Day 1
I've never really done this before, but I feel like I just need to get my thoughts down on paper. Today was the first day of the rest of my life; today I donned my cape for the first time. After all those years of training, of waiting for something to come, something to happen, it just felt…right.
I only just moved here from Smallville, but the city is already beginning to feel like home. I've flown everywhere around this planet a dozen times, but something keeps bringing me back here. Maybe it's the people, maybe it's the smells, but there's just something about Metropolis that I've not found anywhere else. I guess that's why I've decided to make it my base of operations. I can be everywhere at once but a guy's gotta sleep somewhere right? Anyway, I think I'll get into it…today was kind of crazy…
I started at The Daily Planet, thought I would do my rounds at the center of Metropolis for everyone to see. I guess I thought it would just be more, you know? I built it up in my head that today was gonna be this event and reporters would come with cameras and I'd get interviewed or something, but it was just an ordinary morning for everyone else, why wouldn't it be? I flew to the Metropolis International Airport, visited Centennial Park, and watched the Metropolis University Bulldogs practice for a bit over by MU. Altogether not a very interesting morning… Then out of nowhere I heard sirens.
I raced to the scene, its was one of the old decrepit apartment over in Southside, or as the kids are calling it, Suicide Slum. The fire had spread all over the building. I could see the supports weakening, the walls cracking, and the dozen people still trapped inside. That building was not up to code, the fire escape was broken, and the electrical wiring looked like it was done by a 6 year old who specialized in Legos. The police were already there, but the fire department was still at least a minute away…not enough time, the building was about to collapse, and the people inside had no way out. I flew as fast as I could, I didn't know I could react so quickly. Within moments the people were out, but the fire was only getting worse. I had to come up with another strategy. The fire department was too far, and that fire had to go out. I looked around for something…anything. The fire hydrant out front looked almost as bad as the building but it was worth a shot. I ran to it and tore off the top, but no water came out…I looked all over but I didn't see any clear answer… I panicked.
But I didn't lose it…this is what I trained for…this was the moment. I took a deep breath, and focused. I saw it, a water tank about a mile away in Park Ridge. I flew, and before even I knew it I was back with 12,000 gallons of H2O. The fire went out, the building, the people, even the cat watching from a tree nearby, they were all safe. The fire department arrived in a fit of sirens, but all I could hear were the cheers from the people below. There must have been 100 people there screaming their throats dry. And wouldn't you know it, some reporters even showed up. I wasn't ready for that; putting out a fire and saving people is one thing, but answering a fury of questions from reporters…I just stood there in shock for a bit. But this one reporter broke my silence. Amongst the questions, "WHO ARE YOU?" "WHAT ARE YOU?" this woman asked just one word…"why?" I didn't know how to respond…why am I doing all of this? Why did I put on my cape this morning? Did I choose this, or did it choose me? I ended up flying away before I made an even bigger fool out of myself.
The rest of the day was pretty tame, a few petty thieves and a kid too scared to climb down from a tree. I got a lot of looks, a few smiles, even a hug from that kid's mother. People don't know me yet, but they will. The "who," "what," "where," "when," and "why" will have to wait for now, but when I figure it out for myself, I'll have to go find that reporter. I think her name was Lois…
C.K
October 13, 2010