“Thank you, miss Celerity,” said the base commander.  “This planet owes you a debt of gratitude.”

            Laura, wearing her Celerity costume and running shades, raised an eyebrow.  The entire planet owed her a debt? What exactly was in that canister?

            She sat in a conference room and could barely make out soldiers doing drills outside the window.  The canister she’d brought to this place lay on the table as the base commander sat across from her.  He was a middle aged man with stern eyes but a grateful expression.  He called her Celerity, and she knew to respond to that name.  Even if the general public already knew who she was, having a superhero name was tradition.  Still, Laura didn’t really think of herself as Celerity.  She was just Laura.  Celerity would be nothing more than a public persona to her.

            “It’s my job,” said Laura nonchalantly, still raising her eyebrow.  “You should also thank SteelStar.  He identified this as the target and held Draego off so I could get this here.”

            The base commander looked uncomfortable but said, “I’ll be sure to do that.”

            Laura realized just how grateful she was not to be in SteelStar’s shoes right now.

            “Anyway,” said Laura.  “Mind telling me what this thing is?”

            The base commander thought about it, “Well, you may need to protect it again before it’s transported, so you deserve to know.  It’s the fugori crystal.”

            Laura felt a chill, though she tried not to let it show.  The fugori crystal was an alien power source used in an ion cannon that nearly killed Paramount.  It was named after the fugori, who invaded the Earth in the sixties.  With Paramount out of the fight for as long as he was, the fugori came close to conquering Earth.  Fortunately, the other superheroes back then were able to mount a defense, and Paramount recovered just in time for the decisive battle.  This crystal was recovered from the wreckage of the alien’s command ship.

            While no one on Earth had built a system that could interface with it, such a thing would still sell for billions on the black market.  Many would want a shot at building a weapon that could use the fugori crystal.  The chance for something that could decisively hurt Paramount and those like him was too much to pass up.

            “Wow,” said Laura.  “The fugori crystal, huh?”

            “Like I said,” said the base commander.  “This planet owes you a debt.”

            She tried to seem casual, but on the inside, Laura was trembling.  A potential power source for an incredibly dangerous weapon, and she’d carried it tucked under her arm like a package.  That was just a bit too much for her first day.

###

 “Yeah,” said Garret.  “That sounds like blackmail, but worded carefully.  He’d absolutely have plausible deniability if you called him out publicly.”

            SteelStar grimaced as he corresponded with Garret on his smartwatch, sitting on the edge of a building.  Centurion sat down below on a bench.  SteelStar had asked for privacy as he talked with his lawyer, something he was legally entitled to.  SteelStar only wished that Garret had given him better news.

            “So what do we do?” asked SteelStar.

            “We can contest an unfair evaluation,” said Garret.  “A rookie superhero losing to a more experienced opponent is a pretty weak justification for revoking your ability to conduct hero work.”

            “Sounds like just another bureaucratic nightmare hanging over my head,” said SteelStar sadly.  “When is this going to be over?”

            Garret sighed, “I’m afraid the E.H.O.D. will probably drag this out as long as they can.  I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is.  Whatever you do, don’t give in to his blackmail.  We can’t afford to…”

            He was interrupted by SteelStar’s smartwatch blinking.

            “It’s a message from Celerity,” said SteelStar.  “Hold on.”

            SteelStar scanned the message, and his eyes grew wide.

            “Garret,” said SteelStar.  “We just stopped Draego and Deathstare from stealing the fugori crystal.”

            Garret looked surprised, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “That’s…interesting.”

            “What?” asked SteelStar.

            “Just a hunch,” said Garret.  “I’ll need to look into this, but if I’m right…I might just have a way out of this.”

            “Really?”

            “Only if my hunch is right,” said Garret.  “I’ll keep you posted.”

            Garret disconnected, and SteelStar looked up, sighing, hoping there was a way out of this.

###

On the Hammerhead News Network, Patrick Powell reported the supervillain attack within the hour.

            “Alleged superhero SteelStar,” said Patrick, his voice filled with disdain.  “Got into a tussle with notorious supervillain Draego while Centurion valiantly confronted recently escaped supervillain Deathstare in Partition City.”

            The footage showed security cameras.  One was from inside a building and looked out the window, showing Centurion approaching Deathstare with his shield as lasers blasted against it.  The other showed a street camera pointing upward, showing SteelStar falling to the ground as Draego hovered above him.

            “At least Partition City can rest easy knowing it has another new superhero, speedster Celerity.  She retrieved Draego and Deathstare’s target, getting it safely to the nearby military base.”

            Footage showed Celerity arriving, zipping into the scene, and speaking with soldiers.

            “Now there’s a young woman who can get things done.  SteelStar, by contrast, is currently under review by the E.H.O.D., and I predict that his days as a violent, reckless vigilante will soon be behind him, and good riddance.”

            SteelStar saw that news report and had to resist the urge to punch something.  He needed to talk with some people.  Fortunately, after exchanging messages, he found that his friend Brian was available. 

            While SteelStar flew through the air, Centurion flew close behind, his antigravity device repaired.  SteelStar figured he should be able to converse with Brian without E.H.O.D. lackey hearing.  SteelStar brought Brian up on his smartwatch, and his friend sat in his dorm room, typing as he studied with SteelStar visible on his laptop screen.  SteelStar quickly filled Brian in on what really happened.

            “I mean, can you believe this?”  asked SteelStar.  “They cut out footage of Draego falling after me.  Makes it look like I lost completely.  Also, I didn’t see it, but I know Centurion’s antigravity device was damaged, but they don't show when it happened.  They’re obviously doing it on purpose.”

            “I know, man,” said Brian.  “It stinks, but they’ve clearly made up their mind about you, and they’re gonna ignore anything that contradicts them.”

            SteelStar sighed.  He knew it was true.  He just wished he knew how to deal with it.

            “What are you going to do?” asked Brian.

            “Right now,” said SteelStar.  “I’m gonna focus on my immediate problems.  I’ll talk to dad about Draego and Deathstare.  As for the E.H.O.D., I’ll just have to hope that Garret’s hunch pans out.  I’ll figure out what to do about Hammerhead News later.”

            “Sure thing,” said Brian.  “You know what get’s me?  This is the first I’ve heard about Deathstare escaping prison.”

            That worried SteelStar as well, his face going grim.  The E.H.O.D. should have reported that immediately, but they kept it quiet until Deathstare attacked.  While many people were expressing their anger online, this wasn’t the first time someone had escaped from New Tartarus and the E.H.O.D. failed to report it.  The E.H.O.D. liked to project New Tartarus Prison as an inescapable facility, and while the prison was certainly formidable, this government organization seemed more interested in maintaining that reputation than actually keeping dangerous power users contained.  For all their talk about holding power users accountable, the E.H.O.D. seemed to do everything in their power to avoid accountability themselves.

            To make matters worse, many politicians and news pundits often reactively defended the E.H.O.D. for various reasons.  Some simply agreed with them on the power user draft, and some seemed to hold the organization in such high regard that attacking it was a personal attack on them.  There was also talk that certain high ranking E.H.O.D. officials gave generous donations to certain politicians, but if that was happening, they did it behind closed doors.  As much as an escape from New Tartarus should have been bad news for the E.H.O.D., SteelStar didn’t expect them to get repercussions for this.

            Once again, SteelStar sighed, “Well, let’s change the subject.  Have you chosen a major yet?”

            “Nah,” said Brian.  “Still under general studies.  I’m just…kind of directionless right now, you know?”

            “Can’t say I do,” said SteelStar.  “I’ve always known what I wanted to do.”

            Though, if the E.H.O.D. did manage to get a cease and desist court order, SteelStar might have to find something else, and the thought terrified him.  While he sympathized with Brian, he almost envied an existence where one’s greatest problem was being directionless.

            “Well,” said SteelStar.  “I hope you find something good.”

            “Thanks,” said Brian.  “You take care, alright?”

            “You too.”

###

Before going home, SteelStar retrieved his phone from a billboard he’d hidden it behind and did some research on Draego using a website called villainwatch.com.  Draego was half dragon, which involved a detailed history.  Dragons were harbingers of destruction long ago until a clan of wizards managed to trap them on an enchanted island.  They faded into legend among most people, but this changed in the fifties.  When a necromancer escaped his prison and tried to take over the world with an undead army, the dragons begged to fight as allies with humanity.  Better to die fighting alongside humans than die trapped and helpless.

            The wizards were reluctant to trust them but eventually came up with a compromise.  Dragons would take human forms when not protecting the earth.  This would seal their more destructive tendencies and allow them to sympathize with human beings.  The dragons reluctantly agreed and joined in the effort to stop the undead invasion.

            While many dragons were busy guarding a rift to another world on that same island, a few dragons became superheroes, like Scorchwing.  A few of them grew discontent with human forms and returned to their destructive ways, but those that accepted the compromise had basically become ordinary humans when in human form, aside from a longer than average lifespan.  They had a half human, half dragon form for fighting, and a full dragon form when they really needed to go all out.

            Draego was the son of an evil dragon called Olunak who had been hiding in a very small Spanish province with no internet.  While hiding as a human he had a child with a woman there, and she only later found out that the man she met was secretly a dragon.  Not knowing much about dragons, she named her child Draego on a whim.  SteelStar had always though the name strange.  It was rather like calling a human humano, but supposed he couldn’t blame the woman for her ignorance.  As interesting as this was, none of the powers the website listed seemed like they would help Draego, so SteelStar figured he needed more…expert advice.

            A few minutes later, SteelStar landed in the backyard, quickly shifting to his organic form.  It wasn’t long before John Gatlin came strolling out the back door.  He’d have sensed SteelStar’s energy, no doubt.  As John approached, SteelStar stopped thinking of himself as a superhero.  Right now, even though he wore his costume and kept his Valtarian grey skin and white hair, he was just Andy Gatlin asking his dad for some advice.

             “Hey,” said John.  “Here for some advice?”

            Andy frowned, “How…”

            “Bruises,” said John, pointing to his face.

            Right, thought Andy.  The bruises from his fight with Draego probably hadn’t healed yet.  He maybe needed another hour.  Centurion stood back, crossing his arms, and Andy tried to ignore him.

            “So,” said John.  “What’s on your mind?”

            “I fought Draego today,” said SteelStar.

            John nodded.  He’d likely seen the news.

            “He seemed to be able to dodge my lighting,” said Andy.

            “Ah,” said John, “And you’re wondering how he could do that.  Well, it’s simpler than you think.  Do you remember what I told you about speedsters and bullets?”

            Andy raised an eyebrow, “That speedsters aren’t really faster than bullets.”

            “That’s right,” said John.  “They can speed up their perception so that everything else seems slower.  They can see a bullet from their perspective, but it’s a blur that goes by in a second or less.  The trick to them, ‘dodging bullets,’” he made air quotes. “Is by timing when a gun is about to go off and being out of the line of fire when it does.

            “Now, Draego, to my knowledge, doesn’t have that speedster ability, but he does have something he can use.  In addition to his heat vision, which can let him pick out targets far away, he can also sense heat in a limited radius around him.”

            Andy nodded.  That was probably how Draego had followed Celerity without looking at her.

            “When we channel electricity,” John continued.  “We build up heat.  I suspect that Draego is sensing heat buildup right before you unleash your lighting.  That would give him less than a second to react, but he’s got the skill to do it.  Next time you fight him, keep a close eye on how he moves.  I’ll bet you anything he starts dodging before you even release the electricity.”

            Andy nodded, and he sighed.

            “What’s wrong?” asked John.

            “It’s just,” said Andy.  “I feel like I should have thought of that.”

            John sat down on a nearby lawn chair, “It’s hard to think of the information you need when you’re fighting.  Learning to do that is going to take time.”

            Andy nodded and then sat on another chair, staring out into space.

            “That’s not the only thing bothering you, is it?” asked John.

            “I just…” said Andy.  “Being a superhero hasn’t been anything like I imagined it would be.”

            “Few things ever turn out exactly how we imagined,” said John.  “That’s just how it is.  Life’s harsh, and you gotta deal with it.”

            Andy nodded again.  It was true.

            As they talked, Andy could sense someone moving to the back door.  Sure enough, Andy’s mother, Amelia, walked out wearing her grey skinned, white haired, and grey eyed Valtarian form.  She also, Andy noted, had a plate of chocolate chip cookies.  Andy also sensed Centurion coming up from behind.

            “Andy,” she said.  “Glad to see…” she noticed the bruises.  “Are you okay?”

            “I’m fine, mom,” Andy insisted.

            She grabbed his chin to examine the bruises, making Andy roll his eyes.

            “You sure?” she asked.

            “Yes, I’m sure I’m fine.”

            She nodded, “Alright.” She lifted the plate.  “Cookie?”

            “I’ll take one,” said Centurion, taking off his helmet and reaching for the plate.

            Suddenly, Amelia transformed her body into metal and grabbed Centurion’s wrist, keeping it away from the plate.  Centurion, offended, looked at her.

            She glared back, anger in her blank, chrome eyes, “Government stooges who harass my son don’t get any.”

             Centurion looked like he was about to say something, but John stepped up, arms crossed as electricity lit up his eyes, catching Centurion’s attention.

            “You heard her,” said John.

            Andy watched with satisfaction as Centurion looked back and forth between John and Amelia, then pulled his hand back and walked away.  As Centurion put his helmet back on, walking away and grumbling inaudibly, Andy couldn’t help but grin.

###

Two years ago.

            “There’s no need to be nervous,” said Ben.

            “I’m not nervous,” said Laura.  “I’m frustrated.”

            “Ah,” said Ben.  “I can imagine.”

            Laura walked slowly through a basketball court.  She was accompanied by Ben Baker, also known as Fast-Track, a retired superhero and fellow kinetic-type speedster who’d graciously agreed to train her.  He was forty seven years old and had wings of grey hair on the sides of his hair.  Being in the presence of a veteran superhero was a little intimidating, especially since Laura wasn’t quite being honest.  She really was nervous.  She just didn’t want to show it.

            Laura never really imagined being a superhero, but now she suddenly had a superpower.  On the one hand, she knew such power could be a force for good in the world.  On the other hand, she had no idea if she’d be any good at it.

            It didn’t help that these powers had taken away the hopes and dreams she’d had ever since she joined her school’s running team.  She’d been confident with her career as a runner, but being a superhero, even a speedster, was a completely different prospect.  Then again, she figured her problems were nothing compared to Ben's. 

            The man was in a wheelchair.

            “You probably don’t want to hear it from me,” said Laura sheepishly.

            “No, no,” said Ben.  “It’s alright.  Honestly, I probably understand what you’re going through better than anyone.”

            Maybe, thought Laura.  Ben Baker’s time as a superhero ended with a stray sniper bullet to his lower back, paralyzing him from the waist down.  Sure, both of them had their chosen careers taken away by circumstances beyond their control, but at least Laura could still walk.

            She sighed, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

            “Fair enough,” said Ben.

            Soon, they reached a table with some bricks and a water filled bowl on it.  To the side of the table rested a large pile of bricks.  Upon seeing this, Laura frowned.

            “What are these for?” she asked.

            “These are to demonstrate the most valuable advantage a kinetic type speedster has,” said Ben.  “Watch.”

            Ben formed his hand into a fist and began to vibrate it.  Laura heard a sound like a fan beating against the air, and then Ben punched one of the bricks.  The impact turned most of the brick into dust that blew over the back of the table.  When the dust cleared, it left behind a small statue of a man and a woman dancing.  Laura whispered, “whoa,” then reached over to pick up the figurine.  It was remarkably detailed, from the gloves on the woman’s hands to the buttons on the man’s suit.

            “As a kinetic type speedster,” said Ben.  “You can control how the kinetic energy leaves your body.  Generally, you will have to decide how that energy will behave before you release it, but this gives you a lot of advantages.  You can spread your energy out to carry a container filled with people without knocking them around inside, hit something from an indirect angle, and even throw something with the intent to alter its direction in midair.   In my heyday, I could run a mile, punch a boulder, and make a perfect replica of the statue of liberty.”

            Laura put down the small statue, wondering if she’d really be able to do that one day.

            “Generally,” Ben continued.  “This is easiest through solid objects, but if you don’t know what you’re doing, you might break your hands.  Believe me,” he grimaced, opening and closing his right hand.  “I know.  It took me forever to get the hang of it.”

            Laura resisted the urge to wince.

            “You can also punch the air and form the kinetic energy into a shockwave directed at opponents, but that isn’t easy and is limited to a straight line.  It might be a while before you can master that, so we’re going to start with liquid.”

            Ben vibrated his hand, pointed his finger, and moved his arm in a flash towards the water bowl on the table.  When his finger hit the edge of the water’s surface, Laura saw a small wave of water move from the edge of the bowl to the center, where it spread out as a single ripple that spread over the entire surface of the water.

            “When you can manipulate how the water moves, you’ll be ready to try the bricks,” said Ben.  “Go ahead and see what you can do.”

            Laura nodded and repeated the motion.  She vibrated her hand, pointed her finger, and quickly touched the surface of the water.  Sadly, for her, it just splashed.

            “You’ll get the hang of it,” said Ben.

            “Tell me something,” said Laura.  “If I can control the kinetic energy I produce when I run, can I surround myself with that energy to protect me from attacks?”

            “Sorry, no,” said Ben uncomfortably.  “I tried that, and it doesn’t work.  The energy running through your body will be needed to maintain your speed.  You can focus energy in your hands to deflect attacks, but generally, the best defense you have against danger is to evade it.”

            Laura felt disappointed.  If she were to have superpowers, she would have preferred something with a type of invulnerability.  Relying entirely on her ability to avoid attacks inherently came with more risk, even as a speedster.

            “Oh, one other thing,” said Ben.  “This power allows for a nonlethal takedown.  If you direct the energy correctly, you can spin the fluid in the inner ear.  If done just right, you can make someone dizzy enough to pass out.”

            Laura put down the small statue, “That’s useful.  But…will there be times when that isn’t an option?”

            “Good question,” said Ben.  “And sadly, the answer is yes.  Generally, we don’t want to use lethal force.  With all the power we already have, nobody wants us to be judge, jury, and executioner as well, especially when dealing with a non power user.  However, when up against another power user, you won’t always have the option to hold back.  This nonlethal takedown requires a lot of precision, and some opponents won’t give you the opportunity to use it or might be immune to it.  Knowing when that opportunity is there will depend on that situation.”

            Laura looked at the figurine, feeling nervous and trying not to let it show.  Laura hadn’t just lost her dream.  She’d suddenly had all this responsibility thrown on her at the same time.  Where her life had once held certainty and a bright future, it was now riddled with doubt.

###

Present Day.

            Laura leaned against the wall of a building, the hustle and bustle of the city restarting as people left the safety of buildings.  The steel had been removed from the windows, and things had quickly returned to normal.  Laura, as Celerity, had been looking through her smartwatch for any trouble, but she seemed to have encountered a dry spot.

            As Laura waited, she knew why she’d thought of that day, because she’d come very close to having to make the choice Ben warned about.  SteelStar had been forced to make that choice just a few days ago.  If their birthdays had been reversed, and Laura turned eighteen first, she’d have been the one who had to deal with Spectramancer.

            If she was honest with herself, she had no idea how she would have handled it.  It was one thing to use lethal force against a dangerous supervillain.  It was another to use it on a superhero as well respected as Spectramancer, even if he had lost control of himself.  Laura wasn’t certain she could have gone through with it, but a lot of people might have died if he’d reached Partition City.

            That was part of why she hadn’t been quick to judge when she heard the news.  Laura knew what it felt like for people to judge you when they didn’t know the whole story, and she couldn’t say she would have done better. 

            She also had to reconcile that she only got that crystal back to the military base as easily as she did because SteelStar held Draego off.  If there wasn’t another superhero in Partition City, she wasn’t certain she could handle things on her own.  Laura had been hoping she’d get into the swing of things once she started, but if anything, she had all the more reason to doubt herself.