“Good evening, all you denizens of the planet Earth. This is GNN and I’m your host, Brendan Baird, bringing you all the updates you need. Tonight we’re here to discuss the latest on everyone’s mind: the Battle of Kayserling Tower. Let’s go to GNN’s super-analysts, Lacey Cook and Liam Reynolds. Lacey, Liam, how are you doing tonight?”

“I’m doing great, Brendan.”

“Same here.”

“Glad to hear it. Well folks, let’s dive right into it. It’s official, Kayserling Tower was the site of battle between two supers, right in the heart of downtown New York. What are your thoughts?”

“Absolutely awful, Brendan.”

“I agree with Lacey, it never should have come to this.”

“I think we all can agree that what happened was shocking. Now, Lacey, what is your take on this?”

“I think we need to really ask ourselves, should strangers in masks be judge, jury, and executioner? Who is this Captain Hot Devil and why was he allowed to blow up a downtown high rise? If it was a normal person, we’d be calling this a terrorist attack, why is it any different in this case?”

“Liam, I believe you had something to say in response?”

“That’s right Brendan, I don’t agree with my colleague on this. From what I hear this ‘Dr. Kayserling’ was preparing some kind of weapon, unlike anything we’ve ever seen. I think we should be thanking Captain Hot Devil for stopping him when he did. The real question we need to ask is why was a suspected supervillain allowed to set up in the heart of New York?”

“That’s the thing Liam, ‘suspected’ supervillain. What crime, exactly, had Dr. Kayserling committed? He had no criminal record, no history of wrongdoing. What reason was there to deny a legal purchase of land? And why is it not a crime for someone to just blow him up and all his life’s work in the middle of the streets?”

“It’s Captain Hot Devil! This isn’t his first rodeo. I think we all can say, if the Captain thought this guy needed to go then he wasn’t doing anything good.”

“But where’s the evidence? What was the process? I can agree that Captain Hot Devil’s adventures have had good results before. But this is a man acting solely on his own, outside of the law, without any authority or oversight. What’s to say he didn’t make a mistake? Should we really just let him do as he pleases just because of past history?”

“I think he’s a hero, and I’ll stand by that.”

“And what exactly is a hero? And why are they allowed to conduct violent assaults without any prior justification?”

“Well that’s an excellent question, Lacey, but let me pose you both another one: what do you think we should do?”

“We need laws, regulation. An organization. A standard we can hold these people accountable to, and someone to hold them to it. Or else we need to get them off our streets until we’re sure they’re needed.”

“Do you agree, Liam?”

“No, I don’t think introducing bureaucracy into this process is a good idea at all. What if Dr. Kayserling activates some sort of weapon while Captain Hot Devil’s being held back by a committee? Time is of the essence and regulation is anything but timely.”

“That’s my point though, right now there isn’t a process at all, Liam. Whether it’s before the fact or after the fact, there needs to be something separating the good from the bad. And in every case involving violence, that’s the law.”

“What would you propose, Liam?”

“These men and women are heroes. They are laying down their lives to protect ours. We shouldn’t be holding them back, we should be helping them run. I think we should set up something to support the heroes, to get them where they’re needed.”

“And what will you do when a super blows up another skyscraper?”

“We should put that burden on the ones causing problems, not the one’s solving them. We should proactively go after villains, those who enable them, and those who look up to them. If Dr. Kayserling hadn’t been allowed to set up downtown, we’d all be singing Captain Hot Devil’s praises right now. And if he had known about this ahead of time, he wouldn’t have had to rush in like he did.”

“That sounds a lot like a police state, Liam. I don’t think it’s right to punish someone before the crime.”

“It’s a dangerous world now, Lacey. We can’t always afford to wait that long. And if it’s a choice between punishing some punk who glorifies evil, or a hero who fights for my life, the choice is clear.”

“Well whatever the case, I think all the world is starting to agree, something should be done. Thank you both for your insights.”

“Thank you, Brendan.”

“Any time, Brendan.”

“This is GNN and we’ll be back after a short message from our sponsors.”

*A few months later*

A well groomed man with neat hair and dressed in a suit smiled and waved to the crowds as he walked down the steps of the Marble Palace. He didn't flinch as cameras flashed in his face. A reporter held out a microphone to him.

"Mayor Lewis McCarthy, could we have a moment of your time?"

"Shoot."

"Mr. Mayor, what are your thoughts on Captain Hot Devil vs. the City of New York?"

The mayor nodded.

"It's a great day, a historic win for the people of America."

Another reporter thrust out their mic.

"Mr. Mayor, why did you fight so hard against superheroes? Haven't they saved your city countless times? Didn't Captain Hot Devil save your own life?"

The mayor's smile dropped.

"Let me be clear, I didn't fight against superheroes. I've never fought against superheroes. No one loves superheroes more than I do. I, the city of New York, and the world owe these men and women a debt we can never repay. And that's why I want them to be a part of our society, not pushed outside of it. And society is built on responsibility. We all have responsibilities, it's how we maintain our privileges and our freedoms. I want superheroes to be free to act and use their God-given abilities. And to do that we have to define what responsibilities they will have when they do so."

Jim Roberson shut off the television.

"Jerk. Shouldn't have stopped that bomber."

Jim glanced down at the papers on the kitchen table. Take responsibility eh? Mr. Mayor should've taken responsibility for selling a prime location tower to a freaking supervillain before trying to slap him with a bill for collateral damage.

"Shouldn't have? What you shouldn't have done was skip your daughter's game to go blow up a dang skyscraper!"

Jim glanced up at his wife. She had her brown hair up with a handkerchief, wearing a simple dress with a cooking apron. Her face would be as beautiful as he remembered, if not for the bags under her eyes or the wrinkles starting to form.

"Dang it woman, don't harp on me now of all times!"

The woman gripped the baking pin in her hand.

"I should've harped on you more! Your family needed you Jim! I needed you Jim!"

Jim stood up and glared at his wife.

"Those people needed me!"

"Those people don't give a crap about you and you don't give a crap about them! Don't pretend you're some noble saint! You loved the glory, you loved the thrill, you loved the people cheering your name! You don't care about them, you don't care about us, you only care about yourself! Well guess what, Jim?! Now we're going to lose our home, the home I worked for and cared for. The home you barely slept in! You know what, Jim?! Maybe they did need you. But I'm starting to think that we don't."

Jim turned and walked out of the kitchen. He kept his eyes forward, trying not to glance at the two children hiding in the hallway.

"Just where do you think you're going?"

Jim opened the door.

"For a drink."

"Don't you dare..."

Jim slammed the door.

"Another please."

Jim reached his hand out and waved it about, too tired to lift his head up from under his other arm. The bartender frowned as he wiped another glass.

"Jim, pal, I think you've had enough."

Jim groaned and reached around for his mug, hoping there might be something at the bottom. A crash, the sound of glass shattering on the floor, told him otherwise. The barkeeper opened his mouth, but then closed it and shook his head as he walked to help another patron.

"Hello, Jim"

Jim peaked his head up. Some lady had sat next to him. He put his head back down.

"Get lost, lady. I'm married."

The woman didn't budge.

"Hello, Captain Hot Devil. You've made a real mess this time, haven't you?"

Jim bolted up, then cursed as the world spun. He vaguely felt a glass fill his hand and brought it to his lips. The water tasted especially cool on his throat. When he finished he wiped his lips with his arm, and the world stopped spinning enough for him to focus. Seated next to him was a woman with dark skin and braided black hair. She wore a suit and a pair of sunglasses. Not someone who should be in this bar.

Jim glanced around and realized there wasn't anyone in this bar.

He narrowed his eyes, moved one of his hands under the bar and clenched it into a fist.

"Who the hell are you?"

The woman placed something on the bar. A small, pale-gray, rectangular piece of paper. Bland. Generic. Just a bank's name, and his own.

And a hell of a lot of zeroes.

"Londyn Green. I'm here to offer you a job, Captain Hot Devil."