Lost and Found: A Hero's Calling

I gripped the crisp piece of newspaper, crumpling it slightly. Despite my reluctance to look at it, the headlines screamed into my face: HAS HE LEFT US FOR GOOD? They even added a picture of me leaping off into the distance for good measure. Don't they understand? I was just so, so tired. Tired of everyone's expectations. Tired of everyone's reliance on me. Tired of casting my life away for this damned city. None of those really mattered anymore. I'm done.

If there was one good thing about Astral City, it was the breeze that coursed through the metropolis. Sitting on the rooftop of the city's clocktower really hit the spot. I closed my eyes and lifted my chin to feel the wind rippling lightly on my skin. The past year had been a whirlwind, bringing me fame and recognition, albeit for my alter-ego. There was nothing in it for me. My true self. All the citizens did was herald the arrival of a superhero in the city, basking in the glory of living in the city with the lowest crime rate in the world. Presposterous! The Astral City Police Department could not be more useless than it already was. Installing a signal for me whenever they needed my assistance? Who did they think I was? Batman? Not a chance.

'If they think they can use me as they wish, they're wrong!' I murmured to myself.

That accident should have taken my life. I was better off dead. Being different only served to fuel the desires of others. Was it so difficult for the police to do their job? Idling all day and flashing the signal to look like they did some work; the ACPD was a microcosm of the problems that beset Astral City. Everyone expected someone else to clean up after they were done. I was sick of this.

I massaged the top of my head, feeling the scar that was the only memento from the crash. My head had been sealed up but something inside was already rewired. I could almost use a hundred percent of my muscle strength now and my senses became heightened. It was like something out of a comic book – only, it had happened to me. Who did I think I was, really? It was all delusions of grandeur. I was no hero. I was only but a poser.

But you made a costume and did everything a superhero should.

'Shut up!' I breathed heavily as I threw my mask aside.

You saved their lives despite your complaints.

'I had no choice!'

After discovering my newfound ability, I decided to put it to good use, in gratitude to the people who pulled me from the wreck and gave me a second chance at life. I was the talk of the city soon enough and I had to create a costume and an alternate persona to prevent my identity from being revealed. The rest, was history. This city does not deserve me.

It had been three months since I last appeared in public. I could not take the pressure anymore. These people needed to get their facts straight – this was not my job and it never will be. Kindness begets kindness? Bullshit. I punched the concrete, sending small rubble tumbling across the roof.

Are you regretting your choice? Don't forget, these are the people who gave you your life back.

'So what? They resurrected me, only to ruin me!'

You're needed for a greater cause.

'Like what?'

My black, coiffed hair began to billow strongly and I opened my eyes, revealing a pair of hazel irises. The sky had turned purple and lightning started to pierce the sky. I stood up with a sense of foreboding and glanced into the distance. A tornado was ripping through the outskirts and heading for the city. The dust from the storm swirled around, setting the stage for the vortex's imminent arrival.

What did I tell you?

I did not reply to the voice in my head.