With my request, the side of the craft flowed like raindrops of metal as the side reformed into a ramp. I stepped out of the side of the craft, keeping my head down as I was very much aware that the large stadium had gone quiet as I stepped out. A flowing metal cube bulged out of the side when I stepped off the ramp from the back of the craft. Then when it had extracted itself from the craft, it hovered over toward me.

I muttered to the silver cube that was like perfectly polished metal, “Follow me.”

Then with a deep breath and my head slightly down as I kept my eyes on the ground, I followed the augmented reality arrows provided by the A.I. to take me to the maintenance hatch.

The arrows took me down the center row of excited-looking cadets. By now, most of them were whispering and pointing toward me as I passed. On the top of the stage, standing around the Superiorum infuser, were the power brokers of the academy. I took a looked at the over-glamorous bodies of the ‘supers,’ knowing that each of them was powerful and famous in their own right.

In the past, I tried to keep as much distance from the power brokers in each academy, so I only recognized a few of the powerfully important people on the stage.

Before I could turn to the right, I caught the eye of the current head of the Superhero Academy. His superhero costume was an impressive sight to behold. The blue fabric was adorned with intricate golden patterns that caught the light, making him stand out among the crowd of superheroes. The fabric seemed to cling to his muscular frame, emphasizing every bulge and curve. The chest of his costume was emblazoned with a large golden shield, the symbol of his power and authority. The shield seemed to shimmer and glow, imbued with the power of Superiorum that coursed through his veins. The cape that flowed behind him was a deep royal blue, trailing behind him like a majestic banner of victory. The whole ensemble was completed with a pair of matching blue boots and gloves, each with a golden band around the wrist and ankle.

I thought he looked like some mixture between a Greek god and a hippy with his long curly hair. In some ways, he was a real old fashion hippy as he always had a relaxed attitude to life, as if nothing could phase him.

I thought that was right; nothing should phase you when you are one of the most powerful people in the alliance.

The man gave me a welcoming wink and a small smile when he nodded his head at my approach.

Beside him was standing a woman that I had never seen before. Her superhero costume was a tight-fitting black leather bodysuit with silver accents. The bodysuit was adorned with intricate designs that glowed in the dark, enhancing her sultry presence. The ensemble was completed by a pair of thigh-high boots and fingerless gloves, also in black leather. Despite the frightening intensity of her rage, I couldn't help but be struck by her breathtaking beauty. Her long, flowing hair cascaded in a mane of golden waves, framing her striking features. Her piercing blue eyes burned with an intensity that was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

As she moved from one foot to another, her lithe and graceful movements seemed almost predatory. Her leather costume creaked ominously with each step, adding to the sense of foreboding that washed over me. Despite my fear, I couldn't help but be entranced by her alluring presence, even as my heart raced with a palpable sense of danger. However, now she had a face that was distorted with rage. What was more concerning was the anger was focused on little old me.

I stumbled as if the intensity of the anger was stopping me from proceeding.

I idly complained in my mind; why are you angry with me when I’m here to fix the mess that your procurement process screwed up by going for the lowest bidder when the city’s A.I. had advised differently. Even with our strict quality controls, this was an increased possibility with everybody trying to cut corners.

Walking around the back of the stage, which was out of direct view of the vast collection of supers, I saw that her face had become increasingly red. I sub-vocalized with a worried tone to the A.I., “Does the lady superhero next to the head of the academy, Gentle Watchman, have telepathic powers.”

A quiet voice in my ear sounded, “Yes, Jane. She is known as Rapid and has low-level mind-reading abilities mixed with high-level speed abilities.

“Oh crap, “ was my comment to the A.I.

Trying to keep the top level of my mind blank as I had been taught to do in this situation, I picked up my pace toward the back of the stage, nearly tripping in the process. However, before I could get far, I felt a disturbance in the air from the side of me.

As the angry glamorous-looking woman appeared in front of me - as if she had teleported – I groaned. In her dark black form-fitting super suit with a dark logo of a curve ‘R,’ she looked like she was buzzing with intense, angry energy. My eyes were having trouble looking at her as she moved so quickly; it was like she was in two places at once. Though what was apparent was the look of intense anger on her face.

She declared in no uncertain terms, “Finally, here you are, a lowly ….” She hissed something that I didn’t understand. Then she said, ”… and your tardiness is delaying the grand ceremony that I organized.”

Feeling the tension in the air, I stood firm as all my life I was not one to back down even when confronted by an angry super. Sometimes I felt like living in this city was like being in a cage with tigers that had enough power to snap my neck if I angered them. One of the tigers in front of me was a very angry ferocious powerful super.

Before I could even think of a response, she then told me, “Then, to top it off, you have the audacity to blame your incompetence on this academy. Just because you couldn’t get in is no reason ….”

I interrupted her then, as she must be confused about what was happening here, “What made you think that I would ….”

From my perspective, the world went blank as I must have become unconscious. It was a lot later when I reviewed the images from cameras around the academy, allowing me to piece together the following events:

--

The scene played out like something straight out of a popular superhero action movie in the federation. The air crackled with tension as the woman's hand rocketed towards my face, her eyes blazing with fury. The wind whipped past my skin as her hand came closer and closer, a split second away from connecting with my cheek. But just as the impact seemed inevitable, another figure appeared, moving at speed so fast it was almost a blur. In the blink of an eye, he had reached us, grabbing the woman's hand and stopping it dead in its tracks. However, the shock wave still hit me as if it was a solid punch to my cheek.

The sudden stop was so jarring that the woman stumbled forward, nearly losing her balance. The man who had saved me was dressed in a sleek black and silver costume, his muscles rippling with power. He held the woman's hand in a firm grip, his face a mask of intense concentration. For a moment, there was complete silence. Everyone in the audience held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next. Would the woman try to break free and attack again? Would the man let her go?

This speedy intervention prevented the hand from following through with the slap. If the man had not intervened at that instant, I would have been slapped into my early grave instead of being hit into an unconscious state.

Watching the images of the movement of the two speed-supers had been difficult, as even with high-speed photography, they were still a blur of movement. It reminded me of the everyday dangers of working in the city of supers when I was a civilian, as I was so physically vulnerable compared to the lowest-level super.

The city’s A.I. had done some calculations from the data. It worked out the Rapid’s slap had been just enough to only injure a low-level super, which she thought I was. The looked of horror when several of the supers shouted that I was a citizen was more confirmation that she had no intention of killing me.

With the high-level fast, moving super holding her hand, the rest of the supers on the stage began to react. The happy, smiling face of the large man that was the head of the academy changed in an instant as he shouted that I was a citizen. As the words left his mouth, he was already flying toward the three of us. While his powers were not focused on high speed, he was certainly fast enough to reach Rapid and pull her away from me. He threw her across the large arena area as if she were a rag doll. With the power of his throw, it was only in mid-air that she could react as she changed her trajectory with her power. From the many cameras' point of view, the woman's body blurred in the air as she moved so fast that the air was now like a liquid to her. Then without pause, she moved faster than the A.I. could keep track of as she fled the academy.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

When I saw this, I wondered how quickly she must have been thinking to understand what she had done. Even though she had not meant to hit a citizen, she had. What made it worse was that she would have killed me if nobody had intervened. She must have known that it was now open season on her as everybody would be after the karma points. This was one way the federation tried to govern the powerful supers. Is that any harming of a citizen by a super would lead to the attacking super being hunted down and, in extreme cases, even killed for the points.

With me, it was even worst as I lived in this city … with the A.I. trying to protect me.

I fell to the ground as my mind went into unconsciousness. The super that had stopped the hit disappeared as well. From what I could tell from the camera feeds, he was keen to get more karma points as he raced after the assailant. With the supers reacting, some of them chased after the woman. In contrast, others ran over to attend to my unconscious body. However, before they could get there, the comparatively slow A.I. reacted. Several metal spheres – each about half a meter in diameter – launched from the shuttle. One of the spheres slowed down as it hit my body on the floor. In a second, the liquid metal flowed around my prone body. When the metal was covering me, the tiny micro machines that were part of the make-up of the high-technological system around me began to diagnose and treat my injuries. The surrounding metal also stiffened, forming a hardened barrier between me and the supers.

The A.I. was not always the most trusting regarding the supers.

In addition, the other metal spheres broke up into hundreds of one-inch diameter balls. Then like a nest of angry hornets, the balls swarmed around me as they tried to push the supers back. This was met with mixed results as most of the people simply swatted them out of the way, like the A.I. defense system was nothing to worry about.

The head of the academy said calmly to the air, “City A.I., you need to calm down. You know that I, for one, have no intention of harming the girl.” He then gave the people around him a stern look as he said, “Nobody else will do anything to harm her as well.”

The cameras showed a lot of nodding from the people present. An elegant woman stepped forward.

She spoke to the shuttlecraft as if that was where the A.I. resided, “You know me, I’m Med-aid!” The somewhat stubborn A.I. didn’t answer as the defense system's balls of metal increased with more spheres exiting the shuttlecraft.

The woman declared in a firm voice, “I’m going begin the process of healing her.”

The Gentle Watchman gave her a nod of approval when she looked at him to check if that was acceptable. Then a voice sounded from the air as the A.I. spoke, “That is agreeable, but nothing more. I will be monitoring your every move.”

The academy leader rolled his eyes as waves of green energy flowed from Med-aid’s hands. Med-aid's superhero costume was a brilliant green color with intricate patterns etched into the fabric. The costume was fitted to her form, emphasizing her curves while providing her with freedom of movement to use her healing powers. The emblem on her chest was a cross surrounded by a circle, signifying her role as a healer and protector. Her flowing hair was tied up in a high ponytail, allowing her to focus on her work without any distractions.

She said with an intense look on her face, “She’s got a broken jawbone. I'll fix that in a second as I treat the concussion.”

As the waves of green energy flowed from her hands, the air around us seemed to shimmer with a healing light. The energy seemed to pulse with a life of its own, traveling through the air and entering my body. As the energy spread, I could feel my body healing from the inside out, repairing damaged tissues and mending broken bones.

As the healing process continued, Med-aid's eyes glowed with an intense green light, her focus unbreakable as she worked to heal my injuries. Her powers were truly a wonder to behold, and I felt incredibly grateful to have her on my side. In a world full of danger and uncertainty, having someone like Med-aid around was a comforting thought.

From my understanding of her abilities, the green energy wave worked very much like the micro-machines as she manipulated the forces to heal my body.

She blurted out, “I’m detecting that she has something wrong with her underlying genetic code ….”

The A.I.’s voice interrupted her as it said sternly, “I told you nothing more! Withdraw your powers from her body immediately.”

Med-aid looked at Gentle Watchman, who responded in a quiet voice, “Med-aid, it is best if you do what the city’s A.I. says.”

He moved over very close to her ear and said, “Best forget about what you found as well.”

She blinked at him several times. Then reluctantly said, “I finished with her superficial injuries. She should be waking up soon.”

--

I felt my mind slowly return to the world of consciousness as my eyes fluttered open like coming out of a deep, dark well. Then when I could keep them open for long enough, the world came into focus. The first thing I saw was a cloud of buzzing metal balls flowing around me.

I muttered to the air, “Like that is going to do anything. I presume that you're trying to defend me?” This was addressed to the A.I., who I guessed had wrapped me in the straight metal jacket. Thankfully it had made the face mask transparent, allowing me to see the world around me.

The vast computer spoke, “My analysis indicates that you are in no immediate danger at the moment.”

I looked around to see the smiling but grim face of Gentle Watchman looking down at me. He was surrounded by several supers who all had a mixture of expressions on their faces.

Attempting to stand, I looked at the head super and said, “You mean that Gentle Watchman is watching over me now, and your toys are not my defense.”

Now that I was standing, the hundreds of supposed ‘defense balls’ flew back into the shuttlecraft, and my exo-frame flowed off my body. I looked to see if there was any damage to myself and thankfully saw nothing as I felt terrific.

That was not the medical technology that healed me, as it was so good.

I looked around and saw one of the supers looking at me intensely. I said to Med-Aid, “Thanks for the quick healing.”

She nodded intensely and then looked at the large head of the academy. Then seeming to make her mind up, she said, “I need to talk to you ….”

The large giant that was the academy head interrupted her in a jolly overbearing tone of voice, “Of course, we all want to talk to you about karma points.

She gave him a withering look as he returned a look of intensity that seemed to speak volumes. I subvocalized to the city’s A.I., “What’s going on?”

“I'll give you more details later. However, the female super has detected your ‘genetic condition.’”

“Oh,” was the first word out of my mouth. I then spoke into my hand, “Will that make a difference?”

The A.I. replied, “I will have to run some reality simulations.”

I rolled my eyes as I replied, “That seems to be your answer to everything. Those simulations are never as good as the super psychics' seers that give you predictions about the future.”

Quitely in my ear, the computer admitted, “We non-supers can only work with what we have.”

I nodded my head as this was always the battle with working with the city’s A.I.; no matter what you did, the supers always had a better method of achieving a task with a range of powers.

I thought, thank goodness, that there was one thing that they could not do.

With my health restored, I was about to ask my companion, the A.I., what had happened to me. I knew that I had been the focus of an angry super. Then the world went blank, and now I was healed. With keen interest, I was about to question the computer when I saw that I was the focus of everybody in the stadium. This spurred me on to get the job I was here done and then get out of this hornets' nest of superpower brokers. I could ask the A.I. for details of the assault on me later.

I announced to everybody that was still in my way, “If you would move out of my way, I’ve still got something … rather important to do.”

The Gentle Watchman gave me a giant welcoming smile as he ushered people out of my path. With my head down again, I stepped forward then the voice of the A.I. talked loud enough to be heard by everybody in the stadium:

“Job …” it then read out the long detailed job number in an official tone, “has been canceled. If you have any queries relating to this job, contact ….”

I was shocked as I listened to the next part of the message announcement from the typical, more personable A.I. as it sounded like a lousy message service. The screen on the back of my hand flashed, notifying some changes. I looked at my hand and saw that my ever-extending job list was scrolling past. Each line of the list changed color to yellow, showing that each job was canceled.

With surprise on my face, I subvocalized to the A.I.,” What do you think you are doing?”

The voice reassured me, “Prioritising your job list.”

I was baffled by the response as this was not what was happening. Looking around, I could see that the supers had listened. Most of the people in the vast audience were chatting with people next to them as they wondered what this all meant. However, the top people on the stage and around me had expressions of shock and anger on their faces.

I thought, thank you, now you’ve put a pigeon amongst a clowder of furious cats.

With a concerned look on his typical jolly face, Gentle Watchman approached me and said, “The A.I. is saying that the replacement of the relay is canceled. Surely you can do it while you are here … you’ve got all the equipment and are ready.”

With all this unwanted attention, I felt like I was an escaped prisoner caught in a spotlight with the guards pointing loaded guns at me. I froze as I tried to think of a reasonable reply. All I could say was, “I really don’t know what’s going on … any more than you do.”

One of the large male bodybuilding-shaped supers at the back of the crown spoke up in an angry voice, “Stop playing the fool. All you need to do is enter the Superiorum containment chamber and fix the problem. If you don’t fix it … what are we to do?”

Gentle Watchman turned around and gave the man a weathering look. Then, in a tone that spoke of immense authority, “The rest of you keep your mouth shut. I will deal with this.”

While the people around him didn’t like his declaration, they did keep their mouths shut. With a forced expression, he gave me a slight smile.

“Jane, I guess that the A.I. just wants you to have a rest. You’ve been through a lot already today. So let me and the city’s A.I. sort this out.”

I wondered why he had suddenly become so accommodating for something of the utmost importance. Then with a cheerful voice, he announced to the arena as if nothing untoward was happening, “We will have an hour break and change the venue to the inner auditorium.”