Chapter 1: A Big Fall for a Small Start
The big city shines with its brightness and colors despite the darkness of the night. The city is sleepless as cars drive drown through its streets. Suddenly without warning three cars zooms past the other vehicles on the streets maneuvering around them recklessly nearly hitting them. One drives on a nearby sidewalk to avoid the other traffic and a pedestrian just barely jumps out of the way of the car as it shoots by. Not too far behind these vehicles, three police cruisers give chase doing their best to move around the civilian vehicles and not hit anyone but losing distance on those they are pursuing as they do so.
Above this scene, a helicopter flies over also in pursuit across the side of the helicopter bears the words Channel 78 News. Inside the helicopter, a cameraman points his camera at the below scene as a female news reporter in a nice-looking white business suit with black stripes speaks over what's happening.
Zebra: “If you're just joining us now I’m Zebra Zinks with Channel 78 News. The dangerous mad scientist criminal Doctor Devour has once again robbed the Bigalarge City Central Bank! For the 69th time…”
Cameraman: “Nice!”
Zebra slightly gives a quick slightly angry glare at the cameraman who doesn't even notice before she continues.
Zebra: “Police are in hot pursuit but are having issues catching up with the Supervill…”
Before the reporter can finish her statement something flies by helicopter at incredible speed.
Zebra: “What was that..!”
As this figure flies closer to the speeding cars we see it’s a human man wearing a costume of black spandex with white armor plating with gold trim. Most of his face is covered by a similarly colored headpiece with blue tinted glass. He flies forward as blue energy shoots out of the bottom of his metal boots, and a bellowing long white cape flaps in the wind at the high-speed movement. The reporter announces the presence of this man.
Zebra: “It’s Max!”
The hero, Max flies closer to the criminal cars; the two that are closest to him roll down their windows as thugs with assault rifles shoot at him. The bullets however do nothing as they bounce off the metal parts of Max’s costume. Max smiles as the energy builds in his hands and he shoots it out and the two cars fire beams of plasma energy. These two beams each hit the backs of the cars destroying their rear tires and causing the vehicles to skees to a halt. Max quickly flies past them both with a grin on his face as some of the cop cars stop to surround the vehicle. The remaining criminal vehicle is still speeding fast ahead. Inside at the wheel is a thuggish-looking fellow with an anxious and frantic look on his face and next to him is an older-looking gentleman wearing a black lab coat and green-tinted glasses, he has messy white hair and a bionic right left arm that instead of a hand on the end looks like the mouth of a robotic shark. The thug quickly turns to the other.
Thug Driver: “I thought you said this job was a sure thing!”
Doctor Devour: “Oh it Will Be!
Dr.Devour shouts as he takes his mechanical arm and slams it down on the dashboard the robotic shark's mouth at the end of the arm bitting down and chewing up the dashboard lights along the side of it glow with green light. The evil doctor leans out of the window as he points his metal arm at the hero flying fast towards him and then the shark's mouth opens again and blasts a long beam of green energy causing an explosion where Max was. The not-so-good doctor looks as the smoke from the explosion clears and doesn't see the do-gooder anywhere and an evil smile spread across the Doctor’s face.
Max: “Down here!”
Dr.Devour’s expression quickly changes from a grin to absolute devastation as he turns to see Max now about the size of maybe a mouse sitting on the car’s side mirror smiling and waving.
Max: “Sorry doc, but it seems like your plan has a little problem to it.”
Max smiles at his own quip as the doctor’s expression changes again but this time to one of rage and he snarls.
Dr.Devour: “I hate you..!”
Dr.Devour swings his fist punching off the mirror but before the impact, Max backflips off the mirror and transforms in the air growing in size to about the size of a 1 story building he stomps on the front of the car instantly causing it to stop and crash. Dr.Devour rolls out of the destroyed vehicle blasting his beams at Max as the driver runs away. But the beams do nothing to Max at his current size.
Dr.Devour: “One way or another Max this is your last night in this city!”
Max just smiles as he bends down still towering over the mad doctor and flicks him with two fingers spending him flying back onto the ground instantly knocking him out. Max shrinks back down to the size of an average person as the rest of the police cruisers come speeding around him to secure the scene. Not too far, a multitude of news vans pull up and suddenly the hero is surrounded by a swarm of reports and cameras. They all talk over each other with comments and questions for the hero.
Max: “Alright, alright just another day for Bigalarge’s greatest hero. You’ll all get an autograph just wait your turn.”
Max says this with a smirk at the cameras. One reporter, the same reporter from earlier Zebra Zinks, steps up.
Zebra: “Zebra Zinks, Channel 78 News! Do you have any comments on your recent controversy?”
Max: “Controversy?”
Zebra: “The video that was leaked?”
Max: “Video? What vide…”
Max trails off as his face changes to an expression of sudden realization and then extreme worry.
Max: “No comment! Gota Go!”
Quickly Max files off leaving the reports in a trail of dust and smoke all coughing from it as they are left to wonder what the hero has done.
Sometime later in a further part of the city sits a large skyscraper inside this rests an office of which the entrance doors swing violently open as Max steps through with anger.
Max: “What’s going on here?!?”
Max looks around seeing the office workers but they are not everyday people. All of them look exactly the same, men completely covered in red, black, and purple costumes with a big letter E on them. Some are at computers, others are carrying boxes, papers, and other miscellaneous files. Upon seeing Max one by one they quickly collide and merge with each other till the number is reduced to a singular person.
Man-E: “Just clearing out some stuff before the turnover. After your little video got leaked the board of directors lost faith and I was able to convince them to rebrand with someone more… younger at the helm.”
Max: “Man-E, it was you!?:
Man-E: “Ha! serves you right!”
With rage, Max charges forward at this individual but before he can make contact his costumed target splits into three. One of these duplicates goes right while the other goes to the left of Max each grabbing one of the hero’s arms and holding him in place as this stands in place. Max grunts and strains as he angrily looks at Man-E.
Max: “Why?!?”
Man-E: “Why!?! For years you treated me like a sidekick, made me and my duplicates do all your grunt work while you hogged all the glory. And you want to know what the final straw was? That video…” Man-E takes a breath and continues “The world deserves a real hero, not someone that just cares about being a big shot. You want my advice, Max. Go Home.”
With that Man-E and his duplicates leave as Max hangs his head down in bitterness and despair as he ponders what he should do next.
It's a new morning as the sun begins to rise on a single country road with plain fields on either side as a bus rides down it. The bus quickly passes a bus stop leaving Max there with a bunch of bags and suitcases. Max is no longer wearing his costume but is now sporting a dark polo and khakis with dark suede shoes. His dark brown hair and caucasian skin shine in the coming sunlight as his blue eyes watch the bus leaves him. He shouts as the bus quickly drive away.
Max: “Really! Couldn’t have gotten me any closer!”
Max shakes his head in frustration and exhaustion as he gathers his things and begins to walk forward as a sign announces his location. “Atomberg, Where the Small Stuff Matters.”
It’s not too long later as Max is already moving through this town’s streets. Max keeps his head down, trying not to make eye contact with anyone passing by. Luckily for him, there aren't many people out in the town right now. Along the way, he spots many familiar buildings. An old church, a hardware store called “Hard Stuff” and the Armoberg Police station. He moves on and on through the town until eventually, he stops in front of a house. The house is old maybe about 100 or more years by Max’s best guess, despite its age whatever it may be the house is well kept. It looks like a standard basic-looking country home, the only real difference is a large wooden square that's been patched onto part of the roof. Max slightly smiles as he remembers how that happened. He then takes a deep breath as he thinks to himself.
Max (Inner Thoughts): “Alright You can do this. You can face them. This is just temporary until the heat dies down and then I’ll be back on my feet and out of this dumb town again. God, I can’t believe I’m back in this dirt hole! How long has it been? Years? Whatever doesn’t matter your Max! You’re a superhero, you’re better in this town, this is just a footnote in the history of America’s next greatest Superhero!... Who am I kidding I’m screwed!”
As Max is lost in his own head the front door of this house opens. Standing at the door is an old lady maybe late 60s or so. She wears a nice green dress with long grey hair and a glowing sweet smile.
Mrs.Smol: “Maxwell! You’re Home!”
Max looks at the home and gives an awkward smile as he rubs the back of his head.
Max: “Hey…Mom…I’m Home. Been a while”
Mrs.Smol: “I’m so glad your home, Leave your stuff we’ll get it later. Come in, greet your father!”
Max: “Yeah…Great.”
Max sighs as he’s led into his old childhood home by his mother. He enters the living room looking at the old-style room the first thing Max notices is an older man about the same age as his mother wearing a plaid red shirt and jeans with a scrunched-up face. This man sits back in a recliner reading a newspaper with the headline “Sheriff to be awarded another award.”
Mrs.Smol: “Adam, your son’s home.”
The man, Max’s father, doesn't even look up from his paper as he grumbles.
Mr.Smol: “Grumble.”
Mrs.Smol: “Do you want anything to eat from your long trip? Maybe a slice of my award-winning Apple Pie.”
Max: “You know what I’m just gonna head up to my bedroom”
Max sighs as he heads up a nearby pair of stairs. He enters what can only be described as a child's bedroom. He sits down on his old bed which is now way too small for him and lets out another sigh of sadness. He looks around his room looking at the various furniture and stuff seeing the memories of the place all around him. Ms.Smol walks down the hallway holding a plate of cookies in hand. She knocks on the door.
Mrs.Smol: “Maxie? I brought you a plate of cookies.”
She opens the door to see Max is not there and the window is open.
It’s a few minutes later as Max now sits on a hill that overlooks the town he looks up at the sky and then back down at the small town below and sighs in disappointment.
Max: “What a piece of shit.”
????: “That’s what I'm looking at.”
Max turns to look at where this voice came to form a sees an adult woman around his age standing not too far away from him. She wears a nice red button-down shirt with a matching skirt. She was long blonde hair and brown eyes as the main draw of her pretty peachy skin face as she looks arms and crosses glaring at Max.
Max: “Do I know you?”
???: “Yeah I should have expected you not to recognize an old friend.”
Max tries to look closer at this woman and then figures it out.
Max: “Sam?”
Sam: “Nice to see you too, Max.”
Max: “Wow you’ve changed a lot.”
Sam: “17 years can do that to a person. No more Fat Sam!”
Max: “Good for you, now how the heck did you find me or know I was here!”
Sam: “Cutting to the point like always. Your mom called old lady Hayley who then told Pastor Leo who then mentioned it to my neighbor Carla. She then told my dad who told me. And this is where you always go to deal with stuff ever since you were a kid.”
This remark makes Max thinks back too many years ago on this same hill. A younger child Max perhaps around 12-14 years old is working on some sort of cannon-shaped device with tools as he hears foots steps and a voice that takes heavy exhausted breaths as a younger child Sam around the same age range but much fatter stumbles up the hill.
Young Sam: “Hey…(heavy breathing)...Max…(heavy breathing)...What are you working on?”
Young Max: “My dad won’t let me work on my proton plasma blaster in the shed so I’m up here.”
Young Sam: “A what?”
Before the young Max can answer that a blue ball of energy blasts out of the cannon and just barely misses young Sam as it flies and blasts into one of the houses in the town below.
Young Sam: “Max I think that hit your house! Max? Max!”
Sam: “Max!”
Max snaps out of his memory to the current scene.
Sam: “Are you listening to me?”
Max: “Not really.”
Sam: “I asked why you were back. I thought you were off in the big city being a big-shot superhero.”
Max: “You don’t know?”
Sam: “No? No one knows. Unless it’s super earth-shattering or important not much news flows in and out of the town.”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Max: “We’ll it’s none of your business. Why are you even talking to me I haven’t spoken to you in years”
Sam: “You know what fine! Excuse me for trying to catch up and reconnect with one of my oldest friends in my childhood!”
Sam turns and begins to leave as Max watches he recalls the last friend he had Man-E and his words and a sad look come across his face.
Max: “Sam, Wait!”
Sam stops and turns back to look at Max who’s giving an uneasy unsure look at her.
Max: “Look I can’t tell you much I’ve just been dealing with a lot. Being back here certainly isn’t helping.”
Sam: “Alright you don’t have to tell me, one way or another I’ll find out anyway. But despite that maybe this can be a good thing. You can be a hero here?”
Max: “Ha! Are you serious? This place is the most peaceful place in America this place doesn't need a superhero.”
Sam: “Everywhere needs a hero no matter how big or small. And besides something about this town has been getting weird.”
Max: “Wierd?”
Sam: “Nothing major if you want me to be honest. Little rumors gossip here and there. Weird spiders, a shadow of a big fish in the lake, a haunted farm, and most recent was some death threat to the cop.”
Max: “Listen even if I wanted to be a town’s official superhero you need permission from the authorities.”
Sam: “Then just head down to the station and ask the guy.”
Max: “I’m not doing that.”
Sam: “I don’t get what your problem is but if your gonna be here you should at least do some good! What else do you have to lose?!”
Max thinks for a moment about her words
Max (Inner Thoughts): “Is…Is she right? Well with my company taken away from me I need some way to make money. Better earning it as a hero than as any other crummy job. Maybe if she’s right I could actually be successful and move out of this town to a bigger and better city than this or Bigalarge. Like she said I really don’t have anything else to lose.”
Max snaps out of his head and turns back to Sam.
Max: “Alright fine I’m in. we’ll do it.”
Max begins to walk down the hill and Sam turns and starts to follow behind him.
Sam: “Wait, we?”
Max: “It was your idea and I can’t exactly do this alone.”
Sam: “Does this mean I get a costume?”
Max: “Nope.”
It’s slightly later in the day as two police officers sit in the Atomberg police station. The station itself is overall pretty organized but the officers themselves are far from hard at work. One officer has their feet up on their desk and is throwing darts at a nearby dartboard, he’s a heavier set built with a bald white head. Meanwhile the other is building a card pyramid he’s much more skinny with black hair and glasses. The two are minding their own business when they hear a pair of voices coming from outside the building.
Sam: “Is it really that hard to make me a costume?”
Max: “Yes, now do you mind shutting so I can do my dramatic entrance.”
Sam: “This seems really unnecessary.”
Max: “This is completely necessary.”
As the conversation counties, the two officers turn their heads to look at each other and then back at the door. The door is then kicked open as Max now in his costume enters the station with Max close behind him. This shock causes the first officer to missing his next shoot with his dart which flies and bounces off the wall and then crashes into the card pyramid causing cards to fly everywhere.
Max: “Yes, Yes it is I, Max! The great superhero here to grace this town with my presence! Please take me to the chief of this police force.”
The bald officer grins with excitement as he runs up to Max
Officer 1: “Oh My god! Max! Oh, it’s an honor to meet you, sir! Can I get an autograph!”
He says as he violently shakes Max’s hand and pulls out a big picture of Max with a glowing smile.
Max: “I see my fame has traveled far.”
Max states as he pulls out a pen and signs the picture.
The other officer stands up cards all over his head and he speaks up.
Officer 2: You seriously can’t like this guy Boulder!”
Boulder: “Come on Pebbles this is the coolest thing that’s happened to us.”
Pebbles: “Ridiculous.”
Sam: “I take it your not a superhero fan?”
Pebbles: “They're just so self-indulgent.”
Sam: “Yeah but that’s half the fun of watching them.”
As the pair talk Max who hasn’t been listening finishes signing Boulder’s pic and hands it back to him as the cop jumps up and down with joy. A sound of doors violently swinging open is heard from the other end of the station that catches all their attention as a loud deep voice booms.
???: “What’s going on out here?”
Standing before everyone is a tall African American man in a police uniform with a tan ten-gallon hat and cowboy boots.
Pebbles and Boulder: “Sheriff!”
Both offices shout as they stop what they're doing and stand at attention facing this man.
Max: “You must be the boss around here.”
???: “My name is Sheriff Dan Plateau I’m law and order of this town.”
Max: “I see we’ll I’m…”
Dan: “Oh I know who you are. Maxwell Smol son of Stella And Adam Smol a big-time superhero who’s for some ungodly reason has returned home.”
Dan looks max up and down seeing the costume that the hero is wearing.
Dan: “I think we should continue this conversation in my office.”
Dan leads Max into his office as the door to the office closes the two sit down. Dan sits down at a mahogany desk his arm in it with his fingers intertwined as her stares daggers at the hero.
Dan: “Why are you here Maxwell?”
Max: “I thought it be nice to come back and give my old home the superhero it needs!”
Max lies confidentiality through his bright white teeth
Dan: “This whole big city savior act that you got going on I ain’t buying it. Give me the real reason or I’m kicking you out of my satiation.”
Max: “Surely you won’t refuse the help of a superhero of my status?”
Dan: “Frankly put I don’t believe that this town needs a superhero it’s getting along peacefully. And I find it harder to believe you’re really a superhero.”
Max: “Hey now I’m sure there’s plenty of things this town can use me for. What about that umm… the death threat… yeah that! That’s certainly a situation a superhero is needed for.”
Dan: “You mean this thing?”
Dan takes out a piece of paper and slams it on the desk and Max’s eyes are drawn to it. The paper reads “You Will Die” in a big black marker.
Max: “Very straightforward.”
Dan: “This is nothing probably just some dang teenagers I pissed off and trying to prank me.”
Dan goes and begins to leave his office with Max closely following behind as the two walk through Max begins to make his plea.
Max: “Oh come on there’s gotta be something what about those strange rumors.”
Dan: “Rumors are just rumors. Whoever your getting your info form hasn’t gotten their head screwed on tight.”
Sam: “Hey my is head perfectly tight… I think.”
Sam proceeds to grab her head with her hands and shakes it left and right. Dan continues walking away from both Max and Sam leaving the station and Max and Sam follows behind. Dan makes it to his police car and opens the door before turning his head to face the pair.
Dan: “This town has its heroes people that care about the community and not themselves and glory.”
Dan sits in the car and as does Max looks at Dan’s car and something in Max’s headpiece beeps.
Max: “Wait!”
Dan ignores Max and begins to start the car as the engine rumbles the sound sounds wrong and Dan’s eyes look confused for a moment. Suddenly Max grabs Dan from the seat and files with the cop wrapped in his arms away from the car. As he does so the car explodes in a ball of metal and fire pieces of the car fly everywhere the sheer heat and power push Max and Dan forward on their flight pushing them to land on the ground groaning in pain their ears ringing from the sound of the explosion. Both get up reeling from the explosion but are still intake.
Sam: “Oh My God! Are you okay!”
Pebbles and Boulder run out of the station. Boulder holds a fire extinguisher and runs to the car which is still on fire and begins to spray it. Max gets up still groaning and reading from the blast he reaches down to help Dan up. Dan grasps Max's hand and is lifted to his feet.
Dan: “You saved me?”
Max: “It’s what heroes do right? So much for that paper being an empty threat.”
Pebble: “Hero? How do we know you didn’t cause this?!?”
Max: “Are you serious?!? I’m a superhero. Hear that hero! Does that word have no meaning?! Pulse I’ve only just got to this town when would I have time to set this up?!”
Dan: “Then how did you know it was going to explode?”
Max: “My scanner in my helmet was able to pick it up.”
Max says as he points to the headpiece of his costume still over his face.
Pebble: “A likely story!”
Sam: “Enough I can figure this out you don’t grow up at a mechanic without picking up some stuff.”
Sam goes to the car smoking after Boulder finishes putting the fire out with the extinguisher. She spits on her hands and rubs them together before lifting up the hood and looking inside. She rummages around the inside of the car’s engine as the others gather around her.
Sam: “This was certainly tampered with some mess this boy up and rigged it so the car would explode. But this work is sloppily done by an amateur who doesn’t know what they're doing. Yet they were smart enough to not leave any trace of themselves. Wait..!”
Sam dives down deeper into the car and grabs something from the bottom of it and pulls it out to show to everyone. She reveals a small piece of what appears to be paper.
Boulder: “Paper? How’s that supposed to help?”
Sam: “I've never seen paper like this in an engine before, feels weird. this must have been left by the culprit.”
Dan begins to walk away from the scene which Max notices as he quickly steps in front of him.
Max: “Hey where you going?”
Dan: “Those teens I mentioned are the best lead right now this was probably a joke gone wrong. I going to go confront them.”
Max: “I don’t think some snot-nosed teens could do this. Listen whoever did this might be serious. What you need is some superheroic protection and help with your investigation.”
Dan borrows his eyes at max and then turns his head to the destroyed car he sighs as he rubs his face in annoyance.
Dan: “You’re just as stubborn as your father you can’t take no for an answer. Alright fine just don’t make me regret this.”
Sam: “I’m coming too. Only because I want to see how this goes.”
Dan: “Fine whatever. Pebbles, Boulder stay here and clean up this mess.”
Pebbles and Boulder: “Yes Sir!”
Both stand in. Salute positions as they state that.
Dan: “Those teens are still the best and only lead, they hang out by the Stinky Gas station. Come on let’s go.”
The trio walks off from the scene. It takes some time as they eventually arrive at the gas station it’s a normal but slightly old and rusty station with a big neon sign with the words Stinky Gas on it. The neon sign sparks a bit and the G in the sign sparks out and goes dim with the sign spelling out Stinky as.
Sam: “So those teens hang around here? How do we find them?”
As Sam states that a loud voice cracks by them.
????: “Get them!”
Suddenly something fast whooshes past the trio and begins to circle them at incredible speeds. As they circle they are revealed to be none other than a trio of teenagers on skateboards laughing at our heroes. One of the teens throws something at Sam's feet which causes a small spark that causes her to jump back in fear.
Sam: “Ah!
Dan: “You damn kids! I told you not to use those stupid cherry bomb things!”
Teenager 1: “Suck it, Lawman!”’
One of the teens shouts as he throws another cherry bomb at Dan’s feet causing him to jump back.
Teenager 2: “That’s a nice outfit! Too bad it’s got explosions all over it!”
Another one of the rowdy teens flings a cherry bomb at Max, but Max catches it in his armored fist and clenches it tight as it explodes not damaging him or his armor at all.
Max: “Nice toys kids, let me show you mine!”
Max points a finger at the teenagers circles him and the others and a small beam of blue energy shoots from his fingertip right in front of one of the skaters causing them to wipe out and fall off their skateboard and onto the ground. This causes the other skaters to stop what they're doing to look at their fallen friend. The teen in question sits up not hurt in any real way except for maybe their pride.
Teenager: “What was that!”
Sam: “We’ll be asking the questions here!”
Dan: “Eh em!”
Dan clears his throat behind Sam.
Sam: “I mean he’ll be asking the questions here.”
Sam steps aside and Dan steps forward to the group of teens.
Dan: “Alright fess up did you hooligans leave me a death threat and destroy my car.”
Teenager 1: “We didn’t do nothing lawman!”
The first teen shouts as he spits on Dan’s shirt. The third teen goes up to the first teen and whispers in their ear.
Teenager 3: “Maybe we should tell them what I saw?”
Dan: “Listen this isn’t a game anymore. Wherever by accident or not you nearly killed me. That’s could be a serious time. If you fess up I can be lenient with ya.”
Teenager 2: “Like he said we didn’t do nothing! If anything we tried to help you!... Whoops.”
Max: “What did you say?”
Before any of the teens can answer that a strange noise can be heard Sam turns her head to figure out what it is and she sees it.
Sam: “Look out!”
All turn to see what Sam is pointing at and see that a small red rocket is flying at them at incredible speed. Quickly Max fires another laser at the rocket in twain and causes it to fall to its feet.
Sam: “What is it?”
Dan: “It looks like a fireworks rocket. Strange these were all confiscated by the department when they were made illegal in the state.”
Max: “Well someone didn’t get the memo, look!”
They all turn to see more firework rockets flying towards the gas station.
Dan: “If just one of those hit the gas station it’ll blow up in flames!”
Max: “Sam get the kids to safety I’ll desert the rockets while Dan swings around and stops where they're coming from.”
With that Max flies off energy shooting out of his boots as he takes off into the air. Dan runs forwards in the direction the rockets are coming toward.
Sam: “Alright kids let's get you out of here!”
Sam takes the teens and quickly begins to lead them away from the gas station with the teenagers skating behind her. Max soars in the air as the fireworks rockets fly toward him. He shoots another rocket with his laser destroying it in a cloud of smoke. Through the smoke, another rocket flies catching Max off guard. Max reacts fast as he uppercuts the rocket sending it flying up higher into the air. Another rocket blast forward at the hero who manages to catch it mid-air. Max spins around with the rocket in their hand and swings it up hitting the rocket he punched earlier. The two rockets collide exploding into more smoke. Dan meanwhiles runs toward the hill that the fireworks are coming from. He sees more fireworks shoot out from the top of the hill that Max begins to fight off with a combination of punches and energy blast attacks. Dan begins to climb up the hill every step inching him closer to the culprit. Sam has now gotten the teens away from the gas station.
Sam: “One of you said you saw something! I heard you loud and clear.”
Teenager 3: “Alright, Alright! I talk. Listen I was the one who wrote the note to the sheriff.”
Sam: “Why did you threaten the sheriff’s life?”
Teenager 3: “I wasn’t trying to threaten him. I was trying to warn him.”
Teenager 2: “Last night she saw someone mess with the sheriff’s car.”
Teenager 1: “We may hate the lawman but it’s not like we want to kill him.”
Teenager 3: “Anyone yeah I saw that and after the guy left he ran away and I slipped the note under the office door addressed to the sheriff.”
Sam: “Did you see what the guy looked like?”
Teenager 3: “Nah it was dark. All I could tell was that he was skinny.”
Sam: “Next time you write a letter warning someone be more specific!”
As Sam shouts that Dan managers to get to the top of the hill but to his surprise, no one is there just a couple of firework launchers aimed at the gas station. They fire a couple of work rockets but Max quickly blasts them into smoke with his energy beams. With the last of the rockets taken care of Max files down to where Dan is and lands in front of the sheriff who is bent down to the ground analyzing it.
Max: “What are you looking for worms or something?”
Dan: “Old fashion police work and not your fancy tech. See here the indent on the ground indicates that however placed this was heavy. This mechanics looks altered to be controlled remotely.”
Max and Dan head down the hill to meet up with Sam and the teens.
Sam: “Turns out the teens did write the death threat but they didn’t do anything. They did see some skinny guy mess with your car.”
Dan: “This doesn't make much sense who else would want to kill me?”
Teenager 1: “Maybe someone who really doesn't want to pay their speeding tickets?”
Sam: “Max you the big city superhero you think of something!”
Max: “Me? I’m a superhero, not a detective!”
Sam: “Come on Max think bigger than that.”
Max: “No think small!”
Max realizes this and gathers his thoughts about the various points since he’s entered the town of Atomberg every small moment. “Nah it was dark. All I could tell was that he was skinny.” “I've never seen paper like this in an engine before, feels weird. this must have been left by the culprit.” Meanwhile the other is building a card pyramid he’s much more skinny with black hair and glasses. “See here the indent on the ground indicates that however placed this was heavy.” One officer has their feet up on their desk and is throwing darts at a nearby dartboard, he’s a heavier set built with a bald white head. “It looks like a fireworks rocket. Strange these were all confiscated by the department when they were made illegal in the state.” “This town has its heroes people that care about the community and not themselves and glory.” “Maybe a slice of my award-winning Apple Pie.” “Sheriff to be awarded another award.” And Max realizes the culprit.
Max: “I got it! I know who’s responsible”
Dan: “Really?”
Max: “Yeah and I know how to prove it too. Follow me.”
With that Max runs off and Dan and Sam follow behind. Not too long after they end up back at the Police Sation. They enter to see Pebbles and Boulder. Boulder is panting heavily looking exhausted.
Pebble: “Sheriff, your back!”
Sam: “You seem surprised! Surprised that he’s alive!”
Pebble: “What?”
Max: “I realized a couple of things. First off the paper that was found in the engine is exactly like the paper found in playing cards.”
Max states that as he picks up a playing card that fell on the floor earlier.
Max: “And Sheriff I’m sure you can easily check to see that the indentation made at the site of the fireworks matches up to Officer Boulder’s footprints.”
Pebble: “None of that proves anything.”
Sam: “Doesn't this place have security cameras, can’t you use those to see who took out the fireworks?”
Dan: “Yes, yes I can. And You just reminded me there also one-pointed outside the station that should just be able to make out where my car was…”
Boulder: “It was him, it was all his idea. He forced me to help!”
Pebble: “Dang it Boulder keep your mouth shut!”
Dan: “Why?”
Pebble: “We were sick of it! We do a lot of work and yet you end up getting all the credit and awards! We do all your grunt work while you hogged all the glory.”
Max: “I swear I’ve heard that somewhere before.”
Dan: “Boulder, Pebbles, you two are under arrest for the attempted murder of a police officer. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.”
Dan cuffs Pebbles and Boulder and leads them off. It’s a while later as Dan now stands in front of Max and Sam.
Dan: “Damn now I’m down two officers. This town may be small but I can’t police it myself.”
Sam: “Em em”
Dan Looks over to see Sam gesturing towards Max who's striking a heroic pose.
Dan: “Oh god damn it.”
Max: “Listen I think I have more than proven myself enough today that I could be useful. Like it or not you need my help. This isn’t all just about glory for me I just want to be a hero.”
Dan sighs as he looks at the two.
Dan: “Fine…Max…you are now…Atmoberg’s official…Superhero.”
Max gives a smug smile at the accomplishment of his goal.
Dan: “Listen I still gonna keep my eye on you to make sure you don’t pull anything stupid. And once I find new recruits you're done.”
Max: “Trust me sheriff I want this to be temporary too.”
Sam: “I don’t know Max the small town superhero. It has a nice ring to it.”
Max: “Ya, No. That will never catch on.”
End of Chapter 1