Summary: What if Superman left after 9/11? This is my take on what happens and how he realizes that normal humans are the greatest heroes of all time.

True Heroes

Revelations and Legacies

The Twin Towers once stood tall and proud on that Tuesday morning. No one even expected the attack to come. No one could even begin to fathom the legacies that would be born from this. The legacies of the real heroes that came from within would be written, and his own would fade into the annals of time, never to be written again.

Superman, the Man of Steel, understood the real reason why, and it was why he had chosen to leave a few days later.

At first, he had tried to stop the attack. He had been in the city at the time, doing a report for the Daily Planet, and it had been when he had heard the planes' engines coming down too low for a normal flight that he had realized something was wrong. He had stripped his alter ego clothing off and had taken to the sky in an attempt to prevent the Twin Towers from being destroyed, but it had failed miserably. He had been too far away to do anything about it.

Pain and hopelessness had filled his very being, and he had actually cried at the loss of life. He, an alien who had risked his life again and again to save his adopted home, had cried at the immense loss of life.

When the towers had fallen, he had cried out to the stars in anger, frustration, and disappointment.

But, out of it, came a new legacy.

He had actually witnessed the emergence of new heroes. Heroes who didn't have invincibility, flight, eye lasers, super strength, super stamina, or even super breath. Heroes who were normal humans, but with endless compassion and sorrow for each other.

Now, a few days later, at the rubble of the World Trade Center, he wandered about, his red cape torn and tattered from walking through the debris. The big red S on his chest bore a big scratch across it from having nearly dodged a falling beam and his normally neat hair was now disheveled while his blue eyes were full of sadness.

The famous superhero stopped at the former World Financial Center and gazed at the messages written in the dust accumulated on the windows. The messages read "America Stand Strong", "Let's Show the World", and "Thank You". The simple gesture of writing them…it made him feel…strange. Like…an alien.

He began to feel emotionally drained. Just coming here… It made him feel weak, even though his real weakness was kryptonite. He sighed and tears dripped down from his eyes. Then, he turned and faced the former Twin Towers.

The sight was incredible. Steel beams and pieces of the buildings lay in two huge piles, smoke still coming from the surrounding buildings that were on fire. The smoke was thick, and the dust had accumulated so it was like working on the moon, or in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. On top of these rubble piles, humans crawled like ants, carting away debris, hauling it away in trucks, searching for bodies, and working to save lives. They were also doing something more: they were not arguing, fighting, swearing at each other, or even calling each other names. There was a sense of unity, of oneness, of compassion, and of wholeness as they worked to help each other out with their jobs. Even simple actions were regarded with heroism and going above and beyond. The efforts were met with thanks, words of encouragement, and a sense of doing the right thing.

Superman watched as a woman struggled to lift debris from the pile, aided by two men. They were barely able to move it, and, as was natural for him, he wanted to help move it away, but for some reason, he couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it.

His shoulders shook as he cried openly again. The mere sight of this reminded him of his failure…and his disappointment.

Heroes. That's what the humans had become. Heroes.

"Supewman?"

He looked up before turning to face the speaker, a little girl of about three years of age, her skin covered with the dust. She was clutching a small teddy bear, but one that wore a policeman's hat. Her big green eyes were locked onto her idol, and she was concerned.

"Wat's wong?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong."

"Yes, thewe is," she said.

"It's just that…"

"…" She was silent as her superhero role model tried to come up with an explanation.

"It's just that you humans…are much better than I am."

"How so?" she asked, confusion present in her voice.

"Well, you have something I don't."

"Wat? You have supewbweath, invincibiwity, supewstwength, eye wasers, fwight, and supewstamina. We'we weakew than you awe," she said.

"But…you have unity. You're stronger in that aspect. You know what's better for your race than I do."

"So?"

"I'm…an alien."

"So?"

"I…I see that now." Superman gazed skyward, his blue eyes full of sadness. "Humans…are much better heroes than I am. I'm nothing compared to you."

She was confused. What was he saying?

"I may be more powerful than you are, but I'm also weaker than you. The efforts going on here…it's greater heroism than my brand."

"Wat awe you saying?" she asked.

"Look at them. Those heroes are the ones you should be looking up to. Not me."

The little girl stared. Heroes? Those normal people? "How awe they hewoes?"

"They're working to save lives, and they're doing it on their own. Not with my help. For some reason, I just can't help them. It just doesn't seem right."

"I don't undewstand."

Superman got down beside her. "Why is it you always look up to me and not the real heroes there?" he asked.

"You'we stwongew than us," she said. "You saved the wowld many times."

"That may be true; however, I'm just an alien who needed a home. Not a real human."

"Oh. And I wanted to gwow up to be just wike you."

"Well, you can't. You're just a human. Not a Kryptonian like me.

"But…why?"

"You were born here, amongst this race of heroes and heroines. You deserve to have a real role model to look up to. Not me."

"But, who?"

"What do you like best about me?"

"That you can fwy!"

"Then, what do you want to do when you grow up?"

The little girl grew thoughtful for a moment. Then, she smiled. "I want to be a pilot!"

"What kind of pilot?"

"Someone who fwies one of those big militawy pwanes!"

"What kind of military plane?"

"One of the fast ones!"

"A fighter pilot?"

She nodded eagerly.

"Then there you go. Do you have any one who's in the air force of this great nation?"

"My auntie and uncie!"

Superman laughed. "Then you have real role models."

"But…"

"I'm just an alien."

"Isabella James White! Where were you?" a woman's voice asked.

"Huh?"

Two Air Force soldiers came running up. One, a lithe woman in her late forties, and the other, a broad-shouldered man in his early forties, stopped in front of her and picked her up. "We were worried sick!" the woman said.

"Now, Serena, don't give her a lecture. I can't blame her for wanting to see her "idol"!" the man snapped.

"Greg!"

"Sorry. I just thought she would be looking up to us instead of that alien freak!"

"Auntie! Uncie!" Little Isabella buried her face in her aunt's arms. "I missed you!"

"As did we, honey," Lieutenant Serena Hunt said.

"Feh. Not me."

"Uncie! Couwd you teach me about youw pwane?"

"What?" Sergeant Greg Hunt peered over. "What did you say?"

"Can you teach me to fwy?"

"You…what?"

"She's seen the truth. That real heroes exist here and now," Superman said. "She wants to be a fighter pilot like you two."

"You serious?" Greg asked, stunned.

"Yes. She wants to."

"Pwease?"

Greg looked at her. "You…want to?"

"Yes!"

"…" For once, he was stunned. "Of course," his wife said.

"Thanks!"

"Superman…how'd you do it?" Greg asked cautiously.

"I reminded her of how humans are stronger than me in another aspect. That aspect…you can see around you." The Man of Steel swept an arm about the activity around them. "It only seems fitting. Besides, these heroes need to have their legacy written and remembered. I think that it's time for me to leave this world and go back home."

"What? Leave?"

"Yes. These heroes deserve the title more than I do. They are better than me, and I see that now."

Superman began to hover off the ground, but instead of his arms out front, as was customary for him, they hung limply at his sides. He reached behind him and removed the red cape, letting it fall before incinerating it with his heat vision. Then, he grabbed the S on his chest and tore that off, also incinerating it. "As of right now, I'm no longer your hero. The real heroes are." He turned and prepared to fly off into space, never to be seen again.

"Wait!" He hesitated, hearing another reporter's voice. "Where will you go?"

"Back home. To Krypton. I belong there, not here. This is your home, your world, your city. Not mine." He looked the reporter in the eyes. "Do me a last favor. Report on the real heroes here, and let my legacy fade into the annals of time. It's better if people see the real heroes here. Not me."

"But…why?" the reporter asked.

"It's better this way." With that last remark, he flew off, never to be seen again.

Everyone forgot about him in the frenzy of the 9/11 cleanup. The reports of his leaving were not widely read, except by those who devotedly missed him. Those few mourned, but soon, even they forgot him as they saw the legacy of the 9/11 heroes become engraved forevermore in the annals of time.

The real heroes were seen that day, and new role models were found. Real heroes.

They deserved the credit more than he did. And as he flew off, he knew that his efforts were puny in comparison to this. He was a hero, yes, but these humans…were something more.

They were angels.

Twenty years later…

The lone fighter jet sped through the air, the pilot looking out at the great city that had been attacked all those years ago. The World Trade Center was no more, and in its place stood a memorial complex, dedicated to those heroes who had risked their lives to save others trapped in the rubble.

Base Commander Isabella "Sonar" White sighed. It had been twenty years since that day…

And since he had left.

Her green eyes shimmered with tears as she flipped through the radio stations. She needed a song to remember them by. A song…of heroism.

She suddenly stopped, hearing the beginnings of the song she had heard many times before. White closed her eyes and began to sing softly, her voice filling the cockpit of her fighter jet.

There's a hero

If you look inside your heart

She put the plane into a circle, her eyes shimmering with tears as she gazed out at the site of the attacks. The muted roar of the engines made her feel slightly better, but...

You don't have to be afraid

Of what you are

The effect of merely seeing the attack sites made her cry. She kept singing, despite the tears streaming down her face. Isabella gripped the control yoke of her jet and tilted it to the left, putting her plane into a slow spiral away and up into the sky.

There's an answer

If you reach into your soul

The clouds scattered as she broke through the cloud cover, almost as if her plane was a missile, and the clouds were merely water. The effect was the same, as they seemed to sink back down to the fluffy carpet below.

And the sorrow that you know

Will melt away

She pushed the throttles forward, and the thrust from the plane made her lean back into the seat, almost like someone was keeping her in her seat, and forcing her back into it. This was the beginning of hypersonic travel.

And then a hero comes along

With the strength to carry on

The buildup of speed was silent in her mind as she sang. It was merely more than tuning it out. When she sang a song like this, all other things were canceled and shut out from her mind. It was her haven, and her refuge.

And you cast your fears aside

And you know you can survive

The loud sonic boom was unheard by her as the sonic barrier was broken, sending her plane to hypersonic speeds.

So when you feel like hope is gone

Look inside you and be strong

The journey to the next site took about ten minutes by hypersonic speed, and during that journey, she sang, reflecting back on the day she had heard he was leaving Earth forever. That day, she had gained some real heroes. Her parents, aunt, and uncle. Her parents had been on one of the planes, trying to stop the terrorists. In fact, it had been the one intended for the White House or wherever it had been headed that they had been on.

And you'll finally see the truth

That a hero lies in you

The tears continued to come down and she opened her flight visor, wiping her eyes with one hand, keeping the other on the controls. The mere thought of her parents made her even sadder. She shook her head and reflected back on the day her aunt and uncle had taught her about flying a fighter plane and how to maintain one.

It's a long road

When you face the world alone

She smiled as she remembered the satisfaction on her uncle's face as he watched her perform a flawless takeoff, flight scenario, and landing. She had earned her flight wings, even though she was merely fifteen years of age. It had been the proudest moment in both their lives.

No one reaches out a hand

For you to hold

No one really recalled the effect his leaving had had on the rest of the world, especially the third rate countries, but in the end, it had been for the better of humanity. The real heroes were remembered, and new role models had been found. The enrollment in the armed forces, the number of firefighters, and police officers had jumped big time after the attacks. Now people saw that real heroes existed.

You can find love

If you search within yourself

The Halloween after the attacks, the number of superhero costumes being bought had dropped to nothing, and children had dressed up as firefighters and police officers in order to show that the real heroes that day had had some influence on their young minds. When he had left, he had shown that more important heroes existed.

And the emptiness you felt

Will disappear

She knew this all too well. She recalled the last images of the attacks, the aftermath, actually. The debris, smoke, and rubble still stuck out in her mind clearly. The smell of smoke, the feel of the atmosphere of helpfulness, the despair, the anger and rage still stuck with her, even twenty years later.

And then a hero comes along

With the strength to carry on

The days following had been some of the best and worst yet. People had unified, shedding aside all differences. People of all religions had come together to pray. People of all skin colors had aided one another without any thought to their country of origin, nationality, or creed, let alone race. Even gender was forgotten as men and women worked to do whatever they could to help. No actions had been wasted, and each life found was something to be treasured in that dark time.

And you cast your fears aside

And you know you can survive

She had seen the efforts made by so many, and five years later, those who had helped had gotten lung cancer and other maladies inflicted by inhaling the smoke. But, even so, they were remembered.

So when you feel like hope is gone

Look inside you and be strong

Unity had abounded and taken root, even if for only a while. It had taken a long time to clear away the debris, but it had been worth it. The last steel beam being carted off was one sight she couldn't forget. In her opinion, they should have at least used it in the memorial. It would have been a reminder of the loss of life and the destruction that had occurred on that normal Tuesday morning. It would have also served as a reminder of the efforts made by so many, along with the sacrifice of heroes and heroines now forever inscribed in humanity's legacy.

And you'll finally see the truth

That a hero lies in you

She emerged from hypersonic speed and she circled over the Pentagon, remembering the attack on the headquarters of the United States military. One side had been turned to slag, and the efforts to save lives there had been puny in comparison to those at the WTC. Still, it was important to remember the side which had gotten hit, and the deaths of those there. A small plaque would have been enough, along with a piece of the plane laid outside to remind them of what had happened.

Lord knows

Dreams are hard to follow

Again, she cried and wiped her eyes, but she continued to sing and circle. The United States flag flew proudly, and she smiled faintly.

But don't let anyone

Tear them away

Even after his leaving, she still remembered his words. His words on finding real heroes to look up to. She remembered them, and she smiled even more. Her real heroes had been found, and she thanked him for that.

Hold on

There will be tomorrow

He had been her role model for three years. She had wanted to be like him, and save people like he did. She had wanted to be invincible and wield his powers. But, he had said she couldn't. She had finally seen the truth.

In time

You'll find the way

She laughed. She couldn't believe that she had wanted to be like him all those years ago. And yet…

Now, she was, in a sense, like him. But, she was also different. She was still human, but she could now fly, she had good speed, great endurance, and lethal power; all thanks to her fighter jet and the help of her fellow airmen back at the base.

And then a hero comes along

With the strength to carry on

She turned and banked the plane into the sky, again breaking the clouds and circling over them before diving into them and coming out, almost like a fish jumping in and out of the ocean. She enjoyed this feeling, being able to escape from the reality of the world and letting her mind wander as she flew. She put the plane on a course for the site of the final attack…

And her parents' grave.

And you cast your fears aside

And you know you can survive

The trip there took only a few minutes and she didn't have to go full throttle in order to reach it. She broke out of the cloud cover, and was surprised that there weren't any clouds in the sky. She put the plane into a slight circle before she released small flowers from the missile containers.

So when you feel like hope is gone

Look inside you and be strong

With that, she flew back to the base at top subsonic speed. It took fifty-five minutes to get back, but when she returned, she could see her fellow soldiers, their families, and the crew standing around the runway, her aunt and uncle amongst them.

And you'll finally see the truth

That a hero lies in you

The plane came in for a landing and she opened the cockpit, removing her flight helmet as she did so. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She couldn't sing anymore.

Then…

A miracle happened.

The whole base…broke out into song.

It was the most miraculous thing she had ever witnessed. The soldiers, crew, and families assembled singing. Baritones, bass tones, alto tones, in between tones, good singers, bad singers, awesome singers, lousy singers…it didn't matter how good you were or not. They sang for her; her friends and…family. Everyone sang and they didn't let up. It was beautiful.

And then a hero comes along

With the strength to carry on

And you cast your fears aside

And you know you can survive

So when you feel like hope is gone

Look inside you and be strong

And you'll finally see the truth

That a hero lies in you.

Tears streamed down her face as she stood there, smiling, watching the base singing for her. It was truly amazing. Now, she opened her mouth, and the last words in the song came out.

That a hero lies in you

Above it all, concealed in the clouds, Superman watched. He smiled as the last of the unified lyrics faded into nothing. His body had aged dramatically, and his eyes were no longer as blue as they once were. His hair was starting to grey and his body was covered with tons of scars, reminders of his ever increasing responsibilities as a superhero on another world.

He remembered that little girl, and he was pleased that she was now someone who could save lives on her own without superpowers.

As it should be.

Humans were true heroes…

Heroes forever remembered in their legacy.

Heroes who would never be forgotten, while he had been.

He liked the solitude while here on Earth. In all the years he had been gone, he had flown by every now and then, seeing how they had progressed in war, but also in heroism. True heroes were still found, and even though they too were beginning to fade, they would be remembered for their efforts after 9/11. That was more important than saving the world from a meteor with his bare hands, using his superbreath to dispel a tornado controlled by a villain, or even using his heat vision to kill some crazed crook bent on global domination.

The real heroes had shown themselves to be greater than he was, and he like that.

The real heroes…

Their legacy was forever being written, as it should be.

His legacy forgotten, the new legacies would never fade from the annals of time.

The legacy...

The Legacy of 9/11…

And heroes.

Note: I wrote this in honor of the victims of 9-11. This is also my first ficcie, so don't flame me.