Trainee Superhero (Book One) Read Online Free

here!” protests the man
beside me, and a couple of the others nod in agreement.
    I don’t even know where here is, although my
mind is so slow that I’m not too sure who I am just yet either. I’m
still trying to work out of this is hell, purgatory or a nightmare.
At least I’m wearing pants, so I guess it’s not a nightmare.
    Never Lies sighs theatrically and
shakes her head.
    “You are not here by mistake,” Past
Prime says, “all of you are here because you have potential,
but you failed in some way. Some of you have been kicked off
superhero teams, some of you are criminals. What you did, who you
were or who you know is no longer important. You will serve in the Cerberus Brawlers , or you will spend the rest of your lives
in jail for treason.”
    The Cerberus Brawlers ? I’ve never
heard of that team, and I thought I knew them all. I’m not the only
confused one, and many of my team are unhappy at finding themselves
treated so badly.
    “I don’t belong here,” a man shouts, “and
when-”
    My collar explodes in red-hot pain and all
seven of us hit the mattresses.
    “Up,” says Past Prime patiently.
    I get up, and I’m the first to my feet. I’m
still not sure where I am or what is happening, but I’m learning to
respect that voice. The others are slower, but Past Prime waits without hurting us further.
    “Service or prison, you decide. The
technicians are going to set you up now.”
    Men and women in blue shirts flock to us. One
straps a set of sensors onto my arms and the side of my head while
another checks the movement of my arms and legs. They take blood
samples, test my blood pressure and shine lights into my eyes. They
treat me like I’m nothing more than a science experiment, poking
and prodding with an enthusiasm that worries me. My mind feels
sluggish, so I just sit back and let them do their work. Never
Lies wanders over to where I am and gives me a look like she
does not like what she sees. She shakes her head and turns
away.
    “I’m not a criminal or a failure,” I say
loudly to her, “so I think-”
    “No one cares what you think, trainee,” she
interrupts curtly and walks away without even looking at me.
    “I-”
    “-set,” interrupts a technician, “now for the
suit.”
    The men and women in blue are replaced by a
team in green with big boxes. The boxes hold parts of a bulky suit
of padded armor, and the technicians start dressing me. Everything
fits snugly together, but the suit is bulky and surprisingly hard
to move in.
    “Just like the real thing,” says a technician
in green, “so get used to it.”
    It feels like I’m wearing three wetsuits all
at once. It’s uncomfortable to say the least, but I don’t have time
to protest before the technicians walk me to a treadmill and start
me running. I fall over a few times until I find my rhythm; it’s
like running underwater, only not as fun.
    The running helps clear my head; I’m pretty
sure that this isn’t hell. I’ve read Dante’s Inferno, and it made
no mention of technicians or blood tests. Plus, the suit I’m
wearing looks a lot like the power suits that superheroes wear on
their missions. I remember being accepted into the Superhero Corps,
so am I in some strange training program? I let the treadmill dump
me on the ground and walk over to Never Lies . She doesn’t
look surprised to see me.
    “The last thing I remember was my town being
attacked,” I say, “I need to know if my father and friends
survived.”
    I expect her to shock me or order me back to
work, but Never Lies checks the data feed hanging in the air
in front of her face. She scans the list quickly.
    “You father is fine. There were thirty-nine
deaths from the attack. Check the list.”
    She spins her feed around so that I can read
the list. My Dad isn’t on the list, and neither is Tenchi or his
family. That’s a relief, but I recognize most of the names of those
who died. I don’t know how to feel: I’m sad for the people who