Chapter Ten - Enigma

Chapter Ten

Enigma

         "This is Polly McKensie with Channel 12 News live on the scene at Windor Park where a startling event occurred. Two young women were mugged while walking through the park on this sunny afternoon. The muggers were the notorious Windor Park Duo, Jessup Hinder, and Mike "The Train" Tetterson. While the police were searching for the hostages, an astonishing turn of events occurred.

         "The two captive women abruptly appeared among the officers followed by Teeterson and Hinder. While Teeterson was unconscious, Hinder was awake but disoriented. He kept shouting they were innocent and that someone attacked them. He also stated a man in green was the attacker. The assailant was, according to Hinder, 'very tall, had grey skin and pointed ears'".

         "In a twist to the story, Hinder and Teeterson were the ones mugging the two women. While the women were not hurt, they each remembered something or someone had carried them to the police. Hinder and Teeterson will be going to an undisclosed hospital for their injuries, they will be under guard during their stay and then be escorted to the courthouse for arraignment. This is Polly McKensie reporting live from Windor Park. Back to you, Mark."

         "And cut," the cameraman stated. "Do you believe what those two, Hinder and Teeterson, were saying? I don't believe their story about being mugged by an unknown assailant. It doesn't fit. The two women stated they were being mugged by those two and were threatened with being killed if they didn't cooperate. They gave the officer detailed descriptions of the two men but did not say they saw anyone else. It's just weird."

         "Tell me about it. The police were baffled by how the two women had just shown up near the ambulance and the two assailants showed up by the police cars, in the middle of the police officers without any trace of who or what got them there," affirmed Polly. "We best get back to the studio. The police aren't offering their take on what happened and what they saw."

         Matthew saw and heard the reporter's newscast. He was relieved no one could make him out, except Hinder and Teeterson, though no one seemed to take what Hinder said seriously. As he left, he felt good about what he did today.

         As he ran back to Misty's house, he wondered how fast he was running. He knew it wasn't the speed of light, but what was it? He had an idea how to check, but he needs Misty to help him. Before he could think of anything else, he was at his daughter's house. The garage door was still open waiting for him.

         When he entered the house, he was met by Becca and Cindy.

         "Well, Hello little ladies," Matthew stated. "Where is your mom?"

         "She in the living room watching you. She said she proud of you. We watched the same thing but didn't see you," Becca announced.

         Cindy added, "How did you make them all appear out of nowhere? I think it was magic."

         "Me, too grandpa. You know magic." offered Becca.

         Matthew advised, "It wasn't magic. Grandpa just ran really fast. Faster than the bad guys. Let's go into the living room and see what your mom says."

         "I race you, Cindy," announced Becca as she started running before Cindy had a chance to move.

         "No fair, Becca. You cheated," Cindy ran after her sister with Matthew following.

         When he arrived in the living room, he saw Misty turning the channels to find more stories about him. She stopped on a channel that was providing a report on the mysterious hero in Windor Park. Matthew didn't understand how they were calling him a hero when no one saw him. He turned his attention back to the news anchor.

         " . .and after the two women mysteriously appeared, their would-be assailants also appeared. They had a run-in with whoever saved the women as they had broken bones, and crushed hands, and one of them, unconscious. The police searched the area the women stated they were being held. It did show signs of a struggle. They found something else as well because the forensics team was called. No word on what they found but it must have been something important because they wrapped the area with the bright 'Do Not Cross - Police Investigation' tape. When we approached a Police Officer who had been up there, he stated it was still under investigation so he could not comment on what happened. This is Sally Up. ."

         Misty had turned the television off and turned to her father. "What happened over there? Did you leave anything? Tell me exactly what happened."

         "Well," began Matthew, "When I arrived, the two ladies were on their knees before the same guys who mugged me and Joe. I first disarmed them using my super speed. I must have broken their hands because when I turned to normal speed they yelled out in pain while holding their broken fingers. I then went to the hostages and took them down to the waiting ambulance and placed them gently on the ground. When I got back to the clearing, they were still frozen in place. They may have moved a tiny bit. but looked pretty much the same. I stood still and let time catch up with them. They saw me and wanted to know who I was and where I came from. They then questioned what I did with the hostages."

         "I told them I was the Defender in Green. They both came at me at the same time. The big one hit me first as a tackle. What I saw was astonishing. He hit me, with what I believed was his full strength and he crumbled down in a heap. I barely felt anything. At that time, the other one hit me on my chin. I heard an awful noise as bones broke. As he knelt, he wanted to know who and what I was. I again told him I was the Defender in Green, and then on impulse, told him I was a Superhero. I then took him to the police and came back here. That's it"

         "If that was it, why is there a search going on there? From what you stated you ran in and out three times. Did you lose a shoe or a glove?" Misty inquired.

         "No, I have everything I went in with. I am not aware of what they are looking for. It could be something the muggers left. I don't know."

         "Well, it can't be anything to lead them here. We will just have to wait and see what they found." Misty turned and looked at her girls, "Now it's time to play Dot!"          

         While Becca clapped her hands, Cindy rolled her eyes.

         The next morning, Misty got up early to catch the morning news. As she went to the living room, she saw her dad sleeping four feet off the ground. If that wasn't enough, he was glowing a soft green color.

         "Dad. Dad. Wake up." she said softly so as not to startle him. "It's time to wake up." With the final statement, she raised he voice to almost yelling. Matthew woke with a start and fell onto the floor.

         "What happened? I was just resting and the next thing I fall off the couch," said Matthew.

         "No, you didn't. You were floating about four feet off the ground, and you were sleeping and also glowing. I thought you never got tired?"

         "I don't know. This is all new to me." Matthew explained. "When I was in the hospital, I never got tired, I was always full of energy. Wait, I think I just thought about what happened. Like I said, in the hospital, I was full of energy. Maybe that is because I didn't use any of my powers."
         Misty added, "No that can't be it. You changed clothes at superspeed, you lifted the bed while you were floating, and you used super sight. Did I miss anything?"

         "Well," began Matthew, "I used super hearing, too."

         "That's right, you did. So, why weren't you tired after all that?"

         Matthew thought for a minute and then offered, "Maybe it is because I used all those other powers with time between them. Yesterday, I used running, super strength, and whatever my invulnerability falls under. They were all used at about the same time. Maybe that is why I got tired. Besides," looking at the clock, "I was only sleeping for half an hour before you woke me."

         "I think we need to do more tests. We need to check your endurance levels. I don't want you falling asleep while saving someone or facing criminals," Misty stated.

         "I'm fine with more practice. What do you suggest?"

         "How about you go running for an hour or two and then come back?"

         "Where do I run? I am not running around the block for two hours."

         "Just go straight for about an hour then come back." Misty offered.

         "That sounds better. I will start now and be back for the 8:30 news. I will be back at 8:30." Matthew then opened the garage door and began running west.

         In two hours and 15 minutes, Matthew returned.

         Misty looked at her dad and observed, "You aren't even winded. Did you stop and rest as you ran? Where did you run to?"

         "Well, I headed west until I came to the ocean, and then I kept going. At first, I thought I would need to swim. However, I discovered when running at super speed, I could run on the water. Imagine that," Matthew explained excitedly.

         "You ran on the water? Was it like solid land or did you sink?"
         "No, I didn't sink. The water felt as hard as the ground. The tricky part was running over waves that were more than fifty feet or taller."

         "When did you turn around?"

         "I didn't. After about an hour or so, I turned right and headed toward where I thought Alaska should be. From there, I went over the Artic circle and did another right turn. There was some snow and ice I ran over then more water. After a bit, I turned right again. I think it was Asia I ran through and turned right again. I ran through Russia and a bunch of smaller countries than more oceans until I reached the East Coast. Within 10 minutes, I was home."

         In disbelief, Misty stared at her dad. "You ran basically around the world. That's about. . what 24,000 miles, isn't it?"

         "Technically, I don't think I ran around the earth. I made shortcuts. It can't be more than 13,000 miles. Let me see, 13,000 divided by the number of minutes it took, 120 minutes, equals about 108 miles a minute. Wow, thinking of it that way, I'm pretty fast."

         Misty was looking at her dad with disbelief and awe. He really was a superhero, at least as powers go. What else could he do that hasn't been tested?

         At this time, Cindy and Becca come running back into the house. While they were playing outside, Becca skinned her knee. There was a little blood, but mainly it was an abrasion. Whatever its label, Becca was crying.

         Misty got up immediately and went to Becca's side and looked at her knee. She told Becca to sit on the chair and Misty would go get the Boo-Boo kit.

         After Misty left, Matthew came over and knelt to be closer to her. When he got down, he asked Becca if he could look at her knee. When Becca showed her knee to grandpa, he gently put his hand behind the knee and held it there. "When your mom comes back, we'll make it all better. I can remember when your mom was your age and she got an owie, I would hold it like this," he then wrapped his other hand over the abrasion, "and tell her it will be all ok when," All of a sudden, a green glow came from underneath his hands. It wasn't hot, just a warm, comfortable feeling. He felt that this was a natural feeling. Becca was just staring at the glow beneath grandpa's hands and on her leg and knee.

         Misty came out at this time and dropped the Boo-Boo kit, "Oh my gosh, what is happening? Becca are you ok? Dad, stop whatever you are doing, now!"

         "I'm sorry. I didn't do this on purpose, it just happened when I placed my hand on her leg and knee, just like I used to do with you."

         "I remember that, but you didn't glow when you did it to me."
         When Matthew raised his hands, a miraculous event occurred. He had, somehow, healed Becca's abrasion.

         "What happened here? First, there is an abrasion and when I come back, it's all healed on its own. To top that, your hands were glowing green. I know I've already said this, but what happened? Did you know you glowed?"

         "As I said, I just put my hands on her and it healed. I don't recall doing anything. Maybe she didn't have an abrasion after all, and I just brushed it off her knee?"

         "No, I saw it and it was real blood. And secondly, that doesn't explain the green glow."

         "Maybe I did heal it. We can't heal it again to test if I can heal," Matthew began, "so I don't know how to prove if it was me."

         "I have an idea," Misty said. She went over to the Boo-Boo kit and picked it all up. She brought it over to sit by Matthew. She withdrew a sharp blade and proceeded to cut a one-inch line on the back of her hand. "Here, heal this, if you can. Please hurry because it hurts."

         Matthew grabbed her hand and thought about healing, and nothing happened. He tried the other hand and did the same thing, with the same result. He thought of what he did with Becca. He remembered he had kneeled in front of her and placed one hand under her knee and one hand over her knee.

         That was it. Both hands need to touch the wound, or close to it, for it to be healed. He again grabbed Misty's hand and placed his other hand around her wrist and lower arm. As soon as he did this, the glow became brighter.

         "Oh my gosh dad, you're doing it! You're making your hands glow," Misty explained, "I feel a lite tingling on the back of my hand, but it's not uncomfortable."

         The glow began to fade and was soon gone completely. Matthew raised his hands and looked at Misty's hand. The cut was gone. It looked like nothing had happened.

         "You did it! You healed my hand. How did you do that?"

         "I didn't do anything, it just happened by itself. I never knew I had this because I never put my hands on someone where my hands were touching. This means if I am saving someone who needs healing, I can do that. That's great."

         "That is great news. Once you are out in the public's eye, you can do healing to those who need it."

         "That's a great idea, though I first need to be in the public eye. I am not sure I want to do that just yet." Matthew begins to yawn and then stifles it. "Excuse me, I must be winded or something, I haven't yawned since I had my old body."

         "Maybe you're tired? You have used a lot of energy today, with the running and healing with little rest." Misty offered. "You should try to get some sleep."

         "I am not going to argue that. I do feel a little tired. Maybe a 15-minute nap is all I need." Matthew then proceeded to lay back down on the floor with a pillow and blanket, though it barely covered down to his knees.

         From what Misty could tell, her dad went to sleep almost immediately after laying down. She looked at her daughters as they watched their favorite cartoons. "I am going out to make a call to Uncle Joe. Don't wake grandpa."

         When Misty called Joe, he picked up after the third ring. "Hello Misty, how are you and the girls doing? How is Matt doing? I saw the newscast this morning and it looks like we have somewhat of a hero in our midst. Is your dad available? I want to talk with him after talking with you."

         "He is sleeping now. We were experimenting with his powers. He ran over 13,000 miles in a little over two hours and also discovered he can heal people who are wounded."

         "He what? Ran 13,000 miles? How fast was he going per minute? Wait. Did you say he can heal people? When did he start that?"

         "Yes, he can heal people and it started today by, apparently, an accident. He was taking care of Becca's scraped knee when he placed both hands either on or by the wound. A soft green glow occurred and then faded away. Her knee is better than new."

         "That is incredible! How did you confirm it? Did Cindy have a scrape, too?"

         "No, I was the guinea pig. I cut the back of my hand and had him try to heal it. He tried single-handed first, but it only worked when he used both hands. He healed it so well there wasn't even a scar."

         "Really? I would like him to try and heal me. Not my leg. That would be very hard to explain how I grew my leg back. No, I want him to try and get rid of my tumors and cancer."

         "Oh, I am sure he would love to help you. I will ask him when he wakes up. Oh, the miles per second is roughly 108 miles."

         "That is fast. Good thing he is on our side. If he wasn't, there would be no end to the havoc and destruction he could cause. Have you been watching the news?"
         "This morning we watched it. He did say he wanted to watch the 8:30 news. Why? Has more come out about yesterday?"

         "That's the reason I am calling. The two muggers are talking about what happened and about your dad. Hinder and Tetterson have differing accounts of what happened. I think it has something to do with they are not in the same hospital room and are being separated. Two different accounts do not bode well for them."

         "What are they saying about what happened?"

         "Hinder is stating the Defender in Green, yes, he used your dad's alter ego's name, showed up when he and his partner, Teeterson, were minding their own business, and brutally attacked them and knocked them both out. That is why they do not remember being carried to the police. Teeterson, on the other hand, has admitted he and Hinder are the Windor Park Duo. They have mugged and robbed countless people. On the day of their mugging of the two young women, right before they were going to force them to give all of their valuables on the ground and knock them out, a grey giant with no hair and bright green eyes and pointy ears dressed in green clothes appeared out of nowhere. He said he was the Green Defender. Well, not knowing what was going to happen, Teeterson charged into your dad. Teeterson confessed it felt like an unmovable boulder. He broke several bones and got a concussion. He states he felt like passing out but didn't. He heard and witnessed what happened next."

         "Dad said he was unconscious. Teeterson must have fooled him. You said he heard what happened next?"

         "Yes. Teeterson said Hinder tried punching your dad but received a broken hand instead. He stated while talking to Hinder, your dad told him to sit tight or hold that thought. He wasn't sure. He remembers clearly that one moment he was in the clearing and the next he was surrounded by the police with no idea how he got there. Within a matter of seconds, Hinder appeared out of nowhere next to him. Hinder was babbling about a superhero who had been there, the Defender in Green."

         "So, they didn't recognize dad? That's good."

         "I'm not done. After the police talked to the two young girls about what happened, neither one could remember anyone else being there or being carried to the ambulance. They advised the police they had been sitting right next to a fire pit. With this information, the police went to the clearing and started a sweep of the area. They found footprints of the young ladies, Hinder and Teeterson. They also found giant footprints. They had the forensics team make plaster prints of the shoe prints. There is no information regarding their findings."

         "That's a lot of information you had. I think once dad is awake, we will start watching the news again, I will also have him call you."

         "That sounds good, Misty. Thanks."

         Joe hung up the phone and Misty went to the living room. Before she got there, she heard her two girls giggling and laughing. Misty wondered if they were still watching cartoons or playing a game.

         As she turned the corner into the living room, she was shocked by what she saw. Instead of playing a game or watching TV, both were sitting on top of grandpa as he floated up and down.

         "What are you two doing?" she snapped.

         "We riding grandpa up and down. He sleeping." Becca answered.

         "Honest mom, we aren't hurting him. His chest and stomach are hard as wood.

         "Just get off when he floats down. That goes for you too Becca. Off."

         "I am going to try and wake grandpa. You two stand back in case he stops floating and falls to the floor."

         "Dad, dad? Time to wake up. Can you hear me, dad? Time to wake up."

         Matthew was still floating slowly up and then down. He didn't seem to hear her. Misty was going to gently shake him. However, Becca had a different idea.

         She went up to his head, cupped her mouth like a funnel, and shouted into grandpa's ear, "Wake up grandpa! Wake-up!"

         Matthew did wake up. However, he was so startled, that he disappeared.

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