Overprotective Mommaw: A Fictional Narrative

As I set out for my heist tonight in Rockisle, Angie, my secretary, stops me on the way out. “Doctor Macaw, before you go, there’s a new super in town. His name is Hopewing. At least, that’s what I was told.” I’m not overly concerned, as I’ve been in the crime game my whole life. Either way, it’s nice to know a bit about the enemy before you face it, so I turn to her as I pull on my leather gloves. “What are his powers? Flying? X-ray vision? Bitten by a radioactive something-or-other?” “Flying seems to be his main trick, but there have been reports by other villains that he can alter the very fabric of the air around him, making weapons out of literally nothing. It’s probably not a big deal, but I thought you should be made aware.” I smile …show more content…

No way, no how. I’m not going to fight a literal child. I’m a villain, not a monster.” I get up on my feet and put my hands on his shoulders, going into stern, overprotective momma bear mode. Even with the mask on, I can tell that he’s glaring at me indignantly. “Okay, mister, tell you what. I will go home. I won’t rob this museum. However, I have one condition. You will go home and get some sleep. It’s a school night and you really shouldn’t be out this late. Sound like a deal?” He shrugs my hands off his shoulders and his fists ball up in anger. “Why should I listen to you? How do I know that I can trust you?” He steps back in frustration, his wings trembling feverishly. “Ya know, this isn’t really how most fights go. I beat up the villain, the cops take them away, and I go home and make up some excuse for all my bruises. Why do you care about what happens to me?” I sigh and sit down on the damp lawn. “Kid, this may be news to you, but the bad guys have people they care about, too. I have a kid a little bit younger than you, and I love him to death.” Hopewing’s shoulders relax a little, and I can tell I’m helping him see a whole new side of things. “Being a mom has made me a better person, even if I do rob banks and museums and whatever to put food on the …show more content…

“I agree with Miss Cal,” drawls Captain Ghastly. “If we make a no-hit list, the supers will think we’ve gone soft.” “Just… just hear me out, okay?” I plead. “I realized tonight that not all supers are adults. A lot of them are teenagers who aren’t even a hundred percent capable of fighting people like us. Tonight, I was intercepted by Hopewing, one of the newest supers in town, and he is a child in comparison to the more mature supers we have to fight.” Miss Calculated pops a gum bubble. “And that concerns us… why?” “It concerns us,” I stress, “Because we aren’t awful people.” Bonestealer scoffs. “Speak for yourself, sweetheart.” “We’re not! Tell me, 100% honest, would you beat up a kid? A kid who goes to school and has a mom who’s worried sick about them every night? A kid who’s homeless and lives off the streets, scrounging together whatever food they can find? A kid who’s into cartoons and reads every book they can get their hands on?” A somber silence falls over the group. “You might have a point,” growls Captain Ghastly, “But how are we going to find out which heroes are kids?” I wince, forming my next sentence very carefully. “We’re going need to talk… to the