Chapter Three - The Bait

Matt Wu, a 12 year old boy with powers unknown to most human beings, walked quickly down the hall to a door at the end. On the opposite side lay death- the worst teacher in the school- Mrs. Ellen Briggs. She was the meanest teacher in the world- some say that she gives out F's without reading the papers. Mrs. Briggs taught the only elective that Matt thought was interesting: tech. His father was once a brilliant engineer, constructing and fixing cars for minimum wage. Eventually, he quit and started a new company called AutoFix. Now, he works as a computer software maker- making chips almost everyday.

So, when Matt signed up, he thought he made a good choice. WRONG! The moment he stepped in Mrs. Briggs's classroom, the moment he regretted it. Matt wished that he was in Blake's class in electives. He picked computers, which turned out to be good because the teacher was Mr. Tempron. He never gives out homework and always looks for effort, not finishing things.

Blake is a wimpy 7th grader who amazingly turned out to be Matt's best friend a couple years ago. They met at a place called Baltin Rohin- an ice cream store. They realized that they were in the same school... they talked and then a couple of minutes later they wanted a "play date." Recently, Blake has became a bit more stronger when he tackled the King of the Creatures with a water sprayer. The King was a fire bender, so that meant that he could shoot fire, but also means that he can die of water. The creatures that he was king of were dim-witted water benders. They were so amazingly dumb that they had no idea that the King could be at their mercy.

Another evil man, Dr. Vick, tried to take Matt's lightning ability so he could hatch the only remaining dinosaur egg. He was also a fire bender, but eventually died along with the others. Matt got his lightning powers from his ancestors, but to test his ability to handle it, he was struck by lightning when he placed his sneaker on a red X mark. Then, he got an explanation from the first ancestor of the lightning people- Bonette. According to her, there are about 100 or so of the lightning benders in Albany. Matt then got into some weird positions with lightning. In the first few days, he learned some serious attacks.

It is now nighttime and Matt was getting in bed. It was a warm day, about 70 degrees- one of the hottest days so far in the month of December. Winter Break started today, so Matt was looking foreward to Christmas. He really wanted a Bungento Jii- a Japanese Game System with wireless controls. The games were awesome- Jii Sports, Jii Play, and Jii Chess. Then, he would buy Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.

The wind was rattling now, for the temprature dangerously dropped 50 degrees. The sound of branches hitting the windows of the other parts of the house made Matt stir in his sleep. Suddenly, a crash was heard, followed by a scream. Matt jolted from the bed and put his ear to the wall that was right next to his parent's room. His dad was on a business trip to Portland, and won't be back for another 2 weeks. There was the scream again- more closer now. It was definently mom, but Matt wasn't going to bother. She was probably watching a scary movie. December was the time to watch scary movies for Mrs. Wu.

Matt got back in his bed and looked at the ceiling above. A big lightning symbol looked back. Matt, in Thanksgiving, asked to paint lighting symbols all over, since he "loved" lightning so much. This time, a thump was heard and another scream followed. Laughter was then heard- a men's voice. "MOM!" Matt shouted.

He rushed out and flew to the double doors that was the entrance to her room. Instead of kicking it open, he reached for the knob and sent a small current to the lock that was on the opposite side. He then opened the door ever so slighty to see what was going on. His mother was on a chair, with a machine over her head. Two men in dark cloacks were watching her. One of them had a remote in its hand.

Matt looked at their faces... they were shrunken and ghost-like. "We are going to ask you again...," one of them said, "Where is the lightning source?"

"I d...don't know any lightning source. What are you talking about?" Mrs. Wu said.

"Where is the Lightning Source?" The other said.

"Maybe if I knew what the "lightning source" standed for..." Mrs. Wu began.

"Do not play games with me..." The first said. He pushed the button on the remote. A small static rushed to her head. She screamed yet again.

"Alright... " the one without the remote said, "the lightning source is a code name for your son, Matt Wu!"

"Why did you tell her that, Fred?" The one with the remote said.

"I don't really think she knew what it meant, Greg." Fred replied.

"What do you mean about Matt," Mrs. Wu said.

"Shut up." Fred replied.

Matt kicked the door open and said, "Here I am."

Fred and Greg both replied at the same time, "Come with us or she goes."

Matt looked at his mother and smiled. "Take me."

The two men eyed each other, shrugged, and advanced. As soon as they walked away from Mrs. Wu, he jumped into action and eyed balled them both in the chest. No effect.

Fred shot a purple beam at Matt's nose. He immediately smelled it. Matt fell to the floor, and fainted.

Fred and Greg caught Matt and put him in their hands. "So long Mrs. Wu," Fred said.

Mrs. Wu started to cry. The two had no sympathy, though.

In a flash, the two disappeared with Matt, leaving the sobbing Mrs. Wu tied up to a chair, a light detector electrifier tightly rooted onto her head.

Chapter Nine - The Final Battle

Matt woke with a lousy groan, for he had woken up yet again at night. It was 3 in the morning, and he was just too excited to sleep. He had just rescued Blake the other day, but because of all the fighting that happened at the haunted mansion, Matt was too preoccupied. He twisted and turned in his bed. Perhaps, maybe he was hungry.

He crept downstairs to the kitchen, and with caution, avoided the two squeaky steps. He adjusted to the dark and once he did, he crept to the pantry. Marveled with the overwhelming food, Matt took a cookie and poured himself a glass of hot milk, to soothe him. After eating his late midnight snack, Matt turned and walked back up.

It had been a while before Matt started to snooze again. He finally went to sleep, by counting sheep, a very boring thing to do. It did work, however, Matt was at 2,000 when he started to fall into slumber.

Sunlight streaked through his window around 7 in the morning. Matt woke with a whine, “Stupid sunlight,” he murmured.

He felt like punching the sun away from earth, so the heat and the light will be gone. Frustrated, he tossed himself out of the bed. He felt like throwing up. Maybe I’m sick or something.

He looked at the mirror. In his reflection, he looked perfectly normal. No green, no cuts, or bruises. Matt walked downstairs two at a time. He searched in the kitchen for some breakfast. Bingo! He found a humongous chocolate chip bagel. After scooping some cream cheese and some jam, Matt took a bite. He was savoring the moment. Just then, the doorbell rang.

Matt knew that his parents were sleeping, so he himself would need to answer. He rushed to the door but before he could stop his running feet, he just slammed onto the door “Who is it?” Matt fumbled.

“Um…um… mail message delivery. I um… got a gift from your aunt.”

Matt smiled. It was one of aunt Cathy’s gifts. He opened the door with an eager expression, but it was cut short when he saw the “mail delivery guy.” Though he had clothes, Matt could see that he was that creature from the haunted mansion. Matt closed the door on his face. He waited if he would barge through the door. He didn’t.

Matt peeped through the curtain and saw that the creature was gone. He breathed a sigh of relief. He went out in the front to make sure that no one was there. He was about to turn back into the house, when he spied a small piece of paper. He picked it up. It showed weird designs and pictures. For some reason, he thought the paper drawing looked like a war setup. The pictures were next to a house. Matt gasped. It looked like the Haunted Mansion! Something is happening at the Haunted Mansion! Matt turned over the other side of the page. It said,

“Happening on the following Wednesday.”

Today was Tuesday! Tomorrow something evil is happening, Matt thought. Matt looked back at the drawings. For some reason, all the “soldiers” were targeted on a single victim. The victim kinda looks like ….. Matt said, “ME!”

He understood. The creatures from the mansion are lining up in a military fashion. They will walk like soldiers to my house, and then will kill me. Uh-oh! He looked back on the other page in entirety:

“Happening on the following Wednesday."
at 4:00 p.m

4:00 p.m.! Matt said “Guud!” He quickly wrote a note to his parents saying that he was going for a refreshing bike ride. He went upstairs and grabbed his newly constructed lightning helmet. It easily fit on to his head, but the best part is that no one could tell the secret identity of him while he’s flying.

He started to fly off. It felt great to be in the sunshine, but Matt knew that evil will be awaiting at his destination. Matt could now see the tiny blur of the Haunted Mansion coming up. He lurched forward. He flew under the rooftop. Sure enough, he could see that the creatures were lining up for their plan. Matt gasped. There, on the top of a somewhat chair, sat a long creature. It had red eyes, sharp nails, and tons of spikes on his back. He also had a crown, the symbol of kingship over the race of creatures. Matt could see that the creatures had guns, bazookas and whips. One had a giant ball in its hands - bombs! The king was menacing by himself, but with his pack of creatures armed with deadly weapons, this was the most menacing of all sights. Just when things could not get any better, Matt saw a fifty-feet giant armed with a club, and with ferocious teeth - the giant seemed like hell itself.

Matt, exhausted, sneezed for the dust under the roof was clogging his nose.

They saw him. The hideous looking “things” had spied him. Immediately, they started speaking. Matt could not decipher their language; he had no idea what they were talking. Finally, one of the leading creatures brandished his whip around and around, until he had enough momentum to swing the whip at Matt’s legs. He jerked the whip back, and Matt, helpless, fell to the ground. All the creatures gathered around him.

Matt screamed, “Lightning Powers On!” He flew in the air, leaving the creatures behind.

The creatures, however, had a plan. They took their bows and arrows and started firing at Matt. Matt avoided one, but got hit by another. The impact sent him spiraling down to the ground. He got up, immediately. He shot a bolt at a creature, who blocked it with a shield.

“Damn, there are too many!” Matt yelled.

The king motioned all the creatures to move aside. He walked to Matt. Matt volt-tackled the king, but he dodged the attack. The king shot a fireball at Matt, who was sent hurling into the bricks. Matt stood, and with concentration, shot an eye beam. It hit the king, making him fall back. Taking advantage, Matt shot a paralyze beam. The king dodged the attack, and the beam hit a creature.

The king got frustrated. He stood up, but Matt tackled him down. Blood gushed out of the king’s back. The king stood, once more. He summoned a dragon, who appeared out of nowhere. The king pulled the dragon’s back, making the dragon blow a mass of fire.

The fire ball hit Matt, making him crash to the wall. His hand was bleeding, heavily. Suddenly Matt had an idea. “The king can shoot fire, so perhaps he is vulnerable to water?” Matt flew to the fountain at the entrance, and gathered water into a bucket. He threw the bucket full of water at the king.

The king got hit. He screamed. Blood oozed out of his chest. The king was dying. Matt jumped onto the dragon’s back. He commanded the dragon to fly. The dragon then shot a fire blast at the king’s minions. They burned to ashes. The only creature left was the king. The king turned back to see all of the creatures dead.

He turned and shot a fire ball at Matt. Instead, the dragon took the damage. The dragon, groaning with third degree burns, fainted.

Matt shot an eye beam, but the king deflected it. Matt took another bucket of water, but the king evaporated it. The king focused and shot a ball at the ground. All of a sudden, fire started to erupt out of the ground. It burned everything in sight.

Matt dodged all the fire from the ground, but failed to see a fire ball hurling at him. The impact was too strong. Matt felt as if he was being sizzled alive. The burn was too intense for Matt. He fainted.

The entire mansion was burned. There was fire everywhere. The king chuckled and walked to the unconscious Matt. He put his boot on Matt’s chest. He was about to smack the shoe on Matt’s chest, when a small stream of water smacked his behind.

The king groaned, and started coughing. He looked to see who shot the stream of water. There, stood Blake. His eyes were fixed on Matt. Blake took out his water gun, and shot another stream. The king fell, unconscious. Matt stirred and woke. He saw the king fainted, and Blake holding a water gun. “Thanks Blake.”

“No problemo.” Blake said. Together, they walked to the king. Matt felt blood trickling down his back. The king was still breathing. “He’s alive,” Blake said.
“Come on, let’s put water on him to kill him.”
And they did. Soon, the king was dead, never to see the light again.

As Blake and Matt flew back home, they both failed to see that someone was watching them. Someone with a long tail. Someone who was sad to see its master, the king, dead. Someone that would soon become the biggest enemy Matt will ever face…

And as Matt and Blake flew away, they both thought that their world was now evil-less. Or was it…

To be continued in Book 2 of the three part Lightning series

Chapter Eight - The Battle At Nenen

Matt walked past the gates, holding his only source of light: a flashlight. He heard the sounds of owls and rats that ran across the sidewalk. He put his hands on the doorknob. A sudden burst of icy coldness rushed to his heart at the touch of the frigid knob. He pushed the door open, but to no success. He burst through the door, electricity flowing within him.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vick was in his jeep, shouting at Dennis about the proper way to drive. “I told you, hold down the handles when braking, you snot monkey!”
“Yes Vick, but your car is smashed from the battle at Matt’s house.”
“Then fix it when we get Matt’s lightning. And brush your teeth; you smell like a baboon’s butt! Jeesh, do you ever brush?”
“Once in a while, sir.” Dennis said.
“Just concentrate, we are almost there.”

Matt glanced around his surroundings. He was in a dim room. He could barely see two feet ahead of him, partially because of cobwebs and because of dust. He could see a small spiral staircase just ahead of him. Not bothering to stay in the not seeable room, he quietly ascended the stairs, forgetting to fly. At the top was a single hallway, and at the end of it was a closed door. Who knew what lay on the other side…
Now flying, Matt reached the door. A small note that was written probably in blood was perched on the door:

To those who are reading.
Heed my warning,
Do not open the door
Death awaits on the other side
Beware,
You will never see light again
Leave now while you have the chance,
Or face your doom!

Matt re-read it two times before making up his mind. Obviously, the note is there to just fool people into not coming. Clearly, what ever is on the other side is something of a remarkable value…

“You idiot, you missed the haunted mansion driveway!” Vick said in a huffy puff voice.
“Sorry sir. Did not see.”
“Did NOT SEE WHAT? THE BIG MANSION THAT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR PUPILS. You need GLASSES!!!”
“I’m growing deaf from your shouting.” Dennis said unhappily.

Matt opened the door and quickly turned on the flashlight. He shined it in the room. All there was in the room was a bed. On the bed was a boy under the blankets. “Blake.” Matt whispered. He rushed to the bed and pried Blake into his hands. Good thing Blake was not heavy. He opened the window that was next to the bed. He was about to fly out with Blake when a voice behind him dropped Blake in a startled confusion.
“DDropp, za boyy. Noww!” A voice said behind him. A small pinch was injected into Matt’s back. He fell unconscious, loosing sight of Blake and seeing a creature with sharp claws…

Matt woke up on a small coffin. He reacted by standing up quickly and glancing at his surroundings. He was in a tool shed. Chainsaws, knives, and screwdrivers were placed along a workbench. He noticed that someone was breathing on him. Looking behind, he saw Blake, sleeping peacefully on the ground. Matt picked him up, and turned to the door that was on the opposite wall. He destroyed the ceiling and flew out with Blake. Good thing he did not exit by the door, because there was a trap right in front. He started to fly back to his house, when a water ball splashed onto Matt.
He was short-circuiting. Temporarily losing his powers, Matt started to fall. He fell on the roof of the mansion, with Blake next to him. A creature jumped onto the roof, having a water ball in his hand. He shot another water ball at Matt, who again was losing energy. All of a sudden, a bullet streaked out of nowhere, and smacked the water creature in the head.
Water splattered everywhere, as the creature fell dead. Matt looked to see who saved and wished he didn’t.

There stood Dr. Vick, his eyes gleaming and his lightning device saying, “MATCH FOUND!”
“We meet again Matt,” Vick said in a mean and grim voice. His face was in a grimace expression, full of hatred and fear. “You now why I need you. I need your lightning to hatch a dinosaur egg, which will help me take over the world. However, the egg is located in a tightly guarded area, and to reach there, I need some sort of power and that is lightning. If I were to use my fire power, the people guarding the egg could extinguish it with water.”
“What do ya mean, your fire?” Matt said perplexed.
Vick chuckled and said, “Better not get burned.” He moved his arms in a weird motion. All of a sudden, a fire blast erupted out of his hand and crashed onto the roof.
Matt had just barely moved himself and Blake out of the way before the fire ball hit the rooftop. Matt, after putting Blake in a safe place, shot a lighting wave at Vick’s hand. Vick, however, blocked off the shot by using fire. Matt volt tackled the man on the back, sending him to the ground. Using that split second, Matt shot yet another ball to tackle Vick. Vick sprang up, and created a fire beam that blasted Matt into a side gate, knocking him down. Vick said, “I will give you one last chance. Surrender, or face the consequences, M-” He was interrupted by a lightning shot that smacked his stomach.
Vick could not move, for he was paralyzed. Matt took the advantage and blasted a lighting beam at the lightning detector, smashing it into bits. “There, Vick. Now you will never be able to find me!”
Vick struggled to move. He was paralyzed, he could not move. Then he struggled to move his hands. He successfully was able to shot a fire ball, which not only disabled his paralyzes, but also knocked Matt to the ground.
A fierce battle emerged between them. Vick was shooting fire balls and Matt was concentrated on lightning balls. All of a sudden, a lighting ray shot out of Matt’s eyeball. The ray blast Vick through the heart, sending him spiraling to death. Matt froze with terror. He killed Vick, single-handedly.

Dennis who saw this was screaming in terror. In a sudden outrage of fury, Dennis smacked Matt to the ground. Matt got up and shot another eye ray that smashed Dennis to the ground, temporarily unconscious. Using that time, Matt picked up Blake and flew out of the mansion.
Vick’s dinosaur dream was done. Matt had earned his day’s rest.