[ WP ] Retell the origin of a superhero , but reveal the hero at the end of the story .

Gary rolled onto his back and sighed, his eyes crawling across the ceiling in tempo with the dim pulse of his smoke detector. He blinked, holding his eyes shut for just a half second longer than normal. He extended his left arm into the cold, empty sheets beside him, then closed his eyes again. He was gone. 
 
 Gary turned back onto his side and stared toward the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar. A single strip of light cascaded through the empty space and into the bedroom, stretching across his floor and stopping just before the bed. Gary was always the first to climb into bed, leaving the light on to shine a few moments longer. Tonight, however, there would be no second set of footsteps ascending the stairs, no hushed tip-toe across the carpeted floor, no quieted climb into the bed. Tonight there would be no one to turn off the hallway light. 
 
 Gary moved his gaze toward the desk. It was a mess - he had promised he would clean it. Photos were strewn about, papers mixed in between the frozen memories. His computer tower blinked steadily below the desk, a startling maroon light fading to a calming darkness and back. Gary sat up and slid his legs off the side of the bed. It was clear he would not be falling asleep. He turned his head and glanced at the empty space beside him, then pushed himself up with his hands and walked toward the entryway. He pulled lightly on the door, watching as light flooded into the room and reflected off the shattered remains of his bedside lamp piled in the corner. Gary sighed and stepped into the hallway. 
 
 A wash of white blurred Gary's vision, causing him to cover his eyes with his hand. The ace bandage wrapped around his palm felt abrasive to his nose, but the momentary embrace of the darkness soothed him. He walked forward, sliding his hand along the wall as a guide. In his mind, he imagined the layout of the house, yet everything felt larger than he remembered it. He forced himself to remove his hand from his eyes, blinking in the blinding light. He walked to the light switch and rested his hand on it, then held it there. He felt an urge to push on the switch, to force it to shut off and let him again be in the dark. He removed his hand, the light still shining above his head. 
 
 Gary locked his teeth and bit down as hard as he could, feeling the back of his jaw tighten. Tears welled in his eyes. He was gone. It was his fault. He was gone. Gary turned and ran back into the room, knocking the door wide open with his shoulder. The room had never looked so bright. He grabbed his pants off the floor and rummaged through the pockets. Nothing. He threw them on the floor and pushed his chair over, falling to his knees. He glanced around, flexing his chest and shoulders in frustration. He wanted to scream. Gary crawled toward the foot of the bed and lay flat, then reached underneath and slid his hand back and forth. 
 
 `` Where the fuck is it?'' Gary said, startling himself with the sound of his own voice. He reached as far as his arm would allow him, until his hand wrapped around metal. It was cool against his skin, fitting just into his palm. Something pricked him as he pulled his arm out. Gary looked down and saw a thin stream of blood pool above his palm, just under the metal object. He used the bandage on his other hand to absorb the burgundy release, then picked a thin piece of glass out. He sighed. 
 
 Gary raised the metal object to his face and flicked it open, bringing it to life with a cascade of color. He entered in a series of numbers almost automatically, then raised it to his head. His vision blurred as his eyes began to tear. He was gone. Gary took a deep breath, body trembling with anticipation. He was gone. 
 
 `` Hello?'' said a voice. 
 
 `` Ace, it's Gary.'' 
 
 `` Oh,'' replied the voice. 
 
 `` Look, just listen. You're right. I do n't know why I went off on you before. I was scared. You're right. I do n't just want to be a friend of friends anymore. I want to help save this city. I do n't just want to be ambiguously gay, Ace. I want to be a duo. I want to be a duo with you.'' 
 
 Gary smiled as he waited for a reply. Gary was gone, and felt a wave of relief flood over him. 

