Dina’s Diner

The afternoon sun shines brightly through the windows as you step inside the humble diner, they place looks like it’s rippled straight from the 40s checker tiled floors, red cushioned seats and art on the walls depicting the ‘Good Ole Days’ of costumed crime fighting.

You slide into a booth near the door, taking in your surroundings, along the walls hang pictures of all the heroes who’ve dined here.

Hanging along an otherwise empty stretch of wall is The Apex’s cape, one of the worlds first true superheroes.

A massive man, the apex’s cape could be better described as a yellow chunk of carpet with black borders.

They say he could change his own DNA at will, morphing himself into the perfect organism, a hide so tough neither blade nor bullet could slip through.

The last report showed him as something that could never be confused with human, bipedal sure, but it had no head, and nearly a dozen arms sprouting at nearly all angles.

Unfortunately, every change he made to himself turned out to be permanent, he could never change back.

He vanished after his final battle ever recorded, all that was found was his only article of clothing, his cape that hangs along the wall before you.

What a life, being the first hero, struggling in silence as your powers grew, twisting your body to suit your needs until you look in the mirror and can’t even remember your old face…

You’re ripped from your thoughts as the waitress arrives, taking your orders, it’s going to take a while for them to make all that.

It’s at that point your partner darkens, his shoulders are raised and his head is stooped low with a sobering look on his face.

It’s clear he has something to say, something that he deems necessary so when he launches into his speech, you don’t say a word.

“I wasn’t a good person growing up… you know… pushing around the little guy… that kinda thing… one kid… he uh… he never got over it…”

“And no I wasn’t ‘Misunderstood’ I wasn’t dealing with a tough situation back at home, not that it would justify the things I did…”

There’s a solemn pause in his speech, as if he’s saying a preyer for the dead as he stares down at the table.

“Once school was over I enlisted with the military… same shit, honestly, I was still hurting people, the only difference was that I had ‘Orders’ in the army, ‘Wasn’t my fault, I was only following orders..!’ That shit..”

“I fought in a little bit of everything, everywhere. I fought terrorists in Siberia, I fought warlords in Africa, until one day, I was in the Congo, some dictator refused to give us what his predecessor offered so, in went the troops”

“5 months I was there and sister; it never got easier, they must have ran out of men pretty fast because it wasn’t long before they handed rifles to kids, knowing we’d hesitate”

“But you wanna know something..? Wanna know what keeps me awake at night..? I didn’t hesitate”

“That’s when I knew I was broken, how does someone mow down children and not bat an eye..?”

“I signed on with the precinct after my last deployment and got my fucking life together, I don’t think doing the right thing’ll ever come easy to me, but with effort even I can be good”

“Wh… why are you telling me this…?”

“Because I need you to UNDERSTAND that in this line of work you need to be better, leave your vices at the door when you clock in because what we do matters too damn much”

“You beat me in a fight, that’s nice but I need to know that your ready to take a hit if it means protecting the little guy”

“That’s going to be what we do today, we’re going on patrol, and I want you to remember what I said”

You merely nod in agreement, taking in the first of many lessons that await you.