The Nano Experiment

Chapter 2: The Debate Begins

a/n: sorry it took so long; i hit one of those slow parts. But I must say, it turned out great!

“Tajnost, Declan,” Mr. Kross, our social studies teacher scolded as he caught us sneaking to our seats. “Late again I see.”

Arwen and I made our way to the front of the class. “What is your excuse this time?” Mr. Kross asked. I rubbed the back of my head, nervous. Arwen looked embarrassed. Serves her right, I thought, though I did feel a little sorry for her. This is her fault. Or is it? If it weren't for my lies, she would not have wanted to debate with me. “I'm waiting,” Mr. Kross said, tapping his foot. I looked at Arwen, then back at Mr. Kross.

“We, uh, had a little...dispute over this morning's paper,” I explained, hoping he would believe it.

“Really?” he asked, actually looking interested in our debate. “Let me see this paper.” Arwen handed him the newspaper, and he read it to himself. “Take your seats,” he ordered with a smile spreading across his face.

“Oh no,” I whispered to Arwen as we went to our seats. “We gave him an idea.”

My suspicions were confirmed when Mr. Kross put the paper on the projector. “There has been much debate over this man in the last few months,” he said, pacing back and forth. Oh no, I thought. He's pacing. That means that he's making it up as he goes along. “Some call him a hero, others, a villain, and many, an anti-hero.”

Arwen looked at me; We both knew where this was headed.

“That's what I want you to decide. Split into three groups and pick leaders. This is a debate, not a Socratic seminar, but for Pete's sake,” He looked at me, then at Arwen, “let everyone speak. Go.”

We were about to break into groups when he spoke again. “Wait!” Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked at him. “While your at it, give this guy a name. We cannot keep calling him 'the masked man'. Come on, the class pet could come up with a better name than that! Try not to embarrass him, okay? Continue.”

Ten minutes later, we were in our groups. I led the villain group, and Arwen led the hero group. Surprised? Langle Pierce led the anti-hero group. Looking at him, I felt sorry for him. He knew what he was in for, and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Poor guy. Arwen and I probably won't let him say a word.

Langle was a half-black, half-latino fourteen year old who probably skipped a grade. He had buzz-cut black hair and blue-grey eyes. Today he wore an orange football t-shirt, dark brown khakis, and black sandals. Though he was straight-A student, I knew he hated debates. Or maybe he just hated me and Arwen...Yea, that sounds about right.

Arwen looked at me with a smirk playing on her lips, and I knew I was in trouble. She just might win. If she convinced the others that he- or rather, I- was a hero, they might hate me for not budging. Is it worth it? I debated with my alter ego. Oh great. Now I am talking to myself.

Listen to me, my secret identity ordered, you cannot let her win.

Do I have a choice?

Of course. Let her win and you become hated, but safe; or you win and are liked and safe. It's a win-win.

Maybe for you. I want to have a life. A normal life. A social life. Which I cannot have if everyone hates me.

Uh...Dude, we are the same person. A normal life is out of the question.

I didn't ask to be a hero!

Neither did spider-man, the x-men, or the fantastic four. If you hate it so much, then why do you keep me? It would be so easy to throw me away, to box me up forever. So why don't you?

I cannot just-

“Go!” Mr. Kross interupted my thoughts.

“He saved a seven-year-old from being shot!” Arwen began the debate. “How could you call him a villain?”

“A single heroic deed does not automatically make him a hero!” I exclaimed back.

“Well, what about last week, huh? He saved a woman from a burning building! Name one thing evil about that!”

I flinched inside. When did they hear about that one? Oh, how I hated to pretend to hate myself. “I can name a million things wrong with that! First of all, he always makes the person he rescues swear not to reveal his looks. Oh, I just saved your life. Don't tell anyone what I look like! What kind of hero doesn't want to be seen?”

“Well, Batman was not all into the whole spotlight thing,” she quickly replied. “And the Hulk definitely wasn't.” Did she just compare me to a twenty foot tall green maniac with anger issues?

“At least they knew what Batman looked like! And the Hulk is like twenty feet tall and green. He's a little hard to miss.Not to mention the whole 'destroying the city' thing.”

“The Hulk couldn't help it!”

“And who's to say this guy can? We don't even know what he looks like, much less what he is capable of!”

Langle got up the guts to say something. Poor little guy. “Maybe he-”

Arwen continued going as if he hadn't said anything.“No one knew what Batman was capable of!”

“He. Was. Seen! At least he let people see him! And in case you've forgotten, he wasn't real!”

“But this guy is! You have no good reason to label him as a villain!”

“And you have a good reason to call him a hero? Look at all these child molesters on the internet. No one sees them. Then a kid gets raped.”

Langle tried again, to no avail. “Well perhaps-”

“What?” Arwen kept on. “He saved a kid!”

“Maybe he's just trying to gain our trust!”

Langle sighed and buried his face in his hands. “Not again...” he groaned. Mr. Kross put his hand on his shoulder and looked at us bickering.

He looked down at Langle. “Yea, I'm thinking...alternate assignment.”

“Yea,” Langle said, looking up at him, “that would be nice.”

They sighed as they watched us argue. They knew this would not be over any time soon.