- Present Day -

The blood had dried from when I'd bitten into my lips. I was left with the sound of silence broken only by my loud sobs. For the last few hours I'd been in the fetus position shifting from side to side trying to distract myself from reality. I'd covered myself in the thin sheets I called blankets and a large bottle of water used to replenish my tears was lying on the dirty carpet floor.

“Why did this happen to me?”

“-and with me today is the leader of the cities top super team 'Alpha Strike', Blue Charm!”

The TV stuttered into life and my daze was rudely interrupted by the clapping of an enthusiastic audience. I'd hit the remote by accident. I gazed at the screen in a stupor, it was the 'Super TV' talk show. They did interviews with famous powered heroes every day. The talk show host, I think her name was Sarah, turned with a botox filled smile to beam the blue masked man sitting down next to her. It was the same guy I'd seen earlier today when I was at the Blue Macey Cafe with Toad. Just remembering it gave me a headache, but it wasn't anything new since I hadn't thought about anything else since then. He waved his hands in the air and the crowd gave a roaring cheer.

“On behalf of all of us here at Super TV I would like to congratulate you on the capture of the notorious terrorist Toad just hours ago.” The crowd cheered loudly at Sarah's words and she turned to face the camera, “As the leader of the team that represents the city this is just one of many accomplishments to add to Blue Charm's distinguished career.”

My eyes twitched as she said the word 'Toad'.

Blue Charm chuckled, “My 'distinguished career' doesn't just belong to the people you see on the surface Sarah. I'm the face that every body sees but the true heroes here are my team, who kept Toad occupied and the citizens safe.”

I breathed a sigh of relief and crawled out of my fetal position. I took another sip of water and shivered underneath the blankets. I could feel the terror inside me, a feeling of dread that I was going to be mentioned and brought back into the spotlight. Soon pictures depicting the broken Blue Macey Cafe replaced the two and then pictures of Toad and various henchmen appeared on screen. The entire roof had already been fixed in the span of a few hours and a gaggle of people were outside taking pictures with awed expressions.

Toad's picture flickered onto the screen and I shrieked. He looked far more menacing in the pictures than he had in real life, but a picture couldn't capture the threat to life he exuded when you were only a table away, or his deadly intelligence. I peeked at the picture from under the blankets. A herculean body with blue eyes gazed at me. The picture abruptly swapped and I whimpered as I recognized another face, one I had later found out belonged to Toad's lieutenant. It was an old security shot but in real life the guy had been the ugliest person I'd ever seen. I'd only known him a few seconds but in that time he'd held a gun to my balls. Then I killed him. I'm not sure what happened that week, not exactly, I've been too busy thinking about Toad and dying. But somehow I'd inadvertently killed this man, the television and Toad had told me so.

He could have lived if I'd asked someone to call an ambulance.

It was something completely different to think that you may have killed a man, even if he was going to kill you first. I can't really describe it, but between the terror and the tears it feels like there's something else in there. A little bit of disgust in myself. I didn't cause the explosion that day and I don't know what did, but when I ran away from that convenience store there had been a man there, a severely burnt man, but an alive one. I'd only found out after that he'd died later that day from his severe injuries.

I didn't know the person in the final picture. Apparently when Toad had gone to meet up with me he had brought out most of his main muscle to guard him. It was a testament to his power and charisma that he could get so many powered people to follow him willingly. The fresh face wasn't ugly like the lieutenant nor particularly handsome like Toad. But he did look the part of a thug. Short cut black hair and a body covered in scars filled the screen. His dark brown eyes seemed set into a permanent squint and in one of the photos he was seen holding a grenade and laughing. The sight chilled me to the bones.

The caption read 'Toad's second lieutenant, Antonio Gaum.’”

The guards and terrorists that Toad had brought and placed around the cafe had all silently been taken out by the heroes and the police while I was talking to Toad. Going from a life of fear back to normal in the space of a week was going to be nearly impossible. It looked like the heroes had arrested all of the terrorists along with Toad. But how could I ever be sure.

'Can I go back to my regular life please.' I silently begged into the air.

I hadn't received any threatening phone calls. The press hadn't come looking for me. And yet I couldn't help but stay curled up and crying. Something told me that nothing was going to be right in my world any more, I couldn't just go back to my normal and safe life after seeing how scary the world can be. But maybe it would happen if I just gave it a bit of time.

The TV had stopped their montage of pictures and rested back onto Blue Charm.

“Who would you say contributed the most to this successful capture?”

Blue Charms eyes twinkled, “Warden.”

“Although he had no intention of standing out in this venture I firmly believe that all of our success can be traced back to his actions.”

My eyes widened as Blue Charm spoke and my hands gripping the sheets to my chest violently shook. It had all been going so well. They hadn't even mentioned me. Why was Blue Charm so intent on dragging me back into this horrible world I wasn't meant to be part of, this nightmare. I saw Sarah rested her chin on her well manicured hand and gave Blue Charm a quizzical look.

“Again I'm hearing about the mysterious vigilante known as Warden. But according to eye witness accounts all Warden did was sit around and drink coffee. On our online poll viewers have voted his contribution in the affair the lowest out of all the participants. Including the police.”

'Yes!' I would have pumped my fists into the air in victory if they weren't glued to my chest, 'She understands! They understand! I'm just your regular coffee drinking Joe, I didn't contribute to squat!'

Blue Charm looked despondent for a moment before the emotion gave way to a grin and a wink, “Well Sarah, I'm not allowed to say much about it. But if I were to rate Warden's contribution I would give him a ten out of ten.”

I groaned and threw the blankets off of my body, 'I need some fresh air.'

I picked the water bottle up off the floor and shook it. Nearly empty. Florence wouldn't like it is I visited without any food for him. I turned off the TV and went to fill the water bottle, my hands were trembling. That last wink Blue Charm gave the camera stayed in my mind.

'It was going so well too, damn it Blue Charm! Damn you and your delusional mind.'

Soon I was running up the emergency stairs, well, I was walking at a moderate pace up the stairs. I wasn't fit in the first place and forgetting the memories of running away from the Blue Macey Cafe didn't mean the long sprint home had hurt my legs any less after a nights sleep.

'Damn Toad and his neurotic beliefs and secret bases.'

I opened the rusty metal door that led to the roof and a fresh breeze rushed through my clothes, wafting through my hair. It was night time but the moon was bright enough that I could see Florence waving around gently, just like always. The pot underneath was shrouded in darkness but I knew that there was a layer of dolphins carved to look like they were swimming around the clay. I didn't splurge on useless stuff often, but I felt like an extra fancy and fun home for Florence had been necessary. I’m not sure that its healthy to give a plant a name, or even a gender. But Florence was the only thing I had left to remind me of her. Florence being the purple flower in the pot of course. I smiled and sucked in a breath of fresh air before walking over to pour Florence some water.

It was damn nice to have something regular to look after.

*Swoosh*

I could feel the smile on my face freezing as I caught sight of a figure flying through the air. My eyes glued onto it as a woman gently landed on the ground a few meters away, the sound of her black boots clacking against the concrete roof breaking the silence.

'This can't be happening... Oh my god... Oh my gawd... Oh mah gawd!' I dropped the water bottle in shock

A lithe, supple figure walked towards me and my heart almost stopped. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Her cherry red lips pursed in contemplation as though she was deep in thought Locks of wavy blonde hair wrapping over healthy light skin as though she had just spent the day at the salon instead of flying through the air and her storm cloudy eyes seemed to pierce into my soul. She was wearing nothing but a tight fitting black lycra leotard, black high boots and a silver watch. But it was the symbol over the chest part of her leotard, a gold mixture of the letters 'S' and 'W', that made my body freeze in place at first sight. It wasn't some no name hero symbol you see on the TV, it wasn't even a commercial symbol for a sponsoring company. It was one of the most famous symbols in the world. And only one person had the right to wear it.

“Interesting, the association didn't detect any sensors or scanners in the vicinity. How did you know I was coming?” The woman sounded like she was trying to work out a puzzle and bit her lips playfully.

Super Woman.

It was no coincidence that she was named after the most powerful comic book superhero in the world. It was because she WAS the most powerful real life powered person in the world. Her body was indestructible and she could casually destroy a meter thick steel door with the flick of a finger. I'd just seen her ability to fly in person. If there was one woman you didn't want to piss off in the world it was the one I was trying my hardest to look in the face.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

'So why are her thighs so distracting, damn leotard.'

“Warden.” Super Woman fixed her eyes onto me and shot me a friendly smile, “The association wants to know what you're doing here. And how long you'll be here.”

“What are you doing here?!” I blurted out a little louder than I'd intended.

'Oh **** why did I say that.'

It was the only thing I could think of. This was the woman you saw on TV greeting presidents and queens as an equal at special events. She was the hero associations not-so-secret weapon of mass destruction. Whenever the earth faced a threat that could destroy all of humanity this was the woman you called to punch it in the face. Just from what I'd seen on TV she'd faced off against two gods, a few magical armies and countless powered villains. And that was usually just a yearly intake for her. If the news caught wind of her on this rooftop in the middle of a crowded metropolis the entire city and the cities nearby would be evacuated for fear that some sort of world ending event was nearby. I may have been fanboy crazy but I wasn't so far gone into a stupor that I couldn't see the immediate death flag to the entire city that Super Woman's presence brought. I could feel my hands visibly shaking.

This was too much to take in one day.

“Oh.” Super Woman put a finger to her lips as though contemplating something, “I'm sorry, there's nothing major going to happen here. I'm just here for you.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, 'She's sorry? Thank god there's nothing wrong! Wait what was that?'

“Here for me?” I thought back to the last few words she'd said, “What am I doing here? I live here. I have all my life.”

“Lived here all your life...” Super Woman trailed off before her head perked up and her mouth formed an “o” expression.

“Are you telling me that you've managed to stay under the radar in a major city, a hero run city, for who knows how many years?”

I nodded.

'Well I wasn't exactly meant to be on the radar. I'm just a normal guy.' I thought to myself, 'Wait a second.'

This was my chance to tell her I was a normal person. Super Woman, the most powerful and respected powered hero in the world was face to face in front of me and listening to my every word. This was the chance I'd been waiting and entire week for. I'd spent the entire week in fear of meeting with the police or heroes because I could get shot by Toad's men just walking in the street, and now the opportunity had flown into my lap. I had to tell her.

“Will you go out with me?” Gah! That wasn't what I was meant to say.

My stupid brain was melting to mush because of her good looks. Or maybe it was the accumulated stress of the sudden turn of events that had almost led to my death twice over in a single week. Hell it was probably both. I'm just babbling now.

Super Woman giggled and I felt a slight blush rise to my cheeks, “The last few guys to say that to me got shot dead by angry fans. Then again, I guess you are powerful enough to survive. At least from the initial wave.”

I felt a chill run across my back as I came to a sudden realization and the night air suddenly turned chillier than it had been a few second ago. It wasn't her talk about the fans that scared me. God knows how but I was now considered one of the most mysterious powered people in the city at the moment. I'd seen it on the news I'd stalked in order to find out more about Toad. But it had only occurred to me just now that it was this reputation that was keeping me alive.

Super Woman thinks -wrongly- that I'm strong enough to stave off her fans. At the same time all the terrorists out there that have been slighted by Toad's arrest haven't tried to kill me in the last few hours. I hadn't considered it before because not fearing for my life every second was usually the norm in my life, but those terrorists were probably being scared away by my reputation. If I was to suddenly announce I was a normal guy how long would I last? Whether it was an angry terrorist or a villain looking for a claim to fame, I'd heard enough about these events on the TV that I knew I would be dead sooner than I could walk downstairs.

God damn fresh air giving me good ideas.

“I live here. I wont be moving.” I sighed as I spoke the words.

Now that Toad was in jail there wasn't really a reason for me to leave the country. Not that I could. I knew during that one week that any thought of leaving I'd clung to was just whimsical, I didn't have the money to move to another country and start a whole new life. I already lived in one of the cheapest neighborhoods in this city, and the city was on the cheap side in the first place. My other option was to be homeless.

'Unless...' My mind started to whirr as it processed a sudden thought, a way to stay safe and keep a roof over my head.

Super Woman shrugged, “Think carefully Warden. You may have done the association a favor with Toad but they won't appreciate your presence in this city. Vigilantes and heroes don't mix. You think the association wanted you to come in and blow up Toad's right hand man? Do you think we're stupid enough to think that you would have let Toad come out of that cafe alive and well? The association might acknowledge and respect your contribution but they won't tolerate your presence in this city much longer. And neither will I.”

“Then arrest me.” I smiled as I spoke and Super Woman looked at me in surprise.

It was the perfect solution. I don't feel like romanticizing anything about my living space. It was utter crap. I lived on a couch I'd found thrown out onto the side of the street once. Not even my street, I'd dragged that couch from over eight blocks away and up the stairs by myself. That's just how desperate I was for some furniture. I had a bed that was ten years past its wear and tear date to be thrown out, my television sounded like it had been smoking for fifteen years and I was scared out of my mind that terrorists would take revenge on me any second now.

But prison would change all that. To Super Woman and the rest of the association I wasn’t plain old ordinary Walden. I was Warden, some powered guy that had come out of nowhere and taken out Toad and his lieutenant. And when powered people went to prison they didn't put them in one large group, they would put them away in a place nobody knew about, the ones that wanted to reform even went to private communities where they could be guarded while on probation. They definitely wouldn't keep them in a city like this. They would take me to a place where I would be safe from terrorists. It may not be the best plan. But it's the best I can come up with in a few seconds.

I jutted my arms out and made a handcuffing gesture with my hands, “Put the cuffs on me, take me to jail. You said it yourself, You wont tolerate me being in this city and I won't leave. So your only solution is to put the cuffs on me.”

'Please do it.'

Super Woman hesitated and took a step forward.

'Yes, just like that.'

She turned around, “You're an interesting man Warden. But if you run into me again it won't end well.”

'She's not going to arrest me?' My heart sunk.

I couldn't push it. If it looked like I was getting aggressive she might try to punch me. I wanted to be alive when everyone found out I was a normal guy, not a corpse splattered on a roof.

“Wait!” I cried out. “How do you deal with it. The constant fear.”

‘The fear of death.’

Super Woman stopped but didn't turn around, “I do the same thing you do Warden. I show myself that I'm better than that by putting away the people that want to misuse their powers for their personal gain. It's the only thing we can do.”

*Swoosh* *Crack*

The building trembled as she flew into the air. Tiny crack were left in the concrete where she had taken off and I was left to look at her figure slowly disappearing in the dark. I was left peering into thin air. I felt the life flowing out of me as I picked up the water bottle and despondently walked back down the stairs. Florence could wait a while longer for his water.

****

'Super Woman?'

Super Woman looked down at the watch she was wearing. It was a variation of the standard issue hero watch every crime fighter was given, but instead of just transmitting information it could also send conversations directly into her mind so that the voice wouldn't get lost in the wind. She’d heard this voice before.

“Paragon. Have you finally decided to join the hero association?”

Paragon. He wasn't a well known figure to the public but within the powered community he was famous. He was the primary designer and builder of the Sphere prison. He was also the most powerful Tech powered in the world. Unaffiliated with either criminals or heroes, preferring to live his own life in the peace and quiet of his own inventions.

'Not at all.' The voice chuckled in her mind, 'I was just wondering how your visit went. How was Warden?'

“You know him?” Super Woman lifted an eyebrow.

'No, no, but recently my scanners detected unusual activity in his vicinity. Your associations records couldn't confirm what type of powered he is but I suspect from the energy fluctuations that Warden is a powerful Tech. Or at the very least he uses the inventions of a powerful Tech.'

“... Dangerous.” Super Woman ignored his comment about hacking into the associations records. Nothing short of a nuclear bomb could stop Paragon if he wanted to find something out.

'Excuse me?'

“Warden is dangerous. I'm not sure what his power is or why he's suddenly decided to show himself but he's definitely not a small fry.”

She calmly dodged past a building as she thought back to the meeting with Warden she'd just come from.

“The first thing he did was ask me if there was a major threat. It scares me that he looked confident enough to help in a threat that they'd sent me personally to fight. But it wasn't just that. I could see it in his eyes Paragon, his hands were trembling in excitement.”

'Bloodlust is a good quality for a crime fighter to have Super Woman. You've told me several times yourself that the one thing I lack is a thirst for battle.'

“This wasn't just bloodlust Paragon. This was confidence. He lifted his hands towards me and told me to cuff him. Challenged me to try and arrest him with a smile on his face.”

Super Woman lifted her hands to her eyes. They were dry from the flight but she wouldn't forget the sensation she'd felt while facing Warden. Her hands had been sweating. She had been nervous.

“And...”

'Will you go out with me?'

Super Woman blushed lightly as she remembered.

'Interesting, interesting.' Paragon's voice interrupted her thoughts, 'I may pay this Warden a visit soon. A man that could make even Super Woman flinch. It appears another big player has come into the fray. One that could hide his information even from me.'

Super Woman's eyes widened, “What did you say?”

'I don't appreciate repeating myself when it comes to faults Super Woman. Warden has no information aside from his usual cover. Other than his date of birth and current residence all records seem to indicate that he hasn't moved from the surrounding few blocks for over ten years. No trips or holidays, not even the occasional coffee overseas. I can't find out anything about him. For all intents and purposes he only popped into existence to take out Toad. And it's not knowing what he was doing before that which worries me.'

“A man like this doesn't just pop up out of nowhere Paragon. I'll inform the association to mark his potential danger level as red. Just as a precaution.”

'Red level danger indicates that Warden could take out the city if he wanted to Super Woman. Are you confident that he could come anywhere near that level of power?'

“I've never been more confident Paragon. Now if you'll excuse me I have to make a report.”

'Your are excused.' The man gave a final chuckle and she felt the link to her mind break off.

Super Woman's eyebrows knitted together, “How do you deal with it. The constant fear.”

It was this question that had confirmed all her thoughts about Warden. It was the fear that had haunted her for years before, ever since she had discovered her powers. A fear she had been fighting against all her life.

The fear of giving in to temptation.

A fear that one day she slip up, give in to her inner demons and kill every thing she could see. A seething darkness inside that constantly told her to use her powers and rise up against those that opposed her. There had been many powered people that had given in to this temptation. Toad was only one example of the many, many people that she had fought against. Sometimes she wondered if the only reason she fought against criminals was to prove to herself that she wasn't the same as them, she wasn't one of them. To the outside world she was the indestructible Super Woman. But inside she was an ordinary person.

And he had seen through her.

“Warden...” The name rolled off the tip of her tongue.

'Oh by the way Super Woman.'

She was startled as Paragon's voice darted through her mind again.

'I forgot to mention something, Toad–'

****

“–escaped from the hero guarded prison convoy just hours after being arrested. The heavily guarded convoy was on its way to the Sphere when it was ambushed by unknown forces. Several criminals including Toad, System and Disc have escaped and their current whereabouts are unknown.”

“The infamous terrorist left a single note at the scene of the escape.”

The camera man zoomed into a small piece of torn paper with articulate writing on it.

“You have won the first round Warden. But the game has only just begun.”

I looked at the TV in horror.

'What the hell is this?'

I looked into the sky with tears forming at the sides of my eyes.

'Why are you trying so hard to kill me world!”