Brian and Brenda sat down in a secluded corner of the campus library, surrounded by shelves filled with dusty books. At this time of morning there were few people present and the two of them had a good look down the rows of shelves nearby. If anyone came near, they’d see them before they got close. Even so, they kept their voices low so as not to be overheard.

“Sorry to ask,” says Brian. “But…could you…show me that you live in Andy’s neighborhood? Anyone can claim that they do.”

“Of course,” said Brenda.

The young woman looked around nervously, and while neither of them saw any people or cameras look at them, Brenda still kept her hand inside her sleeve to keep someone from seeing. Showing the hand, it turned into metal the color of gold. Offering it to Brian, he reached into the sleeve and felt her hand. It was metal, alright, the material cool on his skin. Brenda wiggled her fingers to show it was no trick, and Brian was always fascinated by how it moved just like flesh but looked and felt like metal. This confirmed it, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

She was Valtarian, a Gold Valtarian to be specific.

“Okay, so you are who you say you are,” said Brian, pulling his hand back. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Brenda sighed, her voice a whisper. “I’m a power user. And I’m surrounded by people who think power users have to be superheroes.”

“You don’t have any Valtarians you can talk to?”

“At home, sure,” said Brenda. “But here on campus, unless I already know them, I don’t necessarily know they’re Valtarians. We’ve blended in pretty well, and there are enough of us that we don’t all know each other.”

Brian looked confused. “But you knew who I was.”

“You’re Andy Gatlin’s friend,” said Brenda. “Everyone in our neighborhood knows who he is. My parents talk about it all the time. Andy’s father may have failed to save our planet, but John Gatlin gave us a home when we lost ours. We owe everything to him, and all of us know his son started hanging out with a human kid.”

Brian hadn’t really considered that, but supposed it made sense. Briefly, Brian remembered meeting Andy. He’d gone exploring by himself in the woods behind his house and found a bunch of Valtarian kids, including Andy, practicing their metal transformation. He’d sworn up and down that he wouldn’t tell anyone. He’d wanted to be a superhero just like them, so it didn’t take long for him to bond.

Brian sighed. He hadn’t seen the old Valtarian gang in a while, and now that Andy had become SteelStar, he wondered if he’d ever hang out with his old friends again. He hated to think that this chapter of his life was ending.

“So,” said Brian. “You’re surrounded by people who think you should be doing something else.”

Brenda hugged herself. “I’m constantly looking over my shoulder. Anytime someone looks at me I panic a little, wondering if they know what I am. I sometimes hear people talking about power users not fighting crime and rogue mutants. The disgust in their voices always gets to me.”

She looked genuinely afraid.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” said Brian. “What are you majoring in?”

“History,” said Brenda. “It’s my favorite subject. I’m not sure what I’ll do with it, be a teacher maybe, but I’m going for history. The trouble is, most people will say anyone can study history, but only people like me could be a superhero.”

“Do you think you could?”

Brenda laughed bitterly. “I don’t have a violent bone in my body. I don’t like hurting people, even if I know they deserve it.”

Brian nodded. “Well, having powers is only one aspect of being a superhero. Not everyone who gets powers is cut out for it. That’s that problem we face with powers being obtained at random. If you don’t have the right temperament for hero work, you shouldn’t be pressured into doing it.”

“Thanks,” said Brenda, sighing. “You know what the weirdest thing about this is for me? Where I grew up, everyone can transform into metal. It’s normal for us, no different from being able to breathe. But out here…”

“It’s seen as special,” said Brian.

Brenda nodded. “Honestly? If I could get rid of these powers, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

Brian chuckled. “Funny. I’d give anything to have powers right now.”

Brenda looked surprised, but then nodded. “Wanna trade?”

They laughed, and then just sat for a moment in silence, look down the rows of books.

###

“I don’t know,” said John Gatlin. “Maybe…I don’t know.”

John Gatlin sat at the kitchen table, looking over a few restaurant menus. It was John’s Birthday in a few days, which meant he got to choose the restaurant they would eat at. He was just a little indecisive today.

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His Valtarian wife, Amelia, sat across from him. Since they were in the comfort of their own home, the windows closed, she wore her Valtarian form, grey eyes, grey skin, and white hair. She waited patiently, nodding encouragingly.

“Well, honey,” she said. “We’ll go with whatever you decide.”

John looked through the menus for a few more minutes when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” said Amelia, patting John’s arm affectionately.

Once at the door, Amelia looked through to see her brother, Tobias, Andy’s uncle. She let him in quickly. Tobias was an older gentleman who had a fierceness in his eyes, despite the weary bags beneath them. He wore light skin and the grey hair of an elderly man until he stepped inside. Then he transformed into his Valtarian form, showing light green skin and hair. When a Valtarian aged their skin, hair, and metal forms turned green like copper exposed to the air for too long.

“Tobias,” said Amelia. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“If you don’t mind,” said the other Valtarian. “I would like to use our Valtarian names right now, Amedara.”

The serious look in his eye made Amelia know that he was here for a serious talk.

“Alright, Tobor,” she said. “Just a second.”

“John,” said Amelia. “It’s Tobias. He’s here to talk we me.”

“Sure thing, dear,” John shouted back.

Soon Amelia and Tobias, otherwise known as Amedara and Tobor, sat across from each other in the living room.

“So, what’s this about?” asked Amedara.

“Young Andro,” said Tobor.

Amedara sighed. “Tobor, you should know by now that he doesn’t answer to that name.”

“Still?” asked Tobor, shaking his head. “I know most of our children don’t remember Valtaria, but…” he hesitated. “Oh, well. That’s not important right now. I’m here because I’m worried about…Andy.”

“We’re all worried about him,” said Amedara.

“I’m sure, but after everything that’s happened, I think now is the right time to try and talk him out of it.”

Amedara took a deep breath. “I won’t lie. That’s crossed my mind.”

“So, you’re with me on this?” asked Tobor.

“I don’t know, Tobor. This is what Andy has wanted ever since he was young, and he has saved a lot of people. Some of those people are right here in Partition City.”

“I know that,” said Tobor. “But your son has a target on his back after what happened. All eyes are on him, so being a superhero isn’t the same for him as it is for others. I’m sure if something else happens at Partition City there’s no harm in him helping, but another disaster like what happened with Spectramancer is unlikely. He should stay with us, where we can keep him safe. He belongs with his people, Amedara, not galivanting around the world trying to help those that hate him.”

Amedara thought about it.

“I won’t lie,” she said. “I wish I could protect him from all of this. But Tobor, do you really believe that if Andy stopping being a superhero, and left the name of SteelStar behind, that he’d be left alone?”

Tobor didn’t answer.

“I hate it,” said Amedara, turning back to him. “I hate to think of what someone might do to him, but we can’t protect our children from the world forever. You should know that better than anyone.”

Tabor didn’t answer but looked away pensively.

###

Later, Tabor was in his own home, rummaging through a chest he’d pulled out of a closet. Inside the chest was a picture that lay upside down next to a Valtarian communicator, its metal surface gleaming in the light.

Tobor reached in and picked up the picture. It was a photo of himself standing side by side with his son, Henron, though he went by Henry these days. In the picture, Henron had grey skin and white hair, while Tobor only had patches of green on his own skin, the first signs of old age creeping in. They looked happy in that photo, but their last encounter hadn’t ended well. Tobor remembered it well. Henry had packed his bags and was about to set out with most of his friends to be superheroes together.

Tabor and Henry had stood on the front porch of that very house, Tobor with white hair and light skin, while Henry had light skin and dark hair.

“You’re abandoning us?” Tobor had demanded. “Your people?”

“I’m protecting this world,” said Henry, walking away. “Earth is our home now, and these humans are our people too. Why can’t you see that?”

“After everything we’ve lost, you’d tear us apart more?” Tobor accused. “Well fine, then, go play with your friends. But once you leave, you’re not one of us anymore.”

Henry had paused for a second, but only a second. He walked away from the house, staring straight forward with stoic grey eyes. Tobor had waited, watching him go the entire time, but Henry had never looked back, even as he disappeared in the distance.

As Tobor remembered this, kneeling beside that chest as he held the picture in his hands, he looked at the communicator at the bottom of the chest. Henry had left that behind, and Tobor hadn’t had the heart to get rid of it, even after their last conversation.

Briefly, Tobor considered picking it up. He stared at it for a few seconds, but ultimately put the picture back face down and closed the chest, putting it back into his closet.

###

The previous night.

In the dead of night, an eighteen-wheeler truck backed up to one of the small buildings made by Starlight construction. With the truck’s back to the entrance, the building’s doors slid open on either side, and the truck’s back end lifted straight up. Inside the truck, air horns made a noise, forcing something out of the truck and into the building. Whatever they were, the creatures growled angrily.

Present Day.

Andrew Thornton strolled through the facility, followed by men in jeans and jackets. Their footsteps echoed against concrete walls and steel beams of an old, abandoned bunker commandeered by the Sons of Purity. Soon they reached a blast door that opened slowly at their approach, revealing a large room filled with wooden crates large enough for a grown man to fit inside.

One of the men inside the room, holding the clip board, saw Andrew strolling and went to meet him.

“Mr. Thornton,” said the man. “The operation was a success. We have enough power suits for everyone.”

Andrew nodded. The operation was to steal power suits from a U.S.A. military convoy. These suits were for special forces only, hard to make and few in number, so Andrew knew he had to make them count.

“Is everything ready?” asked Andrew.

“Yes, sir,” said the other man. “Now that we’ve filled the buildings provided by Starlight Construction, and all our own trucks, we can unleash mutants into Partition City all day.”

“What’s the word on the U.H.E.?” asked Thornton.

“Most of them are busy. Paramount himself is halfway across the world dealing with a hurricane, and he’s not the only superhero on a mission. We should have little interference with this operation.”

“Excellent,” said Andrew, smiling. “Well, then. Let’s go catch us some power users.”