Super Powereds: Year 3 by Drew Hayes Read Free Book Online

for a certain amount of gawking as everyone tried to figure out who was missing. Professor Pendleton, Professor Fletcher, and Professor Stone all stood to his right. Professor Hill, Professor Cole, and Professor Baker were to his left. A man that most of the students didn’t recognize hung out near the rear of the gym. In contrast to the professors, he was exceedingly normal-looking, dressed in a polo shirt and cream-colored slacks that would have looked more at home on a golf course than in a heavily fortified training facility. Once the last student arrived, Dean Blaine began to speak.
    “Julia Shaw. Agatha Mason. Tiffani Hunt. Stella Hawkins. Nick Campbell. Michael Clark. Hector Morrison. Gilbert Reid.”
    At first, the students were confused as he rattled off names of classmates, however, as each recognized the name of a friend they knew about, a sense of uncomfortable understanding seeped in.
    “Those are the students that are not with us this year. They were friends of yours, people you bonded with and cared about. They are powerful, skilled warriors, who, for the most part, upheld the principles a Hero is meant to stand for. But they are gone, and the odds of them coming back are strikingly minimal.”
    Dean Blaine moved forward and surveyed the faces of the students before him. The sadness was nearly palpable. A shared dream united people, gave them a familial sentiment toward one another. The cost was that, when one had that dream die, it pained all who cared for them.
    “I know that’s hard for you to hear. It isn’t easy for me to say, either. I cared for all of them as I care for you. Losing our companions is a bitter part of this process, one that I have the unfortunate task of telling you will only get worse as this class shrinks. But trust me when I say that, as much as you dislike this, it is infinitely worse for those not currently wearing a uniform. I don’t say that to sadden you further, I just want you to know that it can be worse, and encourage each of you to try your hardest not to experience that side of the equation.”
    Reaching the end of his speech, Dean Blaine turned and began walking back.
    “Now that the past has been spoken of, let’s move on to the future—your year ahead, specifically. In light of last year’s . . . unplanned excitement, we didn’t manage to close things out properly. As a result, we never collected the information on which of your courses you wished to drop, and which you hoped to stay in. Given the hecticness of everything and this gaffe on our part, we’ve decided that everyone who has made it to this year may keep whichever two classes they like. When I finish, you will speak to your professors and let each one know whether you intend to drop or keep their course. At the end of this year, you will meet with your two remaining professors and decide which course will become your major. I urge you to take this seriously, as your designation will greatly influence the training you receive, as well as the expectations placed upon you at graduation.”
    Dean Blaine arrived at his original starting point, and then motioned to his educators. “They are excellent assets. You will never again have so much knowledge, in so many different areas, freely available to you. Make a wise selection. That said, there are three other matters to discuss. Firstly, I’m sure you are all wondering about the updated rankings. They will be posted tomorrow before the beginnings of your first classes. Until then, we will answer no questions regarding them. Secondly, as you all recall, last year was focused on learning to work in a team, how to allocate resources effectively, and how to use each member to their full potential. That was key training for your future careers as Heroes. This year, we will focus on a less pleasant, but equally, if not more, important aspect. You will be learning to take on multiple enemies at the same time. The nature of this conflict will vary based on your