The System Gave Everyone Superpowers

The helicopter landed on a private helipad just outside the stadium.

We stepped out. The noise was incredible. Even from outside, I could hear the roar of the crowd inside.

The stadium was huge. It could hold a hundred thousand people. Surrounding the building were hundreds of food trucks, merchandise tents, and giant screens playing highlights from past tournaments.

"Stay close," Captain May ordered. "Security is extremely tight today."

We walked toward the VIP entrance. There were military guards everywhere, holding energy rifles and scanning the crowds. After the Black Hole attack at the charity gala, the government wasn't taking any chances.

We flashed our Aegis badges and walked through the glass doors.

An usher in a suit led us to an elevator. We went up to the very top level of the stadium.

When the elevator doors opened, we stepped out into a carpeted hallway. This was the luxury tier.

We walked into the stadium seating area, and the sheer scale of the place hit me.

The stadium was a perfect slice of how our society worked.

I looked down. At the very bottom, closest to the arena, were the cheap seats. They were packed with regular people—factory workers, gas station cashiers, and people with weak Blessings. They were squeezed together on hard plastic benches, cheering loudly.

Above them, in the middle tiers, were the media sections. Hundreds of reporters and camera drones buzzed around, setting up their equipment. That was where the middle-class sat.

But up here, at the very top, it was completely different.

We were in the luxury boxes. They were enclosed in soundproof glass. Inside the boxes, there were soft leather couches, catered food, and private waiters. This was where the defense contractors, the billionaires, and the elite families sat. We were literally looking down on everyone else.

The usher led us to our assigned box. The glass door had a gold plaque that read Aegis Defense.

We walked inside. It was warm and quiet. The glass blocked out most of the crowd's noise.

Mr. Graves immediately walked over to the catered food and poured himself a glass of water. Genevieve sat down on a couch and pulled out her phone to check her makeup.

I walked right up to the glass window and looked down at the arena below.

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The field was empty right now, waiting for the students.

"Quite a view, isn't it?" May said, standing next to me.

"It's big," I said.

"This is where careers are made, Shay," May said. "The students down there have been training since they were fourteen. They are going to fight today just for a chance to sit in a box like this."

I nodded, keeping my fake smile on.

I looked away from the field and started scanning the other boxes curving around the top of the stadium. I wanted to see who else was here.

It was time to see the rest of the players on the board.

I looked at the boxes next to ours.

The stadium had grouped all the mid-tier defense contractors together in one row.

To our left was the box for Romder. I recognized a few of their Heroes in sleek red and silver suits. They looked nervous. Ever since Kilpatrick destroyed their reputation during Leo's trial, Romder had been losing money and sponsors. They desperately needed to recruit a star student today to save their company.

To our right was a box that was twice as big as ours. The gold plaque on the door read Dawn.

Dawn was the number one mid-tier contractor in the country. Aegis was powerful, but Dawn was ruthless. They were known for extreme efficiency and massive payouts. They were currently ranked sixth overall in America, just below the top-tier giants.

I watched the Dawn executives inside their box. They were laughing, drinking champagne, and looking very relaxed.

"Don't stare at them," Mr. Graves said, walking up behind me.

"They have a bigger box than us," I pointed out.

"For now," Graves muttered, taking a sip of his water. "Dawn thinks they own the mid-tier market. But if we secure a top S-Tier student today, Aegis will surpass them and take their spot."

Graves looked at me and Genevieve. "That is why you two are here. When the tournament is over, we are going down to the locker rooms. You will show the students that Aegis Heroes are the most beloved idols in the city. You will make them want to be you."

"Understood," Genevieve said.

I just smiled and nodded.

I looked past the Dawn box, further down the row.

There was one more mid-tier contractor box. It was smaller than the rest, and it didn't look very luxurious. The plaque read Gadol.

I leaned closer to the glass and looked inside their box.

Sitting on a simple chair near the back was a guy in dark green armor. It was Zachary.

Standing right next to the glass, looking down at the arena, was Leo.

Leo looked different. His face was harder.

I watched him.

Suddenly, Leo turned his head and looked directly at our box.

He saw me standing behind the glass.

We made eye contact across the stadium.

Leo gave me a stiff nod, acknowledging that I was there. Then, he turned his back and looked at the field again.

"Friends of yours?" Graves asked, noticing where I was looking.

"Just old acquaintances," I said.

I turned away from the Gadol box. I had seen enough of the defense contractors.

I looked across the stadium, searching the boxes on the exact opposite side of the arena. That was where the ultra-elite families sat.

It was time to find my parents.