I was marched through several clinical hallways, past people in suits who gawked before continuing on with their lives.

Today was really not my day I thought. The shorter man in front of me paused and opened a light blue door on my left. The room was, in a word, Spartan. There were no furnishings apart from a long grey table and two chairs on either end. This is just fucking great.

He walked me to the far end of the table and attached my cuffs to their respective spot on the table’s top side.

The man then sedately walked off to his side of the room and sat down with a thump. He pulled out a little rectangular recorder and placed it in front of him, near the centre of the table. He saw me studying it and said, ‘For the record’ then smiled at me.

“I, Officer Harold J Phillips, am questioning young mister,” he dragged on the ‘r’ obviously wanting me to say my name, well fuck that I wasn’t giving the government any more details about my caped life.

“Look son, this will go a lot easier if you just cooperate.” He said as reassuringly as his whiny voice would allow.

I just stared at him, focused on trying to stare holes through his head, actually some people could probably do that. Fuck, I pulled myself out of a day dream, focus Jethro.

“Alright, I am questioning a current John Doe, waiting on permission to ‘un-mask’ him.” Fuck, ‘un-mask’ this was all going to shit faster than school with a mass outbreak of diarrhoea.

“Alright son, first question. Why did you choose to become a hero?” He asked hopefully, I just continued trying to burn a hole through his head. He reached over and turned off the recorder and began to talk to me off the record.

“Look son, we aren’t actually trying to arrest you.”

“Oh, could’ve fooled me, you know with the cuffs and the whole ‘you are under arrest’ shtick.” He chuckled nervously at that.

“Yeah sorry about that but we couldn’t have you leaving before we were able to ask you a few questions.”

“So I can leave if I answer these questions?”

“Yeah.” Fuck me, I still didn’t trust this guy I didn’t trust the police in general, but fuck if I got to leave then sure, I’ll answer some questions.

“Fine, I’ll answer your damn questions.” At that his smile widened and threatened to split his face in half. His hand moved back to the recorder and turned it back on.

“I will restate the first question, why did you choose to become a hero.” I was about to answer something inconsequential until I actually stopped and thought about the question, why did I become a hero? I mean, I wasn’t all that outgoing of a person and all though I was never a bully I didn’t stand up for anyone else so, why? And then it hit me, why not. I didn’t really have a reason apart from a nebulas concept of right and wrong and a lot of boredom and pet up frustration, vigilantism seemed like a fun alternative to yoga or anger management.

“Why not?” I answered and he looked somewhat surprised by my answer before continuing on.

“Alright second question what is your end goal?”

“Don’t really have one, when I first started it was to beat up some of the criminals I my local area, then it was to save the girls at the Cannery, after that I haven’t really planned much.”

“Okay third question how amiable are you to working with others?” It may have just been my imagination but Officer Harold was looking hopeful now.

“Didn’t really think about working with a team that much, guess I could do it.”

“Perfect! Alright last question, how would you feel about being the inaugural first member of the BCJH or the Brisbane City Junior Heroes?” His smile had reached new heights and seemed to have a mind of its own.

“I’m sorry the what?” I asked in confusion, the BCJH as far as I was aware they didn’t exist so what the fuck was Officer Harold on about.

“The BCJH, the regular BCH is trying to get a large PR boost and we are seeing the popularity of young vigilantes, you included so our plan is to make a group of heroes similar to the BCH and have them become new defenders of the city along with us.”

“Alright,” I said warily “what do you mean ‘inaugural’ first member” His smile faltered a little at that.

“You would be the first to join but I’m sure after we have a leader for the group others would soon follow.” The smile was back in full force now and he was making animated had gestures.

“Hmmm, I have a question for you.”

“Shoot.” He said happily.

“Do I have a choice in this?” He looked shocked at this then smiled a cruel smile, I had a feeling I wouldn’t like his answer.

“Of course you have a choice son, we all do. Just so happens that your choice is join the BCJH as the group’s leader or go to jail for vigilante justice.”

“You’re not giving me much of a choice here are you?”

“No, no we are not.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen was how I became the head of the Brisbane City Junior Heroes, and the day my hero career truly began.