[ EU ] Write a story about what earth would be like if it never had superman , from a perspective of a writer living in the universe where superman exists .

Mankind will always be plagued by the same mindset: we are only as good as our best example. It ’ s a childish way of seeing things, really. Why can ’ t little Billy be better than Mom or Dad when he grows up? Why can ’ t he be better than who he sees in the newspaper or television or Youtube? 
 
 Billy was, in fact. Billy was the best police officer that ever came out of the academy. He was brave and compassionate, the kind of man who would stop a guy with a determined look on the street, the same guy he had picked up twice before for armed robbery, and ask him how he ’ s been. He would give the guy his best smile and not stare at the bulge in his hoodie pocket as he leaned against the convenience store ’ s brick exterior. He would tell him about the good word he had put in with his sister-in-law and how they needed some extra help at her shop. He didn ’ t intimidate or yank the guy ’ s hand out of his pocket with brute force, heating the metal up with his laser eyes until he dropped it; Billy was as human as they came. 
 
 But stories don ’ t always end happily. You see, Billy had opted to work the tougher beat since he had a way with the people there. There were plenty of people down on their luck in under-maintained projects without sufficient skills to get a job beyond all the base labor positions available in the city. Billy was on his way into a seven-eleven when he heard an altercation in the alley. Being the cautious officer he was, he peeked around the corner and saw two men roughing up a third, the first with a gun to the third ’ s face as he was pushing him up against the all. The other man stood there as lookout, and did his job well as he immediately spotted Billy, pulling his gun free of the rear of his pants. Billy pulled back around the corner just as the hot lead flew out, ricocheting off the alley wall, a few inches short of where his face was. The two men yelled for him to leave lest they catch him between the eyes, but Billy was adamant. He called out that he was an officer and that, if they put down their weapons, kicked them over to him, and came out peacefully, that he would not charge them with anything more than misdemeanor disturbing the peace. They were quiet for a time until a voice came from the alley claiming that they had gone, that he was alone now. 
 
 Billy, making sure his bulletproof vest was secured, peeked out a bit lower this time and confirmed this to be true. The man that was left was the one they had been beating, and appeared to be in need of medical attention. Billy walked over to him and asked him if he needed a paramedic, which the man refused. Billy holstered his weapon and began calling in a description of the perpetrators, giving the man on the ground ample opportunity to pull his gun and shoot Billy 4 times in the chest and run off. 
 
 Billy was a hero to the community. He was loved, but he made a fatal mistake in trusting someone he believed to be a friend simply because he had not shown malice…yet. But there ’ s a larger lesson here. 
 
 The bulletproof vest failed because it was of bad quality, bought cheaply due to lack of funds. As a result, a reputable businessman caught wind of things and, out of the goodness of his heart and the intention to give to the community that had helped him so, donated hundreds of bulletproof vests of the highest caliber. The unforeseen tragedy turned into an opportunity to prevent further loss. Billy ’ s mistake was a noble sacrifice for the good of all other police officers. 
 
 At Billy ’ s posthumous commemoration ceremony, the generous businessman chose to speak, as he was so moved by Billy ’ s service record and so humbled that his small contribution could help so much. 
 “ I was asked, ” he said at the end of his speech, ” why I hadn ’ t donated these vests before, why I hadn ’ t saved Billy ’ s life. ” He paused, looking into the eyes of Billy ’ s widow, then at his grieving children. “ Had I known there was a problem, I would have, I promise. We, as a people, must be allowed to make mistakes if only so that we, and others, may learn from them. There ’ s no savior from the sky that can solve all of our problems, and we are better for it. We ’ re **stronger** for it. I only hope that we can take this example and continue to be better than we have been, because we can. We will. ” 
 
 
 *-Op Ed from the desk of Lex Luthor. * 
 
 
 Edit: formatting
