Judge Stephens performed the ceremony, wedding the two in the bonds of matrimony, with Lynxar acting as best man and Rachel acting as the maid of honor. All the citizens of Colossal City surrounded the happy couple in a circle that filled the main square and seemed to stretch for miles. It was just the celebratory occasion the city needed after months of recovery and rebuilding following the attack of Kriptoff’s army.
The men who had been mutated and forced to serve Kriptoff had all been returned to their natural physiology, thanks to the reverse transfusion technology developed by Dr. Rachel Deering. The emotional scars were taking longer to heal, but with a day like today, everyone had reason to smile. Everyone except Kriptoff. As he sat in his cell in Colossal City’s most maximum security facility, surrounded full time by multiple guards, he looked positively miserable.
“How come you guys aren’t watching the happy occasion?” Kriptoff asked one his guards, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Shut up,” the guard said, tersely.
“Oh, did I hit on a sensitive nerve?” Kriptoff jibed. “Did you do something wrong that your being punished for? Is that why they stuck you in here with me? How does it feel to miss the wedding of the century just to guard someone who obviously has no hopes of escaping?”
“Just shut up!” the guard said, but his counterpart; a younger, less experienced guard, walked up to the first guard and began whispering.
The young guard said, “He’s right. This is stupid. He ain’t never getting out of that cell. Let’s go watch the wedding.”
“Forget about it,” the older guard said sharply to his coworker. “We’re not leaving our post.”
The younger guard said, “Just a peek out the window. What could it hurt?”
The younger guard abandoned his post to look out the window at the wedding ceremony in the distance. Rolling his eyes in frustration, the older guard went after him. It was all the distraction Kriptoff needed. Within moments, he had rendered both guards unconscious with the mind powers that no one knew he had developed. He had learned how to transfer all of Lynxonna’s powers to himself through her DNA, but he had been smart enough to only give part of them to his army. When they “cured” him of his enhanced speed and strength, no one had thought to check him for mind powers and remove them as well, so they had remained intact. He had been waiting all this time for just the right chance to use them to break free. At last, that time had come.
His ability to levitate things with his mind was clumsy, from lack of practice, but after just a few attempts, he managed to get the keys from the unconscious guards and free himself from his cell. With the whole prison distracted by the wedding, his escape out onto the streets was easy, especially when aided by the ability to move things with his mind. Once out on the streets, he fled into the distance, but he vowed that one day he’d return. Only next time he came to Colossal City, it wouldn’t be to take over the city, or even destroy it. It would be to get revenge against Lynxar in any way that he could. As Kriptoff left the city limits, he thought to himself, Yes, one day Lynxar; you will pay for ruining my plans. You will pay with the one thing you hold most dear.
Lynxar looked into Rachel’s eyes with a startled expression of worry on his face, just as Lynxonna and Mike were placing their wedding rings on each other’s fingers.
What is it? Rachel thought in her mind, knowing that her husband would be able to read her thoughts. He shook his head, not wanting to interrupt the wedding ceremony.
Judge Stephens looked at Lynxonna and Mike and said proudly, “Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
The crowd cheered loudly as Mike and Lynxonna kissed tenderly and passionately in the middle of the square. Then Lynxonna picked Mike up in her arms, and with her superior speed and strength took off running to the exotic island where they intended to spend their honeymoon.
Lynxar looked at Rachel and saw tears of joy glistening in the corners of her eyes. She saw the intense look of worry in his eyes.
Taking him by the hand, she said, “What’s wrong?”
“I just sensed something new that I never sensed before. Are you all right?”
Rachel nodded, smiling broadly. “I’m more than all right. I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Lynxar said, his expression of shock and surprise quickly turning to one of love and happiness. “We’re having a baby!”
“Not just any baby. The world’s first superhero baby, born here on Earth. I can already sense him even though he’s only just growing inside me.”
Lynxar stretched out with his mind and realized that was what he had been sensing as well; the precious love of their baby inside his wife’s belly. As Lynxar and Rachel held each other close, rejoicing in the knowledge they would be parents together, they both vowed that their baby would grow up healthy, happy, and safe.
TO BE CONTINUED IN BOOK FOUR: Lynxar's Ghost - Volume 4
Lynxar’s Ghost
Chapter One
“Welcome. Please watch your step,” the chauffer said as he opened the door to the limousine and proceeded to help everyone exit the vehicle. A crowd of reporters and spectators watched from behind a security fence, shouting excitedly and snapping pictures with their flash cameras. A line of security guards stood post, making sure no crossed the barrier.
The first to emerge from the limousine was the beautiful Dr. Rachel Deering. She looked positively glamorous in a shimmering evening gown that molded to every curve of her body. Her long blonde hair was swept up in an elegant bun, her make-up was perfect, and her green eyes sparkled with excitement.
The flashes from the cameras nearly blinded her, and she gripped the limousine driver’s arm to keep from losing her balance.
“Dr. Deering; what’s it like to have given birth to the first baby on Earth to be fathered by an alien from outer space?” the reporters shouted. “Dr. Deering, does your baby have any of the special powers exhibited by your husband? Was the birthing process more or less difficult than if the baby had been fully human?”
Rachel felt taken aback at the barrage of questions being hurled at her by eager reporters. Not knowing how to answer them all, she stayed silent and stepped to the side as her husband exited the car.
The paparazzi went even more wild at the site of Lynxar, the alien who had landed on earth by accident, then grew to become the protective hero of Colossal City by defeating the evil General Kriptoff. He looked even more handsome than usual, dressed in a tuxedo for tonight’s event. His lavender hair and matching eyes were in stark contrast to his otherwise normal appearance.
As the reporters bombarded him with questions about how it felt to be a father, Lynxar grinned at his wife Rachel and sent a message to her telepathically with his mind powers. Should I give them what they want to see?
Sure. Then we can get inside to the party. I don’t want to leave the baby with the sitter for too long. Rachel answered with her mind, knowing that her husband would easily be able to read her thoughts.
Lynxar suddenly used his super strength to hoist the limousine into the air and throw it across the long driveway leading to the mansion. The paparazzi gasped with excitement, flashing their cameras wildly. Then Lynxar used his superhuman speed to run to the other side of the driveway, catch the car before it could land on the ground, and brought it back within the blink of an eye.
The reporters went into a frenzy, asking even more questions than before. Lynxar addressed the crowd with a smile, saying “I’m sorry. I don’t have time for interviews at the moment. As you know, my wife and I are here tonight for a reception that is generously being held by Mr. Hillman. It is a great honor that the planets aligned with my home of Flonar wish to allow earth into the United Planetary Alliance. I know it is my marriage to Rachel and the birth of our daughter, Lynxiennia, that has made this possible and I am deeply honored. Now, if you’ll please excuse me, we are late for the reception for the diplomats of the UPA.”
Appea
sed by the brief speech, the reporters watched as Lynxar and Rachel walked up the steps to the mansion belonging to billionaire Bryan Hillman. He was known to be something of a shy recluse, so it came as a huge surprise when the billionaire offered to host the UPA reception. Few people realized that he had actually known Rachel for years, a fact which he liked to keep private.
When Lynxar and Rachel reached the top of the stairs leading to the luxurious mansion, the doors were opened for them, and they couldn’t help but gasp at the splendor within. Vaulted ceilings, crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and everything was inlaid with gold. It was positively breathtaking.
“Welcome to my home,” a shy voice said, and Rachel and Lynxar both turned to see a young man standing at their side. He was relatively small in stature, with reddish-brown hair and green eyes. His tuxedo, although clearly tailored by an expensive designer, made him look like a child playing dress-up.
“Bryan! It’s so good to see you again!” Rachel said happily, embracing him with a friendly hug. The young man blushed and looked relieved when the beautiful doctor finally released him. Smiling, Rachel then turned to introduce him to her husband. “This is Lynxar. Lynxar, this is Bryan Hillman, creator of the Hillman Foundation. He’s the one who’s been generously donating the grants that fund all my scientific research. Without him, we never would have met.”
Surprised, Lynxar stretched out his hand and gave Bryan a hardy handshake that nearly jostled the young man to death.
“I’m pleased to meet you,” Lynxar said. “Thank you for all that you’ve done to help my wife, and I especially thank you for hosting this reception. You will go down in history as being the first human to host a meeting of the UPA in his home.”
“Oh, I don’t want that recognition. I prefer to be left out of the history books,” Bryan said nervously, flushing from head to toe. “I just wanted to help Rachel and make sure you and she had a safe place to meet the UPA ambassadors.”
“Why?” Lynxar asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy. He thought most humans were interested in fame. Why was this one more interested in his wife?
Bryan stammered, trying to find the words. Looking at his shoes, he said “Because it was Dr. Deering who helped cure me of the illness I’d had since I was a young boy. Without her, I would surely have died.”
“You never told me that,” Lynxar said to Rachel, clearly impressed and proud of his wife, and yet jealous that there were aspects of her past that she’d never told him about.
“We both prefer to keep a low profile about it,” Rachel said, smiling gently at Bryan. She was one of the few people who understood his shyness and his need for privacy. It brought them closer as friends, but there were never any romantic feelings between them.
“Well, neither of you have succeeded at that tonight,” Lynxar joked, indicating the swarm of reporters and paparazzi outside the mansion and the crowded party within. The grand ballroom was filled with dignitaries and ambassadors from all the planets of the UPA. They danced and mingled, along with Colossal City’s most distinguished representatives, politicians, and philanthropists. It was an impressive guest list, by any standards.
“We should join the party,” Rachel said gracefully, taking Lynxar’s arm and walking with him into the ballroom.
Bryan sighed, grateful to be relieved from the chore of making conversation. He knew he should be playing the part of the charming host, but his shyness prevented him. Sometimes he just wished he could disappear like a ghost, and never be seen by anyone. So, he did the next best thing, and slipped out the secret exit only he knew about.
It was an old servant’s entrance that had been forgotten by everyone during the many remodels of the mansion. It was a tiny tunnel, hidden behind a large portrait, that led from the hallway to the back yard. He had stumbled upon it by accident when he was a boy, and no one else knew it was there. At least he thought that was the case, until he heard voices at the far end of the tunnel.
Bryan’s instincts told him to leave, but something made him pause. There was an odd glow coming from the end of the tunnel, and one of the voices made a horrible sound, like someone in pain or distress. He wanted to turn and run away, but something deep inside him wouldn’t let him ignore someone in need of help.
Bryan moved cautiously towards the glow, until he came upon a sight that made him freeze with fear. He wanted to call out to the party guests he knew were just fifty feet away, but he was too terrified to shout. He wanted to run and get help, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to bring anybody fast enough! Something had to be done immediately to stop this from happening and Bryan realized he would have to be the one to do it!
Chapter Two
Bryan Hillman pressed himself flat against the wall of the secret tunnel, trembling with fear as he hid in the shadows. One of the ambassadors of the United Planetary Alliance; a beautiful woman with skin so translucent, it was practically transparent, was lying on the ground. Bryan marveled that he could actually see the image of the brick-lined floor through her body, as if she were a ghost. She writhed in pain, as muffled cries came from her lips.
A man hovered over her, holding a strange device against her neck. It seemed to be sucking the life right out of her. As she grew weaker, her delicate skin lost its transparency and turned the natural pale green of her race. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps now, and Bryan knew that if he didn’t do something to stop this assault, she would be dead within a matter of seconds.
Bryan fumbled in his pockets for something he could use to help her, and his hand hit upon the music player he carried with him. He pushed the play button and the sound of music blaring in the narrow passageway startled the evil figure. He looked up and Bryan got a good look at his face, then he took off running out of the back exit of the passageway.
Bryan started to run after him, but a hand reached up and grabbed his leg. Bryan looked down and saw that it was the alien woman. Barely alive, she used what was left of her strength to beckon to him.
Bryan knelt on one knee and bent his head down near her lips, so he could hear her soft whisper. Clutching the lapel of his tuxedo jacket, she said, “I give to you what the other tried to steal. Use it for good, as I see your heart is true.”
Then she put her hands on his cheeks, and he felt a great energy pass through him that was so powerful, it knocked him to the ground. Bryan stood up, trying to figure out what had happened, when he heard new voices in the passageway and an alien man and woman came running down the tunnel.
“She went in here! I saw her come behind the portrait with a suspicious man!” The alien female said.
“There she is! Fremingina! What’s happened to you?” The male alien picked up her limp body and cried out, “She’s dead! Fremingina is dead!”
Bryan stepped back in horror, afraid they would think he had been the one to murder her, but the alien couple never even looked at him. As the passageway filled with people, both human and alien alike, Bryan noticed that no one asked him a single question or even glanced his way. It was as if he were a ghost. Looking down at himself, Bryan realized that even though he was clearly still alive, that’s practically what he was. Whatever the alien known as Fremingina had done to him when she touched his face, he was now invisible as a ghost!
With his heart pounding, Bryan Hillman ran out of the tunnel, away from the crowd surrounding the dead alien body, and out the back exit. The cool night air helped him to breathe and slowly he began to calm down.
“Get a grip, Bryan,” he said to himself. As his heart rate began to slow down, he noticed that his body began to reappear. Trying to see himself, he took a step backward and inadvertently stepped on a twig, making it snap in half. The loud cracking sound of the twig startled him and Bryan yelped in fear. With his heart racing again, he once again became invisible.
“It’s a defense mechanism,” Bryan said to himself. “Cool.”
He decided to try and see if he could control his new ghost-like ability. By concentrating on being alert
, he found he could make his body transparent, causing him to be invisible to anyone who looked at him. By making himself calm, he could turn off the ability, making his skin return to normal and allowing himself to appear just like he always had before.
“I wonder what other gifts she’s given me?” Bryan wondered.
“Who is that?” a female voice asked from behind. Bryan whipped around to see a woman standing there. With all his effort, he concentrated on keeping himself from turning invisible until the rush of being startled had ebbed.
“Are you all right?” the woman asked, seeing the stern look of concentration on his face. She was quite pretty, with rich black hair that flowed in waves down to her waist, big blue eyes, soft full lips, and an athletic body with all the right curves. She wore a cheap pink suit and looked just as nervous as he felt.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I just didn’t see you there.” Bryan stammered.
“Sorry, I’m Vicky Campbell, with Wake Up Colossal City. I was wondering if you could answer just a few brief questions.” Bryan nodded in recognition. He knew who she was! They had gone to the same school together when they were both young. He remembered her, because she had been the only one who was willing to sit with him at lunch after he’d been diagnosed with his illness. Now she was a field reporter for that morning talk show on channel seven. What was she doing here? Field reporters never got to do the interviews at events like this; they always got stuck doing things like the traffic report, while the major interviews were given to the anchor.
Vicky took Bryan’s nod of recognition as being a nod of consent. Excitedly, she plunged forward with her interview. Holding her own video camera, she said to him “This is Vicky Campbell with an exclusive interview with Bryan Hillman; billionaire, philanthropist, and the host of the first UPA reception to be held on Earth. So, Mr. Hillman, you mentioned receiving a gift. Was it from one of the UPA ambassadors?”
Lynxar Series: Books 1-6 (6-Book Bundle) Page 9
