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"Where the hell are my comic books?" Sam tossed his pillow aside and looked in between his camp bed and the wall. The thieving of supplies had slowed lately, but Sam couldn't help but wonder if whatever thieves wanted food and supplies also had quality taste in superhero literature.
Runner Three (what had he done to the universe to deserve Runner Three as a roommate?) paused for a moment, and then his face lit up in recognition. "Oh, a kid called...James? John? Jacob? No, Andy!"
"How the hell is Andy anywhere near James or Jacob?"
"They both have As in their name? Anyway, a kid wanted to borrow them. He looked trustworthy enough."
Sam could only stare. Simon had just given away his comic books? Did he not understand? They were in the middle of the zombie apocalypse and they may never find another copy of those comics! God knew what a kid could do to them! Probably make a papier-mâché hat or something. He was all for sharing the love of comics -- heck, he'd spent three hours yesterday trying to educate the kids about the different superhero figurines they'd found (What do you mean Robin and Nightwing are going to fight to the death? They're the sa--never mind). But this was just going too far.
"So that's all the information you got? His name is Andy? There are over two hundred people at Abel!"
"He had, uh, brown hair. Freckles. Lots of freckles. And really bright green eyes and a grubby batman shirt."
Now that Simon said that, Sam knew who he was talking about -- Andy Barnes. He'd been wearing the batman shirt yesterday (personal hygiene standards became fairly lax after the fall of civilisation), and Sam was sure he'd be able to find him. He set out on a mission: to get his comics back.
***
"I'm writing my own comic, Mister Yao." The brown-haired boy stared up at him, and Sam just couldn't bring himself to be angry at all. Where had the boy learnt that bloody heart-melting expression? "I was telling Mum about how you were playing superheroes with us yesterday, and she said that an operator's job was to save people, just like a superhero! So I'm writing a comic about you being a superhero."
Sam didn't know what to say. The kid had borrowed his comics so he could write one starring him, Sam Yao. Well, at least he knew they weren't being destroyed. "That sounds awesome," he said, grinning. "Can you show it to me when it's done?"
"I'll show everyone!"
SuperYao saves the day! Yeah, he could get used to that.
***
Right, so this is my comic I made. And it's about Mister Sam Yao and he's actually a superhero because he saves people! This is him in his superhero suit, see, and that big S there is for SUPERYAO! SuperYao works with his team of runners -- see, that's Runner Five--
"Is she...wearing a giant sports bra? On her head?"
"That's her magical helmet of power. When she's wearing it, she can detect zombies even when she can't see them ."
"Oh, of course. Carry on."
Anyway, so there's Runner Three. He kills the zombies by making them laugh! Also, he can run super fast. Flash is the one that can run super fast, right, Mister Yao? And Runner Eight has this death ray that is her eyes, right, and she just STARES at the zombies and BOOM! They're dead. Or re-dead. Or whatever.
And this here is SuperYao's lair.
"That looks suspiciously like the Comms Shack."
"Stop interrupting!"
He shares it with Eugene and Jack. Eugene, see here, is a cyborg! That's why he has to stay in the shack so much, because he needs to keep his leg recharged. It's made of metal and it can shoot lasers and defeat bad guys! Eugene's just the awesomest. Apart from SuperYao. And this is Jack, his sidekick.
"What superpowers do I have?" asks Jack, eager to hear what he does in this spectacular fantasy land.
"You don't."
"What? I don't get superpowers?"
"Well...no. Sidekicks don't get superpowers, silly." A small child has just called him silly. This is possibly a new low for Jack Holden.
By his side, Eugene is laughing so hard he might start crying. "You DO get these sweet short-shorts, though." He waggles his eyebrows. "And look at those pixie boots." Jack elbows him in the side and he almost falls over. Jack turns his attention back to the kid -- who is clearly the most important person in the room.
"But - but I'm like an awesome fighter then, yeah? Trained by assassins? And ninjas? Ninja assassins?"
"I'll think about it," says the kid, and Jack doesn't like his tone.
"Kid, you gotta make me awesome! Look, I'll...I have a bag of marshmallows back at the shack. I'll give you the whole bag if you give me some superpowers."
The kid looks like he's going to agree -- marshmallows were a fantastic bribe. Holden weapon of choice.
Just before he does, Eugene jumps in. "I'll give you a bag and a half to keep him a sidekick."
"Eugene!"
"Come on, just look at you! Jack Holden, Boy Wonder!"
"He stays as sidekick," declares the kid, pointedly looking at Eugene.
"Marshmallows coming up."
So one day, SuperYao is in his lair, helping the runners because that's what he does. And suddenly, a massive swarm of zombies attack! And there are SO MANY of them that everyone has to use their magic powers to defeat them.
SuperYao talks into his microphone so he can help the runners not die, and Runner Eight kills zombies with her death vision! And Eugene the cyborg takes off his leg and starts shooting lasers EVERYWHERE! And Jack, um, punches one, yep, see in this frame right here. I hope I still get the marshmallows, 'cause really, he only punched one.
But it looks like they're not going to make it! There's just so many of them! And they're coming closer to the gates, and the big strong walls Janine built might stand (that's HER power, building stuff), but SUPERYAO comes out of his lair! And look, he has a cape!
"Hey, I have a cape too!"
"Shut up, Jack, you're ruining the moment."
He has a cape! And then he like...gets all the runners' powers, 'cause he's an operator, and then he defeats all the zombies ALL BY HIMSELF. With Runner Eight's laser vision and Runner Five's magical helmet of power and Runner Three's speed, he's unstoppable! He kills more zombies than Runner Ten! You always say Runner Ten kills a lot of zombies, so I think that's right, yeah? And Abel Township is saved by SuperYao the Operator!
"Is that the end?"
"That's the end."
"Wow."
"Good work, kid."
"I'm still sad about my lack of superpowers. I mean, you can detach your leg and kill people with it. If that's not the coolest thing I've ever heard..."
"Aw, Boy Wonder, it's okay."
"You're going to keep calling me that, aren't you?"
"Yep."
"Guys! Kissing is gross, stop it."
"JACK! You can't make that sort of a hand gesture to a kid!"
"Sorry, SuperYao."
"You better be, Boy Wonder."
"Oh, not you too."