a full-face mask covering her features. The whole costume was embroidered with flower petals and vines. The two were standing in front of a group of men who were tied up with what appeared to be vines as police stood nearby.

  "Thanks, Chip! I'm here with Petal, a real-life hero! She single-handedly stopped this group of cartel members from bringing a vehicle stuffed to the brim with drugs into the city. Anything you want to say to the viewing audience at home?"

  The woman shifted her stance to strike a heroic pose, one finger pointed skyward and her feet spread slightly, and her other hand balled in a fist on her hip. "I am a hero!" She pointed at the camera as a flurry of flower petals arced around her in a swirl. "And I have a message for everyone. If you're evil…I will stop you!" She turned on her heel and began walking to the police nearby.

  Ethan chuckled at the over-the-top heroic presentation. I mean, if I were in her shoes, I’d probably show off like that. But I think I want to go for more of a silent protector vibe. Batman-esque, minus the whole parent trauma. He glanced down at his sewing as the news feed shifted focus.

  "You heard it here, folks! Petal, a real-life hero, fighting for the side of good. Back to you, Chip."

  "Thanks, Aaron. According to our analysis of local social media, there are at least six-hundred of these Imbued individuals in the greater Los Angeles area who have shown their powers in some way. No other cities in the world have reported such an event; we are either extremely lucky or unfortunate. The question stands - how many of these Imbued are heroes, and how many are villains?"

  Ethan turned off the television and put on his music - an upbeat playlist of songs in foreign languages. He had no clue what the words meant, but the beats and emotions were perfect for keeping him in a positive mindset.

  Hours passed and just as Treya arrived back home, he got up, stretched and smiled at her. "I finished it. Want to see?"

  "Of course!" she said, walking into the kitchen to pour herself a drink, "Change in the bedroom, I want to see it all at once."

  Ethan put away the sewing and other costuming supplies before changing in the bedroom. A few minutes later he stepped in front of their full-length mirror. He had taken an old cosplay outfit as the base; a skintight bodysuit colored pure black. He had sewn tennis shoes into the feet that were bordered with gold stripes.

  His calves and thighs were covered with lacquered plates from yet another outfit he had cannibalized; recolored black with gold highlights. The same style of plates covered his forearms and shoulders, and the inside of each plate was hollow so he could store his phone and keys.

  He was most proud of the helmet; a fully enclosed helm with a large front faceplate which he had installed LEDs into that glowed the same color as his eyes. Hidden inside was a small camera that he could activate or deactivate with a button on the side of the helmet, and removable memory cards so he could log evidence.

  I always did love black and gold. Such a classic color combination. He strode out of the bedroom and posed in front of Treya, "So, what do you think?"

  She smiled and handed him a water bottle, "Amazing. You'll eventually want actual metal plates for the armor though. I don't want you to get hurt."

  Ethan smiled, "Holy Barrier." A translucent golden field covered his whole body like a second layer of skin before fading away, active but on standby. Ethan went to the kitchen and handed Treya a knife, "Come on, try it." He spread his arms.

  "I'm not stabbing my future husband!"

  Ethan sighed, "Fine." He took the knife from her and put it back, "Trust me, I'm protected enough by this."

  She walked up and took off his helmet, kissing him on the lips, "Going out on patrol?"

  Ethan nodded, "I figure if I’m going to be a hero I actually have to get out the-”

  "Not until we've had dinner. I don't mind you super-hero-ing, but you promised you'd always come home at night."

  Ethan chuckled, "You're right. Let me take this off and we'll get cooking."

  He quickly changed clothes and joined Treya in the kitchen, cooking up a delicious meal together before sitting down and eating.

  As was their usual routine, Treya shared what happened during the day and Ethan genuinely enjoyed listening to her talk. It always brought a smile to his face.

  After cleaning up she kissed him on the cheek. "Okay. Go out and fight some crime tonight. Los Angeles needs heroes right now. I've only seen stuff on the news about one of these Imbued doing good. This is the best chance for you to make a name for yourself. Better to make your mark now instead of later when there might be more heroes running around."

  Ethan kissed her on the lips and grinned, "You got it." He rushed to the bedroom and hastily dressed up, nestling the helmet upon his head.

  Treya smiled and gave him a hug, "Stay safe."

  Ethan nodded, "Heaven's Gate." The white portal opened next to him as he stepped through.

  He emerged a minute later on the viewing platform at the US Bank building, which he knew quite well from his years of visiting it with his dad during his childhood. From there he had a clear view of the Wilshire Grand Center and the large pole that extended up from it. "Leap of Faith," he said calmly as the soft light enveloped him. He warped atop the pole, alighting gently and gripping a maintenance handle to hold steady.

  Right. Time to put this Holy Sight to the test, he thought.

  Would you like to scan for something in particular? Nobilis replied.

  What about other people with powers? Er…Imbued. Can I do that?

  Eventually you could gain that ability, with training or the passage of time.

  Ethan glanced around and could easily make out the individuals milling about below, experiencing the nightlife of the area. The clarity of his view was astounding; despite the darkness of night and the street lighting, he could make out the people and their features. There's nothing dangerous-

  Movement caught his attention - not the milling of the crowd or the drunken antics of party-goers, but a violent, fast movement, as a car sped down the road and swerved side to side. That's not good. They're going to cause an accident. Ethan grinned under his helmet, clicked the button on the helmet to begin recording, and warped one hundred feet in front of the vehicle, holding up a hand and whispering, "Illuminate" to create a sphere of light that made him impossible to miss.

  The car almost plowed into him as Ethan used Leap of Faith to get out of the way and on the sidewalk, the vehicle careening off down the road. That's not good. He leaped once more so that he was atop the vehicle, gripping the window frame to hang on.

  "Sir! You need to slow down! Don't make me stop the car."

  The man in the vehicle jerked the wheel left and right, swerving and trying to throw Ethan off. He was barely hanging on as screams sounded in front of him. He looked up and saw a crowd of drunkards who were exiting a bar and crossing the street; some oblivious to the car plowing toward them. I've got to stop this! He'll kill someone!

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  -----

  [New Ability Modifier: (Mass)]

  [Effect: The user may affect additional targets by expending more energy.]

  -----

  "Mass Leap!" Ethan willed the vehicle, driver, and himself to warp past the group of people crossing the road. The vehicle was covered in the golden glow before vanishing, appearing on the road past the crosswalk. He felt extremely tired, as if he had just benched a near-maximum load on a chest press.

  The driver slammed on the brakes which flung Ethan forwards. He didn't have time to speak, so instead, he thought of the command. Leap of Faith! The power activated and he warped next to the driver-side door, his momentum reset to being at rest, and his orientation fixed so he was standing upright.

  "What the hell are you?" The man asked as he rolled down his window.

  "A hero. You almost killed all those people back there."

  "Fuck off."

  Ethan held up his hands in a gesture of innocence and compromise, "Where do you need to go? I'll take you there. With your car. You can’t just keep drivi-"

  "Fuck you!"

  "Rescue." Ethan snapped his fingers as the man found himself standing next to him. "Sir, I can't let you drive recklessly like that." He tried to put on his most serious and stern voice possible, attempting to project authority into his tone.

  The man turned and punched Ethan. He instinctively flinched but there was no need as the man's fist glanced off his shoulder; the golden, translucent barrier becoming visible as the impact hit him. Huh, so that must be the default resistance that’s just innate. Cool!

  "Fuck!" The man cursed and held his knuckles. He got back into his car and fumbled around for something under the seat.

  Ethan felt his heart pulsing in his chest. I’ve got to stop him. He’s driving recklessly and he’ll kill someone. But Ethan also felt very, very tired and knew he was nearing his limits. Maybe if I back off, and get somewhere high, I can just follow him by sight and Leap of Faith before he leaves my line of sight. Plus, he might be reaching for a weapon and I don’t want him to just start shooting here on a busy street. There was also a trace of fear that Ethan felt at this first, very escalated confrontation. I should just back off.

  Ethan sighed, "Very well. I'll be watching you." He stepped away as the man sped off. Ethan used Leap of Faith to get back to one of the skyscrapers, and was breathing haggard breaths as he kept tracking the vehicle. As it began to leave his line of sight, he used another Leap to get within sight once more. Thankfully, the buildings were high enough that he could take nice breathers and was not draining his energy to nothing.

  This process continued until they had exited the downtown and arrived in Franklin Canyon, North-West of Central LA. A large park with miles of forests. Why was he in such a rush to get out to the middle of nowhere this late? He continued to chain his warp consecutively, keeping pace and turning off the LEDs in his helmet, deactivating his Illuminate, but keeping the camera on. He has to be up to something.

  His suspicions were confirmed as the man drove into a secluded grove where two other cars were parked. Once he turned off the engine the other vehicles turned on their lights. Ethan crouched behind a tree and made out the people who were there. Anyone who lived in Los Angeles knew who they were.

  Mexican Mafia raced through his head. He could tell from the handprint with the letter M imprinted in the center; a tattoo that was prominently displayed on the shoulder of one man who stepped out of the waiting vehicle. He was bald with a mustache, and a handgun tucked into his waistline.

  "Look who finally showed up. Got the money?"

  The man Ethan was tailing got out of the car with a bag and threw it to the mafia member, "It's all there, one-hundreds and fifties, as you wanted."

  "Hold up. I gotta count this. Make sure you're not cheating us." Another man got out of the waiting vehicles; dressed in similar attire but with a yellow bandana on his head. He walked to the bag, grabbed it, and began counting money.

  "It's all here. Give him the shit." The bandana man took the money back to one of the two cars, starting up the engine before driving off.

  Ethan made sure to get a good look at his face and the license plate number, ensuring the camera caught it as well. The one who remained with the pistol went to the trunk of his vehicle and returned with a plastic bag, tossing it to the driver Ethan had followed.

  "There's your shit. Nice doing business." As the reckless driver looked down into the bag, the mafia member drew his pistol and cocked the hammer, "Now put down the shit."

  "What? You're double-crossing me?"

  "It's just business. Put the bag down, get in that little car, and leave." He pulled the trigger and shot the ground next to the driver, "Now."

  The driver cursed and dropped the bag, "Fuck this." He backed up to his car and started to open the door.

  Ethan smiled, "Rescue." The driver was warped next to him in the brush and was blinded by the darkness.

  "What the he-"

  "Holy Smite," Ethan said as a bright flash of gold arced from his palm and washed over the man. He fell forward and Ethan caught him. One unconscious…I want to test this defensive ability though. His heartbeat was racing, quickened, and he knew he was about to do something reckless…but necessary. Can it hold up to bullets?

  "Leap of Faith." Ethan warped in front of the mobster and held his hand up as the glow from his palm dimmed. "Hold it right there."

  "The fuck are you?" The man held the pistol up to Ethan.

  "I'm a hero. I'm taking you in."

  "Fuck you!" He pulled the trigger, and Ethan could see the bullet leave the barrel and move towards him, seemingly in slow motion due to his increased visual processing speed via Holy Sight.

  He didn't have the speed to dodge a bullet though, and he tensed up as the projectile impacted his torso. The Holy Barrier flashed into existence as the bullet pinged off and was deflected down into the dirt. He winced as he felt the impact push him back slightly, as he felt a little pain like he had been flicked.

  He smiled under the helmet, "My turn. Holy Smite." The beam of golden energy arced out and the mafia member collapsed, a small burst of white steam rising from his torso as he lay still on the ground.

  He turned to look at the driver, "Rescue." The man's body warped next to him. "Okay. Now to get them to the police. Heaven's Gate." The portal opened as he lifted the two unconscious men and their illegal paraphernalia, carrying them through.

  He had been to the LAPD building before to file a report when his car’s rear window was smashed out and was familiar with the waiting room. He walked out of the portal in the lobby.

  "Freeze!" a police officer held up a gun and pointed it at Ethan as soon as he had exited the portal.

  He held up his hands, dropping the two men and the evidence, "I'm unarmed. I brought you some criminals, their drugs, guns, and video evidence."

  The officer walked over and glanced down at the bag, "No sudden movements. Go sit down there," he gestured with the pistol and Ethan followed the instructions, taking a seat as the officer kept an eye on him but knelt, first checking the pulse of the two men and then looking through the bag of drugs. He holstered his weapon, "You one of them Imbued, then?"

  Ethan nodded, "One of the good ones. I'm a hero. Well, trying to be one. First night on the job." His heart was slowing its racing beat, but his throat was dry, and he felt nervous. He tapped his foot anxiously as he sat there.

  The officer nodded as a few of his coworkers came into the lobby. He briefed them as they took the two men into custody and picked up the evidence. The first officer approached Ethan, and he stood up.

  "You said you had video evidence?" the officer asked.

  Ethan nodded and clicked the button on the helmet to stop the recording, and then ejected the first memory card, handing it to the officer. "The larger one almost killed several people with his reckless driving. Then there was the drug deal. Their cars are over in Franklin Canyon. There was another guy at the deal, but I didn't follow him. You should have a good shot of him and his plates on the recording."

  The officer nodded and grinned, "Well, good work. Are you interested in joining the police force? Getting one of you Imbued folks working with us would make life a heck of a lot easier."

  Ethan chuckled, "Sorry, but no. I'm a hero. Not that you all aren't! Putting your lives on the line and all that. But I'm more than happy to work with you. Here's my number." Ethan gave them his burner number - a handy app on his phone so he couldn't be tracked - as the officer wrote it down.

  "What do we call you?"

  Ethan tilted his head to the side. I hadn't thought of that. Hmm…light-themed hero names…He smiled, "Radiance."

  The officer wrote the name on the notepad and nodded, "Appreciate the work. We'll be in touch."

  Ethan nodded, "Heaven's Gate." He stepped through the portal and made note of the officer's shocked expression. A minute later he was standing atop the tallest building in L.A. once more. He clicked the button on his helmet to turn on the lights.

  You handled that well, Nobilis said in his head. You could have done better. The slight admonishment was filled with a sense of professionalism; someone with skill informing a less educated peer. The reckless driving could have hurt a lot of people. Pulling him out of the car and holding him or taking him in would have been the optimal play.

  Ethan felt a mix of gratitude and frustration. Thanks for the info. But if I had done that, I wouldn’t have gotten the drugs off the street, or the gun, or taken in a member of a criminal organization.

  Fair enough, Nobilis curtly replied.

  How many Imbued are there? Ethan thought back.

  Unable to determine. My purpose is to curate and provide advice for use of your powers. We are assigned to each Imbued.

  So whoever or whatever gave me these powers assigned you to me?

  Yes. In a way.

  Movement below caught Ethan's attention. There was a fight breaking out in front of one of the bars; a scuffle that seemed to be getting out of hand and a bunch of bystanders were recording the brawl which was escalating rapidly. The bouncer wasn't able to restrain both men despite his stature and muscle mass.

  "Leap of Faith." Ethan warped down next to the bouncer who jumped sideways, startled at the sudden appearance of a costumed individual. Ethan reached out and grabbed the two men who were fighting. "Holy Smite." The golden glow flowed from his hands and washed over the two men as they fell unconscious. He gently set them down and looked at the bouncer, "They're not dead, just sleeping."

  "Who are you?" the bouncer asked incredulously.

  "A hero," Ethan replied. Dozens of phone cameras were focused on him and he struck a pose, standing confidently and holding his hand up in front of him as golden light dripped off it and ran down his arm before fading into the air, "I am Radiance. Those who do evil will be brought to justice by the light…and those that are injured will find aid."

  He knelt and put his hands on the two men. Healing Touch, he thought as he activated the power twice consecutively. The two men coughed and groaned before stirring and glancing around. Ethan stood up and crossed his arms, "No more fighting, you two."

  Many of the people recording started to pepper Ethan with questions. He just waved and whispered, "Heaven's Gate." The portal appeared and he walked through it, vanishing from the scene.

  He exited the portal a minute later, emerged in his living room, and took off the helmet. "Treya, I'm home." he said quietly.

  Not hearing any response, he slowly took off his costume and cracked open the bedroom door. Treya was fast asleep. He slid under the covers next to her and cuddled up to her; she instinctively pushed back against him.

  "I'm a hero," he whispered to himself as he snuggled tightly against her, happy with the outcomes of his first night of hero work.