The kids couldn’t enjoy their “prank” on Kent for much longer, when they had just bought their lunches on the food court, Kent couldn’t miss a cry for help not very far (in super hero’s standards) from where they were not just a person claming his help, but something much worse!
“No time for kidding around anymore boys!” Kent said seriously and he rushed outside the mall in such speed only the transform wizards could trace his way. Just then, the TV’s from the food court announced that Norwood Industrial Complex – right in the middle of Norwood Park, had mysteriously exploded which may cause an environment catastrophe with terrible consequences! The helicopters showed the huge burning area where there used to be a beautiful forest.
“I guess the Paladin has a new job!” Peter looks at Ty who nods – they vanished in thin air taking Allen with them, and leaving the rest of the boys, who never noticed they once were joined by the powerful quartet.
At Norwood Chemicals, a big industrial complex 300 miles from where Kent heard the cry for help, the fire consumed everything very quick, the firemen couldn’t extinguish the flames fast enough, the dangerous fumes would contaminate the whole forest area, if they got to the sky and condensate as a lethal chemical rain.
The Paladin landed at the middle of the patio, aside the Chief Fireman – “Excuse me sir, in what can be helpful?” said the stupendous 9’tall muscle superhero looking down to the big brawny fireman, who stood not less than 6’ tall – “HOLLY CRAP! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?”
“I’m here to help, commander, please, step aside!” Paladin simply moved the fireman, and stood tall in all his might – “Those chemicals are very toxic, and since they’re all water soluble, you can’t use water or you’re contaminating the soil underneath us” Paladin commented looking carefully to the details, The only way to extinguish the flames is lowering the temperature to freeze the chemicals, therefore you won’t have fuel to burn!”
“Is it true about my other powers?” Kent mentally asked, and for one second he focused really hard.
The next thing caught the Firemen by surprise
The giant muscular man increased it’s incredible width as his monumental chest expanded over any human limit, capturing th air around him, really fast, like a giant vacuum, his body enlarged as well, his muscles growing bigger and bigger, more and more powerful. The Chief Fireman watched in awe as the shadow of the giant super-hero augmented just in front of him. When he reached around 12’tall his chest is so big and so full of air, they think he’s gonna explode, just then he exhales that abnormal amount of air really strongly – and not just that, the air coming out of his lungs is freezing! He blows the freezing breath over the giant tanks, while the rest of the firemen tried to cool them down. The water they used froze immediately creating giant ice blocks around the chemical tanks.
“We gotta prevent the soil from contamination…” The Paladin lowered his hands on the concrete floor easily punching through the pavement, and he struggled for not more than one second – The firemen felt like an earthquake underneath them, soon they realized why – the whole complex was being lifted from the ground! The super sized muscle hero, lifted the fabric, the chemical tanks and the patio at once, and he didn’t show any sign of doing an outstanding effort at all.
“I’ll remove this for a while” he said and flew up to the sky with the giant rock island on his bare hands
“But where am I gonna put this? This is too big…. Oh wait I have an idea!” Kent looked to the stone he lifted and removed one hand, the firemen screamed in fear, then he felt it was still balanced, Kent gulped down and removed the other hand – the complex became a floating island!
The superhero grinned – “I should have just done it first instead of using the muscles right away!” he humbly commented out loud, causing some firemen to laugh and many to applause his attitude.
Paladin returned to the ground, looking at the area because it was a disaster! All over the places the incident caused death, destruction and pollution! The flames, the chemicals and the fumes had damaged nature really badly, it would be poisoned for hundreds maybe thousands of years – “I can’t let that happen!” Kent felt his heart pounding faster – “Ty and Peter said I have the power to do anything my heart is sure to be a noble cause…” Kent took a deep breath and he said.
“Elements of the nature, HEAL THE WOUNDS!” Paladin said in a powerful tone and the weather seemed to change – storm clouds appeared out of nowhere, the ground once more shook underneath their feet, the winds became stronger, and they witnessed the impossible!”
Thunderbolts stroke the area many times electrolyzing the dangerous products from the whole area, afterwards, the soil opened and through the crack hot magma filled the whole area which had been contaminated, soon after that, the winds and the fearsome blizzard acted so fast, they could barely believe the magma solidified in no more than a few seconds. The Paladin smiled and his arms kept opened like he was controlling the whole nature healing – “Animals from around, give me your help, bring the seeds to a new beginning!”
Birds, squirrels, reptiles and many other animals gathered on the place, the snow had already melted down, the soil seeming really fresh and fertile – they gently dropped seeds they’ve collected during their daily activities – all animals seemed to understand Paladin’s call, soon the seeds were all around the complex area.
“That’s enough my friends!” He said and the animals dismissed. Paladin looked carefully to the soil and his hands made gestures really calm and beautiful, then he opened his mouth – from his powerful chest, a soothing deep tone emerged, it had such a strong impact, most of the firemen started crying out of happiness, as they realized what was happening – Due to the Paladin’s astonishing beautiful melody the seeds were growing, they were hatching! The new life was blossoming in front of their own eyes…
The little baby plants soon grew bigger and stronger as the Paladin kept singing those strange and melodic accords, like a nature calling, he ordered the plants to grow faster and more powerful, they didn’t noticed but the once stormy weather washed away, the sun shone and the wind was refreshing, the light felt brighter than never, the plants grew into adults in such an astonishing speed, the flowers bloomed, some fruits already maturing, everything grew bigger and stronger, the environmental catastrophe was gone! The park was all recovered in a matter of minutes.
The beautiful song stopped. The Paladin smiled – he moved the floating island with his mind, and gently placed the heavy structure back on its original place. The ice blocks melted like by magic, the only destruction was the one caused by the explosion – “I won’t fix the complex back until you finish doing the investigations, I’m sure this was an accident…”
The Chief Fireman nodded – You must be right, big guy! We will carry on from now, thanks for your help!”
“No need to thank me, Chief, this is my mission, to save and protect the world!” Paladin knelled down to shake hands with the firemen who gathered around him, applauding and cheering for him.
“Who are you son? How should we call you?”
“Just a friend, but you can call me Paladin!” he shows the symbol on his massive chest – “I gotta go now, take care!” The Paladin jumped flew into the sky before the helicopters and reporters could land to interview him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you just witnessed was not a work of fiction, it was real! Out of nowhere this giant muscled hero appeared, he blew up the fire like it was a birthday cake, the lifted the entire complex from the ground, then he made it float hundreds of feet from the ground, he seemed to have commanded nature and elements and the animals to help him on his task, he also sang so the seeds the animals brought grew into adult state in a matter of minutes – This ladies and gentlemen is probably the most important announcement ever made on the history of Television – We have found a true SUPER-HERO!” The reporter said very excited to the whole nation which watched in shock the phenomenal PALADIN.
Ty, Peter and Allen watched everything in awe, they had been invisible all the time, they didn’t want Kent to feel any embarrassment, they knew he would have to handle the crisis and the solutions all by himself, and so far he excelled in his task.
“I can’t believe he got that powerful!” Allen said to his friends – “oh you haven’t seen anything yet!” Peter smiled – “the power we granted upon Kent is the greatest we ever desired someone to have!”
“Isn’t it dangerous? What if he loses control?” Allen felt bad just for considering this idea.
‘Don’t worry Allen, we trust Kent’s heart, we can feel he is the right one to carry such burden, he was born a super-hero, we just made it come true!” Ty answered hugging his friend – “Come on, let’s go back home and see how Kent feels about that!”
The boys were teleported back to Ty’s house, where Dustin and his youngest brother Kent talked – “You did that? You’re the Paladin? AMAZING!” he commented as the other kids appeared at his side – “You three HAVE TO DO something with that!” he grins – “But this time, you are not just fooling around doing dilly things with your powers, you actually created a super-hero!”
“Thanks for noticing that, Dustin!” Peter grinned – “So cousin, how does it feel to be that POWERFUL?”
“I don’t know Pete, I still feel the same within, I just believe I can do anything my heart tells me to do!”
“You were spectacular back there!” Allen said tapping his massive shoulders
“I didn’t know you could sing like this!” Peter laughed “You should sell it to the supermarkets, instant plant growth!”
Kent blushed, scratching the back of his head really embarrassed – “Gee, thanks guy, I don’t know what to do, so I just wished my voice could make the plants grow back, I didn’t expect to sing!”
“So are you feeling more secure about yourself?”
“A little, but it is strange you know? When I got to be the Paladin, it is like I suddenly have no more fears, I just do what I have to do!”
“That’s the mission of a hero, Kent!” Ty commented.
“I know, but it feels good, seeing that people trust me makes me feel confident”
“that’s the idea…” Allen concluded
“But, guys, could you make me a favor? Would you stop that weird thing of making me grow anytime you say the word? I know you guys meant well, but now I have a secret identity to keep, if they realize there’s a 9’8” kid all time someone says grow, it’ll be suspicious – the first rule as a superhero is to be low profile”
“Which is very hard for you since you are already 6’8” 380 pounds of muscle at only 14 years old!” Peter laughed.
“Well, at least they know I’m smaller than Paladin!”
“OK, Kent, we make deal” Peter grins “ From now on, the only one who can make you grow by saying the word will be Allen, and he can only do it, when your secret identity is completely safe…” Peter snapped his fingers and Allen smiled – “Don’t worry, Kent your secret is safe with me, I have the power to make Peter grow too!”
Kent grins but suddenly he hears something strange – “I gotta go guys!” he says vanishing into the air.
“My little brother the super hero!” Ty commented.
Back on his home, the man shouted and cursed – “How could it be?’ I had everything planned! The insurance company would pay me millions, and I would become even richer by buying the devastated land!” the scrawny tall man threw the remote control against the wall – “What is this freak anyway?”
His big henchmen couldn’t answer that question – “It doesn’t matter, because I’ll soon find out, and I’ll
destroy him!”
Kent arrives at the local, the recent floods made the river too strong, there are a hundreds of people on the bridge – the waters are reaching them…
(someone talented will continue)