The Undying Man - Heroic Vol.1

Issue 1 - Lawman's Day

The sun which hung above the clouds of Skyview was a kind one, often shining bright and fierce over the city. Yet somehow, the grand metropolis of skyscrapers and railways always seemed to shine extra bright whenever Lawman’s Day would come around. The fair that embodied the celebration would begin at the stroke of noon; the streets already filled with a vast array of carnival-like festivities. Roads were blocked off and littered with makeshift stands full of colourful snacks, brilliant toys and exciting games. The sounds of boisterous music and the endless chatter of the crowds carried across the subtle wind, flowing along the streets and alleys. The very energy of delight seemed to dance along the streets to join the people in their celebrating. From the sizeable horde of performers and animals gallivanting down the streets, one might have been forgiven for thinking the circus had come to town - which it pretty much had, marching band and all.

Endless droves of food-carts and portable facilities cluttered the sidewalks, giving most of the cafés and restaurant along the main road little reason to remain open for the day; only a handful of the city's most popular hotspots could justify making their staff work through the public holiday. Te’ Avante was one of those hotspots. Famous for its elegant range of imported coffee, there was not a single day in the year – even Christmas – when the business was not packed to the roof with devoted patrons, eager to get their daily fix of exotic beverages.  The chime on the door sounded as a customer exited the café. He dropped his empty cup into the nearby trash can and inattentively brushed a hand over his worn-out trench coat. Slow and clumsy, he strode along the sidewalk; his mind elsewhere.

A hero. A good man. The words ran through his head as he slipped into the bustling crowd. He glanced quickly over his shoulder. Nothing. A feeling had been getting worse throughout the day; from the very moment he’d left the house he’d felt someone - or something - watching him. No. No fear. He looked onwards, shaking his head in an attempt to regain his focus. I have to do this. I can do this. I can be a hero.

Michael Deviantis had always thought himself a good man. He believed he was good in many ways: a good partner, a good father, a good son - many ways. He valued himself as such because he valued family, and was a true pillar of support for his own. He had always been there for them when they’d needed him the most, and he always would be, until his dying day. There was no length too far, if it meant keeping them safe. No challenge too great. He was, after all, their hero. The Lawman’s Fair, sure has changed, not like I remember it. A thought from the past made him smile grimly. That was so long ago.

Michael had been ten when his father had taken him out onto the balcony of their apartment - the one he’d lived in for his entire childhood. They’d stepped out to watch as aisles of men-in-uniform matched their way down the cornered-off streets. Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. One after the other, loud claps sounded to their orderly stomping.

“They’re so loud!” little Michael said, his voice small and full of innocence.

“They have to be loud,” said his father. “It’s tradition.”

“Tradition?” He looked up at his father, confused.

“Hehe,” his father chuckled, going down on one knee, making himself eye-level with Michael. “Because their dads did it; so they do it. They keep doing it to show that they remember their dads, and mums, and grandpas and grandmas and everyone else who came before them.”

“Then why did their grandmas do it? Or their dads and mums?” Michael’s eyes widened, demanding an answer.

“Well, the very first Lawman’s Fair was held in honour of a true hero. They called him ‘The Lawman’. He saved the people of Skyview from danger many, many times, and so to thank him the mayor held a fair; a celebration of his triumphs and all the good he’d done for the city. But unfortunately, by some twist of fate, he passed away almost one year after that very first fair. It made the people sad, very sad, because The Lawman had meant a lot to them, and so to honour the life and death of their hero, the Council turned the day of the Lawman’s Fair into a public holiday - that's a day when everyone doesn’t have to go to school or work. They called it: Lawman’s Day.”