The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82: 82 | My Guardian’s Idea of Continued Excellence

The digital clock on Sloane’s phone read 7:48 PM. We’d been sprawled across the living room couch for almost an hour now, recounting our Halloran entrance exam experiences to Diane over FaceTime. My body still ached from the physical punishment I’d put it through, but Boundless Stamina kept me from collapsing completely.

"—and then I literally punched through the chest plate," Sloane was saying, her hands gesturing wildly as she described her encounter with a three-pointer robot. "The thing sparked and went down hard. That was probably my favorite takedown of the day."

Diane’s face filled the screen of Sloane’s propped-up phone. Even through the video call, her presence commanded attention. She wore a cream-colored dress that hugged her figure perfectly, her pink hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Business casual for her Chicago conference, but somehow making it look like haute couture.

"That’s my girl," Diane laughed, her Southern drawl warming the words. "I always said you had a gift for making an entrance. What about you, Lukas? How many points did you end up with?"

I shifted on the couch, suddenly aware of how close Sloane was sitting next to me. Her thigh pressed against mine, warm through her sweatpants.

"Twenty-one points total. Not bad, not great. I spent most of my time setting up other applicants for kills rather than going solo."

"That’s actually smart strategy," Diane nodded approvingly. "Halloran doesn’t just look at raw numbers. They want students who can think beyond the obvious solution."

"That’s what I told him!" Sloane nudged me with her elbow. "Turns out he’s got a brain under all that hair."

I ran my fingers through my dirty blonde hair self-consciously. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"And you helped that girl with the illusion powers?" Diane asked, her blue eyes sharp even through the screen. Nothing escaped her notice. "When the zero-pointer appeared?"

"Yeah. She was trying to save another applicant who was injured. Couldn’t leave her there."

Diane’s expression softened. "Reina and Marcus would be proud of you, sugar. That’s the kind of decision that separates heroes from people who just have powers."

Something twisted in my chest at the mention of my parents. Not my parents, technically. The original Lukas’s parents. The people whose legacy I was borrowing without permission.

"You think I did enough to get in?" I asked, hating the uncertainty in my voice.

Diane leaned closer to her camera. "Honey, you were never going to outmuscle those kids who’ve been training since they were six. But you played smarter, not harder. Halloran needs students who understand that heroism isn’t just about who hits the hardest."

"But—"

"No buts. You showed up two weeks after manifesting and held your own against applicants with years of training. That counts for something." Her voice carried the finality of someone who wouldn’t tolerate further argument.

Sloane suddenly jumped to her feet. "I’m dying of thirst. Gonna grab a soda. You want one?"

"Pineapple if we have it," I replied.

Sloane disappeared into the kitchen, her footsteps fading down the hall. The moment she was out of earshot, Diane’s expression changed. Her professional mask slipped, revealing something hungrier beneath.

The System pinged a notification: Diane Fitzgerald’s Temptation Gauge has increased by 2% to 60% total. Threshold: DEVOTED stage reached.

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