Virus Moves In
Disclaimer: All characters belong to myself, rogue-scholar07, Marvel Comics, and Hasbro.
Author's Note: Hello, folks! L1701E here! This here one-shot is a side story to rogue-scholar's "Learning to Breathe". Basically, it is centered on Shadowatch's newest member, Vincent James, the Insane Inventor, the Mad Master of Machines, the Virus! Virus has moved in, and now we see his thoughts on the other members of Shadowatch! This story is set during Chapter 43, before Virus's little serenade attempt.
Shadowatch's base
A room in Shadowatch's base. It was the right size for a teenager. At this moment, the only objects in the room were a bed, dresser, a desk, an overhead light fixture built into the ceiling, and a laptop computer on the bed. However, that was about to change.
The screen of the open laptop glowed a bright electronic green. Then, a black humanoid-shaped shadow emerged from the laptop's screen. It formed itself into a lanky teenage boy with wild long brown hair in a loose ponytail. His eyes were green, and he was dressed like a metalhead: An AC/DC t-shirt tucked into a pair of jeans with a black studded belt, a pair of black sneakers, a black leather jacket with a denim sleeveless vest over it, adorned with various metal band patches. He was carrying a cardboard box with various items in it. He also had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
Ah, me new home. The young mutant smiled to himself. He was Vincent James, but his new teammates knew him as Virus.
A young mutant from England, Virus's mutation geared towards the technological. He had the mutant ability to transform himself into living binary code. In that form, he looked like a black human-shaped shadow covered in green binary code. In that state, Virus could "possess" electronic devices, much like a ghost possessing a living person. Once a machine was "possessed", Virus could control it.
He also had the instinctive ability for invention. In his little battle with Shadowatch, the mad Brit mutant managed to create a fearsome-looking ray gun out of a ballpoint pen and a stapler. He also showed his ability to think on his feet when he knocked Vampira out of action with a chair leg to the heart.
His powers, combined with his genius and resourcefulness, Virus was a formidable mutant. Unfortunately, Virus also had a mind that the blonde Italian-born Regan Wyngarde, aka Lady Mastermind or Lady M for short, described as a "jigsaw puzzle that is missing a lot of pieces". Insane and egocentric, Virus was brought into Shadowatch by Zartan himself.
Observing the battle between Virus and Shadowatch, Zartan had grown impressed with the young Englishman. Playing on the young mutants' insanity and humongous ego, Zartan convinced Virus to join Shadowatch. It also helped that the leader, Andi Creed, aka Atlantis, was a hydrokinetic. Virus had a thing for girls that could control water.
Virus's joining of Shadowatch was not taken well by the other members. However, Virus did not care. He was now more concerned with moving in. He was pretty much on his own, as none of the other Shadowatch members wanted to help him. They couldn't stand him.
That Zartan guy was pretty nice. Virus smirked to himself as he placed the box and the duffel bag on the bed. At least he appreciated my genius. Those stupid fools don't appreciate my genius. What they don't realize is that I'm greater than any of them. That battle I had with them should've shown them, heh heh heh. He started to unpack his stuff.
What they don't realize was that while I was in their computer, I took the time to learn about them, and that's how I managed to hold me own. He then started to think about each of his new teammates.
Kristen Mortisson. Vampira. The girl is a Dracula knock-off, plain and simple. If Bram Stoker saw her, he'd sue her arse for copyright infringement. Heck, Vlad the Impaler and Elvira would probably want in that lawsuit, heh heh heh.
"Hmmm..." The mad Brit mumbled to himself as he scratched his chin in thought. "Remind me to buy her some garlic bread, heh heh." Virus pulled out a poster from his box. "Hammerspace box. Gotta love it."
Yeah, that girl sounds like an arrogant broad. Big bad vampire, heh heh heh. She wasn't so tough when she had a stake in her heart. I didn't need to kill her. She'll be useful. Eye candy at least.
Mitch and Bryan Dukes. Golem and Chaos. Virus shook his head. In a team of troglodytes, these guys are even less evolved. They only know how to do two things: stand up and smash. I doubt the two of them combined have the intelligence required to drink a cup of coffee.
"Heh heh." Virus snickered as he put the Iron Maiden poster up in his room. "I'll use those two as cannon fodder. Why not? Those two Dukes plonkers are big and dumb. They're expendable."
Neal Sharra. The so-called Thunderbird. Virus shook his head as he went back to his box. If me memory serves me right, thunderbirds are part of Native American legend. Sharra is from Bangladesh. Sounds like a legacy character to me. Anyway, he sounds like a real wuss. I'll find a use for him. (1)
Virus then pulled out some clothes from his duffel bag and started hanging them up in the closet.
"And there's me lucky shirt." Virus smiled as he pulled out his favorite shirt, the famous Def Leppard Union Jack shirt. "A lot of good times happened to me thanks to this shirt."
Regan Wyngarde. Lady Mastermind. Virus shrugged to himself as he hung up some jeans. Unlike the Dukes, she has a mind. Unfortunately, it's not at it's greatest potential. She's a weak telepath, but a fine illusionist. However, she can't make' em last too long. Ah, well. She's a pretty bird, but she's not my type. She doesn't manipulate water. (2)
Why do I love hydrokinetics? Well, water is pure and beautiful to me. I never got to know purity in me life. I grew up in rough streets and in a rough household. Me father never appreciated me smarts. He always blamed me mother for it.
"Nggh..." The mad mutant shook the memories from his head. "I hate whenever I start remembering me past." He then let out a smile. "But luckily, I found something nice to think about." His smile widened as he remembered. Remembered her. The blond hair with the black bangs. The yellow eyes. The blue scales. Her curvy body in her silver outfit.
Andi Creed. Atlantis. Virus let his mind utter the words slowly, as if he was savoring the taste of a fine wine. A water goddess... He smiled as he remembered the first time he saw the hydrokinetic. Preparing to take him on. Wearing a silver costume that was loose, yet still showed her curves.
When I saw her use her hydrokinesis, she looked like an angel sent from the brightest parts of Heaven itself. Virus smiled as he remembered the fight with Shadowatch. The way the water over her head reflected the light of the room, framing her. It made her look angelic, and it mesmerized the Englishman. It was spellbinding, the way she manipulated moisture. It certainly was. And when we looked into each other's eyes...I felt like she and I exchanged...something intimate. Something wonderful. It was like two long-lost soulmates who found each other. I could see it in those eyes of hers, those magnificent spheres. To her, I was the one she was waiting for. I must show her how much we are meant to be...
"I know!" Virus grinned, snapping his fingers. "I'll serenade her! That'll make her melt into me arms!" He then heard his stomach growl. "But first, I must eat." The mad inventor left his new room and started to walk down the hall. On the way, he bumped into Regan Wyngarde, the blond Italian-American teenager codenamed Lady Mastermind, or Lady M for short.
"Hey, watch it!" Lady M scowled. "Lunatic."
"I may be crazy, but at least I am capable of reaching my powers' potential." Virus snickered arrogantly. Lady M growled.
POW!
"AGH!" Virus clutched his nose. "Me nose! You stupid-!"
Lady M only smirked and her eyes started to glow as she activated her illusion powers.
"Hey wot?" Virus blinked. "What're you..." He looked down and saw snakes on his arms. "WAAAAH! SNAKES! AH GET 'EM OFF! GET 'EM OFFA ME!" He then noticed moving bumps on his jeans, as if there were ants moving around in his jeans. "Ants in me pants! ANTS IN ME PANTS!" The mad Englishman comically screamed and yelled as he jumped up and down the hall, not realizing he was leaping towards the stairs. "Whoa whoa WAAAAAAAAAH!" He fell down the stairs, making a lot of grunting and groaning and thud noises. He landed in a heap, groaning.
"Heh." Lady M smirked. "House rules, Virus. Never make fun of the resident illusion caster."
(1) – In the comics, Neal Sharra is the third Thunderbird. The first was John Proudstar, who died on his second mission with the team. The second was John's little brother James, who went on to be known as Warpath.
(2) – In "Learning to Breathe", Regan Wyngarde says that due to Virus's mind being like, as she described, 'a puzzle with a lot of missing pieces', her illusions don't work on him for very long.