Happy Father’s Day Christopher, you’ll always be a hero to me.
Thresher sighed as he pushed back from his desk in the basement and massaged his forehead.  Another day of coding, now another night of crime fighting.  The long hours were killing him
, but this new project his boss had given his alter-ego, Christopher, was important and he could help a lot of people with this.  Even so, Thresher was seriously reconsidering his line of work.

His daughter Molly clattered down the stairs, smiling.  “It’s time for patrol da- I mean Thresher,” she said putting in the code on the copier and opening the secret lair.  “Once more the mighty Thresher and his sidekick, The Illusionist, will protect the street from evil!” She pumped her fist in the air, but he was slow to rise from his seat and his daughter noticed.  “What’s wrong,” she asked as she shut the secret lair, “need me to patrol alone?”  He shook his head.

“I’ve had to put in a lot of hours recently, it’s taken a toll but I think it’ll be worth it.  Want to check it out?”

“Sure.”

He sat down and pulled up HeroPress on his browser.  Molly read over the websites job and the essays sent in, then smiled.  “You’re right Dad, this could help a lot of people.  Does the X-League know about it?”

“Yes, in fact one of it’s members gave me this assignment.  I think it’s coming along nicely.  I just wish I had more time to put into it.”  Molly frowned and held her chin in her hand for a minute, her mind working.  “What if you asked the league for more time to work on this?”  Thresher thought on this.  “Maybe Molly, but let’s go on patrol for now.”

:—+—:

Thresher lay in his bed reading, but he wasn’t focusing much on the words.  He was still confused about what to do with Heropress.  He hadn’t told his daughter that not only did he not have as much time to work on it as he wished, but also not enough money.  Thresher’s wife noticed his distance and sat close to him.

“Still confused honey?” She asked, and Thresher gave a slow nod.  “The project just doesn’t seem to be working, even though you put so much time into it.”  Again Thresher nodded.  “Molly suggested I ask for more time to work on it.”

“I don’t think that’s quite the answer Christopher, ” his wife responded, “we’ve had our share of start-ups, and this one just isn’t working.  I know you love this project, but maybe it’s time to trade in the tights and be a different kind of hero.”  Christopher’s wife didn’t know he was a superhero, she was referring to the fact that nearly everyone he worked had a logo designed for a hero-version of themselves, including entering X-League and helping to save the world.

Thresher lay back and stared at the ceiling while his wife turned off the lights and went to sleep.  Was she right?

:—+—:

“Hey there Christopher, how’s things?”  Christopher looked up from his laptop and saw his old friend Smith.  “Great to see you again man,” he replied, getting up to shake his hand, “things have been pretty busy lately, I won’t lie.”  Smith sat down in the chair across from Christopher, and when a waitress came by he ordered coffee.  The two of them sat in a bustling coffee house, over looking Grand Rapids’ famous Grand River.  “So, what’s this pretty busy going on in your life?” Smith asked as the waitress set down his coffee and he started putting creamer in it.

“It’s mostly this project I’ve been working on, I call it HeroPress.  It’s main goal is to help people gain confidence and knowledge about WordPress so that they can have a better career by people sharing their stories about WordPress and how it changed them.”  Smith gave a low whistle, “Sounds awesome man, what’s stopping you from finishing this?”

Christopher sighed and shut his laptop.  “Two words my friend, time and money.”

“I see, don’t have enough time or funds to be both a family guy, AND a superhero?”

Christopher thought it was funny that they kept using the analogy, but he nodded.  “That’s it in a nutshell man.”

Smith leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, sipping his now much paler coffee.  “And I take it this was supposed to be some awesome, million dollar project that would pay for all your needs once it was up?”

Christopher shook his head and stole a quick glance at his watch.  “No, but our fund raiser didn’t go nearly as well as we wanted, so we are kind of low on funds.”

Suddenly Smith smiled really wide, then composed his face into his sly, businessman-like smile instead.  “What if…you came and worked for me?”

“What?”

Smith shrugged his shoulders casually.  “I couldn’t give you much more, but I can pay you better than them.  And I also realize the value of family time, so you’d get more of that.”

Christopher was really surprised.  “What about HeroPress?”

“Oh I think it rocks man, and you should finish it.  C’mon Chris, you know it’s a good idea to change jobs.”

Christopher sat there and thought for a minute, but before he could answer his boss came in for the meeting they were going to have and Smith casually got out of his chair.  “Think about it,” he said as he left.

:—+—:

“Molly, I’ve got something to tell you,”  Thresher said as the two of them sat on a rooftop overlooking the city.  His daughter looked over to him, her blue eyes sparkling from the city lights behind her pink mask.  “What is it Dad?  Are we working late?”  Thresher sighed and tried to find the words to say what he had too.  “You know I’ve been working on HeroPress for a while now..”

“Yeah, you’re going to use it to make everyone a hero, right?”

“Right, the only problem is, well, things aren’t working with me and the League.  I’m changing jobs, which means I’m not going to be a superhero anymore.”

Thresher waited for his daughter to be mad, or cry, or both, but after a minute of silence she looked up at him and smiled.  “Okay.”

“You’re not upset that you won’t be my sidekick anymore?”  At this Molly laughed.  “Nope, because I don’t care what you say.  As long as you’re helping people, you’ll always be a hero.” Thresher smiled and took of Molly’s tophat, ruffling her hair.

That night the two hung up their costumes for good (or halloween, whichever comes first) and took up new ways to fight injustice.  HeroPress launched and around the world people shared their stories of life and success, even his daughter considered sending in an essay.  Thresher was happy working for Smith, they both had similar ideals and got along well.  Thresher also traveled all across America, spreading knowledge and a different kind of power wherever he went.  There will always be more to tell of this story, but for now it comes to an end in the best way.