Chapter 2

The evil one

The Green Hornet looked up and smiled at Stephanie, Walking around the table he approached Stephanie with a plate of apple slices.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked holding the plate out to her. She took an apple slice and thanked him for it. They had barely finished their food when the message tube came flying in. the message was from Mayor Meanswell

Sportacus, Stephanie is missing. Please come and help me find her!

Milford Meanswell

"I had forgotten all about the mayor," said Sportacus, "Stephanie you' better get down there and pacify your uncle. Tell him that you're okay."

"What time is it?" Asked Stephanie

"8:30 in the morning," replied Sportacus, "you've been unconscious for almost 8 hours."

"Wow," Stephanie Gasped, "it's no wonder that my uncle is worried." Stephanie jumped to her feet and almost fell over when a wave of dizziness hit her. Sportacus grabbed her before she hit the floor. Sportacus stood up with Stephanie in his arms and walked toward the automatic platform. As soon as he stepped on to the platform he called out the command,

"Platform down." The platform lowered Sportacus and Stephanie until they were outside the airship. Then Sportacus called for the ladder and gently carried her down to the waiting arms of her Uncle Milford. The Mayor thanked Sportacus profusely.

Sportacus and the Green Hornet stood on the observation platform that doubled as the side door of the airship. They watch as Stephanie and her friends played soccer down below.

"Sportacus," said The Hornet, "I think I know you well enough to asked you this and get an honest answer."

"Of Course," said Sportacus, "you know that you can ask me anything."

The Hornet took a deep breath before continuing.

"Sportacus," said the Hornet, "Is Stephanie who I think she is?" Sportacus gave a visible start and every muscle in his body tense as though he expected to be punched in the stomach.

"What in the world would make you ask a strange question like that?" Sportacus Replied. The Hornet gave his friend a knowing look.

"I saw the way that you fought for her in the alley by the warehouse." Said the Hornet, "or have you forgotten that I had to pull you off of the gorilla that hit her before you killed him."

"I'll do anything to protect my friends," Said Sportacus defensively as he turned and walked back into the airship, "This has nothing to do with the crazy idea that you have."

"Besides," he added with a hint of sadness in his voice, "Where ever SHE is she's safer and better off without me." With that Sportacus turned and bounded down the ladder to join in the soccer game.

"What you said may be true my friend," said the Hornet as he watched Sportacus go, "But are you better off without her?"

Robbie Rotten stirred in his sleep and then suddenly his eyes popped open. There were three men standing over his chair. If Sportacus had been there he would have recognized two of the men from the warehouse last night. The third man was a tall imposing figure of a man. This third man was wearing a jet black trench coat and a black mask that covered everything but his eyes which were as dark and eerie as his presence. And his right arm was cover in a metal exo-skeleton. The man reached out with this arm and grabbed by Robbie by the throat.

"Well, Well, Well," he said in an oily menacing voice, "If it isn't my idiot nephew!"

"Uncle X," wheezed Robbie, "What a pleasant surprise,"

"Don't try to butter me up!" Mr. X Thundered as he lifted Robbie off the ground and held him suspended in mid-air. "I send you here to take over this little wisp of a town and you can't even do that without fouling up!" with that X side-armed Robbie across the room.

"It's not my fault," whined Robbie, "it's that Blue Elf Sportacus he always wins."

"Don't hand me some excuse about a blue suited acrobat," Snapped Mr. X, "If I can outsmart the Green Hornet then you can surely outsmart this Sportacus."

"But aren't you in hiding because of that guy?" Said Robbie

"SHUT UP!" Thundered X

Two figures a green one and a blue one could be seen moving though the Lazytown night. One was moving along the roof tops with the grace of a cat and the other was jumping walls and turned a myriad of flips and handsprings. Finally they came to a stop below the airship.

"Did you explain things to the Mayor?" asked the Hornet

"Yes," Replied Sportacus, "Stephanie is going to spend the night in the airship with is just to be safe." With that Sportacus turned and called out,

"ladder." Then he stopped and looked around as the Hornet began to climb the ladder,

"I don't like it," he said, "Why hasn't X tried to stir things up yet?"

"Well," said the Hornet pausing on the ladder, "For one thing he probably doesn't even know that I'm here. Now if he knew then we would cause trouble."

"But won't those men we sacked in the alley tell him that you're here?" Sportacus asked

"They probably didn't get the chance," Replied the Hornet

"You mean," Sportacus stopped and made a slashing motion across his throat,

"Yeah," said the Hornet, "X doesn't like his men stirring things up unless he tells them to."

"Well if that's the case then Stephanie should be out of danger," said Sportacus

"Maybe," said the Hornet as he resumed climbing the ladder, "if nothing happens at the Mayors house tonight then we'll know for sure that X had those men eliminated before they could tell him what they knew."

Four hours later… The Green Hornet stirred opened his eyes. Propping himself up on his elbow in the dark he looked toward the back of the airship. Stephanie was sleeping in Sportacus' bed and he was sleeping on a thin mat on the floor next to bed. The temperature was more or less pleasant so he wasn't using a blanket.

Stephanie stirred and opened her eyes she peeked over the edge of the bed and smiled at the sleeping for of the above-average hero. She suddenly sat up and climbed out of the bed. Grabbing the white bed-spread and laid it over Sportacus then, looking very satisfied with herself, she lay down again and was fast asleep in a matter of minutes. As the hornet watched Sportacus began to wake up, immediately he became aware of the blanket that was over him. Rising to his feet he smiled down at Stephanie who was fast asleep on the bed. Tenderly he laid the bedspread back across Stephanie, then he lay down and went back to sleep.

"I never saw two friends more devoted to each other," thought the Hornet as he lay back down again. He was almost asleep when he heard a rustle looking up again he saw that Stephanie had awakened again and was obviously most perturbed to find the bedspread over her again. Immediately she got up and put the spread back over Sportacus.

"This is going to go on all night," thought the Hornet as he stifled a chuckle. Sure enough a few minutes later Sportacus awakened to find himself covered in the bed-spread yet again, and immediately he stood up and put the spread back on Stephanie. And for the second time he lay down and went to sleep. The Second time Stephanie woke up with the blanket on her she just smiled. Then she climbed out of the bed and lay down on the mat next to Sportacus spreading the bedspread over both of them. Finally she drifted off to sleep with her head resting on his shoulder.

But at that moment as Stephanie slept peacefully next to Sportacus there was a phone call taking place.

"No I'm not going to let you keep putting it off," said Milford to his sister, "This is something that you've got to handle, it's not my place. You should have told Stephanie years ago."

"What do you mean what, Susie," snapped Milford, "You know what I mean. It's time for you to tell Stephanie who she really is!"

TBC Please Read and REVIEW

NEXT: PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.

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