A Chapter Closes

                                    

                                          
The shovel stabbed into the cold ground, and with a grunt, he raised it up, forcing the dirt off of its spot. "You seriously ain't gonna help?" Jack grumbled.
Nick rested on the hood of the truck, texting away on his new phone that Jack had bought for him. "Can't. Need to see if this team I bet on wins."
"Gambling again?"
"It's only gambling if I lose. If I win, then it's a smart money method!"
"No. Just no."
Like all cities, Oleander had its fair share of graveyards. It was rare that you would find a dead Super body. Most were cremated to ensure they couldn't be studied or tampered with by enemy forces. That said, unknown to your average hero, there was a graveyard that would serve as the final resting place for the less heroic folks in the world.
Unmarked graves in the past were used for executed prisoners. Here, though, in a hidden back section of the graveyard in the poor part of Oleander, was where many villains would bury their deceased comrades. A secret among the villains. Jack moved more of the dirt away until he had finally dug a six-foot hole.
Even with super strength, it had been hard work.
Jack grimly placed his arms under Polaron and lifted the man up. He gently placed him down on the ground. It was crude. It was not the sort of place he would want to end up, but it was the best that Polaron would get from him. He looked down at the body in silence.
Made out of twisted metal, Polaron looked almost like a human skeleton. The man didn't need to eat, sleep, or breathe, surviving entirely off of raw metal, which his 'flesh,' or rather metallic bones, would pull in and absorb. His powers, however, like most monsters created by the Emperor, went out of control, and he had been forced to wear a suit of armor that kept them under his command.
For just a second, the image of P came to his mind. A young boy forced into a war by a selfish monster.
'He had been a boy back then.'
Jack nearly jumped when he heard the voice. It was a familiar, playful tone, one he hadn't heard in nearly fifteen years. He looked around but saw only Nick, who was still resting on the truck's hood. "You say something?" Jack asked, climbing out of the hole.
"Huh?" Nick set up and shot his friend a look. "No? I didn't say anything."
"Right." Jack shook his head and rubbed at his chest, a frown coming onto his face. "Sorry, it's just ever since I told the kid the truth; I can't help but think of him. Part of me wonders if I made a mistake. Letting her know so soon. Was it a mistake for Full Monarch's legacy to come this early..."
Flames that were filled with the light of hope. Able to rival the light of hate. Determined to save the world with the light of justice. He was harsh to his foes and calm to those he called his teammates. Fire that could burn and heal. Full Monarch had really been something else.
He had no idea how long he was out there. Thankfully, filling the grave took considerably less time than it had taken to dig it, solemnly covering the body of the former villain. Jack looked down at his watch and sighed. He scratched at the bit of facial hair that was starting to grow back in his face. "We should head back. They'll be leaving the memory any second now."
"Aren't you going to say any last words?" Nick questioned.
Jack gave an awkward shrug. "Here lies Polaron, formerly known as P. Sorry I killed you."
"My bad, P, didn't think he was going to suck so bad at last words; I'll give it a go." Nick cleared his throat and slid off of the truck's hood, standing in front of the grave next to Jack. "I guess I didn't really know you all that well, but I've seen a lot of monsters in my time as a doctor for the Hero Branch. Most are insane and have no control over themselves. You weren't like them. You were truly amazing, keeping your sanity. Guess that's what makes you being a bad guy all the more tragic?"