It Only Takes a Book

Sometimes life is funny.

You can be a struggling 'X' one moment, then in that same moment, your whole life can change in an instant. It only takes a book, a little black notebook to be exact, for my whole life to be flipped on its heel. That along with a creative mind, and the twenty thousand dollar Xisa gift card in the side sleeve in said notebook. My name is not important, but for the sake of this tale just call me T.

I am a struggling superhero, with the power to piss off the masses due to me taking on more than I can chew. Normal life is just not for me, heck for the most part I am not good for me. This world is not normal and not meant for the normal, though it's mostly populated with normal people that work 9 to 5 at their jobs. They live, love, and die normally. So why should I not just fall in line? I am a human, male, 5'11, green emerald eyes, slightly medium build, tan skin, fair complexion, and for the most part, women think I am cute due to how dark and full my hair is. So why do I not just fall in line?

The short answer is that I would just go insane from boredom. The long answer is that, though I may not look it, as I down my favorite hot flavored corn chips with lime, I have superhuman strength. Most people are born with natural limiters the brain has in place to limit a body's output, for me, it's my strength. Granted I am by no means a scientist or an expert on the matter, but I do not have this. Do you know the urban legends about women lifting cars to save infants? Hysterical strength? I am that at will, it's like a voluntary muscle, I use it when I need it.

Am I a superhero due to some creed about responsibility and the needs of the many? No, I have saved lives, I have no qualms about that, but my reasons are purely selfish. I just love the adrenaline high that comes from doing something extraordinary. Whether it is stopping some punk robbing a corner store, or leaping into a burning house to save a little girl's hamster, I need that rush like a drug. Therein lies my fatal flaw, I get overly excited. My uniform for that day gets ripped, I nearly get burnt alive due to false advertising from a bulk shipper from China. Holy crap that robber was part of some art student's film thesis, no I will not do it again for free! Free tacos? Bet!

Being a superhero is indeed awesome, but it comes at a price. Your body, sleep, your addiction to hot chips and lime, but mostly--- funds. I work at a bulk warehouse club called Sancho's, in the heart of The Motor City, Detroit. My job pays well, is boring, and honestly at times can be rewarding. I am a door greeter making sure you have your membership card and prevent people from stealing. Mostly it's the former--- who am I kidding, its only the former since I started here.

After rent and other beautiful and glorious adult tasks like paying Bills, my arch-nemesis. I am left with a decent amount to work with to do my superhero passion. I try to save here and there on my uniform but, like with the bulk shipper from China, its burns through most of my funds. I do not have a grand secret lair with wall to wall experimental tech like in the comics. I have a closet with soundproof foam stuck on the walls, a laptop with really good security and VPNs, my neighbor's wifi that somehow said laptop connects to without a password though it clearly says it's secure, and my uniforms. If I stop ‘super-heroing’ for a month or so I can save up to go on a shopping spree at my local Army-Navy store.

It was here that I found it, that little black notebook. I saved up for two months because honestly, that student's film thesis depressed me. I was hoping that was a real criminal. "Hey, Chief." Chief Petty Officer Jasper G. Cotes, the store owner, was a retired Navy vet from Vietnam.

"T, how are you hero?" Chief's store was where I got started, I stopped an armed robbery. The crook did not see me, I didn't hesitate, I got his attention pushed his gun hand in the air, and knocked his block off. I grabbed the gun and set it on the counter. Chief just grabbed it with a gloved hand and unloaded it, then called the cops. We actually made the news!

We became good friends after that, he offered to give me a discount for life, I took it. "Got any body-armor in?"

He shook his head, "You ask me that every time, no, why can't you just be normal T?"

"A normal life is not for me, you know that Chief." I wanted to be more than normal.

He surrendered, "I know T, I do have some flame retardant shirts though, what are you working with today?"

"Saved up for 2 months, yes Chief, before you ask, all my ‘adulting’ is paid up. I got $2300!" I was so proud.

"Good, you know T you really should invest your funds and have it work for you." Chief was a good man, that only wanted my best interests at heart.

"True but, that would take time to reap returns." I live in the now.

He gave me a smirk, "Tell you what, I will make you a deal. Take these shirts and save that money for 2 more months and invest it."

"Chief, I."

"Here." He gives me a card, "This is my stock broker's card." He sees my bewildered gaze. "You think I only have this store? No, I make my real money through him. Save your money and call him okay?" I nod, we shake on it, and I take the deal. When I grab my bounty a sealed black notebook falls out of my pile.

"Hey Chief I think this is yours." He looks at it and shakes his head no.

"Nope, keep it, its just a notebook." We both shrug and I leave his store. Chief is a good man, I trusted him, so I was going to keep saving for 2 more months and call.

I returned home placing my bounty on my couch. I grabbed the black notebook, "Think I might start a journal." I laughed at the concept. The notebook was leather-bound, with a strap sealing it shut. I noticed there was a lock on it, "Well there goes that concept." I could have cut the strap off but, it looked really cool with it. I looked at it all around, back and front, up and down, I pricked my thumb on the lock and my blood went in the keyhole. It then shimmered, might be the coating reflecting the light. I then heard a click and the seal was unlocked. As I opened it I saw the key, it was blood red, small and fell out of a side sleeve.

Upon further inspection I saw a Xisa credit gift card, I looked at the cover page on the side, it was old, weathered, "Pecuniam Procedent?" I then looked back at the Xisa card as I examined it gave off a shine. "Man, they do love reflective material." I flipped it over, nothing special, the usual instructions, and the website to activate it, the three-digit code, etc. I go to my computer, figured who knows might be something on it. No name on the notebook or information--- it's mine now. I brought up the site, the card was not registered yet but activated. So I registered it in my name, lo and behold "Twe--twe--tweeee $20K!" I looked at the card then logged out of the site.

I grabbed the notebook and opened it up, no name, information, so turned the page. It was filled with writings about self-worth, being worthy of this, and that so I just kept reading. What was this? It then talked about the Xisa card, "We all need a start, so with this, we impart the means for your better tomorrow." Who was 'we'? It then said pretty much what Chief told me to do. I then pulled out the stockbroker card Chief gave me, then my cell, and called the number. Nothing. I then recalled Chief telling me to wait 2 months and save my money.

The next two months flew by and I tried the number again, it gave me a message to log on to a website. I got home and brought the site up, I registered, my cell then rang. I answered it, "Follow the notebook, then pass it on." Click. That was ominous.

I grabbed the notebook, the pages lit up, and began teaching me how money worked. I was never a quick study, I passed high school as an average kid, went to community college on grants but did not finish. The notebook was different it knew that I was a layman in this and broke it down for me as I actively read it.

I stopped being a struggling superhero that day, for the next year I learned about how to be worthy of the gift given to me. I changed why I was a hero from a rush to saving just one more. I learned how to invest and I did not even have to use that Xisa card. I had FUNDS! I had actual equipment, a uniform that really was fireproof, and the means to maintain my new life as a hero. I went back to my favorite Army-Navy store but Chief wasn't there. Nobody heard of Chief Petty Officer, Jasper G. Cotes. They knew me, I was the hero who saved the owner's wife from an armed robber. I left the store saddened I missed my dear friend that no one seemed to remember.

Two years later, I was now Detroit's favorite son, I was on billboards, TV, the works. I now owned a hero company, where I trained those who wanted to be more than normal. This world was not normal, I was not normal nor would I ever be. "You look good T." I turned around and saw my friend!

"Chief!" I shouted as I ran to him then through him. "What the?"

He smiles at me, "I see you are now living your dream, aren't you glad you took that deal?"

"But at the cost of my friend," I say solemnly.

"T, I have always been with you." I see him disappear into the little black notebook, "and I always will so long as you are worthy, but now it's time for me to move on." I see a lady that I have been scouting, her name is not important, but for her tale, let us call her Z. I drop the notebook with the Xisa gift card in it on the chair before me. I then walk towards her and she greets me warmly.

"Hey Z." We talk for about ten minutes, then she sees it, I tell her it looks cool she should keep it.