Free Web NovelChapter 30: 30: Bootleg America’s Got Talent
Godolkin University.
On campus, some people were flying, some were getting high.
Others were flying while getting high.
This supe university was also known as "Inhuman University."
This time Hillel didn’t pretend to be a Vought executive. He came as himself.
No more hiding! Time to show my cards!
I am The Guardian!
His arrival caused a massive stir across campus.
The Guardian — a member of The Seven!
One of the top five most popular superheroes in America!
Here in person to scout talent at Godolkin University!
What did that mean?
It meant whoever got picked could rocket straight into The Seven, score endless endorsement deals, and maybe even land their own series. A straight shot to the top.
The school organized a power showcase so students could demonstrate their abilities in front of Hillel.
Hillel sat in the audience with his legs crossed. Wearing a pair of big sunglasses.
He held a student list in his hand.
Jordan and Cate Dunlap stood out clearly in the crowd.
Hillel had already tipped them off to show their best stuff.
The demonstrations started.
The first one up was a dwarf student whose power let him shrink and grow at will.
Just hearing the ability sounded promising. In the San Fernando Valley he’d be a star.
As it turned out, he stretched out his hand, shrunk his pinky finger by three centimeters, then grew it back.
A completely useless ability.
Hillel waved him off and called for someone actually worth watching.
The second student was Asian.
Dressed in a tight suit and holding nunchucks, clearly pandering.
Then the kid started swinging the nunchucks with serious flair.
Gotta admit, the movements were smooth.
"Kid, your kung fu looks decent, but I don’t think that’s a supe ability, right?"
The student put away his weapon and shyly stuck his butt out.
"The Guardian, my ability is farting."
Then he let one rip. A milky scent filled the entire arena.
"Sorry, today’s breakfast was coconut milk and garlic bread."
This time, before Hillel could say anything, the dean chased him off the stage.
Hillel blew hard to clear the fart smell.
A strong gust swept across the venue.
The dean clutched the table, begging Hillel to please stop showing off.
"Cate Dunlap."
Hillel simply called her name, saving everyone from the next guy who might pull out a joystick.
Cate Dunlap walked out from the crowd.
She had that classic blonde queen-bee look — delicate features and a refined vibe.
"The Guardian, my ability is Mind Control."
"Specifically, I can make the target see whatever image I want them to see. Do you need a demonstration?"
Hillel nodded.
Cate Dunlap walked over to the nearby dean and touched him.
The dean froze, then suddenly started screaming.
"Snakes!! The ground is covered in snakes!!"
He jumped onto a chair, shaking in terror.
He was deathly afraid of snakes. Cate had read his mind and projected the image.
In reality, there was nothing on the ground.
"...What just happened?"
The dean finally realised he was mind-controlled.
Mind control that required physical contact had a pretty low ceiling, unless Cate could do remote control and long-range illusions.
Still, it could be useful for interrogating criminals.
"Does your ability work on supes?"
This was what Hillel cared about most.
"Yes, as long as the target isn’t a psychic-type supe. If they’ve had psychological training, it might be harder."
Hillel nodded and drew a circle on the list.
Asking these questions in public was just for the school’s sake.
In reality, the spot was already decided.
No one else stood a chance.
"Next, Jordan."
Jordan walked out from the crowd.
At that moment, they were in their female form.
They walked to the center of the demonstration area and instantly switched genders. Their body shot up in height, muscles swelled out, and their face turned sharp and rugged.
They went from female form straight into male form.
Then they punched the test target at the edge of the field.
Bang!
The wooden target exploded on impact.
"My male form is pure strength. I top out around a dozen tons."
They switched again. Two balls of light formed in their palms and they hurled them at the target wall.
Two massive holes blasted through it. The force looked about equal to an anti-tank missile.
Now that was a punch with some real fucking power.
Hillel nodded and drew a circle on the list.
After that he symbolically picked a few more students to come up. Some of them had powers even stronger than Jordan’s, but too bad... this was all pre-arranged.
The person came first, then the hole got dug.
"Let’s go with these two for now. They’re a better fit for the spots I have in mind." Hillel handed the list over to the school officials.
The school guy rubbed his hands together, excited. Even though The Guardian didn’t pick the students they wanted, getting kids chosen by Vought International would still look great on their performance record.
"The Guardian, are you bringing them into The Seven?"
"Not exactly. Just an internship at Vought International."
The official hesitated.
"Internship?"
"Yeah. They’ll head to headquarters first, learn the ropes. Only the ones who do well move on to the next stage. Not just anyone gets into The Seven. It depends on how they perform. Got it?" Hillel gave him a meaningful look. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
It wasn’t clear if the guy really understood, but he flashed an "OK" gesture anyway.
How he interpreted it would depend on what happened later.
Hillel found Jordan first for a private chat.
He flew up to the rooftop of the teaching building.
Jordan was leaning against the railing in female form—the one they preferred—sipping an energy drink.
"You all-powerful superheroes always do meetings on rooftops?"
Hillel raised an eyebrow. "Rooftops are private. Perfect for getting shit done."
Jordan’s face twisted into a weird expression.
"Do I have to let you ’lean’ on me to get the chance to join Vought International?"
???
Hillel slowly typed out three question marks in his head.
I know you school kids aren’t subtle, but this is fucking bold.
The female version of Jordan looked pretty decent, but the original body was male. The girl form was just a side effect of their supe powers.
In other words, Hillel had zero interest in guys.
"I just like showing off, kid! As for the ’leaning’ part, I’ve already got someone else for that."
Jordan looked disappointed.
"Fine, honestly I was pretty excited to try it. Not everyone gets to fuck The Guardian, you know."
Hillel: "..."
"So, can I join The Seven now?"
Seeing Hillel go quiet, Jordan asked carefully.
"You’re overthinking it. The Seven wouldn’t touch an image like yours. America might be progressive, but there’s still a huge number of normal people out there."
Jordan knew he had a point.
"So...?"
"I’m giving you an internship at Vought International. Maybe later you can become a candidate for the youth team."
Hillel started painting a nice picture of the future.
A candidate for the superhero youth team?
Jordan was tempted. Truth was, just the internship at Vought was an offer no student could turn down.
This chance was way too rare.
"I accept!"
Next up was Cate Dunlap.
___
Early access to 12 advance Chapters.
P@t: MilkLoverFanfics
