Megamatrix Hero Within

by Hester, Phil

  “Excuse me?” Fletcher said.

  “Did you want me to call a plumber or do you want to keep the plumbing broken?” the guard prompted. “You seemed to like it this way.”

  “Um...” Fletcher didn’t understand why he was being asked for his opinion on how they should treat Technein’s mansion. “What do I care? Technein is gone.”

  “Exactly. That’s why I’m asking what you’d like us to do.”

  “Why are you asking me?” Fletcher yelled.

  “Well, if you get rid of him,” the guard explained, pointing out the window toward the direction the wave had taken Technein and Napalm, “you can just take over the whole city. It’s that easy.”

  It took a moment for the reality to sink in. For the first time in as long as he could remember, there wasn’t a supervillain lording over the city. What could that mean?

  What if he demanded the police enforce the laws, the way his dad did? What if he opened up the hospitals so that anyone could go to them? What if every idiot who got superpowers was no longer trying to impress Technein with how much they destruction they could cause?

  He quickly realized he had no idea how to run a city. He needed to talk to Miguel—if Miguel would listen to him. He needed to talk to Android 7. He needed to know what to do next. He needed... he needed a plan. He'd fix this city as best he could. Because things were about to change.

  “Yes,” he told the security guard. “Call a plumber.”