Righteous Lad
#0[Five years ago.]
The door of the room swings open as a man in a suit and a clipboard in hand leads the way inside, flicking a light switch upward and revealing an awfully simple interior as he does. A table with a pair of chairs at opposite sides sits at the center, a light bulb hanging above, and what the young man following inside assumes to be a one-way viewing window. The mentioned latter looked to be at least a college freshman - standing nearly six foot tall, a head of shaggy hair, and wearing an attire with an obvious patriotic color scheme that consists of a white T-shirt with 'U.S.A' written in bold letters on the front, a red & blue thin open track jacket, blue jeans, white wristbands bearing a single red star, and a pair of worn, red converse high-top sneakers on his feet. You wouldn't guess it, but he even made sure to wear blue socks, too. "Have a seat, if you will." The interview requests as he proceeds to claim the seat closest to the window. The young man settles into the other.
"Alright, so what's your deal here, kid? No mask or costume–"
"But, this is my costume…"
"I mean a real costume. You're wearing civilian clothes. You look like a mormon kid from the 70's. I bet you don't even swear, do you?"
"...My mom doesn't like hearing it in the house, even if it's just on TV." "Yeah, I figured. You look like a momma's boy." "Oh, come on…"
"Relax, kid. I'm just yanking your chain a bit. Get an idea of what kind of person you are. In all honesty, you seem like a good guy. Don't care for masks, by the way?"
"I-I didn't… really think about using one. I saw–"
"You saw big name heroes do it, and thought that you could do the same. I don't have to explain the importance of a secret identity to you, do I?"
"No, I know the risks. I know."
"And you still couldn't be bothered to at least wear a baseball cap and some shades?"
"I thought I'd be fine. With my powers, I thought I could work around it."
"Junior, you're underestimating just how gruesome this lifestyle can be. You get to help people and do other good things, yes. But you INEVITABLY piss off the most unpredictable people out in society. Some will screw with your personal life to get back at you, and some will do just for sh*ts and giggles. It's not always pretty out there, son."
"Ah man, that sounds intense… I don't want to get my folks caught up in anything crazy…"
"Yeah, so you better be serious about this. I won't tell you what to do, but just know that face scanning is a real thing and one of the leading causes of tragedy in this business. With that said, what can you do? What are your powers?"
"I… I can burn stuff with my eyes, I can sort of fly - still getting used to it -, lift heavy stuff, see things from very far away, hear things far away, run really fast. Uuuhh.. Blue fire breath, freeze things that I touch, and… survive huge falls."
"Huh? What kind of weird power set is that? You aren't taking experimental drugs, are you?"
"What? No! My mom would be heartbroken if I started doing drugs. I know it sounds weird, but it's true. And… there's a really bizarre catch to them."
"A catch, huh? What sort of catch?"
"I can only fly and use my eye-zap power during the day, and my fire and ice powers at night."
"That some kind of birth defect? Are your parents chimeras or something?"
"No, no.. But.. Uuuhh.. Uhm. How do I put this without sounding weird?" "Kid, I've seen and heard plenty of weird stuff. You couldn't surprise me even if you wanted to."
"All right, I'll just… I'll just say it, then. … I'm… a God."
"Huh. Okay, I'll just dot down here that you're an egotistical mental case with a superiority complex."
"I knew it was going to be taken that way… I should have just said Superhuman."
"Relax, relax. It was a joke. It's not too common, but there are other 'divine' descendants who work in the business."
"Oh, really?"
"Yup. Captain Righteous is one of them."
"You serious?" "Yup, very serious."
"Man, that's gosh darn cool!"
"Gosh Darn cool… Yeah, you definitely had a great upbringing. Never change, kid."
"What, did I say something weird?"
"No, not at all. Now, how tall are you? Guesstimates are fine."
"Maybe… 5'11-ish? 5'11 and one half."
"Alright. Green eyes, black hair, gender is male, and your Hero Moniker?"
"Oh, it's Righteous Lad!"
"That's really what you're going with, kid? You're going to take your chances riding the big guy's coattails?"
"Yeah. I-I think it's different enough. I like the name."
"Let's just hope he and his legal team think so too for your sake. Age?"
"I'm nineteen."
"Just nineteen? Thought you said you were a God earlier?"
"I am. At least, that's what my birth mother told me… I believe her words."
"Huh? Who exactly is your birth mother? Actually, who's your father, while you're at it?"
"Uuuhh… The Sun God Apollo, and Hel, the Goddess of Death."
"Wow. You're like the embodiment of Yin and Yang. Now, who are your adoptive parents?"
"I… I don't really feel comfortable sharing their names."
"Smart. Very smart, kid. How about your real name?"
"My name? I guess my real name is technically Konnence."
"...Konnence what?" "I don't think they gave me a last name. I don't even think THEY have last names."
"Kid, there's no way you can be in the system without a last name. Don't you have a government name?"
"Oh, yeah. It's Ty– wait. Should I really be telling you that?"
"Good catch, good catch. A little sloppy revealing a few letters of your name, but good enough. Avoid doing that when you're on the job. Or else you may one day find your home infiltrated by killer ninja androids."
"Killer Ninja Androids?"
"Yup. Cold blooded sons of bitches. Once showed up to one guys' kid's birthday party… Turned it into a Punch Party if you get what I mean. Very tragic day. It's why secret identities are important."
"Hmm. . ."
"Date of birth?" "December 1st, 1979."
"Alright. And occupation?"
"...Do you actually need to know, or is that another trick question?"
"Of course it is, kid. There may be hope for you yet as an official superhero. Do you prefer working alone, or are you willing to work with a team?"
"I wouldn't mind working with a team. Sounds like it could be a fun and uplifting experience."
"You say that now, but you really start to question the kinds of people that sign-up for this line of work. Gray areas mostly, but there's a pinch of 'em you sometimes have to stop and wonder about. Just choose your friends wisely, kid. And remember that you don't have to be a follower."
"Oh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but it's hard to imagine people doing good and heroic things for the wrong reasons. I guess monetization could be an argument of morals."
"Ah, you're aware people can be shallow at times. Good! You'll find the kind of crowd you can roll with in no time. Since we're on the subject, why don't you tell me YOUR reason for doing this."
"I… want to prove something to myself and someone. I want to prove that I'm worthwhile and help those in need. I'm not entirely sure what else to do with my powers, so I'd thought saving people would be a good way to make use of them."
"Self-worth dilemma, huh? Not a terrible motivation. You do seem genuine. Aaaand… that'll do it. We'll see about getting you put into the system, creating a separate record for your alter ego, and getting you an official Samaritan ID."
"Oh, really? Righteous, man!"
"Uhh– Just one thing though, kid. You either change your name or swap out a different color scheme. For branding sake. You don't want to end up being caught in someone else's shadow before you even begin. I'll even help you get a personalized costume made, but something has definitely got to give here."
"Man… that's not as righteous as I thought…" .
