Sorry this was late. I took some time in the middle of the story to apply for a new job. ~AJ
What?
No. No, I don't think I need my lawyer right now, do you?
Okay. So, let me get this out of the way: I don't like these so-called "heroes" running around today. I don't. I could say it was the way I was raised, and, truthfully, that's probably a lot of it. I mean, my father is who he is, and you don't get raised by someone like him without it influencing your views on such things. But I think a lot of the reason he became . . . well, you know—is because of those heroes.
They did kill my mother, however inadvertently.
Still, you should know where I stand, and it's not on the side of heroes. Just so we're clear before we start.
It's not like I like the villains much more, despite my father. They're all destructive bastards in the end, aren't they? Look at Toledo—and I feel very, very bad for the few survivors left from the Destruction. It was monstrous, what happened there.
I suppose that's another thing we should get clear: I do not support what happened there, nor did I give aid or succor to anyone involved in the Destruction. Well, no one except for my father, but he's my dad–no matter what he's become–and I couldn't let him die.
The other one? The one you lot practically worship? Yeah, he's dead. I made sure of it.
No, it's not how it sounds. I didn't kill him. I just didn't save him. I watched as he breathed his last. It didn't take long. He was mostly dead by the time I got there. And I don't think he was in much pain, but I'm unfamiliar with his particular physiology, so I can't be sure.
Could I have saved him? I don't see the point in answering that. He would've ended up this way sooner or later. And I don't know why you think I'm so obligated to save him anyway. It's not like he was a good person. Sure, you lot called him a hero, but what did he ever do that was truly heroic? Saved some people here or there, stopped a few robberies? Whatever. Who hasn't done that? And he certainly didn't save Toledo.
No, I'm not registered. And, no, I'm not telling you what my powers are or if I even have any. It's not your business. I don't care what the law is. You're not going to see me running around in tights, having epic battles on rooftops, or anything like that. I'm just trying to live my life with as little interference from heroes, villains, or
other as possible.
No, I do not consent to being tested.
Yes, I would have tried to stop my father. I've been trying to get him to stop for years! He's an old man now, and he's going to get himself killed. His quest for vengeance or whatever has gone way too far. It's transformed him into something
else. And it's not about vengeance anymore for him. It's not about getting retribution for his wife, my mother. It hasn't been about that for a very long time. He may use Mama's death as an excuse for what he does, but that's not why he does it. I couldn't tell you why. He's not right. He's not sane. Maybe he never really was, and her death just pushed him over the edge. I don't know.
What I do know is that he needs help. I'd say he needs to be locked up in Arkham, but look at the monsters that place produces. At his core he's a good man. I know that. He's just lost, in pain, angry, and maybe more than a little power-mad.
He is a good father though. He was always there for me. I mean, mostly before his
mission took over his life, but even now if I really need him, he'll come. He cares, you know? He's just . . . unstable.
No, I don't know where he is now.
I'm telling you the truth!
When I got him out of Toledo he was bleeding, broken. And he was being hunted. By you guys, by "heroes," by whoever. And I thought he was going to die. I couldn't let him die! I got him out, got him patched. Then he ran off.
No, I didn't know what was going to happen in Toledo.
Hey! I said I didn't want to be tested. Get the fuck away from that equipment!
Look, I didn't know what was going to happen. I just—I just got this vague note from my dad saying something about a "final showdown" in Toledo.
Yeah, he really talks like that.
Here. Look at the note. It mentions Toledo, but nothing about what was going to happen. What did happen. I followed because I was afraid for my father. I wanted to stop him. Talk him out of whatever he had planned. I was afraid he'd be killed by Captain Asswipe, you know? And he almost was!
Oh, boo-fucking-hoo! I'm supposed to cry over that raging narcissist? That man has caused more destruction than my father ever did. Hell, he's caused more destruction than my father and his colleagues combined. He made my father the way he is. Do you understand that?
And I'm not entirely convinced it was an accident.
No, no, no. Think about it. A hero's gotta fight someone. He's gotta have an opponent. Otherwise he's just a monster.
I wouldn't be surprised if these fucking heroes in their fucking halls and fortresses and caves had some kind of supercomputer making a database of the population. Looking for traits, instabilities, latent powers. People they can exploit. People they can make their enemies just so they can stay the "good guys" in the eyes of the rest us. They don't care about collateral damage. They don't care about the deaths they "accidentally" cause. We're bugs to them. Our deaths, our suffering is too small for them to notice or care about.
Don't give me that. Some of these guys aren't even human, did you know that? Like, not even born on this planet—a completely different species. Do really believe they have the same values and emotions? How do you know you're not just projecting that? Hm?
You know Toledo's not the first town to be destroyed. It's just the largest. Off the top of my head I can name at least ten towns a fraction of Toledo's size that were completely wiped out by your. Fucking. Heroes.
Solomon, KS. Humansville, MO. Clinton, MO. Adair, IL. Bone Gap, IL. Jonesport, ME. Milan, MN. Canton, OK. Prague, NE. King Salmon, AK. St. Paul, AK. That's eleven. Shall I go on?
Maybe a handful of people made it out of those towns alive. And there were no villains anywhere near them when they went up.
I have proof. I've been collecting data on this for years. Just a hobby I have.
There are copies–scans of documents, recordings of interviews with survivors, etc–on my computer. You've got the computer, feel free to analyze the information there.
The originals? Scattered, hidden, left with people I trust, or whatever. Like I'm going to leave them around for whoever to find. Hell, even telling you that I have what little I have puts me at risk.
I don't know what I'd do with it. Right now I'm just sitting on all this information. I don't think you guys will do anything constructive with it. It's going to be buried or dismissed. But I think history will show I'm right.
I knew when you showed up at my door that it was unlikely I'd walk away. Not clean, at any rate. It doesn't bother me that much. You're not going to kill me. You can
try to imprison me, but I don't think it'll take.
You see, my father loves me. No matter what else he is, or what he's done, he's my dad. And he's very protective. I don't think you'd want to make an enemy like him. So it's just a matter of time before you let me out on my own, or he comes to get me.
Seriously, guy? You're not gonna test me without a fight. So far you've no call to test me anyway. I've shown no symptoms of ability. All I've been doing is talking. You're not compelled to believe me, are you? I haven't dented the table with my fists. I haven't sneezed and blown someone through the wall. The only reason that you have to be suspicious that I might have power is because of who my father is, and everyone knows that he wasn't born with his powers, and I was born before he gained them. So he can't have passed powers down to me genetically. There's no cause. And you'd be going against the Supreme Court ruling Constantine v. the NBPP, which states that a person cannot be tested for superhuman abilities without their consent unless said person shows symptoms of ability, or has an immediate relative with a genetically inherited ability. It is to protect the privacy and sovereignty of the people who have abilities but choose not to use them. It also prevents the person from having to choose a life of either an outlaw–hunted by government and heroes alike–or a slave–forced into government controlled heroics. I mean, that alone is a recipe to create a villain if ever I heard.
Oh, I know. Most heroes don't work for you. Most work for groups that are occasionally given assignments they can't refuse from the government to keep their hero status. They're certainly not
ugly, are they? And the more prominent the hero is the less of these jobs he has to do. Can't have a boy scout be seen killing people in China, can we? Not in the age of smart phones and youtube.
I know how this game is played. I've been living it since my mom died when I was a kid. You can hold me for helping my father escape Toledo if you want. Or you can let me go. But you can't test me unless you want to deal with a lawsuit.
That's better. Thank you.
So, have you decided if you're going to charge me with obstruction or whatever?
Conspiracy?! Well that's a hollow threat! You'll never get that to stick. There's no way that you can prove that I had anything to do with planning Toledo. Sure, I got my dad out of there, but I also personally assisted emergency personnel and survivors. I've given you my computer which is full of interesting information on at least fifteen other crime scenes, hundreds more victims, and profiles of both heroes and villains that you'll find very interesting. My lawyer's going to eat you alive.
No. No, I still don't think I need my lawyer. I mean, our conversation's being recorded and
if I end up needing her she'll have access to this interview, but I think you're going to let me go before it comes to that. If only to avoid the trouble my father will cause. Anyway, you start persecuting–I mean, prosecuting–mostly innocent family members and you'll find yourself in a world of trouble. There's too many of us now. You've gone and made the world all black and white. Maybe in the grey days you could've gotten away with it, but not now.
Yeah, mostly innocent. We're all mostly innocent. I mean, I did help my dad survive, and I suppose you can spin the saving of a life into a bad thing, but I don't think so.
Oh, we're done talking now?
Okay.
No. I'm not staying in town. I don't live here, and don't see the need to waste money on a hotel for however long your investigation lasts. You can reach me on my cell if you need me.
No, I'm not going to call you if my father gets in touch. It'd be a breach of trust, you see, and my relationship with him is more important to me than helping you put him in prison.
I'll be seeing you.
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