THE MOMENT
"Really?" Heather giggled lightly. She'd meant to laugh harder, but she was assuming Gerard would join in. He simply smiled and kept a polite expression as he nodded. "Is that even considered a superpower?" She glanced over at the topic of discussion. A portly man dressed as a clown was entertaining a small group of guests. It was the Hero's League mixer and Heather 'Glass Lass' had found a handsome stranger to chat with.
"It's a fairly innocuous ability," Gerard nodded. "But, he's Chroma Corp. certified as having a 'Superpower'." As he explained, hearty laughter spread throughout the crowd. The clown made some energetic, 'whacky' gestures to illustrate the story he was sharing.
"Well, he seems to enjoy the attention, at least," Heather nodded.
"He likes bringing joy, and usually, people laugh at him for his Superpower."
"And you?" Heather wanted to bring the conversation back to him. She'd laughed immediately upon hearing about the powers, but Gerard didn't. "You don't laugh at him?"
"Nah," Gerard shook his head. "I've seen what he's capable of."
"Huh?" Heather turned and studied the stocky man more intently. He was balding, pudgy, and wearing an ill-fitting costume. She wouldn't have thought much of him without knowing his powers, and with that knowledge, she thought even less of him. "What, can he use his power in like super obscure ways I can't imagine?"
"What? Nah," Gerard shook his head. "It's actually pretty straightforward, and all but useless."
"Then... what's with the 'I've seen what he's capable of' comment? His power is just plain silly!"
"Yeah," Gerard nodded and shrugged. "He's an amazing friend who's always had my back. I mean.. he's capable of so much more than just whatever unlucky powerset he got. He can't help that; what kind of friend would I be for laughing at him?"