At the breakfast table, Luke stared at Bret so intently that he noticed.

"What are you looking at?" he snapped.

"Nothing!" said Luke.

Suddenly Bret let loose with a whopping sneeze.

"Very dry and dusty again," Luke's stepdad said. "I hope you've used your nasal spray today, Bret."

"Yes, Dad, but it doesn't always work."

"Mmmm," Headmaster Johnson mumbled.

Luke continued to eat his breakfast while keeping an eye on Bret. He didn't think Bret remembered what he did. Luke was pretty sure Bret didn't even know he was Powerman. Luke's jaw ached and he was covered with bruises from his fight with Powerman. Being a superhero wasn't much fun. He and Bret had obviously been chosen because the two planets' rules didn't want to do their own dirty work.

After breakfast Luke went upstairs to see how his mom was doing. He chatted to her for a while - useless conversation that is - because he has to say something even though he does not exactly know what to say to her.

"I'm off to school, Mom,"

"Bye, dear. Have a nice day," she whispered. She looked so weak and sickly, Luke felt guilty at feeling so healthy. If only he could give her just a tenth of Mighty Pip-Squeak's strength...

Luke went downstairs and hopped into the car, deep in thought. His stepdad started up and pulled away. Luke's brow was furrowed. He was pretty sure his mom got ill just about the time Bret started his nonsense. Could there be a connection? Was it possible that Powerman drew his power from somewhere - or someone?

That was it! It had to be! Bret was drawing his power from Luke's mom! He was drawing power from her as if she were a battery, that's why she was getting weaker and weaker! Luke's mom was close enough to Bret for him to drain her power. After all, they lived in the same house!

Luke racked his brain to remember...Yes, she'd been sicker and weaker every time something bad had happened, every time Powerman had done something evil. Then something shocking occurred to him. What about himself? If his mom got weaker every time Bret got strong in the form of Powerman, how was his own strength in the form of Mighty Pip-Squeak affecting her?

Source

The thought was too upsetting and Luke didn't want to dwell on it. Perhaps he too was draining strength from his mom and didn't know it!

Bret probably didn't realize what he was doing either. What if she weakens so much that she dies the next time Powerman appears? Or even next time Mighty Pip-Squeak appears. What had the doctor said? That she needed to be looked after well, because another relapse...

Luke decided there and then he could no longer become Mighty Pip-Squeak, no matter how necessary, but the problem remained: what evil were the rulers of the enemy planet plotting for Powerman to carry out next???

To be continued

For Part 1, click here
For Part 2, click here
For Part 3, click here
For Part 4, click here
For Part 5, click here
For Part 6, click here

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