Mighty Mason

What's Happening To Me?

Almost a dozen days on from the unusual incident that had occurred at the Seattle winter fiesta, Christmas was around the corner. The gigantic Christmas trees, the chocolate cookies and milk, the presents, food and drinks and numerous decorations were characteristic to many American families' Christmas celebrations and the Rieckes home wasn't an exception. No matter how rich or poor, happy or sad, buoyant or gloomy anyone was, Christmas was a holiday that almost everyone around the globe anticipated each year because of its soul lifting effect.

During the few days in the build up to Christmas, Maddison had traced the source of Macmillium to Mason's body. Billions of coulombs of electrical charges were running true his veins. For days on end her sophisticated sensors suggested that the final source of the dangerous element was siphoned genetically to Mason's DNA. Her laboratory tests affirmed the fact later on. Until the Virgam was found, Mason would have to stay as calm as possible - only a little sensation of rage could send the whole Seattle nine feet below ground level. The Virgam was what the ninth god who guarded this universe used to control his power and attain god state. According to the legend, the scepter was hidden somewhere on the surface of the earth.

"So what you're saying is that if I feel angry even a little bit...I could blow up this entire city?!" said Mason who's mind was full of curiosity.

"Yes that's what the legend says...but if you are able to obtain your scepter, your anger wouldn't be too much of a problem" said Maddison who paced around her lair pushing buttons or pulling levers at every part of the room she turned to.

"What if he's like...able to control the anger just before he goes...you know?...boom!" asked Max using his hands to demonstrate the catastrophic explosion he meant by saying 'boom'. Max had now become a regular figure at Maddie's laboratory.

"We can't take any risks...I've actually been working on a proficient mechanism that could help to absorb the large warp of energy just before it explodes...till then we can't take any chances" she answered.

The family was settling in very well at the new apartment. Mrs Riecke finally started making friends with fellow inhabitants at Boulevard Brooks. Maddie, Max and Mason felt freer in associating with other kids that lived in Boulevard Brooks. Not much, but it was a handful of kids their age whom they began to relate with, like kids of the same age group. What brought them closer to the kids was actually their mother - Cherry. She felt that if she could be friends with other parents that lived there, then maybe her kids could as well be friends with the children of other parents that lived there.

Mr Riecke left about a week ago for Ottawa. He couldn't afford to board a plane, so he booked some commercial road network transporters to  drive him and his little luggage across the America-Canadian border. The drive could take up to two days without bathroom and lunch stops. Hopefully, he would be back a couple of hours before Christmas.

Mason left the lair with Max and then Maddie following closely behind. He walked up to the living room and sat on the couch directly facing the television. He turned on the TV and the station which was on was Sky Sports 2 - a trending sports channel which was recently made available to terrestrial television. On air was a group of top American footballers making analysis ahead of a couple of upcoming fixtures that were to be the last before the Christmas holiday hit full gear. He wasn't a huge fan of American football and so he wanted to scroll through the channels in search of live NBA fixtures or even repeated games from the English Premier League.

As he tapped The dial to switch the channel from the one currently displaying to the next, a small electric spark emerged from his thumb and suddenly there was a black out in the entire building.

"What happened?!" said Cherry wearing her favorite apron and a pair of mittens.

"It seems there's been a power outage" said Max coming out of the room he shared with Mason.

"Woah! what could have been the cause?" asked Cherry again. The pair turned to look at Mason, the only person seated in the living room. His hairs stood upright and the remote he held in his hand appeared to have burnt a little.

"What? I don't know!" he responded to their prolonged gaze.

He excused himself from their midst and went back to the laboratory in the basement. Maddison had already switched on her alternative source of power supply for the lab. Maddison was dancing to one of the tracks on Drake's recently released album. Dancing indoors was her specialty - she danced and danced across her laboratory like the late Michael Jackson did a couple of times on stage.

"Maddie! Maddie!! Maddie!!!" he said running towards her. He ran until the pair collided into each other and fell to the floor.

"What is wrong with you?" said Maddison who struggled to hide her anger.

"I'm sorry...it's just...I saw...There's been a complete black out" said Mason.

"Of course I know that!" said Maddison who didn't look distressed one little bit. She picked up her glasses and got back to her feet.

"Why aren't you worried...Why are you so calm?"

"For two reasons actually - the first is that I have super charged batteries that can power this laboratory until the power supply has been restored..." said Maddie.

"Wow! I guess that's impressive...what about the second reason?" asked Mason.

"Well Uh...we live in America...they'll find the source of the problem and rectify it in a few hours. C'mon man!" said Maddison.

"No! the electrical interference that caused this power outage was from my hand! I just tried to switch the channel and then boom...the lights go out!" explained Mason.

Maddison was convinced that the only way to avoid any more surprises was to have a dear picture of what powers and supernatural abilities he had obtained from the dose of the Macmillium a few days back. Supersonic speed was already identified as one of them by Mason on the very first day the power shot into his veins, but as it seemed there were a lot more he could do than meet the eye.

"It's like you can also blast shots of blue flames with your bare palms and from the other results of my scan, you can meddle with electric charges without losing a single strand of hair! If you were a normal kid, that would probably result in death" said Maddison.

"I don't know...I have the feeling that there's a lot more to it than I..." said Mason who was interrupted by Maddison. It seemed the latter had just made a shocking discovery that left her jaws falling towards the floor.

"Wait! Wait!! Wait!!! I found something!" said Maddie.

"What did you find?" asked Mason, curious to know if her discovery had anything to do with him.

"Hold up...give me a minute". Maddie tapped so many buttons in a really short space of time. It appeared she had found something through one of her sensors. After pushing one lever in a way of rounding up the entire data collection process, she dressed back from her big high definition screen. Mason felt it was now suitable to ask his question.

"So what is it?" asked Mason calmly, in attempt not to get her any more tensed than she already was.

"Remember I told you that the last trace of Macmillium was the one you found at the park at that dumb winter fiesta?"

"Uh huh...what about that?"

"It appears there's still another source of Macmillium roaming around town" said Maddie.

"What do you mean roaming around? Is it like a real live person with...real live feet?" asked Mason.

"It could be or I'm guessing it could be the scepter you use to control these excessive outbursts of energy" said Maddie.

"The Virgam?" asked Mase.

"The Virgam!" confirmed Maddie.

"I haven't been able to confirm its accurate location with my GPS routers; similar to the first source that gave you your energy". Maddie continued.

"Well we better find it...and fast" said Mason.

The mystery of the last source of Macmillan energy wasn't as easy as it appeared to be - in actual fact it was not as it appeared to be. It wasn't really the scepter that gave Maddison those readings; the ninth god had actually returned! He came to Planet Earth when he heard that his powers had been handed down to an 'outsider'. His name was Naphtaloz. He lurked round the streets of Seattle waiting for the first sight of Mason.