THE MOMENT
"I'm coming, I'm coming...," Star Captain grumbled at the door as if the person banging on the other side could hear him. The heavy, hurried knocks continued until he finally swung open the door.
"STAR CAPTAIN! We need your help!" a blonde woman begged as soon as she saw him. He recognized her as a news anchor, but didn't feel it was an important detail at the moment; he was in the middle of something. "A group of super-villains has taken over the children's hospital!"
"Children's hospital...?" Star Captain thought for a moment, then shook his head. "That's MegaMatron's section," he shrugged. He pushed the door closed but the blonde put her foot in the way.
"The children need help!" she cried.
"Sorry," he shrugged. "I haven't completed the Collateral Damage training. My hero's license is suspended until I do."
"But... they're innocent...," she said. "They're in danger." Star Captain nodded.
"And, if I go and help, I'll get my cape sued off; no thanks. Good luck," he said. He tried closing the door again but the woman shoved her way into his house.
"You're going to let fear stop you from doing what's right??" she asked. Star Captain grinned broadly.
"Of course not," he said. "I'm letting the villains stop me. They won. I've moved on to different projects."
"What?" the blonde tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Oh wow," he said with faint surprise. "I thought you were a better reporter. Why do you think the Collateral Damage Act was passed?" he asked.
"To keep Supers from being reckless....," she said. Star Captain shook his head.
"To keep Supers from being reckless... or just Superheroes? You know why you don't see any Super-villains signing up for the training?"
"Because... they're villains?" she asked.
"Because they're the ones that lobbied for it. Your government sold out those innocent children just to line their pockets," he shrugged. "The city seems to think it doesn't need Heroes. I'm okay with that."
"You're just going to let this happen?" she asked. "You're going to let them take over?" Star Captain nodded.
"They already have," he said.
"Should I come back another time?" A young man in a white suit stepped out of the living room to ask Star Captain.
"No, we can finish now," Star Captain said. "Phoenix this is....,"
"Tabitha," she answered.
"Tabitha," Star Captain repeated. "Tabitha, this is Phoenix, he's from an alternate Earth."
"Al..alternate? Like, another Earth?" Tabitha asked. Both Phoenix and Star Captain nodded. "What are you doing here?" she directed her question at Phoenix.
"I'm helping Star Captain decide which Earth he wants to go to." Her head whirled around back towards the Hero.
"You're leaving??" she asked. Star Captain nodded.
"Well yeah...," he said. "It's not like I was going to get any heroics done on this Earth anymore."