THE MOMENT
"I expected someone older," Lance chuckled as he shook the teen's hand. They met in a quiet diner in the middle of the afternoon. Lance was behind the counter with the teen on a stool across from him. The lanky kid in a black suit and tie looked the part, even if he also looked like a high school student. Lance grew tired of being a Superhero after a couple of years and he tried civilian life, working in a diner. But lately, he'd been itching to do something bigger again. His Super career never really left the ground due to his ineffective powers. In the right circumstances, he could be considered one of the strongest heroes; unfortunately, those circumstances never came about. The good news was he lived in a vast multiverse full of opportunities to do big things.
"It's just a quick assessment to see if you'd even fit in as an agent before the Bureau spends more resources on you," the teen shrugged but gave Lance a friendly smile just the same. "You can call me Alvin. So, I said it would be quick; let's get to it. Why are you interested in being an agent?"
"I want to do something good and huge and important," Lance answered after a moment of deliberation. "On a big scale, more than just everyday kindness. I want to feel like I made a real difference," he said.
"Your application has some Superhero history. What was lacking from your Meat Shield identity? In all honesty, I feel like being a Hero is probably more helpful than what we do at the B.A.A."
"For most heroes, I'm sure that's the case, " Lance nodded. "But, my Super power is all wrong for the job. It's a bad fit. I'm essentially immortal in the sense that I don't stay dead; I will always come back."
"Really?" Alvin chuckled. "Wow, you weren't kidding. There are definitely issues there; but, I think I can safely say, congratulations. I feel confident you've got the job," he stood and offered Lance a friendly handshake. "Someone will get in touch with you to do the paperwork soon."
"Wait, really? REALLY!?" Lance was surprised and thrilled; he hoped the teen wasn't just playing a trick on him. "You said it was supposed to be a quick assessment, what happened?'
"It was, I decided to okay your application as soon as you agreed to that part. But, when you explained your powers, I knew you'd get in based on them alone."
"So I got in just because I'm a Super?" he asked. Alvin shook his head first, then paused and half shrugged with a nod.
"Kind of, but not exactly. You're a Super that wants to do good things, that says a lot. Beyond that, your power is a strange one. If you wanted to use it for evil, there's no limit to what you could get away with; but, that's not an option you even considered. You're still wanting to be heroic with your power, even though it's useless if no one kills you. It's a dangerous job and it's less likely that strangers out in the field would know how to get around your powers than the villains on this Earth. Plus, the entrance exam itself is considered pretty dangerous. But, that's not an issue if you can just brute force it with attempts," Alvin smirked. "I can't guarantee it, but they might skip that part altogether."
"Whoa... that really sounds like I'm in!" Lance was too excited to keep his thoughts to himself.
"Yeah, you are," Alvin nodded. "Welcome to the Bureau of Alternate Agencies."