We begin this story at Herald City Middle School, where among the other students is Jack Dufraine, better known as Switch the Blue Eaglet, and kid sidekick to Blue Eagle.....

In the front row of the class, Jack sat at his desk, waiting for the teacher to arrive and the class to start. He fidgeted with his neatly pressed yellow shirt, anxious for the time to quicken its pace. Jack was a good student and well liked by his teachers and classmates, but like any 12 year old, he wanted to just get the school day over with.

The teacher entered and stood at the front, facing a room of children still chatting away in their last few moments of freedom before their attention was owned by schoolwork and lessons.

“Now class, settle down, settle down. We have a new student today,” called the teacher, raising her hands and lowering them to signal to the class to quiet down. “I’d like you to all welcome Billy Burns.”

The teacher gestured towards the door, and in walked the new student. He had curly red hair and piercing eyes, and wore a red sweater over a collared shirt. He had a look that could only be described as mischievous, but wore a pleasant smile.

“Billy just moved to Herald City and is a very special new resident of our city,” continued the teacher. “Where he comes from, he’s a superhero.”

“A superhero?” said Jack to himself. “That’s interesting. There aren’t too many other superheroes out there. Nice to see another.”

“Billy, would you like to tell more about yourself?” asked the teacher.

“Sure thing,” said Billy. He turned to the class. “You can call me Billy, but don’t be surprised if you ever see me in the papers as ‘Poster Boy’. I was the #1 superhero of the West Coast before moving east, and here I am.”

“What can you do?” asked one of the kids.

“I’m glad you asked. See those pictures on the wall?”

The class turned to look at some of the posters on the wall. A handful of them were Student of the Month posters, along with a couple of posters of influential people extorting the values of education.

“Watch this!”

Everyone gasped as the posters all turned into posters of Billy. The Billys climbed out of their posters, entering the classroom, as flesh-and-blood as any other person in the room. They stood next to him and smiled at the class.

“I can create ‘poster clones’ of myself. As long as there is a poster or picture of any kind of person, it can be a clone of mine that helps me stop crime,” he explained.

With a puff, the poster clones vanished. The class looked back at the posters, all of which were back to normal.

“I can detect the presence of posters nearby, even if I can’t see them directly,” he continued. “And all of them can become poster clones of myself.”

The class clapped at the display of Billy’s strange ability. Even Jack had to admit he never saw anything like it before.

“Now, Billy, why don’t you go take a seat right there next to Jack?” said the teacher, pointing to the empty desk to Jack’s right. “I’m sure you two would make good friends. Jack is a superhero, just like yourself. I’m sure Jack will help you feel right at home.”

“I’ve heard of you,” said Billy, walking up to Jack. “You’re Jack Dufraine. Switch the Blue Eaglet.”

“That’s right,” said Jack.

“It’s very nice to meet you,” said Billy, shaking Jack’s hand. “I’ve always been fond of your work.”

“Have you? I’m glad. Thanks!” said Jack, beaming with pride.

“Yes. I’ve always wondered how difficult it must be being a superhero without reliable powers.”

Jack felt the urge to say something to defend his abilities, but the teacher was telling the class to open up their books to start the day’s lesson.

As the day went on, young Billy found himself well liked by both Jack’s teachers and peers. In fact, Jack might have found that Billy was a little too well liked, for after introducing his friends to Billy at the end of the day......

The group of middle school children walked out of the building, the day mercifully over. Everyone had found themselves eager to get a chance their new superhero classmate, and Jack had taken it upon himself to introduce a group of his friends. He’d assumed that he and Billy would make a connection as fellow superheroes, and that he would show the new hero around to get him used to all the city had to offer.

Instead, Jack watched as his friends gathered around the charming transplant.

“And that’s when I entered the room and said, ‘Hey, I thought I was the Poster Boy here!’,” said Billy, a smile forming across his face as he fondly remembered the events of the story he was telling. The crowd of kids laughed at the joke. “I won’t bore you with the details of what happened next, but there were ten crooks behind bars when all was said and done. I was personally congratulated by the mayor for saving his life the very next day.”

“It’s good to see I’m not the only superhero who’s had to save the mayor,” said Jack, trying to hide the frustration that was starting to build with the endless stories Billy was telling. “I’ve had to save the mayor’s life lots of times.”

“From the supervillain Queen Venus, right?” asked Billy, his eyes boring right into Jack’s while his charming smile remained unchanged. “I’ve never known what it’s like to have a long-running supervillain like you do. I don’t think I’ve ever let a criminal escape.”

“What!?” said Jack, the frustration in his voice bubbling to the surface. “I’ll have you know--”

“Stop! Thief! He snatched my purse!” a woman’s voice cried.

The kids looked across the street and saw a man in a jacket and hat that obscured his face running past shocked onlookers, a stolen purse in his hand.

“It’s a purse-snatcher!” said one of the students. “Jack! Stop him!”

“Already on it!” said Jack, standing up and ready to catch up to the thief with his superspeed.

“Don’t worry about it, Jackie ol’ boy. I got this,” said Billy confidently, waving Jack away.

Across the street were businesses with various poster advertisements featuring various people engaging with various products. The posters immediately turned into posters of Billy in his Poster

Boy uniform, a red costume with white cape, gloves, and boots, a darker red mask just covering his eyes, and a white vertical rectangle on his chest. The poster clones stepped out of the posters and onto the street.

One stepped in front of the thief.

“Get lost, kid! Scram!” said the thief, punching the clone and sending it hard to the pavement below.

Three other clones immediately grabbed the man from behind.

“Hey! What’s going on!?” he demanded. “Let go!”

During this time, two posters on the side of the school building saw their figures of smiling students turning into smiling Poster Boys. Jack and his friends gasped as they stepped out of their posters, ran across the street, and tackled the thief who, at that point, was still struggling with the other poster clones.

One of the clones picked up the discarded purse and brought it back to its owner.

“Here you go, ma’am,” he said, politely handing over the purse.

“T-thank you,” the woman stammered.

As the thief was restrained by the group of Poster Boys, an HCPD patrol car pull up, its officers getting out to apprehend the thief. In front of the school, Billy smirked at Jack and the rest of the students.

“One of my poster clones was able to flag down a police car. Told them what was going on,” he explained in a tone that screams ‘I do this all the time’. “Sorry I didn’t leave it for you, Jackie boy, but I didn’t think there was any time to waste.”

Jack growled under his breath. He couldn’t tell if Billy was intentionally insulting him, and that made it more infuriating.

One of the girls in the group came up to Billy. “Would you like to go see a movie?” she asked shyly.

Another girl came up to him and took his arm into hers. “Or maybe you want to go bowling with me?” she said, prompting the first girl to take his other arm into hers.

“Ladies, ladies, no need to fight. We can do both together,” said Billy.

The girls giggled, and the three of them began to walk, the other kids in the group following.

“I’ve got some ideas for where we can go,” called Jack as the group started leaving him.

Billy stopped and turned back, an obnoxious smirk across his face. “Doesn’t Herald City need Switch the Blue Eaglet? I’d really like to go crimefighting with you one day. I’ve only ever gone out on my own. Maybe you can show me what it’s like to have your dad watching over you the whole time.”

The entire group laughed and continued walking. Jack’s eyes narrowed in anger, and then he looked on sadly as his friends all walked away with Billy.

The next day, a teacher arrives at the school the next day to find a startling sight.....

The teacher had arrived early to the school to set up class and finish grading some leftover quizzes from the day before. As she walked alongside the school, the posters near the building’s entrance caught her eye.

She gasped at what she saw. The images were blocked out with ketchup and mustard, empty red and yellow squirt bottles scattered along the ground. Scribbled across them were the message “POSTER BOY IS A LOSER”.

There was a figure on the furthest poster from her. The individual was still in the act of defacing the poster, and the teacher moved closer to catch the person’s identity.

She couldn’t believe who she saw.

“Jack Dufraine! What are you doing!?” she demanded.

Jack turned to her, a sneer across his face. “I’m not doing anything! Just getting the message out about your new favorite super-student!”

“Defacing school property! Mr. Dufraine, you will come with me thi--” she began, interrupted by the streams of ketchup and mustard squirted in her face.

Jack laughed. “Don’t forget who the real kid hero of Herald City is!” he said. He turned on his heel and sped off at superspeed, leaving the teacher disgusted and dumbfounded at what just happened.

Later that day, in the office of the school principal........

“.....and then he sprayed ketchup and mustard all over the teacher!” the principal finished telling the story.

In his office sat David and Jack. Upon hearing what happened, they had summoned David immediately to the school and pulled Jack from class in order to have a discussion about his defacing of school property.

David reeled in shock at the situation. But Jack’s defense had not changed.

“None of that is true!” protested Jack. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Jack, your teacher caught you in the act. She even saw you run away at superspeed. Enough of these lies,” scolded the principal.

“But it’s not a lie! I swear, I didn’t do anything!” repeated Jack.

“That enough, Jack!” commanded David. “I don’t want to hear any more of these childish games. You’re grounded!”

“But Dad--”

“No buts! You’re grounded and that’s final,” said David.

There was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said the principal, and into the room walked Billy Burns. “Billy, what are you doing here?”

“Well, I.....” started Billy, his voice trailing off as he looked to the ground. “I heard what happened and, well, I’m kind of responsible for what Jack did.”

“What do you mean, Billy?” asked the principal.

“You see, I came into the school wanting to make new friends and impress everyone, and I sort of made Jack look bad in front of his friends,” said Billy. “I really impressed his friends and they all thought I was way cooler than him. I think that made him jealous enough to do something like this.”

“I’m not jealous! I--” started Jack.

“Jack!” interrupted his father. One single word was all Jack needed to stay quiet.

“It really isn’t fault that he did this, when you think about it, and I hope you can understand this and be lenient on him. If it weren’t for the way I was acting, he would never have done such a thing,” continued Billy. He turned to Jack. “I really hope you can give me a chance to start over, and I really would like to be friends.”

“That’s very commendable of you, Billy,” said the principal. “Jack, do you have anything to say?”

Jack glanced at his father, who returned a stern look. He sighed, defeated. “Thank you, Billy. I would like to be your friend, too.”

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“Well, I think this matter is more or less settled,” said the principal. “Because Jack has been such a great student, we’ll assume this is a one-time incident and won’t suspend him. But he’ll still have to clean up the mess.”

“That sounds good. Thank you so much,” said David. He glanced at his son. “Jack, what do you say?”

Jack sighed again. “Thank you, sir. And I’m sorry for what I did.”

This principal’s expression softened slightly. “I understand, Jack. And I expect not to see behavior like this ever again. And, Jack, perhaps try to be a little more like Billy in the future.”

“Yes, sir. I will.”

David and Jack stood up to leave. Jack turned to Billy and thought he caught a brief hint of a smirk on his face.

The next day, at a ceremony welcoming Herald City’s newest superhero.......

The raised stage and podium was set up in front of the Herald City Police Department, above which floated a large parade float in the likeness of Poster Boy. The event drew a crowd eager to see their city’s newest protector. Though they felt safe with Blue Eagle and Switch watching over them, it was always good to have another superhero fighting the never-ending battle against evil.

At the podium stood the Chief of Police, flanked by both Poster Boy and Blue Eagle. Switch was noticeably absent, and no one in the crowd would ever have guessed that he was at home, grounded.

“.....and it’s with great honor that I introduce Herald City’s newest superhero, Poster Boy!” announced the Chief, concluding his speech.

He turned and offered the podium to Poster Boy shaking hands with the young hero as he made way.

Poster Boy took to the podium. “Pleased to meet you all. My name is Billy Burns, and I go by the superhero name ‘Poster Boy’.”

“You look like the poster boy for someone who should be ‘switched’ for a real superhero, loser!” came a voice from above.

Everyone looked up at the source of the voice. Switch stood on the roof of the precinct, an obnoxious smirk on his face.

“It’s Switch!” exclaimed someone in the crowd.

“Switch? What’s he doing here?” wondered Blue Eagle.

“Sorry, Poster Child! But everyone knows that the real kid hero of Herald City is me!” said Switch. He laughed. “So why don’t you make like a balloon and float away!”

Switch fired his eyebeams at the wires that held up the float. With nothing anchoring them, the balloon floated into the atmosphere.

“My word!” cried the Chief, echoing the sentiments of the shocked crowd below.

Blue Eagle flew up into the air to confront Switch. He hovered in place in front of the building.

“Switch, what is the meaning of his!?” he demanded.

Switch laughed mischievously. “I dunno! Maybe it’s being grounded and being forced to clean condiments because you’re all enamored with a loser like Poster Boy who wouldn’t last two seconds against Queen Venus!”

“I don’t know what’s come over you, but it’s time you stopped this. You and I are leaving, now!” said Blue Eagle.

“Don’t worry, old man! I’m definitely leaving, and you’re definitely going down,” said Switch.

He fired his eyebeams at Blue Eagle, connecting squarely in the veteran hero’s chest. Blue Eagle fell from the sky, hurtling head over heels towards the shocked crowd. Catching himself, he slowed his momentum and landed safely on the podium next to the Chief and Poster Boy.

“Blue Eagle, sir, are you okay?” asked Poster Boy, a look of concern on his face.

“I’m okay, Poster Boy,” assured Blue Eagle.

From above, Switch laughed. “I think that my time as a sidekick is at an end! Time for me to be my own superhero. But you can enjoy running around with Loser Boy!” he mocked as he took off into the skies.

“My goodness, what’s gotten into Switch?” asked a shocked Police Chief.

Blue Eagle’s eyes focused on Switch as he flew away. “I don’t know, Chief. But if he thinks he can act like this, he’s got another thing coming!”

And later that even, at the Dufraine household......

“What’s gotten into you, Jack!?” demanded David. “You left the house when you’re supposed to be grounded, hurled insults at everybody, damaged property, and attacked me!? What is wrong with you!?”

“It wasn’t me! Honest!” replied Jack. “I’ve been at home the whole time!”

“And now with the lies!? You expect me to believe a word you’re saying when I saw you with my own two eyes? Not to mention an entire crowd of people and the news!” said David angrily, gesturing towards the TV, which was replaying the “shocking events” at the ceremony. “This is all over the news! How can you even deny this? You even hit me with your eyebeams and flew away!”

“No, I would never do any of that stuff!” protested Jack.

“Enough of this!” ordered David. “The entire city saw it, so lying about it is only making it worse. You’re lucky the Police Chief is as understanding as he is and isn’t going to take any action, but I have to figure out what to do with you. Maybe military school is the best place to get you to shape up!”

“Military school!?” exclaimed Jack in shock.

“I know you’re jealous of Billy, but acting this way is beneath you. Billy is a fine young lad, just like you were until he showed up,” said David. Jack lowered his eyes to the floor in shame and sadness. “If you can’t bring yourself to be in the same city as that boy, then I’ll send you somewhere else where you can learn some discipline and respect. Perhaps that will teach you to attack me as you did. Now, go to your room!”

Jack didn’t say anything. He just sadly turned and walked upstairs.

“What has become of that boy?” wondered David to himself. He turned back to the TV screen, fixated on the repeating footage of his son firing his eyebeams at him, then laughing and flying away.

And later, in a bustling shopping district.....

“Now to get away!” said the robber running out of the store.

“You won’t get away from me!” said Poster Boy to the robber.

The man wore a black shirt, jacket, and mask. In one hand, he held a bag full of jewelry from the store he just robbed. His other hand brandished a firearm pointed straight at the red-costumed superhero in front of him.

“You the next big thing around here?” said the thief, pointing his gun at Poster Boy. “Then let’s see how ya like a bullet.”

He fired his gun at Poster Boy, who disappeared in a quick flash.

“What!? Where he go!?” exclaimed the robber.

A hand closed around the robber’s gun. Two pairs of arms each held onto his. Another hand snatched the stolen goods out of his hand.

Poster Boy walked in front of the robber while his poster clones held him down.

“Didn’t anyone teach you that guns are dangerous?” asked the young superhero, smirking confidently. “And that lone jewelry store thieves are no match for superheroes? I suggest you give up now, or I might have to get serious.”

“I give up! I give up!” cried the terrified robber.

Within minutes, the cops came to arrest the robber. The crowd clapped and cheered for their city’s newest protector.

“No need for this, everybody,” said Poster Boy, waving off the crowd. “It’s all in a day’s work.”

“For a fraud!” came a voice from above.

The crowd gasped as Switch swooped down from the air. He turned to face Poster Boy.

“Switch! To what do we owe the honor?” asked Poster Boy sarcastically.

“Everything that’s been happening recently! It’s all because of you!” said Switch angrily. “Tell me what’s going on, or I’ll beat it out of you.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” said Poster Boy, smirking as his eyes bored into Switch’s. “But it does sound like you’re pretty jealous. It’s not my fault the people love me more than you!”

“These people have no idea what’s really going on. They have no idea what you’re really like. If they were smart, they’d know that you’re just a poser and not a real superhero like me!” said Switch.

“Hey, we’re not stupid! Why don’t you act more like Poster Boy?” yelled one of the people in the crowd.

“Yeah! What’s gotten into you?” demanded a woman.

“You people aren’t involved in this! Why don’t you just leave?” said Switch angrily to the crowd, drawing boos and jeers instead.

“Don’t worry, everyone! I’ll teach him some manners,” said Poster Boy, the crowd cheering in response. He turned to Switch, his poster clones surrounding the eagle-themed youngster. “Well, Switchie boy, do you wanna apologize to these nice people and leave, or do I have to get serious?”

“If you wanna fight, I’ll give you a fight!” said Switch, firing his eyebeams at the poster clones.

His beams struck two of the clones, causing them to disappear in a flash. However, the others were on him immediately. They held his arms and legs, one wrapping his arms around Switch’s waste.

“Hey, let go!” demanded Switch.

“Not until you learn to play nice,” said Poster Boy, smiling at the cheering crowd.

Suddenly the crowd looked up, gasps filling the air. “Look, it’s Blue Eagle!” said one member.

Blue Eagle landed next to his son, still restrained by the poster clones. “I’ll take it from here, Poster Boy.”

“Yes sir,” said Poster Boy, his poster clones releasing their grip on Switch.

Blue Eagle looked at Switch. “Are you ready to settle down?”

“Only if you are, Blue Zero!” said Switch, taking a small pellet out of his belt. Pressing the button emitted a yellowish gas.

“Ugh....gas.....I......” said Blue Eagle as the gas sprayed right in his face. He struggled to stay on his feet, then lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground.

Switch immediately grabbed his father and took off to the sky.

“So long, suckers! Even Poster Boy can’t save you now! It’s time for Herald City to welcome its newest supervillain—Switch the Blue Eaglet!” he taunted the crowd as he flew away.

Later, our hero comes to and finds himself in more than a bit of trouble.......

Blue Eagle shook off the cobwebs as he opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw himself in what appeared to be a factory of some sort. The factory had been stripped of all its equipment, and the sterile walls held only posters of workers manning machines, Employees of the Month, and other such things. The only piece of equipment was the metal wire that held his cage fifty feet in the air, and the ground-level winch that would raise it or lower it into the pit far below him.

“Ah, so it appears you’re finally awake,” said a familiar voice below. “I hope you find that pure titanium cage comfortable, because you won’t be leaving it until I say you will.”

Blue Eagle looked down to see Queen Venus staring up at him, her hands on her hips in a triumphant stance. Beside her stood Frankie and Willie.

“Queen Venus! What evil schemes are you planning?” said Blue Eagle.

“Evil schemes? Why Blue Eagle, you misjudge me. I wasn’t doing anything evil,” said Queen Venus with a tone of mock sincerity. “In fact, I’ve been helping you. I figured you needed some assistance, so I decided to help rear a new superhero for Herald City.”

A door opened behind her, and in walked Poster Boy. He looked up at Blue Eagle, a sinister smirk on his face.

“Poster Boy! What are you doing with this fiend?” asked Blue Eagle.

“This superbly successful sapling is my protégé,” said Queen Venus.

“That’s right, Blue Loser,” said Poster Boy. “I’m learning from Herald City’s most notorious super-criminal how to be its most beloved hero.”

“And how does a supervillain teach you to be a superhero? What exactly is your plan?” asked Blue Eagle.

“An ingenious one. So of course you’d need us to explain it to you,” said Queen Venus. “Poster Boy, give Blue Eagle a demonstration of your abilities.”

“With pleasure,” said Poster Boy. He turned to one of the posters in the room, and Blue Eagle’s gaze followed. Rather than turning in a poster clone of himself, the figure in the image turned into a clone of Switch, stepping out of the poster and joining the villain group. “It was easy to convince you that Switch had started turning evil when you didn’t know that my poster clones don’t necessarily have to be of me. I can create clones of anyone and their abilities,” explained Poster Boy. The Switch clone disappeared in a quick flash of light.

“So you were trying to discredit Switch. To turn everyone against him,” said Blue Eagle.

“Oh yes, but it gets better than that,” explained Queen Venus. “With the public so thoroughly against your simpering sidekick after the ceremony, they wouldn’t question seeing him attacking Poster Boy and capturing you. All Poster Boy had to do was have a public fight with a poster clone of the Blue Eaglet and your super senses would bring you right where we wanted; to a crowd that would witness Switch turning into the city’s newest villain. And your trust in both Poster Boy and Switch made it easy to get the drop on you and bring you here, where you will meet your end!”

“A brilliant plan,” said Blue Eagle. “With me gone and Switch discredited, you’d be free to take over the city.”

“I’d masquerade as Herald City’s superhero, fighting the villainous Switch and Queen Venus,” said Poster Boy. “Just like you, I’d never catch Queen Venus and she would always get away, but I’d be getting my own cut of the pie. Catch my drift?”

“Faking being a superhero and letting Queen Venus get away with whatever she was stealing and then taking a cut of the profit. I must say, Queen Venus, I’m very impressed,” said Blue Eagle.

“You flatter me, my old nemesis. It’s too bad you won’t be around to see it truly come to fruition,” said Queen Venus. “Your time has come. You’re about to become lunch for my pet.”

From the pit emerged a red bulbous plant. It opened what could only be described as a mouth, filled with razor sharp teeth.

“What lies below you is a hydnora africana plant. This plant emits a strong stench to attract beetles that pick out the pollen within it. However, I’ve made a few adjustments,” she explained. “Rather than a stench, it now has a hunger for human flesh and teeth that can shatter even the titanium cage you’re trapped in. Willie, lower the cage!”

“You got it, boss!” said Willie, turning the winch. The cage began to lower towards the plant, which began reaching out towards the lowering food like an animal begging for a treat.

“Yes, that is a rather dangerous creature you’ve created from those toxins in your blood. Even my durable body would be torn apart by that thing. You’ve certainly outdone yourself this time,” said Blue Eagle calmly. “There’s just one problem with your plan.”

“Oh?” said Queen Venus in a mocking tone. “And what would that be?”

“We already knew everything!” said Blue Eagle.

The door behind them exploded off its hinges. In ran Switch, who fired a second eyebeam at the plant. The creature howled in pain, sinking back down into the pit.

“Nice to see everyone!” said Switch, a confident smile on his face as he stood with his hands on his hips.

“What!?” cried Poster Boy in shock.

“B-B-Boss, it’s Switch!” cried Frankie.

“I can see that, you dithering dullard!” replied Queen Venus. “How is this possible!?”

Blue Eagle began rocking his cage back and forth. “Good to see you, Blue Eaglet! How ‘bout a hand?”

“Better than that, I’ll give you an eye!” said Switch, firing an eyebeam at the wire holding up the cage.

The beam hit the wire while the cage was on a forward swing, sending it careening to the ground rather than the deadly pit directly below.

“This cage is made of titanium. The fall may not be enough to break it. Better add a little extra strength to the impact then,” said Blue Eagle to himself, crouching down and pushing on the floor of the cage.

With his enhanced strength increasing the speed and force of the falling cage, the impact was enough to shatter it open. Blue Eagle stood up and turned toward the villains.

“He’s free! I will not allow my plans to be thwarted!” yelled Queen Venus, shaking her fists in the air. “Poster Boy! Don’t just stand there! Attack!”

“You got it!” replied Poster Boy, snapping his fingers.

The images in the posters along the walls of the room turned into those of Blue Eagle and Switch. They stepped out of their posters and surrounded the Father-Son Duo, advancing menacingly.

“Uh oh! We’re surrounded!” said Switch.

Blue Eagle’s ears pricked, his super hearing detecting a sound no one else did. He grabbed his son by the waist. “Time to let them have the floor,” he said, flying them directly upward.

From the pit below rose the carnivorous plant, lunging at the poster clones. It scooped them all up in its mouth in one quick motion, and they immediately disappeared in a white flash.

Blue Eagle hovered in the air, holding Switch around the waist.

“Holy--! Good timing, Blue Eagle. Another second and we would have been plant food,” said Switch. “But what do we do now? He can create more of those clones from those posters and they all have our powers, and my eyebeams are about to shut off.”

Blue Eagle’s eyes widened. “Wait, the posters! That’s it! Switch, fire your eyebeams at the posters. Take away his ability to use his powers!”

“Of course! Great idea!” said Switch.

From the air, the pair fired their eyebeams at posters, burning them to ash.

“No, stop! My posters! If you destroy them-” started Poster Boy.

“Then you won’t be able to use your powers,” said Blue Eagle, finishing the sentence as well as the last poster.

“Curses! I’ll get you next time, Blue Eagle!” cried Queen Venus, shaking her fist at her nemesis. She jumped onto the plant, the creature lowering into the ground and making their escape.

“Hey, boss! Wait for us!” said Willie. He and Frankie both dived in after her.

“Wait! Don’t leave me here alone!” said Poster Boy, moving to follow them. A hand grabbed by the back of his costume, lifting him off the ground. “Hey! Let go!” he cried, flailing about helplessly like a toddler.

Blue Eagle smiled as he held the flailing child. “Don’t worry, Poster Boy. We won’t leave you alone. In fact, we’ll take you right down to the police station so you can have a nice chat with the cops.”

Switch gave Poster Boy a mischievous smirk. “And don’t worry about not having any posters. I’m sure there will be a mug shot in your future.”

Poster Boy hung in the air, a pouty look of defeat on his face.

And later, at the office of the Chief of Police.......

“.......and now Poster Boy is behind bars. He won’t be troubling this city anymore, thanks to you two,” the Chief finished telling Blue Eagle and Switch.

“That’s good to know, Chief,” said Blue Eagle. “Having Queen Venus is bad enough. The last thing this city needs is another supervillain.”

“Especially one that was making me look so bad,” added Switch. “I’m just glad that everything’s been cleared up. It’s a good thing you noticed that he got my powers wrong, Blue Eagle.”

“Yes. Seeing the replay of the ceremony on TV, I noticed that he flew away less than a minute after he hit me with eyebeams. Your cooldown period is at least a minute. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the new superhero in town that can create clones of himself could also create clones of others,” said Blue Eagle. “Knowing that the ceremony wasn’t the last of his attempts to destroy Switch’s reputation, we figured he’d do something again that would be loud and noticeable, and my super senses would ensure that I heard whatever commotion he was causing and arrived in time to fall into his ‘trap’.”

“I’m just glad you came to me first,” said the Chief, holding up a small circular device with a light in one hand, and a rectangular communicator in the other. “This small tracking device and microphone allowed Switch to track you when you let yourself be captured, and we recorded every word of Queen Venus’s insidious plot. Now the people know that you’re both still out there protecting the city.”

“Yes, we are, and I and everyone else owe you an apology for doubting that,” Blue Eagle told Switch, putting his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Blue Eagle,” said Switch. “His powers were very convincing. I can see how anyone would have fallen for it. And it’s all resolved now.”

The door to the office opened and an officer entered carrying a rolled up piece of paper.

“Chief, we’ve got the advertisements for the ceremony ready,” said the officer.

“Ceremony?” asked Switch.

“Oh yes. As thank you for saving our city from Poster Boy and Queen Venus, we are planning an event to celebrate your deeds,” said the Chief. “Officer, show them the advertisement.”

The officer unrolled the paper. It was a poster of Blue Eagle and Switch, with their logo on the background and the words “Thank You, Heroes of Herald City!” displayed prominently on the bottom.

“A poster?” said Blue Eagle and Switch together.

The Chief nodded. “We plan to put these up all over town so that everyone will show up. What do you think of them.”

Blue Eagle chuckled. “Maybe advertise on the radio instead?”