This is a story about a true-life hero, who only wants to do good in the world. It’s based on a real person, a Navajo child named Zaadii, who was tragically killed by a distracted driver. His greatest joy in life was superheroes, and at three years old he was given a cape, and decided he was a superhero himself.
We agree.
Our hope is that Zaadii’s message, and memory, will live on through this book. This is his Unfinished Story.
© 2020 The Travelers Indemnity Company. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means, in any manner whatsoever, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the express written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in a book review. Printed in the United States of America First printing, 2020 ISBN 978-0-578-77796-2 The Travelers Indemnity Company. One Tower Square, Hartford, CT 06183 or me, the ripples started when I was just three years old, seeing my favorite hero every week on tv.
if you dip your fingers into a pool of still water…
…it creates ripples.
little concentric circles, radiating outward.
creating patterns that go on and on, until they hit the shore and return, crashing into each other in beautiful symmetry. the images we see as children, often linger with us our entire lives. last our week! heroes have been hung BY that cacklin’ harrowing corrosive, heel, THE grey HANGMAN! falcon!
looks like we’re about to be melted for sure this time!
we dip our fingers in…
I’m glad to see you’ve been paying attention in chemistry class, sparrow! as this is indeed a caustic conundrum!
…and radiate outwards, into the larger world.
well. it was a pleasure fighting crime with you, grey falcon!
not so fast, my young chum. for you see, the heinous hangman forgot one crucial detail.
the falcon claw in my colorful gauntlet.
wish me luck, chum!
rollicking ricochet, grey falcon! you got it! a child watches a story about heroes, people …and vows to doing good in become a hero, the world… ripples in the himself. still water.
we’re saved!
and sure, it all looks a little corny now.
but to three- year-old me?
“grey falcon let’s not and sparrow” was congratulate mind-blowing. ourselves yet, chum!
not until we find and fell our notorious nemesis!
will our daring duo corral and capture the hideous hangman in time to save liberty city?
they do.
I know because I’ve seen this one. I’ve seen them all. and corny or not… …man, I wanted my name is that car. zaadii tohzon.
in the navajo language of my it was chosen by father, it means, “speaks with my grandmother the power of gentle water.” and tribal elders, after much it’s who I am, who discussion. I was meant to be.
focus talon, target. isolate embed threat. mode. fire!
goggles.
illuminate.
to the innocents of this city and the bad guys but it’s only one name who try to hurt them… I carry with me. I have another name. they call me
and I am a protector!
WRITER: GAIL SIMONE ARTIST: J. CALAFIORE IN ARTIST PGS 1-3: MARK DOS SANTOS. COLORIST: JASON WRIGHT LETTERER: DAVE SHARPE BACK COVER: JEFFERY VEREGGE don’t please. worry, pal. just leave this isn’t me alone. gonna take long.
we just want to, you know, have a little discussion.
see, the thing is, this guy, he paid us money.
to get you protestor types to maybe reconsider a little.
you feel me?
and he said, if you didn’t wanna cooperate, if you wanna be unfriendly…
…that maybe we should be unfriendly right back.
talon. encumber. target one.
hey. wait. what?
I don’t really want to hurt anyone, not even these guys.
there’s enough pain talon. snap in the world already. retract.
get the freak! of course, perhaps a little lesson in good manners is called for, here.
talon. disengage.
no, good I mean… …it’s only good civics. sir. you most certainly do not.
um.
get out of the way, I got him. I got him!
you okay, still. sir? you saved my no reason life. to be mean. hey, you’re z-hawk, right? you protect the environment!
someone trying to shut down protest. with violent methods.
and I have a pretty good idea who. tyson arvell ceo of mammoth gardner. technology. you all listen, right, man? I feel like nothing good. I owe you broken? because I’m some- gonna cuff you thing. and call the you police. need a ride somewhere?
that’s nice of you, sir.
but, see- z-runner. non-collision homing mode, now!
I already have a car.
the z-runner. all electric, self-drive.
every hero’s gotta have a great ride, right? when I’m not wearing my friends say I’m but the people I go zaadii, a cape, I’m just plain an “activist lawyer.” zaadii tozhon. after call me names that I mean, are much less nice. z-hawk?
this is my he’s and here’s I couldn’t have we get best friend we took over his father’s right, z. the third done all this the decision on tony reese. prestigious law practice. take the partner in without them. our injunction rest of the our practice, against mammoth night off, and the only tomorrow, even with a rich dad, he practically that’s an person aside remember? lived at my house. he and his dad, order. from tony to they never got along, somehow. know my secret id, margaret it’s okay, reeves. tony. the blocker’s on, no one can hear us.
okay, right. listen, shouldn’t you get some rest? no one fights you’re for just causes right. I’d better like margaret. hightail it. z-runner. jump mode.
all right. good luck to all of us tomorrow.
and zaadii?
my dad woulda been so proud of you. thanks, but if it tony. works, all our families will be proud of us.
tony and margaret, they keep saying I’ve got to get more rest.
and like and for always unfortunately, I slept zaadii! you look I take a good two I dream through the alarm. do you know terrible, did hours? that of a how late you no, you sleep? advice. hawk. are? I… a bit, see… zzzzzzz
my mother says hawks have always been in the sky during my most significant days. did you eat anything? so I took that as my hero name.
never mind, eat this.
and for heaven’s sake, straighten your tie.
…in light of …until such compelling testimony time as the regarding the potential damage legitimacy of the original impact to the surrounding ecosystem, assessment can be I am granting counsel’s motion firmly and objectively to suspend all operations at established. the factory site… you did it. we zaadii, you did it. thank goodness. did it.
…in this seeming david and ...that they say mr. tozhon, to what goliath story, three lawyers infringes on the do you attribute this from a small environmental land and water incredible victory concern have put the brakes rights of a local in court this on a massive new factory tribe. morning? concern...
well, kat, I want to thank my team, but I also want to thank of course, so for these amazing friends we’ve picked now, at least, we’ve made during this up an enemy the sound of long trial… or two along blasting in the the way. iron mesa will be silenced, making these folks very happy indeed.
kat wilson, channel four news.
you think you think an insignificant little you think you’ve won, paper pusher like you can stop you can stop don’t you? excuse tyson gardner? progress? me? we’ll resume full operations tomorrow.
it’s cheaper for me to pay the fines than halt the workers, mr. tozhon. and do you know what?
I look ooh, well. I like most forward to he’s a bad people. I don’t one. you have paving over hate anyone. your little to stop him. mesa. he’ll do it. but I’ve grown to actively dislike that man.
do I know you, wise stop in your mother? him, dear other one, child. not in that do you suit. see?
I…
I will.
I swear by my ancestors.
I will. we have to I under- there’s have evidence that stand, but no choice, they’re polluting zaadii. be tony. the water basin to careful. stop them now. gardner’s not fooling around.
he’s z-runner. mean. and he’s tricky.
yeah well.
I have a few tricks, too. hydrofoil!
oh, how nice.
our guest has arrived. best make him feel welcome.
boom. what the..?
warning. proximity mines detected.
warning. proximity-- zaadii! the runner’s not I’m coming! what’s I’m on my way wrong? responding. zaadii! right now! [tsk tsk tsk.] this won’t do.
I suppose it falls to the decimator to save this lump from drowning.
I am so utterly unappreciated! on second thought…
…why not just save time? one less do-gooder or in the world, is it right? two less, since what… I’ve turned heel? what’s doesn’t happening? matter. the point is, we’re all better off.
what’s that? are you trying to mumble something, do- gooder? can’t quite hear you, you see.
STRONGER THAN HE LOOKS!
eh?
talon.
wing target, wound mode!
what?
ow. that stings, birdboy!
I know, decimator. but not nearly as mucH-- as this, I bet.
okay, that felt rewarding.
don’t even know why you bother, really.
yes, yes. do you know, the bad guys are always better with the quips, don’t you find?
…why... because well, no I don’t like more. your kind, hawkguy. the hydro- electric damn, I don’t like holding in the that you stand in reservoir you the way of almighty cherish so progress. much?
I’m going to blow it up. flood you out.
thinking and do everyone you know what owes else? you some- thing. I’ve got margaret. she’s going stop me and for a minute, to have simply margaret? he’s if you can, got margaret? maybe many minutes… the best view. “hero.”
from right my body gives up. he knows. he atop the blast I lose consciousness. zone. knows who I am.
decimator doesn’t has all the matter. cards. I’m decimator? coming. and he took me down without even trying. car’s destroyed.
I can…can barely stand after that voltage. and it’s starting to rain.
no matter what.
talon.
pick the lock. dude. I was but I’m margaret? you’re all monitoring… right. thought you glad you’re could use here. find I’ll margaret, back up. margaret. handle the are you BAD GUY. here? you shouldn’t have come, z-hawk! tony. this he likes guy… to hurt innocent people.
I know, mags, zaadii. the I know. decimator! he’s…he’s… “exactly where my talon tagged your arm. he’s oh, that’s tony. right, zaadii. my “brother.” “why, tony?” you caught me. you stinking, how ridiculous did you do-gooder! know?
I didn’t, at first. I was so sure you were gardner. but you flinched when I touched your bicep.
all my father cared about was his causes. deep inside, he knew I resented those…those covetous, grasping people he helped. hated them.
you he wanted most of someone like you all. to be his son, not his own flesh and blood.
and now, when I hit this button, I undo his work, and destroy his name!
no, tony. you won’t. talon. target detonator.
not who my family, for my tribe, my a moment, father, I almost raised me let him to be. fall.
not who my hero would want me to be. but that’s not who I am. ripples in the water.
because I’m not a destroyer.
I’m a protector. Zaadii always wanted to protect the environment, even at a young age. | know this, because the character you’ve just been reading about was based on a real person: my son. My name is Rachel, and | am Zaadii’s mother.
Zaadii was born eleven days late, And everyone knew, His grandmother and at 11:22, the eleventh day of the somehow, without other tribal elder women eleventh month of the year 2011. discussion... gave him his name.
We called him, “Mr. Eleventy.” “Zaadii Tozhon.”
Zaadii’s father is Navajo. Our son was born in a hospital on a reservation.
...he was “Speaks With the a wonder. Power of Gentle Water.”
“gentle water?” doesn’t Zaadii’s grandmother explained. that make him He was raised in a family with sound kind of a love for fantasy and science weak? fiction books and comics. “Gentle water has the power to move mountains and carve canyons.” And above all...
Zaadii Tozhon, he became.
...he loved SUPERHEROES. Zaadii was full of life and joy.
His older sister, Bahazhoni, It was time for Zaadii And that changed EVERYTHING. He’d found got a cape from her favorite to get a cape of his own. his hero. movie. Zaadii would always take it and run off with it.
And we looked. This led to some EPIC sibling warfare.
But ANOTHER costume entirely caught his eye.
His parents bought him Of course, that meant sometimes SUPERHERO movies, and he IMPROVISING when it came to And even into watched them ENDLESSLY. getting the costume CLEAN again. his dreams.
Let’s End Distracted Driving
Each day, seven people are killed by distracted drivers,* their stories left unfinished. What could have been, had the driver not been distracted?
In 2018, Travelers launched the Unifinished Stories campaign. We worked closely with Zaadii’s family to imagine what could have been for him, had he not been killed by a distracted driver. His story serves as a powerful reminder of the responsibilities we all have behind the wheel. The Travelers Institute® Every Second Matters SM distracted driving initiative recognizes that every driver, passenger, cyclist and pedestrian has a role to play in changing social norms around distratction.
For more information about the Travelers distracted driving efforts, visit travelers.com/distracteddriving
TRAVELERS
*National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2019, October). 2018 fatal motor vehicle crashes: Overview. (Traffic Safety Facts Research Note. Report No. DOT HS 812 826). Washington, DC: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. ILLUSTRATION BY JEFFERY VEREGGE