“Kind of, yes. But I guess he just had to do that in order to talk to me, I don’t know. He’s very vague and confusing.”
As one officer calls the police station that Roy is fine, the other continues, “I’m glad that you’re fine, but I do need to know where your old friend is because he did commit a crime.”
“I’m sorry but I have no clue where he lives or where he went. As I said, he is a very confusing man.”
“Alright, well, I need you to come with me to the station for some further questioning.”
“Really?” Roy sighs. “I don’t think that is necessary, I’m fine, I really am. And the man won’t drug my sister again, I think.”
“Sorry, sir, but you have to come with me.”
“Fine, I guess. It’s not like I have a choice, right?”
“Just come with me, sir,” the officer replies, as he then takes Roy to the car and puts him on the backseat. Then they drive off to the police station which is close by.
At the police station, about fifteen minutes later, Roy is seated in an interrogation room. He is constantly looking at the clock while ripping apart his empty plastic cup, but then the door in front of him opens and an officer lets his sister in. Roy gets up and Nathalie immediately runs over to him and hugs him tight. “Oh my God! Are you okay? I was so worried about you.”
“I’m fine, I really am. The man only wanted to talk to me, that’s all.”
“What?! You’re acting like nothing happened while that man drugged me and abducted you! But now you’re telling me that you had a friendly conversation with him while I was thinking that he would kill you or use you to get money out of me?!”
“What he did was wrong, you’re absolutely right about that, but he just needed to talk to me and that’s all. He is just a very strange man that thought he needed to abduct me in order to talk to me I guess.”
“Have you lost your mind?!”
“No, I haven’t. And no, I also didn’t drink or used any kind of drugs, they already tested me as soon as I came in. I’m, by the way, sure you are the reason they tested me in the first place.”
“Yes, of course, I asked them to test you. You came into my office thinking you all of a sudden had magical powers and then you passed out, so, of course, I thought that you either drank too much or used drugs. What was that about anyway? Was that just one of your lame excuses or? What is going on?”
“It… I… I don’t know. Yes, I guess it was an excuse. I just couldn’t tell you the truth that I overslept again.”
With a disappointed expression on her face, Nathalie shakes her head and says, “I… I don’t know what to say, I really don’t. I don’t know what the hell is going on with you but… you know what, I think it’s better if you don’t contact me for a while. I just can’t deal with this anymore. I tried you know, I really tried, but it seems that you just don’t want to better yourself which hurts but I guess it’s your life, right?” Nathalie then walks away, and Roy says, “No, wait, you don’t understand.” But Nathalie then slams the door shut and with a deep sigh, Roy sits down again and shakes his head. “Well, this sucks. I have these amazing powers but no, I can’t tell anyone about them, not even my own sister.”
“Powers? What powers?” a woman, who looks like she’s in her early forties, asks. The woman then closes the door behind her and takes a seat across from Roy. “I’m detective Mathews, by the way.”
“Nice to meet you, I guess. And about me having powers thing, I don’t know what I’m talking about. I just wish I had powers so I could fly far away from here you know.”
“Don’t we all wish that we could do that sometimes?”
“I guess.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, I couldn’t help but noticing your sister leaving with tears in her eyes, how come?”
“I’m just a disappointment to her, that’s all. But, why am I here, detective? I did nothing wrong. Yes, I may have been abducted by some weird guy but I’m fine and like I told the police officer, I don’t know where he went or where he is right now.”
“I’m glad that you’re okay but I’m sure you can understand that I have to ask you some more questions. Starting with, have you ever met him before? I heard that you said he was an old friend.”
“That’s right, when I worked at a bar a couple of months ago, he was a regular customer, that’s where I know him from. And we always had good conversations, so I considered him a friend.”
“And did something happen between you two that may have led up to him abducting you?”
“No, as I said, he only wanted to talk to me, that’s all. Look, I know it must be very confusing and I know it’s definitely crazy, but it’s just the way it is.”
“I understand, but you have to realize that the man committed a crime by abducting you and by drugging your sister. And for that, he needs to be arrested. So, could you please tell me where he took you?”
“To a park.”
“Which park?”
“About an hour on foot away from here. I can’t remember the name.”
“Okay, and about what did he want to talk?”
“He just asked how I was doing and after that, he just left.”
“I see, and what is his name?”
“Julian Herrick.”
The detective then continues to question Roy about Julian and his motives and about an hour later, Roy is brought home by a police officer.
With a tired expression on his face, Roy walks into his apartment and as he closes the door behind him, he loosens up his tie, takes off his shoes, and kicks them away. After that, he goes into the bathroom where he throws some water on his face and takes a good look at himself in the mirror while thinking about his sister. “If you only knew,” Roy sighs. He then shakes his head and walks into the kitchen, where he grabs three apples and then goes to the living room and drops down on the couch. He puts the apples on the coffee table in front of him and with a deep breath, his eyes start to shine bright blue and he changes one of the apples into a small glass. Then he takes another apple and turns it into a pack of aspirins and after that, he turns the last apple into a bottle of whiskey. A slight smile appears on his face as he pours some whiskey into the glass and turns on the television. He then raises his glass and says, “Well, lesson complete, I guess. God, this was so hard, I sincerely hope I made you proud, my weird and grumpy mentor! Cheers to you! And I can’t wait to do this for the next couple of weeks! I’m so excited! And not only did I hurt my sister, again, I’m also completely useless, again!” He then brings the glass closer to his mouth, but right before he takes a sip, he sees on the news that they are talking about how the crime rate has gone up in Detroit and how the police are having a challenging time keeping it under control. He keeps on watching the news for a while and then puts the glass back down and as he points at the glass, he says, “No! I’m not drinking you! In fact, I’m never drinking you again!” He then gets up and as he slaps himself in his face, he continues, “Come on, Roy, what are you doing?! The days of being a sad mess are over! You have been blessed with these special powers and not only that, you finally have a purpose in life again, which you have been waiting for, for years! This… this is it! Fighting crime has to be your purpose. I mean, it can’t be a coincidence that right before I’m about to go back to my old ways that the news shows me this! Screw changing three things every day, why in the world would I listen to Mr. Herrick anyway?! He’s not my father! And I refuse to just hide in the shadows and barely use my power, in fact, I’m going to be the hero that is operating from the shadows! I can’t tell or show people what I can do, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t help them! Oh my God, now this is what I call exciting! But I do need a cool name for myself, you know just in case. Ah, it doesn’t matter. But what about a mask or something? I can’t show people who I am. But what I can do is help people from a distance, while it’s dark! Wow, I’m so smart, I really am, but why am I talking to myself? Why am I wasting time? It’s time for me to
prepare myself because tonight, I… the hero without a cool name, yet, am going to save the people!”
Later that night, Julian is standing in a dark room, which is completely made out of crystal glass, in front of a crystal glass pillar that has a crystal glass bowl on it. He slowly shoves his ring, that is also made out of crystal glass and which has a beautiful blue gem in it, off his finger and carefully lays it down in the bowl. He then takes a step back and as he does that; the gem starts to shine very bright and right at that moment, a deep and hollow voice says, “Hello Julian.”
“Master Joauura, my apologies for having to consult with you again but I’m afraid that I have no other choice. I’m in desperate need for some answers to some particularly important questions.”
“You are having doubts about Roy Tabby, correct?”
“That is correct. Now, I know that I should not be prejudging, but I almost know for a fact that he isn’t made to manage the powers you have given him. He is far from capable of carrying the great responsibilities that come with it.”
“I understand that you’re having doubts but know that I wouldn’t have given him these powers if he wouldn’t be able to manage them. In fact, he is more than capable of managing the powers he has been given, but just like yourself, he needs time. Hence why my advice to you is to grant him that time and help him as much as you possibly can.”
“I completely trust the decisions you make but, why him? Why not a man or woman that at least takes life a little more seriously?”
“With time you will come to understand as to why I have chosen Roy Tabby but until that time arrives, you will have to help him as much as you can. Julian, believe me when I say this, it is of the utmost importance that you learn Roy Tabby how to control his powers.”
“May I please know why?”
“I cannot tell you why, but with time you will come to find out why and you will be granted with all the answers you need, believe me when I say that. But regarding Roy’s personality, do you recall what your mentor told you when you first met him?”
Julian chuckles slightly and replies, “I remember it as it was yesterday. She told me, whatever you do, just don’t be a fool.”
“And why did she tell you that?”
“Because… because I behaved the same way Roy does now. Hence why I probably came here to complain since I remember giving my mentor an awfully challenging time while she was trying her best to guide me.” Julian then takes a deep breath and continues, “My apologies, Master Joauura, for my silly complaining. I promise to you that I will do whatever it takes to teach Roy how to manage the powers he has been given and I will make sure that he will be better than I ever was, and better than the ones that came before me.”
“Tough times will rise above the horizon, but I have faith that together with Roy, you can overcome them. If it’s one person I trust with this task, then that will be you. Just have faith in yourself and know that your intelligence, mental strength, and your experience will not fail you.”
“I know. I thank you for your wisdom, Master Joauura. It was an honor to speak to you again.” The ring then stops shining and as Julian takes the ring out of the bowl and shoves it around his finger again, the room fades away and all of a sudden Julian is standing in the living room of his penthouse. With a deep breath, he makes himself a cup of tea and after that, he takes a seat on the couch and turns on the television. He goes through many different channels until he reaches the news channel. As he takes a sip of his tea, he takes a deep breath and sits back, but as soon as he sees what’s on the news, he almost spits his tea out and he immediately gets up with a shocked expression on his face! The news reporters are talking about a shop owner who almost got robbed about half an hour ago and that someone with apparently special powers stopped the robbery. They then interview the shop owner who says that someone aimed a gun at him and tried to take his money, but then a young man, who was already in the store, eyes started to shine bright blue and not only that, he also turned the gun into a balloon gun. After that, the robber ran off and so did the man whose eyes started to shine. The reporters continue to talk about what the shop owner just said while Julian puts his cup of tea down, adjusts his tie, and with a serious angry expression on his face, he sighs, “You fool!”
Thirty minutes earlier, Roy is walking down the street with a hoodie on and as he shakes his head, he sighs, “Of course, now that I’m trying to save the people no one is committing a crime. Maybe this was a stupid idea after all. I mean, I’m no hero, I’m far from it.” He then walks into a liquor store and asks the man behind the counter, “Hey, do you also have nonalcoholic drinks?”
“Sure, all the way in the back. It isn’t much but then again, I rarely have people asking me for nonalcoholic drinks.”
“Yeah, what’s the point in drinking them, right? But thanks,” Roy says, as he walks over to the nonalcoholic drinks in the back. There he takes a good look at the bottles for a while, but then he shakes his head and grabs a bottle of soda. “I’m proud of you, Roy,” Roy says to himself, as he walks up to the counter. “Soda?” the man asks.
“Yeah, I kinda have a drinking problem so soda is the better choice for me.”
“I see, well, that will be three dollars then.”
As Roy grabs some money out his pocket, he sees someone entering the store with a ski mask on and right before he can say or do anything, the person grabs a gun and aims it at the man behind the counter! “Give me all your money, now!” Roy immediately backs off with a shocked expression on his face while the man behind the counter quickly grabs all the money out of the register. “What are you looking at?!” the robber says to Roy.
Roy raises his hands, but then he looks at the gun and, in his head, he tells himself, “This is it, this your moment. Change that gun and save the man!” As he clears his throat, he looks at the robber and says, “You shouldn’t do this, just walk away and everything will be fine, okay?”
The robber then aims the gun at Roy and replies, “Are you stupid?! I should bust nine bullets in your ass right now!”
“I don’t think that the gun you’re holding has any bullets in them, sir,” Roy says, as his eyes start to shine bright blue. The gun then starts to shine blue as well for a brief moment and then it turns into a balloon gun! The man behind the counter is in absolute disbelief and so is the robber! “What the hell is this?! Screw this I’m out of here!” The robber then throws the balloon gun away and runs out of the store! “Yes! That’s what I’m talking about!” Roy shouts with a bright smile on his face.
“What… who… who are you?”
“Oh, hey, kind of forget you were still there. But I’m… wait, you’re not supposed to know that I have these powers. Oh crap! Listen, I know what you just witnessed must be very confusing, but could you do me a favor and not tell anyone about this? Please?” The man nods without saying a word and Roy continues, “I appreciate that, even though you’re probably still going to tell people about me. Anyway, there you go.” Roy then lays three dollars on the counter and grabs the bottle of soda. “Have an, uhm, nice evening, I guess.”
“Me too,” the man nods while his eyes are wide open.
Roy then walks out of the store and to his surprise, he sees a man, who looks like he’s in his mid-twenties, standing across the street with his phone in his hand recording Roy! “Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, well… this just goes to show that I’m always wrong,” Roy sighs, as he walks up to the man who then stops recording. “Oh, man, what you did there was awesome! In fact, it was… more than awesome! How did you do that?! Are you some kind of hero with amazing powers?! What is your name?!”
“No, no, I’m not a hero. At least, not yet. But anyway, could you please not show what I did to anyone else? What I can do has to remain a secret you know. I’m sure you can understand that.”
“Oh, of course. People knowing your true identity might put the lives of your family members and everyone you love at risk!”
&
nbsp; “I don’t think it’s that serious, but people just can’t know.”
“So, why don’t you wear a mask then? And where is your suit?”
“I don’t have a mask, nor do I have a suit. I just wear this hoodie you know.”
“That is so lame, come on! You have powers! You could be the next big hero!”
“I… I don’t know about that one, although that does sound great.”
“Of course, it does! Wait, let me help you! Let me be on your team!”
Roy chuckles and replies, “I don’t have a team and I can’t have you helping me. Someone important would kill me if he would find out that you know about it.”
“So, we make sure that, that person won’t find out, problem solved! Listen, I could really use this in my life right now, please! From an early age, I have been obsessed with hero’s and now I can finally work with one! We can become family you know! And we both know that the path of a hero isn’t easy, you need someone by your side to just… stand by your side!”
“I know that, but I don’t think that I will continue with this. I basically already screwed it up when I showed the store owner and the robber who I am. I can’t let that happen again. I’m sorry but, I have to go, okay?”
“Wait! Tell me, do you want to be a hero, or will you let your powers go to waste?”
“Well—”
“Look around you,” the man says, as he puts his arm around Roy. “The people need you, man! They need a hero! The crime rate is at an all-time high and you, together with me, have the power to end all crime and save everyone! You will be all over the news, people will be shouting your name, and the entire world is going to know who you are! And criminals are going to wet themselves just by the thought that you are out there! Doesn’t that sound amazing! They might even make a statue of you!”
“That… yeah, that does sound amazing.”
“I know, right? By the way, what is your name?”
“Roy, Roy Tabby.”
“Really? That’s it?”
The Hero Without A Cool Name Page 3
