Clear Conscience | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Clear Conscience | Previous Challenge Entry
By Art Westefeld
12/10/20
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Andrew Sexton was many things: Ruth Sexton’s husband, a computer technician from the thirty-seventh century, an outlaw for being a Christian in his native time. The one thing he kept even from his wife, though, was that he had killed their spiritual mentor in the crossfire during their escape to the 21st century. He had never told the Light Force either, a group of superheroes he helped create. He decided to rectify that, not by confessing to his wife and their teen allies, but by doing what the Light Force did.

It took him months of tinkering to restore the machines that gave the teens their powers. Finally, one evening, when Ruth had gone to Bible study, he connected himself to the hybrid machine he had restored.

The machine activated as planned, and Andrew felt different.

He spent the remainder of the time Ruth was out discovering what powers he’d given himself. Shortly before Ruth was due home, he heard about a crime in progress a few blocks away, and thought that would be a good trial run of his powers. Without informing anyone, he flew out their apartment window, dressed in a black costume with blue highlights and a large cross on his chest.

When he arrived at the scene of the robbery, he saw that the heavy lifting was being done by a gorilla in a tracksuit. It was being directed by Allah’s Fist, the group of super villains that the Light Force battled often.

Andrew decided instantaneously that if his super teens could handle this group, so could he.

As he hovered, deciding who to take out first, Lion Lord growled, “Looks like we weren’t the only ones to expand our ranks.” Turning to the gorilla he roared, “Get that infidel!”

Realizing that stealth was no longer an option, Andrew landed. When the ape rushed him with a beastial roar, Andrew stopped it in its tracks by firing what he thought was a blast of electricity to stun it. What actually happened, was that a gravity beam struck it.

He strode towards Allah’s Fist, but was not prepared for their multiple attack.

He summoned Diamond’s power to make himself super hard, but instead an exo-skeleton of steel covered his body. “Well,” he decided, ‘it’s better than nothing.”

Andrew’s confidence wavered, though, when Moonhunter and Owl lifted him off the ground. His steel armor didn’t add an iota to his strength, so he thrashed about until his captors grew tired and released him at about a hundred feet. As he fell, he saw the Light Force arriving.

Unfortunately, they were a split second too late to catch him. He landed with a metallic thud, cracking his skull inside the armor.

Megawatt and Blue Flame used their powers to stun Allah’s Fist. Coldfire landed beside the unknown hero. Using her thermal vision, she saw that he was dead. She called to the powerhouse Diamond to assist her in removing the armor.

Diamond landed beside her and examined the face and murmured, “Looks familiar… I’ll break the front of the shell to see inside.”

Putting action to words, he peeled away the metal exo-skeleton. Reaching carefully to avoid the damaged skull, Diamond peeled the man’s cowl off.

Coldfire turned away as she recognized Andrew, asking plaintively, “Who must tell Ruth that Andrew’s dead?”

Diamond responded in a voice roughened by grief, “Why is he dressed up playing superhero?”

Megawatt answered Coldfire, “I will, but I need the rest of you to come along. Maybe we’ll get an answer to Diamond’s question.”

Lifting Andrew with uncharacteristic gentleness, Diamond carried him home. When they arrived, they found Ruth, anxious about her absent husband. Blue flame placed a steadying arm around Ruth, as Megawatt indicated that Diamond should place Andrew's body on the couch.

Ruth broke down at the sight of her husband, and Blue Flame gently led her away. "We found him trying to fight Allah's Fist alone..."

Between sobs, Ruth told them, "Andrew added in code to disable the machines that gave you your powers. He must have set up a program to restore the machines. I think I know why he did it.”

Her chin quavering, she told the teens how she had known that Andrew had accidentally shot their pastor while they escaped the troopers in their own time. “He felt so guilty, and I never convinced him that there is no condemnation in Jesus. I never…”
She trailed off as she sank to the floor.

*****

Authors note: Romans 8:1-2 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."

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