The force from his voice created a short but strong draft in the room. “If you would like to continue your adventures as Red Electron, you must attend training and receive your license. I run The Ultimatum Training Academy, the top school for heroes, and I invite you to attend. Spaces are very limited, so consider it an honor.” 

“Top school? There’s more than one?”

“No,” Rage answered. 

Urban City wasn’t too far from South Urbana, just far enough that most people never went, Arin included. It was big, and dark, and full of super humans. There was never a dull moment, but there was also never a chance that you would keep a car intact for more than a week before a lizard man or giant space alien exploded it. 

It wasn’t really Arin’s thing. She wanted to leave the small town...but Urban City? That was a whole other beast in its own. She liked being alive, and not smashed by radioactive lab rats.

“Do I get paid?” That was really the only question Arin needed answered.

“Not while you are in training, no.”

Arin’s interest in Dr. Rage and this subject vanished. “Pass.”

“You could be a hero and save lives—”

“You mean get killed? Dude, you’re intimidating and all, but not even you can convince me I’m not going to get killed on day one with my not-powers,” Arin said with all the snark she could conjure.

“That would be really impressive seeing as on day one you only—”

“I have a good thing going here. Maybe other supers only have their powers going for them, but I’m perfectly capable otherwise. I have a year and one more semester of college, then I can move to a normal city with normal people and not die in tight pleather.”

Dr. Rage clearly wasn’t used to rejection. He coughed, which sounded like distant thunder. “If you prefer your costume be made with—” 

Arin wouldn’t listen anymore. She put her headphones over her ears to drown out his booming voice. It did not work, but she could pretend it did. 

 Dr. Rage approached until he was uncomfortably close to Arin, his dark eyes fixated on her but she didn’t stray from her screen. He dug deep into the pockets of his thick, leathery coat and pulled out a small piece of cardstock. “This is my card. Call me if you change your mind.” He placed it on her desk and backed up.

Arin grabbed the glossy black card and eyed it. It had “Dr. Rage, Head of the Ultimatum” written on it in white lettering, and somehow it flashed like lightning, revealing a number in a dark font when it illuminated.

Arin flipped it around in her hands, trying to figure out how the hell it worked. When she looked up from the card, Dr. Rage was gone. Daylight returned, and the TV played crystal clear. 

Arin took off her headphones and continued to stare at the spot where the political head of all superheroes stood a moment ago. She took in a deep breath before laughing to herself nervously. “All right then. Yeah. Dr. Rage was just in my dorm. No big deal.” 

She buried the card deep in her messy desk drawer and waved her computer on, ready to practice some games, forget that ever happened, and think about how the Ultimatum must be really desperate right now if they were trying to drag someone with her terrible powers into the battlefield.

Because there was no way they believed she could actually be a superhero.