OM2: Not Quite Ordinary
by Paul Diaz
by Paul Diaz
Chapter 3: Not Quite Ordinary
Silence engulfed the hotel suite as Frank bowed down his head and sighed. “So in order for me to live two lives had to be sacrificed” he uttered. Nathan stood up and walked towards the window, he leaned his head on the glass and closed his eyes.
“The baby in the hospital was planted. The long route that I took to the hospital that day was a rough one. I knew I would not make in time so I called David. They took you away and replaced you with a dead baby. The good thing is that Elaine didn’t check” the old man explained.
“The puppy, what happened to it?” Frank asked. “Dead” his father replied and he was shocked. “But don’t worry she lived a good life and her great grand pup is with Jennifer” Nathan said. “Papo? Papo is one of her descendants?” Frank asked in amazement and Nathan looked at him and smiled.
Frank stood up and walked around the room, he looked at his hands and clenched them. “Dad, I punched a wall and it crumbled” he said and Nathan laughed. “You see son, your mother wanted to only improve your heart, lungs and other organs to make you live. We never expected that everything in you would be enhanced” his father explained.
“Wait, I am not saying that you were born that strong. Wait how should I put it?” Nathan said as he paced and sat down on the couch. “Lets say the strength level of someone like you is three. You would have a strength level of around nine” he added and Frank sat down beside his father.
“With no effort I am a nine” Frank whispered as he again looked at his fists. “No, if you work out your body you get stronger. Lets say this normal person with a strength level of three works out, lets say he becomes a six. Just like weightlifters or other athletes, they work out to be stronger. You are no different. If you are a nine right now and you work out then you could be stronger” his father clarified.
“So if I go work out in the gym, if I work on my muscles then I can become really strong?” Frank asked and his father nodded. “But you have to consider the limitation of your body. You are ordinary Frank, just like everyone else. Your body has a limit” his father said.
“Wait dad, I jumped from the second…then I got shot twice that day…” Frank said but his father stopped him. “Stupid! Never do that again! You must value your life because me and your mother worked so hard to make you like” Nathan angrily said and Frank bowed his head. “I am sorry” he whispered.
“Well when you jumped and when you got shot, your body knew what was going to happen so it reacted automatically” his father told him. “What do you mean?” Frank asked. Nathan started laughing and scratching his head, “I thought you were intelligent, haven’t you figured it out yet?” he asked.
“Look, if something is thrown towards you and you see it coming, instinct will make your body move away automatically right? There are instances that when you cannot avoid being hit so you expect pain in the part where you will be hit and your body automatically adapts. Lets say you will be hit at the stomach, your muscles in your stomach area would tighten to brace for the impact. So when you were about to fall you knew what would happen so your body was prepared for it. When you got shot, you knew where it was going to hit so your body again was prepared for it” Nathan explained.
“So I can control my muscles and basically my whole body” Frank exclaimed and his father raised an eyebrow. “But when I saved Hannah I got shot and the bullet penetrated my body” he added. “Your mind was preoccupied that time, Hannah was on your mind correct?” Nathan asked and Frank nodded. “So your mind was busy so the bullet was able to penetrate you, still your body was able to react in time to stop the bullet from going any deeper” his dad told him and Frank grinned.
“One day Jennifer and Erick were in serious trouble, I ran so fast, I mean really fast. So if I train every day I can run even faster. If I work out every day I can become stronger” Frank uttered as he had a devilish grin on his face.
“Will you take off that scarf on your face, what are you a ninja?” Nathan said as he took one donut and munched on it. “Dad, it looks so embarrassing. My face has not healed yet after the explosion” Frank replied. “Why don’t you tell your body to heal” Nathan murmured as his mouth was full. “What? I can do that?” Frank asked and his father nodded.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?” Frank asked. “You never asked me” his father answered. “I wanted to ask you many questions but you are not always around. Where are you going anyway?” Frank countered. “Hey, I am not saying you would be able to heal like Wolverine. Just tell your brain to tell your body to heal and you shall heal faster. In short my son, your brain is in total control of you” Nathan said.
Frank stared at the donut on his father’s hand, he started shaking so Nathan panicked. “Whats wrong? Are you okay?” his father asked. “Oh I was just trying to heat up your donut with my heat lazer from my eyes” Frank said and his father threw the donut on his face. “Stupid, you are not a cartoon character” Nathan scolded him. “I wonder if I can produce a really toxic fart” Frank mumbles and Nathan begins to laugh. For the first time father and son laughed together as they invented crazy abilities that were out of this world.
The two were exhausted from laughing, they both sit back on the couch and stared at the empty box of donuts. “We both like donuts, we both have a sense of humor, so tell me dad what was mom like?” Frank asked and his father looked at him. “She was just like you son. Whatever you are that I am not, that is what your mother is like” Nathan said and the two fell silent.
“Dad, ordinary people only use ten percent of their brain right?” Frank asked and Nathan nodded. “Is there a possibility that even my brain function has been enhanced?” Frank asked and Nathan sat up and looked at his son. “What do you mean?” his father asked.
“Well you see I had an experience where I was able to read Jennifer’s mind. I know it takes more than ten percent of brain use to be able to do that, right?” Frank said. “So you can read minds? What else can you do? Can you move objects using your mind too?” Nathan asked enthusiastically. “No, after that incident I tried reading other people’s minds but nothing happened. It was just that one time with Jennifer” Frank recalled.
“Oh, well maybe you two just had a connection at that moment. It can happen to couples who are used to being with each other. Without one saying a word, the other one knows how that person feels or wants. Me and your mom are like that” Nathan told him so Frank sat back and took a deep breath. He didn’t know how to explain what really happened that time so he just accepted his father’s explanation.
“There is still one thing I cannot explain, I fully understand my abilities now but can you tell me why I can fly?” Frank asked and his father stood up in shock. “You can fly?!!!” Nathan asked as he pulled his son to stand up. “Yes dad, but I don’t have boosters on my feet or butt” Frank said as his father shook him. “You can fly? Show me!” Nathan told him.
Frank moved a few steps back and took a deep breath. Nathan had his eyes on his son’s feet and watched them leave the ground. “Oh my Lord” he exclaimed as Frank was already floating on air. Nathan sat back on the couch in awe as his son floated above him. “So dad, can you explain why I can do this?” Frank playfully asked as he slowly floated around the room.
For five minutes Nathan sat motionless, his mind could not conceive the reason why his son was able to fly. Frank playfully planted his feet on the ceiling and pretended to be standing upside down. “Show off!” Nathan said and his son laughed. “Well dad do you have an explanation already?” Frank asked.
The elder man shook his head as still he could not believe what he was seeing. “I really don’t know. I feel so dumb right now” Nathan said as Frank laughed. The younger Miller sat down beside his father and smiled, “Well could it be possible that I can control my body to go against the pull of gravity?” Frank asked and his father looked at him and nodded his head. “Yes that is the only logical explanation but how?” his father asked and Frank laughed. “Well whatever it is Jennifer enjoyed it when we flew over the city. Oh don’t worry I convinced her that she was dreaming and she believed it” Frank said.
“What? You were able to carry her and two of you flew around the city?” Nathan asked and Frank nodded. “Wow, unbelievable, really its unbelievable but I am sure I am not dreaming. You flying alone is unexplainable, then you are able to carry another person with you and still fly is mind boggling. Wait, when you carried her were you hard up?” Nathan said.
“No, its just like carrying a person. Of course I had to hold her tightly so she wont fall” Frank said and Nathan shook his head and covered his eyes. “I thought I knew everything that you were capable off but this is really something I didn’t even expect. I wonder what else you can do” the elder Miller said as he smiled.
“Well dad whatever abilities that may surface all I want to do is to be with Jennifer. I really miss her so much. I know I watch her from a distance but that is not enough. As soon as my face heals then I am going to be with her” Frank said and his father shook his head.
“You cant be with her” Nathan said and Frank reacted. “What do you mean I cant be with her? I know she thinks I am dead but I can explain everything to her and I know she would understand” he said. “Its not that my son, its not only her you have to worry about. Its everybody else. The whole world saw what happened. The whole world knows you are ordinary and that you are dead”
“If you show yourself to Jennifer, will you be contented being with her in the shadows? Do you want to be with her confined inside a room where no one else can see you? Of course not, you would want to go out, go places and enjoy each other’s company. People will recognize you, so what are you going to tell the whole world if that happens?” Nathan asked.
“The truth, what else can I tell them? I just want to be with Jennifer” Frank said. “All this time I have wanted to be with you. I had to stay away to keep you safe from the men running after me. Once you announce to the whole world that you are alive they will start to have doubts about you. The people running after me will realize that our child is alive so they will come after you”
“You may be able to fight them off or evade them but they will do everything possible to make you surrender to them. They will go after the people you love, they will go after Jennifer. That is why I had to stay away from you, I didn’t want them to find you. It’s a great sacrifice, even though my heart was aching to be with my son, there was nothing I can do” Nathan said as he bowed his head.
“I really want to be with Jennifer” Frank whispered. “I know son, I too know what love is so I understand what you are feeling. Its difficult I know, even I could not hold back so I did come visit you often but only in the shadows. I watched my son grow up from afar, I wanted to be with you but I didn’t want them to find you” Frank said as his eyes started to fill up with tears.
“So I cant be with her” Frank whispered and Nathan shook his head. “If there was a safe place in this world where you would not be recognized then I will not stop you. You have to think about the risk you be placing your friends in. The world will be overjoyed knowing you are alive and really something extraordinary, but there would be some who would want to take advantage of you”
“And when people know what you are capable of the would expect much from you. They would be expecting you to live up to how they knew you, as a hero. I don’t want to dictate what you should do but I just want you to think about things first. Weigh everything and then if you decide to be with Jennifer then I wont stop you” Nathan advised his son.
Frank stood up and walked towards the window, he touched the glass with both hands and bowed his head. “How am I supposed to love her from the shadows? Right now she is hurting deep inside knowing that I am dead. She has doubts, she even tried to kill herself the other day. I just cant watch her in misery like that. I do understand what you are trying to say and I too want her safe always. But I too want to be with her, I am dying to be with her”
“How long would it take for people to forget about me? How long should I wait so I could be with her?” Frank asked. “Frank, people all over the world love you, it will take a long time for them to forget, or maybe even never forget you at all” Nathan said.
Frank leaned his forehead on the glass and clenched his fists. His heart was yearning for Jennifer, he was dying to be with her but his mind was in disarray. “So what Spiderman said was true, with great powers come great responsibilities. Now I know why there aren’t much married superheroes, if there are both of them have abilities” he said as he started to laugh.
Nathan stood behind his son and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Son, I am sorry it has to be this way” his father said. “Its okay dad, I understand. I only fear of the day when she forgets about me and decides to move on” Frank whispered and closed his eyes.
