Why?

This is something I stumbled across as I searched though my old writings and thought I'd share.

Why?

Bluedarky stood on the roof of his apartment building watching the city below, he wasn't watching for anything in particular, just watching, watching the new inexperienced heroes attempt to arrest Skulls and Hellions, watching the citizens of Paragon City go about their business, just watching the little piece of the world that he helped to keep safe.

The door behind him slammed shut, he ignored it for the time being, the building had at least on registered hero on every floor so the chances of a member of a known villain group using the stairs to get to the top was non – existent. The one thing an off duty hero hates is being disturbed by few minions running up the stairs.

“Umm,” came the voice, so quiet that he almost didn't hear it, “Stephen.”

“What is it Amanda?” he replied turning around, Amanda had been sent by Sister Psych for street training, she'd taught Amanda everything she knew about her powers and then realised that Amanda was nowhere near ready to fight alone on the streets, and so she sent the psychic dependant girl to Bluedarky, one of the few heroes in the city who blocked psychic intrusions on a subconscious level to train her for the streets, and how to get on with people she knew nothing about.

“We busted Doctor Vahzilok last week right,” started Amanda nervously.

“He's broken out again,” he replied.

“Uh-uh,” replied Amanda a little shocked, “Shouldn't we do something about it?”

“We're off duty,” replied Bluedarky, “Besides, some other heroes will get him.”

“A true hero is never off duty,” replied Amanda, “You said that on the day I started working with you.”

“Believe it or not Amanda, for some people heroing is just a way to pay the bills. Besides, even Statesman needs a break every now and then.”

“But what's it all for?” asked Amanda, “If they break out why do we bother putting them away?”

“For the same reason they break out,” he replied, “We hope this time may be different.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That one time, when Vahzilok is arrested, instead of breaking out and continuing his experiments illegally, he'll start to share his methods with the rest of the world, he may require fresh parts, but what about people who are going to die anyway, someone who's suffered irreparable brain damage but the rest of the organs work fine, the person will die faster, but Vahzilok can use his methods to use their organs to save four other people.”

“How can you be so callous, how can you preach to me about that, that person could have recovered the next day and you talk about killing them for their organs. And you avoided answering my question, why should we bother?”

“Come here,” replied Bluedarky, he pointed to an old woman walking down the street with her groceries, “Scan her mind, just a surface scan, not deep.”

“It's Mrs. Grover, two floors down,” replied Amanda.

“Is she scared?”

“No.”

“It's quite a distance for her between where she is and the door, a Hellion could jump out of any of those alleys she has to pass. Are you sure she isn't scared?”

“She's not,” replied Amanda confused, “Because she knows you're watching.”

“We owe a lot to old Laurie,” replied Bluedarky, “She was a hero herself back in the day, and although most people don't know it, we heroes do.

“She leaves the building three times a week, Tuesdays to pick up her pension, Thursdays for Bingo and Saturdays for her shopping. And every time there's a hero posted on every street who makes sure she gets there and back safely, if she has an unplanned trip she knocks on a heroes door and they escort her to her destination and back.”

“How can one little old woman affect the city?”

“Little old woman,” laughed Bluedarky, “She's a genius, IQ of 256, a little forgetful in her old age but can still get the secrets out of any technology she's given, Nemesis has made four attempts to grab her in the past three months.”

“So your actions in looking after a little old lady,” replied Amanda, “Could stop this city from falling into Nemesis's hands, get real, you're just looking after a old woman who can't fend for herself.”

“Every action has ramifications,” replied Bluedarky, “Don't believe me if you can't, but don't forget that fact, I know Sister Psych would've rammed that into your head. Now if you'll excuse me, Mrs. Grover seems to have forgotten her keys.”

He walked off leaving Amanda alone on the roof, she turned back and leaned over the wall looking down at Mrs. Grover, she watched as Bluedarky opened the door and let her in, he'd probably nipped into his apartment to pick up Mrs. Grover's spare set of keys and leapt down the rest of the way. She wondered if the small actions of the heroes who lived in the building made a real difference to the city and looked out over the cityscape to the War Walls. And she remembered a tale her mother told her, from before she was born.

Her mother had grown up in Eastgate, it hadn't been a bad area, it had been a beautiful neighbourhood, and even had it's own personal hero, Stephan's grandfather, the original Bluedarky. He'd died in the Hollowing, it happening before the hospital network was in place meant there had been no hope. And after she'd attended his funeral her mother had told her why it was important she'd went.

Stephan's grandfather had been a hands on hero, he did everything the neighbourhood required, from beating the local gangs from the neighbourhood, to rescuing little girls cats from trees. He knew the locations of those too old to leave the house and did their shopping, and he knew everyone by name. He'd made no secret of his identity and as he gre older he simply kept an eye on the kids at play and taught self defence to anyone willing to learn on Tuesdays. All in all her mother had thought him a big joke until the day she wandered out of the neighbourhood alone.

She was set on by a bunch of Trolls, they were about to have their way with her when he'd arrived, the Troll's were the stronger, at least physically, but their brains were wired thanks to the Superdyne and Bluedarky used this to his advantage, using the Judo skills he taught he was able to turn the trolls strength against them. Within ten minutes, six were unconscious and the other three had fled, and he was on the phone to David Wincot arranging pickup for the unconscious ones.

After David's team had arrived he'd taken her back home, on the way he told her about how her mother and found him worried sick about her, about how she'd left the neighbourhood without telling anyone and that she may be in danger. It was the first and last time she'd see him in action, a week later, she moved to Atlas Park.

Amanda reflected on her mothers story, if Stephan's Grandfather hadn't got there just then, then there was a chance she wouldn't have been born, and in that case there was a chance that the villains she had helped to put away would have been on the streets for longer and caused more people misery.

The door behind opened and Stephan came back through.

“You remember the day we first met?” asked Amanda.

He walked over to her. “Six years ago,” he replied.

“I've only known you for six months,” replied Amanda going to hit him, he held up a huge arm and blocked her punch effortlessly.

“I'm serious,” he replied, “It was down there,” he pointed to a alleyway near to Atlas Plaza, “A group of Hellions started on you and me and my mates got rid of them.”

“That wasn't you,” replied Amanda.

“Sure it was, I wasn't wearing my trademark trenchcoat but I give you my word it was me.”

“They were heroes.”

“Not then,” he replied, “Of course, things have changed now..”

“Your actions back then nearly made me who I am today,” she replied a little shocked, “I wanted to thank the heroes who saved me and when I discovered my powers, it was like I'd waited for this moment my entire live. I could pay them back by helping to protect the city.”

She looked up a Stephan who was staring at the spot and stuck back in memory lane.

“What happened to your friends?” she asked.

“Almost every hero has a push that makes them into who they are,” he replied, “That's all you need to know for now.”

He turned and walked off the roof, leaving Amanda alone.

As you might guess from the stuff I tend to write, I enjoy the stories about the normal people in the CoX world. Like this story, I enjoy hearing about those people as I imagine Paragon is a city full of some many people with stories to tell, or heroes who have to face the same things ordinary people face.

This story really felt good to me. Having read some of your more recent stuff it was also great to hear about Bluedark’s past and how he came to know Amanda. I particularly liked the idea of him just stood on the top of a building watching young heroes at work, the line “For the same reason they break out,” he replied, “We hope this time may be different.” and “She leaves the building three times a week, Tuesdays to pick up her pension, Thursdays for Bingo and Saturdays for her shopping. And every time there's a hero posted ….

I’ve not commented on general editing etc. as you’d said it was an old piece, but if you want me to I’m more than happy to.