Okay, this is the last piece of the original Chapter Three. I really recommend reading the whole thing all the way through as one piece, because many of the questions you’re asking get answered in due course. If it feels choppy and incomplete, I think that may have something to do with the fact that the very long Chapter 3 was supposed to be indivisible. The next chapter has no cars, no freeways, and no comic book discussions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do I need a name?\u201d<\/p>\n
Walthius was insistent. \u201cYou know why. You need a name<\/span>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI already have a name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot one you can use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy can\u2019t I use it?\u201d said Jeff. \u201cI\u2019ve used it my whole life!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThink, you cretin!\u201d Walthius said. \u201cThink! All the heroes who go public get into trouble! What, you think you\u2019re smarter than Bruce Wayne? Than Clark Freakin\u2019 Kent, for the love of Pete?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff knew where this was going, and he didn\u2019t like it. \u201cWhat, I\u2019m going to have a secret identity now?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou already have the glasses, man,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cTake \u2018em off, and who\u2019s going to recognize you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnyone without a severe astigmatism, that\u2019s who.\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius laughed. \u201cIt only works for Clark Kent because Lois Lane is an imbecile.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff laughed back. \u201cAnd Clark Kent can actually see<\/span> with his glasses off.\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius was serious again. \u201cDid you put the mask on?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff looked down and saw a black linen Zorro-style mask at the bottom of the box. He gulped. \u201cNo,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, well, that\u2019s why the mask is there.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff sighed and then dutifully wrapped the mask around his glasses, which didn\u2019t quite fit. So he took his glasses off, put the mask back on, and then put his glasses back on over it. He looked over at Walthius, who gave him a quick once over.<\/p>\n \u201cNeeds work,\u201d Walthius admitted.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n Lisa heard the crash of flying cars before she saw them. So did everyone else in the village, which sent them all scrambling for cover. There was no way to sneak back toward the medical center, which ruined Lisa\u2019s original plan. And it was impossible to come up with a Plan B with in the midst of the pandemonium.<\/p>\n And then Vikki Dennis collapsed in the middle of the street.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t,\u201d she muttered, \u201cI just can\u2019t.\u201d She was unconscious before she hit the ground. Lisa tried to drag her, but she was dead weight.<\/p>\n As opposed to me, Lisa thought. I\u2019m just dead.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n \u201cBack to the name.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff let out a sigh of his own. \u201cFine. A name.\u201d He waited for a moment until things got awkward again.<\/p>\n Walthius glanced at him. \u201cAre you waiting for me to say something again?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said I need a name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes. That I did.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo? What name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no,\u201d said Walthius. \u201cNo, no, no, no, no. I can\u2019t bend the rules on that one.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat rules?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou gotta come up with that name on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n At this point, Jeff knew better than to ask why. \u201cFine,\u201d he said. And as he pondered for a moment or two, he said, \u201cMaybe I ought to be the captain of something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain?\u201d Walthius asked. \u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI dunno,\u201d Jeff said. \u201c\u2018Captain\u2019 seems to be the rank of choice for most superheroes.\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius stroked his chin. \u201cYou may be on to something there, my friend. You don\u2019t hear much about \u2018Corporal America\u2019 or \u2018First Lieutenant Marvel.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOr \u2018Drill Sergeant Kangaroo,\u201d Jeff added helpfully.<\/p>\n \u201cEnough with the kangaroos.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just saying.\u201d<\/p>\n That hung in the air for a moment, and then Jeff asked, \u201cSo we\u2019re agreed, then?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn what?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn \u2018Captain\u2019 being the way to go?\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius scowled. \u201cThat\u2019s not my decision. The name has to be yours.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFine, it\u2019s not your decision,\u201d Jeff said. \u201cBut it\u2019s a decision you can live with, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius just snorted.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll take that as a yes.\u201d<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n David was a little too distracted with all of his fresh new targets. He\u2019d almost forgotten why he was here in the first place. He had new strength, new speed, and he was eager to flex his muscles. Besides, he knew that sooner or later, one of his cars would hit the mark.<\/p>\n One of the cars even had a couple of people in the back seat.<\/p>\n Tsk, tsk, David thought. In the backseat of a parked car on a dark street? They were obviously up to no good and deserved what they got.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n Two more cars and they\u2019d be on the freeway. Finally. Jeff could never get used to freeway gridlock.<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain – what?\u201d Walthius asked.<\/p>\n \u201cHuh?\u201d Jeff said.<\/p>\n They were just one car away.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t just be \u2018Captain.\u2019 You\u2019ve got to be captain of something.\u201d<\/p>\n They were in the front of the line, and the on-ramp light was green. But the freeway was jammed, too, and they weren\u2019t moving. \u201cOy,\u201d Jeff said, in response to the new traffic jam. Walthius clearly took it as something else.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy does it always have to be me?\u201d Walthius whined. \u201cAll right, fine. You\u2019re \u2018Captain Fantastic.\u2019 Satisfied?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff shook his head. \u201cSorry. Taken.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, there\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong,\u201d Walthius said. \u201cReed Richards is Mister Fantastic!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot Reed Richards. Elton John.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff laughed out loud, which made Walthius even more confused. \u201c\u201dYour knowledge of trivia is expansive, but maddeningly selective,\u201d Jeff explained.<\/p>\n \u201cElton John,\u201d he said, trying to place the face. \u201cHe\u2019s the singer guy with the big glasses, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThirty years ago, maybe,\u201d Jeff smirked. \u201cThese days, my glasses are bigger than his.\u201d<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n \u201cVikki. Vikki, honey, wake up.\u201d Lisa was slapping her face, and even tried jostling her arm once in the hopes the pain would arouse her.<\/p>\n A brand new minivan landed twenty feet away from her.<\/p>\n Lisa briskly reviewed her options. If I leave her, she\u2019s dead. If I stay here, we\u2019re both dead. And we\u2019re probably both dead anyway.<\/p>\n Not good options.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n \u201cHow about \u2018Captain Power?\u2019\u201d Walthius offered.<\/p>\n \u201cNah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Spectacular?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStupid.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Captains Courageous?\u2019 \u2018O Captain my Captain?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re getting warmer.\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius opened his mouth and then closed it again, as if he were deciding something. Then he spoke. \u201cLook, since you haven\u2019t really distinguished yourself with any particular superlative. Maybe just – The Captain.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said that was bad!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a change of heart,\u201d Walthius said. \u201cIt\u2019s direct, simple, and easy to modify if you do something powerful or spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201c \u2018The Captain<\/span>,\u2019 Jeff announced with a booming voice, trying his new moniker on for size. \u201cAnd I can always change it later?\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius laughed. \u201cIf you capture Lex Luthor or the Penguin, you might even get a promotion.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like it,\u201d Jeff said. \u201cThe Captain it is!\u201d<\/p>\n Walthius looked unhappy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d Jeff asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Walthius said. Before Jeff could protest, Walthius added, \u201cIt\u2019s just \u2013\u201c<\/p>\n \u201cJust what<\/span>?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should have come up with the name yourself,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Jeff rolled his eyes and turned back toward the window, where he saw a large Volvo flying through the air right next to the freeway.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n David rounded the corner.<\/p>\n There they were, all alone, in the middle of the street.<\/p>\n A smart girl would have run away, David thought. Maybe she\u2019s not the challenge I thought she was.<\/p>\n She was making it all too easy. He reached for the nearest car. A Porsche.<\/p>\n A classy way to finish this.<\/p>\n _________<\/p>\n Having destroyed the handle earlier, Jeff had been forced to kick the door clean off of the passenger side before he could soar out to face the peril of the flying cars. He didn\u2019t take note of Walthius\u2019 reaction, but he was sure he would approve. After all the grief he\u2019d given him, he would no doubt be fully supportive of anything that furthered the Captain\u2019s first mission.<\/p>\n The Captain\u2019s first mission!<\/p>\n Jeff was filled with pride. The greater good is at stake. I can\u2019t be too concerned about a little property damage. I\u2019m a hero<\/span> now.<\/p>\n Initially, he was sure that there had been some kind of a gas explosion, except, as he got closer to the center of the action, he realized that the site of the car launches was shifting in a linear pattern toward Westwood Village, and still all the cars were flying in the same direction, as if they were somehow being aimed. And then Jeff finally got a look at what was aiming them.<\/p>\n It was a giant.<\/p>\n Sort of a giant, anyway. He wasn\u2019t anything like a Jack and the Beanstalk-style giant. The proportions were all wrong. This guy was a gelatinous, massive, bulbous, pale naked man about ten or fifteen feet tall, lifting the cars like they were so much flotsam, and aiming them at two helpless girls sitting in the middle of the street.<\/p>\n Instantly, Jeff discovered that one of those girls looked an awful lot like Vikki Dennis. And a silver Porsche was about to fall on her head.<\/p>\n There was no time to think. Jeff swooped down and knocked the Porsche with a single blow to the gearbox, and it fell to the ground with a fantastic thud.<\/p>\n Strike one, Jeff thought.<\/p>\n And strike two was already upon him. It was a classic red Mustang convertible, circling lazily as it fell out of the sky. Jeff slugged it just below the bumper, reversing its momentum and sending it twirling off harmlessly into the graveyard to his right.<\/p>\n Then there was strike three. A massive pick-up truck. Jeff hit it squarely in the cab with both hands, punching a clean hole right through the middle. It caught at the bottom of his left leg, and he had to shake it loose, as if it were a boot that wouldn\u2019t quite come off. Once it was free, he had to kick it with his left foot to keep it from landing on the girls. He ripped another hole through the steel as his leg carved through the side of the flatbed on its way to its final resting place, wedged up against an unsuspecting street lamp.<\/p>\n It dawned on Jeff that if he kept this up, someone was going to get hurt.<\/p>\n Jeff scooped Vikki up in his arms and was about to leap into the sky when he heard another, familiar voice yelling, \u201cMe, too!\u201d<\/p>\n He turned to face a frantic Lisa Meyer, who used the confusion to glom on to his right arm right before takeoff. He had to dodge yet another vehicle, which crashed directly on the spot where Vikki had just been.<\/p>\n And then he was in the air, holding Vikki with Lisa Meyer dangling from his right side.<\/p>\n He jerked his arm upward to help hoist Lisa directly onto his back, which almost resulted in shaking her loose. Lisa was somehow able to hold on, and she was small enough that she wrapped her arms around Jeff\u2019s neck without throwing him off balance. The only problem was the nylon cape, which kept flapping in her face. Lisa ripped it off at the seam from the back of Jeff\u2019s neck and let it flutter to the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cHey!\u201d Jeff protested.<\/p>\n \u201cUCLA Medical Center,\u201d Lisa barked, pointing directly ahead of him. \u201cThat way.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d The sound of the wind rushing past them made it almost impossible to hear. He could see her finger in front of his face, and he thought maybe she was pointing at the giant. As if he wouldn\u2019t be able to see the giant without her help.<\/p>\n Except he couldn\u2019t see the giant, because the giant wasn\u2019t there anymore.<\/p>\n The cars had stopped flying, and Jeff couldn\u2019t see where the giant could have possibly gone. Did he disappear? Was he dead? It didn\u2019t make any sense that he was there to begin with. Then again, nothing that had happened to Jeff made any sense, either.<\/p>\n \u201cThat way!\u201d Lisa shouted. \u201cThe hospital is that way!\u201d<\/p>\n Something about a hospital, Jeff heard. Good idea. He dutifully followed the finger.<\/p>\n He looked down at the traffic below and tried to spot Walthius\u2019 car. I\u2019ll be home before you will, he thought, even with Lisa Meyer on my back.<\/p>\n Lisa Meyer on my back and, impossibly, Vikki Dennis in my arms.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Okay,this is the last piece of the original Chapter Three. I really recommend reading the whole thing all the way through as one piece, because many of the questions you're asking get answered in due course. If it feels choppy and incomplete, I think that may have something to do with the fact that the ... Read more<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4823,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137\/revisions\/4823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stallioncornell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}