~ 4 Years Later ~

"I'm telling you both: cold popcorn with ranch on it is better than hot popcorn and butter," a teen with green hair tried to explain to his two friends. The young man had cut off most of his hair but kept the hair in the middle of his head to have a small mohawk. If not for his hair, he would look like a defensive football player, big and bulky.

The pair looked at him as if he was the most disgusting thing they had ever seen and slowly backed away before taking to the skies and flying off.

Seeing his friends were about to ditch him, Tyler took to the sky to chase after them.

"Wait! Just listen to me!"

"Nope," the redheaded girl responded, still looking at Tyler in disgust. Emma had the body and face that most models would be envious of, especially due to the fact that she was only 17. But her most distinct feature was her purple eyes.

"You are gross and stupid. And I'm not sure if either of those is contagious."

"I'm with her," a black teen agreed. Unlike most black people, John had unique green eyes. He was fairly tall with a muscular build and his hair is shaved close all around his head which made him resemble a man in the military if not for the youth radiating off his face.

Tyler was not so easily put off though. Even as his two closest friends tried to escape him, he still pleaded his case the entire trip. Even when they landed in front of their school gates, he was still going on about what they were missing out on.

Just as they landed, the trio became the center of attention. Even though they had been going to the same school for 4 years and come to school the same way almost every day, they still drew all the attention wherever they went.

These 3 were not only Metas but also Legacies. No one could afford to not pay attention to them if they were fans of heroes. It also helped that every member of the group was incredibly attractive.

John hated being stared at like they were. Even after so many years, he still found it annoying.

"What kind of school makes students that already graduated attend another week of classes?" John asked his two friends

"No need to whine about it. This is our last day. After today, we will finally be done high school," Emma tried to cheer him up, knowing just how much he hated the past 4 years of his life

The trio was about to walk past the gates when they were immediately surrounded by reporters on all sides. Although they sensed them coming, none of the group tried to hurry along. They knew that they would be hounded later if they didn't answer the questions now.

The reporters began speaking over one another as they asked question after question. Even Tyler's superhearing couldn't keep up with everything.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Oi! Shut up! If you all have questions, form a semi-circle there and we will call on you all one at a time. Also, get out of the way of the school gates. The other students need to get to class!"

Tyler ordered all the reporters to move and they did without hesitation. Tyler was known for his bad temper and for getting into fights. No one wanted to get on his bad side, especially when they were the ones being rude.

After they stood to the side, many students also stopped to watch the mini-press conference. They were pretty sure about why the reporters were there and wanted to hear the answers for themselves.

After the reporters got in place, so did the trio. Emma stood at the front with her 'PR smile' plastered on her face while John and Tyler flanked her, looking like personal bodyguards.

The brunette looked around at the group before pointing toward one reporter at random.

"Thanks for picking me. Melissa Cambridge, CCC News. There have been rumors going around that the Alliance has obtained the first-ever US permit to allow heroes below the age of 21 to join them. Any comment on this?"

And this is why all the students were so eager to hear the answer to this as well as the other reporters. In the US, all heroes had to be at least 21 before they could get a hero license. Even for the largest and most powerful team, The Alliance, there was no exception.

But with the rumor that this may be changing soon, many were eager to hear the truth.

Emma nodded as she had expected this question. She had already prepared her answer the night before when her mom told her about the rumor getting leaked.

"That rumor is partially true. While The Alliance has obtained a special permit that will allow those 18 and older to perform hero work under them, they will not be able to get a full license."

The entire area was silent. No one dared to interrupt this breaking news that Emma was giving them.

"Those over 18 and under 25 will be able to apply for a 'sidekick' program. They will be paired with a 'senior' hero for a period of time. And when I say senior, I just mean a current member of the Alliance. If a 24-year-old joins, they may be working under Quasar for all we know."

Hearing this, several reporters raised their hands to ask more questions about this matter. Emma picked another at random since she was sure that all their questions would be the same.

"Tommy Timothy, Orange News. Are they only recruiting for combat roles? Will support heroes be left behind?"

Emma shook her head when she heard this.

"No. They are not just recruiting for combat roles but also support roles as well. Doc himself has even signed up to be a mentor. The Alliance has also been able to get a few retired heroes to sign up for the program in order to help support the large number of applicants that they are expecting to receive. "

"Brett Sparkly, self-published. What about the Legacies? Do you all have to go through this process as well? Any nepotism involved?"

Emma sighed. Everyone always thought they got special privileges because they were Legacies but they faced harsher scrutiny than anyone else.

"I would be lying if I said there was no nepotism involved but it is different than what you would think. We have trained under several of the heroes ever since we were kids and they have watched us grow up.

We have been in the unofficial sidekick program for years. So while many of the Legacies will be signing up for the program and will most likely get a spot, it is not like they have not worked hard for it. We have been working for these spots our entire lives."

John and Tyler nodded behind Emma's back to show their support for her answer. Both of them knew just how tough Emma's mother was. They had even been taught by her a few times. It was truly hell dealing with a teleporter as experienced as she was.

Emma pointed to one last woman and let her know that she had the last question.

"Lily Bell, ICallHeroesDaddy.com. Who are you three applying under? I can understand you all not wanting to work with your parents, so curious about who you will apply to be under. Just to make sure no one wastes their applications trying to compete with you."

Emma smiled when she heard this. This was a smart question and fair. No one wanted to waste one of their few chances to be a hero before the age of 21 by competing against a Legacy.

"Sure. The 3 of us will be working with the Fae Court team. John will be under Fae, I will be under Titania, and Tyler will be under Oberon.

Those will be all the questions that we will be answering today. Thank you."

Emma turned to leave with the boys flanking her but the reporters were not giving up so easily.

"Fae? Does that mean that John will be taking a spot away from other heroes due to being supported by his cousin? Is he planning to ride her coattails?"

"I thought Oberon did not work with shifters after the incidident from 2 years ago. Has he changed his mind?"

"You said the Fae Court? As in the number 3 of the Rookie Team of the Year list as of the moment?"

"Are any of you thinking of forming your own teams in the future after you graduate from the Sidekick program or will you become permanent members of the Fae Court?"

"Ms. Rose!"

"Ms. Rose! A few more questions please!"

But the trio ignored them and were already on their way inside.

Even though they were ignored, none of the reporters were upset. They had already sent the stories back to their agencies to publish them. But they were not the first.

Many students that had witnessed the interview already went to their various social media accounts and posted what they had heard.

[The Alliance is bringing on Sidekicks!]