Bobby Wright had a problem. OK, he had several problems. OK, he had problems most 12 year olds didn't. He decided to start over.

Figuring out how to talk to someone that he didn't know about what was going on was turning out to be very hard. He couldn't just say "My name is Bobby, and I found a meteor that gave me superpowers. I'm trying to figure out how to be a superhero to get other heroes to help me find my mom who I haven't seen since I was a few months old." They'd think he was nuts.

There was a comic book convention in Manhattan that weekend. Some of the writers and artists there had been doing stories inspired by heroes like Prince Namor, the Human Torch and Captain America since the 1940s. If ANYONE could tell him the best way to get Luke Cage to be his friend, one of them could.

Sitting in Dr. West's office at the hospital, he had time to think about his plans. His social worker had insisted he get another exam, to see what the meteor had done to him. It wasn't like he was a MUTANT or anything, why were they making such a big deal of it? He felt fine, actually. Mrs. Boone might have been right, he didn't feel sick at all.

His social worker had explained that Dr. West worked for the state government, and was the only doctor that focused on children with super powers that the department of social services used. Bobby didn't know if that meant he was the best expert, or just the one that worked for the least amount of money

The kid ahead of him in line to see the doctor was a teenage girl with green hair, he guessed she was 14 or 15. After he came in and sat down, a mom came in with a toddler. He'd been watching them trying to guess why they were there. Then he noticed the toddler start to crawl up the wall burbling happily. Well that explains THAT. He watched the girl with green hair, wondering if her hair was her superpower, or maybe she could turn things green? Maybe she could talk to plants? Or make plants grow super big, and then walk around like monster plants. That'd be awesome, a general for an army of angry flowers… Bobby imagined a daffodil climbing the Empire State Building, growling at police helicopters, the green haired girl laughing sinister-ly as she yelled "OBEY YOUR LEAFY OVERLORD!"

The girl laughed suddenly. "Leafy overlord," she said quietly, and giggled. "I dye it that color, silly."

Bobby blushed. Then he thought at her with a little jealousy, "Mind reading? Lucky! You could be like, the world's greatest detective! Just run up to people and ask "what's your biggest secret" and they would THINK it right then..."

The green-haired girl smiled at him, as the receptionist called her number. She rose, waved good-bye to him and entered Dr. West's office.

A cute girl… an OLDER cute girl just smiled at him and waved! And they talked, kind of. She was a mind reader, and he was a superhero, so maybe they could hang out and date someday…

"Aw dang…. I bet she heard that…" he muttered, blushing.

MEANWHILE…

Danny Rand was on the phone to Misty Knight, discussing his latest job as he walked back to the Times Square offices he and Luke operated from. She had been a police detective, was half of Nightwing Restorations, a successful private detective company. Most importantly, she was the most special woman in his life. She and her business partner Colleen Wing had been a great help on several Heroes for Hire cases. He was hoping they would be able to pitch in over the next three days.

"So it sounds like a straight forward security job," Misty said curiously. "Except for the part where people who beat the snot outta the Fantastic Four and the Avengers might show up to steal the show. Are you guys sure you might not wind up out of your league?" She put her feet up on her desk and looked out the window of her Murray Hill office. "You and Luke are some tough customers, but what if this kid's plan draws some real heavy hitters looking to grab his gizmos?"

"I know, I know. But we talked to him about it. He really thinks this Norton Fester character can be rehabilitated, brought back from being an outlaw. Vance tried to explain the work Fester did before he went off the rails. I couldn't follow most of it. Apparently before he became a masked criminal, The Looter was talking about dark matter and dark energy before anyone else even had words for it. Everyone thought he was insane, but now what he was talking about has become accepted theory. Vance got a hold of some of the papers that Fester tried to have published years ago, and he claims they are brilliant. I have to take Vance's word for it, and since he's supposed to be the next Tony Stark, his word is pretty good on the subject."

Misty whistled. "So this kid wants to do what, turn him back into a scientist, get him to stop stealing and start getting research grants instead? It'd be great if it worked. Get all these mad scientists on some Prozac and get them working on something useful."

Danny chuckled. "I'm sure Dr. Doom would design a hell of a good iPhone actually. So are you and Colleen busy for the next few days? We could use the help, even if it is just figuring out which super-science criminal types are currently out of jail and in the area, so we can guess who might show up."

Misty thought for a second, and replied "We can juggle some things around. I can get some friends to do the digging around to see if the Mole Man or the Red Ghost have been in town this week. We can join you on Friday at the big event, though if Galactus shows up you are on your OWN, lover. Think it's worth asking some other folks to be there just in case?"

"I'll get back to you on that one. I'm heading back to the office to plan tomorrow. Professor Vance is doing interviews on the morning local news shows. He's conducting this special lecture for his classes in the ESU concert hall, and selling tickets to the public. So we'll be alongside him for all that in case The Looter makes a move earlier than expected."

"Where's Luke," Misty asked as she began writing down ideas of where to begin.

"Vance's little sister was there, and she is a huge fan of "Mr. Power Man." Luke doesn't get to have fans often, he offered to see them home safely. I think he just wanted to feel appreciated for what he does for a while longer."

MEANWHILE, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO…

At the Mainstream Motors test track in New Jersey, a crowd of reporters and car enthusiasts were gathered to watch the demonstrations and speed trials of the new line of cars the company was bringing out that year. The event was currently being disrupted by a yellow and green costumed kook calling himself "Chemistro." If the name didn't clue you in, his gimmick was being able to change matter from one sort to another with his so-called Alchemy Gun.

Chemistro was really Curtis Carr, an engineer who had invented the Alchemy Gun while working for Mainstream Motors and then got his nose out of joint because they wanted to own what they'd paid him to make for them. Somehow, he thought he was being stolen from. Going to court or suing sounded complicated, so the genius decided the solution to all life's problems was to dress up and use his invention to attack Mainstream Motor's New York business office, and the next day a meeting of their board. So today, he was there to turn sports cars into jell-o, asphalt into glue and pretty much trash the place using his super-science invention. Luke Cage had been hired to be there and stop Chemistro.

"That's silly," Melanie scowled, interrupting Luke Cage's story. "I mean even if he turned everyone in the company to, to, CHEESE, it wouldn't make any difference? He still made his magic gun for the people he worked for." She held her bear by the paw as the four of them walked to the subway to Grand Central Station. "That can't be right? Sounds like when I used to yell an' fuss to get my way."

"USED to," Bluebeary asked. "You fussed for waffles this morning until I made them for you."

"Silly bear. I'm a little girl, I can get away with it. Grown-ups can't."

Luke shrugged, and smiled at the pair. "I've been a superhero for a few years, I can tell you both, most of the people I meet are just little kids having a tantrum and yellin' MINE!"

"Oh, OK," Melanie said seriously. "Just making sure Bluebeary wasn't confused. What happened then?"

Luke picked up where he had left off.

"I ran across the track, just as Chemistro was aiming his gun into the crowd in the stands. I don't know what he had in mind, maybe turning the bleachers to glass and hurting hundreds when they shattered. Maybe something worse."

"I tackled him, all 350 pounds of me knocking him to the ground, but he had a good hold on his alchemy gun, and got three shots off as I wrestled him for it. They missed me, and hit a hot dog stand, turning it into solid gold…"

"Whoa, hold up. He could make gold? What an idiot," the little blue teddy bear robot said. "If he could make a hundred pounds of gold, or diamonds or whatever, why was he mad about who got to SELL these magic guns?"

"You both should let Mr. Cage tell the story. He was there, he'll tell it best if you don't interrupt," Terry Vance said. "Now be good and listen. Ask questions after."

Luke hid a smile. The boy was only 13 and talked to his sister like he was her father. And while other super-scientists had made killer robots by the dozens, Terry was the first one he met that made one as a toy for a little girl. Bluebeary was sure an improvement from the usual things he ran across.

"Chemistro got a lucky shot, kicking me in my stomach. I lost my grip on him for a second, and he aimed the gun down at his own right foot, turning it to solid steel! He kicked again, connecting with my kneecap. The pain made my other leg go under, and he ran off. We both knew if I was close to him, I could beat him hand to hand eventually. But with some distance, he could turn my skin into napalm or my bones to rubber. He got about 30 feet away, turned, and aimed right for me…"

"Then his foot turned from iron back into NOTHING. In the middle of the fight, he got so mad and upset, he somehow FORGOT that anything his alchemy gun changed, sooner or later turned to dust. Just lucky for me it changed right when it did!"

Melanie gasped, then giggled. Her bear laughed and said "That's sad. And hilarious. It's sadly hilarious. Salerious."

Terry shook his head as they walked into the subway car. "The guy forgot what his own invention DID and then used it on himself. I'd have to flunk any engineering student that dense."

The doors closed, and whisked them off towards Grand Central Station and Terry and Melanie's home with their family in Queens. The figure that had been following them from a block behind them during their walk stood watching the train go. He was a pale Caucasian who didn't look like he got enough sun, a bit under average height and weight, dressed casually in a Yankees cap and jacket. He scratched at his goatee and mumbled "Who was that guy with Vance? He looks a bit more athletic than the usual engineers he hangs with."

Norton Fester, The Looter, sometimes called The Meteor Man, walked away. After all, there was always tomorrow.