When the First of us Fell

When the First of us Fell

         I remember when the first of us flew. His name was Michael Smyth. I mean to the whole world he was the immortal son of Earth: a hero who could not be stopped. Most of the world called him The Savior and he ran with it. Michael was a real life, straight off the pages Superman. He could defy gravity with a single jump launching him into flight. His muscles at first glance seemed spectacularly normal, but could stop a hundred-story skyscraper from falling. Out of his costume he was perfectly normal as the average joe. Plain brown eyes and a simple short haircut while usually being encased in a business suit. A simple accountant to pay the bills, but to the rest of the world Michael Smyth was the hero this world needed at the time it needed it the most.
         You see Earth began to become a comic book about 16 years ago. 2020 was an awful year for everybody. Global warming and nuclear warfare began to shape and morph the people of Earth. Unfortunately, very few good people were given powers at first. Terrorists closely tied to the nuclear weapons ended up getting the first wave of powers. Terrorists were winning important battles by shooting blood red lasers from their eyes and melting entire aircrafts at will. Their leader, Ahzami Maha was the most dangerous of all. He could control the Earth beneath his feet.
         Do you remember September 11th, 2001? That day was nothing compared to Ahzami's first attack on US soil. After being smuggled into the country, Ahzami started with the east coast. He landed in Boston with his small army of superpowers. With each step he brought buildings down around him. When the National Guard tried to intervene, Ahzami was impossible to get to. He was surrounded by other heavily armed terrorists as well several other superpowered terrorists, so none of our forces were able to get close to him. The few that did were sucked into crevices. His short reign of destruction began by destroying every major landmark, leveling them with small earthquakes. It was reported approximately 600,000 people were killed by the destruction alone he caused. I remember being thirteen years old living in Washington D.C when the attack was announced and gruesome videos of the fall of Boston were aired. It was impossible to change the channel without seeing news coverage of the attack.
         Ahzami was on television that night, having made a base out of a local news station he had access. His broken English only added to the terrorwas as he showed several more buildings fall behind him. He said "I come for you Mr. President in Washington D.C., once I am done with birth place of American freedom."
         I remember a panicked newscaster stating that the United States would be days away from destruction if no one was able to stop them. Our military wasn't working and the other nations feared they would be next if they were to help.
         But evolution has a funny way of balancing things out.
         The president came on the television to deliver his address to the American people. "My fellow Americans," he said, like every other important speech before this one. "The city of Boston today was destroyed by the terrorist Ahzami Maha. All efforts to stop them have been grossly ineffective. We have lost thousands of American lives tonight, but I promise you we will not submit to his attacks. But I warn all of you. We will be fighting back to our last drop of blood. For those of you who cannot fight, I urge you to prepare to evacuate your cities, especially if you live close to Boston. We will survive this I promise you America. Do not lose hope. Do not lose faith. And remember. We will be strong if we stand together. Good evening and God bless the United States." The next morning at sunset, news broke that the terrorists occupying Boston were under attack by a group of "super-powered saviors."
         Michael Smyth was not the only one to rise to balance the scale. Good people with powers began to come out of hiding, as if they were always here. Perhaps hiding in fear of what the normal people would do to them if they were found out. I don't blame them looking back at it. Look at what people have done to each other throughout history for being different. Maybe a different shade of skin or a different way of speaking. Every piece of fiction ever said that people with powers would be treated like monsters.
         Smyth led the small group of heroes. I remember him on the news wearing a stupid black mask that just covered his eyes. Like he was waiting for this day to come. There was a beautiful blonde haired woman who could teleport seemingly anywhere. She would eventually be known to the world as Ethena. A fat teenager who later explained he could absorb vibrations and convert it into lasers. I remember he kept yelling out "boom!" every time he blasted anything. They stood together along with at least twenty other heroes. Several of the heroes and terrorists died as their powers collided but eventually Smyth and Ethena were able to enter the news station and kill Ahzami Maha as well as immobilize the rest of the squadron.
         The attack on the Eastern Seaboard was over. The terrorists were fought back by the efforts of the superheroes. We were saved. It was the most terrifying 24 hours in the United States history. The US government tried to hurl in the superheroes after the terrorists were slain. Very few came forward.
         Michael Smyth was the first one to come down. He arrived in Washington D.C. a few days after the attack at a press conference held at the White House. Smyth shook the President's hand firmly and respectfully before he took the podium. Reporters from all over the world had flown in to witness the first speech from a real world superhero.
         "Before you all ask, no I will not tell you my real name. I want to be able to continue to live my regular life after this," He said. That only riled up the reporters and he had barely begun. "We could not allow my country to be destroyed by terrorists. That is why my fellow heroes and I decided to come out of hiding. I lost friends the day we stopped Ahzami's attack. We knew what would happen if we came out of hiding. We would be used as weapons to fight wars or ridiculed in the streets for our strange appearances. I gathered a few of my superpowered comrades together and we struck. We needed to. Before any more lives were lost."
         One of the reporters stood on his seat. "What do you mean a few? Are there more of you?" The crowd looked at the young man standing on his seat before slowly turning back to face Michael.
         "You saw only about twenty of us fight against Ahzami and his terrorist group. There are at least a hundred of us that I know about living in the country. We need to stay connected, otherwise, some of us would not have anybody," Michael said calmly. The crowd on the other hand began to look nervous. "We are people too. We were just born a little differently. Most of us are going to go back into hiding and you will never hear from us again."
         The same reporter already was ready with a remark to that. "Most? Do you mean some of you are going to put on capes and stick around? Be the weapons you just said you wouldn't be."
         "I am going to stick around. Perhaps to inspire a few more people to come out of hiding and join me. We will not be weapons, but if we can save a few lives while on American soil, we will."
         "What should the American people call you?" another reporter from the side yelled out at him.
         "Well, um, I have not thought that far ahead. But I am a friend. That is the important part. I need to go now though, there is somewhere I need to be." Michael nodded to the crowd before shaking the President's hand one more time and flew off to the sound of a hundred gasping reporters. The President in equal amounts of shock took the podium.
         "I think we can all thank our Savior and his friends for their heroic events. Now, anymore questions?..."
         I don't remember anything else as I watched the report. I just remember superheroes were not just the new normal in pop culture, it was the new thing everywhere. The Savior began to appear all over the country. He kept the plain black mask but streamlined it so it fit his face better. In addition to the mask he started to wear a white costume with a silver "S" emblem straight in the middle of his chest. A flowing silver cape was added after a few times to assist with aerodynamics. He started small helping with small emergencies, fires and natural disasters. He primarily focused his efforts on New England, not allowing for the total annihilation of Boston to deter the spirits of the new inhabitants. Soon after, Ethena began to show up more frequently in New York City focusing efforts on stopping robberies and muggings. She spoke in public several times about being a proud feminist, and would help anyone if she was around. Her outfit was simple but proven effective at being the right amount of distracting to perpetrators and combat appropriate. A black tube top with matching jeans and combat boots. Her long blonde hair was tied backwards in a ponytail. She often wore sunglasses rather than a mask to cover her face. Other superheroes began popping up making various cities their home turf. They made America feel safe again.
         Four years after the attack of Boston, I remember coming home from school and seeing the first real super villain attack. The Savior fought a man who called himself Hammer in a massive dirt pile located near Plymouth. The fight did not start there however. The fight started at a Bank of America when Hammer attempted to rob the place. A helicopter news caster caught most of the fight and we started to learn, that The Savior was just as mortal as the rest of us.
         Hammer was a large hulking mass of muscle with unsurprisingly hammer shaped fists. His skin was bright green and his pure size alone kind of reminded me of The Hulk. He couldn't fly but each blow he dealt to Savior caused blood to ooze from the hero's body. Savior grabbed Hammer by the throat and launched the both of them into the sky before dropping him from high above. The impact was enough to cause Hammer to break a few of his massive bones as he collided into the sand pile. The military arrived shortly after to bring Hammer into custody.
         The camera crew caught the aftermath of Savior's beating. A blistering swollen black eye with the opposite being horribly bloodshot. His nose was twisted the very wrong direction. Savior's lip was ripped open to the point it looked like it was dangling off. Yet, Savior waved into the camera with his safety smile before flying off.
         Although it was win, the world realized that their heroes were not immortal. Something could come that could someday kill their heroes. And they needed a backup plan. Every major city began to have try outs for "military funded superhero training." It was all over the news that these hero training camps. They would even pay for schooling if accepted. These lines went out the door. Everyone wanted to be a superhero, but hardly anyone was accepted. A newscaster at the time reported that less than a thousand people from across the country had been accepted. I made my way inside when it was finally my turn. They did your typical medical stuff, making sure everything is healthy. I had no history of medical illness so they seemed pleased by that. The nurse took me to another room to get everything scanned and blood drawn. I had to have been in there for three hours at least.
         I was sent to a waiting room while my tests were analyzed. I placed my head on the table and fell asleep for what seemed like hours before I was jerked awake by a man shaking me. "Rory King? Are you awake?"
         I rubbed my eyes really hard to get the crusty parts out of my eyes. "Yes, yes sorry. Just kind of zoned out." I said.
         "I need you to sign this waiver form," the man said, placing down a clipboard with a long list of legal stuff on it. "You have been accepted into the program."
         My eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean. I'm going to be a superhero?"
         "How super is going to depend on if you pass the training. Please sign the form."
         I skimmed over the paper as quickly as I could, almost as if it was a terms of service for an Apple product. Gripping the pen in my hand I scribble across the paper my illegible signature.
         "You start tomorrow Mr. King. A car will be at your house to pick you up. Do you have any questions?" I shook my head as he continued on. "Be ready by 8 AM. You may leave the same way you came in."
         He left the room, leaving me still in a state of shock. I couldn't believe I had been chosen among the millions of people who had to have applied. I returned home to my parent's house and told them the good news. To say they were ecstatic would have been a bold faced lie. My dad yelled and my mother screamed at me. How I would die if I began fighting crime like a Neanderthal. I guess they weren't completely wrong. I didn't have any powers. I couldn't fly. I couldn't fight. But somehow the government wanted me. And I knew deep down in my core that I wanted to be a superhero. Sleep was impossible for me to obtain that night.
         The car picked me up at 8 AM the next morning and I was already prepared. My life would never be the same again after that. I soon found out that the media was heavily misinformed. Less than thirty of us were selected overall for the program and almost of all of us were the same age. Thirteen girls and sixteen boys all fresh out of high school in above average shape. We trained together and ate together for a year straight, while our numbers dwindled down to a mere five. I had jacked up and slimmed down significantly. Each of us looked nothing like we had started. The same doctor, who I later found out his name was Doctor Timothy Reed, sat me down in his office a year later.
         "Your training has been very successful. Are you willing to take the next step?" He sat in front of me in his chair with hands held tightly together as he watched me. His eyes never once leaving my eyes.
         I nod breaking his stare. "What is the next step?" I said.
         "We developed a serum that will genetically modify your DNA just enough to give you a simple super human ability. From there we will focus on what that ability is and we will train you to improve it to capabilities beyond your imagination."
         "Modify my DNA? Is that safe?"
         "Perfectly."
         I look at the doctor oddly for a moment. "You have to be crazy."
         Sighing the doctor leaned back in his chair and looked at me. "Mr. King. You are one of our final participants. In a matter of months you can be out there protecting the world like The Savior does. You do want to help people don't you?"
         Of course I wanted to help people. Every person in this time period wanted to help people. I could not think of any greater honor. I remember watching the news coverage of The Savior and Hammer fighting though. I could not help but be concerned still. "What are the dangers?"
         "None. Every single test subject was gifted with a minor improvement that we were able to train, like I said before, to capabilities beyond your imagination," The doctor loosened up and kneeled forward to look me in the eye.
         I don't need to think about it anymore. I hold my arm out to him. "I'm ready when you are doctor."
         I can't help but notice the doctor smile at my answer. The doctor rolls in his chair over to the table to collect the serum. He then moves to his table to pull on his latex gloves and pick up the premade syringe filled with serum. "This may sting a little."
         I practically roll my eyes at him for saying the clichmovie line, but he preps my arm anyways. Ensuring he finds my vein to pump the serum directly into, he wraps the tape around my arm pulling as tight as he could. Biting off the tip of the serum, he cautiously pushes the needle against my skin and into my vein before pushing down the top of the needle releasing the clear-colored serum into my bloodstream.
         And to say it stung a little bit was a horrific understatement. I passed out from the pain pouring through my body. When I woke up I was met with six more months of training. We quickly learned, completely by accident what my minor ability was. At a simple target practice training I was able to hit the bullseye from any front facing point in the room. As long as I was trying to hit the target I would hit the target. There were limitations we found. I could not bend my ammunition around walls and strong enough winds would completely blow my arrows off target. The government was impressed by the hero they created and wanted to release me to the public immediately.
         The most fun part about being a new superhero was definitely getting to design my costume. A few of the first initial mock ups were a little too CW to me: Robin Hood style jackets with a simple black mask to cover my eyes. I chose a SWAT style outfit equipped with a quiver of state of the art arrows for multiple situations. My bow was a specially designed compound bow made of lightweight but durable material that me to use it as a melee weapon for close quarters combat. To protect my sight from any harm I was given military brand visors that could scan the initial area for threats. Combined with the three years of regular combat training I was able to venture out into the world officially code named as Eagle Eye.
         I was stationed in Washington D.C. so I could be in a familiar territory as well as give the public a real taste of an American superhero. They shoved me into every photo op they could get me to do. I went to schools and talked to them about how to be safe. I would occasionally be a part of the President's secret service. Washington D.C. was surprisingly light on crime nowadays. It was about a year into the job where I was given my first real taste of the action.
         I didn't know what to expect. The middle of a busy intersection was blockaded off by a young woman in her twenties. She sat on her knees before a man-cover. But the air was turning pink around her and no one was sure what was happening. I arrived at the scene cautiously walking past the blockade with my bow armed.
         "Miss what are you doing there?" I asked her while cautiously walking the perimeter.
         "My son...I want to see my son!" She yelled at me. "They took my son!"
         "Who took your son Miss? I want to help you, but whatever you're doing you need to stop it, okay?" I wanted to avoid causing her harm. The pink air seeped upwards to the electrical wires. A few birds stationed on top of the wires literally began to melt. "You need to calm down miss. Miss!"
         She let out a scream. The pink air began to rush towards me. I released an arrow into the pink air, the force of the bow diverting the air away from me, I heard the small plunk sound of the arrow making contact with the wood.
         "I just want to see my son. Make the bad people give me back my son!" She continued to scream at me. The pink air diameter began to expand causing several more things to begin melting.
         I aimed by bow at her again, noticing what she was wearing. Washington Psychiatrics. "Ma'am you are not well. You need to calm down so I can bring you back safely, alright? I don't want to hurt you. What's your name, can you tell me your name?"
         She pulled herself into a fetal position screaming again. The pink air rushed at me like a small storm. I had no choice. I clicked several buttons on my bow to arm a specialized arrow. I launched the next arrow towards the woman past the pink air. Before it made contact with her, the pink air caused this arrow to burst as if it was getting stronger, but the shards of wood were flying so fast the splinted arrow impaled her anyways. The pink air began to dissipate. I cautiously closed in on the woman but it had been too late. The splintered arrow would have made its target perfectly if it hadn't been affected by her toxin. A splintered arrow piece stuck out of the middle of her chest where her heart would be. I could hear the news casters talking about what just happened.
         I shot an arrow with a grappling hook attached toward a building and took off before anyone could question me. My supervisors eventually debriefed me. Her name was Rose St. Claire. She died giving birth to her son after she had been raped by an orderly at the hospital. They could not figure out how her powers suddenly developed like that. She escaped when her powers manifested killing several members of the staff and several patients.
         After that incident, Washington became a little more chaotic. Bank heists and robberies were becoming so frequent I remember them considering moving the capital temporarily, until the crime rate dropped. I convinced them not to, that something like that would only lead to panic from the public. And although the crime rate increased I was able to manage it all with only a few minor injuries. I had to take two weeks off in my third year as Eagle Eye because a steroid group of gang bangers tried to jump me in the middle of a bank heist. They caused a minor wrist fracture, but I couldn't shoot my bow even with my powers, effectively for two weeks.
         Everything was going well. I was able to go to school in the off hours. I majored in Theoretical Super Human Studies with a minor in Criminal Justice from the recently opened Washington College of Valor. Occasionally, superheroes would show up and lecture about crimes they've stopped. Ironically, I would sometimes lecture my own classmates and they never caught on. I understood how people weren't ever able to figure out who Michael Smyth really was.
         Several years of being Eagle Eye later I was able to actually meet The Savior in person. Hammer escaped government custody and made it to D.C. It was the second scariest fight of my life. My arrows did nothing but infuriate him and I could tell I was running low on ammunition, not to mention time before he would cause too much damage. The Savior arrived to assist me. Our combined efforts were able to make quick work of the destructive monster and return him to custody. After the fight we stood in the middle of the battlefield and talked while cameras stood behind blockades filming us.
         "The Savior. In the flesh," I said.
         "You can call me Michael. Don't tell everyone else though, don't want it getting around."
         "Why are you telling me?"
         "You may not be a natural hero, but you are a hero Eagle Eye. You're getting paid to do this where as I do it because it is the right thing to do. But your intentions are pure. I've been watching you."
         "You could be getting money for it to."
         "I don't want too. It isn't worth it." Michael let out a hearty laugh before extending his hand to me.
         I took his hand and shook it. He shook it without any of his true strength behind it. To me he was telling me that he wasn't better than me and that in a way I was his equal. "You keep doing the good work. You keep this city safe."
         "It is in the job description. Eagle Eye, hero of Washington D.C. I promise to keep this city safe."          
         He laughed again before letting go of my hand and flew off. I couldn't help but look up in awe feeling the surge of wind he nearly flattened me with as his cape cracked in the distance. I really wish I could have kept my promise.
         We all kept trucking along in the years. 2036. 16 years after the first appearance of super powers and some of us were beginning to retire. Ethena quietly retired after a terrible injury fighting one of her rogue gallery. I was still young enough in my thirties to keep going with minimal injuries after everything had happened. The Savior was in his fifties and still saving the United States from monstrous villains and falling buildings.
         I mentioned evolution has a funny way of working though, didn't I? The villains were getting more monstrous and more powerful, but the heroes weren't. New super heroes were popping up less and less. But the villains kept showing up more and more. A true sign of the human condition. People wanted to see their heroes fall. As people were being discovered with powers it was more likely than not we were going to have to fight them. Maybe because some of us were artificial, evolution decided it needed to create a real natural disaster. Sixteen years after superheroes made themselves present in the world, was when the first of us fell.
         She called herself Gabriella, an archangel sent from God to end the false savior. She appeared one fateful night on top of the White House with her wings spread wide as she called for The Savior to do battle with her. I arrived on the scene instead.
         "What can I do for you? This isn't The Savior's city. This is my city. You and I can have ourselves a little chat though," I told her. My bow was drawn back tightly as I aimed it at her.
         She was a beautiful person from head to toe. Her hair was smooth, long, and black but her eyes were made of gray stone. Her features made me guess she was around her early twenties. If she wasn't so terrifying I'm sure I would have been distracted by her looks just a little. She wore gray armor that matched her eyes while wielding a long gun metal gray scythe. Her most impressive feature were the 12 foot wings that extended across her back. The weather around her became incredibly violent as if she was controlling it herself.
         "I did not come for you mortal. I came for your false savior!" she said. Her voice boomed like the thunderclap behind her. She aimed at me with her scythe and I instinctly shot an arrow. The arrow bounced off her armor. A menacing smile formed across her lips. "You are dead."
         She lunged at me and in a heartbeat she was upon me. If it was not for The Savior catching her fist at the last possible minute I would have been blown to pieces as I hit the back of the White House fence. The Savior pushed Gabriella back.
         "I am here, what is it that you want? I heard you call out to me," The Savior asked calmly. He turned back to me making a motion for me to leave. I shook my head but backed off enough knowing when I was outmatched.
         She pointed her scythe at The Savior. "You will die today false savior."
         "I do not want to fight you. I just want to keep the world safe, like you I'm sure," he walked to her slowly extending his arm. "I am sure we can come to a peaceful conclusion."
         She simply scowled and uppercut slashed him into the air. She took off after him beginning her assault of slashes. He parried each blow causing small shockwaves to emit from the impacts. He put his hands together and slammed them across her mouth. She slammed into the ground causing a massive crater, but she was immediately back in the air, weaponless this time. A bolt of lightning came down striking The Savior in the back launching his smoked body down to her incoming fist. The punch launched him sky bound past the clouds with her in pursuit.
         I couldn't see what happened for a few minutes but the clouds began to burst in rain drops from the force of their blows. Soon I had to dive out of the way as Gabriella slammed into the Earth with blood gushing out of the top of one wing. The Savior crashed on his chest several yards away from him, as if he was having difficulty keeping flight. Gabriella, although made impact from whatever blow he delivered first, was on her feet first. She charged at the immortal son of Earth digging her heel into his neck. He grabbed her ankle trying to pry him off but was struggling.
         "Hey lady, get off him!" I shot several bows into her wings. The arrows impaled through her feathers causing her to let out a small yelp of pain and annoyance. She turned around after stomping her foot into the neck of The Savior one last time before she began to glide towards me. I prepped my bow for one more shot, but she flapped her wings causing a near hurricane to form blowing the weapon from my hands.
         She grabbed me by the throat. "Mortal. You do not harm me and you cannot stop me. Your hero has fa-" She dropped me before she could finish her sentence. The Savior punched her across the jaw sending her stumbling. He flew after her delivering blow after blow. I could barely catch my breath as I could feel her finger tips still imprinted in my flesh. Gabriella put up an arm to block, but The Savior just kept punching faster and harder. She let out a scream toward the sky trying to cause the sky to open up and help her. The bolts of lightning didn't slow him down as she just kept punching until she fell to her knees. The Savior stumbled onto his back, his fists covered in both of their bloods.
         Gabriella's wings were bloody smears on her back. She screamed like a harpy and pounced onto The Savior's fallen body as if his last assault barely fazed her. He caught her fist and looked into her eyes as he squeezed until even I could hear the bones breaking. "You will not...break me..." He pulled his other fist back and plowed his fist through her abdomen and came out the other side.
         My eyes widened at the gory sight. I ran over as quickly as I could, but I began to slow down once I witnessed what happened. She had driven a pocketed knife through his heart at the same instance. I pulled the two apart, laying The Savior on his back. Not a single beat of his heart echoed in his chest.
         I stared into the crowd for just a moment. I didn't mean to exactly give so much away when I told the story of The Savior. I just had so much more to say than I thought. They asked me to give a speech to The Savior's funeral. I think they really wanted me to speak because I was the only other hero that witnessed the whole thing. I was the only hero to successfully come out of the government superhero camps. They needed a new face of heroism to inspire the whole world.
         For the first time in my career as Eagle Eye I took off my glasses and stared at every heartbroken soul in the crowd. I almost forgot that the crowd was there. I folded them carefully placing them on the podium as I stood in front of The Savior's grave.
         "I am not going to go anywhere. I have fought side by side with The Savior and I have fought for this country and for this city. The remaining heroes are going to need to step up now that he's gone. And we all can't be everywhere at once," I said securing the podium as I took a deep breath. "The bad guys are still out there, superpower or not. I pledge my life to bring peace to this nation. I cannot, will not allow The Savior's sacrifice to be in vain. He saved all of us. He saved me. I will always remember when the first of us fell."
         I unfolded my glasses and put them back on my face. I walked off the stage to the surprising sound of silence. I just kept walking and no one followed me. I didn't stop walking until I made it to the memorial of the destruction of Boston, where no one was around because everyone was at the funeral. The memorial was a statue model of the Boston Tea Party, with the words "In Sacrifice Comes Heroism" engraved at the top, with the known names of the dead engraved all over the area. When I reached the memorial I fell to my knees and collapsed with my back against it and just cried for the first time for my fallen friend. For my fallen hero.