Truth

I should have expected it would happen. To be fair I did expect it to happen, just not so soon. I guess I was too obvious.

There I was sitting in St James's park, reading my book and eating my sandwich. One headphone was in to let me listen to the news. I'm not going to lie, funnily enough, but listening to the ongoing reactions made me giggle.

Anyway I'm sitting there when I'm in shadow, something large was looming over me blocking the light. I closed my book and looked up into the pale blue eyes of Lion Rampant.

Look I didn't pick his name, I don't tihnk he did either. As I understand it when the first people started to demonstrate super powers a few years back the government decided they needed one. And of course due to the influence of American comics and films half the people with powers were dressing up in costumes that occasionally look great. In the right light, when you're posing just right.

His defintely showed off his impressive musculature. I couldn't help take it all in, including the fact he hovered a few centimeteres aobve the ground. But the union jack motif was just a bit overdone. He glared at me and I smiled.

"It was the cameras right?" I said as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Stop you... what?" I was impressed he managed to stop his planned monologue quite fast. Maybe smarted than I thought?

"You figured out it was me. I'm guessing from the cameras? They spotted when the effect was weaker and stronger and correlated it with my lunch breaks?"

He shook his head. I was probably confusing him, my ability tends to do that. He decided to go with his orginal plan.

"Stop you foul evil doer." I raised my eye brow. "Your attack against our government will not stand."

"Attack? I'm attacking?" I took another bite of my sandwich.

"You know what you're doing."

"Do you?"

"You're using mind control."

"Control is a strong word. I don't even control my ability. It's just on." He grimaced and flexed his fingers. I decided to take another tack.

"Are you superhumanly strong"

"Yes!" he said proudly.

"Nice. I'm not" his smile slipped a bit. "And I'm guessing you can shrug of bullets?"

"Indeed! You cannot hurt me."

"Must be nice. I can't. In fact what do you think would happen if you hit me?"

He looked at me, slowly sinking down until he was standing on the ground as his face worked in anguish.

"You'd die." he eventualy bit out.

"Yup. I think I would. Even if you pulled your punch it'd probably be really bad for me." He nodded.

"You must stop your attack on Parliment." He shouted. I noticed people had their phones out and were pointing them at us.

"Are you going to stop me?"

"If I have to."

"By killing me? Here in public. Without a trial?"

A pause. "No".

"So what?"

"You're under arrest."

"For eating my lunch in a public park?"

"For attacking Parliment."

"What have I done?"

"You make them..."

"Yes?"

"You make them tell the truth."

I do love this bit.

"Sort of. You know it took my ages to figure it out. Anyone within a mile of me find it hard to lie. The closer you are the stronger the effect." I smiled at him. "I hope you're OK."

"I'm fine" he said.

"Anyway you want me to stop? You think politicians should be allowed to lie?"

He stood there for a moment glaring, then he raised his fist. I pointed at the nearby crowd with their cameras pointing at us and smiled.

He lowered his hand and look at me, his mouth opened and closed a few times.

Then he flew away. I picked up my book and carried on reading. I guess tomorrow I'll need to find a new lunch spot.