The trip home

After all the paperwork, orientation, and power evaluation, Josh, now officially a hero named Areia, finally left the Hero Agency building. In his hand, he held a new identification card, reading: Areia - Initiate-P1/E1. His access to the agency's resources was severely limited at this point, a new, unproven hero. But it was a start. One thing he did need to immediately use was a link to the information he needed to know before his first day. AISYS promised to download the file and go over it with him.

Despite everything that had happened, Josh was taking it all in stride. He had a hero identity. He had a spot in the Initiate locker room, complete with a secret entrance and exit. There was a lot to process, but he felt excited more than anything else. He was finally a part of the world he had always admired from afar.

As he headed home, his mind began to wander. He was a new hero, starting at the bottom. The rank of Initiate and the low annotations made him feel small, especially compared to the more experienced heroes he had met earlier. Even if they hadn't held back they would still be very low teir.

As if picking up on his thoughts, AISYS chimed in, "Josh, don't be too hard on yourself. Today we only showed what you can currently handle. With time, you will grow stronger and faster with more control. The changes I've been making to your body aren't just for aesthetic purposes. They are also to improve your overall capabilities."

Josh's eyes widened in surprise. "So, those dreams I've been having..."

"They're a part of your training," AISYS finished for him. "A way for you to subconsciously learn how to handle your new abilities. As you become more comfortable and proficient, I will introduce more complex simulations. But it won't all be dream-training. We can also adapt and integrate tech into the suit."

Her voice lowered, her tone serious, "There are abilities we have that are... less than heroic. I didn't think it was appropriate to reveal them at this time, and they should only be used in the direst of circumstances."

Josh decided to leave that topic alone for now. The thought of something an AI made by supervillian though was too much was indeed unsettling. Instead, he chose to focus on the positives. "So, what should we focus on first?"

"First, let's work on improving your physical capabilities and your control over the suit. Once you're comfortable, we can then start exploring our tech integration capabilities. Perhaps we can start with something simple, like a phone or a watch."

" How about a tazer?"