Bottom of the Barrel

Ever since I was a young boy, I had always dreamed of becoming a super hero. The TV in my childhood home was always on the HN (Hero Network) channel. Everyday I would watch footage of superhumans saving people, or fighting the evil bad guys. Often I would run around my room with a sheet of fabric hanging from the back of my shirt.

"Look out villains, there is no room for evil in this world," I would yell out with my squeaky voice before punching my pillow which had a poorly drawn face on it. My mom never discouraged me either. She would always tell me how brave I was and how, "One day you're going to save the world."

She was wrong though. In the 2 years I have been a super hero not once have I saved the world.

"Hey Lux!" Toaster Man yells at me. I turn towards him with a reluctant smile.

"I have an idea on how you can become a top tier hero," He smiles at me menacingly which tells me he's about to make fun of me.

"How?" I ask in a sort of groan.

"Become Captain Nuclear's beacon," He snickers. I roll my eyes at him before walking away. My power is no secret, my name is no secret, and my failure as a hero is no secret.

"Go to your own section Toaster Man," I say to him.

"Just doing some investigating Lightbulb. I'll be gone soon," His arrogant self turns away from me and walks down to a brick building.

4 years ago, I found myself caught in a crossfire between Captain Nuclear and Metanight's glorious final battle. At the time I was holding a flashlight and somehow the flashlight got absorbed into me because of the strange radiation caused by the battle.

Ever since then I have been able to shoot light from my hands. I was too eager to become a hero, too dumb to realize how useless the power is. They laughed at me when I told them my powers at the registry, I was teased when I asked for training. If you look at the list of superheroes I am at the bottom. My only heroic act was helping a hero see in the dark once. I'm truly useless.