Chapter Three

Sometime Later

Virgil lay back on his bed thinking about the events of today not only did Sharon now know his secret but his father did as well. And truth be told he hadn't taken it too badly. Certainly things could have gone worse, dad could have flown into a rage that he'd never been told and wouldn't have been but he hadn't. Oh he wasn't happy that he'd not been told – any parent probably would be if they learned their kid was a superhero and hadn't told them – but he seemed to understand why he hadn't been told. Now Virgil was considering what would happen now. It would be nice to have someone else to confide in besides Ritchie though he would have to be careful not to tell dad too many details of what he got up to otherwise he would worry, he'd worry anyway but he didn't want him to worry too much.

He'd already relayed most of what had happened to Ritchie via the shock vox and put his mind at ease as his friend had been getting worried about him. Now he was just lying quietly on his bed thinking about it all. He was dressed for sleep but he wanted to get everything straight in his head before he went to sleep.

He was startled when a soft knock came at his bedroom door.

"Are you awake Virgil," his fathers voice said from the other side.

"Yes. Come in," Virgil replied sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The door opened and dad came in dressed for sleep as well. Sharon had already retired for the night but Robert wanted to speak a little with Virgil before retiring himself.

"I need to speak with you son," Robert said.

"About earlier," Virgil asked guessing what his father wanted to speak with him about. His father nodded affirmation. "More questions," he asked.

"Yes. I want to know how you got to be a bang baby. I promise I won't be mad but I want no I need to know. Were you in a gang?"

"No at least not properly," Virgil replied. "Wade was trying to get me to join his crew and F-Stop – Hotstreak as he is now – was breathing down my neck wanting to kill me or at least beat me to a pulp to boost his street credibility. Wade offered to protect me from him. Yet I was resisting joining his crew given what happened to mom."

"Go on," Robert prompted while feeling a familiar stab of pain in his heart at the mention of Jean and the gang related manner of her death. Her death had almost destroyed him only the fact that Virgil and Sharon needed him had kept him going for at the time he had felt so much pain and so much despair that he would have welcomed death if it had come for him.

"Wade called me to the docks the night of the big bang. There was going to be a big showdown between all the gangs in the city, they happen from time to time and determines the balance of power between different gangs. He called me there to make my mind up. He gave me a gun I threw it away. Then everything went out of control so quickly. Other gangs showed up, fighting started. Police helicopters arrived almost immediately and shone spotlights on the fighting and demanded over there loudspeakers that we surrender. Most of the gangs immediately started to run away. But one gang member drew his gun and shot at the police helicopters blowing out its search light. The police fired a stun grenade back in retaliation it hit the sealed barrels containing the metagas at extremely high pressure. It must have punctured the barrel which must have set off the others I don't know but immediately there was a massive explosion and purple gas was everywhere. I don't remember much after that all I can remember is being surrounded by the gas. coughing and…" Virgil's voice trailed off and he shivered at the memory.

"And what?" Robert prompted.

"And I remember pain," Virgil replied. "I didn't realise it at the time but the pain was me changing."

"It hurt then."

"Yes. I can't describe what that pain was like, its like nothing I can describe. I remember an overriding impulse to escape, I think I started to climb the perimeter fence. I don't remember anything after that. I don't know how I got home or anything. Next memory I have is waking up here. And my bed sheet sticking to me no matter what I did. And that wasn't the only weird thing that happened that morning. I went in the bathroom to have a wash and a shave. The light turned on before I could even touch the switch. And your razor it turned itself on as soon as I put my hand near it. I admit I almost panicked and came close to throwing the thing out the window. In the end I put it down and suddenly saw why all those things were happening."

"And why was that," Robert asked curious.

"I was emitting bursts of energy without even realising I was doing it. Even when I'm not actively using my powers I still generate a background electrostatic field. All people do its just mines quiet a bit stronger. . For example I can make a bulb light up just by touching it or turn lights on just by waving my hand over the switch. At that point in time in my own field had been fluctuating sending out random surges of power I'd only just been mutated by the gas and my system was still settling down from the change though it was a week before I could completely control my powers. That first week I was so terrified that you would notice what had happened to me. That I'd have one of those energy surges at the most inopportune time and you'd see it."

Robert couldn't help but feel a stab of shame and self-loathing as Virgil said that. Maybe he had been too quick to declare all bang babies evil and a menace to society. Maybe if he hadn't been so quick to judge them maybe Virgil would have trusted him enough to tell him what he had become.

"I'm sorry Virgil," he said softly reaching out and grasping Virgil's shoulder. "I shouldn't have been so quick to pass judgement on bang babies. Maybe then you would have told me before."

"I'm sorry too dad," Virgil replied suddenly feeling very emotional. He stood up. "I should have trusted you despite the circumstances. But I was so scared to. I was scared of so much at the time. You don't know how relieved I was when the doctor pronounced me normal. As normal as I ever will be anyway. He found nothing in his tests to indicate that I'm… well a freak."

"No. Don't ever consider yourself a freak Virgil," Robert stated firmly. "Just think of yourself as having been given a gift. You're a good person son many people if they had the powers that you have would abuse them. But you don't. You use your powers to help and to protect. And for that I am very proud of you. And if your mother was here now she would be proud as well." Virgil smiled slight at his fathers words even as Robert pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks dad," he said softly into his fathers dressing gown. He stayed like that for a couple of moments before pulling gently away.

"You should sleep now," Robert said. "Goodnight Virgil."

"Goodnight dad." Virgil moved back to his bed and climbed in. Robert for his part went to leave the room. On the threshold he paused.

"Oh and Virgil," he said.

"Yes dad," Virgil asked felling sleep beckoning to him.

"No more secrets. Deal?"

"Deal." Robert smiled at that and left the room but not without turning the lights off first.

As soon as his father left the room Virgil rolled over in his bed and his eyes drifted closed and within seconds he was fast asleep.

The End