Enid flipped on her tablet and put her feet up on her desk. She opened the first thing she saw on social media it was a video of her fight last night with someone talking over it. Was fairly good quality.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes she just flew down out of the air. The police were like get out of here lady, so she lifted up this SUV one handed and put it down. And the police were like okay. She went toe to toe with the guy. He punched her through a car and went flying back like she was just as strong as he was. Then she went in the bank and next thing you know he’s flying out and slams into the same car. Then he started to get up and she did this shoukin thing with her hands and hit him straight in the chest. It was like out of a movie!”
Enid flipped to the next article. She glanced over the headline that declared: Edmonton has a mysterious Superhero, but is she a vigilante, or the newest police enforcer? She rolled her eyes and flicked to the next entry, it was CBC linked press conference with the police’s communications officer. She tapped on it and opened the webpage and quirked an eyebrow.
“We have a prepared statement on the violence downtown last evening, questions will be answered at the end.”
The officer paused and took a deep breath and shuffled her papers.
“Last night there was an unprecedented situation that occurred on Jasper Avenue. We are happy to report with the assistance of a contractor who is a specialist in these matters the situation was resolved without a loss of life and a minimum of property damage. We thank this individual for making sure the officers involved and civilians who were present made it home safely. The individual who is responsible for the attack has been apprehended and is in a secure facility designed to handle his unique attributes. We have been aware of similar incidents occurring in other parts of the world and have made preparations. We were woefully underprepared for this and last night was a learning experience. We have asked for the city to form a committee along with the provincial government so that we can prepare for further instances of this type. Thank you, we have time for a few questions.”
“Officer Hadley, can you share the identity of the contractor who you brought in? Are you referring to the woman in the black armor?”
“We not at liberty to share any information on that individual.”
“Will you be using her for normal police actions?”
“No, her presence is strictly used to suppress situations we do not have the capabilities of handling within our current parameters of training and equipment.”
“Why did the police chief tell her to leave then?”
“There was a miscommunication, we thought the individual in question had been requested, the chief wasn’t sure we should escalate the situation. Upon conferring with his advisors, she came to understand that the individual was their best hope at resolving the situation without loss of life.”
“She was hit pretty hard, was she injured?”
“No, when she left the secondary scene, she was in good health.”
“How did she resolve the situation finally?”
“She moved him to a safe location where he couldn’t cause further harm to property or people and talked him down.”
“So, she didn’t fight him?”
“No, it is my understanding once he realized he couldn’t escape he sat down and surrendered to us.”
“Can you tell us anything about her? Anything at all?”
“She is a formally trained police officer and has an exemplary military record. We are pleased she used that training to bring this situation to a non-fatal ending.”
“So, she is a police officer.”
“No, she is not an active peace officer. She is deputized when brought in by the Edmonton Police Department, but otherwise she is not lawfully allowed to engage in law enforcement actions.”
“So, we can’t expect to see her patrolling the streets like a police officer, looking for crime?”
“Yes, the city and the department deemed that would constitute a militarization of the police force and agreed that she will only be involved in situations that are extraordinary.”
“There are reports that this police action is just another in a long line of attacks against indigenous peoples.”
“Those reports are false. This individual while he was a member of an indigenous people was responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and injuring several officers. He was also uttering threats against the provincial government. Our consultant only used the amount of force required to bring him in no more, no less. We believe she handled the situation both professionally and capably. This could easily have escalated and had the military involved had she not been called in; We suspect it would have ended with his death.”
“Where is he being held?”
“I am not able to provide that information.”
“When will his trial be held?”
“That will be up to the Ministry of Justice.”
“And if he doesn’t like the verdict?”
“Again, courtroom security is the domain of the Provincial Government.”
“Was this all just a show to cover up the failed raid that left one officer dead and an innocent teenage girl clinging to life?”
“That question is out of line, sir, and I cannot comment on that ongoing investigation as ASIRT has taken it over and we are out of the loop. That’s enough questions.”
Contractor. Hah.
She flipped to the next entry, some stupid mobile game. She flipped again and was looking at a high-resolution color picture of her in the Atlantean armor. The title of the post was. Saint Sarah of Savia rises again!
Of course, someone’s analyzed every little detail of the picture.
She scrolled down and there was a cropped version of the picture with only bloodseeker’s hilt and bottom part of it’s blade showing. Then there was a picture from an illuminated manuscript, and then one of her statue at the church, and of a stained glass window displaying the sword. She looked at the text: As you can see the sword looks old, and slightly tarnished. But the gem in the hilt it’s the same as the statue, the manuscript and the stained-glass window. The same slightly dark purple. And it looks like old silver. This is Saint Sarah’s lost sword. Is this her in the flesh? Has God sent an angel? The article went on. She shook her head. She scrolled down and started reading the comments.
“If angels all have bodies like that I want into heaven!”
“Blessed be!”
“This article is such bs, totally stretching it.”
“If she’s an angel, where are her wings? What is with the creepy black armor?”
Enid shook her head and flipped to the next post. It was a meme 2020 the Pandemic Movie, 2027 the Comic Book Movie. There was a picture of her pulling together the plasma ball she created. She chuckled and flipped to the next post. It was a link to another social media site requesting an interview with the black armored hero. She shook her head and laughed. Eyre looked at her mother as she was scrolling on a tablet and laughing.
“What are you doing mom?”
“Just reading stuff about last night.”
“What was so funny?”
“Someone is looking for an interview with the black armored hero.”
“Why is that funny?”
“Because the thought of me giving an interview with the press is ludicrous.”
“I think it’s a good idea. We need to control the narrative.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really, mother. Right now the press can say whatever the hell they want. Rumors are all over the place. The truth as we want to tell it could create the story we want.”
“They’ll just ignore the truth and believe whatever the fuck they want anyway.”
“Some will listen.”
“What am I supposed to be then, what is our ‘truth’?”
“I don’t know we’ll work it out.”
Enid sighed then flipped the tablet over to the secure vpn that Violet had set up. She tapped in a response under a new account she created with an email box of its own. This is the wielder of Saint Sarah’s sword, where and when? She took a picture of the Bloodseeker and added it to the post.
She waited. It only took a few minutes for the responses to explode. The screen was scrolling faster than her currently mortal eyes could keep up with. Several responses were, I knew it was her. And others were saying it was fake. Others were curious but skeptical. Some were just humorous. One was from a Catholic video channel asking for their own interview. She laughed at that one, but then responded with a yes, she’d do it, Maria would appreciate that. It was run by their home diocese. She received a response from the original requestor, they were offering her ten thousand dollars, she responded that they should donate it to Alberta’s Aboriginal Rights Coalition, and she would be at the designated studio at the designated time.
Least I can do is help out the cause he was fighting for.
*****
Enid looked at the face and body she had created, she was still slight, but had more in the bust area. She had blonde hair, almost platinum, ice blue eyes. Pale flawless skin. She looked human, but also just slightly something more. Her features were quite attractive, more so than her real face. Exotic but just slightly so. She committed the face, it was like saving a file, she could only do so many different appearances. She was never able to be as fluid as her teacher had been. She pulled on the armor. Eyre was trying her best to prep her while she got ready.
“Okay, mom, remember if they ask you about the police ties, just don’t comment beyond, my current commitment to the Edmonton Police Department will not allow me to answer that question. Be polite but firm.”
“Alright, got it.”
“What is your backstory?”
“I was a pilot, I was a detective who retired suddenly because of this. I am descended from a long line of demon hunters.”
“Okay, what’s your name?”
“Sarah.”
“Last name?”
"Eyre, I've have been Sarah O'Connor forever. Don't worry about that part."
“Do you have a superhero name?”
“Nope.”
“Yes, you do, remember we have to control the narrative.”
“What was it again?”
“Seraphim”
“Ugg, really, an Archangel. Could we not put a religious bent to this thing?”
“Mom, you’re using a Saint’s sword, the optics would be bad otherwise.”
“Yes, but it’s going to give the Christian nuts ammo.”
“The story we’re spinning covers that. You have no association with the church, but your family has been Christians since it has existed, Catholic actually.”
“Fine, why again?”
“Because it shows you have a very solid code of ethics.”
“Ya, but I don’t.”
“The public doesn’t need to know that. Just pretend you’re Maria. A good catholic girl.”
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Smile.”
“But my face might crack.”
“Very funny. This is serious.”
“Okay, okay, control the narrative, smile.”
Enid pulled off jogging pants and sweatshirt and started putting on the Atlantean armor.
“This shit is a pain to get on. It’s like a wet suit. Only tighter.”
“Why don’t you complain to the manufacturer then.”
“Hah, now you’re the one being funny.”
Enid pulled on the helmet.
“So, its sunproof.”
“Yes, it was built by father’s side in the war so they could defend whenever they needed to.”
“That’s neat, you have an extra suit?”
“Technically yes. She gave me two since it takes a while to regenerate if it’s damaged.”
“Can I have one?”
“I don’t know we will see if you’re good this year.”
Eyre laughed.
“Good luck mom.”
Enid nodded and shimmered out of existence and leapt into the air. With the altered flow of time, she was at her destination within minutes instead of hours. She landed outside the studio and shimmered into existence. She pressed the buzzer beside the door. Shortly after a woman opened the door, she looked to be in her twenties. She looked a bit shocked when she saw Enid waiting in her armor.
“Uh, hi.”
“Am I early?”
“No, no, just we weren’t sure you’d show up.”
“I always keep my word.”
“Good to know, come in.”
“Will you be doing the interview in your armor?”
“Yes and no, I’ll be taking the helmet off, but leaving the rest on.”
“Okay, let’s take care of your makeup and hair then.”
“You won’t need too. I’d rather look like myself.”
“Alright, this way to the set.”
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Enid followed the woman. She stopped as if she realized something.
“I’m sorry, I’m Meagan.”
“Sarah.”
“Please this way Sarah.”
She opened the door and inside there was a set with a couch and a chair. Enid was familiar with the channel. They were a current events internet streaming site. They had several hosts. And millions of subscribers. Enid glanced around.
No windows, good.
She pulled Bloodseeker out of it’s sheath and sat down on the couch where Meagan indicated. She laid Bloodseeker across her lap. She stroked its blade and hilt gently.
Don’t get any ideas old man.
She waited for a few minutes then another woman came out, she recognized her as Michelle. She was their main host. Also someone who had interviewed her after the Medal of Honor.
“Sorry, we were not expecting you to really respond and show up! We’re kind of catching up.”
“It’s alright. Do you want to start with my helmet on or off?”
“You know, let’s leave it on, it’s how people saw you the other night.”
Enid nodded.
“So, can we call you Sarah?”
“Of course.”
“Great, Sarah, are you ready?”
“Yes, I am Michelle.”
“Have you watched our streams?”
“I have.”
“Oh wow.”
“Regardless of my secondary occupation, I am human just like you, I get bored too.”
“Okay, let’s get started.”
Enid nodded. She watched Michelle go through their intro. Advising the viewers that their sponsor for today’s video was a software company. Enid continued to slide her fingers long the flat of Bloodseeker’s blade. She heard her false identity’s name and looked up at Michelle.
“Hi Michelle, thank you for having me.”
“Why don’t you introduce yourself.”
Enid nodded, and pulled off her helmet, letting the platinum blond hair, she placed the helmet beside her. She adjusted the hair and pulled the crucifix out over the chest as the neck shrunk away from where it had connected to the helmet. Enid determined she had done a good job on her face as Michelle and the others present all looked at her in awe. She’d chosen a youngish face. Eighteen or nineteen.
“I’m Seraphim, Sarah for short.”
“You sound American, are you from the USA?”
“I grew up here, if that is what you’re asking. Well not here, here, obviously.”
She smiled.
“I was going to say you don’t sound like you’re from Texas.”
“Kansas actually, but my family travelled a lot.”
“Now the Edmonton Police said you were a trained peace officer and military veteran is that true?”
“Yes, I’m older than I look. It’s part of what makes me special. I was a Naval Aviator, then police officer, but I had to retire when the sword was passed to me. We have to be careful not to choose sides and remain neutral.”
“But you work with the Edmonton Police.”
“I will work with any lawful authority that requests assistance with demonic activity. Typically, they laugh at me, so I usually don’t bother offering.”
“Wait demonic activity?”
“Yes, my family have been entrusted with protecting the mortal worlds from demons. I know that sounds crazy, but it’s true. There are demons, sometimes they are possessing people, sometimes they are not, the latter are the worst to fight, the former are the hardest to find.”
“Why does no one know this is a thing?”
“My family has always tried to maintain secrecy, cover up incidents, prevent panic, prevent people from chasing after the power that is offered by them.”
“So, there is a deep state?”
“No, we have nothing to do with any governmental body, or organization.”
“So, give me an example.”
“February, Nineteen-eighty-five. One of us fought a twenty-foot-tall demon in Edmonton River Valley. Walked right out of a portal after being summoned by some individuals with questionable ethics. The news reported a gas explosion. Nineteenth century. Strange atmospheric conditions in a park, London. Giant vortex with purple lightning. My great Grandmother fighting a demon that had been trapped by my family in biblical times after razing Sodom and Gomorrah. Reported as a tornado. Nineteen-eighty-six Okinawa, six women murdered, hearts missing, they were actually eaten, my mother killed a skinwalker, it possesses animals, was a dog, then infested rats in the sewers and became a swarm. She used lightning to force it out of the rats, murders were blamed on a serial killer. Never caught. I could go on, but I’d rather not implicate myself in any recent happenings, my mother has passed away so she can’t really be charged with anything anymore.”
“Wait, how do you now all this?”
“There is a library of journals of all previous chosen, passed from mother to daughter, though, they only go back to Rome, just after Julius Caesar. Before that it was oral, until it was laid out on papyrus for the first time.”
“So, your family has always done this?”
“Since recorded history as far as I know. The power passed from mother to daughter. Only one can exist at a time, when my mother died, I became the hunter. It became my sacred duty to protect the Earth. Unfortunately, this line of work is not one you usually reach old age with.”
“So, when you die, your daughter will take over?”
“Yes, when I have one.”
“And if you don’t have a daughter?”
“Then my aunt, or her daughter.”
“And there is no choice in the matter?”
“No, if you’re the next chosen you’re the next chosen. I really didn’t want this; I was happy with my life. But when you’re called, you’re called, you don’t have a choice.”
“Has anyone said no?”
“Anyone who has didn’t last long. It seems God won’t take no for an answer.”
Michelle motioned to Bloodseeker.
“There is speculation online that that sword is the one that Saint Sarah of Narford wielded, is that true?”
“Yes, this was her sword, it is the sword of the chosen, when we are chosen it comes to us, whether we want it or not. If it determines we are unworthy it kills you and moves on to the next.”
“So, it has a mind of its own?”
“Yes, it is quite dangerous to anyone but the chosen, if you were to pick it up, you would die very quickly as it drained your life force.”
“That hardly seems like something a saint would be using, isn’t it?”
“There is a saying in my family when it comes to this sword. To fight monsters, you need a monster. And it is a monster. It was created by a being of chaos who wants to destroy everything in creation. It will be his end one day. And on that day my family’s work will be done, and the sword will be destroyed.”
“So, if it is so dangerous and evil as you call it, why do you use it?”
“Well again, legend, this blade can kill anything, angel, demon, God himself. My Grandmother’s journal referenced cutting through Nazi tanks with it.”
“So, she fought in World War 2?”
“No, the Nazis in question were working with forces they didn’t comprehend, and she had to remove them from this world.”
“I notice you wear a crucifix, are you associated with the Catholic Church, do they back you?”
“No, not in that way. I was born and raised Catholic as my entire family has been. At least as far back as Christianity existed. But we are not sanctioned or associated with the Catholic Church beyond we belong to that faith. In fact, in certain periods in the past I has been quite the opposite. The word witch and demon have come up when referring to us. I suspect they had never met a real one.”
“Do you know why your family has never approached the church?”
“It’s simple, it’s the same reason we have kept ourselves concealed. Knowing is not the same as having faith. We’re not angels, we’re just humans that have the gift of seeing what is concealed from mortals.”
“So, you’re not mortal?”
“No, once you are chosen, it’s like a whole other level of being. Afterwards we are faster, stronger, more durable, immune to poison, disease, we stop aging, all impurities are burned away by the holy light, but eventually we die a violent death. So effectively we are immortal until that violent end.”
“So, you could be the first from Rome, and just lying about all these other family members.”
“Technically yes, but I’m not, trust me, you couldn’t mistake me for them. Most of my family has red hair, green eyes, like the pictures of Saint Sarah. Mother kept saying she thinks I got mixed up at birth. I’m the odd woman out at family gatherings. Get mistaken for an in-law.”
Michelle laughed at that.
“So, the other night, what happened?”
“Well, it was a situation that the police were not equipped to handle, I was. He was quite dangerous. Poor misguided soul.”
“Do they pay you for your services?”
“Legally they have to, any income I derive from it is directed to a charity. We don’t do this for profit.”
“I did notice that we offered to pay you for your time today and you said if we must please donate to a fund for aboriginals in Alberta. Is this a charity you support?”
“No, it was my way of trying to help the poor man out that was involved in that situation. He was a native American, he was trying to make a difference for his people. He chose a poor way to do it, agreements with demons never work out how you want them too. I hope by making this sort of choice I can show people that you can only make good worthwhile change with good deeds and actions. Choosing a darker path will taint your cause.”
“So do you consider yourself the ‘good guy’ in this scenario?”
“No, I am always sad when I have to resort to violence. Even my mother, God bless her soul, offered that fire demon the chance go back to hell before she killed it. It was unfortunate that he refused to surrender. Hopefully one day he can go back to his life, but demon possession it’s like suffering hell on earth, rarely do the folks who survive it live long afterwards.”
“Do you kill possessed humans?”
“I have never had to do that, but if I had to protect the world at large, I would do so. God forgive me, but it’s my duty.”
“When you were in the military and on the police force did you ever kill anyone?”
“Yes, it’s for the same reason, I had a duty to protect, and I fulfilled it.”
“But the Catholic Faith says thou shalt not kill, how do you fit your duty into that paradigm?”
“It is hard, but I realize that, the gospels also indicate we have a duty to our fellow man. I always choose life, whether it is innocents, or a criminal or possessed human. When it comes to protecting innocents, I choose their lives. It’s the same question a doctor has to answer when it comes to a complicated pregnancy, where they have to choose between the baby and the mother. It is a terrible choice to have to make. And it is the question I dread having to answer every day.”
“Wow, that sounds like a fine line to walk.”
“It is, and it comes with the territory. The choices I have had to make pale in comparison to the choice’s former chosen have had to make. Saint Sarah herself had to make that choice. There was a templar keep, every one of the knights was possessed. A hundred of them, along with most of their servants and they were about to start pillaging the countryside. They started by burning down the church in Narfordshire. She had no choice, she killed them all. One little girl survived who was uncorrupted and unpossessed. It weighed on her for most of her life. She often wrote about it in her journal.”
“That is a heavy burden to carry.”
“Yes, it is, and knowing I might be asked to do the same weighs on me.”
“Can we expect to see more of you in public now?”
“I would expect so, this kind of action emboldens demons, and other entities. The world is no longer so faithful as it was and while there are now police and militaries, they aren’t equipped like the inquisition was: With Faith and fanaticism.”
“So, you expect more attacks?”
“Yes, it’s like those videos were kids used to eat tide pods, stupid to do, but because they saw others do it, they decide to try their luck. It is going to get worse before it gets better. And it could mean that the one we were created to fight is rising. Time will tell.”
“Do you have any advice for people who might encounter this sort of situation?”
“Run fast, don’t stand and gawk and for the love of God and all his angels don’t screw around with demons.”
“Sound advice, what do you do when you’re not demon hunting?”
“I train, I play video games, I watch videos on the internet.”
“Do you have a day job?"
“No, not really, its hard to hold down a job when you could get pulled away at any moment to fight some monster somewhere.”
“How do you support yourself?"
“My family has a fund for the chosen. It does quite well on its investments.”
“How well?”
“I own a private jet. Helpful since I could be dragged from Edmonton, Alberta one day, to, Siberia the next.”
“Wow! But you can fly, can’t you?”
“Yes, but flying a plane is less exhausting, also I love flying planes.”
“Oh, that’s right you used to fly fighters.”
“Admittedly nothing will ever be as exhilerating as that.”
“So, tell me about this armor you’re wearing, is it comfortable? It doesn’t leave much to the imagination.”
“No, it doesn’t. And it is mostly comfortable. It’s like an intelligent wet suit. It helps you get it on and off it shrinks and grows so the fit is skintight. Then the armor plates form if I want them, technically the helmet can do the same thing, but it takes so long and honestly it feels like I’m being eaten so I choose not to do it that way. I assure you, good underewear are a necessity. It adapts to its user. When I first had it, it would not form any plates, but after a chance encounter with a umm, golem, I guess is the best way to describe it, I decided plates would have helped me not end up with claws in me trying to burrow into my heart. So now when I put it on, plates show up if I am expecting combat. It can even grow energy wings, an energy shield or a blade. It is really quite something.”
“Where’s it from?”
“Well, you won’t find it on Amazon. Honestly, I’m not sure I should say, it sounds even stranger than the rest of my story.”
“Oh, now you have to tell us.”
“Alright, but remember I warned you, it’s from Atlantis.”
“The Atlantis, as in the fabled lost city?”
“The very same.”
“So, how did it come into your family’s possession, do they come from there?”
“No, again, this is from legend, because it’s before the journals started being written down, but one of us found it frozen in time, it was recovered along with some other items.”
“Does your history say anything else about the city?”
“It was the location of the first war between Good and Evil, Order and Chaos. The first betrayal of God’s will by one of his creations.”
“Wow, that sounds like an interesting story. Could you share more of it?”
"It is a long story, but the TLDR of it is: There was a war; It was destroyed. Everyone died."
“It actually sounds like it might be an interesting story, are you sure you can't elaborate?"
“It is not something I'm comforftable going into detail on.”
“Of course, how do you feel being out in the open now?”
“I’d say it’s fifty percent liberating, fifty percent terrifying.”
Michelle laughed. Enid smiled.
“Well, there are some saying on social media that everything should be brought into the light so to speak, including how this happened, and where the man is being held in custody. What do you say to that?”
“I always prefer the truth, Michelle, it’s one of the gifts we have from birth, we’re human lie detectors and can see the demons, and others. So, I know how dishonest the world is, it is very troubling how much we humans hide from each other. However, after my military training I understand that for safety reasons some information needs to be concealed. I don’t agree with black sites, I never have. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing publicly. It’s a conflict I’ve always had with my family’s secret. Mother used to say part of the reason is we don’t want people looking to us for guidance or to save them. That ours is not for glory but dignified silent duty. She spent a lot of time in Japan, I’ll be the first to admit she had some weird notions. Then she’d go on about blank stars on the CIA’s wall or something. Oops I’m babbling on, I see the value in both secrecy and openness, I wish it wasn’t the way the world needs to be.”
“You sound like a politician.”
“I don’t disagree, but sometimes politicians are actually honest. We all know it’s rare but sometimes…”
Michelle laughed.
“So, what can you do, what are your powers?”
“Basically, I’m a poor man’s supergirl, I’m super strong, I’m fast, I am bullet proof, I can fly, not as fast as a supersonic jet, I wish. Basically, that’s it. Anything else is just training, since I could stand, I was trained in various fighting techniques, with and without weapons.”
“Do you have laser eyes?”
“No, all I can do is redirect energy already present. Like when he punched me, I redirected most of the force at him. Or the fire, I pulled it from the burning cars. Let’s just say I’m really dangerous in lightning storms or near volcanos.”
“So, if you’re bullet proof why the armor?”
“Well, I’m not bullet-proof bullet proof, high-capacity armor piercing anti-material rounds will go right through me. I heal quickly though so they are ineffective at best. I can only really die from demonic attacks. They have claws teeth, fire, all manner of tricks and any of those can finish me off, the armor is mostly for that. And you know, tank rounds. Rocket Launchers…”
“So basically, a conventional weapon has no real chance of killing you?”
“No, they really don’t. They can cause a major inconvenience.”
“Wow, so what’s stopping you from toppling governments and forcing your will on the world?”
“My conscience and my Catholic Beliefs.”
“Is that all?”
“My family has always understood our place. We are not here to try and rule humanity. We are here to protect it from outside threats. If humans want to kill humans or people want to fight wars, that’s on them. We have certain rules we follow; One is we do not interfere with world affairs. If someone is getting robbed, that is up to the mortal authorities.”
“What about natural disasters, plane crashes, car crashes?”
“Again, that is not why we were created.”
“So, if you saw a five-year-old stuck in a car, drowning, you wouldn’t help them?”
“I would, because as a human being, and a Christian, it’s my responsibility. But it’s a slippery slope, how far can I go without playing God? Where does it stop? The president decides to use too much force on protestors, people will get hurt, do I interfere? Where is too far? The kind of power I have has to be used responsibly. It’s a question most people never have to ask themselves. I usually ask myself, could a normal person do this? If the answer is yes then I'll help. It is very hard not to get into the superhero mentality and try to fix everything."
“You have a lot of weight on your shoulders then.”
“Yes, which is part of the reason coming out into the light is terrifying. People are going to accuse me of being heartless because I didn’t stop whatever from happening, the fact is I’m one person and I can’t be everywhere at once and I’m not omniscient. I might not do anything because I don’t even know it happened. People are saying I’m sort of divine being, saint made flesh an angel, I’m not. I’m just a human who has been granted some extraordinary abilities, none of which involve any ability to suddenly detect somewhere in need out in the world and teleport there.”
“I can see how that would be overwhelming. You must feel a bit powerless sometimes even with everything you can do?”
“I do. I see all this pain and suffering, and I wish I could stop it, but it’s not within my power, but then I realize I am wealthy, and my family has been blessed with wealth, and I can use that and my influence in the mortal world to make it a better place so that’s what I do. I don’t go smash down buildings and arrest dictators I lobby for health care, homelessness solutions, cures for rare diseases. I make sure children get food. A phone call to the right person, a donation to the right charity can do so much more good than the ability to lift a car. Sure, I can rescue one person from under a car. With my human identity and life, I can save one hundred, one thousand, one million.”
“So, you do interfere with the human world, as a human, not as super powerful being?
“Exactly, you don’t need to have superpowers to make a difference. Sure, money helps, but you don’t need to be special to make a difference you just have to be caring human being and use your time to help out others in need. Sometimes all it takes is buying someone a coffee and listening to them talk. Or a hug.”
“You seem like the kind of person everyone should aspire to be. Thank you for coming to see us today, we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance to tell my side of the story and shed some light on who I am and what I’m about.”
The cameras were turned off, Enid stood and slid bloodseeker into it’s sheath on her back. She reached down and grabbed her helmet. Michelle approached and hugged Enid, who reciprocated.
“Wow I cannot thank you enough for coming.”
“You won’t be thanking me when you start getting told you should stop having crazy religions nut jobs on your channel.”
“Pish, let them come. I can tell you’re the real deal.”
“Thanks for that, I better get out of here before someone decides to come try and arrest me for illegal entry to the country even though I’m a citizen.”
Enid smirked.
“So, you’re an American citizen?”
“I am."
“So you were in the US Navy?"
“Off the record?”
“Off the record.”
“Yes. I flew F-22N's"
"Really?"
"Yes, if you want to know about my life before all of this, my name is Sarah O'Connor, I look a bit different now, because of, well you know the chosen thing, but I am disappointed to say I have a wikipedia article."
"Wait, Commander Sarah O'Connor, Medal of Honor recipient?"
Enid nodded.
"Oh wow, I did my first story on you!"
"I remember."
"You do?"
"Of course I do. I have an excellent memory for faces."
"Is this information private?"
Enid shrugged.
"It will come out eventually. Do what you will with it."
"Commander. You were a hero to women everywhere before you fought a supervillian on a viral video. Is.. this why you managed to survive that mission, the one in North Korea?"
"Who knows maybe God had a plan for me. All I know is, I wish I was wearing the armor during that mission. I probably wouldn't have had to retire from flying fighters."
Michelle laughed.
“Thank you for being so honest today. We don’t get many genuine people on the show.”
Enid nodded and pulled on her helmet and leapt into the air.