“You can’t blame yourself.” he said.

“It was my fault! I should’ve been there.” Tears leaked out from under my mask.

He gave me a wry smile.

“You were always there for me. I never expected you to get between me and a bullet.” Reaching out, he tenderly touched my face with a wet hand, anointing me with his blood.

I gripped his hand hard with both hands, as if anchoring him here would prevent him from dying.

“Please don’t go, Vince. I don’t know what to do.” I said.

“What would I tell you to do now?” he asked.

“You’d say that I should follow your example, do better, be better, live better. Never let a mistake get away but don’t kick yourself when you’re down either.” I said.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it? If you keep that up, it’ll be like I never left.”

He coughed again, hands growing steadily weaker as the strength ebbed from his body.

I watched until I was alone.

The Magician was dead and no one knew.

There were no superheroes anymore- only people like me. That would have to be enough.