Arriving early is a good start to anything. If you try to arrive just on time, you might be late. If you try to arrive late, it's probably something you shouldn't be doing. If you arrive early, you'll have plenty of time to work out any problems which tend to be attracted to your path. It is for this reason that Cathy arrived before Eastern Power University's doors officially opened. While it may seem taboo to enter the professor's office before the professor did, Cathy was sure it would be the enthusiasm desired from a teacher at a school for heroes. While the school wasn't the most prestigious in the state, old schools toward the center of Tennessee took that position, it was close to her parents, and with that considered, the school didn't seem that bad. Especially given how much lower tuition was without housing costs.
When the professor walked in and gave her an odd look, Cathy took it as an admission of her senior classes lacking work ethic. Whether you fault Cathy for this behavior, is up to the observer. Professor Messenger decided that at this point in the morning it was not fitting for judgment. That was for later. Judgment would lead to questioning of other facets of Messenger's life, such as having to teach college classes early in the day, or living in a city prone to natural disasters. The ground around Newmount had begun shaking ever since quirks began appearing, which was stranger than a student being in class before the first day really even started.
The professor's arrival was followed, not all at once and not very quickly, by the arrival of a woman in a plaid jacket, and some form of robot. Calling the man a robot would be wrong, Cathy quickly thought, given that it's likely some sort of quirk making his body mechanical, though it seemed a moot correction. The feline fellow (as Cathy has been described, based on the thin layer of calico-patterned hair covering her body) examined the movements of those who entered. The lady in plaid chose a seat at the far wall near the middle, and the man went to the seat behind her. Despite having arrived early, Cathy spent most of her time standing in a position behind the desks which may be described as 'awkward' by some. Using this wave of motion, Cathy swam in and chose the seat next to the lady, and began the process of introductions.
"Hi! I'm Catherine Wendel, but you can call me Cathy!" a usual line of introduction for Cathy, used prior in introductions at birthdays and the start of semesters back in highschool. Slotting college into the latter category meant that the line was fitting, and the lady across from her responded in the usual flow of conversation with "I'm Dew, nice to meet you."
The man behind Dew, whose name was now known, introduced himself as well. "I'm Robert. You may call me Rob," before swiftly going on to finish with "the name was chosen before my quirk manifested." The introduction you have with new people who you are likely to continue to meet with in future years is easier than the conversation immediately post-introduction, is a lesson Cathy learned years prior and will likely continue to learn. This moment was no exception, with a bout of awkward silence holding the trio captive in a moment which unfortunately felt far longer than it really was.
"So, do you two know each other?" Cathy asked, desperately trying to fill in the silence with something more sustainable. "We're assigned as roommates. We've coordinated to make it less awkward," Rob explained. Unable to do what Rob and Dew had apparently done, the conversation's silence continued, as if uninterrupted, awkwardness reclaiming the mood of the room. Cathy, again attempting to battle the atmosphere, though in a method less destructive than freon, began the conversation again.
"If either of you want to study after this, you can come over to my house, here's my number," was her solution as she dug out papers pre-prepared with her phone number and address. As well as name, in the unlikely event that they forgot in the four lines of dialogue between her introduction and her gifting of the paper slips. Cathy herself struggled with names, so it seemed a more pertinent issue to her than others. The two accepted, an act which solidified the end of their conversation until later reignited by class.
More students flowed into the room with time, many physically normal, a notable few being a woman with a metal helmet on, and a man with bear arms. Before Cathy could begin the cycle of comfortable introductions and the gifting of paper slips, class officially began and, while it was hardly silent (as is the nature of college students), Cathy still felt it would be inappropriate to not pay attention to her introductory lecture.
The professor began by walking to the front of the class, and coughing loudly. While twenty students was fairly small for a number of college's classes, for a school of prospective heroes, many tend to be more rowdy than the average student would be assumed to be. "Welcome to EPU. I know that the majority of you have already had a lecture on the school, and its purpose, through the application process, and online or in-person orientation. Regardless, it is important to clarify that this class is to prepare you all for usage of your quirks responsibly. Whether or not you plan to pursue a career in heroics, you will learn valuable information about the usage of quirks in modern society."
As boring as this introduction was, and as redundant, it still managed to attract Cathy's attention. It was likely because of the professor's lack of monotone voice. Despite the script being clearly written, likely many years prior, his tone still inspired the hopeful feelings that she had felt draw her into wanting to pursue heroics. Talk of responsibility, and similar some such. Cathy's attention was clear to Dew, who gave her a side-eye convincing enough to get the feline to fall down in her chair, rather than sitting at attention.
"Are there any questions?" Professor Messenger concluded, awaiting a response expected from at least one student every year. "When are we going to begin applying our quirks? Like, physically, I mean," came the expected response from the aforementioned student with bear arms. "Bradford, right?" the professor inquired. "Yes, sir," came the once again expected response. "I know that watching the events that top schools put on might make you think we're going to be putting you through gym class daily, but this course is about how to use quirks. That means establishing a basic understanding of the rules and laws which govern quirk usage."
Another student, this time an unassuming woman with blonde hair, began to protest this claim, "But why can't we learn application as well as theory at the same time?" The response which came back from the professor was tired, matching the tone of a dog trainer explaining something very basic to something that was supposed to be smart. "Simply put, we wouldn't receive the money to fund constant application training. Advertisers would not receive enough viewership for their liking, and our students tend to be of a lower… attractiveness to corporate sponsors. Additionally, our tuition is lower than many of the schools which are capable of holding up those kinds of schedules. My answer to why we can't begin quirk training immediately was correct as well. The school is meant to help you learn, that includes improving your quirks, but it also includes setting you up for the SQC Basics Exam. You'll still get your exercise in, don't worry, just give it a bit."
From behind Dew, Rob chipped in a sidebar. "Super Quirk Coverage partners with states to test who's good enough for a license. They also state that people who get a lot of screen time are good enough regardless of the test. What a fair system." The professor moved on to describe that the class would have a test at the end of the week, a basic check of if the class is aware of what is required to get a hero license. Responses which were anticipated were given, with the class looking more and more ready for a gap year replacing their current schedule. While almost certainly less exciting than many expected their first day to be, Cathy left with a good feeling about the potential of the class.
Studying for a test in her first week would be exciting, the thrill of school finally coming back to Cathy after her summer break. It shouldn't be hard to find a friend group, the two who she gave her number to had already texted her. The class would go well, Cathy would learn how to use her quirk to best serve the people, and she'd end up a hero like she always dreamed.
Dew and Rob had moved into the dorm prior to the start of actual classes, but were still in the process of getting used to living in a dorm. The two had vaguely settled into having their own positions to sit, and while the silence wasn't yet comfortable, it wasn't as bad as the silence in their conversations earlier in the day. They had both texted Cathy, as seemed proper when given a fellow student's number, and both received an invitation to study at a local cafe.
Arriving at The Coffee Corner, Rob noted to Dew a single observation. "Apt name." Rob's statement would largely be considered correct, as the shop's position on the corner of a slow-moving street allowed it to have windows on the second floor, allowing nearly two hundred and seventy degrees worth of people-watching. Cathy was waiting inside, right next to the door. She led them to the second floor, and showed them how to order. A tablet showing a multitude of meal combinations or ways caffeine can be ingested allowed remote ordering. When not in use, the tablet showed a number of advertisements for a variety of corporations.
"Actually, I've been wondering, how do you eat, Rob? I mean, you don't really… have a mouth? Sorry if that's mean, I just mean, your face is sort of… robot-y? Sorry, I mean—" Rob interrupted her before she was able to continue trying to escape from a hole which did not exist, "I have an opening I can use to ingest liquids," he explained while tapping a circle where his chin would be, if he had human facial features. "My quirk replaces parts of my body with machinery, as you can tell. At the moment my torso is the only organic thing I still have. I'm not entirely sure how the machinery works. It does not seem to follow scientific theory, but then again few quirks do."
"That's true! My quirk is being able to control earth, like, rocks and the ground, you know? But I also look sort of like a cat! Those things are kind of unrelated, but quirks do weird stuff I guess, right?"
Dew joined in the explanation of quirks, seeing as it would be hardly appropriate for her companions to explain theirs, and receive silence from herself. "My fingernails can turn into chains, which I control." Quirks noted, the group began to turn towards the topic of the test. "Professor Messenger had described it as an overview of everything that would be required to obtain a hero license in Tennessee, so we should probably begin with the people who give it to us, right?" asked Cathy. "As per the sources he gave us, the Tennessee Hero Program manages hero licenses in our state thanks to the twenty-ninth amendment. We pass a vote by the board, and we get a license. Technically anyone can be voted in, but they do list general requirements that are expected of every prospect," Rob described, beginning the long process of study that would engulf the rest of the trio's day.
"Requirements include passing the Tennessee Hero Preparedness Course, organized by the THP itself, and getting passing the SQC Basics Exam, which is a written test. Passing both of these will let you get in, excluding unusual circumstances, though they often only offer a provisional license until you reach the age of twenty-one, in our state at least. Other states offer them earlier, and so some have highschools for heroes."
"Usually other states are willing to grant hero licenses once you've had yours wherever else for at least a year. Though the requirements are considered for just about everyone, some people's popularity allows them to get a hero license without going through any of the usual hoops."
The study session continued on, an information dump of the highest order. Individual speakers were unimportant as the trio worked to review what could determine their success in the class. Should they do well, they would prove a dedication to the class that may carry on. Should they not care, they would likely continue to fail in the future in repetition of their behavior. This perspective was arguably inaccurate, given that failure once does not always indicate the future, but it was still one the group shared.
The test was exactly as advertised. The generally accepted requirements for a license, and the times when there is an exception to those requirements. The trio compared grades immediately, as is the common course of action in groups of friends in a class, as the three would not consider themselves friends within the week since they met. Others joined in this process, not as friends per say, but more so as confirmation of the test's content and ease.
One individual, yet mentioned, failed this test, however. Aaron Marshall's grade implied a lack of even the smallest background knowledge on the subject, which raised Cathy's attention. "Hey, you can study with us next time!" she declared. Whether or not those sitting to her side and diagonal agreed with her declaration was unimportant, but even if they had disagreed what Aaron said next was a gestalt denial of Cathy's offer.
"I don't care."
It could be argued that this response lacked tact, and so it was. "What do you mean? You won't be able to be a hero if you don't even know what the requirements are! I'm just trying to help—"
"Look, I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't really care about being a hero. I'm here because this school offers a major in Hero Studies, which means I'll be qualified for other jobs but they'll have to pay me more. Besides, if I wanted to be a hero, I'd go to a school that, you know… makes heroes."
The revelation that people would go to a college for heroes with entirely different aspirations was previously unbelievable to Cathy, who responded via a dignified noise with an intonation similar to that of a confused cat. Dew had a more appropriate response, telling Cathy "A lot of people who want to get a hero license transfer over to other schools in senior years. It helps that other schools advertise their students more. No need to sound so… like that."
The rowdiness of the students died down as the Professor stood again, delivering a tired sigh before informing the students of the activities which would consume them in the next week. "Now that the first week has passed, the start of honing your quirks through use will begin. We have a space rented out once weekly for use in practice rescue and combat training. Sponsored by Hi-Power, you are all expected to agree to the terms and conditions which will ensure the school and corporation are not legally responsible in the event of an accident to property or person. What I'm saying is, these exercises are optional and if you don't want to do them they won't be counted against you. If you do want to do them, it'll be useful for THPC, which is the physical part of the requirement for a license in the state. You should know that, since it was on the test you just took."
Excitement boiled in the parts of the class with aspirations of heroism, along with in the parts of the class with aspirations of entertainment. The battle against ennui is an endless one, almost especially for students, and so these corporate-sponsored endeavors into the endeavor of heroism should be satisfying.
Professor Messenger organized the students as they arrived in the parking lot of the Hi-Power Simulation Arena. All twenty in class C13-3 had signed up for the rest of the semester. Even if they didn't plan to go into heroism, a rare chance to utilize quirks freely was too good for many to pass up. All students were to pick a partner, and would randomly be assigned combat practice against another group. Based off of the curriculum used at many more prestigious schools, the goal was to incapacitate the enemy team without bringing them to harm. One team would play the heroes, and the other would play the villains. The villains would defend, the heroes attack.
Due to being the freshman class, and the school's lack of funding, costumes and support items would not be provided until a later date. This would be elaborated on more in a later lecture, but at the moment the group would have to operate with their quirks and civilian clothes. "Rather than being disappointed in your lack of equipment, you should consider this a more efficient method of learning. You will learn how to fight with just your quirks and civilian clothes. Many heroes are reliant on support items, but I should hope for you all to know that even if you don't go into heroics, your quirk is the most important tool that you have," to put it in the professor's words.
The arena itself was large, roughly a football field in size. Located near the comparatively undeveloped mountains east of Newmount's downtown, forest surrounded the sealed structure. In the center of the arena was a single three-story building, surrounded by smaller walls creating a maze of concrete, with outer areas completely clear of obstruction.
Dew had, up to this point, not paid attention to the quirks her classmates had. She hadn't really cared beyond what she learned about Rob and Cathy, one of whom she had to know about because he was her roommate, and the other of whom threw herself at Dew. So when it came time for finding a team and Cathy grabbed Rob, Dew was left at a loss. After waiting for groups to naturally appear between other groups which had formed such as the one between herself, Rob, and Cathy, another straggler was found. Drifting over to a scruffy man standing in a state of… well, Dew couldn't quite say it was bewilderment, but it was almost certainly the look of someone vaguely unaware. Dazed, maybe. "Everyone else has a partner. Guess we're together," she told him.
"Yeah."
"Gonna tell me your name?"
"Joe."
"Dew."
Dew's genius in the art of conversation successfully painted, she mentally brushed herself off and prepared to remain silent until it was time for her team to be called into the arena.
The professor called Dew and her partner first in a stroke of incredibly bad fortune. No longer able to fulfill her plan of sitting around silently and avoiding human contact, Dew was tasked with playing the part of a hero who had to enter the building at the center of the arena and subdue the villains. After they were subdued, or the heroes were, the round would end. The villains would be two students named Quintin and Gloria. Dew tried to recall what their quirks were, but drew up a blank. She hadn't gotten to know anyone other than Rob and Cathy, and that was apparent by her lack of knowledge of her other classmates. Regardless, she would formulate a plan with her teammate to work around it. Surely Joe would know more about her classmates than she did.
Joe knew about as much about her classmates as she did. Their planning period was a prolonged silence which did fairly little to assist in the upcoming round of combat. Entering the arena Dew saw that it was as described, a maze of concrete with a building in the center. The heroes would approach the building, and once they entered the villains were allowed to go anywhere. Just trying to get in and catch them. Easy. Fun, even. There were two entrances to the maze, one on the left and one on the right.
"You wanna enter the one on the left and I'll go on the right?" Dew asked her partner.
"Yeah."
And so they followed through with their genius plan. Sticking to the left wall of the right entrance Dew walked through the maze. Hitting a couple of dead-ends, her uneventful stroll eventually led her to an entrance of the building. Opening the door quietly and stepping in, Dew was greeted by an empty room. Sighing in relief, she decided to wait on the first floor for her partner. After a few minutes, she decided that he wasn't coming and that it would be for the best to just head up and drive the other team out, and then Joe could help if he was still out in the maze.
As Dew stepped up the stairs to the next floor she extended her nails, transforming them into long metal chains. Her quirk was made to subdue villains. She could wrap her nails around them and be done with it. A partner would be nice, since she had no clue what her opponents could do, but it was ultimately unnecessary. As she took the final step up to the second floor she saw a human and stretched out her nails.
The student, presumably Gloria, had some sort of metal helmet, and as Dew's nails began to approach her they were suddenly flung back. A shrill whistling could be heard from the floor above as Dew's nails struck the back wall. Losing control of a limb is something most people would say is disconcerting, and panic gripped Dew, as did her own nails. Her chains, not obeying her, began to move to tie up Dew just as Dew had tried to do to Gloria. Speaking of Gloria, Dew saw her begin to approach.
"You know that Quintin's whole thing is that he can whistle to control metal, right? Why did you think we'd just let you tie us up?"
Frankly, Dew had no answer for this line of questioning. Dew thought of the reply "I know you are but what am I," which evidently was entirely inappropriate to the conversation. This was revealed when Gloria made a dumbfounded look as Dew had apparently spoken those words out loud. Go figure. Gloria's stupefied appearance left Dew feeling, frankly, aghast.
Joe, appearing to have just entered and been drawn upstairs by the noise, did something that left all parties aghast. Spitting at Gloria's face, the three began to look at each other in a state of confusion. With combat training not being the ideal situation for such confusion, Joe quickly explained, "My quirk puts people to sleep when my saliva gets on them."
Gloria's look of disgust was apparent by her action of headbutting Joe, with a sound of a loud crack as he fell to the ground. Quintin walked downstairs and began to laugh. "What the hell? This isn't funny, man!" Gloria exclaimed at his laughter. "It's just- you just- I-I mean… he spit at you! That's hilarious!"
The two began to engage in verbal combat, one amused and another filled with hatred. As Quintin began to talk, Dew realized she could control her chains, however. Joe was still writhing on the ground, but that didn't really matter. Evidently his quirk had worked as Gloria's speech began to enter a mumble, with Quintin catching her with a laugh, "Man, this class is great."
"True," Dew agreed, standing up as her chains fell off of her and she moved to grab the enemy team, "you're completely true." Wrapping around Gloria and Quintin, Dew began to smile. She had won! Completely outmatched and with no plan, her team had won! Granted, Joe was still on the ground likely with a broken nose, but the other two were wrapped up in chains, if that isn't disabled, then what is?
Dew's moment of happiness was short lived, as she saw Quintin begin to whistle once again. However, rather than controlling Dew's nails, Gloria began to float from her helmet, which Dew realized must be her quirk. Using Gloria to smash through the wall, which quickly awoke her and caused her to scream, Quintin brought the three out into the maze as Dew was dragged by her own nails.
Crashing outside, Quintin caused the nails to drop off of both himself and his partner, before wrapping Dew up once more. "Man, can't believe I let myself get distracted. Still, love that Joe guy. Can't believe we haven't really talked before this. Anyway, Gloria, knock her out, will you?"
Dew's desire to not be hit in the face increased tenfold in that moment, screaming "I surrender!" before she would be in pain. Luckily, the other two took this surrender, and that was the end of her round.
The professor looked at the four assembled for their post-combat analysis. The other students had been watching via a camera system, something the professor had probably mentioned but Dew hadn't cared to remember, and began his critique.
"You, Dew and Joe, what was your plan there? You split up, and then engaged in combat at completely different times. Dew, did you even know about your opponent's quirks? Why did you try to go up against two people at the same time alone? You wouldn't even have to go through the maze, you can lift yourself and your teammate with your nails, I'm disappointed."
Dew took the criticism poorly, though expectedly so, and tried to mumble back a reply of "Maybe if there was some objective we had to reach in the building I'd have thought of that, but since we just had to knock out the others I—"
"Don't try to argue. Now, Joe, you did alright, but next time you should use your quirk more to ensure your opponent is unable to strike back. Also, don't waste time explaining what your quirk does to your opponent in the middle of combat. No one cares for the justification, heroes do what they need to."
The professor moved on to the other team, mentioning how it was proper planning to have them on different floors in the event that the heroes tried to go through an irregular entrance such as the ceiling, and that Quintin's use of Gloria's hair (it was hair?) was good thinking on how quirks interact in team scenarios.
Dew thought with a sigh that she would need to learn more about her classmates in the future. She signed up for the course to become a hero, and apparently she had a long way to go. Self-improvement is something which takes a while, apparently, and something which will take work. Regardless of her success, which now seemed unlikelier than before, the future should at least be interesting. Maybe she should talk to her other classmates. Figuring out everyone else's quirks would at least prevent the mistakes she made here.
Getting back into her car, Dew began planning out how her semester should go to prevent similar embarrassments when it came time for the Tennessee Hero Preparedness Course. Surely nothing would interrupt and make things harder than they had any right to be. Surely.