What does it mean to be a hero? To save? Or is it to prevent? When it comes to public displays of super-heroism, the question always comes up in one way or another. Is it the selfless acts to help others? Is it the decision to use your position of power? Is it knowing when to stop using that position of power?
Some people believe that heroes are idolized because they are seen as an extension of one's own potential. A rebuttal to this would be that the fascination of superheroes is an individual feeding their own ego, implicitly assuming that they, too, have within them what it might take to be a hero. An insecure narcissist.
Others believe that heroes are admired because they provide safety as they sacrifice their lives for the greater good. What's interesting is that the public's perception can be swayed from one end to the other so quickly that these heroics stop receiving gratitude and are instead being taken for granted. What was once incredible, is then the standard, and sometimes these heroes cannot live up to the impossibly large pedestal society has set them on. So, can we blame heroes for their failures, if they're trying and succeeding far more than we ever could, to begin with? Or is it their burden, that as better as they make things, they pressure the evil in the world to get worse and worse, as it tries to one-up them?
Professor Alicia Renner raised a slip of paper with a number one written on it. She was sitting on the far-right seat on the front row. Ali nodded and gripped onto the podium facing the class.
"The truth of the matter is that regardless of whether superheroes are to blame for the world that we live in now - a world where we have a metahuman police force trying to get rid of any person with powers believing that without any superheroes there will be no supervillains - we do need these heroes."
Ali flipped her note card to its backside. It was adorned with scribbled icons and symbols that could barely be discerned as language. She then pressed onto her clicker, allowing her presentation to change slides behind her.
"The biggest point against superheroes is the Arrival of the Tribunal - but that was almost twenty years ago. Furthermore, the excuse that the Justice League is the reason why the Tribunal arrived is completely baseless," Ali let go of the podium and walked to its side. "In a universe where we've seen such cosmic destruction right at our doorstep - beings like Starro, or even the existence of the Green Lantern Corps - it all shows that we've only seen the tip of the iceberg, and actually suggests that there is so much more out there than there is here, on Earth. So, therefore, to say that the Tribunal came to Earth because of the superpowers we host… I just think it's a little short-sighted."
Ali pressed her clicker, but this time the presentation changed to an entirely black slide. She looked at the class; a sea of blank stares and disinterest. Ali's professor sat completely straight up, pencil in hand.
Ali tried to make out what her professor was writing in her rubric but immediately pulled herself out of it. She looked at the other side of the room to Dr. Walterson. Noticing Ali's fixation on him, Dr. Walterson smiled at her. Ali smiled back.
"At the beginning of this presentation, I told you that I wouldn't be able to convince you that the laws against metahumans aren't acceptable. I mean, they're not, but the point is that… that we need to have a cultural change and accept superheroes as a part of human history, not segregate them as an entirely different species. Statistically, metahuman crime has remained consistent since the task force was created, obviously after it spiked once the Justice League was ordered to cease operations and many of its members disappeared. But…"
Ali pressed her control one more time, changing the slide to a picture of a baby. The baby was wrapped in a Mexican flag that was stained and dirty. The baby's face had layers of sediment and coal on its cheekbones, but even whilst covered in dirt, its two eyes gleamed like golden pebbles.
"This is a baby they found in the wreckage of a metahuman safehouse in Mexico after their earthquake this January. No one knows who the parents are - not that it matters since everyone in the wreckage was dead except for the baby."
The professor raised a small notecard. A "00:30" was written on the card with a marker.
Ali took a deep breath, and pressed the control one more time, this time leading to a completely black screen. On the top of the screen was a tiny disclaimer. There were no more slides left.
"This baby is being raised in max security. It's been uncovered that its abilities allow it to have unbreakable skin - this is how he survived the building collapse. Now, the baby hasn't done anything yet, and I went over earlier why recidivism is so common amongst metahumans - they don't know any other way to live. So, we are going to raise this baby in a prison, secluded from everyone and without the nourishment and love children need, on the off chance that he might be a criminal. The irony being, of course, that this will become a self-fulfilling prophecy that will probably end up with making that baby a criminal because we raised him to be one. All I ask… All I ask is for all of you to think - is this what being a hero is?"
Ali awkwardly curtsied to her classroom's scattered applause. The professor stood up from her desk and faced the class.
"All right, now it's time for some questions."
After a moment of silence, four hands were raised, simultaneously.
"Alright, Donnie."
Donnie shuffled in his seat to make himself comfortable. He was wearing a grey polyester vest and a long-sleeved pastel orange shirt underneath. His perfectly straightened khaki pants contrasted heavily from his beer-worn brown moccasins.
"You talk a lot about metahumans being heroes, but you yourself stated that metahuman crime has remained consistent since the Arrival of the Tribunal. Don't you think this indicates that metahumans are more likely to be criminals? "
Donnie smiled at Ali. She cleared her throat.
"Besides, the Tribunal was called the Tribunal, because of it, you know, judges, right? So, wouldn't you assume that as it came to Earth and attacked only the metahumans, regardless of whether they were evil or in the Justice League, that it was judging them as not being worthy or not being good people?"
"I mean, all that you're saying, it's all..." Ali looked down at her notecard and placed it back down on the podium. "It's all speculation. As a matter of fact, we only know it was attacking metahumans because they were the only ones fighting back. If it was here to really get rid of all metas, it wouldn't have left after Superman… you know."
"Bailed?" Donnie smiled back at Ali.
"Right," Ali responded, smiling to hide her grinding teeth. "That's what a few news outlets reported. I just don't think it's a coincidence that Superman just happened to disappear before the Tribunal left."
"Maybe that's why it left us. We didn't have what it was looking for anymore."
"Alright, Donne. Off topic," Alicia interjected. "Any other questions?"
She scanned the room to find some students with their backpacks sitting on their desk whilst others were zipping them closed, their respective desks barren of any utensils.
"Alright, I suppose it's time. Before we go, let's all give Dr. Walterson a round of applause for coming in this week to help us with our debate speeches."
The class immediately broke into loud applause and whistles. Ali reached over to her stuff and began packing.
"Well, that was unnecessary. See you guys next week," Alicia got up and walked towards her stuff on the desk next to the podium. "Hey, great job, Ali."
"Thanks. Not too bad, right?" Ali responded.
"No, not at all," Dr. Walterson said, approaching the podium and picking up Ali's notecard. "Bold move, talking about superheroes in our current political climate your you first speech."
"Well, that's part of the lesson, right?" Ali zipped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulders. "I mean, like, talking about something controversial to help us see things from the other side and create understanding."
"Well, it's more to help cultivate individuality and fight back against whatever preconceptions have been indoctrinated into us," Dr. Walterson responded. "How do your parents feel about metahumans?"
"They never really talked about it. They said it was too touchy of a subject and that it was better just to avoid any confrontations in general."
Dr. Walterson raised his dark, thick eyebrows.
"Sounds like they were more tolerant than most. That's good."
"Yeah. I guess they did okay." Ali smiled and started to head out of the classroom.
"Hey, uh, Ali, is it?"
Ali turned around. "Yes, as in short for Allison."
"I noticed you didn't mention any of the Starr Labs break ins during your presentation. Any reason why?" Dr. Walterson looked on both sides of the note card.
Ali turned around and faced Dr. Walterson before giving a quick look at her professor. "I'm not losing points because of that am I?"
Alicia laughed. "No, you're not. The presentation is over."
"I just think there isn't enough information regarding them. I mean, they're being called terrorist attacks, but no one has died. I don't even think anyone has been injured, right?"
"But it's still theft and destruction of property," Dr. Walterson responded. He put his hands inside the pockets of his brown suit. The jacket's light hue complemented his dark skin as it reflected the light from the LED lights above. "Don't you think it's a little concerning that they've been stealing a lot of robotics and weapons?"
"I didn't know that's what they were stealing," Alicia interjected. "I thought the only reported losses were computers. None of the major newspapers reported anything about weapons."
"Yeah, me neither," Ali agreed. "Where'd you read that?"
"Hey now, it might've just been hearsay. I don't remember the source. You know how the media cycle can be. All of them shuffling for a big break," Dr. Walterson chuckled. "Wouldn't that be something, though?"
"That'd be horrifying. Now you got me all worried." Alicia laughed gently and grabbed Dr. Walterson's arm.
"Yeah, well I'm sure everything will be just fine. I'm sure they got the right people on the job," Dr. Walterson glanced over to Ali before cracking a smile. "It was nice to meet, you Ali. Good luck this semester."
Dr. Walterson extended his arm over to Ali and shook her hand before handing her notecard back.
Ali dropped her backpack as soon as she was back in her dorm room. She took off her shoes, and jumped on the bed with her phone in hand. She put it against her ear.
"Hey, mom," Ali said, quietly letting out a gentle sigh, "No, nothing's wrong. I just called to chat. You don't have to ask me that every time I call you." Ali looked outside her window. "It's already night time. I'm going to have to get used to this Metropolis winter I keep hearing about."
Below her bed, far from Ali's sight, her backpack started to emit a pulsing, faded light from its front pocket.
The notecard.
"You what?"
"I placed the nano receiver onto her notecard."
"I heard you the first time, J'onn, but why would you do that? That's disposable. You were supposed to put on her jacket or something. She wouldn't just throw away her jacket."
Dr. Walterson walked back to his car in the faculty parking lot while talking on the phone. On the other side of the lot, Alicia was entering her car. She waved at Dr. Walterson. He smiled back.
"Yes, because guest speakers having physical contact with students is a normal thing."
"Alright, man. Now you're just making it sound weird," the voice on the other line responded. "You're not actually a teacher, you know."
J'onn looked at his reflection on the car's driver side mirror, only to find Dr. Walterson stare back.
"Anyways, I've tapped into the card now. Sounds like she's on the phone." the voice responded, through the phone.
"Alright, then I'll take care of the next part of the plan."
J'onn looked around the vacant parking lot. No one was near. As he removed his satchel from over his shoulder, he opened the trunk. Inside was the real Dr. Walterson, tied and gagged. His pupils were entirely grayed out, void of any color or sparkle.
"I do appreciate your cooperation. I promise, we will be done soon," J'onn comforted the abductee.
J'onn took off his satchel and placed the bag inside the trunk, careful to leave his kidnapped doppelganger sufficient space. He closed the trunk before entering the car, and then drove out of the parking lot.
J'onn drove the car off the concrete street and followed a trial of tire marks. Upon arriving at the end of the makeshift road, he got out of the car. He stared off past the cliff they were on, and took a deep breath.
"Do you miss it?"
"Sometimes," a raspy voice responded from the interior of the car. "I can sort of see and be anywhere I want at the same time, but it's hard to replace the thousands of little things that are all happening."
"I understand. We are used to the sensory overload."
"Nah, man. It's not an overload. It's just our body avoiding distractions and just, you know, prioritizing," the voice responded, static interference notwithstanding. "If you just soak in it for a second, I'm sure you'll feel it."
J'onn closed his eyes. He slowly breathed out, and loosened his hands. The muscles were sore from such extended periods of being cramped up, but J'onn hadn't noticed. His skin slowly faded from the dark auburn into it's natural, tender jade. As he opened his eyes again, and instead of the brown eyes he shared from Dr. Walterson, there were two deep, red rubies staring out to the setting sun.
"When's the last time you did this?" the voice echoed from the car.
"In public, like this? Since… the Tribunal," J'onn responded.
"I just wanted you to remember who you are. Who you've been."
"Thank you, my friend," J'onn walked around toward the trunk of the car. "I needed this."
J'onn popped open the trunk, and lifted Dr. Walterson, taking him back to the front seat. Returning for the doctor's satchel, J'onn checked to make sure that the phone was still there. He went around the other way, and gently paced the satchel on the passenger seat. He closed the door, and took a deep breath.
J'onn's skin faded out into a light pink, and a dark blue coat manifested over him. He looked at his chest and saw a shiny silver badge, glimmering against the sunset's light. J'onn walked back around the car until he was facing its trunk, looking out into the sunset that was blossoming beyond. He rested his on the trunk of Dr. Walterson's car.
Then he pushed it off the cliff.