The next hour was hard for SteelStar. Fortunately, there were no other casualties aside from Spectramancer and the man in the Black Sedan. It only took a few minutes for the ambulances and police officers to arrive, their emergency lights shining and their sirens blaring. Soon, SteelStar sat on the back of an ambulance and told Paramount what happened while a medic looked over SteelStar’s injuries. Paramount was patient with this new young superhero, paying attention and asking questions as gently as possible.
“I tried to stop him without hurting him,” said SteelStar as the medic examined his bruised torso. “I really did. I just… I couldn’t get close to him, and nothing I did worked. If I didn’t stop him, then...”
“I understand,” said Paramount. “I’m sure Spectramancer was thankful that you stopped him when you did.”
SteelStar hesitated. “Well, sir, Spectramancer did ask me to tell you… that was sorry about… you know.”
Paramount nodded.
“Well,” said Paramount. “The police will want a statement, but after that, you should go home and rest. Lord knows you’ve earned it.”
“Okay,” said SteelStar. “Thank you.”
The police officers that eventually arrived were able to identify the man killed by Spectramancer. They used the license plate, melted and twisted though it was, and found that his name was Manny Turner. Somehow, knowing his name made things worse for SteelStar.
After talking to the police, the paramedic looking him over concluded that SteelStar’s injuries didn’t look too serious. SteelStar declined a hospital visit, knowing there was a Valtarian doctor in his neighborhood more familiar with his biology, and the paramedic at the scene recommended that the superhero get plenty of rest. Standing on the highway, SteelStar turned to metal, having recovered just enough energy for a return trip home.
Before leaving, he saw the other paramedics zip up Spectramancer’s body bag and then cart him into the back of an ambulance. SteelStar watched the ambulance drive away for a moment, feeling a twisted knot in his gut. He couldn’t stand there forever, though, so he looked away and flew into the air.
After a long flight and retrieving his duffel bag where he left it, SteelStar landed in the woods behind his house to change out of his costume. He walked out of the forest as Andy Gatlin, wearing a t-shirt and jeans while carrying his costume in his duffel bag. As he approached the house, his parents came out to meet him.
The mere sight of Andy caused them to worry. He’d shifted to his human persona, with black hair and normally tan skin, but now his face was sporting some ugly bruises. He dared not show him the bruises under his shirt.
“Are you alright?” asked Amelia, grabbing Andy’s face and looking him over. “We saw the news.”
“I’m fine,” said Andy. “I’m fine, Mom. It’s not as bad as it looks.”
That didn’t make Amelia stop worrying, and she hugged him close. Andy had to refrain from grunting as she disturbed the bruise on his chest. He really didn’t want her to worry more than she already was.
John walked up and said, “Come on, let’s go inside. You look like you could use a rest.”
Everyone kept telling him that, but as far as Andy was concerned, no one needed to.
***
Patrick Powell walked as fast as his legs would carry him. The Hammerhead News station was frantic with movement, and everyone knew why. A superhero was dead. There was never any bigger news than that. Patrick had seen scattered cell phone footage of a fight between Spectramancer and that new superhero, SteelStar. The few images of Spectramancer showed him in a rage, shouting, and destroying things with his mere presence. Clearly, something had been wrong with him. It was hard to make out details as most of the footage was taken by people running away from the scene, but it was alarming footage, nonetheless.
And this new hero, this SteelStar, had killed him. Patrick couldn’t believe anyone would just kill a famous hero like that. Even considering the destruction, Spectramancer was well respected, so something must have gone wrong to lock him into rage like that. Spectramancer had clearly needed help, not harm, but what should Patrick expect? This SteelStar didn’t expect others to use their powers responsibly. Why should he behave responsibly with his own powers?
Patrick reached the news desk to begin a very important broadcast.
***
After Andy endured yet another long conversation telling someone what happened, the Gatlin family brought in Doctor Shelby, a middle-aged Valtarian man, to take a closer look at him. He still had some technology from Valtaria, so the examination only took a few minutes. Doctor Shelby concluded that Andy wasn’t in any danger and just needed to rest. Andy’s half-Valtarian body would heal before too long.
Later, Andy sat at the kitchen table, drinking some hot chocolate, his hair now Valtarian white. Amelia had made the hot beverage to cheer him up, though it didn’t work as well as it used to. What happened wasn’t a scraped knee or a runaway pet. It was a lot worse, and Andy wasn’t a child anymore. Not that he said no. It was reassuring to know how much she cared. Samantha, Martin, and Abigail had asked him if he was okay, and he’d responded that he was fine, which wasn’t entirely true.
As he sat there, drinking his chocolate, he browsed videos on his phone. It was mostly a mix of music videos, review channels, and the news channels he followed. As he browsed, he came across a video from Hammerhead News called “New So-Called Hero Recklessly Hills Veteran Hero.”
Andy had to read it again to make sure he’d read it correctly. The more he concluded he wasn’t imagining it, the more he felt like his stomach was going to drop out of his body. How could they say that? Against his better judgment, Andy started the video. He saw the Hammerhead logo first, a shark with a literal hammer for a head, followed by their tagline, “Hammerhead news, we hit the nail on the head.” And then the video started.
“Earlier today,” said Patrick Powell. “Tragedy struck the world when world-famous superhero Spectramancer was killed in an incident just outside Partition City. Witnesses at the scene describe the superhero as going on a rampage.”
It cut to cell phone footage of Spectramancer glowing, looking around angrily.
Patrick continued. “According to famed superhero Paramount, Spectramancer was being affected by some unknown force.”
The footage cut to an image of Paramount in front of reporters, looking distraught as he said, “We don’t know what caused Spectramancer to get locked into channeling rage. All we know is that we’re shocked by what happened and saddened by the loss of a dear friend.”
“Spectramancer,” Patrick continued. “Was ultimately stopped by a new… superhero…” the skepticism in his voice was unmistakable. “Who calls himself SteelStar. This power user decided that the best way to deal with the situation was to gun Spectramancer down like a rabid dog.”
What? Thought Andy, trembling. They showed more footage of his alter ego, SteelStar, throwing lightning blasts at Spectramancer, though it was from a distance and the footage was blurry. The person taking it was also clearly running away.
“Quite a display,” said Patrick. “He could have, oh, I don’t know, tried to help him? I mean, you see a well known superhero, someone who’s saved countless lives, acting erratically, and your response is to just kill him? You don’t even try to figure out what’s going on and snap him out of it? Just look at this fool throwing lightning around like some trigger happy maniac.”
“Andy?” asked Amelia, standing to the side, worry written all over her face.
“That’s not what happened,” said Andy, unable to tear his eyes away from the video.
“Did it not occur to this SteelStar that Spectramancer was being influenced?” Patrick went on. “That he needed help? No. You just murdered him without a second thought.”
“That’s not true!” Andy almost screamed, clenching the phone. “You’re lying!” Andy looked up at his mother. “He’s lying!”
A spark of electricity jumped across Andy’s hand, destroying the phone. As the device lay in his hand, the screen cracked and smoke drifting off it, tears began forming in his eyes.
“It’s not true,” said Andy desperately. “How could he say that? It’s not true.”
Amelia hugged her son, holding him close as Andy cried, saying over and over again, “It’s not true.”
“I know, Andy,” said Amelia. “I know.”
And Andy wept openly, hugging his mother back. To the side stood Andy’s father, looking away as he clenched his fists.
***
The next day, many people saw a certain video. Spectramancer’s will instructed that this video be released to the public under specific conditions, and his lawyer honored that request. Many news organizations showed the video, but many didn’t. Hammerhead news was one that didn’t.
The video showed Spectramancer against a gray background. The elderly superhero, wearing his white cloak and mask, took a deep breath.
“My friends,” he said. “I have a confession to make. The public has, over the years, become aware that my powers are channeled by strong emotions. However, I have always been against explaining the specifics unless absolutely necessary. Given recent events, however, it is possible that an explanation may be necessary at some point, and that is the reason I’m making this video.
“About a month ago, I had an incident where I lost control of my anger and went on a spree of destruction up in the rocky mountains. There was a mutant attack involving a climber who was on his own, and I arrived too late to save him. I was so angry and frustrated that I lost control. My powers went into overdrive, and I caused significant destruction to the forest. Fortunately, I didn’t hurt anyone, and I snapped out of it before taking it too far, but regardless, the incident did happen.
“Since then, I have taken steps to manage my anger, and I believe I have it under control. I am confident I can continue hero work without repeating that incident. It has been pointed out to me, much to my chagrin, that I’m getting on in years and that I should consider that I might lose more control as I continue to age.
“I do not believe this to be the case. At this time, I believe this was a one-time thing and that I’ve learned enough to avoid it in the future. Some have suggested that I retire from hero work, but ultimately, I cannot bring myself to do so. If I’m just sitting on my thumbs and someone dies whom I could have saved, I don’t think I could live with myself. For this reason, despite the concerns, I still intend to keep being a superhero.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
“That being said, I can see the concern and fear from my fellow heroes that, in the unlikely event I have a relapse, one of them will have to stop me. As much as I believe I can prevent that from happening, I cannot deny that this is a horrifying prospect. To ease the minds of my friends and colleagues, I want to make something explicitly clear. If I do, in fact, lose control and another superhero is forced to stop me, then whatever happens to me, I do not wish that hero to be prosecuted or persecuted. This is only if it can be proven I lost control, but should I get seriously injured or even die because a superhero had to stop an outburst of mine from hurting people, then I do not wish that superhero to be held responsible for my death. Whatever happens, this is my decision, and I take full responsibility for the consequences.
“Thank you.”
The video ended.
Sitting at a desk with a computer in front of her, Wendy Beaumont saw her father’s video end. She was a beautiful young woman with platinum blonde hair and vivid green eyes, currently dripping with tears. She fell forward, resting her arms and head on the desk as she wept openly, an aura of blue surrounding her body.
***
Andy lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling emotionally numb. The fan above him spun quickly, cooling the room. Andy thought about getting on his computer or game console to do something, but he just couldn’t motivate himself. Paramount was still in the city, and he was handling the crime for now. The city seemed quiet from what Andy knew, but he was grateful nonetheless. He really did need the rest.
Soon, there was a knock on the door.
“Hey Andy,” said Brian from the other side. “It’s me, Brian. Can I come in?”
“Come in,” said Andy, sitting up.
Brian came in. Brian, in the years Andy had known him, had grown tall. Despite his skinny frame, he towered over Andy by about a head. Andy sat at the edge of the bed while Brian took the computer chair.
“How are you holding up?” asked Brian.
“Not great,” said Andy. “I tried to go on Noteline to explain what happened, and... well, not everyone believed me. There are a lot of people saying some nasty things about SteelStar. Really nasty things.”
“I saw,” said Brian, looking away.
People had called him a supervillain and a murderer; many had used off-color language; and a few had suggested that SteelStar do terrible things to himself. One or two had even made death threats. Not that Andy was worried about that, given his powers, but even so. The hardest to hear were those that insisted Spectramancer had saved their lives. Spectramancer was well loved, and Andy didn’t need to be reminded of this.
“So what happens now?” asked Brian.
“Well,” said Andy. “I just learned that no one is pressing charges against me. Spectramancer’s family apparently wants to respect the wishes from his video, and that leaves the District Attorney’s office for Partition City and the E.H.O.D.’s lawyers. According to the news, they aren’t pressing charges for the death of Spectramancer either since his video is incriminating against him. There were enough witnesses who saw him rampaging to know he had to be stopped one way or another. I think the fact that someone died because of Spectramancer is a factor as well.”
Manny Turner. Andy had a feeling he was never going to forget that name.
“Well, it’s good that you’re not being charged, at least,” said Brian.
“Yeah, but that’s not the only news.” Andy reached for a letter on his desk and handed it to Brian. “Apparently I’m,” he made air quotes. “Under review by the E.H.O.D. Someone dropped this letter off in person about an hour ago.”
Brian looked at the letter, and an astonished look crept onto his face.
“They could get a court order to make you cease hero work?” he asked in disbelief.
“Apparently,” said Andy. “I could get arrested if they determine I’m not fit to be a superhero and I keep doing it anyway.”
“I don’t believe this,” said Brian, still staring at the letter. “I mean, they can’t stop you, can they? Not with your powers.”
“From what my dad tells me,” said Andy. “They have ways of dealing with people like me.”
Andy looked at the floor, and Brian looked away.
Next, there came another knock on the door.
“Andy?” said John Gatlin. “There’s someone here to see you, someone I think you’ll want to see.”
“Okay,” said Andy.
Andy and Brian went to the living room with John. Amelia, Samantha, Martin, and Abigail sat on the couch waiting for him, and in the center of the room stood a blonde, bearded, blue-eyed man. This man, wearing a gray overcoat, gave Andy a sympathetic smile.
“Hello,” said Andy curiously. “Who are you?”
The man cleared his throat, and John turned to Samantha.
“Samantha,” said John. “Why don’t you take Martin and Abigail outside?”
Samantha sighed and said, “Alright, kids, let’s go. The grownups are talking.”
Martin and Abigail expressed their displeasure but otherwise obeyed their father’s wish. As Samantha brought them out back, the stranger saw Brian.
“Brian can stay,” said Amelia. “He’s proven trustworthy with our secrets, and I think Andy needs his friend more than ever.”
“Alright, that’s fine,” said the man. The next moment, this man pressed a button under his collar, and his face shimmered for a moment before his beard and hair turned black and his eyes turned brown. Suddenly, Andy recognized him.
“Paramount,” said Andy. Normally, he would have been starstruck to see Paramount in his living room, but under the circumstances, it just wasn’t the same. John and Amelia nodded, while Brian looked absolutely shocked.
“Call me Kevin,” said Paramount, “Kevin Carter.”
Kevin offered Andy his hand, and they shook, even as Brian stood to the side, his mouth agape.
“John,” said Kevin, looking up. “You’re looking well.”
“Thank you, Kevin,” said John. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“It certainly has,” said Kevin. “Can we sit?”
John nodded. Soon everyone sat with Kevin and Andy facing each other on opposite ends of the angled couch. Kevin looked up at them apologetically.
“I wanted to say how sorry I am for what happened,” said Kevin. “It wasn’t fair that you were put in that situation, Andy. Honestly, if anyone should have stopped Spectramancer, it should have been me.”
“It… it wasn’t your fault,” said Andy. “I heard about the mutants.”
“Even so,” said Kevin. “You shouldn’t have had to deal with this, especially on your first day.”
Andy didn’t respond. He just didn’t know what to say.
Kevin smiled hesitantly. “You know, I knew who you were the moment I saw you. I knew your father when he was a superhero.”
“You did?” asked Andy.
“That’s right,” said John, smiling. “Kevin and I go way back.”
“Awesome,” Brian whispered.
“And of course, I knew about the Valtarians. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together. Sorry, I couldn’t visit more often,” said Kevin. “You seem like a fine young man.”
“He’s going to be one of the best superheroes in the world,” said Brian defiantly. “This won’t stop him. I know it.”
“Thanks,” said Andy. “Those are probably the nicest things anyone’s said about me since… you know.”
“Andy,” said Amelia sympathetically. “Have you been listening to people online? You can’t take what they say seriously.”
“Yeah,” said Brian. “Obviously, they don’t know what really happened.”
Andy almost smiled at that but didn’t quite manage it.
Kevin sighed, “It’s a mess. Half the news networks put out statements without getting the full story. They don’t mention how long it took to get to the point where you did what you had to do. They don’t even mention that Spectramancer killed a man, something I know would have distressed him if he found out.”
Andy didn’t have the heart to mention that Spectramancer did find out, and he hoped Paramount wasn’t reading his mind right now.
“It’s not fair,” said Brian. “None of this was Andy’s fault.”
“How could they do this?” asked Amelia, shaking her head. “How could they say such horrible things about my son?”
“There are plenty of reasons,” said John bitterly. “Laziness, clickbait, cynicism—you name it. I think a lot of people just saw that a superhero was dead and assumed the worst. You know the old saying. A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth can put its pants on.”
The room went silent for a moment. No one had easy answers for this problem.
“Anyway,” said Kevin. “I heard about your E.H.O.D. review. I’ve already called a lawyer to give you advice on dealing with them. He’s helped some friends of mine deal with them in the past.”
He pulled a card out of his coat and handed it to Andy.
“Thanks,” said Andy, though he didn’t feel much better.
Kevin smiled apologetically, then stood.
“Well,” said Kevin. “As I said, I’m sorry you had to go through this. I will, of course, speak on your behalf to the press, though I can’t guarantee all of them will listen. If there’s anything else I can do for you, just let me know.”
Kevin turned to leave, and Andy thought about it.
“One thing,” said Andy. “Can you tell me what started this? What got Spectramancer locked into a rage? He kept shouting about Morphic Man the whole time.”
Kevin sighed and said, “I suppose you deserve to know. The Silent Wraith found evidence that two superheroes were in Redwell City the day it was destroyed and that someone tried to wipe away that evidence. Spectramancer went to interview those superheroes, Elementus and Morphic Man. According to reports, Spectramancer spoke with Elementus briefly, but nothing happened. It was around the time that Morphic Man was supposed to be at the crater site that Spectramancer went berserk, so we suspect that he’s behind it.”
Andy frowned, “You don’t think... Morphic Man was behind Redwell City too?”
“We don’t know anything at this point,” said Kevin. “We do know that not every superhero is... well, as much of a hero as they present themselves. We’ve been trying to expose them, but many are protected by corporate sponsors or even the E.H.O.D. It’s been a problem for some time, though even I have trouble believing one of them was behind Redwell City’s destruction.
“I think Elementus is innocent. I have nothing but respect for him, and despite Morphic Man’s... abrasive personality, it’s still hard for me to picture him destroying a city. I just can’t see how it would benefit him, if nothing else. And yet there’s no doubt in my mind that he had something to do with Spectramancer’s rage. I don’t know what’s going on, but I intend to get to the bottom of this.”
Hearing this, Andy felt a stab of anger. Knowing there was someone behind this changed things. Clenching his fists, Andy was suddenly filled with a swell of determination. He stood up, looking Kevin, AKA Paramount, right in the eye.
“I want to help,” said Andy.
Just about everyone in the room who wasn’t Andy looked surprised.
“Andy?” asked Amelia, worry in her voice.
“Are you sure?” asked John.
“I’m positive,” said Andy. “I’ve been sitting here feeling sorry for myself, and I’m already sick of it. I want to do something about this. If Morphic Man deliberately set off Spectramancer, or if he’s the one behind Redwell City, then I want to help bring him to justice. At this point, I think the best thing I can do for Spectramancer is pick up where he left off. I became a superhero to make the world a better place, and I think this is the best way to do it.”
Kevin looked surprised, and a moment later, he looked away, smiling.
“What?” asked Andy.
“Nothing,” said Kevin. “It’s just... you remind me of someone. Someone I haven’t seen in a long time.”
Andy and Amelia each raised an eyebrow, but John had a knowing look. Brian smiled excitedly, looking up at Kevin for his answer. Kevin reminisced on old memories for a moment, but then looked back at Andy.
“Alright, kid,” said Kevin. “I think we could use your help. We don’t have a plan right now, but when we need you, we’ll be sure to give you a call.”
“Andy,” said Amelia. “Are you really sure you want to do this?”
“I am, Mom,” said Andy. “I’m absolutely sure.”
Andy offered his hand, and Kevin accepted.
“Okay then,” said Kevin. “It’s official. I look forward to working with you.”
“Yeah,” said Andy. “Sounds good to me.”
“Hey,” said Brian. “Andy and I were going to order pizza to celebrate his becoming a superhero. Can we order some tonight? I think Andy deserves it.”
“Pizza sounds great,” said Andy, breathing a sigh of relief.
The two young men looked at Amelia and John, who turned to each other and smiled.
“I think that can be arranged,” said John. “Kevin, why don’t you join us?”
Kevin smiled and said, “I could go for some pizza. Sure, why not?”
Brian went to the back door and shouted out, “Hey guys, we’re getting pizza!”
Martin and Abigail shouted, “Yeah! Pizza!”
When they came back in, Samantha looked at her brother, and Andy had never seen more compassion in her eyes than he saw now. She came up, put her hand on his shoulder, and said, “You know, you really shouldn’t listen to those haters. You’re going to be a great superhero, I know it.”
Despite everything that had happened, Andy found himself smiling.
***
After dinner, they said goodbye to Kevin and Brian. Andy hugged every member of his family before returning to his room. Curiously, Andy realized he hadn’t checked his Herofund page recently. He was afraid to look but knew he had to eventually. He went to his laptop and clicked on the link, fearing the worst. However, when he checked, he was surprised to see more donations than before. Apparently, despite the sheer number of people who knew nothing about what happened, enough people had seen Spectramancer’s video and understood what happened. There were still some nasty comments, but it was a bit more balanced than Noteline, at least.
Andy also saw a notification that there were calls to have his Herofund page revoked. Herofund had released a statement saying that they didn’t intend to do so at this time but would wait for the facts of the case to become clear. Andy figured his dad was right on the money with this website. SteelStar wasn’t making enough money to support himself, but at least it was something.
Andy eventually left his bedroom for a glass of water, and as he walked through the living room, he stopped to gaze out the front window. There, he could see the sun setting over houses, casting an orange-red glow in the sky. He stood there for a moment, reflecting on everything that had happened. Andy didn’t know what the future held. All he knew was that everything had changed for him, and he could only hope that SteelStar was up to the challenge.