When Heroes Fall

Chapter 2

It took the EMTs and the police fourteen hours to identify the city's hero as a local pizza delivery man known as Aiden West. Only twenty-eight to learn he lived alone in a Riverbend Apartment Complex on the south side of town. His girlfriend, Alice Louis, identified the body. They hadn't released any official pictures from the wreckage, but some bystanders leaked photos of his crushed body, his red suit in tatters and emblem covered in dirt. It took another two hours for Aiden's grandfather—the man who raised him—to arrive and confirm Alice's identification. It took the mayor thirty-six hours after that to coordinate a city-wide funeral and day of mourning. He already declared it a city holiday.

All around town, red banners with the Comet's bright, yellow insignia decorated walls, windows, and flag poles. The same yellow star encircled by a flame adorned Matt's own chest, though instead of the Comet's bright red background, it contrasted against the deep navy blue of his own super suit. Matt sat atop of skyscraper near city hall where a stage and podium had been set up for the funeral. He wore his black Kevlar jacket, protecting himself from the chilled winds above the city traffic. He kept his mask and visor on. While it was unlikely anyone would catch him on the roof, he didn't feel like explaining himself today. Besides, if Nightstar couldn't be there when the Comet needed him most, he should at least be at the funeral—though Matt declined the televised invitation from Mayor Buros for Nightstar to make an appearance.

Five chairs sat on the make-shift metal stage—one for the mayor, Alice, Mr. West, the police chief, and an empty chair. His chair, technically. A yellow rose rested there in his place. An odd choice until Matt spotted the bouquet in Alice's hands. There was a redness around her eyes and a pallor to her usually rosy-brown cheeks. Mr. West kept rested his hand on her shoulder, grief aging him. Matt had met Alice a few times in passing, though she didn't know his identity. He felt like he knew her though, with how much Aiden talked about her. Her coiled hair was worn down, her afro naturally framing her face.

Mayor Buros stepped to the podium. Attention shifted to him as the college band that had been called in set their instruments down. The microphone cracked as the mayor cleared his throat. He faced the large crowd that had gathered—citizens morning their hero. Some wore black. Others were in their regular attire, stopping in from whatever had been going on earlier in the day. Still, others wore bright red Comet costumes in tribute the fallen legend. At the front of the crowd, eager reporters turned their cameras on Mayor Buros as he began his speech.

Matt didn't know much about the most recent mayor. The short, mustached man was new to the position. He wore a fine suit. Matt thought he remembered hearing something about the man coming from old money. His politics were unremarkable, playing toward the center as much as possible. Matt held no love for the man, but he also never tried to make their job harder than it needed to be.

The mayor's usually soft, mumbled voice boomed through the microphone. He welcomed the crowd, remarking that it was a tragic circumstance that brought them together that day. Matt tuned his voice out, eyes raking over the crowd and mind drifting. Clouds rolled over the city sky.

It had been 15 months. That is how long Matt had been Nightstar—had been the Comet's sidekick. Aiden hadn't been looking for a sidekick when Matt caught him sneaking back into the apartment complex maskless, injured, but still in costume. Matt was in the middle of filming a parkour video outside the building—didn't even know what he had captured until he was editing the video later. The Comet was all over the news at that point, as he officially joined the Coalition of Heroes alongside other heroes like Commander Freedom and Black Aves. It took Matt maybe ten minutes to run over and knock-on Aiden's door, demanding that he teach him to be a hero. Aiden tried to turn him away, but Matt was relentless, and Aiden had a soft spot for kids.

He still remembered his first call out. Aiden wanted him to sit back and observe—said they were a routine group of rogues trying to break into some warehouse. And at first it was. There was Mage, a magician with access to pocket dimensions, Boulder, a creature made of solid rock, and Popsicle, an ice witch with an equally cold gaze. Comet was holding his own, then a new player entered the field—a young, masked woman. She wore a dark purple cloak, black hair pulled up in a tight ponytail. Chaos, Matt learned later was her alias. She was as new to the scene as he was. Her utility belt contained an arsenal of non-lethal weaponry that rivaled his own. Including a stun gun. She managed to slip between the Boulder's punches in time to hit Comet, distracting him enough for Boulder to land a solid punch. Matt ran out of his hiding spot in an instant with his bamboo fighting sticks—he'd picked up the Filipino fighting style from his best friend, Isko, when he lived in South Rapids, and Aiden helped him find more proper training. Matt's parents had thought it was a bit strange when he requested the martial art classes, but it would look good on collage applications, so they quickly agreed to let him.

Unfortunately, Matt still wasn't particularly good at the time. He was embarrassed just thinking about it. Thankfully, his floundering provided enough of a distraction for Comet to gain the upper hand. The rogues managed to slip away, though they didn't get whatever they were after, and Aiden clapped him on the back and told him good job. Matt got his pager. He was part of the team. Team Comet went from a solo act to a duo.

By the time Matt's attention snapped back to the present, Mayor Buros had sat back down and Alice was addressing the crowd. A faint smile graced her lips, despite the grief tremoring through her arms.

Her melodic voice floated over the crowd, powerful in its strained quietness, "The Comet may have been gifted with great power, but it is Aiden West who was the true Hero. He dedicated himself every day to making a difference. To doing his part to change the world, whether that be by listening to someone's story, stopping to help someone cross the street, or putting on his mask. If Aiden could impart one lesson to you all, it would be to have the courage to act in kindness. We can all be a hero, if only we choose to act."

Alice finished, bowing her head and stepping back to her chair. Mr. West took her hand, squeezing it tightly as she bit back tears. The crowd applauded. Pride swelled in Matt's chest. He could have never found the words to describe Aiden so eloquently. Her bravery outmatched his own.

The mayor readjusted the microphone to his short stature. "Thank you, Miss. Alice Louis, for that beautiful eulogy and that wonderful declaration. I could not have said it better myself. The Comet was our hero and defender. In the wake of his passing, we are met with trepidation and fear. The villain known as Gea is still on the loose. While the Coalition has been alerted, we much each do our part to keep Axiomville safe. That is why I am instating a 10:00 pm curfew for all citizens until Gea is apprehended. During this time, the Axiomville Police Department will be taking tips on Gea's whereabouts. APD will also be heavily patrolling Axiomville. This is for the safety of our city, and I ask that you comply with their requests as much as possible. An emergency bill has been passed to help fund these new measures. They are also requesting that any information on Nightstar be reported immediately. We are still unaware of his current condition. Police Chief Wright will now be taking the podium to answer any of the press's questions. Thank you, citizens, for joining together today in this time of morning. I promise you; I will not let our city fall."

Matt stood as Chief Wright took the podium. The crowds shifted as the formal memorial ended, though the reporters surged forward with an endless stream of questions. Mr. West escorted Alice off the back of the stage, away from the fray. Seeing she was out of the commotion, Matt stepped back. He had a city to patrol and a villain to hunt down. The Coalition of Heroes would be able to help him put a stop to Gea once their delegates arrived, but until then, Matt knew that Nightstar would have to keep common criminals and rogue villains from thinking they could strike since the Comet was gone. The responsibility rested on his shoulders now. He wouldn't let Aiden down again.