Super Lax Man: Graduation Edition

A story turning a friend into a super hero

Part One: The Ceremony

 

            It was a warm May morning when Super Lax Man found himself perched high above the city, contemplating the next step into life that was before him. Not in his super hero life, but in his normal mundane life, he was graduating from college. Stepping out of the world of his small university and into the real world as an adult. Needless to say, he had a lot to think about. The wind whipped his cape majestically behind him as he looked out over the small downtown he had grown to love. 

            Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye he spotted something. He turned his head just in time to see a small paper airplane floating through the wind toward him. In one fast swooping motion, Super Lax Man jumped up, caught the airplane and then gently lowered himself back to the ground. “I know who you are” the letter read. Five words and Super Lax Man immediately looked up and began to panic. Searching and scanning the area around him for evidence of who had sent the letter. No one was in sight. Gripping the paper tight, Super Lax Man pushed off the building and began to fly home. “How could someone know who I am? I’ve been so careful.” He thought out loud. Panic began to set in as Super Lax Man neared his home. Slipping quietly into his room, he rushed out of his costume and climbed into bed before anyone was able to figure out that he had left. Changing from the extraordinary life of Super Lax man back to the college kid who was about to graduate, Matt forced himself to sleep. 

            “Wake up!” Matts roommate yelled as he banged on the door. With a start Matt shot up out of his top bunk, immediately remembering the note was still clutched in his hand. Shoving the note under his pillow, Matt jumped down out of his bed and walked out into the living room. “ready to graduate?” Matts roommate Andrew asked. “Honestly? Yeah dude, I’m tired of going to school.” He responded as he walked into the bathroom. Stepping into the shower, Matt began to think about the letter. Pondering the possible people who could know. “is it one of my roommates?” He began to wonder before quickly dismissing the idea. Matt stepped out of the shower, wiped the steam from the mirror and looked at himself. He blinked as his eyes began to turn purple again. Suddenly, Matt was pushed against the wall by an invisible force that slammed him to the wall and then to the ground. Stunned, Matt blinked attempting to make the room around him stop spinning. “what was that?” Matt asked himself as he stood up. Focusing on the mirror in front of him, written in the steam on the glass, Matt found a message that read “I know who you are and I am coming for you”. A look of horror flashed across Matts face as he panicked trying to make sense of everything around him that had just happened. 

            Shaking the events from earlier off, Matt began to think about his graduation and got ready. Making sure his hair was perfect, like he always had to have it, he walked into the bedroom and began to look at his empty room and remember all the wonderful times he had there over the last four years. “It’s crazy” He thought to himself “I have been here for so long and done so many things in this room and I’m about to leave like it never even happened. Someone else will come sleep here and it will be like I wasn’t here to begin with.” Filled with sadness Matt got dressed, wiping one singular Man Tear from his eye. Suddenly, there was a knocking at his front door. Walking slowly out into the living room, Matt opened the door to find a small package wrapped in green paper at his feet. Carefully, Matt picked it up and used his x-ray vision to see what was inside. “That’s weird.” He said as he realized that he was not able to see inside the box. He cautiously removed the ribbon holding the paper together, tore away the paper, and opened the box. Inside it, there lay a singular folded paper airplane. Unfolding the airplane, Matt realized it was blank. Frantically, Matt began to look around as one of his neighbors walked out of the building across from his. “Hey did you see who left this?” Matt asked with a hint of terror in his voice. “No, I’ve been inside. Dude, are you okay?” His neighbor asked. Matt looked around again “Yeah I’m fine, graduation jitters I guess.” But even then, he knew graduation would be the last thing on his mind today.

            11:30. Only a half an hour until the graduation ceremony began. Matt sat there in the bleachers, sweating, angry, and confused. Going over every detail of what had transpired that morning, looking for the smallest clue possible that he might have missed. Suddenly, someone came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. Matt jumped. “Yo, you good?” One of Matts teammates asked him. “Yeah man, I think I just want this to be over with.” He replied. His teammate began to talk about how excited he was for graduating, where he was going, what his plans were. But unfortunately, as hard as Matt tried he was unable to pay attention to the things his teammate was saying. At the edge of the field, Matt saw it. A singular paper airplane being carried by the wind gracefully over the crowd, across the field, and into the distance away from him. Music began to play as the graduates stood and lined up along the football field to slowly begin the torturous procession that was a college graduation. Matt began to search the crowd for his friends and family, to his surprise he couldn’t find anyone. Not even his mother was present. Panicked, Matt pulled his phone out of his pocket and began to frantically text his parents asking where they were. When there was no reply, Matt knew what had happened. Whoever knew his true identity, had taken his parents. He knew if he left the ceremony there would be questions, people’s attention would be drawn and he knew that if even one person noticed, it would out his parents in worse danger than they already were in. He also knew, he had to find that paper airplane. Somehow, it was connected to his parents. 

            Sitting there, listening so halfheartedly that Matt didn’t even hear them call his name to get his degree. Hesitantly he walked up the steps, accepted his degree, shook the hands he needed to, and walked off stage. Instead of walking to his seat, he casually disappeared off the edge of the field and into the stairwell under the bleachers. Making sure that all the attention had been drawn to the next graduate on the list. After making it away from the sight of those around him, Matt spun around in a tornado movement and suddenly became Super Lax Man. His purple eyes glowing with rage as he thought about his stolen parents. As he ran out of the stadium, he pushed off the ground and hurtled himself into the air. Setting off a sonic boom sound to the area around him, he was off to search for his parents. A newly graduated man. 

 

 

Part Two: The New Life 

 

            It had been two years since Super Lax Man had seen any evidence of the mysterious Paper Air Plane Villain. Not one note, one sighting, not a single clue as to where they could have gone. It was almost as if they had vanished into thin air. There was absolutely nothing and then suddenly one day, there was a knock at his door. Since Matt had been unable to learn anything new about what happened to his family, he slipped into a depression; hanging up his cape for what he believed would be for good. Matt had settled back into the normal routine for a mundane human man. Picking up an office job for a small newspaper, Matt was responsible for reviewing restaurants in the area. If he was being honest with himself, it didn’t matter how normal his life was. He would always miss the life he had before someone figured out his identity. What he continued to wonder every day since it had happened was, why did all of the notes stop once they had taken his family? What would make more sense would be that they were taken, he was lead to them in some way, then they were tragically murdered in front of him by the villain that had taken them. “There has to be something I’ve been missing” Matt thought to himself as he boarded the subway to his 9-5 job, the same way he did every day, five days a week for the past two years. 

            Tuesday, February 13^th, started the same way every other day had. Matt woke up, showered, ate oatmeal out of the paper bag, got dressed for work, grabbed his bag, and left for the day. At least, everything seemed normal at first. As Matt walked to the subway, it felt as though someone was following him. Turning a corner quickly, he saw a young woman that had been following closely behind him stop suddenly and look around as if she had lost someone. Quickly, Matt stepped out from the shadow of the building and confronted her. “Who are you and why are you following me?” He said firmly. “I’m sorry, I had no intention for us to meet this way. But it’s obvious that you don’t remember me.” She said “Here this might help jog your memory.” As she said this, a bright yellow light began to emerge around her consuming her. In a flash the light was gone and so was the soft spoken young girl that he had been talking to, in her place stood a woman with bright yellow hair that glowed. She was covered with what looked like leaves, Ivy, and flowers. In her hair were small succulents that looked as if they were beginning to bud small flowers. “I am Emelia, Princess of the planet Celestia” she said. “We met a very long time ago when you were only a baby. I was there when you received your powers.” Matt had a look of confusion that covered his face. “But most importantly, I know what happened to your parents.” She said this so matter of fact. A rage consumed Matt as he heard these words, he grabbed her by her neck and slammed her against the wall. “Don’t you dare talk about my parents!” He boomed. “They’ve been gone for two years, I haven’t been able to find a single thing giving any hint to where they are!” he said. “Because they’re dead, Matt.” She choked out. With those words, Matt released her from his grip and she dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. “What do you mean they’re dead? How could you know that?” Matt asked as tears began to rush into his eyes at the thought of the people who raised him dying. “Matt, you are not from Earth. You were born Mateo, Prince of Andromeda and are the rightful ruler of your beautiful kingdom.” Matt was shocked. “I don’t understand.” He said. “A long time ago, your family ruled one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy. Andromeda was a peaceful planet, all the creatures and people wanted nothing more than the prosperity of the plants as well as the planet. One day, an evil ruler named Beta Seven from a nearby planet challenged your father for the right to his throne. Beta Seven had destroyed her planet and her people were dying, she knew that if she could beat your father, she would be able to force your people to leave the planet and begin her rule.” Matt sat there listening to everything she had to say, making sure that if he had a question come to mind, that he would remember to ask her when she was finished. For now, he wanted nothing more than to hear her speak. “When the day of the challenge came,” She continued, “Your father wanted to reach a peaceful end, he asked her to reconsider and even invited her people to coexist and prosper together with yours. Unfortunately, Beta Seven had become consumed with the power that comes with being a ruler and refused his offer. As your father walked back to you and your family to tell you that he loved you before the battle, Beta Seven threw a spear that lodged in your fathers back, killing him immediately.” She said. “But how did I end up here, where is the rest of my family?” Matt asked. “Once Beta Seven killed your father, your mother became enraged. She told your older sister and brother to take you and to hide. Once you were out of sight, your mother picked up the same spear that killed your father and charged Beta Seven. Your mother kept up a great fight until Beta Seven had her warriors join her. Your brother and sister hid in the caves that lay below your castle, for three days they sat there wondering what to do. Your sister, being the oldest sibling, knew that sending you to Earth would be the only way to preserve and safeguard your planets future. That evening they snuck into the castle through the underground tunnels and sent you away in secret. They knew you would find your way back to them one day. That’s why I’m here Mateo. Beta Seven took your parents because she knew that if you were still alive, her claim to the throne was only tentative. I am here to bring you to her so that you can fight her and take back your rightful place on the throne.” She explained. 

“You said I have an older brother, doesn’t that mean that he is the rightful heir?” Matt asked. “That’s my connection to you, I was your brothers wife.” Emelia said. “You were my brother’s wife? Meaning he’s not alive anymore?” Matt asked. “No, after Beta Seven took over your planet she allowed him and your sister to reside there for a short amount of time. I met him by chance one day and I knew he was the only one I could see myself with. We married in secret because we both knew that if Beta Seven found out, she would think we were marrying so that your brother could make a claim on the throne using my armies. In truth, we hadn’t even considered taking the throne back, we only wanted to leave the planet and be a family. I had four beautiful years with your brother before Beta Seven found out and murdered my husband, your brother in the streets of your once beautiful city to make an example of her power.” With this, she began to cry. “So what do we do?” Matt asked. “We return to Andromeda and fight for your people, your throne, and your planet.” Emelia said. With that, Matt allowed his powers to take hold of him again, he blinked and his purple eyes returned as his spandex uniform shone brightly in the alleyway. One push off the ground and they were off to fight an evil dictator that, up until thirty minutes ago, Matt didn’t even know existed.

            Matts brain was spinning as they traveled through a galaxy that Matt had never even dreamed existed before. Just hours earlier, he was nothing more than a man living the normal life of a restaurant reviewer who has a secret identity and missing parents. But now, he was the heir to a throne and he knew how he could get his parents back. It was all so much to process and even Matt knew that he would not be able to sort through the details of his prior life just yet. Right now, he needed to focus on the task in front of him; helping Emelia get redemption for his lost brother and saving his people.

 

Part Three: The Quest

 

            Matt and Emelia arrived at Andromeda, the sight Matt saw before him was one that shook him to his core. The beautiful planet that Emelia had described to him, was dying. What was once lush and green was grey, dark, and dying before his eyes. Not only the planet, but the people as well. Men, women and children were starving in the streets while those in power were prospering. Matt became enraged when he saw what lay before him. “We have to do something.” Matt said to Emelia as they surveyed the scene before them. 

            “I don’t even know where to begin, even after we liberate the planet there still is so much damage that was done. To the point where I don’t know if Andromeda will ever be what it once was.” Emelia said sadly. “Then why did you bring me here? Why did you show me this if we can’t even do anything about it?” Matt asked with a hint of irritation in his voice. “Just because we can’t save the planet, that doesn’t mean we can’t save the people on it.” Emelia said. “There’s another planet nearby that my scanner has picked up. It is entirely inhabitable by our people and is unpopulated. If we can somehow manage to release our people then we will be can travel there and start over again.” She continued. “So what do we do?” Matt asked. “I know that Beta Seven will want to see you if she knows you’re not only alive, but that you’re on her planet. Once she knows you’re here she will want to meet with you. Once you are in front of her you will be given the chance to make your claim to the throne, when you do she will immediately have to propose our most ancient and respected tradition.” Emelia said. “And that is..” Matt asked hesitantly. “Hand to hand combat. The last person standing will be made king of Andromeda.” She said. “What if I don’t win?” Matt asked. “Well, then that means she will have killed you. So I would win if I were you.” She responded with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Winning it is.” Matt said sounding less than confident. “Hey, you can do this. I know you can. You’re the last hope for our  people. Your sister gave her life to make sure that you were safe, there was a reason for that. I know you can do this.” With that, Emelia got up and walked off to begin spreading the rumor that Matt was in the capital.

            Within hours, the whispers of his arrival had traveled to the furthest parts of the capital. Every resident was buzzing with the idea of their true king returning to his home after all of these years. Inside the castle, Beta Seven was pacing in front of her throne. In the years since Matt had been sent away and Beta Seven had taken over, she had made dramatic changes to the interior of their once beautiful home. In place of the throne where his once great father sat, Beta Seven had built a new one. Strong and dark, gleaming with the darkest of crystals her throne was threatening. Especially as the light from the fires that lines the walls, the only feeling that the throne gave those who looked at it was one that shook them to their core, instilling fear in the worst of ways. “How is he still alive?” She screamed as she threw the glass she was holding against the wall. The small shards clinked to the floor as she waited for her men to respond. “I don’t know, your grace. We knew he went missing but we assumed he had been lost during the war. We never could have imagined that he had escaped of planet. All of the pods were accounted for after the takeover, we don’t know how he escaped.” The general replied. “You idiot! Did it ever occur to you that they had a separate pod that was only listed and known to the royal family?” She exclaimed. “Find him! Find him and bring him to me before the people find out he is alive. If they do, we are going to have a bigger problem on our hands.” 

            As Matt entered the throne room, he never would have imagined the feeling he would encounter. It wasn’t one of fear, but of exhilaration and pride as he walked toward the dictator that had slaughtered his family. “I am Mateo of planet Andromeda. I was raised on earth away from my home. You murdered innocent men and women just so you could get the power you always wanted. Now I stand before you, an orphan of my own home. I have come back to claim my rightful place as king.” As the words left his mouth, he didn’t know where they had come from. It was as if another person had awoken within Matt, a king. “I murdered your family, slaughtered your brother in the very place where you are standing. I took this throne by blood and I will keep it by blood.” Beta Seven said. With that, Matt was ushered away into a dark room with nothing more than a mere crack for a window. As he sat there with the darkness surrounding him, Matt began to think about the life he had lived. It’s strange how when we are faced with death, instead of facing death, we choose to think back on the life we have lived. Not the new adventure to follow when someone turns out our light. He thought about his friends from school, all the girls he had met, and finally he began to think about his parents. He had been on Andromeda for several days and had not seen one sign that his parents were taken by Beta Seven. “She didn’t even know I was alive, how could she have taken them?” Matt thought to himself as he began to pace. 

            Hours later there was a loud knock on the door to his room, if you could even call it that, it looked more like a cell. “The combat grounds are waiting for you, your highness.” A deep voice said sarcastically from the other side of the door. Matt stood up, prepared to face the death that could possibly be waiting for him on the other side of that door. With his head held high, Matt walked into the hallway and out the single door at the end. The only light shining on the hallway and the guard that escorted him was let in by the space where the door to the outside didn’t quite reach the wall. Matt wondered what could be waiting for him on the other side.

            

 

Part Four: The Battle

 

As the door opened with a medieval screech, he couldn’t believe the sight that laid before him. It was as if Matt had stepped back in time and into a Greek or Roman coliseum. The metal walls rose high above him as he looked into the eyes of the citizens who looked down on him. “Before you, citizens of Andromeda, stands a man who claims to be the lost prince of your planet. He has come back to challenge me, Beta Seven, queen and rightful ruler of this planet. I have brought you here to witness not only your rightful rulers victory, but also the death of the last remaining royalty that could oppose me. Mateo, choose your weapon.” Beta Sevens voice boomed through the coliseum with the smallest amount of effort exerted. It was as if she didn’t even need to try to make her voice pronounced. This is the sign of a dictator who can command true authority without even trying. This is something that Matt realized he admired in the twisted ruler. 

            As Matt picked up the shield that lay on the rack before him, he wondered if he would be able to do this. With hope in his heart and positivity in his mind, Matt whispered “Lacrosse” for what he didn’t know would be the last time. In a flash of light Matt transformed to Super Lax Man, the crowd cheered at the sight of their would be king finally back in his born state as he stood before them. Matt looked up into the crowd, it was then that Matt saw them: every friend he had while in college was suspended in the air in a crate above the arena. “How did you find them?” Matt yelled as his eyes filled with a fiery rage. “Oh that was simple, there were records of everything you did while in college. As it turns out you were something of a sports legend at your small university, it’s easy to track everyone down when there are pictures of you all together all over the school.” Beta Seven explained with a devilish look in her eye. “If you lose, not only will I continue to rule this planet rightfully, but I will also kill each and every one of your friends while you watch with your dying breaths.” She continued. “Bring it on then” Matt said with a look that was meant to do nothing but entice Beta Seven. 

            Bells that sounded like a gongs began to ring throughout the arena as Beta Seven stepped toward him. Matt scanned every inch of his competitor as she grew closer in proximity to him. He noticed her strong arms, how she bowed her head in protection, he noticed the sword she had chosen for herself, but most importantly Matt noticed the look that resided in Beta Sevens eyes. A look of hatred, anger, and pure evil. Finally the moment had come were they were practically next to each other, it was then that Beta Seven swung her arm and connected with Matts shield. Matt countered as the swords clashed together with a spark. Dust began to kick up from the dying ground below them as Matt and Beta Seven raged against each other. Beta Seven pushed Matt back with every hit and step. Pounding away at Matts chest, Beta Seven backed Matt against the wall of the coliseum. He began to look around him wondering what he could do to get himself out of this situation. Beta Seven had him pinned to the point where he couldn’t even fly to get away. “I have to save them” He thought to himself. It was in this moment that Beta Seven stabbed a shard of something in between Matts ribs. He gasped and looked into the eyes of the woman who had stabbed him. Cold dead eyes that accompanied a malicious smile. As Matt reached down to pull the shard from his ribs, he realized that it was gone. As if it had been absorbed into his very making.

            Suddenly there was a sharp pain in his chest so strong that it dropped him to his knees. “What did you do to me?” Matt gasped as he noticed himself changing. First it was his hands as the glow began to drain from them, then his costume changed from the normal bright purple to a matte black, finally Matt felt his hair begin to change. He ran his fingers through it as he crouched down in pain. It was then that Matt let out a scream of agony as the final changes had been made. The crowd gasped as Matt looked up from his crouched position, making eye contact with Beta Seven. He smiled. Not his normal smile that made everyone who saw it happy and feel good, but one that radiated evil. Matt stood up and dropped his sword to the ground. Beta Seven smiled  wickedly as Matt stepped forward. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into his chest as he kissed her. Screams of horror and shock came from everyone in the arena. His friends looked down on the scene that had unfolded before them with heart break. As he released her from his embrace, Matt looked up at the crowd. “There’s someone that came to this planet with me, someone I am sure every one of you forgot about. Emelia, where are you?” Matt said. Whispers began to grow from the crowd as heads began to turn, looking around for the woman they all presumed to be dead. “Come out, come out, where ever you are” Matt enticed in a sing-songy voice. Finally, in the center of the area slowly floated down a green hooded figure. A hand reached out from the cape and pulled the hood off. Standing before the people of Andromeda was Emelia. 

            “I lied to you Matt, I am not who I say I am.” Emelia said. “What are you talking about?” He asked confused. “My name is Emelia, but I am not the wife of your lost brother. I am your sister. See, I knew Beta Seven before she came to our planet. All I wanted was to become ruler of our kingdom, I was the first born and the rightful heir. But our father decided that I could not rule because I was not a man. I fought every day for my rightful spot on the throne but it was never given to me. It was then that I encountered this incredible person.” She said as she gestured to Beta Seven. “I knew that if I couldn’t have the throne, I didn’t want any one in our family to have it. We came together and devised a plan to take over the planet and rule it, together. I knew our father would want to handle the situation peacefully. He was a weak spineless man who died the way he lived. In fear.” Emelia finished with a smirk on her face. “You don’t look like my sister though. Since I’ve been on this planet I’ve had flashes of who I was come to my mind, I saw images of our family and you look nothing like the woman who I thought to be my sister.” Matt said. As he said this, Emelia began to change before him. She possessed a power that Matt did not, transformation. “I disguised myself as our dead sister in law so I could get you to come to Andromeda and fight Beta Seven. I knew she was stronger than you, but the goal was not to kill you. Beta Seven stabbed you with the same gene that we both possess, one that takes the blackness that resides in every one of us and causes it to consume you. Making you wholly evil. Thinking that you were killed was nothing more than a ruse. We have known from the very beginning where you were. That stupid girl our brother married sent you off to Earth so that she could keep you from me. She knew you were destined for greatness and with you by our side, we will do great things together.” Emelia said with a smile. “Plus an added affection for Beta Seven” she continued. “You see, now we can rule together Matt. We will be the strongest people in the universe, taking over each planet at a time until every single one of them submits to us.” Beta seven said. “But what do we do with them?” Matt asked curiously as he gestured to his friends above them. It was then that the floor began to shake and the coliseum began to move. Below where his friends were hanging opened a whole filled with the darkest liquid Matt had ever seen, darker than even tar. Matt looked up at his friends as the cable detached from the crate and sent his friends plummeting into the darkness below. “So we just kill them?” Matt said sarcastically. “Better” Beta Seven said with a malicious look on her face. As she said this the crate floated back to the top and opened. Out climbed every one of his friends with the same dark hair that Matt had. “Meet your new royal council, King Mateo” Emelia said. Matt smiled. 

It had been a year since the battle and Matt knew that he was happy with who he had become. With his new kingdom bowing before him Mateo began to imagine the possibilities. With his sister next to him and his new queen, Beta Seven, he began to dream of the planets he would take over with them. 

Part Five: The Final Part

 

            It had been over a year since the battle and Mateo now embraced every part of who he was, evil. The life of our once great hero turned evil ruler is one that we will not be able to follow anymore. As he moves forward in a new direction, we to must move forward as well. Searching for a new hero to protect our planet and resist the temptations of evil, this author moves forward into the uncertainty that lays before not only her, but planet Earth as well.