Mutation
Chapter Five
A few minutes after Virgil ran from the abandoned gas station of solitude Gear walked in. He was still supporting a dazed Rubberband Man who was still recovering from being hit full on by a bolt from the energy creature. Gear supported Rubberband Man as they staggered over to the couch.
As soon as they were there Gear helped Adam sit down and looked worriedly at the elastic metahuman.
"Are you alright," he asked.
"I will be," Adam replied leaning back on the uncomfortable couch and closing his eyes. He felt a bit like a fried eel and his abdomen ached around where the bolt had struck him. He was painfully aware that it was only his body's natural resistance to electrical attacks that had prevented him being badly hurt. Anyone else who'd been hit would have been badly burned if not killed outright. The power in those blasts was so high that it would give even Static a run for his money. And thinking of Static where was he? Adam thought, it's not like him to miss that kind of a fight.
"Are you sure?" Gear asked.
"I'm sure. It's fading. What the hell was that thing Gear?"
"I haven't the foggiest idea," Gear answered. "All I know is that the first time I encountered the thing it almost completely trashed backpack. And that this time around it was bigger and a hell of a lot stronger."
"What do think it is though? Another bang baby?"
"I'm not sure. The creature seems to be running on instinct so its possible that if it was ever human that that human part is either completely gone or buried. It could also be that that creature is another state for someone else. Could be someone like us transforms into that thing but when the creature weakens changes back. A bit like when Thomas Kemp used to transform into Tantrum."
"Possible. But where was Static? It's not like him to miss a battle."
"I don't know. I've not seen him since early this morning," Gear answered. "And he's not responded when I try to call him."
Adam frowned getting a little concerned. That wasn't like Static, while the younger teen could be arrogant he wouldn't ignore you if you spoke to him or tried to call him.
"That's not like him," he said.
"Tell me something I don't know," Gear replied. "You just sit there and recover. I need to get back to repairing backpack." Adam nodded agreement. Gear smiled back wishing he could take his helmet off but Adam didn't know who he was.
Gear went back to the workbench and then paused when he saw the blinking light on backpack. His faithful robot was partially operational and had recorded something. Interface systems between his helmet and backpack were still dead so there was only one way he could view what backpack had recorded.
"Odd backpacks recorded something," he said. Adam got up.
"What do you think he's recorded," Adam asked coming over.
"I don't know," Gear answered even as he booted up his computer before retrieving a cable from a drawer to connect backpack's systems to the computer so they could view the recording. "But we'll know in a minute."
It didn't take long to connect backpack to the computer. Retrieving the remote control for backpack Gear input a command and the computer monitor display changed to show a video image that was amazingly clear despite the damage to backpacks systems.
The video showed Virgil coming into the headquarters his clothes looking battered as if he'd been in a fight or something. Has he been in a fight, Gear wondered to himself, or does it have something to do with that creature?
Adam was stunned at the sight of Virgil Hawkins on the monitor screen.
"Why was Virgil coming here Gear," Adam asked. Gear sighed and paused the playback, which currently had Virgil standing near backpack.
"Haven't you figured it out yet Adam," he asked the other superhero. "Who me and Static really are?"
"No," Adam asked though he had his suspicions.
Gear sighed and took off his helmet and Adam gasped in shock and surprise.
"Richie," he exclaimed shocked.
"Surprised," Richie asked grinning amused by the expression of total shock and surprise on Adams face. He wished Virgil was here to see it, and that he had a camera handy to record it. It was rare that you got to see Adam Evans so utterly dumbstruck.
"You could say that," Adam replied and his eyes widened as a realisation dawned upon him. "Wait if you're Gear then does that mean that Virgil's…"
"Static?" Richie interrupted. "Yes."
"Does anyone else know," Adam asked after a moment of stunned silence while silently berating himself for not realising earlier that Virgil Hawkins and the electrically charged superhero of Dakota were one and the same. There were so many similarities between Virgil and Static that it should have been obvious. They were the same height, had the same build and hairstyle, even sounded the same. But somehow he hadn't put two and two together and realised that they reason they were so similar was because Virgil was Static.
"Aside from me only a few people know," Richie answered. "His dad knows, so does Batman and one or two others but that's it."
"Does Sharon?"
"No. Though she almost found out one time. It's a good thing she'd make Virgil's life hell if she did," Richie replied.
"Probably," Adam agreed smiling remembering that despite the ongoing verbal feud between Sharon and Virgil, Sharon was very protective of her little brother. She would hit the roof and be worried out of her mind if she knew that Virgil was both a metahuman and Static.
"I wonder what he was doing here," Richie said. "He obviously left for some reason and what happened to his clothes." He resumed the playback.
There was no audio - backpacks voice pickups were still down. So all they saw was Virgil's lips move as if he was speaking. Then they saw Virgil stiffen and he seemed to gasp as a look of pain crossed his face. But it was what happened next that caught their attention. A blue glow seemed to spread under his skin, an energy glow that looked just like the glow of the energy creature. They saw Virgil taking deep breaths, obviously in pain and fighting against whatever was happening to him. And after a moment the energy glow faded away.
They saw Virgil looking down at himself a look of shock and horror on his face. And then he seemed to gasp again and noticeably double over in pain. Adam and Richie watched in horrified surprise as Virgil started to transform into the energy creature. It was obvious that Virgil was fighting it and finally succeeded in stopping the change but only just. It was obvious that stopping it had seriously weakened Virgil from the way he was on his knees and gasping.
After a few moments they saw Virgil say something then get back to his feet and run out of the headquarters.
The recording ended leaving two very stunned and shaken superheroes looking at the computer monitor.
"What's happened to him," Adam wondered at last. Richie didn't answer his mind still trying to process that his best friend was turning into a monster. Something major had to have happened inside Virgil to cause him to be changing into the energy creature. And the only thing that Richie could think of was his experiment backfiring last night. Virgil had cleaned up the dust so it was possible that some of the chemical compound in the dust had gotten into his system and was somehow reacting to it and causing the transformation. I've done this to him, Richie thought in despair, it's my fault. After a moment he sighed. Enough blaming yourself Richard Foley, he told himself, yes your experiment has most likely caused this to happen. But now you have to find someway of undoing it.
"I need to see him," Richie said at last. "If we're to have any chance of stopping him changing I really need to see him."
"Where do you think he was going," Adam asked.
"If I know Virgil he'll be heading home. Now that he's aware that something is very wrong inside him he'll be preparing to leave Dakota to avoid endangering anyone. If were to catch him we need to get over there quickly."
"Then what are we waiting for," Adam said. "Lets get a move on."
"It's not that easy Adam," Richie replied. "I can't turn up at Virgil's place dressed like this." He tapped his chest indicating that he was still wearing his uniform.
"That's a thought Sharon could be there and she doesn't know that you're Gear." Adam agreed.
"I'll go get changed quickly," Richie said and dashed into the back room to get changed into his street clothes. Adam watched him go and then sighed wishing he knew what was happening to Virgil, what was causing him to turn into the energy creature - a metamorphosis that was obviously extremely painful for Virgil. It was obvious that Virgil fought the transformation when it started to occur but it was also obvious that his private internal war with the monster inside of him was a war that Virgil was loosing.
At least it was obvious to Adam going on what Richie had said. The creature had been stronger this time around and they'd barely been able to go toe to toe with the beast. Did the increased strength of the creature mean that the human inside it namely Virgil was getting weaker, staying himself for shorter periods before the monster took over and he transformed into the creature. If that's the case then what's going to happen when and if Virgil completely transforms into that thing, Adam thought, how strong will the creature be then. How will we stop it?
Richie returned from the backroom interrupting Adam's musings. He was now dressed in his street clothes and like Virgil did he showed no outward sign now that he was more than just a normal teenage boy. Adam realised he should get back in his street clothes as well and with a thought morphed his uniform back into his normal clothes.
"I wish I could do that," Richie said. "Save me some time." Adam just grinned then Richie turned serious. "Let's go," the younger teen said.
With that Richie turned and walked out of the abandoned gas station of solitude. Adam followed matching Richie's quick determined pace. Neither of them spoke as they headed across town towards the Hawkins home. Both hoping they would get there in time to see Virgil before he ran away.
By the time that Virgil reached his home he knew that he was running out of time. He could feel somekind of corruption spreading through the energy inside his body and containing the energy was taking more and more effort several time on his way home he had had to stop and take a few moments to reinforce his internal barriers. Virgil knew that soon he would loose control of the energy inside and if he couldn't get it back he would undoubtably transform into that thing again.
Virgil ran into the house and headed for the stairs he had to leave here now. He didn't get more than a few steps however before a familiar voice spoke.
"Virgil," Sharon's voice snapped.
Virgil stopped dead in his tracks and looked over in the direction his sister's voice had come from. To see that his father and his sister coming out of the kitchen and neither looked happy.
"You didn't do the dishes from this morning," Sharon continued.
"I forgot," Virgil replied.
"Oh you forgot," Sharon answered sarcastically. "You always forget Virgil. You never pull your weight around here."
"I do to," Virgil shot back starting to get annoyed and beginning to feel his power flare in response to his emotions, but the power was tainted and with some effort he stopped it.
"No you don't," Sharon snapped. "You never do anything. And you are going to do the dishes now."
"I don't have time," Virgil growled back getting more annoyed now and having to work harder not to let his powers show.
"You will have to make the time Virgil," Robert replied thinking that maybe he had been too lax on Virgil recently given what he had learned about Virgil a few months ago. Since learning that Virgil was Static he had cut him some slack around the house perhaps too much.
"You don't understand," Virgil said back again feeling his powers flare but this time there was something else. Dizziness abruptly rippled through his head and Virgil stumbled just as a sharp burning pain erupted deep inside him. Not now. Please not now, he thought struggling to push down the pain and stop the transformation before it had a chance to really get started.
Robert and Sharon looked at Virgil in sudden concern both realising immediately that something was wrong with him.
"Virgil what is it?" Robert asked but Virgil did answer. Robert and Sharon watched in alarm as Virgil groaned and almost doubled over clearly in a lot of pain. But what happened next took their breath away.
A blue glow seemed to momentarily surge under Virgil skin running along his veins arteries and capillaries making them glow with an errie and terrifying blue light. They could see the pain on Virgil's face as the glow started to spread out into the surrounding tissue.
"N…n…no," Virgil groaned. "I w…w…won't let y…y…you."
Concentrating with all his strength Virgil fought against the monster that was starting to emerge from inside of him. He could feel fuzziness starting to envelop his thoughts but he fought against it with desperate strength and slowly but surely it faded away. But the pain didn't stop Virgil could feel all the barriers he was trying to build around the energy degrading and with a jolt of horror realised that this time he couldn't stop the transformation.
Turning he ran for the door knowing he had to get away, he had to protect his family from the monster inside of him while he still could. The door was fortunately still open from coming through it a moment earlier and he ran through heading right for the alleyways opposite the house.
He continued running up the alleys until another surge of pain erupted from inside and Virgil stopped dead in his tracks and dropped to his knees in agony. His blood was burning with agony and Virgil screamed at the top of his lungs. Fuzziness enveloped his thoughts but it was different to before this time the world didn't start fading away. Instead he felt something start to invade his mind pushing him back. Wave after wave of pain erupted inside of him and Virgil heard the sound of himself screaming like a wounded lion like an animal gone mad with pain. He also heard the sound of tearing cloth and realised that his clothes were not being just damaged this time they were being torn to shreds.
But it was distant fading away as Virgil felt the force in his mind getting stronger a force that was dark and terrible and terrifyingly primal and inhuman. Virgil fought against it but it was too strong and his awareness of the world diminished to almost nothing as he was pushed right back into the very back of his mind. The pain vanished as he lost all control over his transforming body. He could still hear and see what was going on and he heard himself continuing to scream but the screams becoming increasing more like animal growls.
And then all of sudden the screams stopped as Virgil felt the creature take over from him completely leaving him here in his mind a helpless horrified spectator, a prisoner in his own body.
He felt himself standing up and sensed hunger from the thing that was holding him prisoner. Hunger for energy and a terrible hunger for destruction. At the moment though the hunger for energy dominated and he felt the monster he had been transformed into begin heading away from the alleyway in search of a large enough source of electrical energy.
