Peace or Pillage?
Tessa Morgan sat at her desk in the small hotel lobby, her fingers nervously tapping the polished wood surface as her eyes scanned the breaking news on her phone. The headlines were nearly impossible to believe— ‘Superman, the hero who had inspired millions for decades, is announcing a global peace initiative.’ She blinked, re-reading the words to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
Her heart raced as she scrolled down, reading about the speeches Superman would be delivering across the globe, aiming to bring an end to international conflicts and raise substantial donations for humanitarian causes. Tessa had always admired Superman—not just for his strength, but for his unwavering sense of justice and his desire to help those in need. This was it. The world was on the verge of a monumental shift, and Superman was leading the charge. Peace was finally within reach.
She couldn’t contain her excitement. The thought that the world was about to change for the better left her giddy with hope. But after a moment of stillness, a gnawing uncertainty began to creep into her mind. Was it really that simple? Could one man– one hero–really change the course of history?
Her shift at the hotel had just ended, and without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and called her closest friends.
“Guys, you won’t believe it!” Tessa’s voice was practically bursting with excitement. “Superman is going to unite the world, bring peace, end war! It’s all over the news.”
On the other end of the line, Riley Garage, a genius hacker who’d been coding since she was in elementary school, sounded just as intrigued. “Wow, that sounds incredible. He’s the one person who could actually do it. Global peace? I mean, who else could pull that off?”
David Shannon, the historian who had always been the voice of reason in their group, was quieter. “I get it. It sounds great. But you have to admit, Tessa, we’ve seen this kind of thing before. Leaders promising peace and then, well, turning out to have their own agendas. I’m not saying Superman’s doing that, but it’s worth considering, don’t you think?”
Dr John Smith, their science-savvy college professor friend, jumped in. “It’s a huge undertaking. The logistics, the diplomacy involved—sounds almost impossible for one person. But if anyone can make it work, it’s Superman.”
Tessa paused, letting their concerns sink in. David was right, of course. History had shown time and time again that promises of peace often came with strings attached, or worse, hidden motives. But…Superman? Could he be playing a part in that pattern?
She shook off the doubts. “I still believe in him,” she said firmly, though her voice now carried a trace of hesitation. “He’s always been a hero. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone.”
The conversation drifted into silence for a moment before Riley broke it. “Hey, I was thinking. I’m going to dig into this more, see if I can find any more info about this campaign. I mean, there’s got to be more out there, right?”
The next day, Tessa received an unexpected call from Riley. Her tone was low, almost cautious. “Tessa, I found something. Something strange.”
“What’s going on, Riley?” Tessa asked, her heart suddenly racing.
“I’ve been digging through old feeds–stuff from before Superman’s big announcement–and I came across a video. It’s not part of the public campaign. It’s footage of him meeting with world leaders… but the tone of the meeting? It’s all wrong. He’s not talking peace. He’s…threatening them.”
