Filling In the Blanks

On Friday, Your Highness climbed a dying man's shrine and laid a blank check across the top of the flowers, signed in the name of Skyline. He proceeded to deliver a shallow, self-centred speech, one that spared Bump-In-The-Night a single sentence before turning to threaten criminals for the cameras. Mid-speech, he shed his dark blue cloak and left that too. This crass display came to an abrupt end when he invited mayoral candidates Roland and Harlan to the stage. Harlan brought with him a plaque declaring ONE street light to be named the "Nightshift Light" -- the team's name. Bump-In-The-Night doesn't even get the lamppost to himself.

It is painfully evident to me, and hopefully to you all, that Your Highness was up on that stage for reasons other than commemoration. Perhaps it's the stark contrast; Last Light had just finished his impassioned, moving speech, one that spoke of weddings and births and 23 years of friendship. Even Vantage reporters could sense it, jumping on the chance for an exclusive word on the 'blank check stunt' -- the company selling a $34.99 action figure of the man thinks you may have overreached. Despite the kind gestures and crocodile tears, I have no doubt the mayoral candidates were also only there to be seen. They were no better, just quieter about it.

By morning, the GDA had its turn when Chairman McCarthy sat for a Vantage exclusive and folded the dying man into a recruitment pitch for the Academy. "When you fall, it's into the hands of the future who will carry on your mission." McCarthy boldly promises to replace you.

At the end of the whole affair, only Last Light's testimony stuck out as truly sincere. He laid a portrait of his own among the photographs, lit ten thousand candles with a flick of his wrist and asked for nothing but help. When the cameras packed up and left, he stayed, alone on the steps while the wind took the last flames. No camera was there to catch it, and that's how you know it was real.