A boy stood up from his desk, adjusting his glasses before slowly walking down the aisle of the classroom. His attire of choice was a white graphic tee and a pair of wrinkled blue jeans. Jason, an eighteen year old senior at Metropolis High School, was one of those kids who always felt different from his peers. Straight As in everything but Gym. Begging for a D minus in that class wasn't easy. Neither were the fifty push-ups.
He wasn't quite sure what his future held. All he did know at that point in time is that he felt proud. Every other student who presented that day needed index cards or power point slides as a guide to what they wanted to say. Jason, however, knew his project from cover to cover as this story was very close to his heart. The topic was "Significant Events of the 21st Century." To his classmates, it was the final presentation at the last period of the day. For him, it was a flashback.
Ten years ago, the city of Metropolis became a target of destruction. The antagonist responsible for such terror was a monster known as "Doomsday", a name given to him by The Daily Planet newspaper. Doomsday's rampage began about fifty miles west of the city and continued until he made his way to us. Hundreds of people were killed or injured and the collateral damage was in the millions. As night began to fall, it seemed that our citizens were at the mercy of this remorseless beast. That was until a streak of blue and red came to our defense. It was none other than Metropolis' great defender and Earth's mightiest hero, Superman.
Both forces gave all their strength to what could only be described as a war. Fists, vehicles, and nearby buildings were all used as weapons. The chants screaming "Man of Steel" could be heard as far as Gotham City. A half an hour into the fight, the two combatants had one final stare down before channeling all of their energy into one final attack. The impact of the clash caused a sonic boom which destroyed the road in which they collided. Anyone watching the event was immediately knocked off their feet. It took ten minutes for the dust to settle. All that remained was a battle-torn cape with the iconic "S" insignia that our hero wore with pride. Doomsday had been destroyed at the expense of the last survivor of the planet Krypton.
Jason took a moment to catch his breath. His eyes were closed for most of the story. Watching the events unfold on the news was a memory that he wished he could forget. Opening his eyes, Jason continued to speak to the class.
"Lois Lane, was the reporter on the scene when it happened," he said as he began to pass out newspaper clippings and photographs to the class. "These were the original photos taken by her partner and best friend, James Olsen."
The students took turns viewing the pictures with great interest. Never had they known someone who was this close to the legendary hero known as Superman. Even the teacher appeared to be impressed as she also took time to view the pictures.
"Rumor has it there may have been another correspondent covering the story for The Daily Planet, " Jason added. "According to my sources, he died at the scene." A bell sounded just as Jason was about to reveal the reporter's identity. The class was over.
"Thank you for your hard work everyone," the teacher said. "If you didn't present today, I'm calling on you tomorrow!"
Jason collected the materials he had shared with the class and placed them in a messenger bag. He then threw it over his shoulder and left the classroom. As he walked toward his locker, Jason noticed a slight chill on his left cheek. With a gentle touch, he discovered dried up tears that had trailed down his face.
He was crying the whole time.
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