by Leona Fox
After surveying the rooftops for a while he carefully made his way to the edge of the roof and shimmied down the drainpipe, landing on solid ground. It was almost midnight and most people were asleep, but he knew this is when criminals liked to come out to play. They were a cowardly and superstitious lot and liked to think they had the run of the town while everyone else was in bed. In some ways humanity disgusted him. It was capable of the worst kinds of depravity, and as he looked through history he was saddened by the propensity with which humans sought to destroy each other. The main types of progress were in weapons, as various civilizations tried their hardest to find new and more potent ways to kill each other. Sometimes it seemed futile even to try saving them, but among all that horror there were still acts of kindness, there was still love. The Phenom knew this had to be preserved, that as long as there were these higher ideals and as long as people continued striving for them, continued bettering themselves, they were worth saving.
His cape flowed behind him as he strode down the street. He clenched his fists so he was primed for action, as it could start at any moment. He strained his ears to listen for any sign of disturbance. A good night would be one where he wasn't called for at all, and in an ideal world there would be no need for a man like The Phenom, but he didn't live in an ideal world and East Pender was desperately in need of someone like him. His eyes searched the shadows for any sign of wrongdoing and all the while he lamented the fact that there were not more people like him, people who were willing to take it upon themselves to make the world a better place. Too many people were passive, but he hoped that with his show of strength he would be able to stir others into action.
Time passed swiftly as the masked marauder patrolled the streets. It seemed as though it was going to be a quiet night, and he was about to return home when he heard a scream. Instantly leaping into action, he sprinted along the sidewalk to the source of the noise, and slowed his pace when he heard the struggle. He peered around the corner of a building to see two shadows wrestling. There were grunts and cries of anguish. One voice was a woman's, the other was a man’s, and from the sound of it the woman was being attacked. Given the shape of the shadows they were struggling over a handbag.
The Phenom's blood boiled at this and he prepared himself for action; he breathed heavily and visualized in his mind exactly how the fight would go. He would leap in and distract the attacker with his flowing cape. Then, wasting no time, he would continue forward for the assault, winding the attacker with a hefty gut punch, sending him doubling over to the ground. Once he was down The Phenom would make sure he stayed that way until the cops could come and pick him up.
The woman screamed again and The Phenom knew he had no time to lose. He ran in and made sure his cape was billowing out. Just as he planned, the attacker was distracted. The Phenom liked seeing the look of fear on his face as now he experienced what his victim was going through. The victim, a young woman, managed to wrestle away from the fight and now The Phenom could get to work. The thief was an older man, perhaps in his 50s, but he was strong, and in a contest with the woman she would have stood no chance. But The Phenom was primed for battle. He had spent months training his body, honing it so he would not be caught unprepared. He knew most of the people he would encounter would be petty thieves like this one, and against his hardened physique and technical prowess they would stand no chance.
And so it was, as the fight went much as he expected. There was a quick flurry of blows and the thief was soon on the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning in pain. The Phenom stood triumphant over him, chest heaving, unable to prevent himself from smiling. He looked over and the woman was paralyzed, staring at him with fear and wonder. He knew she must have been scared that she had traded one devil for another.
“It's okay ma'am, I'm just here to help,” he said, holding his hands up and stepping away from her.
“Are you alright?” His voice was deep and manly, and he saw the relief wash over her face as she realized she could trust him.
She nodded and replied weakly. “Who are you? Where did you come from?” she asked.
“I'm The Phenom, and I come from the hearts of the people, and the nightmares of criminals. You shouldn't be out so late at night. You were lucky I was able to get here quickly. Next time you may not be. Go home and stay safe.”
The woman nodded again and staggered off, barely believing what she just had seen. As she walked away she continued looking over her shoulder to make sure what she had seen was not a mere apparition.
The Phenom dragged the thief to the side of the alley and propped him up against the wall, then tied his wrists together. The man was groggy.
“Now then, you're not going to do anything like this again, are you?” The Phenom said.
When the man didn't respond The Phenom grabbed his chin in his leather-clad hands and squeezed tightly, pushing the thief's lips together as he repeated the question. This time the thief answered, shaking his head, terror in his eyes. When The Phenom released his grip the man stretched his aching jaw and asked him who he was. The Phenom looked down at him and smirked.
“You'll be hearing more about me,” he said, and then ran off into the night, quickly climbing onto the rooftops to give the appearance that he had disappeared.
Thrilled with another successful adventure he reveled in his glory as he knew that he had made a difference in someone's life. As he stood on the rooftops he folded his arms across his chest and a slight breeze ruffled the bottom of his cape, making it flow like the Mississippi. The adrenalin was pumping through his body. He was still new to all this but he never had been happier. It felt like he finally was fulfilling his existential purpose. So with a flurry of his cape he continued patrolling the streets well into the night.
Does East Pender have its very own superhero? The Phenom strikes and saves woman from mugging!
That was the headline in the paper the following day. Alexander had brought in a copy and asked Ellen if she had seen it. She cocked an eyebrow when she read the headline. Sighing as she glanced at the headline she threw the paper back down on the counter.
“Didn't you read it?” Alexander said, “this guy took out a mugger, and apparently he's stopped a few other petty crimes as well. I wonder who he is, and where he came from?”
“It's probably just another attention-seeker, and all he's going to do is get himself or somebody else hurt,” Ellen replied.
“I don't know, the article makes it seem like he knows what he's doing. The women he saved said that he seemed trained and he took the guy down in just a few seconds. Seems like you're not the only ordinary person who wants to fight crime,” Alexander said, teasing Ellen.
“There's a vast difference between what I do and what he does,” Ellen said dismissively, then ordered Alexander to get to work. He looked chagrined but did as he was told.
“How are things going with Stephanie, by the way?” Ellen asked, trying to lighten the air between them. After all, she didn't want to have an argument with him over such a trivial matter. As she mentioned Stephanie's name Alexander lit up.
“It's going really well actually! I still don't know how I'm ever going to thank you for all you did for me. We're still taking it slow at the moment but we're getting there. There's a lot that we both discovered about each other while we were apart. So now we're just trying to get each to know each other again, but for now we're just taking it easy and going with the flow.”
“That's often the best way to do it,” Ellen said, smiling.
She and Alexander tidied the cafe while it was quiet and then waited for the lunchtime rush. As she washed various dishes and mugs, and cleaned the tables, Ellen thought about The Phenom and wondered what would drive someone to put themselves in danger night after night like that. Furthermore, she thought about what Alexander had said. Although she had dismissed the idea that she was similar to The Phenom, in reality she had to admit they weren't too far apart. After all, she was not an official member of t
he police force, just a consultant, and she often had gone charging off on her own because she had a lead that she needed following. The main difference was she wasn't wearing a costume, but when it came down to it was that really an important distinction? Either way, she knew Andy wouldn't be happy that someone was dressing up in a costume and fighting crime.
When she saw that Alexander had gone to the back she walked back over to the counter and took a longer look at the at the newspaper article. From the way the woman described The Phenom he sounded like more than a man ever could hope to be, but Ellen knew how unreliable eyewitness reports could be. She had been under a great deal of stress, and it was at night. But there was a man under that mask and Ellen wanted to know who it was.
Alexander came back in and Ellen quickly turned away from the newspaper. From the twinkle in Alexander's eye she knew he had seen her, and she gave him a wry smile. This was definitely a most interesting development for East Pender but Ellen was not sure where it would lead. All she knew was she would have to find The Phenom and try making him realize that what he was doing was actually detrimental to the efforts of the police, and that there were much more productive ways to help keep the community safe.
Her phone beeped and she looked at the message. Kelly was texting her about The Phenom and then sent a picture message of a costume that she had drawn for Ellen. Ellen snorted with laughter and typed a quick reply. There was no way she was going to be caught in spandex. Her figure was good for her age but she was far too aware of her wobbly bits to show them off like that. But as soon as Kelly messaged her she realized the entire town would be abuzz with talk of The Phenom.
Excerpt from editorial:
A shocking revelation struck East Pender last night. A woman came forward and said she was rescued by a mysterious masked man calling himself The Phenom. She was being mugged and feared for her very life when he appeared from the shadows and detained the man attacking her. When it was over he disappeared into thin air. After I heard this report I spoke to some of my other sources. It appears as though The Phenom had a busy night, stopping a number of petty crimes as he patrolled the streets. It seems East Pender has a new guardian in town, but is he an angel or a devil? Who is this man and why does he feel the need to put on a mask instead of, say, joining the police force? And, for that matter, what will the police have to say about it? The emergence of The Phenom raises more questions than this Columnist can answer, and it remains to be seen how well one man can patrol all the streets of East Pender at night. One thing is for certain; last night he made a difference to people's lives, and maybe we all could learn a lesson from him.
Chapter 2
Later in the afternoon Ellen amused herself by listening to everyone talk about The Phenom. Some were worried by his presence and wondered why he kept his identity hidden if he was such a hero. Others argued he obviously had a reason and what he was doing was an entirely selfless act, and the people of East Pender should be thankful. Many of them asked Ellen's opinion on the matter, and while she usually was open to discussing most topics this time she wanted to remain tight-lipped. Although she wasn't part of the police force she didn't want to take the chance that her words may be misconstrued as the police endorsing or condemning The Phenom. Alexander, on the other hand, was not so reluctant to share his views and engaged in some very heated debates throughout the day about the merits of vigilante justice. So much so that at some points Ellen had to pull him away and order him to take a break.
The place was filled with newspapers as the customers pored over the details of the articles. They all asked themselves if The Phenom would appear again that night. Some even said they were tempted to put on a costume themselves and join in, or at least watch The Phenom's back. Others were more boisterous and said they wanted to make The Phenom see that he wasn't as good as he thought.
Eventually, Andy and Iris entered the cafe and as soon as they did they were bombarded with questions. From the look on Andy's face Ellen could tell he was stressed. He forced himself to remain composed as he held his hands up and told everyone he simply had come to the cafe for a coffee and that an official statement about The Phenom would be released later. Ellen greeted him with a hug and a kiss, then placed a cup of coffee in front of him as he took a seat.
“I needed that,” he said.
“The coffee or the hello?” Ellen asked. Andy's lips twitched at the corner of his mouth.
“Both,” he said.
Ellen grabbed a drink for Iris as well and joined them at a table in the corner, well away from anyone else. Although as she sat down she noticed the people around them grew quieter and seemed to lean toward them. They were straining their ears in the hope that they would pick up on some morsel of information that would give them the edge in gossip. Ellen cleared her throat and gave them a warning glance. They looked down in shame and moved to another table farther away, leaving Ellen feeling satisfied.
“So, how are you doing?” Ellen asked, knowing that for such a simple question it would require a long time to answer.
Andy let out a dry laugh. “I was looking forward to a nice quiet morning then I go into work, find the paper on my desk and dozens of messages from headquarters. This Phenom may have saved people last night but all he's really done is give me a headache,” and to emphasize his words he raised his hands to his temples and massaged them lightly.
“Is it really all that bad?” Ellen asked.
Andy paused and his hand fell back down to the table. He looked around at the cafe to make sure nobody was within earshot. Leaning forward, he lowered his voice.
“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--”