Relativity Contest Entry

The murder. I remember it so well. How I stayed in the corner. How scared I was... But The Black Torrent... He came... I was hiding. But he came. He pulled me out of the corner and said it was alright. I didn't say anything. I hid my face. Tears streaming down.
The police came soon after. The Black Torrent handed me to them. He said to make sure they took good care of me. I never saw him in person again after that.
They took me to the police station. I was asked so many questions. I never said a word though. I stayed quiet with my head down. They thought I was traumatized.
I was put into an orphanage soon after. I had no relatives alive. My parents were killed that night. I never spoke or looked at anyone in the orphanage. Everyone soon started believing I was either deaf or mute. But I didn't care. Nobody talked to me and I liked it that way.
After that I kept a small book. I wrote about being a superhero like The Black Torrent in it. I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up. Everyday I would write in it. I wrote about how I would conceal my identity and what my costume would look like.
But then one day The Black Torrent disappeared. I was only eleven years old. I remember watching the news that day. Everyone was talking about how The Black Torrent disappeared. They thought one of his enemies killed him.
I ran to my room crying. How could The Black Torrent be killed? How could he just disappear? People needed him... That day... I promised myself I would grow up to be a superhero. I would fight crime just like he did and maybe... Just maybe I would find out what happened to him.
I read over my book. Over and over again. I came to the page where I wrote how I would keep my identity secret. I read and re-read it and then... I had an idea. I spent the whole night writing in my book, thinking up the perfect superhero.
I knew I would have to start now though. From that moment on I really did pretend to be deaf and mute. I figured that would be a good way to hide my identity. No one would suspect that a deaf person was a superhero. Especially if the superhero in question could hear just fine.
I started running everyday. I even got my caretaker, Ms. Cerie, to sign me up for gymnastics. She thought it would help me socialize more. She even got all of the other students to learn sign language for me. I didn't interact with them much though... I knew how important it must be for a superhero to keep fit. You certainly couldn't fight crime if you were out of shape.
I spent most of my childhood doing gymnastics and watching old martial arts movies. Sometimes I would read about a few new superheroes popping up here and there. None stayed to long. And never any word about The Black Torrent. Everyday I wished time would hurry up so I could be an adult and fight crime.
Rarely anyone talked to me during my childhood. I had a few children come up to me. But... I never showed interest in them and soon... They would just talk behind my back like the others.
Because of this Ms. Cerie always worried about me. I had no friends and none of the parents who came in ever wanted me... She worried what would happen to me once I turned eighteen.
She was so worried that, once I came of age, she got me my own little apartment and a job as a secretary. She taught me how to type and begged and pleaded with the man I was to work with to give me a chance. And he agreed.
I learned it was easy to keep track of all the paper work and various meetings. It was like organizing my superhero book. My superhero book... I never forgot about it. I knew as soon as I made enough money I would make my own costume and start fighting crime.
I took various self defense classes at night. It was a little hard at first since I had to keep up that I was deaf and mute, but I got the hang of it after awhile. It was easy to talk to my boss as well. We had a basic instant messaging system we would use to communicate so we had no problems.
But that's not what was important. I worked as a secretary for about two years until I felt I was ready to start. I bought a simple black outfit and made a black mask for myself.
I wasn't ready though... I was just so eager to finally get out there and start looking for The Black Torrent and to help this city... My first night out I tried to stop a mugging. I... I was successful... I managed to stop him long enough for the someone to call the police but... I got hurt pretty bad... I didn't see his knife...
That night I went home, frustrated. I was cut up and bleeding but... I really didn't care. I was angry at myself. Angry that maybe I didn't have what it takes to be a hero.
My book was under my bed. I remember throwing the book across the room. I didn't know what was wrong... I think maybe... I just wanted everything to be perfect the first night. To be a perfect hero like The Black Torrent was.
And like that, I stopped being angry and frustrated. I cleaned up my wounds and bandaged them. I realized that I couldn't be angry at myself. I should have known the first few nights would be hard. It would be difficult to say that The Black Torrent didn't have a hard time at first either, right?
The first thing I needed was a better costume. Something that could protect me better then just cloth. I settled on some thick, padded, motorcycle protective-like clothing. I figured if it could protect against crashes and the what not, it would help at least with physical damage. This along with black boots and a mask, it seemed like a decent costume.
I took more classes, focused more on fighting then self-defense, and started working out at a gym.
I was scared to try again though. What if I failed again? I didn't try again for a month. But that night... I thought maybe I was ready... Maybe not ready to take on big crimes. But little crimes that wouldn't be to hard. I brought along a small baton-like weapon as well. Just in case.
I stopped two muggings and a purse snatcher that night. It wasn't easy and I had to use my baton for one of the muggers but... It felt... Good almost... That I was finally helping someone...
I worked harder everyday after that. Always training... Always hoping that I would find something about The Black Torrent.
I started making a name for myself. I didn't know what to call myself at first... But I went with Ceteria, It means "The other ones". I never thought of myself as a big time hero. It's why I choose that name. I thought of myself as one of the other heroes. Not big like The Black Torrent but small, like some of the other heroes that have popped up.
And that was over ten years ago.
I remember the first time seeing The Black Torrent again. I... I almost didn't know what to do. He stopped that burglary before I could. I remember watching him. Then running. Running after him. I wasn't sure what I was going to say once I got to him... But...
It wasn't him. I finally caught up to him. I yelled his name. He turned around and looked at me, confused. It's when I got a good look at him. It wasn't the same man who had pulled me out of the corner all those years. It was you. I almost felt... Angry... That someone would wear that costume and try to be like him. To be him. And sad... That it wasn't him. But more questions just popped up. Who were you? And why were you wearing The Black Torrent costume? And what had happened to the original Black Torrent?
-
Ceteria finished her story. The Black Torrent across from her had listened intently to her story.
"So... Do you think you could answer some of my questions? Or at least tell me what happened to him..." Ceteria said. The Black Torrent smiled a weak smile and began his story.