The Golden Age of Superheroes

It wasn't unusual to see a flash of color flying through the skies nowadays, but Connery still was left in awe every time they looked up and found a hero, whether it be during their routine patrols or during a mission. Val told them to not waste all their storage with blurry videos and pictures of hero sightings, but well, what else would they use it for?

Connery was a superhero aficionado, though that wasn't really weird considering many kids their age also were right in their hero craze phase. Their room was plastered with ragged old posters of different teams of superheroes and they didn't have the courage to throw away their small, cartoony toys from the Justice Warriors of America (despite Val's nagging about both of them being "too old for those"). Spotting Eluy mid-flight, in a dash of red and gold, was the opportunity to fill their board of holographic hero pictures updated.

Ma had saved up enough money for Connery to update from their old, vintage board to a new holographic one. Printing out the pictures taken with their phone was really impractical, so it was a nice improvement, but they did insist Ma should save up for something nice for her instead.

She never quite listens to those requests, so they weren't that shocked when a drone brought the holoboard home. While that would be an everyday occurrence to most people, with how finances were tight, they wouldn't even dream of asking Ma to give them something used, mostly, for their hobby.

Technology had evolved a lot from the past few centuries to this point in time: stuff like a cell phone were things of the past and although some still refused to move onto new technological advancements, they became mainstream enough to be considered new daily necessities.

Ma was never quite so lucky. She didn't have the money to get the latest tech, not before they were born and definitely not afterwards. She was raised in the Edges, how people "lovingly" called the outermost district of Mairborough, and well… the Edges were far from glamorous. Life there was tough, but it was all Connery was used to—they never complained about their situation, as much as it pained them to see their mother having to work this hard for their sake. Instead, they tried to keep her spirits up as much as possible, being the cheerful, gentle child she always wanted.

"Connery Maria Joaquim Piscanne, come downstairs this second!"

Though, well, pleasing her wasn't always a priority.

They practically jumped out the bed the moment they heard their name (their full name, never a good indication), and almost threw themselves down the hallway to reach the staircase. They skipped two steps each leap, reaching the small living room with an unsteady landing and a face that couldn't be described as anything but panicked. What? Did they leave the oven on? Were the clothes finished washing? Oh, no, did they forget to clean up the kitchen? Wait, but it wasn't even that late in the morning, they still had time to do—

Oh.

Ma was standing in the living room, arms crossed, their backpack in her hands. She was already wearing that tacky black uniform from the hotel, her pitch-black hair up in a bun, making her look ten times more serious than she actually was. "Are you really planning to be late for school? Come on! Off you go! Hurry, hurry hurry—"

"Hurrying, hurrying hurrying!" They run past their mother, not forgetting to give a light peck on her cheek before putting the backpack on and placing it on its rightful place.

They already slept with their school uniform on every day, so when they woke up in a haze to eat and brush their teeth, they didn't need to change at all. Still, they must've spent too much time napping and then taking pictures afterwards, because when they looked at the clock on their way out, it really was way too late for comfort.

Classes started at 8:30AM. It was 8:15.

Welp, if they ran fast enough, they surely would be able to—

"CONNERY!"

They turn around, stopping on their tracks at their mother's voice. Ma was right on the door, a smile far too wide on her face. They almost wanted to ask her what was it, but the answer came right away.

"You almost forgot your lunch, raio de sol," She shows a small little plastic container, closed up and ready to be heated up.

They run back to the door, hastily place the container in their backpack, and kiss their mother's cheek again. "Love ya!"

"Love you too, Conney!"

Maybe they really had a shot at being a hero, with how fast they ran and jumped over the gate, not bothering to wait for the creaky, rusty thing to decide to cooperate today.

Connery was barely turning 12. They were a lanky little thing, legs a little too long for the rest of their body, hair impossibly messy all of the time and greyish green eyes. Going to school was always a bit of a chore, considering they felt very awkward being called by their birth name (one they refused to use nowadays, and that even their mother didn't use anymore) and being grouped up with other kids based on a gender they didn't even have. Still, Alexis Justino Boethtiel Middle School was the best thing they could go for in the Edges and was close enough to home that they could walk there, so really, could they complain about it?

Maybe not to Ma, but they definitely could do that with other kids. Especially about the ugly royal blue and yellow uniform. Yuck.

"Y'know, if you wanted to ditch class, ya could've just called me up, Con."

Both their ugly uniforms were soaked wet.

Turns out that being within walking distance isn't a guarantee that you'll get there on time, especially when you're hit with a superhero fight right on your path. …While it was super cool to be able to record Weather Report's fight first-hand, it also meant a delay on their run to school.

And of course, being right in the splash zone for his hydrokinetic attacks.

Connery pouts, poking their best friend in the ribs. "You shouldn't ditch class in the first place! Besides, what were you doing there anyway?"

"Nothin'," She lies, like a filthy little liar. Another poke makes her crack a smile, looking away. "I dunno, I kinda wanted to get you somethin' better than your shaky old videos. What about it?"

For all of Val's talk of being too mature for heroics, Connery knew she was a fan of Weather Report. It wasn't really that surprising to see her there as well, rushing away from their school to get a chance at recording his fight with her WatPhone. Still, with the way her brown hair was sticking to her forehead and her clothes were still dripping water onto the bench, they thought she had enough troubles now for them to refrain from teasing her.

For now, anyways. She would get what was coming to her later.

Connery always did their best to be a perfect student, or as perfect as they could be. They studied hard, did what they could to stay in their teachers' good graces, and tried to avoid as much trouble as possible. They didn't really have that many social skills, so they didn't have many friends at all, something their mother made sure to remind them was entirely within their power to change.

Ma wasn't too happy when they started hanging out with Valentina Pereira, though.

Valentina—Val, always Val between them—was pretty much the opposite of what Connery wanted to be at school. She would ditch class at her leisure, bring homework either right as a deadline was closing or after it was due, sleep during class and get into more arguments with teachers than they could count. Still, Val was the first kid in class to talk to them, and ever since, they stuck by each other's side like cheese and guava.

She was a little bit older, but she was held back a year. Even then, she was shorter (one of the many reasons why they could tease her back effectively), her round, puffy cheeks giving her the looks of a younger kid. Her big, round glasses didn't help either, nor did her light brown curls styled in twintails.

Val looked, quite frankly, like she'd be the cute little girl who always behaves in class, making it all the more shocking when Ma learnt she was an all-around troublemaker. Ma'd told Connery to reconsider their friendship with her, but they couldn't really stop hanging out with her. And hey, with both of them stuck outside of class until the next period hit, they had all the time in the world to hang out right now.

"I was recording Eluy's flight right over my neighbor's house, so I think I'd be a bit late anyway," Connery's face falls further, as they're kicking the ground weakly. "Anyways, thanks for recording it. My Booing was definitely not equipped to get everything from that one."

"You're welcome," She smirks, her crooked teeth in full display when she adjusted her glasses. "I'll upload it to your holoboard on our way back, I'm still tryin' to bypass the security measures."

"You really should've bought one instead of… you know."

Val scoffs, looking almost indignant when she crosses her arms. "Oh, come on, like I'd save up for an old freakin' model of a WatPhones. That's, like, for people who have the time and patience. Our investigations aren't gonna wait until I get somethin' cool, alright?"

WatPhones weren't really that used nowadays, not after the sixth industrial revolution; still, they had a much higher quality and resolution than their archaic little phone, being able to produce 3D recordings and images without issues. They weren't on par with a WatStant, which combined many functions of older Watts Corp inventions into one, but they were still something a child their age wouldn't get without money.

Which was why Val stole it. She said it was for the sake of their little dynamic duo, but really, they were pretty sure she just wanted something new and better than her old Booing (something they could, unfortunately, understand).

It would go a long way to improve their investigations, too, which was why Connery turned a blind eye. It didn't mean they liked it, though.

"If we're looking into heroes, we should at least not break the law," They muttered, though clearly not silently enough by Val's groaning. "I'm serious, Val, that's gonna be an issue if we do find stuff about a big hero!"

"Well, we can deal with that once we cross that bridge! Besides, it's not like they'd bother with two kids from the Edges when there's a whole world out there to take care of."

They sighed, rested their chin on their palm, and closed their eyes. Val always had a knack for ignoring common sense, after all.

Nowadays, most heroes were registered in a government database and given a license, allowing them to follow on their heroic paths and even receive some government assistance for this or that (they never really paid attention to the details). The few that weren't were considered outlaws, and appropriately treated as criminals.

Not all heroes were public about their identities, but even those who weren't were registered and licensed superheroes, no matter their background. Something about keeping them in check in case they decided to go rogue, if their memories from history class weren't failing them. Still, unregistered vigilantes had a bounty on their head, and as two kids struggling to have much money in their respective homes, Val and Connery decided it was a good idea to create a small, unofficial outlaws research group.

The group was just the two of them, so they couldn't open up an official club, but this was just fine by both of them. Val didn't like the other kids, and Connery felt awkward with most of them.

"Still, we shouldn't be wastin' storage with big time heroes like Weather Report, so I'll stop doin' that soon," She nods, a little too serious for someone who's definitely going to keep doing it. "For now, we gotta think who to look for next."

They grimace, clenching their fists. They did actually find out a lot about a small-time vigilante right in the Edges some weeks ago, but right when they were about to give the police what they had of information in exchange for some cash, they were thoroughly rumbled to find the guy had been caught already. Just like that, the chance to alleviate their mom of a month of electricity bills was lost like nothing. Still, they had hope that the fifth time would be the charm!

They had an infallible suggestion, one that would get them not only money, but as much fame as humanly possible! They'd get rich!

"Why don't we look for the Shadowman?" They say, hoping for an immediate affirmation.

Val stares for a little too long.

And then she erupts into laughter, almost launching her glasses across the floor when she doubles over, slamming her hand on the bench.

They almost wanted to hit her. Almost.

"The two of you better stay quiet and stop interrupting the lecture!"

Their teacher only peeked out of the classroom to say that much, forcing Val to try and straighten up her posture, in a vain attempt to stop laughing. Even then, she kept giggling for a solid minute, before giving them an incredulous look.

"Oh, come on, you can't be serious about wantin' to look into the Shadowman. We're twelve, not two."

"You're the worst," Connery has to scramble to look away, their face bright red in embarrassment. Why did she have to make them sound so silly?

The bell started ringing, so Val got up, did her best to shake off the water from her clothing (still dangerously damp) and flashed them a smile.

"You love me either way, hehe!"

That was definitely true, but Connery still made sure to roll their eyes as disapprovingly as possible.

They got up as well. They could wait until after class to talk with Val about the whole thing.

"Why Shadowman? We're not even sure the guy exists."

It's already after class. Despite getting lectured by Ma when getting home, Connery still got permission to go to their little treehouse with Valentina (greeted by her first name when at Mrs. Piscanne's home), which meant they could now freely discuss their plans of investigating rogue vigilantes.

Shadowman was a popular… well, a local legend. Maybe you could call it a fairy tale, or a myth, but Connery was raised hearing that story like any other Mairborough child.

Since before World War Four, even before Detroit got taken over and rebuilt as Mairborough in the 22nd century, there was the Shadowman. The Shadowman was a being of the night, that hid away from sight, that fought injustice away from light. It protected the weak, empowered the meek, would stand up for what was true and right no matter what. Some parents would use that story as a warning for their children to behave, others as a way to soothe them, that they would be protected under the care of the night, that in the darkness, there was a guardian that would care for them.

Despite its popularity as a legend, there were definitely many rumors about the true nature of the Shadowman. Some people dug up records of old instances of anonymous vigilante justice in what was now Mairborough, claiming it to be the Shadowman's actions.

There were many theories about the whole thing. Was the Shadowman really a creature, some type of cryptid that hid away and mindlessly fought against crime and corruption outside of the law? Maybe an alien, though that accusation was mostly from people unsatisfied with the Boyari coming from Centurion since the 2090s. But the Shadowman was "seen" (in the loosest of definitions) during many different decades, centuries even, and sometimes in different spots of the country at alarming speeds.

Some would wager that Shadowman was a speedster, maybe able to teleport, even downright omnipresent. Others say it could be more than one person acting under the same anonymous identity, though that would require an impossible amount of manpower. In this day and age, it was nigh impossible for someone to avoid being recorded or detected by technology, but if the Shadowman existed, it managed to avoid attention entirely, remaining a spoken tale instead.

Regardless, there was precedent for speculation over its existence or lack thereof.

Didn't mean most people took it seriously, though.

"But you know there's evidence!" They nearly shout, having to keep their voice from rising up in frustration. "Haven't you seen those old news clippings from the 21st century? A shadowy figure going around in the dark, beating up criminals and leaving them immobilized for the police to pick up! And it didn't happen once or twice, it happened a lot!"

"And all in Mairborough," Val rolls her eyes, reciting it from memory.

"And all in Mairborough!" Whether or not her sarcasm was lost on them, Connery nodded enthusiastically, arms crossed. "The police couldn't find any traces of someone, even with the best of the best investigating!"

She doesn't really seem that impressed, instead crossing her legs as she leans forward, looking over the repurposed old board, now filled with Connery's so-called 'evidence'. "Doesn't that mean that there just isn't any Shadowman to begin with?"

"You'd think so, but we have to remember that tech's evolved a lot since then! Facial recognition, security systems, WatChips, telepods, a lot's changed since then! What's to say we couldn't find Shadowman now?"

Connery puffed out their chest, eyes bright with excitement. Val only looked, a bit impatient, a bit amused.

"You think it's some immortal person?" She offers, looking back at the hazy, low resolution pictures on the board. How vintage. Almost no one uses paper nowadays, let alone reads printed newspaper. Connery went through a lot to find those.

They stop pacing around the treehouse, pausing with an unsure expression. "I… honestly, don't think so? I mean, it could be, but immortal ability users aren't really common, right? I think it might be a legacy vigilante."

It was standard practice for heroes to retire eventually, when they didn't have to step out of heroics in… less than ideal situations. Most of them would hang up the mantle and leave their names behind, but some heroes would pass down their titles to a younger generations. Even some villains would do that, though it didn't seem to happen as often.

If Shadowman really existed, then either they were insanely powerful, enough to stay alive for several centuries… or they had been passing down their spot as an unseen outlaw for ages.

Was that even possible? They thought so, but the more they pondered, the less sure they were. So, they stopped wondering, instead trying to focus on Val.

"I even have a lead for us to follow," They lower their voice, a small smile popping up in their face. Val's freckled cheeks scrunch up. "See there? That house."

They pointed at a small, rectangular picture they had printed and pinned to the board. It wasn't the best of pictures out there, but one could definitely make out a lone, abandoned mansion.

Abandoned didn't start describing how awful it looked, what with the plants growing over the fences, exposed bricks barely standing the test of time, roof partially collapsed, windows boarded up. Despite Connery's enthusiasm, Val didn't seem as happy to see it as they were.

"That's where the only tangible report of Shadowman was made," They practically whisper, leaning closer to Val. "A homeless man was trying to sleep off the night, when he was attacked by someone sneaking in. He got saved by what people think was the Shadowman. It's recent, too! We just have to go check it out!"

"No way."

"Come on, it's going to be fun!" Their pleading tone just makes Val look away, turning her head upwards.

"No way, I'm not goin' to a barely disguised horror mansion like that! Where even is that place?"

"On the backside of the Sway cliff," Connery is already looking up the address on their phone once they're asked about it. It doesn't take much for them to show a much better, more recent picture of the place, though the other results are of the fabulously imposing Sway manor on top of the cliff. "Apparently, that's the old Sway family manor, before the 30s."

"So, you want us to go and look for some boogeyman on the backside of a cliff, in the house where a bunch of rich people used to live."

"Yeah!"

Connery smiles. Val grimaces, before her expression softens, and then she forces herself to shrug. "Ugh, what won't I do for my best friend."

Connery almost jumps at the words, keeping themselves grounded for just enough to not hug Val. "So we're going!?"

"It's not like we have a better investigation goin' on either way," She smiles, and it's clear to them that she's happy to help out. "And besides, I wanna show you there's no Shadowman anyway."

Of course, she's too mature and cool to show she really wants to be there for them. So, they respond appropriately, arms crossed and face dim.

"Oh, come on, you know either way we're gonna have fun," She snorts, crossing her arms over her chest as well. "Tomorrow, then?"

Connery nodded a bit more strongly than they would've liked to. "Tomorrow, after class!"

"Then I better get goin' to plan this out, don't wanna go all the way to Sway cliff just to have to come back home cuz you got scared."

"Wha— hey! I'd never—"

Val didn't stick around to hear her friend's protests, instead electing to quickly move down the treehouse's stairs and moving back inside. If Connery knew her well, she'd be asking their mother for something to eat on her way back.

They look over their evidence board one more time, before sighing and doing the same. They're a bit hungry too, and they do need to prepare.

Going to the ruins of the past era of heroics is never that pleasant a thing, after all.