Unseen

*static – fades away slowly*

Test, one, two… is this thing on?

Okay… okay, it's on.

Hello. My name is Brad Belcher. I have lived all of my life in this beautiful city. I was born here and grew up here. That being said, it's only fitting that it ends here, too, right? I just… I didn't want to just be done with it. I need to say this. I can't go out without telling my story. People need to hear this. so, let's get started.

My life was great. I had a good job. I was going to marry. I had the best life I could have possibly led. But then Captain Man came in.

Don't get me wrong. I respected him as much as everyone around me. But since then, I've had to change my mind about that.

Captain Man and Dr. Minyak were fighting one night, when I was going home by bike. I didn't pay much attention to them, continued to go. Then, Minyak fired his beam. Captain Man jumped out of the way, and that ray hit me full in the chest. It blasted me off of my bike. When I came to, Captain Man had already let Minyak escape to help me. And even when he stood right in front of me, he could not see me. Turns out that ray was an invisibility ray. And that it turned me invisible. I'm not gonna lie, I had a full-out mental breakdown. I won't go into detail.

Captain Man helped me, but not in the way that you think he would. He offered me a couple of beers, gave me a bit of advice that wasn't really helpful and then let me go. That's all he did. He tried to act friendly, but I could see right through it. I'm sure he wasn't even feeling guilty for what happened to me, just another guy to be caught in the crossfire, another guy to take the .

*three second silence; voice breaks*

I tried to make it work. Believe me, I did. But it was so hard. I didn't want to creep anyone out, at least I tried not to make anyone feel uncomfortable. This includes only wearing the one set of clothes outside, those I wore when the beam hit me, because those were the only clothes that were invisible, too. If I wore the others, everyone would've been able to see me. I did wear them, but only when I was inside. And I never liked being inside for too long.

I couldn't continue to pay rent, because that job I talked about earlier… I quit. I had to quit. Everyone would freak out when I'd show up. I… I liked my job. But I couldn't go anymore and that had catastrophic effects on my life. It forced me out of my house, because I couldn't pay the rent anymore. I couldn't pay for anything anymore. I went from a good man to a man who lived on the street, who had to seek out the places where nobody would stumble over me when I was asleep. It forced me to become homeless, to steal to barely get by.

I never stole any money. I wouldn't be able to spend it, anyway. But I had to steal food. Clothes I didn't need, but I did take some winter clothes from my old apartment, along with a pillow and a blanket to place in my 'nest'. But how can someone live without food? I couldn't just go walk into a store, people would stare and freak out. Have you ever seen a cart push itself and see random items fly in said cart?

I'm sorry, but I had to break into your houses. I am very sorry I had to do this, but there was no other way to get something to eat. I promise, I never took much. Just an apple here, a bottle of water there… little enough so you wouldn't notice something was gone. Yet what I stole, was always barely enough to keep me going. I always ate only when my stomach was killing me, begging me for food. I only stole enough to last to the next meal, resulting in a half-filled stomach more than often and having to live with the person that I was forced to become.

What I missed most, though, is human contact. Do you know how hard it is to keep a healthy relationship? It's just impossible. Especially when one day, you discover that there's a grave with your name on it in the cemetery. I didn't place it there, and the only other person who could've placed it there was Captain Man. I don't know what he was thinking, but… he basically destroyed any and all attempts at communication by putting an empty coffin in the ground. I couldn't talk to anyone. Everyone thought they were going crazy and were hearing voices. I know, I've tried this. It showed me that it was impossible to find one person who would believe I was indeed an invisible man talking instead of just voices in their heads.

I needed to do something. I couldn't just keep doing nothing all day long, walking, ever-silent, unwillingly ignored by everyone. I started to get an idea of what I wanted to do with my life again. Consider it a sign that pointed me in the right direction after being lost for so long. I went out to look for Captain Man and eventually, I found him and managed to talk to him. I told him that I wanted to do what he did.

Yeah, you heard it right, I wanted to be a hero. *chuckles* Well, not a hero per se, but… you get it. I needed to do something and decided that I could help people the way Captain Man and Kid Danger do. I wouldn't just make people happy, I'd make me happy because finally, people would recognize me. I'd be… I wanted to say 'visible again', but that is impossible. But at least people wouldn't freak out when I'd walk out on the street in visible clothes. At least I'd become a part of this wonderful community again.

Captain Man hated the idea. He didn't even let me finish talking! He said "no, you can't" and "you're too inexperienced". Those were the nicest things that came out of his mouth that night. Before I could explain myself any further, he left. I couldn't follow – no, I could follow him, but I didn't. I was too shocked by his words. Again, my expectations of the hero had changed, shattered into a million pieces. The talk was quite educational, too: I guess I got to see the man behind the mask for a second, a man nobody would recognize once he took of his mask.

He advised me to stay away. I didn't listen. Finally I had regained the hope that my life would not be wasted, and I was not going to let Captain Man ruin it for me. He was telling the truth, even if he could've said it in a nicer way. I stayed around banks and stores at night, awaiting robbers. I tried to play hero. It didn't really work out, because each time they could get away; didn't stop me from not doing this anymore. Even if it didn't work most of the time, I felt like I had a purpose again, no matter the inexperience.

The next time I met Captain Man, I made him a similar offer. I told him I wanted to learn, to just watch him and the kid take down villains and learn from their tactics. They wouldn't know I was there and I'd stay out of the way. Sort of like an intern, I guess. And if he thought I had enough watching experience, I could come as a sidekick.

That was my plan, but Captain Man refused. That's putting it lightly. *takes deep breath, voice breaks* He yelled at me, made me feel worthless. Told me to go away, leave them alone. Blamed me for letting those robbers go, when he could've just as easily intercepted them. In the heat of the moment, his true nature surfaced…

*short silence*

I don't know how to say this without breaking down. But he practically tore the sign pointing me in the right direction apart. He left me to go lost again, pointing me in the wrong direction, left me to descend into Hell. Told me I was better off dead. And I'm pretty sure that, if I were still visible, I'd have the biggest bruises you've ever seen. He didn't break any of my bones, but my arm's still hurting and I'm sure he got close. God knows why he did any of that, but it just proves that he is not what you think he is. He's a violent egomaniacal person who only cares about himself and how much people like him. As soon as there's fans or a camera around, he puts on the mask and smiles for your entertainment, waiting for you to leave so the mask can finally fall off again. And as far as I'm aware, he's trying to brainwash his sidekick into becoming just like him, too. The kid deserves better than that.

I tried to make it work. But that hero made it so hard to carry on. He broke my confidence, shattered my hopes for the future and already buried me deep in the ground. But I guess I was dead to him the moment that grave appeared in the graveyard. But I can't carry on. I can't go on anymore. It just didn't work. To think all of this happened because I was caught in the crossfire – just imagine what might happen if you, too, take a hit that was meant for the hero, whether it was accidental or not.

I guess it's time to finish now. I've got nothing more to say. Anyway…

*sniffs*

Mom, dad… this is why you never heard from me after the accident. I'm not dead – not yet, at least. I'm so sorry you had to believe that. The random things on your doorstep… they were mine. You keep them safe, you guard them. Nobody would do it the way you can. Love you.

June… sis, stay away from crime. You're a good person, I know that – you don't need to steal to satisfy yourself. Keep taking care of Nimbus, okay? He's so lonely without contact. Budgies are social birds, after all, and I know you can love him if you put your mind to it. He may make a lot of noise, but he's a very nice budgie and a good friend – he could be your friend, too.

And Vanessa… oh, Vanessa, I'm so sorry. *voice breaks* I wish I contacted you. I wish we had one last talk, but I couldn't do it. I was too ashamed to face you, having to leave you behind like this. I often watched you, so I'm so sorry for becoming a voyeur. I just wanted you to know that… Nessie, seeing you helped me carry on. If you weren't there, if I had decided to stop watching you, I would've been dead months ago. So thanks you for giving me the strength to fight a little longer. I'm so sorry, Nessie, I am so incredibly sorry.

*starts sobbing; speaks through it*

I love you. I still do, I always have. Which made watching without talking to you even harder. I didn't say anything because, what would you have believed? I didn't want you to feel like you were going insane, you don't deserve that. You don't deserve that.

They told you I died, didn't they? The captain and his kid. They must have told everyone I know. What had killed me according to them? Car accident? Bus ran me over? Doesn't matter anymore, because that's not going on the official report. Not anymore.

Don't bother looking for me. I've set a timer. The e-mail you've received will have been sent at least five minutes after this ends, and it will soon automatically stop recording, too. You wouldn't be able to find me, anyway, I'd still be invisible. Please, please don't try to find my body, you can use your resources for much better causes than to find an unseen man.

*short pause*

Captain Man, if you're listening… this one's on you. If only you'd helped me, I wouldn't have been in this mess – if you'd listened, I wouldn't be doing this.

Take care, Swellview. You have been great.

*static*

*silence*

MESSAGE ENDED

They had received this message through e-mail. Brad Belcher had sent it to the Captain Man fan-mail address with nothing in it, except for this recording of his last words.

Henry and Ray stood there in the Man Cave, listening to the message in silence. When it finished, they still did not speak for a while. The message had left a certain impression that left them silent. Henry glanced at Ray, who was now frowning at the screen that displayed the e-mail.

"Ray," Henry said, "Are you alright?" But Ray did not speak or even acknowledge that Henry had even said something.

"Ray?" Henry tried again and the hero sighed.

"This ain't right," he said, shaking his head. "No, he's alive. He's gotta be." He walked away from the monitor, going back and forth, muttering variations to these phrases to himself.

"Does that sound like a man who wanted to live?" Henry asked him, pointing at the screen. Brad had sounded truly desperate, as if he was constantly fighting back the tears and couldn't go on anymore. And he did break out in tears during the recording. You can't fake that, right?

"He's gotta be a good actor…" Ray said, probably pretending to not have heard what Henry had said.

"Ray…"

"Henry, there were lies in there!" Ray interrupted him, raising his voice, "I mean, I never said those things, I never did those things. If he's lying about those, he could just as easily have set it up as a big lie. No, he's alive." There was a pause, a silence, and neither of them spoke for a while.

Henry still believed Brad had done it. No man is that good an actor. But Ray did make some good points, and he would stop trying to convince Ray that Brad may indeed be dead. Once Ray made up his mind, he wasn't going to easily change his point of view, anyway.

Henry looked at the screen while Ray still continued to walk back and forth in the room. He particularly watched who else received the e-mail. The Belcher family, Vanessa Wright, the mayor of Swellview and the Swellview police. Henry sighed.

"They're going to want to ask some questions," Henry said out loud while he looked at the last recipient. Brad basically confessed to the police that Captain Man had at least a part to play in his death, whether it was real or not, and there may be some charged Captain Man will have to face in the future.

"I know," Ray said.

"How are you going to—"

"I'll figure something out," he interrupted Henry once again. He rubbed his face. "I need some fresh air," he then said, going straight to the elevator and passing Brad Belcher in the process.)

The invisible man shook his head in amusement. This discussion was fun to watch, especially Ray's reaction. He may not have been able to fully convince the hero, but at least the sidekick believed him – the others would believe him, too.

He wouldn't take his own life. He was having too much fun causing mayhem being unseen to do so. But everything else he said was true. He may have had to phrase some events differently and dramatized others to convince them, but every experience he listed was based on what happened in his life.

It wasn't too hard to pour his heart into the message and to shed a tear or two recording it. He just hoped the judicial system and the police were going to hold up Captain Man the way he hoped they would. Because if Captain Man is too occupied with the police and, hopefully, lawyers and judges, it would be a victory for the rogues. Word would spread and for a few glorious hours, the criminal residents of Swellview could do as they pleased with the city they wanted to plunge into darkness and mayhem.

Brad couldn't wait for this to happen.

Hey, everyone. Brad Belcher's such an interesting character, isn't he? I mean, there's so much you can do with an invisible man, there's so much to say about him. I feel like the show hasn't developed him to his full potential yet, and here's just my thoughts on how Brad Belcher probably has to live since he turned invisible. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I will return to the fandom with another multi-chapter story, but it'll take a while (maybe some months) before I'll publish it. See you next time!

-Writer207