admit. "I guess I just know you two best, cuz you're always on the news."
"Makes sense," Taurus says. "You'll also realize that the race you come from or even your appearance in general doesn't matter as much in the super world as your abilities and conduct does."
"Sure it does," Sunny says, patting me on the back. "But don't worry, man, we'll get you tan in no time. That way you won't look like such a creepy--"
"Sunny!" Adanna says.
"What? He is seriously pale!"
"Thanks," I mutter, giving him a dark look. He grins at me shamelessly.
"He's a goth, he's supposed to be pale," Justin says. I look over at him, a bit surprised to see him moving through the crowd to stand next to me. "I'd like to learn how it works," he says. "Being a norm hero."
There's a strange look on Taurus's face. "Really," he says.
"Really," Justin repeats.
"Then we'll start with the toys," Taurus says. "Since I planned on teaching all of you these facts--yes, even the super villains." He heads across the gym, stopping in front of a wall that slides open at a touch. On the wall is an entire arsenal of weapons, and a suit. "This is a technologically advanced suit," Taurus says. "This one was built by Technico--because... well, honestly, I've got no clue what the guy is thinking more often than not. You let him goof off for a day and you wind up with all sorts of things that supers will never need. No offense, Sunny, Zoe."
"None taken," the twins say in the exact same dry tone.
"It's bullet proof, strength enhancing, speed enhancing and a dozen other 'enhancings' that a norm might need to play in the big leagues. Why it has pointy ears on the head, again, no clue. With this suit--and just this suit--a norm can easily stand toe to toe with a C class super. If the norm has combat training, he might be able to take on a B and not get put in traction. Now tell me why Nico stopped there? If he's a technopath, shouldn't he be able to make an A class suit?"
"He should, but non super humans shouldn't," Zoe says, raising her hand. "There's a lot of norms out there that would like to take a suit like that apart and use it against each other--"
"Or even against us," Adanna says. "And while we can handle each other, handling an entire army of norms in suits that equal our second most powerful group is impossible."
"Exactly," Taurus says. "Now, where's our volunteer?" Then he looks at me. I look around, but he's still looking straight at me.
"Um... here?" I say lamely, holding up a hand slightly. Not so high that he thinks I actually want to do this, of course. But I obviously have no choice.
"Then come on up here and try it on," Taurus says. I can literally feel the eyes on me. I'm the special needs kid of the class, okay? I've realized it already--
"I'll try it on!" Emily says.
"No way," Trent says. "You're a big enough pain without it--would you stop kicking me? You're going to break a toe or something."
"You're the one that called me a pain," she says.
I step forward, because nobody seems to care about the boyfriend abuse going on, and look at the suit. "How do you even put it on?" I ask after staring at it for a long moment.
"Um..."
Okay, it's sort of wrong to laugh at a super hero, not to mention dangerous, but the blank look on his face is seriously funny. Especially when he starts poking various parts of the suit, including the rubber nipples. "Why did he even put these on it?" he mutters under his breath. The entire class starts laughing at that one, so I let a grin escape. I've got my back to them, anyway.
"It's probably here," Zoe says, stepping up beside me and flicking a switch on the suit. The chest of the suit opens up, revealing the cavity. "You just step into the legs and it'll close again," she tells me.
"Okay," I say. Even Taurus is looking at me expectantly and I suddenly realize something. He wanted to see this work, personally. I wonder how
"Makes sense," Taurus says. "You'll also realize that the race you come from or even your appearance in general doesn't matter as much in the super world as your abilities and conduct does."
"Sure it does," Sunny says, patting me on the back. "But don't worry, man, we'll get you tan in no time. That way you won't look like such a creepy--"
"Sunny!" Adanna says.
"What? He is seriously pale!"
"Thanks," I mutter, giving him a dark look. He grins at me shamelessly.
"He's a goth, he's supposed to be pale," Justin says. I look over at him, a bit surprised to see him moving through the crowd to stand next to me. "I'd like to learn how it works," he says. "Being a norm hero."
There's a strange look on Taurus's face. "Really," he says.
"Really," Justin repeats.
"Then we'll start with the toys," Taurus says. "Since I planned on teaching all of you these facts--yes, even the super villains." He heads across the gym, stopping in front of a wall that slides open at a touch. On the wall is an entire arsenal of weapons, and a suit. "This is a technologically advanced suit," Taurus says. "This one was built by Technico--because... well, honestly, I've got no clue what the guy is thinking more often than not. You let him goof off for a day and you wind up with all sorts of things that supers will never need. No offense, Sunny, Zoe."
"None taken," the twins say in the exact same dry tone.
"It's bullet proof, strength enhancing, speed enhancing and a dozen other 'enhancings' that a norm might need to play in the big leagues. Why it has pointy ears on the head, again, no clue. With this suit--and just this suit--a norm can easily stand toe to toe with a C class super. If the norm has combat training, he might be able to take on a B and not get put in traction. Now tell me why Nico stopped there? If he's a technopath, shouldn't he be able to make an A class suit?"
"He should, but non super humans shouldn't," Zoe says, raising her hand. "There's a lot of norms out there that would like to take a suit like that apart and use it against each other--"
"Or even against us," Adanna says. "And while we can handle each other, handling an entire army of norms in suits that equal our second most powerful group is impossible."
"Exactly," Taurus says. "Now, where's our volunteer?" Then he looks at me. I look around, but he's still looking straight at me.
"Um... here?" I say lamely, holding up a hand slightly. Not so high that he thinks I actually want to do this, of course. But I obviously have no choice.
"Then come on up here and try it on," Taurus says. I can literally feel the eyes on me. I'm the special needs kid of the class, okay? I've realized it already--
"I'll try it on!" Emily says.
"No way," Trent says. "You're a big enough pain without it--would you stop kicking me? You're going to break a toe or something."
"You're the one that called me a pain," she says.
I step forward, because nobody seems to care about the boyfriend abuse going on, and look at the suit. "How do you even put it on?" I ask after staring at it for a long moment.
"Um..."
Okay, it's sort of wrong to laugh at a super hero, not to mention dangerous, but the blank look on his face is seriously funny. Especially when he starts poking various parts of the suit, including the rubber nipples. "Why did he even put these on it?" he mutters under his breath. The entire class starts laughing at that one, so I let a grin escape. I've got my back to them, anyway.
"It's probably here," Zoe says, stepping up beside me and flicking a switch on the suit. The chest of the suit opens up, revealing the cavity. "You just step into the legs and it'll close again," she tells me.
"Okay," I say. Even Taurus is looking at me expectantly and I suddenly realize something. He wanted to see this work, personally. I wonder how
Similar Books
