Originally submitted for this writing prompt.
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Mega City – Justice has been served, but to whom? In another landmark trial another masked hero has been successfully convicted of child abuse. In a unanimous decision by the jury, Wayne “Ratman” Banner, 39, has been found guilty of thirty accounts of endangering a minor, the most charges of a masked hero to date.
The billionaire gone masked vigilante was charged earlier this year when the family of Caleb “Mighty Mouse” Vincent, 17, was tipped off by an anonymous source that their high school aged son had been fighting side by side the masked vigilante for the past three years. The Vincent family hired private investigator Josie Jacques to verify the claim. Within just a week Jacques had uncovered enough evidence that the teenager had been donning the mask and fighting crime late into the night side by side Mega City’s own radical rodent. Instead of studying late into the night like Caleb had told his parents.
“I was suspicious when his grades didn’t reflect the time he put into it,” his mother said. “This is atrocious. I’d rather hear that Caleb was sneaking out to go party, or see a girl. Anything but this.”
Thanks to the diligent work of Jacques the identity of Ratman had been swiftly uncovered in just a manner of weeks after the evidence had been presented. “I had a code to never become a hero paparazzi,” Jacques said. “They have their line of work and I have mine. It’s our jobs to keep the baddies off the streets, but when I saw Caleb’s mother cry after I showed her the evidence my heart broke. Perhaps those who keep the baddies off the streets aren’t much different than the baddies themselves.”
The Vincents pressed charged shortly after.
Even with the best lawyers money can buy Mr. Banner did not stand a chance in court. His very own sidekick, Caleb Vincent, himself testified in Mr. Banner’s defense. Unfortunatly for Mr. Banner, his young sidekick could not land any punches in the courtroom. Some suspect that Caleb’s own testimony could have backfired with his tales of heroics.
By the end of the trial of Mr. Banner the jury voted unanimously guilty with the jury’s opinion stating “There are plenty of eligible young adults in Mega City for Mr. Banner to have fight along side him. Mr. Banner has no right allowing a teenager to put himself in the line of fire when he [Celeb] should be preparing for his future. The jury finds Mr. Banner guilty.”
When ask for comment Mr. Banner blamed his arch-business rival Dexter “Dex” Ditmar of Dexcorp. “He set this up! You played right into his hands and you’ll all pay for it when every hero has been locked up.”
Mr. Banner will be serving thirty years to life. Other heroes who have been sentenced for similar crimes include Dana “Fantastic Femme” King, and Kent “Uberman” Clarke.
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