by Leona Fox
“Yes, it's that bad. We can't have some maniac running around in a costume flaunting the law. What he's doing is illegal. People can't just take the law into their own hands. If they did there would be chaos all around. There's no responsibility in what he's doing. He just comes in at night, assaults a few people, and then leaves without so much as a note. What am I to do if one time he goes too far and thinks the only way to stop one of these criminals is to kill them? Sure, he can say he's doing it in the name of justice, but there's a procedure in place for handling these matters. When he does things like this it just creates chaos, and if there's one thing that East Pender doesn't need it's chaos.”
“Oh, he won't kill anyone. The Phenom never kills, it's part of his code,” Iris said matter-of-factly.
Andy and Ellen both stared at her as she sipped on her drink and looked out the window, unaware that what she had said had inspired such a reaction from her superior and the consulting detective.
“How would you know that? Have you spoken to him? Has he made some kind of statement that I missed?” Andy said.
“What? No, it's in the comics,” she said.
“What comics? He only appeared last night. How can somebody be writing comics about him already?” Andy asked. Iris huffed in frustration.
“No, The Phenom comics. Have you guys really never heard of them?” Iris asked, an incredulous look on her face. Andy and Ellen looked blankly at her. Iris rolled her eyes.
“They're some of the most popular comics ever. I can't believe you two haven't heard of them! There's a whole background and history to him. The comics have been running for years. I'm surprised there wasn't a mention of it in the article, but given your reaction I guess the comics never made it big here. Whoever this person is, they're using the name and the likeness. They've brought The Phenom to life.”
“Care to enlighten us about The Phenom's story? It might help us understand who is under the mask,” Ellen said.
Iris leaned back in her chair and drew in a deep breath. “That could take some time. The comics have been going on for so long there have been a lot of versions written over the years and things are always changing. You know, one writer comes on and writes something he thinks is a good idea. Then the next one decides it was a load of trash. So they undo all of that, and eventually the whole thing becomes a huge mess. A fun mess, sure, but a mess nonetheless.”
“How about you just give us the basics?” Andy said, exasperated. His tone caught Iris off-guard and she took a moment to compose herself before launching into the tale of The Phenom.
“Well, although there have been different versions over the years his origin basically has been kept the same throughout. His real name is Jack Parker and he was the son of a wealthy industrialist. His mother died as the result of a terrible crime when he was very young, and his father taught him how to defend himself. When he was older his father was killed by spies from another company who wanted to take over the business. They would have got Jack as well if his father hadn't managed to get him to safety.
“After that he went into hiding and trained more, preparing himself for the day when he would emerge from the shadows and take his revenge upon those who had wronged him. One by one, he sought out the criminals and made them pay for what they did, but he never crossed the line, for his father had taught him some important lessons. Killing was wrong, and he must always help those less fortunate than him. He must always treat people fairly and give them a chance to explain themselves. But if he saw wrongdoing then it was his duty to put a stop to it, because if a man had the means and the power to make a difference in the world then he had to do it.
“After that, when he took control of his father’s company, Jack made a pledge to continue being The Phenom and helping those in need. He took to the streets at night, and by day he made the company focus on humanitarian efforts. Of course, over the years there's much more to it than that. He had a sidekick and the villains became way more...colorful. At one point he went into space, and it turned out his mother never really had died. Then she was dead and his mother was just a clone. Then his actual mother did come back. Then it was hinted that it was a dream but--”
“I think we get the point,” Ellen said. Iris looked a little perturbed at having had her story interrupted but she dipped her head in deference.
“Can we profile this man? Given that he's familiar with the character, I'd suggest he's young, probably idealistic. He may not be flaunting the laws. He might just be naive and not even realize that what he's doing is illegal.”
“Of course he knows,” Andy said, scowling. “You don't do this on a whim. It's carefully planned out. I wouldn't be surprised if he just was doing it for attention, or just to get his kicks. He can't take the law into his own hands. I don't care what the character in the comics does, we cannot allow this to happen in East Pender. In the real world it won't work. One man cannot go beyond the law.”
“I don't think it's as bad as you're making it out to be. I know it's illegal and all, but surely we could use all the help we can get? Why not bring him in as a kind of freelancer? I've been reading comics all my life and I think this shows that he's a good person. He just wants to help.”
“If he wants to help then he can enlist in the academy like you did. I don't see you running through the night in a costume,” Andy said.
Iris shrugged. “I always dreamed of doing it, I just didn't have the guts. Can you imagine what it must be like to be out there on your own? There's no backup, no law behind you, just the sense of righteousness and your own willpower. It's pretty romantic in a way,” Iris said.
“It sounds like you have a little crush on this hero,” Ellen said, teasing Iris, who squirmed in her seat.
“Let's get one thing straight here and now. Whoever this man is, he is not a hero. Wearing a costume doesn't change the fact that he assaulted men and interfered when he should have called the police and let us handle it,” Andy said.
“And how long would we have taken to respond? We can't have cops on every corner every night. He's willing to put himself at risk to patrol the streets and keep people safe. I agree we need to talk to him but I don't think we should outright condemn him for what he's doing.”
“I can't believe as a police officer that you would agree with any of this. You know how much training we have to go through and how many regulations there are. The Phenom, or whoever he is, didn't go through that training. He's not the character in the comic books. He's not some infallible archetype. He's just a person, a man, a human being and, at some point, he's going to fail, and where's that going to leave us?”
“Why are you assuming he's going to fail? He could be an asset. And, for all you know, he might have gone through training. We don't know anything about him. I mean, really, for all we know he might be a cop himself. How many of us got into the force because we wanted to make a difference? Maybe he feels tied up by all the paperwork and this is the only way he actually can be out on the streets and making sure he's protecting people.” Iris' voice rose as the debate got more heated and people began to look their way.
“If he was a cop then he would know this is completely wrong and there's no coming back from this. This vigilante stuff might work in the pages of a comic book, but it doesn't in real life. And if he's going to go and copy The Phenom, who is to say that somebody else won't want to be his nemesis? Sure, he stopped a few muggings last night, but what if the threats become bigger? Do you really think he'll be able to stop all of them?”
“I don't think he's even thought that far ahead...Why is it so difficult for you to just accept that there's someone out there who wanted to make a difference and is actually doing it?”
“Because it's my job to think about the bigger picture. I have to think of these things because the safety of this town is my responsibility. When somebody puts on a costume and goes around beating up people for a crime he feels is unjust, we are in trouble. How do we know where his moral compass lies? He doesn'
t get to choose which punishment fits which crime. When we give one man that power, well, it's a sad day for all of us.”
“I think you're blowing this way out of proportion,” Iris said.
This time Andy didn't reply. Both of them were seething and Ellen had been sitting back, listening to them debate the issue without getting involved.
“I mean,” Iris continued, “why can't we do something similar to what Ellen is doing? She's a consultant and works on cases, but she also pursues things independently. Why can't we do the same thing with The Phenom?” She glanced at Ellen, who pursed her lips, but still remained silent.
“What do you make of all this anyway?” Iris asked. Ellen reached forward and took a sip of her drink, giving her time to think before she answered.
“First, I don't think it's a matter that can be decided by a chat in a cafe. But I think what I do and what he does are rather different. After all, I don't use violence to apprehend criminals, and more often than not I'm only brought in to help after a crime has been committed. One of my concerns is he will end up acting before a crime is committed. As Andy said, he is just a man and if he continues in this vein he may become too confident in his own abilities, notice the signs of a crime, and act to prevent it. This would leave him open to charges of assault.
“We also do have to think about the bigger picture. Things like this inevitably inspire copycats, and the more people who are out on the street doing this, the more chance there is for things to go wrong. But my main concern is for his own safety. He's going to be putting himself in danger night after night, and I don't care if he's well-trained or not. The more he goes out there, the more chance there is for him to get hurt. I think what we have to do first is find out who The Phenom is and talk with him, try understanding why he is doing this.” Her response was measured and seemed to satisfy them both, but in truth Andy was simply too tired to argue.
“I have to try preparing a statement for the press this afternoon. I still have no idea what I'm going to say,” he said, pinching his nose.
Iris and Ellen looked at him sympathetically. While they tried changing the conversation and speaking of other things, it was difficult when the subject of The Phenom was such an important one to them all. It wasn't long before they left and Ellen had to wish Andy good luck. Then she returned to being the hostess, listening to the various opinions being presented. She wondered if anyone there was actually The Phenom himself. She knew that if she were in his position she would find it difficult to not want to find out what people were saying about her.
In the newspaper’s evening edition there were a few updates to the story. The lead story, of course, was Andy's response to The Phenom’s activities:
'I'm not going to get into all the legal matters here. All I'd like to say is that the official position of the East Pender police department is we encourage the people in the community to take an active role in protecting each other. That being said, there are limits to these activities and we are concerned about The Phenom's safety. We would urge him to come and see us so we can discuss his role. As always, we would advise people that if they see a crime being committed to call the police so it can be handled in an official manner.'
The rest of the article wasn't too complimentary about Andy. The journalist was obviously on the side of The Phenom, although Ellen cynically thought this was because The Phenom was news, and the longer he stayed around the more newspapers would be sold. Accompanying the article were more details of the stories from last night. The eye-witness reports were conflicting, which made it challenging for Ellen to pin down a description of The Phenom. The only picture anyone managed to take was blurry and still didn't give her much clue as to his true identity. So far all she knew was that he was male and in good shape. The fact that he based himself on a fictional character did lend itself to the theory that the man behind the mask was on the younger side of the spectrum, but it was by no means solid proof.
Reading the statement and the article again, she admired Andy for staying restrained but she didn't think it would do much good. The Phenom had his own reasons for doing things and he most likely wasn't going to talk about them with the police. Especially not if he had seen the overwhelmingly positive response from the newspaper and from the people he had saved. What he was doing was working, and his convictions would blind him to the fact that he should speak to someone in authority. That is when Ellen had an idea. It was a little spark at first, but then it grew. Andy would hate her for it, but she was not shy about taking matters into her own hands. There was only one guaranteed way to get face to face with The Phenom, and she wanted to talk.
She kept her plans to herself for the rest of the evening as she ran the cafe, and yet again brushed away all requests for her opinion about The Phenom, responding with just a coy smile. Before she knew it, she was locking up and it was nighttime. Somewhere out there was The Phenom, and Ellen would give him what he was waiting for.
Chapter 3
After poring over the articles Ellen found a pattern of where The Phenom patrolled. Although it was claimed he looked over the entire expanse of East Pender, in actuality, the crimes he stopped were all within a few blocks of each other. This told Ellen that The Phenom probably didn't drive, and that he was located within this area. Once she locked up the cafe she bid Alexander goodnight and watched him leave as she walked to her car. When she arrived there she stopped and turned around, walking toward the area in which The Phenom prowled. Scampy, her devout canine companion, was by her side, and looked a little puzzled when she turned away from the car, but she reassured him everything was okay.
“We're just going to meet a new friend,” she said, or at least she hoped The Phenom would turn out to be a friend.
Some people would say that going to the same area would be a risk. That The Phenom would not return to the same locations now that he knew the police probably were looking for him, and given the exertions his nocturnal activities called for, he would not be blamed if he had to take the night off. But Ellen was good at predicting people's behavior. She knew The Phenom could not afford to hide now. Not after a spotlight had been shone on him, and he had the attention of the newspapers and, for the time being, their goodwill. He needed to follow up the previous night’s triumphs with another night where he vanquished injustice and terror and, Ellen knew, he would have enjoyed the sheer thrill of fighting crime and want to taste that again and again. Although there were differences between them she had to admit she shared the addiction to that taste and she would not easily give it up if somebody asked her.
The night was quiet, as they often were in East Pender. Ellen never felt too afraid walking home because she had Scampy to protect her. Most people also knew who she was. So if they did happen to attack her, they would become the focus of Andy’s ire, and no criminal wanted that upon them. But not everyone was as fortunate as Ellen and she did know fear. Back when she lived in the city there were many times when she walked home a couple of blocks after getting a ride with friends, wishing she'd taken their offer of driving her straight to her door. Glancing nervously over her shoulder she would hear faint noises in the shadows and wonder if this was the night when someone would leap out and try attacking her. It was the kind of thing she never expected to happen to her, but knew all too well that it could. Since being involved with Andy and the police she had seen that crime was all too prevalent a thing, even in a town as small as East Pender.
Whatever people thought about The Phenom, Ellen had to admit his intentions were good. As long as there were people with good intentions still left in the world she knew there was hope things could get better. As she walked through the neighborhood she saw lights winking out one by one as people went safely to bed, knowing they were protected behind their brick walls and double-glazed windows. Occasionally a car roared past, speeding along the barren road, and in the distance she heard nothing.
Ellen looked along the rooftops, trying to see if she could spot the silhouette of The
Phenom but either it was too dark or he was elsewhere. When she was in position (she decided to find a spot near an abandoned building that used to be a general store run by an Italian family before they went home) she looked around and licked her lips. She never had been one to perform and it felt strange to put on this little act. She found herself wishing she had asked Kelly to come, but knew that The Phenom would be more likely to talk if there was just one person.
“Help,” she called, although her voice still was restrained.
She called again, and again. Gradually the words became louder until she screamed full throttle, making the inside of her throat roar. Scampy was confused by everything that was happening. He heard his owner scream for help, yet there did not seem to be any danger about, but he barked all the same, wanting to make Ellen proud.
After she had been screaming for a while she began seeing the flaw in her plan. It all depended on The Phenom actually being around to hear her, and that did not seem to be the case. She peered into the darkness again and took a few deep breaths, wishing she had brought some water to ease the aching in her throat. Deciding to give it one last try, she bellowed from the pit of her gut and screamed for help so loudly it left her breathless.
There was a noise behind her.
She turned to see The Phenom in all his impressive glory. He was about as tall as Andy, with a cape flowing around him. The costume was intimidating and he stood in an imposing posture.
“It's okay now, ma'am. I'm here. How may I be of service?” he asked.
His voice was deep, as the newspaper articles suggested, but there was something strange about it that Ellen couldn't quite put her finger on. It was almost as if something about it was forced. He looked around, and when he didn't see anyone Ellen stepped forward.
“Why were you calling for help?”
“I wanted to talk to you, and this seemed to be the best way.”
He looked at Ellen carefully, and his eyes met Scampy's. His fists clenched. “Is this some kind of trap?” he asked defensively, the sound of terror in his voice.
