Police Academy.

[Stern]

Michael Stern was finally out of his sling and was feeling great. He did everything with his right arm. He waved, he ate, he drank, he used his cell phone with that hand. When he saw Anita she would be getting a big bear hug. She deserved it.

But first he had to start Police Academy. He checked his bag again and climbed on the bus.

He had been rushed through the steps to be considered for police academy. For instance, he had not been interviewed by the Captain at all. The Captain recommended the glowing mutant on the words of John Jackson.

Stern also skipped the polygraph. Instead he spent an hour of Q&A with Jackson, who as it turned out, had a secret. He too was a mutant with the exact same power as Anita. Admittedly it was weird when he had to spend that hour in some kind of contact with the detective.

Stern did pass his physical and his athletics test.

He took the first seat on the bus, which was also empty. He sat in it and as soon as he did he got the feeling that the other recruits were talking about him.

He looked over when he felt a shifting on the seat. Another recruit had taken the seat next to him. "Hi."

The recruit waved. "You're a mutant, aren't you?"

Stern nodded. "I am."

"Don't think that because you have powers you're going to be the best there is."

Stern raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to do the best I can because I want this job. I'm not sure there's much my powers can afford me as far as getting an edge is concerned. But you can bet your britches that I'll be giving this everything I got. And if that intimidates you, then maybe you ought to reconsider why you're here. If you don't give it everything you have, then you won't be good enough for anyone, not even yourself."

The guy nodded. "I guess that makes sense. I'm Franklin Turner."

"Michael Stern."

"Some of the guys heard there was a mutant in with this class. They're worried you'll get a job just for being a mutant."

Stern shrugged. "Yeah, there is that. But even so, it better be because I'm a capable mutant. If it's just because I'm a mutant, then I'm going to turn it down."

Franklin scratched his head. "Why?"

"I spent a lot of time scratching out my survival with my bare hands as I tried to get home. I'll take what I earn or I won't take it."

The bus was finally loaded and pulled off to the police academy.

[Stern]

Once the bus parked and the recruits were put in their barracks. All their things were put away and the young, fresh faced rookies in training were ordered out to the parade field to be inspected.

The drill sergeant stepped in front of the formation with the cocky saunter of a man who knew he was going to make other men's lives hell. Stern scoffed mildly at the sight. Not much could intimidate him.

The officer walked between the ranks until he stopped at Stern. "These are not regulation, son," he said, pointing to Stern's goggles.

"Yes sir, I realize, but I have an optical condition that requires me to wear them."

"And what condition would that be?" It sounded almost like a challenge.

"My eyes are extraordinarily photosensitive, sir. if I take these off and open my eyes for even a second, I can be permanently blinded. It's very important that I keep them on."

The drill sergeant stood at parade rest. "You a mutant boy?"

Stern nodded. "I am."

"What's your power?"

"I constantly generate light, sir. I can put it out, but it's hard to keep it down. I can strain out particular wavelengths of light, focus light into beams of light, and travel at light speed."

The officer nodded. "Do not use your powers to break the rules set in place here, and there will not be any problems. Am I clear?"

Stern nodded. "Sir, yes sir!"

Then there was the usual speech. Academy students called maggots, worms, and all of that. The standard lines about making them into real police officers and not just little boys playing cops and robbers.

With any luck, the real ball-busting wouldn't be nearly so predictable.

[Stern]

After a light jog, the recruits washed up and had lunch. They were to always stay within the standards of dress set forth by the academy, so they were all wearing a recruit uniform. Lunch was not very long: they were allowed thirty minutes to eat.

Afterward they were introduced to the classrooms where they would learn procedures, vernacular, and public relations. Most of the classroom work was going to be that sort of thing. The firearms proficiency, the physical testing, and the rest would all be outside work.

Stern sat in the back corner by a window so the sunlight could reach him.

Last of all, they were taken to the firing range where they were shown the standard firearms for the NYPD. The firearms proficiency test was laid out in full, as well as the safety standards for the firing range.

Stern had only fired a handgun once, when he unloaded Neutron's into him at point blank range. On the other hand, he had been shot several times. In fact, Stern had taken a total of five bullets since the ESU bombing.

It was going to be a challenge, but Stern was looking forward to it. Being handy with an actual gun would be much more useful than trying to get someone to hold still under his Archimedes blast until they caught fire. Not to mention it would be quicker too.

Each recruit got to fire one shot from the handgun, the shotgun, and the rifle. Stern managed the handgun and the shotgun well enough, but the rifle was much more potent than he had counted on; it bruised his shoulder and very nearly hit him in the head with the scope. Some of the others laughed.

"It's a monster isn't it, son?" The drill instructor said.

Stern nodded. "When would we need to use such a weapon, sir?"

"Good question." The instructor took the rifle and put it away in its case. "Sometimes when there are parades or government officials in town we will have people set up on rooftops, windows, and alleyways to cover the processions and make sure that people who attempt assassination can be taken care of without the interference of the crowd."

Stern nodded. "So we will most likely be sniping at people trying to get close enough to the person we're protecting?"

The man nodded. "You catch on quick. Will that be all?"

"Sir, yes sir."

The recruits were dismissed to make calls to home. Each one got fifteen minutes. Stern spent the first couple leaving Anita a voicemail and then gave the rest to his mother, who wouldn't stop trying to give him advice.

"Mom, it's not grade school. I'm going to be fine."

Stern hung up the phone and then moved aside to give Franklin his chance.

"I hope your folks aren't as stuffy as mine," the mutant said to his comrade.

Franklin smiled. "We can swap stories later."

[Stern]

The first week happened like it was expected. The recruits were put through the rigors of physical training starting before sun up. It was usually dark out, aside from Stern's constant glowing. Beyond that, Stern never made use of his powers the first week.

Though the training and education portion of the academy was going very well, the social side was much more difficult to manage. Stern noticed that most of his peers did not go out of their way to talk to him more than they had to, and most of them would not sit at a table with him unless Stern joined them after most of them had sat down.

Sometimes Stern appreciated eating by himself. It gave him time to reflect on what he was learning, daydream about Anita, and decide what he was going to do about Neutron. The rest of the time it was annoying. At least Franklin was cordial.

"Don't let it get to you, Stern," Franklin had said. "For now you're just like the rest of us. But most of them have already started talking about the training scenarios that will be happening and they're worried you'll use your powers to show them up."

The glowing mutant shrugged. "Depends on what they are, I guess. And whether or not the instructors are going to let me use them."

Showers that night was worse than ever. The first couple of nights in the community showers the recruits would talk about Stern's scars and ask him questions about them. How he got them, and why. Stern decided to tell them the stories of his exile, the fights with Neutron, and the torture at the Jericho Center.

Stern was washing with the rest when suddenly one of them snuck up on him and snatched the goggles from his face. There was a roar of laughter as Stern shut his eyes and covered them with his hand.

"Ok, guys, I need those to see. I can be blinded in here like this, so I need them back."

There was a sound of the goggles being tossed about from one person to the next. Then someone shoved him in the chest and put him against the wall.

"You're a freak. Putting you on the police force is like putting a clown in uniform. A joke." Then the person hit him across the face.

Stern was not bleeding, but he was not pleased with what happened. He light jumped behind the person and smashed his face into the tile wall. Then he jumped to the door where the lightswitch was and cut the lights while simultaneously dimming his own light.

It was dark out and the moon was not out. The whole shower was pitch black. Stern opened his eyes. No one was close to the door and no one could see except for Stern.

"Now, fellas," he started. "I need those goggles. All you have to do is drop them on the floor and let me pick them up. Then we can go back to the way things were."

"Fuck you, mutie!" someone shouted.

"Of course, I can just take them from you anyway. Don't you remember the scars and the stories behind them? I've fought people ten times as dangerous as you and lived. I fought a terrorist to a stand still with only one good arm. I fought five that had me outgunned and never took a single bullet. Now you're in the dark and unable to see, and I've got built in night vision. Is this really a situation you want to stay in for very long?"

Someone looked around blindly. "Guys, just give them to him! It's not funny and he's serious!"

Probably Franklin. With all the people about it was hard to see who was who.

"Fuck that! If he beats us up he'll just get kicked out of the academy."

Stern shook his head. "I've been harassed for being a mutant and assaulted in the community shower. Any retaliatory act on my part is basic self defense. I'm being discriminated against."

Again, the same cursing.

"Ok, then."

Stern started with the closest person to him, knocking that guy onto the floor and then piling the next guy on top of him. It was easy with the tile so slick from all the soap and water.

At last he saw his eyewear in the hands of one of the recruits that was quickly shaping up to be a leader for some of the guys. His name was Bridges and Stern found that the guy often liked to brag and rub his accomplishments in Stern's face.

Of course, Stern was just as good as Bridges on most things. Stern's track and field experience in high school helped him beat Bridges in the running, but the other guy was bulkier and managed to do much of the rest of it with scores somewhat higher than Stern. They were neck and neck for firearms, but Stern's practice with his Archimedes' Blast yielded him steadier hands and ability to keep a steady aim on a smaller target. Stern would eventually come out ahead.

"Bridges," Stern said, "I want those goggles."

"Take them from me, Night Light!"

Stern walked over very calmly and punched Bridges in the throat; this he followed up with a kick to the man's knee. Bridges nearly fell on his face, but Stern caught him, turning the bigger man onto his back.

"Remember that story about the terrorists in the Pakistani desert?" Stern asked.

Stern bent down and pried his goggles from the other man's grasp. He put them on and checked to make sure they sealed against his face properly. "Do you remember the last one?"

Stern kicked on his light, engulfing the room in blinding light. "I pinned him down like this and I focused on his head--"

The shower lights came on and there was one of the superior officers standing in the doorway. "What is the meaning of all this?"

Stern took his foot off of Bridges' chest and stood. "Just a prank sir that got out of hand."

"You kidding?" Bridges snapped. "Sarge, he knocked me down in the dark and threatened to set hmy head on fire!"

The man stood in the doorway at ease. "Is this true, Stern?"

"Like I said, a prank that got out of hand. The guys here thought it would be funny to take my goggles from me. I light jumped to where you are, turned the lights off, dimmed my glow, and started after the people that had them. Bridges had them, but wouldn't give them back. So I took them."

"And threatened to set his head on fire."

"Sir, with all due respect, his hair is wet. There's no way I can do that. It'd take too much time."

The sargeant was not amused. "Would both of you care to explain yourselves?"

Bridges got up and rubbed his throat. "What's a mutie like him doing on the police force? They're all a threat and they need to be locked up!"

Stern simply replied, "I am not dangerous. I am not insane, though I have dealt with hunger, poverty, homelessness, and torture. If my fellows cannot respect me for the hardships I have endured, then I will give them a reason to appreciate the fact that I am on their side by showing them what it would be like if I were more criminal."

Stern kept his eyes locked on his superior officer. "Sir, I will not be toyed with. I am a mutant, but I am also a man. If I am shoved, I will shove back. If a fight is picked, you can bet that I will fight back and I will not fight fair. If they want to hate me for what I am, then they may do that by all means. But if they dislike me that much, then they might as well just act like I am not there."

The sargeant scratched at his chin. "Bridges, Stern, rinse off, get dressed, and be at my office in 15 minutes."

While Bridges hurried with the rest of his shower, Stern made a show of taking his time rinsing and getting dressed. Then he light jumped to the sargeant's office to hear out his fate.

[Stern]

He entered the office just a pace ahead of Bridges. The two were invited to sit. Stern thought that was odd: he figured they would get their tongue lashing standing at attention or something.

"Michael Stern, you are the first mutant I know of that has entered our police academy," the officer said. "This is something that is not to be taken lightly. And it is not something that deserves special treatment or discriminatory behavior."

The officer opened a file. "Michael Stern."

"Sir?" The mutant replied.

"You were a rush job to get in here. It would seem that the police force really wants you for some reason or the next. I don't know what you told them or did that made them feel this way, but apparently you were worth the hassle of rushing you in."

"Yes, sir."

"This gives you no right to push around other recruits or flaunt your special...talents."

"Yes sir."

Bridges was unable to hide the comtemptful smirk from his face.

"And Brandon Bridges."

Suddenly the smirk was gone.

"Your behavior in the shower was not at all called for. Stern has a documented eye condition that requires the use of his goggles at all times. Would you kick the crutch out from under a cripple?"

"No sir."

"No, you would not. Any damage done to Stern's eyes would have resulted in bad press for this police force and several hundred--possibly even thousands--of dollars spent in restitution for Stern's resulting blindness."

"But sir, he's a mutie!"

"And he's a good man who wants to enforce the law. Look at me."

Both cadets did.

"I'm a black man. You're a white man. You know not even forty years ago I would have been treated the same way if I tried to join the force?"

"But sir, that's stupid."

"So what makes your discrimination against Stern here any different from you hating me because I'm black?"

"Sir, I--"

"Be quiet, Bridges. Cadet Stern, I am writing in my report that you acted out of self-defense. Bridges, I will write in for you that you were simply playing a harmless prank that got out of hand. In exchange for me letting you two off the hook, you two are going to be partners for the rest of your time at the Academy."

Stern saw it coming as soon as he mentioned an 'exchange.'

"With all due respect, sir," Stern said, "how do I know he won't kill me in my sleep?"

The officer smiled. "Because I am moving you to another room. You are friends with Franklin, but apparently your snoring is earmarked by a pulse of light."

Stern chuckled. "So I do flare at night. Did he say whether or not my light is gone when I'm silent.?"

The officer gave Stern a hard glance. "Find out on your own time. You are getting your own room. Do not abuse my mercy. Bridges, you will be helping Cadet Stern move his things. Stern, effective tonight you will be living in the empty room at the end of the hall. If there are no questions, you can leave."

Neither one had anything to say, so they both stepped out the door.

[Stern]

Stern was about to jump to his room when Bridges grabbed him by the shoulder. "This sucks, and it's all your fault."

Stern shrugged off the unwanted hand. "My fault? I just wanted a shower. You attacked me."

Bridges was unperturbed. "What do you want to be a police officer for, anyway? It's not like anyone is going to trust you."

Stern shrugged. "Maybe not. But I can be anywhere there's danger at any time. I figure I got a better shot than most to stop crimes as they happen. At least New York traffic won't stop me."

Bridges turned red and he pointed a finger in Stern's face. "You think you're better than me! You think you're better than everyone!"

It was Stern's turn to smirk. "Only the people I'm better than."

"Fuck you, man. Pack your own damn bags. I'm not helping you move shit."

Stern smiled. "We finally agreed on something. There's no way I'm letting you into my stuff."

Stern jumped to his room, packed his things with due haste, and took it all down to the last room on the hall. Franklin followed with an armload of things and helped Stern to get set up in the new room.

"Sorry I logged the complaint," he said. "I just couldn't sleep."

"It's ok," Stern replied. "Most people can't sleep in the same room with me anyway. Do I only pulse light when I snore?"

Franklin nodded. "Yeah. It only happens on our big days and you're mega-tired. Otherwise it's fine."

"Enjoy your own room," Stern said with a firm handshake. "I know I'll enjoy mine."

Maybe he could sneak out at night to see Anita now. Or at least grab a decent tasting meal.

[Stern]

Stern and Bridges did not get along. They could never come to an agreement on anything and it was hurting them during training. Stern gained clearance to make use of his powers during some of the training exercises, but Bridges wouldn't have it.

"We don't need you showboating!" he said after another botched attempt.

"Dude, traffic was high and they were getting away! If I just light jumped into the car and flared, I could have blinded them and switched off the car. Then all we'd have to do is keep them from running away! It's easier to catch people on foot than it is to catch them in a car, again, when they are ON THE OTHER SIDE OF A TRAFFIC JAM!"

Bridges turned red and started shouting back. "YOU'RE STUPID MUTIE POWERS AREN'T ALWAYS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING!"

"AND WHEN THEY CAN? WHAT THEN?" Stern took a moment to settle his temper. "I won't flunk out of here because you're too stubborn to see sense. I played your game today. Next time we play by my rules."

The next time they faced the scenario, it was just like before. Stern and Bridges would receive a call about a pair of armed robbers getting away going south while they were headed east. The getaway car paced a large block of vehicles a few meters ahead. Just as Stern and Bridges got to the intersection to pursue, the pack of cars passed by them, cutting them off.

"Mount the curb if you have to," Stern said. "I'm going after them now."

Stern jumped into the car and flared brightly. The car swerved dangerously, tossing the cadet around in the backseat. One of the gunmen turned to get a shot off at him. The mutant knocked the gun out of the criminal's hand smashed the driver's temple against the car door. Then he grabbed the wheel with his left hand and doggedly kept the car going straight. He flared again. The criminal in the passenger seat clutched his eyes, giving Stern a few critical seconds to shut off the car and bring it to a stop. He did stop it, but it was very sudden. Stern was nearly thrown out of the car through the windshield, but reflexes kicked in and he managed to light jump out of the car.

Bridges came along after begrudgingly taking his partner's advice and mounting the curb. "Why didn't we mount the curb last time?" Bridges asked.

Stern grimaced. "I suggested that too, but you were worried about the pedestrians.

Afterwards came their evaluation. "Cadet Stern, that was some quick thinking. Using your mutant abilities to stop the robbers was clever. It was also very risky. You could have been killed."

Stern shrugged. "I already died once, sir. It's not that scary."

Bridges scowled.

"And Cadet Bridges. You handled your vehicle very well. Taking the left side of the street was a good move, given the left side had a coffee shop patio and several pedestrians. Why didn't you do that the last time?"

Bridges turned red. "I was worried about foot traffic coming from the shops on that side."

"Understandable. Don't forget that the siren is to warn people you are coming and that they should get out the way. Good job, you two. You finally passed. I will be very interested to see how you make use of Cadet Stern's abilities in the next training exercise."

The two cadets thanked the officer for his time and left together.

"Come on, Bridges," Stern said. "You have to admit we did well."

Bridges was not to be placated. "You did well. You took the risky move. I sounded like a spineless fag in front of that officer."

Stern shrugged. "It's ok. Sometimes risks are worth taking. Sometimes they're not. But that's what this is for. We learn ahead of time when to take risks and when to stay put."

Bridges seethed. "Whatever. I'm going to the showers. See you later."