010 IS THAT SUPERPOWER
Damen felt exhilaration surge through him. For the first time in years, he felt free. The long suffering under his uncle's family was undone and it was all because of the DemCoin mining app.
"I need to think this through," he told himself. "This app could change my life, but it could just as easily destroy me."
History had shown what happened when extraordinary powers surfaced.
Meta-humans rose, only to be met with suspicion, control, and chains. If anyone discovered the truth about DemCoin—its strange, unethical power—they would not treat him kindly.
"I must never be caught using this app," he whispered, sealing the vow.
His thoughts turned to the future. "Where do I go from here? I can't go back to school…not until the final exams. Otherwise, Miss Poney would find every excuse to test him again and … I'll never return to Ralph's place…ever."
From his pocket, he pulled out his late parents' medals, their weight both heavy and reassuring.
Then it struck him. This is my inheritance. I should use it wisely.
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[The City Council of Melrose City]
Damen arrived at the City Council, the heart of Melrose City's government, and stood in line before reaching an administrative desk.
"Boy, you're a bit young to be complaining about garbage collection," the plump woman behind the desk remarked with a chuckle.
It was true. Melrose City's services were notoriously subpar. Most people who visited the council were there to lodge complaints—frequent gripes about things like sporadic garbage collection.
But Damen wasn't there to complain.
Instead, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two medals—glistening awards once given to his parents. The woman's expression shifted when she saw them.
She stood up straight and saluted. "Manager! Come here, please. We've got a Hero's Medal. A hero needs our service."
The city's services for regular citizens were subpar but towards heroes, it was a different matter.
Moments later, a man appeared behind her. Like the woman, he saluted the medals, his gaze lingering on them as he took them into his hands for closer inspection.
"Who might you be?" the manager asked, eyeing Damen with curiosity. "You're far too young to be the recipient of these."
"These medals belonged to my parents, Craig and Roise Black," Damen replied, his voice steady despite the awkwardness of the moment.
The manager's eyes widened.
He quickly pulled open a thick ledger from his desk and flipped through the pages. After Armageddon, important personal records were no longer stored digitally; that information was too vulnerable to hacking, especially by Quantum.
The paper register was all they had on heroes.
"Ah, here it is… Damen Dark," the manager murmured, his finger running along the page.
Damen nodded.
"Why are you here today…? And where's your uncle? He's already collected your allowance for this month," the manager inquired.
Damen shook his head. "I didn't come for an allowance. I'm here to register for my ID."
The manager raised an eyebrow. "You know, everyone in Melrose City must have an ID. It's embedded into the skin, containing all your personal information, so it can't be stolen or hacked. But you're not of age yet."
"I will be next month," Damen said, unflinching. "I'm here to start the process."
"Well, you're turning sixteen soon, so we'll get everything ready for you. But... where's your uncle? He's your legal guardian, right? Shouldn't he be here to sign the process," the manager asked again.
Damen hesitated for a moment, then replied quietly, "He's immobilized and in the hospital. That's why he gave me the medals to bring here…to get my ID."
The manager softened a bit. "I see. Usually, we need your legal guardian to sign the papers but, in your case, perhaps we can make an exception. Alright, we'll start processing your application. Once you turn sixteen, you can come back to get your ID."
Damen nodded, but before he turned to leave, the manager added, "While you're here, feel free to check out the other services we offer."
"Thank you," Damen said simply, his mind already turning to the next step in the long road ahead.
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The City Council was a sprawling complex, with numerous annexes extending in all directions. Damen, eager to explore, wandered through its maze of halls.
His curiosity eventually led him to a large sign that read, "Heroes' Gym."
Intrigued, he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
A woman with a well-toned physique, clearly accustomed to the gym's atmosphere, approached him. "How can I help you?"
Damen hesitated for a moment. "Er… I just came to look around. Explore the gym."
She raised an eyebrow, her expression was stern. "Shoo. The gym's for paying customers only."
Damen blinked, taken aback, but pressed on. "Um, is there a chance I could get a free trial?"
The woman's eyes narrowed, and she shook her head firmly. "No freebies here. Even heroes must pay to train."
Damen, feeling the weight of her dismissal, hesitated again. "Well… could I buy a daily pass?" He asked, unsure if such an option even existed.
Before the woman could reply, another figure emerged from behind the counter—a taller woman with sharp features and a confident smile.
"Hello," the newcomer said. "I'm Dorin. I overheard your question. If you'd like a daily pass, it'll cost you a hundred Aurs."
Damen's eyes widened. "A hundred Aurs? For just one day?"
Dorin nodded casually, unfazed by his shock. "Yep. A hundred Aurs. Do you still want the day trial?"
The woman with the muscular build shot him a look of indifference. "If you don't have the money, just turn around and leave."
Damen's heart raced.
A hundred Aurs was a lot for a day pass, especially when he hadn't expected to spend anything. But he wasn't about to give up. Luckily for him he looted a few Aur cards from the gangster Stephan outside his school.
He reached into his jacket and pulled out a jade card—an Aur Card—its dark green hue gleaming faintly.
The well-built woman eyed the card with an almost dismissive look before snatching it from his hand. She walked over to the cashier, slamming the card onto the reader. Her fingers quickly punched a number into the system: 100.
For a moment, Damen felt a strange, subtle pull on the card. The once-dark green color of the Aur Card began to glow a lighter shade of green, and a small beep signaled the transaction's completion.
"100 Aur has been drawn from your card," Dorin said, handing the card back to him with a smile. "You now have access to all the gym's facilities for 24 hours. Enjoy."
Damen took the card back, still a little stunned, but his curiosity was piqued. As he walked further into the gym, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of training happened here for such a steep price.
To his surprise he found a huge glass chamber.
Within the chamber was a man dressed in tight spandex. With the wave of his hand, a fireball magically appeared shooting into prepared targets in front of him.
"Damnit, is that superpower?" Damen asked.
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