by Leona Fox
Adam's father opened the door. He was a spindly man with a voice so soft Ellen barely could hear him talk. They asked if Adam was home and the man sighed, then showed them to Adam's room. It was much like Stanley's. Ellen recognized Adam as the boy who had been with Stanley at the comic book shop. Adam glanced at them then turned back to his computer game. Andy stood in the doorway and waited for Adam's father to leave earshot before he spoke.
“We need to talk with you, Adam,” he began in a stern voice.
“About what?”
“About Stanley.”
“What about him?”
“Adam, we know all about Stanley. And we know that you lied to his mother about him staying over here sometimes when he really was staying out at night,” Ellen said.
When she spoke Adam's head dropped a little. He paused his game and swiveled on his chair to face them.
“You were in the store the other day,” he said when he looked at Ellen. Andy raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, I was.”
“Did you know then?”
“I had my suspicions, but no, I didn't know until this morning, when they found the body.” At the mention of the body Adam seemed to shiver and the light went out of his eyes.
“I told him he should take it easy for a couple of days, especially after you came sniffing around. He needed to rest,” the young boy said.
“I have a theory,” Andy said, “Now, I'm not a big fan of superheroes. I can't remember the last time I read a comic book. But if memory serves me correctly a lot of superheroes have sidekicks. It must have taken the two of you a long time to come up with the plan, even just to make the costume. I don't think it was Stanley's idea alone, or even if it was, he still needed help, like someone to cover for him to his mother.” He had been leaning against the wall but now he pushed himself off and stepped into the room.
“But I can't imagine it was much fun being the sidekick. You must have seen how everybody in the town loved The Phenom, loved Stanley, and I bet Stanley loved it, too. I bet it was galling to have to hear about all his adventures when you were the one who was left behind. Nobody thanked you. Nobody even knew who you were. I think you got jealous. You knew where Stanley would be and he'd trust you, and then you'd stab him to get him back for all the glory he'd stolen from you.”
“No!” Adam yelled.
Tears burned his eyes as he leaned forward in the chair, every sinew in his body filled with impotent anger that blazed with fury for one glorious moment, and then subsided as his body was overwhelmed with emotion. He sank back into his chair, rubbing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“We were a team,” he said, “We did it all together. It wasn't supposed to be like this. We just couldn't understand why nobody had done it before.”
“I don't buy it. You couldn't have been sitting here, night after night, not caring that he got to be the one that got to wear the costume and save all those people,” Andy said.
“He was the best choice. He knew judo and karate. He could do it. I couldn't. We were a team, I'm telling you. Look, this is what we were working on,” he said, rummaging around his desk until he pulled out a thick wad of paper that had a storyboard laid out. Ellen took it, and from a cursory glance she could see the artwork was the same style as she had seen in Stanley's bedroom.
“We were just going to see what happened, that's all. We thought it would give people hope. We went to the circus when it was in town and we saw how much people enjoyed that, but when it went away people seemed to forget all the magic. We just thought this was a way we could give it back to them,” Adam said, “but he wasn't supposed to die.”
His eyes darted about as though he was searching for answers, and Ellen knew it would take a little while for the reality to settle in. From what little information she had she could tell the two of them spent most of their time together, and being apart was going to be incredibly difficult for Adam.
Andy's phone rang. It was Iris. “She's got something for us,” he said, throwing his head toward the door, indicating they should leave.
“Adam, someone will be back to talk with you,” Ellen said before she left the room. The young boy merely nodded.
Chapter 6
Ellen and Andy rushed back to the police station.
“What did you think of him?” Andy said.
“I think he's going to find it difficult to come to terms with the death of his best friend. I think The Phenom obviously meant a lot to him. The two of them must have worked hard to create the comic they were working on together. Probably thought they knew something nobody else did, like they had it all figured out. It must have made so much sense to them. You just put on a costume and go fight crime. The people in the pages of the comics make it look so easy. They just couldn't see the realities of the situation, see why it would fail.”
“Can't blame them, really. They're just kids. God, I remember the stuff my friends and I used to talk about. If we put half that stuff into action I don't know what would have happened. They actually had the guts to do it, though, gotta give it to them. They knew what they wanted to do, and they went out and did it. A lot of people would have failed to get that far. Maybe it would have been better if they had failed.”
Ellen squeezed his arm for comfort. He smiled at her in return, and they walked through the police station to where Iris was waiting for them. She had a thoughtful look on her face as she scanned the screen. It took Andy's cough to shake her from whatever it was that had caught her attention.
“You've got something for us?” he asked. He and Ellen walked around the table and leaned over Iris' shoulder, peering at the screen.
“Well, for a person with a secret identity he wasn't all that secure with his passwords. To log on to his laptop I only had to type in 'The Phenom99' and that gave me full access. I thought people were smarter than that. Anyway, I did a bit of digging around. Aside from the usual things you would find on a teenage boy’s laptop, I went through his email account and saw he was in regular correspondence with someone who goes by 'ComicsGod#1'. Now, this ComicsGod#1 and Stanley were having a very intense argument about all things comics-related. At first I put in a search for anything that had to do with The Phenom but their argument went in so many different directions I ended up reading most of it. I just was reading the rest when you came in. It's...it's interesting stuff when you think about it, but it's kinda surreal knowing he wrote this over the past few weeks and now he's dead.”
Iris swallowed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, then rose from the seat and walked toward the door. Andy sank down into the empty seat and began scrolling while Ellen noticed that Iris looked pale. She went to stand by the young woman.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Iris seemed startled by her presence and smiled weakly, although it appeared on her face for only the briefest moment before disappearing.
“I'm fine. It's just...reading those emails...he seemed so full of life, and now...he's not. It was only the other day when I was thinking about The Phenom and whether I agreed with what he was doing. When I pictured him under the mask I never imagined he would be a boy that young. I mean...he's even younger than me! And I know it's stupid because I've come across things like this before, and I know I will again, and it shouldn't affect me this much, but I just can't seem to shake this weird feeling.”
“You don't have to apologize for anything. Being in this business, sometimes we are going to come across cases like these, and they're going to affect us in ways we might not expect. All we can do is focus on doing our jobs and getting to the bottom of the mystery. You did a good job finding those emails and looking through his laptop. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you. Go take a break, you've earned one,” Ellen said.
Iris smiled at her again. This time it was a little stronger and far less fleeting. The young officer's boots clipped against the floor as she walked away. Then the sound was silenced as she turned around.
“You know, back when I
first started working here and Andy told me about you, I didn't really understand why he'd want to use a consultant. I never really trusted people who weren't proper police, but I was really wrong. I'm glad you're here Ellen, and I wish there was some way we could have worked with Stanley.”
“Thank you, Iris. I do as well,” Ellen said, and smiled as she watched the young woman walk off. With that, she turned back to Andy and leaned on the table beside him.
“You've gotta read some of this stuff,” Andy said.
The emails were long diatribes, more like essays, detailing various bits of comic minutia. They went back a while. Each topic was written in the title, then the two of them would debate back and forth until one of them conceded. Or, as was more common, they simply grew bored and had exhausted everything about the argument and wanted to move on. The most recent exchange was regarding the relationship between heroes and villains, and if a hero did indeed need a villain or not. Stanley suggested no, but ComicsGod#1 was adamant that a hero was nothing without a villain.
ComicsGod#1 writes:
I canNOT believe you even would suggest such a thing. In any comic where a hero fights normal people there is no struggle. EXTRAordinary people need EXTRAordinary threats, and you cannot tell me this won't come to pass. First, to make an entertaining story there has to be some kind of threat, and if the hero is just easily dispatching his foes there is no drama. There needs to be insurmountable odds for the hero to overcome. Otherwise, the story is, frankly, boring, as we've seen in so many failed comic runs. The fact is craziness sells, and the moment you make the hero powerful you have to bring in a powerful villain, and they have to get bigger and crazier. I'm not saying I agree with it, but audiences will get bored if you just have the same old people every week. Anyway, I've talked enough about that, and I hope you will accept my point there. You're not talking about something completely different. A hero in real life, in the real world? I'm sure there are a few people around the country who have done something similar, but it'll never catch on. Life is not like a comic book, my young friend, and do not delude yourself into thinking the two follow the same rules. In one of them death is just a plot device, in the other it is a grim finality. If someone did actually wear a costume and become a vigilante it only would end in tears, for even then a hero will need a villain. Dealing with petty criminals only will go so far. Eventually someone will rise up to challenge the hero and aim to bring about their downfall. The pattern has been a constant through human history. Good versus evil. Yin/Yang. When one rises up, so does the other. It is impossible. I can predict with absolute certainty that if one of these heroes existed in the real world, they soon would find themselves at odds with a similar foe, one who would push them to their very limits. I don't see how you could have it any other way.
ThePhenom99 writes:
You're ignoring the points I'm making again!!! I'm not talking about the artistic merit of the works, I'm talking about actual facts and reality here. I'm trying to look at it from a logical viewpoint. You can't point to some mystical karmic balance as evidence. Just because someone decides to be a hero doesn't mean someone else is going to be a villain. I don't believe people are inherently that evil. All it takes is one man to stand up against injustice and others will follow. Surely setting a good example is all it will take for people to stand up and be counted? They could inspire others, just as all the heroes in the comics inspired us to become artists and creators and to talk about them.
Are you really that cynical that you don't believe a hero could succeed in the world? There's already too much crime and I don't see how the presence of one man would escalate that to such a degree. You're right in that life does not follow the same rules of fiction, so why are you applying those laws to life? In fiction the hero needs an adversary for the sake of drama, but in real life it's not like that. Crime as a concept is the only adversary that exists, and if people work together they can get rid of it. Villains are a plot device. If there was a Phenom in real life he would not suddenly have people out baying for blood. I choose to believe he would have people rallying to his cause, trying to help him fight the good fight. I know I would.
The rest of the emails involved them rehashing the same points over and over again, talking past each other, then getting distracted in side arguments that cropped up. It would take a while to read through them all, but Ellen and Andy knew they had read enough. Whoever this ComicsGod#1 was, he was adamant that a hero needed a villain. Was it by chance that at the same time The Phenom did seem to run into trouble? If there was a villain in town, then hopefully their work would be done with the murder of The Phenom. But if they were playing the part, just as Stanley had been doing, then this may have only been the beginning of a crime spree.
“I'll get Iris on this. We need to find out who this person is and see if he actually was able to get down here,” Andy said, moving to find his young deputy.
“Give her a little time. This case has been hard on her. Why don't we go get a drink, and try relaxing a little? The case has been hard on you, too,” Ellen suggested as they walked through the police station.
“Yes, by the way, why were you going to a comic book store?” Andy asked.
Ellen was about to answer when they were interrupted by a newspaper reporter. As soon as he saw Andy emerge he rushed up to the police chief and flooded him with questions about The Phenom's death and if he thought the police could have done something more to protect the vigilante.
“I'd like to interview you so you could give your opinion about the vigilante and if there is anything you would do differently in case another costumed crusader appeared. I think the public would like to hear your views.”
Andy pushed past him and gruffly said, “No comment,” and he and Ellen were on their way out of the police station.
Ellen sensed Andy's mood had taken a dive. “Damn reporters. Why can't they just mind their own business? Don't they know we have a case to solve? It's not going to do Stanley any good if we release details of the case now. All it'll do is give information to his killer.”
Ellen led him away and the two of them were able to relax. It was often difficult in this line of work to separate the case from their personal lives, but somehow they managed it. When they were away from the station they slipped into being a couple. They didn't mention the case at all, even though it was in the back of their minds.
Excerpt from newspaper column:
I can hardly believe I am writing these words. The Phenom has died. Although he only has been with the town for the best part of a week, he has made a lasting impact on not just me, but the town as a whole. Ever since the first night he appeared I have noticed a change in the town's mood. People seemed friendlier and happier, and now I fear that with his death we shall be plunged back into what we were before. I urge you to remember The Phenom's example and the way he made us feel, and carry that forward with us for the rest of our lives.
I still do not know who he is. The police are not releasing that information, and I have to ask myself why? In my opinion, the police failed him. They should have given him support and protection; worked with him instead of trying to have a conversation with him. I have tried to get an interview with the police chief, but so far he has refused to speak with me. So I am forced to turn to this column to air my views.
I am fully behind The Phenom and whoever killed him needs to be brought to justice. If The Phenom were here I know he would not rest until the killer was found, and we must do the same. The police can do what they want, but they never will be like The Phenom. To them law enforcement is just a job, to The Phenom it was a passion, a duty, a destiny. They owe him in death more than they ever gave him in life, as do we all. It is our duty now to live up to the example The Phenom set, to carry forward the lessons he taught us. His reign as champion of East Pender was short-lived, but he never will be forgotten. I know many of you share my feelings in this matter. So let us rally around now and make sure nobody ever forgets the name of Th
e Phenom.
I am hoping to expand these articles, the interviews, and all of your comments into a book. If you have anything else you would like to share about The Phenom, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Chapter 7
After a short break Iris returned to Stanley's laptop and looked through the rest of the emails. As a fellow comics fan herself she was well-versed in most of the arguments they were having, and she found herself wanting to type out a reply and take on the baton that Stanley had dropped. The more she read from Stanley the more she wished she had been able to know him before he had been killed. Her interest in comics always had been something of a guilty pleasure as she grew up in a time when comics had not been marketed to girls; she had just been fortunate enough to have a father who allowed her to explore her own interests.
When she thought about Stanley she wondered if there were any circumstances in which she would have donned a costume and taken to prowling the streets. In some ways she was envious. Although she was a police officer, which always had been her dream, it wasn't the same as putting on a costume and cape and becoming a figure was larger than life. Still, if it ended in death then she wasn't too envious. Although she never would never say it to Andy's face, she did find she agreed with the reporter who accused the police of not doing enough, but given her interest in comics she recognized she was biased.
Either way, there was a hollow feeling in her gut as she thought about Stanley and the life that he wasn't going to be able to lead. He had risked everything to be a hero and ultimately it had cost him everything. One of the things she loved about the comics was how they endured and how the characters always triumphed no matter how challenging the odds. This was simply a stark reminder that real life wasn't like the comics, and she couldn't always count on the good guys winning. She had to do her job and hope everybody else around her did theirs, and if fortune was in their favor they would be able to emerge victorious.
