Paladin's Academy

Act II, Chapter 6: The Absolute Law

Another day, another class. One would think that Superhero College would be way more fun than regular College. Turns out, College is still a slog, regardless of program. Currently, it is Thursday morning here at Paladin's Academy. One more day, Dreadnought thinks to himself as he walks to the classroom. 

After yesterday's weird turn of events, Dreadnought finds himself counting the days till Friday. He debated skipping class today. However, the professor stated that attendance is mandatory. He has a cold feeling that this class will undoubtedly be one of the hardest in the semester.

As he enters the classroom, Dreadnought can't help but feel unimpressed. The room was smaller than Calcite's, yet it still featured the same chalk-white walls and a glass board for writing. While Dreadnought breathes in and out, he notices mist forming. He grabs his jacket and zips it up.

This time, Dreadnought chooses to sit in the lower left corner, right beside the window. He pulls out his notebook while waiting for the class to start. He doodles on it for a while up until someone enters the room. A gentle yet freezing wind fills the air. A woman walks in. Her long white hair flowed in the wind, and her piercing blue eyes scanned the room. She sports a long brown coat with a white blouse. She walks to the podium and begins her talk.

"Ignorance of the law excuses no one," she says, her voice making everyone shut up and sit up straight.

"As Superheroes, we are not above the law. For the law is what separates the Heroes from the Villains. Thus, as Superheroes, we must familiarize ourselves with the law, and memorize it by heart."

"This is Hero and Enemy, Law and Liability. Any questions?"

Double Trouble raises his hand, "Yeah, are you singl-"

Before he can finish his sentence, Double Trouble gets frozen in a block of pure ice. Dreadnought rubbed his eyes as D.T.'s freezing seemed instantaneous.

She seems just as strong as Streetwise. If not, more so. Dreadnought shivers. He cannot even begin to comprehend the cold-hearted hero's power.

"First and final warning," She says softly, slowly letting D.T. thaw himself out.

"Does anyone have any relevant questions?"

Sure-Shot raises his hand, "Yes, Miss. Are you seeing anyon-"

Dreadnought covers his face as a strong blast of cold wind rushes through the classroom. When he looks up, he realizes that Sure-Shot is nowhere to be found.

"Anyone else?"

The classroom is dead silent.

"Good, let us begin on chapter one, Understanding your Surroundings."

Several hours pass as Dreadnought continues to write in his notebook. He tries to take note of anything substantial, but at this point, all he can hear is,

"Blah blah blah, insurance. Blah blah blah, Vigilantes. Blah blah blah, code of conduct."

He sighs as he looks through the window. The trees outside put his mind at ease. Maybe I should take a quick break, Dreadnought concludes. He leaves his bag and heads for the exit. On the way out, he passes Matter. He tries to wave at her, but she just ignores him and looks away.

What was that about? Dreadnought ponders. For the last few days, Matter has been acting weird around him, especially after he asked Snooze out. He can't seem to understand why.

Outside the building, Dreadnought breathes a sigh of relief. He watches other students relaxing in the meadow and figures he might as well do the same. He sits on the grass and looks at the sky. The afternoon sun gently warms his face. Perhaps the cold classroom has affected him more than he thought.