Chapter Three

Virgil had just got out of the shower and was changing into some clean clothes.

This energy depletion feels really weird, he thought to himself pulling on a white T-shirt then began to towel off his hair as he headed down the stairs.


Gear flew back to the gas station manually; he always kept the controller with him just in case this happened. While backpack getting damaged in a fight was rare it had been known to happen. Though this was the first time that backpack had been thoroughly disabled. Whatever that energy blast fired by that creature was it had been really powerful to do so much damage with only a glancing blow.

Landing, wobbly, outside the gas station, he placed the controller away before removing Backpack from his back and walked into the headquarters.

What a mess, he thought as he gently laid backpack on to his desk before taking his helmet off and put his glasses on.

Richie sighed and got to work in taking his trusty robot apart to see how much internal damage it had received from the creature's energy bolt.


Making something light and quick through blurry eyes Virgil was able to have something to eat before heading upstairs to crash for a while.

Three long slow hours later Richie had taken apart and repaired most of backpack.

Glad Virg isn't here otherwise this job would have been longer Richie thought wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.

Looking at the half complete robot in front of him and the fired components piled next to it, he sighed and rose up off his chair to stretch a little.

Glad I got some spare parts at home... better go over there and get them Richie thought skating over to where he left his clothes and placed his street clothes on over his superhero costume.


Changed and back at home, Richie dug around in the bottom of his closet for the few hidden shoe boxes that held spare components for backpack and any gadget that he might have need of to repair his damaged robot.

Guess V is having more fun than I am Richie thought throwing a few socks over his shoulder.

Finally! He thought pulling out a large green shoebox and moved back on his knees away from the closet before opening the box.

Inside was little separate boxes neatly piled each with its own label. Looking through them carefully, Richie took the ones he needed for Backpack closing the box and placed it back in the cupboard.


A sharp pain woke Virgil up; opening his eyes a little he hoped that whatever was causing the pain was in view. Raising his head up off his pillow, Virgil woke up a bit more to discover that his shock vox had moved so that he was laying on it. "Ouch..." Virgil said, digging out the device and placed it on his pillow before collapsing back down.

Through blurry eyes, he looked across to the alarm clock and saw that it had been about three hours since he got back and collapsed from sheer unknown energy depletion.

Moaning, he buried his head into his pillow before deciding that he should actually get up and see what Richie was up to.

Stretching up off the bed, his hair falling across his face. Virgil shook his head to clear away the cloudy thoughts of sleep before pushing himself off the bed and swung so that he was sat rather than led on his stomach.

Stretching so that any cramps were removed, Virgil could feel his energy had been renewed but not at full strength. Getting up off the bed, he retrieved his shock vox and called Richie while moving his hand through his hair to get it back to its normal self.

A slight cramp appeared in his side, but he shook it off thinking it was because he must have slept awkward in bed.

"Hey bro! You there?" Virgil said into the shock vox as he searched his chest of drawers for a jumper.

A hassled voice came through. "Yeah I'm here Virg! Where've you been?" Richie's voice said, sounding a little tired and anxious.

"Sorry Rich! I fell asleep, serves me right for being up early huh? Listen, sorry to bother you but I'm on my way back to the gas station now ok" Virgil said, and moved the shock vox away to put his jumper on.

"Ok V... got something to tell you but it can wait till we meet back up at HQ!" Richie said and the shock vox clicked off.

Odd... wonder what's up Virgil thought putting the shock vox away into his trouser pocket.

Leaving his room and going downstairs, Virgil quickly made sure that he had everything he needed before rushing out of the door and headed for the gas station by the quickest route that he knew. All the while wondering what was up. He knew it would be something major but what was it.


Virgil had almost reached the middle of the alley that gave the quickest short cut between his home and headquarters when again he felt that strange dizzy sensation. Virgil closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths until it passed. What keeps causing that, he thought a second before the pain erupted in his chest again, but this time it was worse, a lot worse.

Doubling over Virgil dropped to his knees gasping and moaning in pain clutching at his sides. Oh not this again, he thought and then couldn't stop the howl of pain that escaped his lips as another wave of pain sharper and stronger than any of the others tore through him radiating out from somewhere in the very core of his being. As the strange fuzziness began to envelop his thoughts again Virgil felt something else and awful burning, twisting sensation somewhere deep inside. With a jolt of horror Virgil realised that something was happening, he was changing into something else.

And then his word went back.