See a pastor? Did I say see a pastor?!
Yep.
I had started attending a local church shortly after Becky "woke me up" from the comatose state he had had me in while he was altering my body; yeah I was reconciled with that now, though it still gave me the heebie-jeebies when I thought about it. But, I came out of it pretty good, so no harm done!
So, back to the pastor.
The church was just a few miles from my house and, when I first went in and saw the pastor, I wondered if I was in the wrong place!
I mean, who expects to walk into a church, and see a man in khaki pants, no tie or suit coat, cuffed sleeves, with tattoos on his arms, head shaven bald, and a voice like an angry grizzly bear standing at the pulpit and preaching?
But that was Lew; 5'9, built like a brick wall, with 55 years of life under his belt, a heart of gold and pure kindness, and a desire to serve God in every way he possibly could. I found my church that day, and started on a friendship that I already counted as one I highly valued. Needless to say, given all that had happened, I really did not have many friends at the time.
But Lew? Lew was one I counted as a true friend.
I was pretty sure I could count on him to keep my secret.
Besides, it was getting to me; not having anyone to talk to about who I was now, and what I could do.
*What about me?* Becky sounded put out, and slightly hurt.
"Don't get me wrong, Becky, having you around is amazing, honestly great I do truly consider you a friend."
*But,,,,?*
"It is kind of nice to have a human friend or two as well; someone who I can talk to you face to face, where I can see their reactions, and hear their voices and laughter in my ears, instead of my mind."
There was a pause as Becky thought about what I had said. I could almost hear the electrons whirling as my cybernetic companion and friend considered what I had said.
"Yes, I can see how that is a human need; your desire for companionship. Is this why you become so flustered around Detective Juarez? Do you desire her friendship as well?"
Oh man....why did he have to go there?!
"Um...the reaction I have to Detective Juarez is slightly different from what I want with Pastor Launders."
*Oh? How so?*
Did he really not get it?! He as supposed to be, like, super intelligent, how could he not get it?!
I swear to you, I felt a light bulb appear in my head, followed by that telltale sound.
*Ohhh.....you desire to mate with her and have her as your wife!*
WHAT?!!
I blushed. Yep, bright red blushing, all the way.
Yeah, sure, Becky was right, but to hear him say it like that, so bluntly was, well, a bit more than I expected!
"Uh....yeah....yeah..something like that. But, humans don's usually say it to bluntly!"
*Why not? If it is the truth, why not say it truthfully?*
Fair question.
"I guess, well, humans don't really say that kind of thing right away, even if we feel it, because we don't know if the other person feels that way, and it might even be taken as rude to do so."
*Humans are odd creatures. If something is truth, why not say it as truth? Would that not be better than withholding information, or hiding how one feels? You go to church. Does the Bible not say to speak truth all the time?*
"Yeah, and it may be that the world would be a better place if we did. But, I am not sure humans are ready to do that just yet."
*Yes. You are truly a strange species.*
That was a statement I could not argue against, even if I wanted to.
Back to Pastor Vermeer.
I had asked if we could meet at a seaside cafe, one that overlooked the ocean, where the surf could be heard and, I hopes, block out any conversation we were having from any prying or curious ears.
Paranoid much, John?
Yep!
So, there I was, khaki pants, light blue button down shrit, loafers, looking as casual as I could, walking into the cafe and looking for Lew.
"John!"
Man, that guy must have been a drill sergeant in the past! He had the voice for it; growl of a bear with the bellow of a sea captain!
He was seated at the table farthest away from the entrance, one that was on an enclosed deck area that sat out over the surf. In a black t-shirt, untucke, and jeans, he looked anything but a pastor; a biker maybe, but NOT a pastor.
I cam over with a grin, gripping his hand in mine. The moment his hand was around mine, I was reminded of just how strong he was; his grip was like a bear's claw combined with an iron clamp. If he did not want to let you go, you were NOT going to be let go!
"Good to see you, John. You sounded like this was important."
I nodded as I took my seat, my hear pounding in my chest. This was a moment of vulnerability, a moment of exposure, and I was not fully sure I was ready for it!
"Yeah, it kind of is, Pastor Vermeer."
Man, how did I begin this? Just blurt it out?!
*The truth is the correct thing to say, John, however, HOW you say it matters, doesn't it?*
Becky was right about that!
So, I spent the next few minutes ordering coffee and such, and carrying on small talk with Lew, trying to feel out his thoughts and mood, to see if now was the right time to do this.Though, in all honest, is there ever a right time to reveal to someone that you have been taken over by an alien cybernetic system and, basically, become a superhero?
Yeah, probably not!
Lew as the quintessential patient listener; he nodded, responded, asked questions in response to things I say, commented on others to bring up interesting points, and all was done with a slight smile on his lips that suggested he knew there was something i was leading up to, and that I would reveal it when I was ready.
Okay, enough of this. I needed to just put it out there and see what he did with what I told him.
I took a sip of coffee, then eased back in my seat slightly, trying to appear casual.
"So, have you heard about this guy the news calls, The Silver Shadow? He's the one who stopped that bank bombing."
Lew nodded, a curious light in his eyes as he regarded me.
"Yeah, quite the story. It sounds too crazy to be true, but video footage from inside the bank presents some pretty compelling evidence."
His turn to take a sip.
"I hear the police would love to talk to the guy."
Boy would they!
Detective Jaurez's face came into my mind, creating a sense of attraction and trepidation all at once.
"Yeah, um....what are your thoughts on the guy, or girl, who did that?"
Lew paused for a moment, his face contemplative, eyes looking out over the waves but not seeing them. He had a rugged, craggy face that spoke of a life lived for the better and the worse, scars that ran deep in him, and things done maybe he wished had been left undone.
"I think that any person, man or woman, who actively seeks to take the law into their own hands, no matter how good their intentions, must be cautions about doing so. I have seen many, too many, times when people doing so have gone to far in their quest for that they perceived as "justice," with results that left the ones seeking justice as bad as, if not worse, than the one they were trying to punish."
It sounded like he spoke from experience. I had to admit, that was one of my worries too, and one that kept me from really wanting to go full on into the "hero" business; was I good enough to stay truly good? I knew what i felt at the "plantation," and I knew what I wanted to do the Manson's Childern I saw there. I held back then, but could I trust that I could hold back again?
I did not know.
*I know.*
Good old, Becky; always ready to support me.
Thanks, pal.
*Anytime, John.*
"So, you think this person is a vigilante of some kind?"
"I'm not sure, honestly. They just kind of appeared, and no one has seen them since. It's like that were in the right place at the right time to do that one thing, and since then they have not been."
Lew eased back in his seat, stroking his chin as his gazed into the dark depths of his coffee.
"Vigilantes don't act like that. Once they are out and active, they tend to stay out and active. They WANT people to know they are there, to fear them, so they are out on a fairly regular basis, trying to create a presence, even a fear of them, among those who they target. This guy does not fit that mold. If anything, I would say he doesn't want anyone to know who he is. He is not acting like a vigilante at all."
Okay, this was a curious response.
My turn for a sip of coffee, and a lean forward in my chair, forearm resting on the table, trying to control my excitement, my interest in what Lew is saying. You can probably imagine how much his statements were impacting me, and I was eating up every word!
"So, what would you call him then?"
"Good question." Lew took a contemplative sip of coffee, then paused to consider his words, eyes becoming unfocused as he did so. "The honest answer is; I am not sure. His actions were heroic, and he did save lives. The fact that he did that and then vanished, seems to suggest he has not desire for notoriety, and was just trying to do the right thing. To me, that is the action of someone who is less vigilante, and more hero by chance; he did not want to become a hero but, when events happened, he could not help but step up and do the right thing. That speaks to a sense of duty, a deep belief in right and wrong, and a need to defend those who cannot defend themselves."
Lew chuckled, "I know it sounds corny an very comic book hero, but whoever he is, that is what I am guessing about him; a man who just wants to do the right thing, and does not care if he gets credit for it or not. Maybe even a man who does not want the credit at all, and just wants to stay in the shadows, away from the public eye."
Oh boy did he get that part right!
*This person is quiet astute. He is making suppositions that are very close to being correct.*
Yeah, you noticed that, eh, Becky?
"So, you're saying this guy is what, a superhero?"
Lew shook his head, "No, not a superhero. Superheroes, if they existed, tend to be in the public eye, to be very visible. This guy, I assume it's a guy as the video footage shared with the public shows a male body in that suit he wore, seems to have no interest in being in the eye of the common person. No, I don't think he is a "superhero."
"Then what would you call him?"
"Something that, in my mind is even better than a superhero. He is simply a hero; someone who did the right thing for the right reasons and at the right time, then vanished because he did not need or want the praise that might come his way. Honestly, I respect him for that."
Okay, that was good, maybe very good, to hear.
I go to say what I want to say, then pause, take a sip of coffee, and set my cup down, and meet his eyes with mine.
My voice is barely a whisper as I say, "Would you like to meet him?"
That made Lew pause, like really pause, almost freeze, as he looked me in the eyes for a moment. Then, a slow smile crossed his lips. There was a look in his eyes I could not place, a perception that made me both uncomfortable, and set me at ease.
His next move was almost anti-climactic as he reached over the table to offer me his hand.
"Hello, Silver Shadow, nice to meet you."
I think all the breath left my body in one long exhale as I took his hand and shook it with a smile. Lew wasn't freaking out. He wasn't moving to call the cops, or stepping away from the table. He was calm, even smiling, as he took my hand in a warm, firm, friendly grip. I felt tension leave my body so strongly, I am surprised I did not give off visible energy as it flowed off of me!
"Thanks, Lew. I was hoping I could count on you as a friend."
He nodded, letting go of my hand, and returning to his coffee.
"So, what happened? I mean how do you do what you can do?" He grinned, a lops-sided smile as his eyes sparkled, "I mean, I am assuming you aren't alien or anything like that!?"
Oh....he was closer to the mark than he thought with that one!
*Indeed. Very astute.* Becky observed.
"If you want to learn more, I can tell you, but we need to go back to my place."
Lew was agreeable, and obviously curious, so we left the cafe and drove to my house.
Confessing who I was to him had been one level of nervousness. Now, letting him into my secret space, my sanctum, or even my "hideout", was a whole new level of nervousness! This was where I really felt I was opening myself up, exposing myself if you will, and how Lew would react, I had no idea!
We passed down the many flights of stairs, me wondering how my pastor would react to what he was about to see, and Becky conveying his nervousness by humming in my head, which was annoying to say the least! I started to realize just how far down we were, when I started to hear Lew panting a bit behind me. What I took for granted now was a strain to him! I mean, he was NOT a weak man, and he was starting to puff a bit as we descended, whereas I was not even close to breathing hard. I mean, reality, I could drop from where we were down to the floor, and land safely and without harm, but to hear a man I considered to be extremely fit and strong softly panting behind me spoke volumes!
Finally, we reached the main floor, and I activated the lights.
When Lew saw my training area, he just stopped and stared, eyes big and awed, face full of wonder. For a moment, he just gazed at it all in silence. Then, a chuckled started in his throat, moving to his chest, and down to his belly as he let out a full on, no holds barred, belly laugh that echoed throught the room and bounced off the walls. For a moment, all he could do was laugh which, honestly, made me a little worried I had broken his mind!
After a few moments, he stopped laughing and gained control of himself. Then, gesturing to the space before us, he let out one last chuckle.
"You actually have superhero hideout!!"
Looking around the space from Lew's point of view, I suddenly realized that he was right, I did have a superhero hideout! I had a place to train, laboratory for testing new ideas and equipment, and a multi-screen computer system that could show different information on each screen.
Yeah, I guess it really was my hideout.
I chuckled at that, shaking my head.
"You know, Lew, now that you say that, I guess you're right. Well...." I gestured wide to indicate the space before us. "....welcome to my hideout."