Andy took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. The eighteen year old youth in his t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers transformed. His skin, well toned muscles, and bones turned to metal, reflecting the early morning sun as it peeked over the treetops. His eyes became metal as well, two chrome orbs that could still absorb light and let him see. Even his white hair became a metal brush on his head. With a confident smile, Andy gazed at the scene before him: a clearing out in the woods with many metal shapes lining the ground.
To the side, Andy’s father held a stopwatch in one hand. With his other hand, John reached out and levitated the metal objects, an assortment of metal rings and targets taking the vague shapes of civilians, thugs, and monsters. As metal objects floated in the air, they created a training course. Andy nodded to his father, who nodded back and clicked the stopwatch.
Andy, channeling magnetism through his metal body, levitated off the ground and flew forward, picking up speed. As he weaved through the course, he alternated between keeping his arms forward to slip through the rings and spreading his arms out to hit targets. For the targets that looked like mutant monsters, Andy used thick, booming bolts of lightning that left scorch marks. For the thug targets, Andy used thinner bolts that crackled over the metal and lit up green lights. For the civilian targets, Andy avoided striking them at all. Andy weaved through the rings and struck all the intended targets with skill and precision, never missing his mark.
Finally, Andy slipped through the last ring, landed, and pulled a bullet from his belt. Magnetizing it to the top of his wrist, he aimed the projectile at the final target. Andy could feel his body’s reserve draining as he charged the bullet, the piece of metal glowing while electricity sparked off it. Andy then unleashed a huge burst of magnetism, shooting the charged bullet away from his wrist with a sound like thunder. The glowing projectile appeared as a line of blue light that struck the final target head on, blasting it backward even as the bullet came out the other side. From where the electrified bullet struck the metal target, cracks spread out until the entire thing was reduced to a hundred pieces.
John Gatlin stopped the stopwatch, and the next moment the metal pieces fell to the ground, sliding or rolling to their stops. The bullet itself finally ran out of energy, falling in an arc until it hit the ground, embedding itself in the dirt.
“One minute, nineteen seconds,” said John approvingly. “Both the nonlethal shocks and the magcannon at the end were done flawlessly.”
John was particularly proud of the magcannon at the end. That had been MagKnight’s signature move, and now it would be Andy’s. By using a physical medium, they could focus a massive amount of electricity into a single point, increasing the penetrating power of the bullet dramatically and extending the electricity’s range. Just one look at the final target in pieces revealed how devastating this attack could be, and John surveyed the wreckage with pride.
Andy flew over and landed, shifting back to his white haired, light skinned, blue eyed organic form. He looked up at his father eagerly with a huge smile on his face.
“I was great, wasn’t I?” said Andy. “So, I passed, right?”
“Yeah,” said John, impressed. “You passed with flying colors. You’ve come a long way, Andy.”
“It’s just like I’ve been saying,” said Andy. “I’m ready, Dad. I’m ready to be a superhero.”
John nodded. “Yes. As far as I can tell, you most certainly are.”
Andy nodded excitedly, and then both of them turned to look at someone standing to the side. There they saw a woman with white hair, gray skin, and gray eyes filled with concern. She was a steel type Valtarian, a particularly beautiful one, though she showed a few wrinkles at the corner of her eyes hinting at her true age. Right now, she looked between Andy and the obstacle course with an uncertain look as John and Andy waited with bated breath.
“Maybe one more time,” she said.
“Mom,” said Andy. “Come on.”
“Amelia,” said John. “You know how much he wants this. Besides, he’s eighteen now. Technically, you can’t stop him.”
Amelia looked down, unable to answer.
John had a knowing look. “Is this about Redwell City?”
Amelia hugged herself. “Redwell City is… was... so close to here.” She looked at Andy helplessly. “I just know I’ll always be worried about you.”
“I know, mom,” said Andy. “But let’s face it. If something like that happens here, I won’t avoid it by not being a superhero. But if I’m out there, doing everything I can to help people, I can stop things like that before they happen. I can’t just sit around when people are in danger.”
“Are you sure you won’t reconsider college?” Amelia asked hopefully.
“Mom, I’d lose my mind with boredom at college. Honestly? I’ve made up my mind. I’m doing this, but I want you to know that I’ll be fine. I’m ready.”
Amelia sighed and said, “I was afraid you’d say that.” She walked over to her son and put her hands on his shoulders. “Andy, if I worry about you, it’s because I love you. If this is really what you want, then I’ll support you.”
Andy looked on the verge of tears as he leaned in and hugged his mother. A moment later, John joined the hug, and the three of them took comfort in each other’s presence.
***
It appeared to be an ordinary suburban neighborhood from a distance. However, if you lived there, you knew that it was anything but. Everyone living in that area, aside from John Gatlin, had Valtarian blood. After the destruction of their planet, John had helped the Valtarians settle on Earth, gaining U.S. citizenship. When they were outside, the Valtarians typically altered their appearance to blend in, taking on hair, skin, and eye colors more in line with humans.
As the three of them approached their house from the woods behind their neighborhood, Amelia and Andy shapeshifted. Their hair turned black, while Amelia turned her skin fair to match Andy. They waved to Andy’s uncle Tobias, an older, broad shouldered man who waved back as he mowed his backyard.
When they got inside their typical American house, Andy and Amelia changed back to their Valtarian forms and entered. They reached the living room where Andy’s three siblings had been watching television on the couch, and the three other children jumped up immediately. The first to speak was Andy’s sixteen year old sister Samantha, who sported gray skin, black hair, and blue eyes that twinkled with mischief.
“Well?” asked Samantha, smirking. “Did mom say no and make you cry?”
Martin, the third youngest at fourteen, could almost have been Samantha’s twin with gray skin and black hair. The biggest difference between them was Martin’s stormy gray eyes, which were currently locked into Samantha with severe irritation.
“No,” said Martin. “Mom said yes. Obviously.”
Abigail, the twelve year old, shared Andy’s light skin and white hair, and her gray eyes looked back and forth between Samantha and Martin with a raised eyebrow.
“So,” said Abigail. “What did she say, really?”
“Yes,” said Andy, rolling his eyes at Samantha. “Mom said yes.”
Samantha stuck her tongue at him.
“Andy’s an adult now,” said Amelia, a hint of reluctance in her voice. “It’s his decision, and I’ll support whatever he decides.”
“And I decide,” said Andy. “That I’m starting soon.”
“Yes!” said Martin excitedly.
“That’s great,” said Abigail, smiling. “When are you getting a costume?”
“Oh,” said John, a sly look in his eye. “He’s already got one.”
John waved his hand, and moments later, a metal box flew out of a back room, landing on the floor in front of them. Upon seeing it, Andy’s eyes grew wide, and everyone else looked on with interest as well.
“Is that…” said Andy.
“It most certainly is,” said John, waving his hand and opening the box.
Inside was a dark blue suit with a white, eight point star on the chest. It came with metallic accessories styled after a knight’s armor. Specifically, it came with a metallic belt, gauntlets for his hands, metallic boots for his feet, and pauldrons for his shoulders, each gleaming in the light. The gauntlets even had a groove for the magcannon bullets atop the wrists. It all made for a striking ensemble, and Andy beheld it in awe.
“You wanted something with some armor aesthetics,” said John. “So I made sure to get that.”
“I thought you wanted a full suit of armor,” said Martin. “You know, like dad.”
“I did,” said Andy, still holding up the costume. “But I still can’t levitate or reinforce metal that isn’t my own body. The best I’ve been able to manage is attracting and repelling. A full suit of armor would just get in the way.”
“Well, that stinks,” said Martin.
“Oh,” said John proudly. “Andy’s plenty powerful as he is. Believe me.”
“Say,” asked Samantha, regarding the costume curiously. “Why is there a star on the chest? Shouldn’t that be a lightning bolt?”
“That’s because of my superhero name,” said Andy, sighing. “I tried to come up with something that referenced electricity, but every cool name I could think of was taken. Do you realize how many electric themed superheroes there’ve been? I looked at the words shock, lightning, thunder, surge, and electric, but every combination I could use with them was taken. There are even obscure heroes from the sixties with names I wanted. I spent hours trying to find something, and one of the names I came up with was taken by a band. A band! Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”
“Surely a band can’t sue a superhero over that,” said Samantha.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Andy grimaced. “The band Firewall, back in 1993, sued a superhero who also called himself Firewall, and they won. He was forced to change his name to Fire Shield.”
Samantha looked on incredulously. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish,” said Andy, grimacing. “What a stupid reason to have to change your name.” He sighed. “Anyway, every name I did an internet search on was already being used. Seriously, if you come up with a good name, search it. It’s probably taken. I only found one name I didn’t think I could get sued for.”
“What’s that?” asked Amelia.
“Well,” said Andy. “Mom, do you remember that time I was practicing my powers at night, and I channeled my full electric output?”
Amelia nodded. “You glowed so bright that you looked like a star flying across the night sky.”
“So, I named myself after that,” said Andy, grinning. “I can turn to a metal as strong as steel, and I glow like a star at full power. Also, being half alien, one could say that I half came from the stars, so I figured a good name for me is SteelStar.”
“Cooooooooool,” said Martin and Abigail excitedly.
“Meh, it’s okay,” said Samantha.
“Okay?” said Andy, mock offended. “Just okay?”
“I like it,” said John.
“It does have a nice ring to it,” said Amelia.
“It does, doesn’t it?” said Andy, holding up the costume. “I’m gonna try this on.”
In just a few minutes, Andy had changed. In the privacy of their house, he had no reason to hide, so Andy took the form he would have as a superhero, altering his skin to Valtarian gray while keeping the white hair. He also kept his normal blue eyes because he liked how they looked. The final touch was to alter his facial structure just slightly to make himself look older. It made him distinct enough from his public human form that no one would make the connection. Combine that with the suit that showed off his well toned muscles, and Andy thought he looked pretty great.
“Well,” said Andy, a big smile on his face. “What do you think?”
“You look good, son,” said John.
“Very handsome,” said Amelia.
“You look really cool,” said Martin.
Abigail nodded her head enthusiastically, and even Samantha’s smirk shifted to a slightly more sincere smile.
“Okay,” said Samantha. “You do look pretty cool.”
Andy’s smile brightened.
“Now,” said John. “We just need to get you set up on Herofund, and you’ll be ready to start.”
“Is Herofund the one you used?” asked Andy.
“Nah,” said John. “That was after my time, but fortunately, I can vouch for the man who runs it. If there’s one to pick, it’s that one. Just be warned, it might take a while to gain enough donations to support yourself. You have to prove yourself to the public, first.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Andy. “I know that.”
“Are you thinking about any sponsorships?” asked Samantha.
“Oh, good grief, no!” said Andy, disgusted. “Corporate sponsorships are cringe. I want to get paid for saving lives, not selling soda or some random app. And I’m not joining that Safeguard program either, if you’re wondering.”
“Good,” said John, sternly. “If you signed with the E.H.O.D., I’d disown you. No joke.”
“No problem,” said Andy. “Anyway, I don’t suppose you’ve thought of a cover job for me? Because I’ve got nothing.”
“We can work that out later,” said John as they walked to his office computer. “For now, if anyone asks, we’ll just say you’re still finding yourself.”
“Sounds good,” said Andy, getting more excited by the minute. “Sounds good.”
Despite her reservations, Amelia couldn’t help but smile at Andy’s enthusiasm. Abigail and Martin were cheering him on, and even Samantha seemed happy for Andy, though she only showed it when he wasn’t looking.
***
Paramount flew across the sky with his fists stretched out before him, the rushing wind rippling his short hair and beard. A vibrantly green forest lay below him as the sun shone to his left, the UV rays no threat to the superhero’s near indestructible skin. As he flew, Paramount checked the G.P.S. in his smartwatch to make sure he was in the right place before gazing over the landscape for the person he was meeting. Paramount felt him with his mind first, sensing the other man’s cold, calculating thoughts from a mile away. Moments later, Paramount sensed another mind wondering why he was out there.
I guess I wasn’t the only one he asked out here, Paramount thought. Soon, Paramount caught a glimpse of a black speck next to a white speck below. He flew down, getting under the trees before landing on a knee. As he stood, he got a good look at the two superheroes he was here to meet.
On Paramount’s right stood the Silent Wraith, known as Silent to his friends. He wore black body armor and a sleek, armored gas mask over his head. Two black lenses covered his eyes, and two slim air filter discs lay over each of his cheeks. Behind him, Paramount could see Silent’s custom motorcycle, a sleek looking black vehicle that seemed to absorb all the light that struck it.
To Paramount’s left stood Spectramancer, wearing a white hooded robe and a white mask over his vivid green eyes. Around his jaw lay a white beard, making him look like an elderly wizard. He stood with his arms crossed and his eyes fierce.
“Silent, Spectramancer,” said Paramount, nodding to each of them. “What’s going on?”
“Ask him,” said Spectramancer irritably with a thick British accent. “He’s the one who insisted on meeting out in the middle of nowhere.”
“I have information that may be relevant to the destruction of Redwell City,” said Silent, an electronically distorted voice giving him a menacing air. “Do you remember the concern for Morphic Man and Elementus?”
“Yes, I noticed,” said Paramount. “Their fans seemed to think they were in the city when it blew. Seeing as they’re both perfectly uninjured, I figured it was a misunderstanding.”
“I thought the same thing,” said Silent. “However, checking their social media accounts revealed that they’ve deleted recent posts. The timing of this seemed just a little suspicious, so I looked on internet archive sites to see if I could find screenshots of those posts. What I found was… concerning. Most of the major internet archive sites were hacked recently. No personal information from users was compromised, but there are missing files and images related to both Morphic Man and Elementus’s accounts.”
“Hacked?” said Paramount skeptically. “Are you telling me that someone tried to wipe every possible record of their posts from the internet?”
“Not everything,” said Silent. “No one could get every single image on every single website. Not even Cybergun could do that. It was just the websites that get the most traffic, meaning most people will be none the wiser. It took a while, but after a few hours of digging, I was able to find a few screenshots in some obscure forums; selfies to be exact. While the images don’t say why they were there, they do show that both Morphic Man and Elementus were in Redwell City the day it was destroyed.”
“How’s that possible?” said Spectramancer in disbelief. “Neither of them could have survived that explosion. And even if it’s just the mainstream websites, how could someone hack so many all at once?”
“Based on when the posts were made, they could have easily left the city before the explosion,” said Silent. “As for how they could hack so many sites at once, both heroes have connections. Elementus is sponsored by the Sonnelicht Corporation, while Morphic Man gets government grants from the safeguard program. Both Sonnelicht and the E.H.O.D. would have the resources to pull this off.”
Paramount shook his head in disbelief, and Spectramancer clenched his fists.
“I can’t believe Elementus is behind this,” said Paramount. “I’ve worked with him. He’s a good man.”
“To be fair,” said Silent. “His reasons for being there may very well be unrelated to the explosion. We just don’t know. What about Morphic Man? His bid to join the U.H.E. was rejected, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” said Paramount grimly. “Everyone found him impossible to work with. During trial missions, he’d do whatever he wanted, dismiss everyone else on his team, and half the time wouldn’t tell people what he was doing. He just wasn’t reliable, and the vote to reject him was unanimous.”
“It’s him,” said Spectramancer. “If either of them is behind this, it’s him. Every time I see that insufferably smug smile, I just want to punch him. And you tell me he’s working with those corrupt suits from the E.H.O.D.? It just makes me sick! I could just go right to those slimy, stuck up weasels and...”
“Nigel!” said Paramount sternly. “Power down!”
Spectramancer hadn’t even realized his power was active. Wrapped in a red aura that also turned his cloak red, he glared at Paramount, his hands glowing with even more power. Spectramancer, despite his anger, obeyed. When the aura disappeared, so did Spectramancer’s anger, and he suddenly grew embarrassed, looking away awkwardly.
“Sorry,” said Spectramancer.
“Are you alright?” asked Silent suspiciously.
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine,” said Paramount sternly. “You looked like you were losing control. Spectramancer, you told me this wouldn’t happen again.”
“It didn’t,” Spectramancer protested.
“Seems like it was about to,” said Paramount, his tone deathly serious. “Spec, we can’t have a repeat of last time.”
“We won’t,” said Spectramancer.
“Spec…”
“We won’t!” Spectramancer snapped. “For crying out loud, Paramount, it’s been over a year since that incident.”
“And less than a minute since this one,” said Paramount. “Spec, tell me honestly. Has this been getting worse?”
“No,” said Spectramancer curtly.
He’d said that just a little too quickly for Paramount’s liking. For just a moment, Paramount brushed Spectramancer’s mind with telepathy. Spectramancer did seem to believe what he was saying, but Paramount also sensed an abnormally strong desire to believe it. Was Spectramancer trying to convince himself it was true just as much as he wanted to convince Paramount? Possibly. Telepathy didn’t technically reveal the truth. It simply revealed what one believed to be true. At the moment, Spectramancer’s mind wasn’t giving Paramount enough to go on. If Spectramancer was right, then there was nothing to worry about, but if he wasn’t being honest with himself...
“Spectramancer,” said Paramount. “I say this as a friend. If you’re having trouble controlling your power, then it might be time to consider...
“Don’t say retirement!” Spectramancer almost shouted. “I swear, if I never hear that word again, it’ll be too soon. I can’t spend the rest of my life sitting around when people need my help. You know me better than that.”
Paramount frowned. He almost thought he saw a tinge of red in Spectramancer’s eyes, but he wasn’t certain.
“Nigel,” said Paramount, his voice softening to a plea, “You have to face facts. You aren’t getting any younger.”
Spectramancer looked away. “You think I don’t know that?”
“I don’t want you to get yourself hurt. Yourself or…someone else.”
“I never hurt anyone,” said Spectramancer, his voice nearly a growl.
“No one was around to get hurt,” said Paramount. “You might not be so lucky next time. Nigel, if you’re starting to have trouble again, then please…let us help you.”
They stood in silence for a moment. Silent had spent that conversation standing back, looking back and forth between them.
“Silent,” said Spectramancer. “You want me to interview Elementus and Morphic Man, right?”
Silent hesitated. “I’m not sure that...”
“That’s why I’m here, right?” said Spectramancer. “Both are immune to telepathy, so Paramount can’t get anything from them. But I’m an empath, so I might be able to confirm something from their emotions. Where are they?”
Silent hesitated.
“Silent…” said Spectramancer, his eyes intense.
Silent sighed. “Over the past few days, superheroes have been visiting the crater where Redwell City used to be, finding clues or just paying their respects. Elementus is there now, and according to Morphic Man’s Noteline feed, he should be there later today.”
“Alright,” said Spectramancer. “I’ll talk to them. I can’t guarantee that Morphic Man’s emotions will be easy to read. Aliens sometimes have strange emotions. I swear, they can be so hard to deal with sometimes.”
Suddenly, Spectramancer gave Paramount a sheepish look. “Er, no offense.”
Paramount sighed. “None taken.”
Spectramancer cleared his throat. “I’ll find whatever I can.”
Spectramancer took a deep breath and then surrounded himself in a yellow aura that turned his white costume yellow. This aura seemed to make him feel better, with a look of pure contentment spreading across his face. He turned to Paramount and smiled.
“It’s okay,” said Spectramancer. “I’ll ask them where they were that day and report back to you—nothing to it. Everything will be alright. You’ll see.”
Spectramancer flew into the air, speeding away from the clearing. Paramount watched him go, worry written all over his face.
“Will he be okay?” asked Silent.
“I hope so,” said Paramount.
Silent watched him, unreadable behind his mask. “Are you okay?”
Paramount thought about it, and he wasn’t entirely okay. Paramount was old—much older than he looked. As the first superhero, he’d formed the United Heroes of Earth when more heroes started using their powers for good. Over the years, faces had been added to that roster, and faces had been removed. The only face on the current roster that had been there since the beginning was Paramount’s. As he stood there, the elder superhero thought back on all the friends he’d ever had. Some had died fighting the good fight, but some had passed away from old age, like his own wife.
Even though he physically looked the same, Paramount used to look in the mirror and see a man filled with boundless optimism. Now he saw a man filled with worry about everyone he knew and what would happen in the future. He sometimes wondered what happened to that energetic young man who wanted nothing more than to make the world a better place. He still wanted that, but after so much time, things just weren’t the same.
Paramount shook his head. “I’m just…tired.”
“I thought you didn’t get tired,” said Silent.
“I wish that were true.”
Paramount sighed, and Silent stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say.
“Alright,” said Paramount, taking a deep breath. “I’ll inform the rest of the U.H.E. about this. What will you do?”
“I’ve already taken samples from the crater,” said Silent. “So I’ll take them back to my lab for analysis. We’ll get to the bottom of this. I promise you that.”
“Sounds good,” said Paramount. “Keep up the good work.”
Paramount saluted him and then bent his knees to fly into the air, speeding away. Silent then turned, got on his motorcycle, revved it up, and sped away through the forest.