Chapter 1

Connor Maddux could hardly believe it. Here he was back in Gage City in the same neighborhood and the same two story house that he had moved away from a year ago. He was standing in his old room that he had set up just the way he remembered. His bed was against the far wall. His desk was against the other wall. On the desk sat his gaming laptop and his tablet. And on the wall was his blue angels poster. Last but not least, was a twelve string electric guitar that was in the cubby hole between the bed and the wall.

Connor stepped through the sliding glass door and out on to the private little balcony that his room had. He smiled at what he saw. There between his balcony and the one across the way on the other house, was the old oak tree.

The tree was a giant grand old red oak tree with a base that must have been three feet across. This tree was one of the three that were the namesake of the neighborhood, Oak Heights. They were town landmarks. In this particular tree there was a bridge made out of two inch thick oak boards that stretched from Connor's balcony across to the other house. You see the other balcony was outside the bedroom of Jenna Lee Madison. She and Connor had met on his first day in kindergarten they had been friends ever since. They had grown so close that they had built that bridge so that she could cross to his balcony anytime she wanted to.

Things had changed in junior high. They had drifted apart and were hardly hanging or even speaking by the time Connor had moved away. She had shown up just in the nick of time to hug him and say goodbye. About a year later Connor's mom and dad Jonathan and Jamie Maddux had been offered their old jobs as director and deputy director of Research and Development at Aerodyne Technologies. Connor didn't know all the details but apparently his parents replacements had been such a couple of Lazy jerks that the other scientists and engineers in the department finally couldn't take any more of them. They had gotten together, contacted the CEO Frank Caldwell and threatened to quit if he didn't get their old bosses back.

Connor's parents got their jobs back with doubled salaries. Connor had gotten his old job back too. He was back working part time as a waiter at Antonio's Pizza down on Water Street. Connor had to admit that in some ways it felt like they had never left. Well except for one thing. During the time they had been away something had happened to Connor.

It had happened when he and his parents had stopped to visit his dad's younger brother Connor's kind but absent minded Uncle Steve Maddux who was quite a brain in his own right. Connor thought many times that Uncle Steve could almost be described as a mad scientist, not the evil kind, no Uncle Steve was just nuts, brilliant, but nuts.

This time around his uncle was trying to synthesize and control and high intensity form of cosmic energy he called cosmic lightning. Well he had a stream of this energy arcing between two orb shape devices each of which looked like a cross between a Foucault generator, a Tesla Coil and something out of Star Trek. Well naturally right in the middle of this experiment Uncle Steve remembered something else he need from the other room, of his basement laboratory, to complete the experiment. And just as naturally the old scatterbrain didn't think to turn off the machines while he went to get it. Well, no sooner had he stepped into the other room and closed the door behind him, than the whole apparatus exploded right in the face of Connor who was standing there watching it.

Connor awoke as he was being set gently on his feet by the energy that was arcing and rippling all over his body. Connor looked at himself. There were holes in his shirt and pants and bloody patches from shrapnel but not a wound anywhere in his body. Connor didn't fully realize what had just happened to him until the next day when he had accidently cut his hand helping his dad hitch up the u-haul trailer. The energy rippled in the wound and as Connor watched, the cut disappeared without Leaving even so much as a scar!

Later he discovered that this energy also gave him strength, speed and a six sense that was like a cross between super senses and the detective mode in batman's cowl in the video game that was like x-ray and radar all rolled into one.

Well after all this here, he was back home. Only his parents and his goofy uncle knew his secret. he was suddenly brought out of his musings by the sound of the sliding door on Jenna's balcony opening. Jenna stepped out onto the balcony. She had long blonde hair and sparkling ice blue eyes. she was decked out in her little black dress and boots. It was obvious she was getting back from or getting ready to go out.

"Hi Connor," she said happily waving to him, "I heard you were back!"

"Hey Jenna," replied Connor waving back, "it's great to see you again, but you didn't have to get dressed up just for me."

Jenna laughed.

"I didn't," she said, "My boyfriend Bryce is taking me out tonight."

"I don't think I remember a Bryce from school." Said Connor scrunching up his eyebrows

"No you wouldn't," said Jenna, "his name's Bryce Thatcher, He moved into town about six months after you left."

"Oh that explains it," said Connor. No sooner had Connor answered her, than a dark blue mustang pulled up outside Jenna's house and honked its horn. Its grill was visible around the corner of the house.

"Gotta go," said Jenna, "Glad you're back, Connor." Jenna disappeared back into her room. a minute later the car pulled away from the house.

Connor sighed and walked back inside. It was still early, He didn't start back to work until the day after tomorrow, and school didn't start until the day after that, so he stood there trying to decide what to do with himself. He decided to go out for awhile.

A few minutes, and a cab ride later, found Connor walking down the main drag with his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. After walking a few blocks Connor found himself at the local teen hangout it was called District 7. It was seven freight warehouses that had been renovated and combined into one large complex that included everything from bowling to laser tag. And in the District Seven food court they had every food from pretzels to Hamburgers and Fries to a Salad bar. One of their most popular snacks was their homemade nachos and salsa.

Connor wondered around for a few minutes and finally decided to go bowling. He had just picked up his bowling shoes from Blair Collins the girl behind the counter, and was turning around to pick a ball out off the nearby rack when he heard someone call his name.

He looked up to see Jenna waving at him from lane 5 and motioning him to come over and join her. he selected a black and red bowling ball and walked over to Jenna. Now some people might be a little surprised that Jenna would leave her house dressed for a fancy dinner and happily end up at a bowling alley, but not Connor.

Jenna was at heart a competitive tomboy. Her idea of a perfect date was dinner and a little healthy competition. Jenna introduced Connor and Bryce who shook hands tensely. Connor smiled a little as he sat down to change his shoes. Judging from the look that past over Bryce face during the introduction and when Jenna called him to take his shot. Connor guessed that this wasn't how he thought his date would end up. Bryce, Connor guessed from the letterman jacket he wore, was a football player a Gage City High where he would be a Freshmen in few days. he had about three inches on the six foot Connor. He was Sandy haired and green eyed.

Jenna was so focused on the game that she was oblivious to the two boys discomfort around each other.

"All right, Connor," said Jenna, "you used to be able to hold your own against me."

"What do you me used to," quipped Connor. He stepped up to take his shot, and promptly bowled a strike."

"Hmm, been practicing I see," said Jenna, "Getting a playful twinkle in her eyes, "That's good, you're gonna need it!" Connor began to have so much fun trading strikes, spares, quips and smart remarks with Jenna that he forgot a lot of the awkwardness of being there with her and her boyfriend. Just like old times, Connor and Jenna finished the game dead even. This apparently delighted Jenna who gave Connor one of her old bear hugs.

After the game was over Connor went back turned in his shoes and ball and walked toward the food court. He got himself some Nachos and Salsa. He had just sat down at an empty table with his tray when he looked up to see Bryce there.

"Listen and Listen good Maddux," he growled threateningly, "Jenna is my girlfriend, and I don't like anybody moving in on my date."

"I not trying to 'move in'," replied Connor, "If you remember Jenna invited me to join the game."

"And that big hug?!" snapped Bryce

"Oh that, well it's like this," Connor began

"I'm warning you, Maddux, Back off." He accented his warning by slamming his right fist into the palm of his left hand."

Just then Jenna appeared behind him.

"Oh there you are, Bryce." She said, "I wandered where you got off to." She saw Connor and smiled.

She looked at Bryce who had gone from threatening to laid back with a smile on his face.

"You to getting along?" she said

"Oh yeah," said Bryce, his smile widening, "No problem." He even patted Connor's shoulder for effect.

"Boy is he a chameleon," thought Connor.

"Great," said Jenna, she looked at her watch, "We'd better hurry if we're going to catch that movie. Bryce hopped cheerfully to his feet and put his arm around Jenna and they started to walk off. They had only taken a couple of steps when Jenna suddenly ducked under Bryce's arm hurried back to Connor swiped a nacho off his plate, stuck it in the salsa and popped it in her mouth. She gave Connor one more quick squeeze and hurried off.

Bryce looked back and flashed Daggers at Connor.

"This is going to be a long semester," said Connor.

TO BE CONTINUED….

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