BECOMING A HERO Is there an age limit on heroes? Hi boys and girls- my name is Ethel , or if your parents taught you well, Mrs. Falkenberg. I promise that everything I am about to tell you is true- or, in my advanced age, I just misremembered. January 15, 2024: Minding my own, I find a Note on my kitchen table! How did it get there? Why? Well, I read it, and at least I know why- seems like someone was spying on me! The note was inviting me to a gathering of Heroes! I only had one moment when anything “super” ever happened- that was the unfortunate day I killed my Brother ! (Ethel note- if you want to read about that, read Ethel’s bio ) So, I wolf down some breakfast, have a mimosa or 3, and drive over to Jake’s house. Saying a pleasant greeting to Shorty – he’s a good kid- I ask my brother if he has seen the note- he got it, but threw it away! For someone so smart he doesn’t think very often. I convince him to go to this strange meeting, and go to find the Beast , who was the only one whom saw me go fast, well, so I had thought. He also got the note, and said he would be there. Well, at least I would know 2 people! January 17, 2024: Shorty drives us to the meeting place in Jake’s Volvo- my Aircar would have stuck out like a sore thumb in the nasty Zericho neighborhood! There were a few people there already- some cocky dude in black named Zo and Cavalry . Cavalry I knew about- he had destroyed half of Philadelphia, and had actually destroyed the Liberty Bell! He was trouble- hopefully he has learned his lesson. Some guy named Gryphon flies down- he looks familiar. A kid named Carl shows up and immediately starts an interview with the people around me! Oops, he recognizes Jake- that is not good- my brother is a really private person! We all go in, and others show up- that poor kid Carl is still filming everyone, and Shorty is obviously enamored of the beautiful Miss Amazing , who lands with a flourish. Suddenly, as others start gathering, all heck breaks loose- some electronic thing fries Carl’s phone and my hearing aid! People are looking around, some Guy , who I recognize as the Geist, is speaking. I hand my hearing aid to Jake to fix it, but suddenly I hear, clear as day, another Person in the shadow’s above who has stepped out! I realize suddenly why Gryphon looked familiar- “You’re the guy that saved me from that carjacker!” I exclaim at him, and he acknowledges my memory.I also now notice some overweight Kid has also joined us, and the Geist is finishing up some speech about joining him! I ask him to repeat himself, which he does, and then The Beast is standing where Carl was, exhorting all of us to join! The Beast steps forward and says, “Listen, this is what we are all waiting for. We were given powers for a reason! We were not given powers to just stand in the shadows! We aren’t here for a government to decide what’s good or bad for us, or for corporations to make money off our backs! The Geist is giving us a reason to band together. Sure, he may be inexperienced- all of us are! I think all of us should get together in this group and show society what a group of right-thinking individuals can do to improve this world!” It was quite a speech! Gryphon and Cavalry had already joined, and so did the rest of us- except for the Man in Black , who said he had some things to wrap up. I enthusiastically joined by rushing over to the Geist, only the second time I had used that special speed. Meanwhile the Chubby Kid was trying to get in Shorty’s shorts… no idea what that was about. We didn’t have much time to get to know each other- The Man in Black shouts out “Incoming” and suddenly we are being attacked! The Beast somehow knew that there were 10 of them, and the Man in Black says, loudly, “I have a blind date with destiny, and it looks like she ordered lobster.” The Geist disarms one thug, and Miss Amazing attacks another. Zo lifts an enemy into the air. The Beast harms one, and kills another! I take a shot with my special cane, and get someone that was about to get the Beast! We get attacked, and I get shot, but someone must have protected me, because I did not die! All this time I hear everything, despite the fact that my hearing aids are out! What is going on?? Meanwhile, in the battle, the Chubby Kid says, “Pew, Pew” at an enemy, and they wet themselves. Gryphon takes out a couple, and the Man in Black bitch slaps someone to death. Needless to say, we were triumphant- even convincing Jake not to teleport people away until they are interrogated- which the experts in that stuff are about to do. I still have questions- Why am I hearing stuff without my hearing aids? Why did someone protect me from the bullets? Why am I here with these heroes- all I can do is run kind of fast, and shoot a gun or my cane? Hopefully I can get some answers soon- I am going to learn that slap move from the Man in Black, so I can use it on Sharon! Both pictures from our own AZ Rune !