Legends - Everyday Heroes Christmas Party [#235]

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           Down Maple Street, around the corner from the dollar store, was the headquarters of the Everyday Heroes. Unlike most hero teams, they didn’t work out of a huge mansion, a grand high-rise tower, or cement bunker. Instead, they remolded a modestly sized suburban home. It wasn’t much, but it worked with their image. They weren’t in the business to stop wars or topple giant monsters; they were out to help the little guy. They stopped purse-snatchers and rescued cats from trees. And today was their first annual Christmas party.

           “Behold, Spectacular Santa!” Spectacular Man burst into the main room. His usual red and white full-body costume was unchanged. His oversized cape still billowed in the wind, his spandex still stuck to him like glue, but this time he had a dollar store Santa beard taped to his chin and a sack of presents over his shoulder.

           “Careful there, boss, you don’t want to knock something else over,” Spectacular Boy followed, in a miniature version of Spectacular Man’s costume. While he was called a boy, the sidekick was firmly in his teen years and would be turning 17 at the beginning of the following year. He had carried in a case of soda and water.

           “My boy, where are the elf ears I bought you?” Spectacular Man inquired.

           “Boss, can’t that wait until after the party starts?” Spectacular Boy sighed.

           “But it completes the Santa look,” Spectacular Man muttered but dropped the subject.

           “Give the kid a break,” Mister Atomic floated down from the second-floor loft, a stack of plastic bowls in each hand. The nuclear hero’s military-themed costume complemented his chisel jaw and quaffed blonde hair. “I doubt he’s looking forward to spending his Christmas with a bunch of old men drinking.”

           “Heroes do not drink! Especially not on Christmas in front of impressionable young minds!” Spectacular Man declared.

           “Darn, what am I supposed to do with all this?” Amphibious Man emerged from the basement with several cases of beer. His professional swimmer-themed costume was marred by some dust and cobwebs picked up from his trip downstairs.

           “Save it for our civilian guests!” Spectacular Man replied with a dramatic point to the sky.

           “I wonder if anyone will actually show up?” Unseen Man appeared in the middle of the room. His dark blue stealth suit was decorated with a few Christmas tassels. Apparently, he had been cloaked there this entire time. “I spread the flyers like you asked, but it’s almost showtime, and nobody but us is here.”

           “Have a little faith,” Bombastic Man emerged from the kitchen, with a bowl of chili in one hand and a plate of fried chicken in the other. His bomb squad-themed costume was adorned with a “Hero in the Streets, King of the Kitchen” apron. “Oh, did anyone remember to bring a cake?”

           “Sorry, I was going to swing by the bakery this morning,” Mister Atomic explained as he filled some of his plastic bowls with chips and pretzels. “But, I had to stop a runaway car from hitting the playground. Then I had to take the driver to the hospital, so I asked Unseen Man to do it while he was hanging up flyers.” All eyes went to the stealth hero.

           “Hey, I had every intention of going,” Unseen Man held up his hand, “but the good cheer also attracts a few shady characters. I had to stop at least three wallet and purse thieves today, and it just slipped my mind.”

           “Well, I was going by Ol’ Betty’s for some pastries,” Amphibious Man revealed, “but when I got there, she and her cat had slipped and fallen into the lake across the street. I had to fish them out and care for them until the ambulance arrived. Not really the time to ask for a cake, you think?”

           “Oh well,” Bombastic Man shrugged, “we’ll think of something-.” He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Spectacular Man spun on his heel and yanked open the door. On the other side, it looked like their entire town had gathered in front of their building. Dozens of men, women, and children, from the local part-timer workers to the staff of the mayor’s office. Gathered around were families of four and young adults on their own, construction workers and gardeners, scholars and athletes. In their arms were presents, cooked turkeys, hams, and cakes of all sizes.

           “Well, I guess that answers my question,” Unseen Man commented as the Everyday Heroes welcomed the town into their building. As Christmas tends to be, it was a long and festive night, one the heroes remembered for years to come. That’s why it was their first annual Christmas party and tradition that would last for many years to come.

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They say no good deed goes unpunished, but that doesn't mean every good deed goes unrewarded.

It's both a little late and a little early but, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and a Happy Holidays, etc.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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Legends - Heroic Flair [#234]

This is a goofy aside to this [story] from a few weeks ago. Just an idea that popped in my head.

 

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           Normally, this is where I’d put a recap of my life story, but let’s make this short. I’m Atlanta Inaba, and I’m a superhero, sort of. I just started two weeks ago, and I’ve only had one real fight, almost died, and spent those two weeks in recovery. However, now that I can finally move around without hurting myself, it’s time to start essential matters. A hero is nothing without proper training, so I’ve taken it upon myself to prepare myself for this new life.

           I stood in the center of my tiny apartment. All my junk was shoved into the corners, and my single coffee table was rested vertically on the wall. I had barely enough space to swing my arms around, as long as I stayed perfectly still. One careless swing and I’d smack my computer or a lamp or the wall, so I’d best be careful.

           I briefly considered wearing my costume, after all, my curtains were drawn, and it would be wise to get used to it. Especially since it enhanced my strength and the like. My only problem was that to summon the costume, I had to use the transformation belt, and I recalled it made a lot of noise when I used it. So rather than set a world record for exposing my secret identity, I decided to practice in my usual sweat pants and t-shirt.

           “Alright, first and most importantly,” I mustered up all my strength and…struck a heroic pose. I pumped my right arm forward with a closed fist pointed up. It gave me that strong but guarded look. “Nah, doesn’t really go with my…err…colorful costume,” I shook my head. I mean, I don’t hate the costume, but I would have chosen a more subdued look personally.

           “How about this?” I crossed my arms together like I was about to do a double karate-chop. “They wouldn’t even use this in a crappy kung-fu movie,” I realized. It needed a more dramatic flair and to be a little more complex. Something that compliments my aesthetic.

           “Let’s go with this,” I crossed my arms again, with my right rested on my left, just before the elbow. My left arm was parallel to my body, with the hand faced right. Meanwhile, my right arm faced straight ahead, with my index finger pointed at my imaginary enemy. “Actually, I think this one’s taken,” I vaguely recalled, “or something similar, at least. I’ll leave it in the maybe pile.” After a couple more failed attempts at making a cool pose, I dropped the topic and moved on to the next.

           “Now, some heroic dialogue,” I stated to myself, “first things first, a catchphrase.” I brainstormed a few ideas, but I wouldn’t know which worked until I said it for myself.

           “The cool hero has arrived, I am…No, that doesn’t work,” maybe if I were the mysterious type of hero, I could do that. But I think I’m firmly in the ‘plucky underdog’ category.

           “There’s no need to fear, I’m…No, that isn’t it either,” I think I took underdog hero too seriously.

           “In the name of the…Crap, that’s taken too, isn’t it?” I groaned. Let’s start over. What’s this catchphrase going to be for? Is it my entrance? Is it my pre-ass kicking one-liner? Will it be the last thing I say before I disappear into the wind?

           “Ah, forget it, let’s just practice my hero voice,” I changed gears. If I come up with a good, dramatic voice, I reduce the chance of someone recognizing me. Not that many people would, but it’s a small world. You never know if you’ll run into some lady whose purse you returned at the grocery store.

           “Do not worry, citizen,” I said with a slightly deeper voice, but I quickly realized that would work better if I were a guy. Plus, it made my throat sore. “Ahem, don’t worry, citizen,” I said with a bubbly voice. “No, maybe if I were 5 years younger and prancing around in a miniskirt or dress.” In the end, my heroic dialogue training went no better than posing.

           “This is going nowhere. I’ll just workshop my superhero name and call it a day,” I decided. “Now, Luna is a good start for a name, but it feels kind of bare. It needs to be Luna Something or Something Luna…Lady Luna? Nah. Luna Light? Maybe. The Lunatic? I’ll save that for if I turn into a supervillain.” Suddenly, my cell phone started to buzz and wrecked my chain of thought.

           “Who the hell would call me at this hour?” I looked at the clock. It was 2:37 pm on a Wednesday. “It’s probably just spam, but...” I checked the screen, and it said Mary Fleur. “Since when was she in my contacts. I really don’t want to answer it, but she’ll probably break down my door if I don’t.”

           “Hello,” I answered the phone.

           “Ms. Inaba, I’m calling to confirm your complete recovery,” Mary’s stoic voice came over the receiver.

           “I’m still a little sore in places, but I’ll be good by the end of the week,” I half-lied.

           “Very well,” I couldn’t tell if she bought my lie or not, “have you been studying the document I left you?”

           “Uh?” I looked at my computer desk, said document was still in its folder, collecting dust. “A little.”

           “Don’t lie,” she replied immediately.

           “Not at all,” I admitted.

           “I figured as much,” I heard her sigh. “It seems I’ll have to take a hands-on approach.”

           “Oh really?” I tried to sound confident. “Hey, whatever happened to sending people to check up on me?”

           “They have been. They just never made contact with you,” Mary explained. Well, that’s not creepy at all. I guess I’m never opening my blinds ever again. “I’ll be there at the end of the week. It’s time I give you some proper training.”

           “Well, I’ve already been doing that,” I boasted.

           “I meant actual training, Ms. Inaba, not whatever the hell you’ve been doing today,” Mary countered.

           “How’d you know about-?” The line went dead before I could finish my question. “Well, there goes my weekend,” I commented. That night I resolved to cover every computer camera in my room with a piece of tape and disable my laptop’s microphone.

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When you have no idea where to start with something, you'll often find yourself drawn to surface level aspects and neglectful of the core qualities.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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Legends - Strange Day [#233]

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            ‘Today was strange,’ Ayumi thought as she walked to her suburban home. Well, technically, it wasn’t even her home, but her best friend’s home. Ayumi hadn’t been inside her parent’s home in months, and she had no intention of going back this time. But that was beside the point. The entirety of the day had been completely off.

           First, school had been disorganized, to say the least. Half the students and faculty never showed up, then all those alerts. First the fire alarm, then bomb threats, something about a terrorist attack downtown, which was never confirmed. Suffice to say, school was let out early, but with no confirmation as to what was wrong, if anything.

           Ayumi’s best friend was also missing, which made it all the stranger when her friend’s father, Mr. Winters, picked her up from school. He assured Ayumi that her friend was fine, but he insisted on taking Ayumi to his workplace. When asked why his only response was, “just to be on the safe side.”

           Now while Ayumi wasn’t a straight-A student, she was smart enough to tell Mr. Winters was giving her the whole story. He was scared and driving slowly, especially as they came to his workplace, a biology lab on the far side of town. Normally, you’d have to buzz through security and the like, but they were just letting people in. It wasn’t a lot of people, mostly the staff, who each brought one or two friends or family members.

           No one was panicked, there was no talk of what was happening, and no one seemed that bothered either. Ayumi’s confusion only greatened as Mr. Winters led her to his own lab space. He suited them both up in lab coats, gloves, and the like and told Ayumi it was time to fulfill a promise. He had told her he’d take her to his lab one day and let her study some of the insects. It was a pleasant surprise, but Ayumi couldn’t beat around the bush anymore.

           “What’s happening?” She had asked him.

           “Well,” Mr. Winters began before he turned away, apparently having heard something Ayumi didn’t. “I’ll be right back, and I’ll tell you when I return. Busy yourself with the insects for now.” With that, he walked out of the lab, leaving her alone.

           Something was definitely wrong, but Ayumi had always wanted to be an entomologist, so she heeded his wishes for the time being. So, the young girl studied the insects, the lab had several enclosures, but all of them seemed a little barren for some reason. As though they were at half, or less, capacity.

           Ayumi studied and waited, and she studied and waited and waited some more. Mr. Winters never came back. In fact, the whole lab sounded dead quiet, aside from insect enclosures. Ayumi could have sworn she heard some chatter from down the hall a few minutes ago, but now it was silent. This realization made her skin crawl and her hair stand on end. Then “something” started to happen. She didn’t know what, but she could feel it deep in her soul.

           A wave of “something” washed over Ayumi and the whole room. It felt like static, and it was beyond uncomfortable. But, once it passed, it passed, and it was like nothing had happened at all. Ayumi could almost feel the color return to the world, as though everything before was dull and grey. The insect enclosures looked a lot fuller as well. No, they were always like that. The once silent halls refilled with animated chatter, and whatever ominous feeling had hung over the world before had been dispelled.

           Ayumi eventually scoured the building for Mr. Winters, but he was nowhere to be found. The assumption was he left, but no one had seen him go. With no reason to stay, Ayumi left the lab and began the trek to her friend’s home. Perhaps she’d find Mr. Winters there. No, she hoped she’d find him there.

           Finally arriving, Ayumi inserted the keys gifted to her into the door. But that’s when she realized they were Mr. Winter’s keys. When did she get them? She quickly realized her own keys were missing, so they must have gotten swapped, but how? Regardless, Ayumi pushed the door open and walked into the familiar home. It felt warm and friendly, but something was off. Not in a bad way, but in a strange way. The same sensation one gets when they return home from a long vacation. Ayumi could have sworn there were three picture frames on the table in the foyer, not four. And she didn’t remember being in the family portrait. Plus, there was a fresh layer of dust everywhere, and since when were there all these tiny scratches on everything?

           The sound of the television in the next room clued Ayumi in to someone’s presence. She peeked around the corner into the living room to see her best friend watching the news. Something about a near disaster safely averted.

           “Oh, hey,” Ayumi’s friend noticed her presence and invited her onto the couch.

           “Why weren’t you at school today? I thought we left together?” Ayumi asked.

           “Dunno, today’s been strange,” her friend replied. “It’s gotten to Mom, she’s taking a nap in her room, but I haven’t seen Dad since this morning.”

           “He picked me up from school since it let out early,” Ayumi revealed. “He took me to his lab and then just disappeared on me.”

           “Huh,” Ayumi’s friend accepted the explanation. The other girl seemed a little shell-shocked.

           “Something’s a little off like something changed, and I can’t put my finger on it,” Ayumi explained.

           “You too, huh?” Her best friend agreed.

           “It’s not all bad, though,” Ayumi took a moment to stretch, “I feel a little lighter and sharper. Almost like I could leap onto the ceiling if I wanted.” Ayumi intended to do a faux jump to emphasize her point, but despite the little force she put into it, she proved her statement far more than intended. Ayumi did leap onto the ceiling and managed to cling onto it by going spread eagle.

           Her friend looked up in absolute shock, and Ayumi looked back with equal surprise. The two stared at each other for an uncomfortably long minute before Ayumi returned to the ground with inhuman grace. Which prompted another staring contest of shocked gazes.

           “Yep, today is definitely strange,” Ayumi commented.

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Sometimes things change and you're not quite aware of when or why. After all, if a world changing event was occurring somewhere far away, would you necessarily know?

This story may seem a little strange (no pun intended), but if you're at all familiar with comic book events (like say, one of DCs Crisis events) and what usually happens in them, then you might have an idea of what was going on.

Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy

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