[ WP ] A supervillain , having thought he was the hero all along , comes to grips with the truth .

The crowd roared. TERRY FIELDMAN was plastered across walls, t-shirts, and banners. 
 
 A first slammed into the back of his head. 
 
 Girls were crying, their stretched arms waving in the air. He could n't hear the mayor's introduction. 
 
 A bag of garbage landed on his back. 
 
 Shredded paper and balloons burst from the rafters. He squeezed his eyes shut and soaked in the glory as the crowd's chanting rolled over him. 
 
 TER-RY. 
 
 TER-RY. 
 
 TERRY. 
 
 `` TERRY. TERRY THE FAIRY. SCARY TERRY. You're such a loser.'' *whumph* He collapsed as the older boy nailed him in the stomach. He was 11 and Harry was 13 and much bigger. Harry Perk had cornered him on the old driveway behind his mom's apartment again. He fell hard onto the dusty ground and lay still. Sometimes if he just played dead he would go away. 
 
 *thump* Harry kicked him in the leg. 
 
 `` You're such a wimp. Fairy Terry.'' Terry stared at meagre grass pushing its way up between the dry earth as his leg throbbed. His backup plan started whether he wanted to or not. He tried to hold back the heaving shudder, but he started to cry. 
 
 `` You fag.'' Harry laughed and walked away. 
 
 Terry lay there as silently as possible until the tears stopped. Then he pushed himself up and brushed off the brown dust that stuck to his clothes. He limped to his back door. 
 
 `` Stop your snifflin' boy.'' He looked up and Mr. Delacroix was on his back porch smoking. He ignored him. 
 
 `` You ai n't gon na do nothing by just laying there. Defend yourself son.'' The old man shook his head and muttered to himself. Terry went inside. 
 
 He opened the door to his mom's place. `` Hello?'' he said softly. His mom was passed out on the couch. He gingerly walked through the living room mess and grabbed the box of cereal that had spilled next to her. He tossed a fistful into his mouth and walked to his bedroom and closed the door. He tossed his dirty shirt in a pile and searched for something cleaner. He decided on a t-shirt with a coffee stain. Reaching underneath the mattress, he pulled out the Superman comic he was reading. It was a couple of years old and had laid in a puddle for a day or so, so it the pages were all crinkled and musty. He knew Superman came back because kids at school had told him. 
 
 He did n't care. Superman always won, that's what made him so great. You knew he was going to beat the bad guys, save the day, maybe get a bit roughed up but always come back eventually. And he never hurt anyone. Superman was better than everyone else. Superman saved everyone. 
 
 Suddenly he felt strange. Waves of nausea passed over him. His body tingled and then everything went black. He woke up, and his mother was peering over his body. She was sneering. Then her face went blank as she reached out to rub his chest. 
 
 `` Terry darling are you alright? Baby are you okay?'' 
 
 `` Mom? I'm... okay. Just tired.'' He shrugged her hand away. 
 
 `` Maybe we should take you to the hospital. I would n't want you to be hurt.'' Tears welled up in her eyes. 
 
 `` I'm fine mom. What's for dinner?'' He got up slowly. 
 
 `` Whatever you want kiddo. It's your special day.'' She turned and walked into the kitchen. 
 
 `` Mom.. why are you being so weird? Why is it my special day?'' 
 
 `` Because I love you, Terry. And.. I've been such a horrible mother-'' A sob escaped from her. She leaned onto the counter. `` Look at this place. What sort of child lives like this?'' She reached underneath the sink to grab a bucket and began filling it with water. `` I am going to start cleaning this place up before dinner. Go out and play in the sun.'' 
 
 `` I do n't like playing. I'd rather just go to my room.'' 
 
 `` Okay Terry, whatever you want.'' She knelt down and start scrubbing the floor with a rag. Terry stared. What was happening? It felt weird to watch his mother clean, so he decided he did want to go outside. 
 
 `` Terry! You want some candy?'' Mr. Delacroix reached into his pocket and smiled. 
 
 `` Uh, no thanks Mr. Delacroix.'' 
 
 `` Well let me know, I always have some for you buddy.'' Terry looked around to see if someone was laughing at him. There was no one. He turned left towards the park and kept an eye out for the other neighbourhood boys. 
 
 `` TERRY! TERRY!'' Too late. 
 
 He thought about running, but that usually just made them more angry and he was n't very fast. He folded his shoulders and huddled against the wall waiting for them to jump on him. 
 
 Money was thrust into his hands. 
 
 `` Here. I just wanted to give you back all this money I took from you. I owe you a bit more. But that's all I have right now. My parents are giving me allowance tomorrow so I'll have more then.'' Patrick Chan stared at his shoes when Terry looked up. He looked serious enough. The money looked real. 
 
 `` What.. Why are you doing this?'' Terry asked. 
 
 `` I just saw you and felt bad, y'know? Like you deserved it. Just take it. I'm really sorry for everything I've done to you. You're a good kid Terry. Better than I am.'' He met Terry's eyes. 
 
 Terry glowered at him. `` I know.'' 
 
 `` I saw you help Karen get her cat back once. That's when I stole your backpack. I'll bring that on Monday for you, I'm sorry I took it...'' Patrick looked back at his shoes. 
 
 `` Well.. That's good. Do you like me now?'' 
 
 `` You bet! You're the best Terry. Want to go to the park?'' 
 
 `` Um, okay.'' His leg still hurt so the two walked slowly down the driveway towards the park across the street. Patrick listed off nearly all the terrible things he had done to Terry and apologized again and again. 
 
 `` OK! Patrick. I get it. Shut up.'' Silence. After a few steps, he looked over and Patrick had clapped his hands over his mouth. His eyes were wide and he nodded at Terry happily. 
 
 Terry stopped. `` Will you... do whatever I say?'' Patrick nodded. `` You can talk now.'' 
 
 `` Of course Terry, I feel so bad for what I did. What do you want? I can go get your backpack? Maybe some ice cream from my house?'' 
 
 ``... Okay.'' Patrick set off running. Terry looked at the park and saw Harry sitting on Randy McGillis and rubbing his face into the sand. Without thinking, he made his way over there. When Harry looked up, he swallowed hard. What was he doing? 
 
 `` TERRY!'' Harry got up off Randy and ran over to him. Terry flinched. Harry started blubbering gibberish at him, tears streaming down his face. 
 
 `` Uh... What's wrong, Harry?'' 
 
 Wiping his nose with his hands, he finally stuttered out, `` S-s-s-orry, Terry. I was s-s-so mean to you.'' He broke off into sobbing again. 
 
 `` Yeah. You were.'' Terry frowned and Harry covered his head with his hands and fell to his knees. 
 
 `` You know what Harry. You can make it up to me.'' 
 
 `` H-ho-how?'' he sniffled. 
 
 `` Climb the maple tree there and jump off the highest branch.'' 
 
 Harry smiled and leaped from the ground to run over to the tree. He climbed its branches, higher and higher. He got almost to the top, then waved at Terry. `` Watch me!'' He jumped from the branches and fell to the ground. Terry did n't hear anything but the children's screams that broke the quiet summer evening. 
 
 Patrick ran up to him and held out his backpack. `` Terry...'' he asked, `` Is that Harry? Is he okay?'' 
 
 Terry looked at Patrick. `` Patrick... Thanks for the backpack. There's one more thing you can do to make it up to me though...''
