“For this class, I want you to think.  Parahumans.  People with powers.  They’ve been around for nearly thirty years.  Where did they come from?  Why are they here?

Big questions that I’m curious about the answers to myself.

I feel like I should note that it’s entirely possible to write a story like this and not address this question at all. Basically saying, “powers started showing up one day, that’s all we know”, and leaving it at that. But here’s the thing: Worm hasn’t left it at that. It’s been made enough of a deal out of by the story itself that even if I weren’t spoiled on something called “shards” playing a role in this, I’d feel entirely justified in expecting some form of explanation, implicit or explicit, coming up over the course of the story.

It’s common knowledge that parahumans are ordinary individuals who gained abilities.  It is too easy, however, to assume that this is the sum total of our knowledge.  I want you to think further on the subject.  For example, why does virtually every parahuman ability have some application in confrontation and combat?

That’s a good point. Pretty much everything, including powers, can be used as a weapon somehow, but it’s true that a lot of powers we’ve seen are pretty clearly weapons first and foremost. Miss Militia’s in particular is quite clear about that.

Is this the nature of humans, to turn any progress to violent ends, be it science or superpower?  Or is it by design, an individual’s hand at work?

Speaking of Miss Militia, I feel like she might have a thing or two to say about this topic and Karahindiba.

“…for disability and pregnancy accommodations, the course syllabus gives you all the details you need on who to contact.  If you aren’t already, you’re going to be sick of hearing all that by the time you graduate.  We’re required to go over it in the first class of every class we teach.

Heh.

I guess we didn’t really miss anything noteworthy while Clocky was considering who all were present.

“So.  Let me start off by addressing and banishing some assumptions you may have.  This is not an easy class, and anyone who took Parahumans: History and Society or Parahumans: Case Studies and Powers will be aware of this.

101 and 102, I presume.

Even for those of you who emerged triumphant from the previous two semesters should know that PARA-103 may be something of a shock to you if this is your first year of University.  Here, primarily, I will be looking for creativity, problem solving and research abilities.  Skills and abilities that, frankly, aren’t stressed enough in high school.

…yeah, I suppose that’s a fair assessment.

Kid Win sat to Clockblocker’s right, fidgeting by taking apart his pen and putting it back together, his eyes not leaving the screen.

#LilTinkerThings

Shadow Stalker was sitting as far away from everyone else as she could manage, at the back corner of the room.

Because of course she does.

She sat sideways in her seat, back to the wall, her feet resting on the seat next to her.  Her attention was directed entirely at the keys and screen of her cell phone, rather than the projector screen at the front of the room.

Naturally.

Only thirteen people present, altogether.

So there are usually more around?

“Welcome to Parahumans 103: Theories and Patterns.  I see we have a packed auditorium, and according to the enrollment list, we have no less than three hundred students taking the TV course.

Hm. It seems we’re at Arcadia High, today. But who’s today’s lucky student?

A bump up from the last two trimesters, so I must be doing something right.”

Hehe, nice.

Clockblocker looked around the room.

Ooh, Clocky’s up next. Excellent.

Six PRT uniforms sat in the front row, helmets off, three with notebooks open on the desks in front of them.  Weld and Flechette sat in the desks closest to the door, exchanging murmured words as the professor on the screen began going over the course syllabus.

Makes sense that Weld and Flechette would end up sitting together. They’re both the “new kids in town”, and they already knew each other from before.

Glory Girl sat just in front of him, wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt, arms folded on her desk, chin resting on the back of one hand.  Vista, odd as it was, sat beside the other heroine, had been the only one to offer any conversation.

Huh, not exactly the two I’d generally picture together.

Though…

…

…they kind of have something to relate over now.

When Glory Girl hadn’t seemed interested in talking, Vista had instead offered her silent company.  Clockblocker wasn’t exactly sure how Glory Girl had gotten into the Wards headquarters to attend the screening, but she was here, uncharacteristically quiet, much in the same way that Vista had been this past week.

…yeah.