First things first: I *did* authorized Nate via MSN to post the third chapter, in case you somehow still wondered. Had some entry problems in here, and people wanted me to post the third chapter, so there.

Second: indeed, I received a lot of pep on MSN, and I was asked to post it in here. However, it was weird that few people were interested in commenting after I posted it. Hence, why I was asking, requesting, to increase the comments to add more content. I know, it's a bit shame-less, but had to do it so that I could raise interest. I know: perhaps the first few chapters had little action, but eventually the action picks up...a little. I mean, there's no 5 pages full of kicks and punches, just a description of action. After all, why give a detailed description of a fight when the character has little training even in his own powers?

Third, the original form is very different from what is presented in here. The first version had English and Spanish intertwined (most of the dialogue on brackets was originally in Spanish), and with feedback, it has developed into a full English version. Also, as more people read it, more errors on writing people find, and I improve. I love feedback, so the more the merrier, alright? This is the main reason I seek for feedback: to improve with writing, and to make a more interesting story.

So, having explained a bit more of stuff (and still asking a nice name for the entire series, as well), I give you the fourth chapter. There's 12 chapters plus 2 side stories that are useful explaining some events on the main story, so eventually I'll post them all.
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Chapter 4
Becoming a superhero…

The period of final exams was finally over. Oscar thought that his “accident” would negatively affect his grades, but the event made not a dent on his grades. The exams were hard: calculus, physics, chemistry… And finally, he was at his house, that two-story townhouse on the border between Río Piedras and Carolina. Near his first, and only, school he assisted, with the same nuns, the same priest, the same parish… Nothing had changed in old Villa Olímpica. Except him...

Oscar struggled to remain a normal person, despite the accident. There, at his dorm, he was capable of consuming all the energy he needed to subsist, without anyone noticing. At least, he thought no one noticed. But, he was careful. Not that he was careless, blasting rays out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason. He barely consumed energy: in fact, he barely needed to eat. He ate only to keep the image up. He even managed to feign interest in naturism to get the essential vitamins, to complement his new diet of solid food and electric energy. Now, on his long summer vacation, he could get the rest he needed to think. How? How will he live hiding his powers for the rest of his life?

<"Look, Guillermo, tomorrow we planned to go to the beach, you know, to relax and take a dip. Long time we haven't gone there...">

<"Ma...better not. It's...I feel at times the scar of the bolt burning, and I don't want it to bleed or something like that...">

<"Oh, don't get that cocky, I know that you want to take that dip, and also, the scar closed almost seamlessly. A bit of sun would not go wrong on you, you heard?">

Oscar tried, at least, to prevent any instance of trouble. But, this time it was hard to avoid. He wanted to go to the beach, and his scars healed quite fast. But, he knew for a fact: he didn’t want to endanger other people, and he knew his powers would quickly spread because of the salt water. He was afraid to be even in a pool, were he unable to control his power.

Apparently, the troubles were only beginning…

After a brief yet meaningful family feud because of the beach, Oscar retired to his room, or to the room he used when he was here. He slept with his mother, as there was no other room for him: his sisters had one of the rooms, and his grandmother had the other room of the house. He wanted since long a room for himself, to no avail. That little fact angered him a bit more, because he felt lacking his private space to retire when he needed to feel alone. He had to settle with being called jíbaro (hillbilly) by his family and assisting to the beach, although he could skip going to the water.

He also realized how bad a liar he was. He was quite honest, to a point.

But he placed little importance to the quibble, or to the fact that he was a bad liar, or his lack of privacy. His future was more important: what future he would have, to miss on things he liked in fear of harming somebody. Because the beach was not the only thing he felt had to sacrifice.

He felt incapable of controlling his power. He knew very little about it, about its precedence, and the way to use it. Or so he thought. Perhaps…he was scared. Scared of hurting someone, somebody, to be looked at as a freak of nature, that his power was used for the benefit of another… He felt scared that a mere scare could kill a friend, that a mere pass of his hands through any metallic surface could endanger another. He would have to be wary of using electrical appliances, or risk a short circuit. And…he would be incapable of telling a word to any soul.

<"Guillermo, hurry up!! We're going."> Guess he could not escape of the truth: he had to live his life as he had once before…

It was a beautiful sunny day. The sea of the beaches of Isla Verde, now free of the habitual algae that fill the sea on the days around the Holy Week, was inviting all comers to an unforgettable reunion with the sea. The imposing blue sea, as far as the eye could see; touching the blue sky, crowned by the majestic sun. Not a cloud in the sky. The only rain present was the soft, warm bath on sunlight, slowly tanning the beautiful ladies of the island, and the visitors of all nations. Watching the sea was a sign of how little were humans, against the imposing force of nature. And it’s majestic beauty…all sign of the Lord’s great creation. All too ironic: such a beautiful day in the sea, and he was unable to enjoy it. The day was going to be a hot one, and his only relief was inaccessible to him.

The day was swiftly passing, and so was the moment Oscar and his family would return to their home, perhaps eating something during the way. But, to Oscar, the passage of time was instead slow and unending. He had to contend with his sisters’ incessant teasing, his mother insisting on only a dab to the feet. But to Oscar, that was enough to create a disaster. It was not easy to contend with all the pressure, but just a quick reminder of how dangerous was a live wire kept him behind. He was, practically, an organic “live wire” He only awaited the moment his family would depart. He felt that fate was also teasing him, bothering him. Fate, however, had another thing in store…

Finally, the moment of parting. Oscar’s family was tired of insisting, and only complied with a scornful “your loss…” Perhaps the only thing that could recomfort him was the idea of spending time with his family without harming anyone. As he expected, the family settled on eating outside tonight. At Denny’s, to his delight. He was already savoring the delicious milkshakes, and was trying to make space for one of them. Once they reached, which was not too far away from the beach, the family was a little baffled by the sight. Apparently, a group of people from a television network were also dining that day, and they had cameras and equipment with them. Oscar could only wonder: what the heck where they doing there? Apparently, they were going to record something. The moment was odd, but the family paid little attention to it. Instead, the family concentrated on why Oscar didn’t wanted to bath in the water, when at other times he had no troubles with it, and when the water was so delicious that day.

<"Hands on the air, everyone!!! This is a robbery!!!"> The relative peace of the diner was interrupted by the sudden gunshot of two thugs, as they entered and assaulted the store. Oscar and his family were quite scared, to be witnesses of the horrendous criminal wave that enveloped the island, and on such a beautiful day. The cameras, the equipment, the money, even the belongings of all the diners were stolen; Oscar’s family’s as well. Then, to make things worse, they decided to take a hostage, promising that they would kill him or her if they called the police. One of the foreign executives was about to be taken, when a single voice, full of fear but intermixed with a strange determination, and even a growing courage, singled from the crowd’s silence…

<"HEY!!! Don't take him. Better...take me instead. I'll be your hostage...">

<"...Smartass...alright...anyone calls the cops, we finish him, you hear?">

Oscar’s family was baffled and in tears, because of Oscar’s sudden choice. They tried to convince the thugs to leave him alone, to no avail. The thugs ran from the store, aided by some other people hanging outside, taking Oscar away with them. His family, in tears, could only wonder: why did Oscar accept to leave with them? Why?

Oscar, however, had another thing in mind…

The band was escaping away, holding a gun at Oscar, and securing their passage by running to the stairs. The thug that held Oscar went last, uttering one more threat of killing the hostage if they called the police. Oscar only thought of one thing, a risky thing indeed.

He only waited the moment when the thug released the gun from his head. He was tired of hiding the truth. He would use all of his power, as much as he needed, to single out each and every one of the band’s members. The fact that the band hid in the parking lot was a relief to him: not much people would know the truth. The thug that held him in bay was a bit slower than the rest, but stronger. He was struggling with Oscar, who resisted enough to stall him, despite the threats that he would kill him. Finally, the moment could not be better: Oscar stepped on the thug’s feet, momentarily releasing the gun from his head. Instinctively, and reflexively, Oscar thrusted his arm towards the thug’s throat, and unleashed a sudden jolt of electricity. He grabbed the thug’s neck fiercely, while the other was convulsing madly. He ran away towards the stairs, hiding nearby to take cover. The thugs shot madly at him, who used the concrete wall to protect from the gunfire. When he heard no more shots, Oscar turned back into the small passageway, and unleashed a potent bolt that struck the nearby car. The thugs screamed of fear, wondering from where did the bolt struck at, while Oscar took cover again, cursing his lack of accuracy. He tilted his head, carefully, to watch over the passageway. The thugs watched at him again, and unleashed a new barrage of shots before running away, panicked by the jolt. Hearing the footsteps, Oscar tilted his torso over to the other side, and managed to see the band escaping. Carefully pointing his index and middle fingers to one of the running criminals, Oscar unleashed a fearsome lightning bolt, which promptly struck the thug. The scream of pain alerted the other thugs, which panicked at the sight of a fallen partner, struck by an apparent current of electricity. The sole idea of their hostage controlling the rays was unacceptable, but strangely true. The moment of doubt was enough for Oscar to take the upper ground: he unleashed another carefully aimed bolt at the band’s apparent leader, before he covered from the last barrage of gunshots. The panicked screams of the thugs could only mean Oscar one thing.

He finally had the upper hand in the situation. He had the only loaded gun, and of course the power flowing from his veins. He proceeded to run after the criminals, strangely covering the ground between them in mere instants. Standing some distance, he unleashed a few more bolts, this time in greater control. The bolts were wider, and stronger, taking all the remaining thugs down, save one. Oscar drew distance between them, his hand filled with serpentine currents of electricity that gave an eerie light, and a faint smell of ozone.

<"W...w...wha...what...d-ddd...do you...w-want from...f-fffrom usss...L-lemme...lemme g-go...LEAVE ME ALONE!!!">

<"Oh, yeah? Now, you want to leave in peace, quiet, what about before? When your band was threatening everyone, the big bosses. Now, you're here, your pants all crapped up, at my mercy...">

<"Y...y-you...YOU ARE A MONSTER!!!">

<"Monster? No...but maybe your worst nightmare..."> Ending the phrase, Oscar pummeled the thug with a lightning filled fist, right to the head of the criminal. Breathing deeply, Oscar regained his composure, and his calm attitude. He checked his hair to see if it was burned. Nothing, like if nothing had passed. Only a bunch of convulsing bodies, smoking, some perfectly still. He wondered how he was going to explain the rare phenomena he had just created. There were tension lines, but that was not enough. The fat, strong thug that held him was also shocked, and in a specific point. That would be a nightmare to explain. But, for a moment, he felt powerful. He felt useful. He felt…courageous, brave. He felt like a hero. No, he was a hero…

Better yet…a super-hero… What did he had top envy to Batman, Superman, Spider-Man…he was real, his powers were real, his acts were real.

The police that entered the place were real as well, and so did the paramedics, after the police found out about the crippled thugs. And Oscar? He feigned to faint, knowing he was the only sole witness of the event. He had to feign ignorance. He “awoke” to the sight of various officers, and paramedics, swiftly checking his condition. A result of stable relieved the family, after the odd event which almost took the life of one of its members. Oscar reunited with his family once again, confounded in a large hug between the entire family. When the policemen asked the situation, Oscar feigned ignorance, attributing a state of desperation that left him unconscious. He also told that before he fainted, he could smell the odd scent that permeated the air, which he could “not recognize”. He quickly asked what happened to the gang, to which the paramedics responded vaguely.

One dead, many severely wounded, and one criminal in very critical condition, all apparently burned in specific parts of the body. All stolen things were unharmed.

During the way home, Oscar was sorely confronted by his mother, his sisters and his grandmother about the “senseless” situation that he got himself into. Between cries and shouts, his family debated him the delicate condition of being a hostage, that he could have been killed, that those criminals were madmen, and that his actions could result in a tragedy. Oscar was looking at the distance, knowing he had to do what he had to: use his powers for the greater good, for justice. He found a reason for his condition.

Reaching his house, the discussion continued. But this time, all sat down at the dining table and asked Oscar why he did it. Oscar riposted by saying he felt he needed to do something, that it was better to take hostage a normal person than a foreigner, much less an important person such as an executive of an important network. He felt it was his “civic duty”. The answer was sour and full of spite: such civic action would only end in tragedy for the family, and needless suffering. Oscar’s mother was the loudest voice in the crowd, stating that she was not willing to bury one of her children at such early age, much less because of their irresponsible acts. That word struck Oscar deep into his heart: he had to be responsible, sensible with his family. He had to learn responsibility, how to be responsible with his powers.

Later that night, Oscar went to sleep quite early, barely touching his Super Nintendo. He was thoughtful, looking at the thin air. His mother, worried, asked for forgiveness: she didn’t meant to be so harsh, but she was worried…

<"Guillermo...look, I know that I got too worked over it, that I exceeded on the punishment, but I did it because I love you, and I don't want you to be harmed, or worse, dead. I only want you to think you're not a hero, to not risk your life for worthless things. Things they stole were material things, not as valuable as your life. Think that it could have gone worse...">

<"Ma...I think you're right, I wasn't responsible enough. Sorry...">

<"I forgive you.">

<"No. I'm sorry...for not being sincere to you. For...not telling the truth. I trust you more than enough to tell you this more than anyone in my family, so...">

<"Guillermo, what are you speaking of?">

<"Of..."> Oscar stood up from the bed, went to the small lamp that lighted the room, and turned it off. <"...this...">, and having said this, he tensed his hand muscles.

His mother was breathless. In her mind, she was filled with ever growing questions: how did he do that? How did he gained that? How…?

<"This is what I hid. This is why I didn't wanted to go to the beach. Why I didn't wanted to go to the sea. Since the lightning bolt, it's like this. I had fear...I was afraid...that if the truth was uncovered, I'd...People would be scared of me, fear me, and would have shunned me...">

<"Guillermo, please, don't go thinking that way. We would never shun you. We love you. That was why we were worried on your decision. But...why? How?">

<"That I would like to know. That I want. All I know is, since that day, my life has changed. Please, do not tell anyone. Not Mari, not Isamar, and not to Abuela. Please...do not speak a word of it...alright?">

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The people of the television network were revising their equipment, to check nothing was wrong, and that nothing was lost. During the revision, one of the cameramen noticed something strange: one of the lost cameras was apparently on, and had a tape on. One of the executives was quite angry, as he thought the work was lost, cursing the cameramen for his ineptitude. But, the other executive was curious. The local police could not figure out what had happened; perhaps the tape recorded the entire incident. Fortunately, the camera was quite advanced, capable of showing what was stored on tape. Using a fresh battery, the cameramen and editors quickly tried to reach the moment when the camera was stolen. Indeed, minutes after the last cut, the scene changed to the moment when they were eating at the local Denny’s restaurant. After a few minutes, in which they figured the cameramen mistakenly turned the recorder on, they reached the moment when the thugs entered. They forwarded the moment, until they noticed the strange flash of light.

The camera was apparently left right at the place where it was found, aiming at the stairway. They backtracked a bit, just before the odd flash of light. The recording, complete with sound, revealed to them a truth the policemen did not knew. The sight was truly unbelievable…

Moments after the first flash, the young man, the one taken hostage, apparently shot a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. An act that defied nature was present before their very own eyes. They saw and heard everything, from the screams to the cursing, to the odd attitude of the young man, speaking the local language before listening to an apparent beating…

“Hey…did you see what I saw? That young one was shootin’ lightning from his fingers, like one of those comic book heroes or somethin’ Hoo boy that was odd. Must be dreaming”

The executive, however, was thinking of something else…
“Gentlemen, I think I must be dreaming as well. Dreaming…of dollars. Get me that boy…I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse. And get me the other network executives…I have an idea for a new series in mind…”