Superboy: Depression
by Ben Church
b_church@yahoo.com
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Superboy belongs to DC Comics.
Superboy landed in front the Mental Hospital with a certain
amount of trepidation. He'd never been inside one before. He wasn't
really all that keen on going into this one, but the message had said
it was urgent, so here he was.
"Great," he thought. "Bet I wind up having to fight some
superpowered serial killer or something."
"Oh Superboy," Dr. Enton sighed in relief, as Superboy entered
the hospital. "Thank God you've arrived."
"No problem Doc." Superboy lied. "What seems to be the
problem?"
"One of our patients has escaped." Enton said. "What worries
me, is how he did it."
"And how's that?" The Kid asked. "Did he suddenly develop super
strength? Did he teleport out?"
"No, he just walked out."
"Nice security you got here."
"Actually, we have no security here anymore. Every orderly and
guard who tried to stop him, well we don't know what he did to them,
but later that night, they all went home...and committed suicide."
Superboy contemplated what he'd just heard. And couldn't
figure it out. Or maybe he could. The guy who'd escaped, Thomas
Wallace, apparently had the power to affect other people's minds, and
was so sick, that he'd made the guards kill themselves.
On the other hand, he'd been being treated for extreme
depression. Maybe he'd somehow projected his own suicidal tendencies
on the guards.
"Man," he thought. "This is gonna be heavy."
"What is?" Dubbilex asked. "Sorry, didn't mean to intrude."
"No problem Dub." Superboy said. He explained the situation to
the DNAlien.
"Perhaps I could pinpoint his location." Dubbilex offered. "I
believe if he does have mental problems, I should be able to find him."
Tom sat alone in the bus station, staring down at the floor.
He wasn't really thinking about anything in particular. He tried not
to. Every time he did, he just thought of all the reasons he had for
ending his life.
Dub searched the island with his mind, searching for two
things, psionic powers, and/or severe depression. Then, he thought he
found it. He suddenly felt a heavy weight settle about his shoulders,
and a terrible sadness threatened to overwhelm him.
"The bus station." he gasped, fighting the effects. "He's at
the bus station."
"Thanks Dub!" Superboy said, charging off.
"Superboy wait!" But it was too late.
"All right dude," Superboy said, striding into the bus station.
"You're goin' back to the hospital!"
Tom just looked at Superboy and sighed. "What does it matter?"
he asked. "Wether I'm in the hospital or out in the world? The
hospital couldn't help me. No one can help me."
Superboy was taken aback. He was expecting defiance or
something. But the kid just didn't care! "You'll never get better if
you have that attitude!" he pointed out.
"What should I do then?" Tome asked irritably. "Ignore it?
Repress it? Pretend it isn't there? Lie to myself and the world?
Like you?"
Superboy felt the slightest touch in his mind, and he suddenly
started feeling depressed.
"You'll never grow up. You're stuck in that child's body for
the rest of your life. Everyone you know will grow up, move on. But
you, you'll never move on. You'll never be an adult. You'll never
mature. That's why Tana dumped you. That's why you'll be a joke to
every one you know, you respect. How could they respect you?"
Tom never lost the forlorn, depressed expression he had on
his face, but his voice held such bitterness, that he might have been
talking about his own problems. In reality though, he'd unconsciously
touched the part of Superboy's mind that contained the feelings The Kid
denied, and the reasons for those feelings.
In doing so, he felt Superboy's pain, and projected his own
depression on the boy.
Superboy's head felt heavy, and he was suddenly fighting tears.
He forgot all about the boy before him, and flew off, depression and
despair filling him.
Tana didn't know why she had come back here, maybe she didn't
want to completely let go of her and Superboy's relationship. Maybe
she felt there were still loose ends to tie up.
She knocked on the door, and Roxy answered. They studied each
other for a moment.
"Roxy."
"Tana."
There was an awkward silence.
"Is the Kid here?"
"I think so."
Roxy didn't move from the doorway.
"Can I see him please?"
"Why?" Roxy wasn't in love with Superboy anymore, but she
still cared for him deeply. And Tana had broken his heart. Finally,
she took a deep breath. "Yeah, come on in."
Tana entered the house, and looked awkwardly around. "Um,
where is he?"
"In the bathroom. Just a minute." Roxy went to the door, and
and knocked. "Kid?" There was no answer.
"Kid?" Tana said. "It's me."
There was a slight pause, and then there was a click in the
door. Roxy tried the knob. "He locked it!"
"Kid!" Tana banged on the door. Roxy joined her, but even
both of them were not enough.
"Wait," Roxy said. "I've got an idea." She reached into her
hair, and pulled out a bobby pin. Quickly, she picked the lock and
threw open the door.
Superboy stood in front of the sink, his gloves and jacket off,
tears streaking down his face. He was trying desperately to slice his
wrists open with a razor. It was a contest between his superstrength,
and his invulnerability, and his strength was just beginning to win.
"No!" Roxy and Tana shouted.
Dubbilex sensed the distress as soon as he neared the house.
He stretched out with his mind even as he ran for the building. He
nearly fell when he finally came into contact with Superboy's mind. He
thrust out, as he got to the doorway.
Superboy had been ignoring the wasted efforts of the girls to
tear the razor from his skin, as blood began to flow. The thoughts
that had been brought to the surface by Tom, kept running through his
head.
Then suddenly he felt a mental blow that threw him against the
wall. The razor dropped to the floor, but he dove for it. Another
blow knocked him out.
Superboy awoke slowly, not entirely sure he wanted too. He
knew that Roxy, Tana and Dub were in the room, they would be. But he
didn't acknowledge them. He silently thanked them for stopping him,
but the depression had always been there, and still was. But it was
back under control.
He wondered what had happened to Tom. He hoped the boy
wouldn't cause too much trouble before he was up to going after him
again.
*Tana and Roxy have left Superboy.* Dubbilex's voice sounded
in his head. *You can stop pretending to still be asleep.*
Sheepishly, Superboy opened his eyes. "Never could put one
over on you could I Dub."
"No." the DNAlien said simply. "You could not. What
happened?"
Briefly, Superboy explained what had transpired to his mentor.
"I'll need your help next time I go after him Dub." Superboy said.
"Indeed." Dub agreed. "But this time don't charge off like
John Wayne. We need a plan. But first," he said reluctantly. "We'll
need to know where he is."
Superboy nodded in understanding. "Are you up to it?"
"I'll live. I'm used to erecting psi shields." With that, he
began to scan for the boy. This time, he knew exactly what he was
looking for. And he did not find it.
"Problem." he announced. "I have a rather limited range. And,
it does not extend beyond the islands. I'm afraid our Mr. Wallace has
left my range. He could be anywhere on the planet."
"Oh great!" Superboy grumbled. "Now what?"
"I'm afraid the best we can do is alert the rest of the world's
heroes." Dub said. "There are certainly enough that he should be found
fairly quickly."
"Fine." SB sighed. He hated letting one get away.
The End?