Gentle Story (Part Three, Conclusion)

Strictly speaking, Batman Dragon had exhausted every conventional method of persuading Supreme Superboy.

Supreme Superboy had not denied his responsibilities. He had simply denied every identity he possessed.

At its core, every exchange with him was not a clash of ideas, but a struggle over the right to define oneself.

However, Supreme Superboy seemed to be growing somewhat tired of the process.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked first, then turned his head listlessly. "I don't understand. Why do I have to be a person?"

"No. Strictly speaking, you have to be a hero."

Hero Day scratched his head. "I'm not a person either, but I'm still a superhero."

Indeed, in the strictest sense, Hero Day's species could not even be called Kryptonian. He should be classified as a biological weapon.

"Fine," Supreme Superboy Monkey said. "Why do I have to be a hero, then?"

"Uh..."

Hero Day was left somewhat speechless by the question. If Chen Tao had been here, he would have emphasized a whole host of things about responsibility to Supreme Superboy Monkey. But Hero Day knew what Supreme Superboy Monkey was really asking. In a certain sense, they were very much alike.

"Because there's an S on your chest, understand? S means Superman, and Superman is a superhero."

"It could also mean Stupid Monkey." Supreme Superboy Monkey said, "But I know it really does mean Superman."

Supreme Superboy Monkey was asking why he had to be a superhero, but Hero Day had not answered him directly. Instead, he had emphasized the symbol on his chest. That was not a direct response to the little monkey.

Symbols were, at their core, compulsory definitions imposed upon individuals. A person's name, for example, was also a symbol, but such symbols were not chosen by the individual.