Reflections Of A Sponsored Hero

April 1st, 2024 – Monday: 12:01 AM

Gryphon had just left the 72nd precinct in Norwood. The officers and Sgt. Matanzas helped him get out on the roof to avoid the group of reporters out front. After Sgt. Matanzas and he had the remaining Skybike impounded following, Cyan, leaving with her partner, Indigo. He asked the sergeant to pull his record. He was expecting the warm reception of him to wear off, but was not expecting the happy surprise of the sergeant’s reaction. Seeing a reformed felon devoting himself to serving the community.

Even the captain of the precinct said he would email the Brisby Commandant and Director Balisong about his actions and non-lethal win over the cybergoons. Plus the show boating Mavericks that were trying to stop other powered criminals. The last 20 minutes was him posing for photos with the precinct officers. He decided that he needed to leave when he noticed four, perhaps five female officers starting to flirt with him. When he was up in the air he checked his phone. Seeing pictures from Katherine showing the simply amazing job she did with the furniture in their new home. They exchanged several emojis of hearts and smiley faces.

He saw a meeting request sent to him for 6 AM on Tuesday with Cai from Amanda. Constance would be there to help with HR on the super issue. However, he would be meeting with her about the projects he’d requested. He clicked on the “Accept” button and then made sure Cai had the information for the meeting. Her pushing the day back from Monday to Tuesday was not bad. Things come up all the time and she has a personal life as well.

He wanted to give him a few days to get settled in before he asked him to help with anything specific. Amanda would likely have him tasked with a project and then he could either help with the project that would pay for the humanitarian counterpart project. Or help on the humanitarian one, all the while having the resources to pursue the universal language translator idea. Really a win all around.

He flew to a specific building in Norwood, one he had last stood upon on January 1st. It was the building he met Patsy Palmer after catching her from a fall. He walked over and leaned against the A/C unit he had last time. Ashmadiel could sense this wasn’t depression but a reflection of the last four months.

“You have done well and come far Garrick Faulkner. This spot has significance to you, to us. Storytellers might say it was the true beginning of your journey accepting my gifts as a hero of the light.”

Gryphon smiled, “I concur, can you change into a metal spike for me?”

Kneeling he began carving into the roof mounted utility box she sat on with the now golden spike in his hand. “You know, I think I can actually be a renaissance man but it means being willing to let people pursue their destinies as well. Constance is going to try adding ‘Cynthia’ into her checks on the reactor in the ocean. I hope it will finally talk to her. Baby steps but I forgot after a time to treat the Cynthia A.I. as a person because it hurt to much. Those two could become rockstars of the future. Science as Jake wanted will be the true hero. We just have to make sure they have a future to get to.”

“And if you succeed in freeing me, how will you be the Gryphon then?”

“I’ve decided I am going to ask Constance and Amanda to build me a power armor suit as a back up. If I go that route then I feel that the hero: Veritas or Ferrum Veritas may be a good name for the project. Either way I won’t hide that I am the pilot and gave up my powers to free a friend. Then to continue the fight I just re-invented myself. Brandon will get a kick out of it.”

“How do you feel knowing the enemy knows whom you are?”

“Cops have to deal with that fact everyday. We live in an age of hacking and information brokering. I will talk with Amanda about her plans for the security system I asked her about. Between the two of us I think we can develop something good to protect Ameera and Constance. I actually suspect Synistry will try to attack my house at some point given I live in Brisby after all. However, if I was them I would wait until I could control the encounter better than attacking a known hero at their home. Likely fortified and if they figure out Miss Amazing lives with me then all the more reason to not attack. What they may not count on is that I have a plan on dealing with them as general in a war. Obelisk was willing to commit mass murder, so as far as I am concerned he gets a ticket straight to the afterlife. There was fear in his eyes when he thought he might drown. Whomever is pulling that groups strings will know I am willing to kill their men.”

“They would fit my definition of evil.”

“I’ve come to the conclusion that even if we eliminate Synistry there will always be someone willing to fill that void. Ever vigilant we’ll need to be without sacrificing people’s freedoms. It will be a hard road because what seems like safety to one person is prison to another. If we’re to be an inclusive and welcoming society then it means looking at issues from different angles and trying to find the most optimal approach. Humanity teaches us we may fail but we will look, learn, and log the mistakes to prevent them in the future. An old proverb states you will fall a thousand times before rising a champion.”

“Garrick Faulkner, you are not the same person I met four months ago, you have grown.”

“By the will of the light watching over us all, I hope to continue to do so Ashmadiel.” Gryphon stood up the sword turned back from a spike to a bracer on his left forearm. After watching the night pass for an hour he flew off to other horizons.

Scrawled into the side of the utility box:

Hey “P”,
All of my secrets are out in the open.
Big changes are coming and
I realize we both need to grow.
You may never see or read this,
but I am letting go for now.
I’m trusting in my faith that if
we are meant to be together.
The universe will find a way,
as it did with the church next
to my home.
Be happy wherever you are.
Goodbye “P”
Love,
“G”

Art by: AZ_Artisan
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