Why the world doesn't need Super Heroes

Chapter One The Olympus Compound

"And so if elected, I promise to withdraw and reallocate funding from that gigantic black hole we call The Olympus Project and spend it on border security!" the electronic whining drone of obsolete television sets could have been blamed for the sound issuing from the large flat screen mounted on the wall, save for the fact that everything in the Olympus Compound was the latest technology, and the world knew this latest candidate for POTUS sounded like that without any assistance.

A derisive cough to my right was about as much of an opinion as my dad could have for the whiny sentiment. "What a world we live in he is even allowed to run - he'll never be elected - what a joke,"

I chewed this over before responding, "But we aren't even in the US," it didn't seem to make sense that a foreign election could have any impact to our home.

"The compound's  location is top secret," he pointed out correctly and I knew it, "Most Americans would reasonably think we are, many of us are American," speaking for himself of course, our mother was born in the Olympus compound and both of her parents were from different countries. My father might be American but by the same logic my mother could only be called an Olympian.

"The UN will NOT dictate the spending of hard earned American dollars on this project anymore!" the candidates impassioned speech continued to the uproarious applause of the large audience at the media junket we were watching. My mother who had been sitting on the lounge next to my dad in bike pants and clinging shirt had joined us just after her morning run and now sniffed in disgust. Rising from the adjacent couch, she moved away from the living room, her blond pony tail disappearing up the white marble stairs, sneakers squeaking with every step. I felt for her, I knew what living here meant to her.

"Your grandmother gave her life for the these tight Americans," if my mum was too proud to say it, my dad certainly wasn't.

To be fair the Americans and every other country that had obliged to provide funding hadn't been tight. The cost of keeping the Olympus Project running was astronomical even in theory. Realistically it was probably much worse.

"The age of superheroes has been over for two decades," the candidate continued, waiting after each statement to allow his audience to cheer in agreement, "Crime across the planet is at a record low!"

"How would he even know that," Dad snorted, "Get him to label foreign countries on a world map and he can take one of my fingers for every one he gets right,"

I smirked at him because it's what he expected of me, his eyes flicking to mine and then back at the screen.

"The world will always remember their sacrifice, but America will no longer pay for that memory!" the candidate raised both of his hands and the crowd roared.

"What a load of rubbish," he turned the television off in heat, moving forward, elbows on his knees and fingers massaging the bridge of his nose, "How quickly the world forgets the debt they owe us,"

"We aren't the superheroes, dad" I told him, my mouth reacting before my brain could tell it not to. Having been present at several rally's at University about this very topic - I knew government spending on the Olympus Compound was a point of contention in more places than just America.

"No, we are the defenceless family members whose safety was bought with the lives of the superheroes that died for the world," that line was right out of the Project charter. Like a pledge if allegiance we were all capable of recalling the the whole charter having to read it before every assembly when I was a kid. And every town assembly since. "The superheroes agreed to use their powers to protect and serve so long as we, their families were kept from harm,"

I had never known my grandmother for anything more than the history articles we studied at school, and what I did know about her was glorified beyond anything my mother had ever shared with us. To me she was a story told about the good old days, and the reason we were allowed to live in the Olympus Compound.