TheMaster726262

One day, a light covered the world, ushering in a new era with the awakening of the Epsilon Gene. Follow Aelyra’s journey as she discovers that the world she knows is not what it seems and navigates her more than complicated family relationships.

This story is inspired by My Hero Academia and similar tales. I gladly welcome any feedback or suggestions. English is not my first language.

Epsilon gene

We were on break after Bubble Cop's class. I was sitting at a table with Selphira and Thalía, or rather, they were chatting while I was lost in my thoughts.

What the teacher said left me thinking. Why do I want to be a hero? As I ask myself this question, I remember the day of the school hostage situation and… and Dilan. I feel a knot in my stomach and—

I look at Selphira, who has her hand on my shoulder, while she and Thalía look at me with concern.

"Are you sure? You look a little pale. Do you want to go to the infirmary?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks… So, what do you think of Bubble Cop as a teacher?"

"She's a good teacher… I guess. But honestly, I always expected that classes with a hero would be, I don't know, more exciting?" Thalía replied.

"Same here. I thought it would be something like, 'Today we'll learn what to do in a store robbery,' not 'Open your textbook to page 35 and write a summary,'" Selphira added.

I couldn't help but smile and nod at Selphira's comment.

"Ironically, hero school is more normal than I thought."

The three of us kept talking until I asked,

"By the way… why do you two want to be heroes?"

Selphira looked serious, while Thalía responded naturally,

"My parents are heroes, so since I can remember, they raised me to be one too. So, I guess… family pressure? Yeah, honestly, it's not the best origin story or anything."

Selphira and I looked at her, surprised. We hadn't been friends for too long, but finding out she was the daughter of a hero couple—

"You… seriously? Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Fair enough," I admitted, and we continued talking.

After the break, we had another class with a new teacher.

"Good morning, students. I'm Titan, a professional hero and your close-combat instructor—or glorified physical education teacher."

Titan was a tall, muscular African American man, wearing his hero costume—a Roman gladiator outfit with a shoulder guard on his left shoulder, greaves, and a characteristic skirt made of metal scales over a red fabric, finished off with a brown leather belt.

"As you know, being a hero is physically demanding, so this class will be one of the most important until you graduate. So, put in the effort."

He said this while scanning the class with his eyes.

"To start, go to the locker rooms to change. Then, you'll run five laps around the field."

Several students started complaining, but the teacher just said,

"Less complaining, more running. If you wanted a quiet job, you chose the wrong profession."

"Panting That was exhausting," I said, catching my breath after finishing the five laps.

"At least you can walk and not crawl," said a grumpy Selphira, to which I had no response.

"Alright, class," the professor said while clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Let me just say… that was disappointing. Pathetic, really. Most of you leave a lot to be desired… with a few exceptions." He glanced briefly at Thalía and two other students.

Several students visibly bristled at his words, and some even muttered insults under their breath. Whether the teacher heard them or just didn't care remained a mystery.

"Go ahead, complain all you want, but whining won't stop you from being mediocre. If you want to stop being mediocre, I suggest you do as I say."

We then spent the rest of the class doing various exercises.

Sorry for the short chapter, but I didn't have any more ideas to add. The next chapter will be from another character's point of view.

Chapter 19