Superhero

I grew up just like every other kid. I watched on T.V. as the Protectors saved the world countless times. Glacier, Superstrike, Starbeam and his wife Moonglow and of course the Almighty Alpha! I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to fight Ivan the Erector, Killbot, Masterman, Blaster, Dr. Sorrow. That's what I wanted to be when I grew up. That's what I told my parents and teachers.

They all told me the same thing. That I didn't have to be super to be a hero. They told me that policemen and firefighters are all heroes. They told me about the soldiers in the military and the great teachers all around the world. All of these heroes that I could grow up to be. I didn't want to be any one of those. I wanted to be in The Protectors. I wanted to be a superhero!

There was only one problem. In order to be a superhero, you had to be super. So, all throughout my childhood my parents had to take me to the hospital for my efforts to be super. I've buried myself in snow. I've been bitten by every animal that I could get close enough to. I was going to be racoon boy if I had to.

Then out of nowhere, my destiny had arrived. A man driving down the street had crashed his car. I watched as the car flipped over and burst into flames. This was my chance. I was going to be a hero in that moment. I was going to save that man. So, I ran over to his car as fast as I could, I broke his window and attempted to pull him out. To my surprise he didn't want to be saved at all.

"Get away from me kid!"

"Mr. I'm trying to help you. Please grab my hand!"

"I do not need your help, now please get away from me!"

I didn't leave. I kept trying to save the man. I thought that maybe he didn't know what he was saying. That maybe he was in shock. I was wrong though. He knew exactly what he was saying. He didn't need my help. In fact, it was me that was going to need his.

Moments later the car exploded. All I remember was a huge flash of light and then darkness. I woke up in the grass on someone's lawn with the man standing over me. His eyes were glowing bright yellow. He was also very angry with me.

"What the hell is wrong with you. I told you to go away! I told you that I didn't need your help!"

I was terrified. I didn't know what he was going to do to me. It was obvious that he wasn't going to kill me because he had clearly saved my life. It was also clear that he was super, and I hadn't recognized him at all. He helped me up off of the grass and I finally got to talk to him.

"Who are you?"

"I'm nobody and I've spent my whole time here on Earth trying to stay nobody. No matter where I go or what I do I can't escape who I am."

I thought that I had him all figured out. He was an alien that crashed on this strange planet and realized that he had superpowers. Now he was confused as to what he's supposed to do with them. So, my plan was to help him. I was going to tell him about The Protectors. I was going to explain to him that he could be everything that I wanted to be. That he could be a superhero. I was wrong though, very wrong,

"I understand, new planet and powers you don't know how to fully use yet."

"Please shut up kid. This is not a new planet. I've been here for over a hundred years. My powers aren't new either and I definitely know how to use them since I was born with them."

"So you were born here on Earth?"

"No, I wasn't born here on Earth. Where I'm from these abilities are normal. Everyone has them. I've learned how to use them the same way you learned how to walk. There was nothing special about me there and I didn't want it to be anything special about me here either. I was almost done too and now this. Now you!"

"Wait, what do you mean almost done?"

"I mean that I'm over a hundred Earth years old which is the end of my lifespan. I'm going to die today. I've spent my time here trying to avoid using my power, trying to fit in and yet everywhere I've been I've had to use them. Today being the worse time of them all."

"You've been here for a hundred years, and you've tried to avoid using your powers? You could've been a hero. You could've been a part of The Protectors."

"Oh yeah because that's the great life that I want!"

"It is great. I've dreamed of being one of The Protectors my entire life!"

"Well now you'll have your chance."

"No I won't. I know that trying to save you from the burning car sort of makes me a hero but without powers it's just not the same thing. Saving someone from a car crash isn't even close to flying into space and destroying an asteroid."

"Ok, remember when I said today was the worse time that I ever had to use my powers. That was because of you. In your attempt to save me I ultimately had to save you. There was only one way for me to do that and it was to blast you with my glow. That blast pushed you away from the explosion and also wrapped you in a cocoon of protection for your landing. Somehow though it also fused with you. The glow blast was absorbed by your body"

"So what you're saying is?"

"What I'm saying is that I have now given you glow power."

"Oh my god! This is the greatest day of my life! You have to show me how to use it!"

"Nope. Sorry kid. I'm not your mentor. Besides I don't have time. I told you that I'm going to die today. So although I'd suggest that you leave this whole superhero thing alone. I wish you good luck with becoming a Protector or whatever."

Then just like that the man flew away. I never seen him again. I knew two things though. That I could shoot glow blast and that I could fly. My first thought was to jump off the roof. I had thought that one of two things would happen. That either I'd form a glow cocoon, or I would fly to safety. Neither one of those things happened. I fell to the ground and broke my ankle.

As I was at the hospital getting my ankle checked out, I had started thinking he was wrong. I started thinking that maybe I didn't get any superpowers. Then I felt it. I felt an energy in my ankle. Then there was that same yellow glow from his eyes in mines. My ankle felt better, and I felt stronger than I ever felt in my life.

Over the next year I learned everything that I could about using my powers. I learned how to heal my body, use my glow cocoon, shoot my blasts and even fly. I had saved my share of cats from trees and stopped the occasional mugger. None of those things would even come close to getting the attention of The Protectors. I had to do something big. That's when I decided to go after one of the supervillains.

So I came up with a costume and a name. I was now Superglow! I was ready to become the hero of my destiny. I was ready to make my mark on the world. I was ready to become one of The Protectors.

I decided to go after Sparkles. She was a very low-level villain. She could control and manipulate small amounts of electricity. She was someone that I thought that I could easily defeat. I was definitely wrong.

I had caught her malfunctioning some security systems for bank robberies across the city and proceeded to try to stop her. I even had the corny superhero I'm going to stop you stance.

"Ok Sparkles that's enough!"

I did everything that I could. I blasted her. I cocooned her. I punched and kicked her. I fought her tooth and nail and at the end of the day she had gotten away. She had defeated me quite easily. I didn't want to give up. She was my only shot. So I followed her back to her hideout. Surprisingly she knew that I was following her and she didn't want to fight.

"Kid what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm taking you in."

"Hahahaha taking me in where to your local police station? You've got to be kidding me."

"Actually, I was going to turn you over to The Protectors."

"Oh so that's what this is about. You got your little powers and now you wanna be a hero huh. You think turning me over to The Protectors is going to mean something. Let me give you some advice kid. Leave that superhero shit alone."

"Why do you people keep saying that. You're the second super powered person that has told me that."

"That's because it's good advice. Why do you want to be a superhero huh? Because you were given a gift that you have to use? Because you have a responsibility to help save a world that hasn't done a damn thing for you? Or are you just a good person?"

"You sound just like a supervillain!"

"And you sound just like an idiot. There's no such thing as superheroes or supervillains. We're all just people who make decisions based on who we are."

"That's not true. Almighty Alpha saves the world."

"That's right. Almighty Alpha saves the world. That's because he lives in it. This is his home. If the world is destroyed then where would he go? What would he be? Who would he love? He saves the world because it matters to him. I don't. I've been malfunctioning security systems and robbing banks with the Canetti gang ever since I first discovered my powers. It's not because I'm a supervillain or even because I'm evil at all. It's because my grandmother needed a home health aide that I couldn't afford. It's that simple. Trust me Almighty Alpha and the rest of The Protectors don't care anything about me. Those banks are insured and robbing them doesn't really matter to anyone."

"But your battles with a young Moonglow are legendary!"

"No, they are just legend. In reality Moonglow beat me easier than I had defeated you. The only reason that she even fought me at all was because of Dr. Sorrow. I was with him on a few missions to rob Espotech. It was easier for me to mess up their security systems than it was for him to run up in there full blast. She was trying to stop him I was just going to be collateral damage."

"You were part of the super fight on the moon."

"I sure was part of that fight. That was because I wanted to be. I went there on my own hoping that maybe I'd be able to help kill Moonglow some kind of way. I was tired of her being my claim to fame. I didn't want fame. I didn't want to be known at all. Now that The Protectors have been formed and they have Earth destroying and Universe ending shit to deal with I can rob banks in peace."

"If that's the case then why are you still committing crimes?"

"I'm part of the Canetti gang. It's just easier to stay in than it is to get out."

The conversation with Sparkles left me very discouraged. Could the life that I've always dreamed of be a lie. All of the stories about the great battles between good and evil. Everything that I believe being a superhero is all about could all be fake. I started thinking that it was so unfair. I had all of these wonderful powers and nothing to do with them. So despite what Sparkles said I still wanted to be a hero. I still wanted to be one of The Protectors.

One thing the encounter with Sparkles did do is tell me how to get the attention of The Protectors. She told me that her fight with Moonglow only occurred because of her being associated with Dr. Sorrow. She also told me that she was in the battle on the moon because she put herself there. So when I heard they were in a fight with Masterman I went to join the fight.

I was excited at first and I was doing great. I easily took down a few of his henchmen and thought I was really making an impact. That I was giving The Protectors a good impression of myself. I found myself right next to Superstrike. We were side by side taking down bad guys. I felt like I was part of the team. Then I saw an opportunity to go after Masterman and I took it. I knew that he was going to defeat me. I just thought that The Protectors would be impressed with my spunk. That they would commend me for my bravery. That was not what happened.

I flew straight at Masterman blasting him with everything that I had. Then with what seemed like a flick of the wrist he dismissed me into a building. I had managed to cocoon myself to minimize the damage but I was definitely out of the fight. After the fight was over I had hoped to talk to Almighty Alpha but instead I was helped out of the rubble by Superstrike.

"Who are you?"

"The name is Superglow."

"Well Mr. Superglow leave the fighting to the professionals next time ok."

"Wait a minute! I did good out there. I fought right next to you. I took down quite a few of Masterman's henchmen!"

"Yeah and why did you do that?"

"Because I want to be a superhero! I want to be one of The Protectors!"

"Oh so you want to be a superhero huh? Like I said kid go home and leave the fighting to us."

I became enraged. I was tired of getting brushed off. Tired of being looked at like I don't exist. Tired of being treated like I wasn't good enough. So I was going to attack Superstrike. Before I could even blast him he grabbed me and flew me to the rooftop of a building.

"So you really think that you have what it takes to be one of The Protectors huh?"

"Yeah I do!"

"That's because you're brainwashed just like everyone else on the planet."

"I'm not brainwashed. I've wanted to be a superhero my entire life."

"Why is that? Is it because you love people and you genuinely want to save the world?"

"That's a part of it, but."

"But what? You have these powers and you have to use them right? It's your duty, your responsibility right?"

"Yeah isn't it?"

"That's the brainwashing that I'm talking about. You think that because you have powers that you have to help save the world. That it's the right thing to do. So let me ask you something. What about the so-called supervillains? How do you think they became what they are? You think that they all woke up and said hey I have these powers let me try to destroy the world?"

"No, I believe that things happen. That there's a very thin line between being a hero or a villain."

"That's because you've been fed that lie. You've read all of those stories. Masterman's planet was destroyed by a missile from Earth that's why he has a grudge against the planet. Dr. Sorrow was bullied as a kid. All of the stories that have supposedly led to these guys being evil. All bullshit. All brainwashing. Masterman is evil because he's evil that's just it. There's no heroes or villains. People are who they are."

"So why can't I just be a hero then?"

"Just because you're a good person and you want to do the right thing doesn't make you a hero. It makes you a good person. You can't be a hero if you don't know what it takes. You just believe what they tell you. What they say on TV. The interviews, the stories. All of those people saying how grateful they are. Telling you about the time I pulled their car out of the river or when I saved their kid from the fire. They tell you stories of how my planet was destroyed and how I found a new home here on Earth and I love the planet and its people. That I've fought Masterman, Killbot and Dr. Sorrow. They make it seem so glamorous. None of that is the truth at all. I didn't find a new home here. I was blasted here and since my planet was destroyed, I was forced to stay. I don't love it here. I hate this planet. I miss my home. I've left to find a better place in the universe to live but could not. I'm here because I don't have a better place to go. Yeah I've pulled people's cars out of the river. Yeah I've put out a few fires, stopped some plane crashes. That's not because I'm a hero. That's not because it's the right thing to do. It's because I can easily do it. There's absolutely no risk but a pretty cool reward. I like the praise. I like being famous. I love the women too. Fighting the supervillains is something different though. There is a risk with that. Dr. Sorrow almost killed me once. I never want to fight those guys. I do it because if I don't then I'd be labeled a coward. All of the praise and the fame goes away. That's why I was fighting by your side. I was hoping that by the time we were finished taking out the henchmen Masterman would have been defeated by Almighty or one of the other Protectors."

"So you're a fraud?"

"I'm not a fraud. I'm me. I never told you people that I was a hero. I never told you people that I believe in justice and all of that crap. I show up fight save a few folks and go home."

"Just because that's your story doesn't mean that's everybody's."

"Oh really? Well why do you think that Almighty Alpha is the leader of The Protectors?"

"Because he's the strongest and greatest hero."

"He's the greatest and strongest? That's what you honestly think or is that what you've been told? I've never fought him. I don't know if he's so much stronger than I am. He's the leader because no one else wanted to be. Starbeam and Moonglow have a kid. They're looking for a way out. Glacier didn't even show up today. Take my advice kid and just leave the fighting to us. You can still be a good person. You can stop Sparkles and her little gang from robbing banks and things like that but trust me you do not want to be a Protector."

"But I do! I am a hero! That's who I am!"

"Ok kid fine you're a hero. Good luck with that. I'll see you around."

"Wait, can you take me to The Protectors building. I need to talk to Almighty Alpha."

"You think he's going to talk to you? He just watched Masterman swat you away like a fly. I'll save you the embarrassment."

"Then what do I do?!"

"I told you what to do! Put out some fires, save a few people. Fight Sparkles and Mudman and maybe some people may notice you. Stay away from The Protector's fights you're going to get yourself killed!"

Superstrike left me there on that roof. I had thought about everything that he'd said. He was wrong. I wasn't just someone that wanted to do the right thing. I was a superhero. I was going to fulfill my destiny. I was going to be one of The Protectors.

For the next six months I practiced day in and day out. I finally was able to defeat a few villains. I took down Sparkles and Mudman. I even won a fight with Rockhard who's a pretty tough villain. All that did was get me a few news stories and free drinks at some of the local bars. Superglow was still just a big joke.

That's what has led me to this. I have to do something to get recognition. I have to prove myself to the world. I have to do something big. So I've decided on my next move. I know that it's the right thing to do. I can't continue to let him get away with what he's doing. I can't let him continue to make a mockery of The Protectors. I can't let him continue to let the people believe he's a real hero. I'm the real hero! I'm the one that should be a Protector. So that settles it. I'm going to expose him for the fraud that he really is. Tomorrow I'm going to kill Superstrike!