"Thank you, Mr. Chance, for being with
us here today." Jenny Jackson, the entertainment
journalist, spoke entirely professionally,
if not a bit dispassionate. "It's bad
enough," she thought, "to make
me sit through the entire movie, but to have
to do an interview right afterward outside
the same theater is starting to ask a bit
much."
William Chance, however, was completely the
opposite: Calm, self-assured, and grinning
like a Cheshire cat. He sat dressed as his
Cap'n Oz character: a mostly blue jumpsuit
leaving his face and head uncovered, and
decorated with slight variations of the Australian
flag's stripes and Southern Cross, and complete
with gloves, boots, and a red sash about
his waist. He never as much as glanced to
the woman interviewing him, preferring to
look off the platform either to the informal
camera set-up or fans gathered around after
their screening. "Oh, no worries, Jenny.
I'm a big fan of your show and love the program."
Jenny sighed internally, but never allowed
her professional façade to crack. "Well,
I prefer to think of "Channel 4 News"
as a bit more than just a show, and we appreciate
your support nonetheless." (and to herself:
"All right, moving right along...")
"Tell us what you think of the success
of Cap'n Oz, and what do you think of your
most recent movie, "Cap'n Oz Forever?"
Chance dropped his cheerful demeanor as he
caught his error, and glanced at Jenny as
he composed himself again, "Ah, of course,
pardon me. Ahem. At any rate, I'm wonderfully
excited about the success of Cap'n Oz--it's
*worldwide* success-- and happy to be a part
of it. I think it's great that an Australian
movie can become serious competitor in the
international blockbuster arena. The Americans
aren't the only ones who know how to make
films, and what's especially great about
Cap'n Oz is the Australian nationalism that
it brings about."
Jenny: "It's interesting that you mention
Australian nationalism. What do you say to
the people who equate your popularity in
Australia with that of Captain America in
the United States? There are even some that
say Cap'n Oz' popularity rivals that of Captain
America's in international circles."
"Well, Jenny," Chance seemed to
speaking from a script, "although I'm
certainly dressed for the occasion, it's
important to remember that I'm not Cap'n
Oz, merely an actor playing a character.
I do think, however, that Cap'n Oz portrays
the ideals of an Australian patriot, and
I'm not ashamed that he has become a role
model for many young fans. But really,"
Chance chuckled, "have you *seen* Captain
America's excuse for a movie? If he becomes
concerned about our differences in popularity,
he should really try a different marketing
strategy."
The audience laughed with Chance at the joke,
and Jenny inwardly cringed at the next question
on her cue cards. "What details can
you give regarding the rumors that you continue
to have a romantic relationship with your
co-star, Alice Springs, who plays your sidekick
Taz in the films?"
"And.... why do you ask that, Jenny?"
Chance asked suggestively.
Jenny smiled platonically, her insides seething
uncomfortably.
"Seriously, though," Chance continued,
winking to the crowd, "I can neither
confirm nor deny such allegations."
With two fingers pressed to his lips, he
threw a kiss to the blonde bombshell in the
audience. Alice Springs clasped her hands
and threw a silent laugh back at him-- her
"Cap'n Oz" letterman jacket hardly
concealing her Taz outfit-- which was little
more than a cleavage-revealing bathing costume.
The crowd continued to laugh.
Jenny weathered the storm, "Tell us
how you first became 'Cap'n Oz.'"
William Chance smiled as he leaned back.
He knew what to say now. That is, he knew
what *not* to say. After all, he had been
rehearsing variations of it for nearly 200
years. He couldn't tell them that he was
born ages ago, a product of a union between
an immortal human and a genie-- a being of
pure magic. He couldn't tell them that because
of this, he was blessed with abilities and
powers that left him the beyond the peak
of physical perfection. He couldn't tell
them that he was but one of many brothers
and sisters thus blessed: part of the Clan
Destine, hidden among a humanity that couldn't
begin to comprehend the things he's seen.
And he certainly couldn't tell them that
he used his abilities to maintain a level
of comfortable living conditions, including
securing for himself a cushy job as Australia's
leading actor. After all, there were union
rules.
Jenny only half-listened to the variation
of the same rags-to-riches fortuitous-actor-discovery
story, but could sense when he was finished:
"And what are your plans for..."
KaBOOM! A muffled explosion sounded down the street.
Several people of the crowd started looking
at the large cloud of smoke billowing rapidly
into the sky above the theater.
"And what are you plans for the future
of..."
KaBOOM! A closer explosion, sirens in the distance.
People murmuring. Screams from down the street...
"for the future of Cap'n..."
KAA BBOOMM!! Clouds of flame and smoke billow from around
the corner, cars crash, more screams. People
start to run from around the corner, spreading
into the city, including at the crowd assembled
for the Cap'n Oz interview.
Jenny stops her question, starting from her
chair, looking off stage to the news director,
krapidly talking into his cel phone. The
camera men look up, and the crowd leaves
the interview to mingle with the new crowd
running from the scene.
Chance, a mixture of annoyance and confusion,
looks to the weasel-thin man rushing up the
stage area. "Ricky," he asks, "what's
goin' on!"
Ricky McCoy, agent for Alice and Chance,
rolls his eyes from beneath his sunglasses,
motioning to the confusion of the film crew,
"William, hang in there, mate. They'll
probably just wrap wot they got an' call
for..."
Then, everyone paused as they watched it:
like a rapidly burrowing gopher kicking up
a trail of displaced dirt, a geyser of flame
and burning gas flowed beneath the street,
exploding before the interview scene. People
screamed as fiery asphalt rained down upon
them. Echoing the burst gas main, the theater
and other buildings around erupted with explosive
fireballs. The crowd was fully crazed by
now, running whereever they could, to get
away from falling glass, burning debris.
Ricky began pulling on Cap'n Oz' costume,
"Aaaah, okay, I think we'll have their
people call *us*..."
Chance looked back to Jenny, at the cameras,
irked. "But... but!"
Jenny had gone off the stage by this time,
pleading with the news director, who only
stopped shouting in his cel phone to snap
back at Jenny, "No! I'm ordering the
equipment packed and stacked! We're getting'
outta here, 'kay?"
"But why!" Jenny protested, "Keep
the cameras rolling! We'll go live! I'm a
reporter! We'll have it for the 5:00!"
The news director only covered his cel phone
to yell back, "You're *not* a reporter,
you're an *entertainment personality!* Now
get back to the van, and we'll get you outta
here!"
Jenny could hardly breathe in her astonishment.
Ricky McCoy was trying to herd William Chance
off stage as well, "Come on, *CAP'N
OZ!*" he urged, stressing the "Cap'n
Oz" out of habit to the preoccupied
crowd, "We better getcha ta safety,
eh?"
"Wait!" Chance yelled over the
confusion... standing up dramatically. Ricky
looked at him, expectantly.
"Alice!" he cried out. Ricky's
eyes rolled.
Chance waded through the maddening crowd
to find Alice, looking helpless and disheveled.
"Ally, honey, you okay?" he doted.
"Oh, William," she breathed, "Oh,
William!"
"There, there! Ricky's gonna help, don't
worry!"
"Yeah," Ricky agreed, pushing his
way through the masses, "I'm gonna help!
Don't worry, you're a client, too!"
Ricky took Alice from Chance's embrace and
began to work his way back through the crowd.
Chance was about to follow on their heels
when he felt a tug on the sash which hung
from around his waist. Chance turned, glanced
about, and finally looked down at the small
child whose hand clutched the red sash.
The kid looked plaintive and pitiful, as
the crowd ran this way and that all around
him, as the shadows from the flames flickered
about his wide open eyes, as the fiery debris
and ash flitted from the sky and covered
the streets.
"Please, Mistah Cap'n Oz, sir, whereya
goin'?" the child asked wistfully.
"Ah, jeez," muttered Chance, "Look,
kid, I...
"I mean I'm...
"I....
"Aye, aye, aye," he finally shook
his head, "Go find your dadda, okay?
Let me do what I have to do."
"Thanks, Mistah Cap'n Oz, sir! I got
all your action figures! You're the bestest,
Cap'n!"
Chance watched the kid trot after his family,
and then turned to follow Alice and Ricky
to safety, only to find that he had lost
them in the crowd.
"Damn kid," Chance cursed, as he
turned to look at the burning builidings
about him, at the clouds of billowing smoke
in the sky. Syndey was burning, and ... that
just wasn't normal, aside from the obvious.
Maybe... just maybe... it might take someone
who wasn't normal to stop it.
Willaim Chance ran to the set's trucks, muttering
"damn damn damn damn" all the way,
avoiding the flames and falling sparks. He
reached his make-up trailer, grabbing an
extra Cap'n Oz costume, tearing the blue
fabric of the shirt into a long strip.
"I can't go out in public as Cap'n Oz,"
he muttered, "I got me a reputation
to think about. But what if..."
He ripped eyeholes in the strip of linen
and tied it over his head, obscuring his
nose, ears, and upper face, tying it in the
back to hide his hair. He looked at his masked
version of Cap'n Oz in the mirror.
"there's a *new* Cap'n Oz in town?"
Then: "D*** s*** f***** b****!"
He looked this way and that, in sudden, quick
movements. "Where the hell'd my peripheral
vision go!"
"Ah, b****r all," he cursed, and
with a leap, burst through the skylight of
the make-up trailer. He landed atop the trailer,
and using his great strength and agility,
bounded from nearby building roof to building
roof in a series of acrobatic leaps.
Not many people took notice, but the little
sash-pulling kid looked back just in time
to see the figure of Cap'n Oz leaping through
the turbulent sky. He smiled.
William Chance found himself immersed within
a tornado of fire and smoke after moving
only a few blocks from the Cap'n Oz premiere.
A powerful jump landed him atop a nearby
second-story office building, and below,
a figure stood-- his outline shimmering among
the heat-distorted distance. The figure laughed--
a whiny, raucous laugh with a tinge of pain
behind it.
"Hmm," Chance noted. "Quite
a bit of damage from a psycho with a flame-thrower..."
He blinked against the heat, and his make-shift
mask, "Never been harmed much by heat
in the past, but this looks a bit more....
*more...*" Chance glanced back to the
safety he knew was provided for him a scant
few blocks away. But... no. There were people
still in the residences and business around
him. There's no way everyone could have fled
the area in the seconds this firestorm took
to flare up.
Another flying leap, and Chance dropped to
the city street below. He faced the villain
and took his most dramatic pose: "STOP
YOUR EVIL DOINGS.... Evil.... doer!"
The other man paused, but walked up to Chance
slowly. His figure became more distinct as
he stepped from the heart of the flames.
His frame was scrawny, and he moved stiffly,
as if in pain. His face looked twisted and
desparate, his grin like a wounded hyena.
The red goggles obscured his eyes and enhanced
the wild-eyed madman appearance. He seemed
clownish in his yellow-and-red jumpsuit,
but the flame-thrower attached to his back,
and the hoses attached from it to the nozzles
on his wrists made him look like an evil
clown.
"Blimey!" the madman breathed,
half-mockingly. "It's Cap'n Oz, come
t'save the city!"
"Might as well take the cue," Chance
thought, never slacking his performance.
Aloud, he shouted, "That's right, arson
fiend! You are burning a part of the land
I love, and that's burning my very heart!
I can't stand by when you destroy everything
people have done to make this city great!
Stop now, whoever you are, and be off!"
"Nice mask. Name's Pyro," the man
snickered, cracking his knuckles, "Haven't
heard o' me? Card-carrying member of the
Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, terrorist, mercenary,
general all-around bad'un? Then you haven't
heard I'm dying! I'm gonna take me home city
down with me, if it's the last thing I get
t'do, even if I have t'go through you t'do
it!"
With that, more flames erupted from the nozzles
on Pyro's wrists, engulfing the area and
forming two monstrous humanoid flame-creatures!
The creatures advanced on Cap'n Oz, and one
pounded on him! The other's mighty blow to
Oz' back pressed him flat onto the ground,
denting the asphalt. "Can't be too far
from the harbor," Chance thought as
Pyro began to ramble, "just got to draw
this maniac's attention away from the city
proper, and maybe get an advantage on him."
:"Ha, ha!" cackled Pyro, the creatures'
rain of blows on Cap'n Oz matching Pyro's
own blows to empty air. "You've been
watching too many movies, mate! You choose
t'take the colors of a national champion,
ya gotta be prepared t'fight everything that
threatens it! It's just too bad you chose
t'do it today, 'cause I'm gonna leave these
country burnt to a crisp, starting with you!"
Chance struggled to his feet amid the pummeling.
He soon managed a couple of blows to the
creatures himself. His own fists were less
than effectual, but they did seem to disrupt
the flame-contructs' integrity, however slight.
Chance feinted, drawing the creatures upon
him. He yelled back to Pyro, "Aha! But
the spirit of this country burns brighter
and stronger than any flame could ever hope!
The fire of my passion is far greater than
yours, and will prevail!" To himself,
Chance continued: "But did I really
*choose* to take the colors of a national
champion? I've chosen to *act* in that role,
but this is going way above and beyond any
role I've taken! And then, what if the role
demands more than I can deliver...?"
"Oh, jeez, are you f'r real?" Pyro
cursed. He continued to hammer blows on Cap'n
Oz with his two creatures. POW! "You
think because you believe in something, that
you'll be okay!" BAM! "I used to
believe in something, along time ago, you
might even call it love!" FZAP! "But
I was wrong. I then learned to believe in
something else-- myself!" SLAM!
Cap'n Oz was forced back a little more than
he anticipated. The repeated pounding of
flame-fists into his body, and his own fists
punching into the creatures, were beginning
to take their toll. His costume began to
shred and singe. He began to feel the heat
even through his super-dense skin. Chance
began to sweat, a sensation he hadn't known
for at least a decade. "I thought I
knew myself-- my capabilities," he thought,
"but this is the first time in a while
I've had to prove myself against a superhuman
threat! What if... what if I'm *not* cut
out for it?"
Pryo continued, and began to press his advantage,
forcing Cap'n Oz against a building. "But
don't you get it? I'M DYING! Even 'myself'
doesn't matter! I tried coming back here--
a childhood memory burned into my brain,
hoping to find that bit o'myself I thought
I had lost a long time ago. But instead--
ah, forget it! Nothing matters! There's nothing
to all of this-- we're just all going to
burn ourselves up anyway!
Chance, his back against the wall, dropped
to his feet. Punching his fingers into the
sidewalk below him, he tore a huge chuck
of cement and asphalt from underneath one
of the large flame-creatures. He brought
it down hard against it, and the flames squished
out, snuffed into spiralling mini-whirlwinds
that quickly burned themselves out.
"Ha, ha, ha! Nice try!" Pryo laughed,
but then hunkered down, and the remaining
flame-creature matched his movements. "Lookit
me! My disease is causing my mutant flame
powers to grow more and more!
By this time, the extra flames Pyro was shooting
out of his flame-thrower fueled the flame-creature
into a 30-story high hulking behemoth! Cap'n
Oz could only dodge as the giant fist came
hurdling down, creating a massive crater
where Cap'n Oz once stood!
Pyro: "I'm forced t'consume everything
in my path before burning out like a snuffed
candle. But even then, what gonna show f'r
it? Nada! Zip! Zinch-eroo. That's life, m'friend!"
Ka-BOOM! Another mightly blow from the flame-giant,
and Cap'n Oz yelled in pain as it crashed
upon him. The giant's fist raised, hitting
the nearby walls, sending debris and rubble
to rain on the prone Cap'n Oz.
Pryo: "One big mass of happily-enegry-consuming
cells until you burn yourself out into blessed
oblivion! 'B'bye, what's-her-name! So glad
ya got voted "Best Arse" in high
school! But now it's time for my cells to
absorb into the earth, so that years later
a little dung beetle in Africa can build
his house of turd!'"
Chance said it almost automatically, finishing
Pyro's thought: "'I'm walking into that
sunset, Rhoda-dear. and there's not a blasted
thing you can do about it!'"
The giant's fist stopped in mid-punch as
Pyro stood, looking blankly at the groggy
Cap'n Oz. "Wh-- What did you say?"
Cap'n Oz brightened, and struggled to his
feet. "That's right. I remember who
you are now. "Pryo." An international
terrorist who once hung out with Magneto,
self-proclaimed mutant savior. But before
that, you were simply St. John Allerdyce,
a journalist and novelist who hailed from
this very suburb. You've led quite a famous
life, now that I recall."
Pyro, coming out of a daze, never noticed
the flame-giant melting into the general
fire and smoke of the area. "And that
quote..."
Chance nodded, "Rhoda: Found and Lost.
Not The Sound and the Fury, of course, but
one of your bestsellers."
"I can't believe you read that book."
"Neither can I. But I got a good memory.
I also remember twenty million others had
read its first edition."
Pryo started: "And so long lives this..."
Chance finished: "And this breathes
life to thee."
Pryo laughed in spite of himself, but then
shrugged it off. "Yeah. Heh. Damn. Look,
supertights, ya got me." Pyro pointed
his finger and a similar arm of flame rose
from the flaming debris to point a fiery
finger into Cap'n Oz' face. "You can
keep your bloody city, the whole damned country
for all I care. It's brought me nothing but
pain after pain after pain. I thought ...
that if I came here.... STOP IT!"
Cap'n Oz had tried to step forward to the
mutant.
Pryo continued, a bit rushed, as he backed
away. "But don't think that you can
remind me of some stupid book I wrote and
make everything okay. I'm still *dying* dammit,
and nothing's gonna change that. My books'
re dead, too. Dying in some quarter-bin at
a raggedy-eared used bookstore. Keep your
damned city. It doesn't matter. Not at all.
I got me plenty enough pain to spread around
elsewhere."
With that, Pyro turned and ran, disappearing
into the heat and smoke-obscured city streets,
"Oh, crap," Cap'n Oz tried to ran
after him, turning his head in quick motions
to compensate for the lack of peripheral
vision in his mask. But soon Pyro was lost
to the smoke and flames that remained from
his rampage. "Some super hero I am.
I should have slapped him unconscious when
I had the chance. Isn't that how they do
it in New York?"
Policemen and firefighters set up a barricade
on a street which seemed to perimeter the
fire. Police had to keep the people behind
the barricades.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I know there are
people still in those buildings. Let our
professionals take care of it!"
Elsewhere: "What're we goin' to do,
chief? This is like no fire we've ever faced!"
Another agreed, "He's right, Frank!
I've never felt heat like this in all my
years! What's goin' on?"
The fire chief hesitated, but then brightened,
"No, wait! Do feel it? The blaze seems
like its... lifting!"
A hush fell over the crowd. A dark figure
walked down the street, obscured by the smoke
and heat.
Soon, a woman among the crowd pointed, excited:
"LOOK! IT'S . . . CAP'N OZ !?"
William Chance strode into view, still donning
his makeshift mask. In his arms he held a
small child. Nearing the firemen, he knelt,
and the child raced toward a figure in the
crowd.
"MA!"
"Oh, Jeffery!"
The woman and child hugged. And the crowd
erupted in a wild cheer.
The fire chief looked quizzically at Chance.
"'Cap'n Oz,' I presume?"
"Never fear, Chief," Chance put
his hands on his hips. "The firestorm
has passed. We should be able to handle the
blaze now."
The fire chief smiled, "'We'? Does that
mean you're stickin' around? Another super-type,
like Talisman, Dreamguard, that Southern
Cross chick?"
William Chance's eyes twinkled underneath
his mask. "Yeah. I guess I'll stick
around for quite some time."
The fire chief shook his head, turning back
to his crew, "Well, all right. But I
sure wouldn't want to be around when William
Chance's trademark lawyers show up!"
"Yes, I suppose that might prove interesting!"
Chance remarked as he scanned the crowd.
He noticed some of the promotion crew sill
milling about. There was Randy, consoling
a worried Alice, both distracted from caring
for each other since they were looking for
him among the crowd, no doubt. And there
was also Jenny Jackson. She stared hard at
Cap'n Oz, her arms crossed.
"This could prove very interesting indeed..."
he mumbled.
THE BEGINNING