Episode 1.10: Antihero

You once watched a speech by America-Man, the most famous superhero in the world, where he asked younger heroes to fight for justice, and not for fame or money. It was easy for him to say that, considering he was an invincible alien super-soldier who didn't need to eat or sleep, and had the government cover every bill.

America-Man didn't understand what it meant to have less than twenty dollars to your name, how you had to skip meals to save money. How it felt to starve, how it felt to live in constant fear and frustration.

He and his team, the earth's mightiest heroes, lived in a literal ivory tower in one of the richest cities in America. They defended the world from aliens, androids, and wizards, but had no time to deal with street-level crimes.

The grittiest member on their team was the Iron Crusader, but even if he had a "no killing" rule, and was recently outed as a billionaire playboy, a trust fund kid who had lived most of his life in the wealthiest neighborhood in New York.

You lived in a city that could only be called Satan's Taint, though you were probably being rather disrespectful to Satan by comparing his taint to the shithole that was your city.

You couldn't live by the rules America-Man and the Iron Crusader had. Not in this city.

"I earned this." You grit your teeth and decided to take a couple grands of the drug money to help yourself live. It wasn't the most ethical thing to do, nor was it particularly heroic, but you had to be realistic and do what you must to survive.

You thought about leaving the rest of the money to the cops but decided against it. The Annwyn City Police Department was one of the most corrupt police forces in the country, and if you left the bag for the cops to find, the drug money would never reach those who actually need it. No. It was better to give the rest directly to places like homeless shelters, orphanages, and other charities that actually help people, instead of trusting the police.

---

It started to rain while you walked home from the docks. You checked the police scanner app on your shitty Android phone and learned that there were over a hundred arrests already.

"Huh, they actually bothered to act on the anonymous tip." You had a very low opinion of the police and were lowkey surprised that they had actually shown up in the rain to arrest the gangsters you had left for them.

Your first night out as a superhero was mostly a success. You took down one of the biggest gangs in your city, prevented a future gang war, and even made a few grands out of it.

You tried to smile, but couldn't. You still felt the sickening crunch of human bones being crushed under wheels, even though the Kelpie and the faeries had already returned to their own worlds.

Your hand trembled a little, as you sneaked inside the house your grandmother had left behind. It was built over a hundred years ago, and in a terrible state, but it was all you and your mom could afford.

You wondered what excuses other teenage superheroes gave when they came home late. You didn't need any excuses though, as your mom was already passed out drunk in front of the television. She didn't particularly care how late you came home, or if you even came home at all. You let out a tired sigh and covered her in a blanket so she didn't catch a cold.

"So this is how it feels to be a hero." You murmured softly when you were alone in your room. You had to go to school and your part-time job tomorrow, so you needed all the sleep you could get.

You fell asleep holding the book and dreamed again of Tír na nÓg.

[End of Episode 1]

Meta: Interlude

We are done with the first episode of Apostle: Teenage Antihero Quest. What do you want to see in Episode 2?

[] Learn more about Apostle's civilian life, her name, how she looks, why she is the way she is etc.
[] The Droogs are wiped out by their rival gang, who prove even worse without competition. Apostle must take them down too.
[] A dangerous supervillain comes to the city, and Apostle is the only one who can stop them.
[] More spirits are added to the summoning pool.
[] Write In (this is a meta poll, so any ideas are welcome).