Episode 6: Sibling Rivalry

Very Important Note--I may take a few risks in this story to explore some issues that I feel cannot be ignored. I want to make it extremely clear that I do not mean to offend anyone. I am not a racist. I love all cultures. I may be ignorant about some things, and if that is apparent I apologize in advance. Once again, I do not intend any harm. Are we clear? Good.

Just a couple of other things: I don't know if the title fits. I just made it the title because it's the issue that seems to come back to me every time I think of this. Like I said before, this is probably going to end up pretty sappy. I got some action in here that has little to do with the main plot, but I hope you still think it's cool. So sorry it took so long to get this up. The story turned out a lot longer than I intended, and a couple of other things kept me from writing time, including computer problems. But enough of this rambling. Let's go.

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It was early June of the Muse's third summer. As usual, her mother Claire came to the Foleys' place to drop her daughter off. But this time was different.

"Hey V, can you come over sometime this afternoon? Aunt Claire wants to talk to you," Richie said over the phone.

"Really? What about?"

"She won't say."

"Alright. I'll be over as soon as I can."

Virgil came over and found Precious' mother sitting alone in the den. "Hey Mrs. L. How's it going?"

"Hi Virgil. It's good to see you again, but you can call me Mrs.--uh, that is Miss F. if you want to."

Virgil glanced over at her hand and noticed that her wedding ring was gone. "Oh. I'm . . . I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Llewellyn was a little hard to spell anyway." She tried to laugh, but Virgil could plainly hear her choke back tears.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done with my daughter. She's absolutely crazy about you, and I can understand why. Every time I see you, you seem like such a bright and friendly young man. You're really a delight to be with."

Virgil smiled and laughed. "Shucks, Miss F., I'm flattered, and I don't flatter easily. She's a great girl too. She's one of the smartest people I know, next to Richie of course. We both love seeing her grow."

"Well that's partly what this is about. I know Richie's family, so I know where his charm comes from." (She added in a playful whisper, "His mother." Virgil laughed.) "I hope I'm not being rude, but could I please meet your parents? I just want to shake their hands, you know, and say thank you for raising such a delightful young man."

"Sure," Virgil nodded. "Pops would love to meet to meet you."

Claire snickered. "'Pops.' That's cute. I don't think I've ever heard that used for a father. He is your father, right?"

"Uh, yeah. In fact, if you're not busy, I could take you to meet him right now."

"Are you sure he won't mind?"

"He works at the Community Center, so he's used to people walking in. He's a social worker. He loves talking to people, and he's always been impressed with Precious. I'm sure he'd be glad to meet you."

"Well, that's great. Sure, as soon as you can, I'm ready."

"OK, the Community Center isn't far."

They talked more in the car. "So, who all's in your family?" Aunt Claire asked.

"Just me, Pops, and my older sister Sharon."

"Is she as charming as you?"

"Nah, I think the Hawkins charm is exclusively on the male side."

"Forgive me for prying, but where is your mother?"

Virgil looked out the window as he said softly, "In Heaven, I believe."

"Oh, Virgil, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize."

"It's alright. Take this turn here." They didn't talk much after that.

Once they got there, they went back into the office area where Mr. Hawkins was sitting at his desk. "Virgil! Son, what a surprise!" he said as he stood.

"And I got an even bigger one, Pops. This is Precious' mom, and she wants to meet you."

He shook her hand. "Robert Hawkins. Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, sir. I'm Claire Foley."

"Foley? You're related to Richie Foley?"

"Yes, his father Sean is my big brother."

"Is he?" he answered darkly.

"Don't worry. The two of us are like night and day. I've come to thank you for raising such a delightful young man. He has such an amazing impact on my daughter, and I believe I have you to thank."

"Well, your welcome. I can't take all the credit. Little Precious is a very kind, polite young girl. I know she doesn't get that side from Virgil." They went on like this for quite some time, until Mr. Hawkins said very suddenly, "Say, how would you like to come over to our house for dinner? You can meet my whole family properly, and we can talk more there. I make a mean spaghetti."

"Well, I do like spaghetti. Would you mind if I bring my daughter with me?"

"Of course, bring her along! I don't think she's ever visited the Hawkins homestead."

A confused look crossed Claire's face. "Yes she has. At least she talks about it a lot."

"Oh!" Mr. Hawkins chuckled nervously and scratched his head. "Oh yes, now I remember. Well, I don't think she's had dinner with us, and I don't think she knows me or my daughter very well."

"This is a very kind offer, Robert, and I would be delighted to visit your home. But I'm only going to be here for a week, so--"

"Well, why don't you come over tomorrow night?"

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. Unless . . . you don't have any plans already?"

"Not to my knowledge, no. But it is a Friday night. I'll just check in with Sean and Maggie, and I'll call you to let you know where I stand. Richie knows your number. I'm sure it will be fine though. How should we dress?"

"Oh nothing too fancy, dress casual."

"Great, and once again thank you. This is so unbelievably kind, and we're going to make this work out. I'd love to meet your family."

"Alright, see you then."

She left and spotted Virgil waiting just outside the office door. "Oh, Virgil, that's all I needed from you. If you want to go home or stay here with your father, you can go on."

"OK." A question mulled in Virgil's mind that he didn't like and he didn't want to ask, but finally he couldn't stand it. "Miss F., I'm just curious, how are you going to tell Mr. F. about this?"

"Mr.--oh, Sean. I'll try to handle it delicately. I have a tendency to discuss these matters in defiance, because I do not agree with him at all. I'll tell him I'm going to visit a friend. That should be enough for him. The only thing that will hold me back is if he has something planned for tomorrow night, and he probably does. It's a Friday after all. Maybe I won't have to tell him. Maybe he'll work late."

"Maybe."

"Don't worry about it, Virgil. I've had experience."

"OK, I trust you."

After she and Virgil went on, Mr. Hawkins quickly called Sharon's cellphone. "Sharon? I just wanted to tell you that you're getting a break tomorrow night if everything works out. I'm going to cook spaghetti."

"Spaghetti?" she answered. "But . . . you haven't cooked spaghetti since . . . Mom . . ."

"Yes, honey, I know, but I've just been realizing how much I missed cooking that, and if I don't practice I won't be able to pass it on to you or Virgil. Besides, we're having guests."

"Guests? Have you met someone?"

"I just met the mother of that autistic girl who's Virgil's friend. Never realized she was Richie Foley's cousin."

"Oh yeah, Professor Temple told me about her. I've always wanted to meet that girl, just to see what autism is like. He's told me that she's improved due to some kind of invention."

"Well, she and her mother are coming over soon. Claire wanted obviously to talk about a lot of things, and I thought she would be more comfortable at home. You can make dessert if you want."

"OK. There has been this chocolate mousse recipe that I've wanted to try for a while."

"Sounds great. We'll get everything finalized as it gets closer to time. Of course, we have to make sure the house stays clean."

"No problem. I'll wash the good china tonight and vacuum."

"Great. See you later."

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She once had it all. Every piece of information, every instrument of power was once at her disposal. Yet all at once, it was taken. Now, her mind felt so empty. It seemed like forever that she had been in this hospital room while the doctors in lab coats prodded and scanned her brain. They always spoke in whispers, but she could hear them.

"There's nothing more that we can do. There are still parts of her brain that will remain damaged."

"Can you elaborate on that doctor?" (There was something about that voice that sounded familiar.)

"For one thing, we've monitored her every time she slept, and she has never registered a single EEG wave."

"Meaning--?"

"She doesn't dream."

"That's impossible!"

"I know. We're beginning to think that imaginative side of her brain will never operate again."

"What else is new?" (That sarcastic voice, she knew she knew it.)

"It effects her decision making. It's focused either on her emotion or logic, usually her emotion. Therefore her judgment is rather erratic."

"Yet you think she is suitable to return to society?"

"Since she stole her own research, police have found no reason to file a warrant for her arrest. She's too competent to be sent to a mental institution. We can't keep her here; as I have said, there is nothing more we can do."

"I suggest you put her under surveillance. Her research does not need to be resurrected again. If she does anything suspicious, inform me immediately." (She knew that voice! It was . . . it was . . .it started with an A . . . she couldn't remember . . .)

Her head hurt trying to remember. The doctors helped her to her feet and put a band around her arm. They explained what it was for, but she hardly listened. She remembered a few thoughts, and she repeated them over and over in her head.

"I must get my research. I must obtain once more the knowledge that I once held. And I must have my revenge."

At her first opportunity, she turned on the local news channel. As she had hoped, memories began to return to her. "Static. Yes. He did this to me. I know who he is. I had discovered it, oh but why can't I remember? Did I not write this down?" She searched her notes and papers, but all she could find was a note that read, "Robert Hawkins, Freeman Community Center." "I must have reached Static through this man somehow. He must be close to Static. I will use him again."

Then she heard Shelly Sandoval say, "Today several citizens of Dakota saw the Muse on patrol. This will be the third year that the superhero has visited to help all our crime fighters with her ability to alter reality with her mind. Of course, she was not effected by the recent metahuman cure because she was out of town and, according to Static and Gear, she is not a bang baby."

The woman balked at the footage shown of the Muse. She was sure she had never seen the girl before. It was not a memory relapse either. She had concentrated so hard on discovering Static's identity she had hardly noticed or cared about the other superheroes' situations. "She's just like me."

Suddenly, a malicious smile crossed her face. A plan already began to sprout in her head. "I must find out all I can about that girl. She will be exactly what I need. I will use her to gain back the knowledge that once was all mine, and I will rediscover my power until Omnaura reigns supreme!"

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Aunt Claire knocked on the door. Mr. Hawkins answered, "Welcome, come in!"

"Oh my!" Aunt Claire looked at Mr. Hawkins' suit and tie and the children's similar formal attire and then looked down embarrassed at her tie-die jumper and Precious' Shrek and Fiona T-shirt and jeans. "I'm sorry, I thought you meant 'dress casually.' We'll go back and get something nicer."

"Nonsense. You two are fine. We just wanted to look nice for you."

"Oh, are you sure? I don't want to be rude."

"Please, come in."

"Yeah, I like that Miss F.," Virgil added.

"Thank you, Virgil," Claire said as she came in. "My goodness, this is a nice house. Has a sort of modern feel to it. I haven't seen something like this before." She turned to a young lady sitting on the couch. "You must be Sharon."

"Yes. And you're Claire Foley? I'm pleased to meet you. I study psychology at college, and I've been interested in meeting your daughter for a very long time."

"Really? And how did you know about my little girl?"

"I work for Dr. Temple. He's my abnormal psychology professor."

"My, isn't this a small world."

Sharon talked to Aunt Claire for several minutes, asking her questions about what it has been like raising an autistic child. Meanwhile, Virgil took Precious up to his room, and they talked.

"So how was school this year?" he asked.

"It was good. Speaking about school, I've been learning some things lately that made me ponder a few questions. Do you mind if I ask them to you?"

"That's what I'm here for! Shoot."

"OK. Why is it that you short out when you get wet?"

"Because, contrary to popular belief, water does not conduct electricity."

"Yet, but salt water does."

"Uh, I'm hardly ever doused with anything besides fresh water."

"But when fresh water touches your skin, it mixes with natural minerals on your skin and the salt in your sweat so it becomes salt water, and salt water does conduct electricity. That's why it's not safe to listen to the radio when you're taking a bath. The radio could fall in and electrocute you. So theoretically, shouldn't your powers become even stronger when you become wet?"

Virgil assumed "The Thinker's" pose. "Wow, I never thought about that. Maybe I should up the salt content in my diet. Pops won't like it, but maybe he'll let me do it if it has to do with my powers. I'll think about it more. Next question?"

"Many of your opponents protect themselves with wood when they go up against you because they say that electricity has no power over wood. But if that's true, why do so many trees get struck by lightning?"

"Good question. I'm sure Gear would know for sure. That's a good consideration though. We might be able to conquer that barrier with this kind of knowledge. What else?"

"This is the last one, and it's a personal question. What's it like to have a sister?"

Virgil laughed. The phrase "A living nightmare" was on the tip of his tongue, but then he remembered some little events where that wasn't true. Sometimes Sharon was all right. Sure, that was once in a blue moon, but still. "It has its ups and downs, pretty much like everything else in life," he finally answered.

"Sharon seems nice. I've never really met her. I've only seen her when she's out with Adam, and then I'm in the guise of the Muse. Is she really nice?"

"Well, uh, you're going to see what she's like firsthand actually."

"Oh, that's right." She stood and looked out his window. "I always liked your house. See, I was just wondering because I've always wanted a brother or a sister. Mommy says I'm enough, maybe more than enough, but sometimes I just wish I had someone to look after me. Nobody I know has one. Of course, Richie can't say anything about it."

"Being an only child is good too. Don't ever feel bad about what you are."

"OK."

That's when Mr. Hawkins called them down for supper. Everybody must have been very hungry because after the prayer, everyone was silent.

"Oh Robert, this spaghetti is great!" Claire finally said. "I don't think anybody can make it this good. I must have the recipe."

"Uh-uh," Mr. Hawkins replied shaking his head. "Hawkins family secret."

"Oh, a secret recipe. My mother was never much of a cook, so we have very few of those."

"I like the bread," Precious said.

"Well, I got that from the store," Mr. Hawkins replied. "No secrets there."

Aunt Claire laughed.

"So, Claire what is it you do for a living?"

Aunt Claire looked down and muttered, "I'm a hair stylist."

"You're not satisfied?"

"Well, I can't say that. It puts food on the table, and a little more."

"But you almost sound ashamed."

"I don't know why you would be," Sharon said. "My friends and I all love to know someone who knows all there is to know about hair."

"'Cause she don't know any, as you can see," Virgil quipped.

Precious dropped her piece of French bread in shock. "Virgil!"

"Look who's talking, Mr. Fried Dread!" Sharon sneered.

"Sharon!" Precious cried in shock again.

"Alright you two, that's enough," Robert Hawkins broke in.

"Sorry, sir," Virgil and Sharon replied in unison.

"Now, you were saying?"

"It's not that I don't enjoy my job, but I was never really expecting to work in the first place. I married out of my third year of college. I decided I wanted to be a homemaker, and maybe a songwriter on the side. I wanted to show America that the family doesn't need two paychecks to survive. Of course, I wasn't expecting for what happened to happen. Suddenly, I was alone, and we had nothing. So I went to beauty school. It was quick and cheap. I do well at what I do, but I wish I could do something more with my life. I want to go back and get that last year of college, or maybe even go to law school, but I have neither the time nor the money. Plus, I'm really getting tired of the stereotypes some of our customers have about us. I get the impression of those stereotypes nearly every time, that I'm poor or unintelligent. Those who know about Precious' condition think that she is a super-genius. And there are so many more that I don't even want to talk about. I don't mean anything offensive, but I believe that you all can see where I'm coming from."

"Absolutely," Mr. Hawkins replied nodding his head. "So, you said you were from Metropolis?"

"That's right."

"Hmmm, I know some people from there. Maybe I can help you."

"Oh, it's ok."

"No, it would be my pleasure."

"Well, that is nice of you."

"Metropolis," Virgil said. "That's Superman's hometown, isn't it? Do you get much superhero action down there?"

"Not much, and certainly not as much as you guys get here, what with Static and Gear and that new one I haven't seen yet--which one was that Precious?"

"The Muse," she replied.

"Yes, the Muse. I've heard a lot of good things about that one. So, what do you guys know about these superheroes?"

The following pause was not just a little uncomfortable. Finally, Mr. Hawkins spoke up. "Well, I've never been too happy with the bang baby situation. Even Static made me uncomfortable for a while. But he continues to prove himself, and we've learned to be safe with him around. The only thing I've really disapprove of is his tremendous ego."

"It's a disease," Sharon said. "He got it from Virgil!"

"And Virgil got it from you!" Virgil playfully snapped at her.

"Stop it, please stop it," Precious muttered.

"Sorry," Virgil quietly apologized.

"Well, whoever gave it to him, I'm thankful for the Muse. She's done a good job of keeping that in check. I'd daresay that the Muse is Static's role model."

"Precious doesn't emulate his ego," Claire observed, "so I think he's a good role model for her. He seems very friendly and witty. She's get to see him a lot when she stays over here, right Virgil?"

"Oh yeah. She sees him almost every day on patrol. Even if she just catches a glimpse of him, it really makes her happy."

"I gotta say, Robert, your son somehow knows what to do with my girl. He and Richie have brought her out of a dark place that I thought she would never escape. It's almost miraculous."

"Virgil's involved?" Sharon scoffed. "Forget the 'almost.' It is a miracle."

"One more than you've ever done!" Virgil replied.

Precious pushed her plate out of the way. "Mr. Hawkins, may I please be excused?"

"Alright. You don't want dessert?" he asked.

"No, thank you, I'm not hungry!" she replied after grabbing another slice of French bread and running out the door.

"We'll talk about this later," Mr. Hawkins said sternly to his children.

They continued to talk for several minutes. Then everybody was done with the spaghetti, and Sharon brought out the dessert. Yet just as Virgil was starting to enjoy it, he started to hear crying from the upstairs. Virgil sighed. "I'll go talk to her."

"Please do," Mr. Hawkins said.

Virgil found Precious in his room, sitting at his desk with her head buried in her arms. "Precious? Look, I'm sorry we've upset you. Me and my sister, we bug each other so much our tiffs are almost second nature. We should have stopped."

Precious looked up at him. "Why are you so mean to her?"

"Mean? Me? No, you got it all wrong. I'm not mean. An annoying little snot maybe, but--"

"Don't you love her?"

"WELL, OF COURSE I DO!" But then he added in a whisper, "But don't let it get around."

"Why not? If you love her, you have to show it. Love is being nice, isn't it?"

"Hey, I'm nice to her. I've gotten her out of trouble a few times."

"Why don't you do it more? Sharon is Adam's girlfriend. Adam's my friend, so Sharon's my friend too. So when you say such mean things, you say them to me too."

"Hey, you don't understand. It's all in fun. She knows that. I really don't mean the things I say."

"Then you're lying to her?"

"No! I'm challenging her. Truth be told, I think she likes our bouts. It keeps both of our wits razor sharp. Look, Sharon's a great girl. Next to you and Richie, she's the smartest person I know. She's helped me a lot when I've been going through problems because she's able to help me understand what's going on. I'm not too wild about her cooking, but I am grateful when she takes up my chores when I'm busy with, uh, other responsibilities." He winked. Precious began to wipe her tears, and she smiled just a little bit. Virgil looked like he was going to say more, but then the door knocked and Sharon came in. "Speak of the devil." Precious shot Virgil a hurtful glance. "No, it's an expression! It's ok."

Sharon looked like she had a comeback, but she let it go. "Are we doing ok in here? I brought you some dessert, Precious. I know you said you weren't hungry, but I thought you'd like it. I made it myself."

"I could tell," Virgil smirked, but then he quickly added, "But it was good! You can't go wrong with all that chocolate and whipped cream."

"OK, Mr. Food Critic, if you're just about done, could you please clean the kitchen? Dad and Miss Foley are talking, and I got a pretty hefty homework load."

"Homework? In June?"

"Hey, in college summer school isn't always for delinquents."

"Oh, I see. I'll take care of it." He patted Precious' shoulder and left.

Sharon handed Precious the little plate. "Are you doing ok, Honey?" she asked.

"Was what Virgil saying true? Do you really like your fights?" Precious asked.

"Well, it's no walk in the park, but yeah it's ok. You probably don't understand because you're an only child. See, sibling rivalry is inevitable. It's part of growing up. I mean, it could be a lot worse. I've counseled some kids that hit each other all the time. Virgil doesn't pull pranks on me anymore. He used to do that when we were younger. Mom put a stop to that. I guess we've learned to handle it pretty well, but we can always do better."

"I don't understand. Why is it inevitable?"

"That's a pretty complex issue. Usually, it's like a power struggle. I don't know if I can explain it to you. Just understand that even when I fight Virgil, I like him a lot." Sharon handed her a tissue and looked at the girl's shirt. "So, you like Shrek?"

"Yeah. I have all the movies. I got ideas for a story about Shrek and his son."

"Cool. Shrek is funny. Well, I got to get to work. You're mother is probably going to be a while, and I think she and Dad want to be alone. You want to stay in here, or maybe you'd like to come with me in my room and listen to music? I got Usher, Alicia Keys, Seal, Stringer . . ."

"Do you have anything I can read?"

"Not much I'm afraid. Most of my books are for school, and they're pretty boring. But you're free to see what I have." Sharon led Precious to her room.

Meanwhile, as Virgil entered the kitchen, he saw his dessert still on the table. "Well, let's take care of some unfinished business first." He started shoving spoonfuls of chocolate in his mouth, and he could just barely hear his father and Miss Foley in the other room.

"I apologize how my children were acting tonight. Compared to how polite your girl was, I must have turned out looking pretty bad."

"Oh no, don't think that. I'm sorry she got so overworked. I feel confident that your son said just the right thing. Speaking of which, I have a question I need to ask you. I tried to ask you when we first met over at the community center, but I didn't get the chance."

"Go ahead. I'll do my best to answer."

"What exactly is Virgil doing with my daughter?"

Virgil choked on a nut and dropped his spoon. So, that's what this whole thing was about. This wasn't good. Mr. Hawkins was a truthful man, and he knew about Virgil and Precious' secret roles. Virgil was concerned. He propped the kitchen door open so that he could hear better. He didn't like to eavesdrop, but he didn't see any other choice.

"Why exactly do you need to know? Are you concerned for some reason?"

"No, not at all. You see, these past two summers when Precious came back, she's a little better. She's a little happier, a little friendlier, and a little stronger. But at home, she's still in a school with severely autistic children, and when she's in that environment, she tends to emulate it and retreat into some of the children's extreme behaviors. I keep trying to tell the school board that she's ready for the regular school system. But they say that technically her diagnosis hasn't changed, that it can't change. As long as she's autistic, she has to go to school for the autistic. How can they say that anyway? They don't even know her!"

"Why don't you get her reevaluated? I've heard of several people who were previously diagnosed with serious autism are later re-diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a much milder case."

"Yes, I have heard of that, and I think it is possible that Richie's invention has changed enough in her brain that AS could be a more probable diagnosis. But psychological evaluations are expensive, and the school board won't fund it. So I'm still looking for a loophole. In the meantime, I would like to do whatever Richie and Virgil are doing here at our home. I think it will keep her moral high."

"Have you asked Richie?"

"Yes, and I was shocked at how evasive he was. He said something like, 'Oh we do a little bit here and a little bit there, and we just have fun.' Something tells me if I ask Virgil directly, he'd tell me the same thing. And Sean and Maggie have no clue what they do all the time. So, you're the last person I can think of to ask."

"Well, I have to be honest, I don't know all the details. From what I can tell, Virgil's teaching her to serve in the community. I remember the first time he brought her to the community center. I've seen a lot of kids, but I've never seen anyone who looked more out of place. Most of the activities we have available are athletic in nature, and she plainly wasn't interested. But she still wanted to be a part of it. So she volunteered on her own to help me. She picked up trash and swept leaves off the outdoor basketball court. I was very proud of her for noticing some things that most of our visitors miss. And she was just glad to help me. That's the kind of work that Virgil's inspiring her to do, and in my opinion that's the best skills anyone can learn."

"Absolutely, yes. I'm very glad to hear that, but why do you think they're so secretive?"

"I don't ask Virgil what he's been up to because I've learned to trust him. I know he's taking good care of her, whatever he's doing. But it may partly be for privacy reasons. Sharon's boyfriend has dyslexia, and one thing Virgil encouraged Precious to do was introduce to this young man her love of reading. I didn't know about this for a while because this young man doesn't like to disclose his disorder. I'm not exactly sure if he's told Sharon. So that maybe part of the reason they like to keep it quiet."

"I see. Well, I'll try to get Precious involved in such projects at home."

"You know what I think she really needs? She needs a daddy."

Claire's voice sounded more somber. "Yes she does. She's never really had one."

"Are you looking?"

"I'm trying anyway. It's really been hurting lately. I visited my husband when he was in jail, and he told me he tried everything he could to forget he ever married me. And . . . well, let's just say America's law isn't the only thing he broke." She began to cry.

"OK, I've heard enough," Virgil thought. He closed the door and started doing the dishes.

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Virgil's Shock Box woke him up. "Richie, I did not order a wake up call," he said groggily.

"Sorry, V-Man, but we got a real situation here."

"Don't criminals sleep in during the summer? If I were a criminal, I would."

"You would if you weren't a criminal, Virg."

"That was my point."

"It isn't like that, though, V. Aunt Claire wants to come with us."

"Huh?"

"She wants to see what we're doing firsthand. I tried to talk her out of it, but she was all like" (Richie said in a falsetto voice) "'Well, I have a right to know! I'm her mother!' I didn't know how to answer that, and I don't know what to do. We can't let her in our secret, and we can't just have a nothing day either."

"Richie, it's ok. I overheard her talking with Pops last night. I understand why she's wanting to do this. Just hang on. I'll get something together by lunch, ok?"

"Alright. Can you give me a idea?"

"One thing at a time, bro. I'm ready for breakfast."

Sharon and Mr. Hawkins were already down in the kitchen. "You're up early for a summer vacation day," Sharon observed when Virgil came in.

"I had a rude awakening," Virgil muttered.

"Sorry to hear that," Mr. Hawkins said. He took a sip of his coffee and then looked up. "Alright, now that I have the two of you together, we need to talk."

"Dad, Virgil and I both know that we were acting immature last night," Sharon said. "We both apologized to the girl."

"We'll try to be on our best behavior when we have guests next time," Virgil added. "We should have known better."

"Well, I'm glad we got that out of the way," Mr. Hawkins said.

"You mean, you're not mad?" Sharon asked.

"I wasn't pleased with your behavior last night. I believed you crossed the line. But I think you handled the situation afterward gracefully. Anyhow, that's not what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it, Pops?" Virgil asked.

Mr. Hawkins sighed and said, "How would the two of you feel if I asked Claire if I could see her again?"

"You mean like a . . . date?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I mean."

"Dad, didn't you count the cost?" Sharon asked.

"You know I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't something I gave a lot of thought and prayer over."

"Are you sure? I mean, this doesn't sound like the right thing for the girl."

"Of course it is! She needs a good father."

"Dad, they're white! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, but there's so much bad blood out there. Precious took personally things Virgil and I said to each other. Think about how she would feel if somebody yelled words Virgil and I would never even think of saying right in her face, just because she was with us!"

"Yes, that is a deep concern. Thank goodness those people are becoming fewer."

"But one of those people are her uncle!" Virgil brought up. "I know he's been better, but I also know feelings like that don't die easily. He might disown Miss Foley and Precious forever. I might not be able to be friends with Richie anymore."

"Now, you two are thinking way too ahead! I'm not asking what you would think if I asked Claire to marry me. I just want to give her a shot. Is that wrong?"

"We're not saying that it is, but just be careful."

"I will. Don't worry." The room got silent as everybody continued to eat. Virgil got up to think more about Richie's predicament, but as he got up Mr. Hawkins said, "Virgil, can I speak with you privately please?"

"Ooh, you're going to get it," Sharon teased.

For the first time in his life, Virgil was too distracted to think of a comeback. He sat down next to his father and waited for Sharon to leave. "What is it, Pops?"

"Virgil, I know you were eavesdropping on us last night. I saw you prop open the door."

"Pops, I'm sorry to be rude, but once I heard where the conversation was going, I had to hear. I thought you were going to give it away."

"I'll let it slide this time. Seeing you in the door there helped me think of what to say."

"Well, thank you for not saying," Virgil said as he got up.

"I didn't," Mr. Hawkins replied, "but I think you should." Virgil hesitated, so Mr. Hawkins continued, "You heard why she wants to know. I see no reason why Precious can't be the Muse in her hometown."

"Pops, I can't. Richie and I both agree that she's not ready to be a superhero on her own. You don't know her as well as we do. She's physically weak, so she often needs our help, and her logic works different than normal. She doesn't have a superhero mentor up in Metropolis anymore. That's why we only work on it when she's visits in the summer."

"You still need to talk to her about it. Claire is worried about her daughter's future. Her worry is not good. Virgil, I think Claire is depressed because her former husband cheated on her."

"She didn't say that!"

"No, but sometimes when you've worked with people for as long as I have, you can tell."

"I'm going to have to think about this. I'll try to do what's best for both of them."

"That's all I ask. I will too."

"Good."

Virgil got back on the Shock Box with Richie, and they agreed to take Precious over to some of the places they go regularly when not doing hero stuff, such as the library and the community center. He even suggested that they take Aunt Claire to the gas station, so long as they turn off and hide their equipment. "'Cause really what I think we're doing with Precious that is so beneficial is just spending time and communicating with her," Virgil explained.

"Yeah, I think you're right. At least it's something like that."

"But Richie, just so you're aware, we might have to tell your aunt about all this before she leaves. Pops wants me to."

"What? How come?"

"I'll explain later."

Precious was very glad that her mother was coming along. They went over to the library and checked out some books. Then Richie treated everybody to lunch at Get Your Grub On. Afterwards, they went to the Community Center. Richie and Virgil went to "shoot some hoops" while Precious picked up litter.

"Claire! I didn't think we meet this soon!" an excited voice called.

"Oh, Robert!" Aunt Claire said somewhat startled. She pulled out a thank you card from her handbag. "I was going to give this to Virgil so that he could give this to you, but since you're here, well, here." She handed it to him.

"Thank you. That's very nice. Say, I was wondering if you'd like to meet together again sometime before you leave. I know a nice steakhouse downtown."

"Oh yes, I would love to. Precious and I do like steak."

"Actually, I was wondering if it could be just you and me this time."

"Oh." She came in closer and whispered to him, "I don't know if I could do that. If my brother knew I was going alone to see you, he'd go ballistic."

"So, you're going to let his biases rule you?"

"I didn't say that. I just want him to still be part of our lives, at least because of Richie."

"Alright, you can bring her."

"Thank you. I appreciate this so much." Virgil just happened to see part of the exchange, and for some reason, he suddenly felt sad. For the rest of the day, he wasn't his old self. He seemed distant and said little.

Virgil's moodiness continued for the next few days. It even affected his superhero work. One day he didn't come to the gas station. Precious and Richie waited there for hours dressed in their costumes, and Precious was starting to get restless. Gear stayed silent and worked on some of his gadgets.

"Hey Gear, I was asking Virgil some questions the other day, and he didn't have an answer. Maybe you do."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, one was, if wood is such a poor conductor of electricity, why do so many trees get struck by lightning?"

"Oh that's easy. The lightning is attracted to the tree sap. When lightning hits the tree, the sap heats up, expands, and the tree explodes." Gear sat up straighter. "Hey, that gives me an idea."

For the rest of the afternoon, he was writing down formulas and mixing chemicals. "What are you doing?" Precious asked.

"Making synthetic sap. This will probably help Static when he encounters that obstacle."

"Where is Static anyway? It's not like him to be this late. Shouldn't we call his Shock Box?"

"No, I don't think we should."

"But we need to get him!"

"I've known him for a long time. Virgil is sometimes a troubled boy. I don't think he ever told you about his mother, did he?"

"I always thought she ran away, like Daddy did."

"No, it's much worse. She was a doctor. Her job was to get people who needed help onto an ambulance. A few years ago, before the Big Bang, there was a huge gang fight. Virgil's mother was called to help, and she was hit by a stray bullet."

"So, she died?"

"Yes."

Precious began to cry just a little bit. "That's so sad."

"Yeah. So Virgil feels down sometimes. He's probably gone somewhere to think. That's why it's probably a bad idea to page him. It will interrupt his train of thought. I think it might be more beneficial if you go talk to him."

"Me? Are you sure?"

"I'll come if you need me. Here, I know some of the places he likes to go."

The Muse flew around town until she found Virgil in his costume sitting on the three of the clock face downtown. She flew over and sat beside him. "Static?"

"Oh, hey Muse," he mumbled. He was stone quiet after that, so the Muse searched for something to say. It took forever. Finally, Virgil sighed and said, "Pops really likes your mother."

"Good. She really likes him too."

"No, I mean he really, really likes her."

"That's what I'm saying. She likes him too."

"You don't understand. He wants to date her. If they go on enough dates and they like each other enough, he might ask her to marry him."

"Oh. So he's in love. Why didn't you say so?"

"Well, I wouldn't say that he's in love. He's not humming Motown yet. It's just that Pops has been lonely for a long time, and he knows that your mother is also lonely."

"Lonely? Why? She has me"

"Yeah, but losing a spouse still leaves you very lonely. It's a kind of loneliness that no one else can cure, and it's hard to get rid of."

"But I don't understand. Why is this holding you up so much?"

"I have nothing against your mother, it's just hard thinking of anybody taking over for Moms. Have I ever told you about her?"

"Richie told me."

"Alright. I'm sure you feel the same way about anybody replacing your pops. It must have been hard on you when she made that decision."

"Uh-huh. I was mad. I told Mommy that she was giving up on him. But she told me that he did something very bad that made her cry every night. She won't say what that is, but I don't want her to be sad anymore. So I don't know how to feel."

"Yeah, I hear ya. But let's look on the bright side. If this works out, I could be your stepbrother! Won't that be something?" The Muse looked away. "What's wrong? You wanted to know what it's like to have a brother."

The Muse sighed. "I don't know if I'd like that."

"Why not?" Virgil sounded very offended.

"Because that means I have to fight you. I don't want to fight you, or Sharon. You're my friends."

"You don't have to fight us if you don't want to."

"Yes I do. Sharon said so. She said, 'Sibling rivalry is inevitable.'"

"That's not what she means! That doesn't mean siblings have to fight, it means they probably will."

"Why?"

"It's a power issue, in a lot of ways. You know, they fight over which sibling is better. And it's not always true. Hey, if you don't want to fight me, I won't fight you. And I'll try to be nicer to Sharon, emphasis on try."

"Thank you."

"But Pops is right. We shouldn't look too far into the future just yet. To be honest, Sharon and I both have doubts about this relationship, and it has nothing to do with you."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Virgil stuttered. He did not know what to say. Finally he said, "It's unpleasant, dangerous waters. Let's not go down that road until we are sure how serious this thing is."

"OK." Suddenly, her appearance changed. Her blond hair suddenly turned black. "Huh?" There was a flicker, and then it changed to red, then green, and her nose became a little longer. "Magic! Magic! Stop!"

"You feeling ok?" Static asked.

"I don't know. I better go back to HQ." She stood, unfurled her wings, and took flight. Yet just as she left the clock, her wings vanished. She took quite a plunge, screaming her head off. But then--

"It's ok Muse! I've got you!"

Static had caught her in midair, but she was still shaking and hyperventilating. "That was so scary. I forgot you were there." Then she gasped and hid her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I just saw a camera pointed at us!"

"You're right, the paparazzi will have a field day."

"No, someone's spying on us!"

"You sure? I don't see--oh!" Static still didn't see, but the thought of a sudden, unexplained glitch in the Magic Hat had him worried. He quickly made a ball of bright light surround them and flash to quiet her. "There, that should lose 'em. Now let's go to HQ."

But the Muse was still edgy. She wouldn't uncover her face, and when they got there, her first words were, "Gear! Cover the windows, lock the doors! We don't have time!"

"Muse, nobody's going to see us in here," Static said. "Nobody's ever seen us!"

"You can't assume that, Static! Mommy says you can never assume that! Besides, they might find us!"

"What's going on?" Gear said after coving up the window with a poster.

"She's a little paranoid after taking a spill."

"She fell? What about your wings?"

"I'm not just paranoid! I saw a tiny flying camera pointed right at us!" Precious insisted.

"Maybe you should do a diagnostic on her Magic Hat," Static suggested.

Gear scanned the hat with Backpack. "Yep, it's got a virus."

"A virus?" Precious asked. "How can a piece of machinery get sick?"

"It's a computer virus. You know, it's a sudden, unexplained glitch. There's no telling where it came from. This is sounding like Omnaura to me."

"Omnaura?" Precious asked. "Hmm, Omn--o-m-n, a prefix derived from the Latin word 'Omni' meaning all, and aura--a-u-r-a, a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source. So her name means 'all atmospheres.' That's quite clever."

"Don't you dare praise her!" Static admonished. "She's bad news! You may have something here with being so paranoid. Back a ways ago, she used her technology to discover my secret identity. She kidnapped Pops and made me steal back her research from Alva Industries."

"Alva Industries? What's that?"

"I haven't told you about Alva? His company developed the gas that caused the Big Bang! She used to work for him. She had a secret project to control all the digital devices in the world with her own magic hat."

"She does sound dangerous. How come I've never met her?"

"We tangled when you were still in school. Gear stopped her by infecting her system with a virus of his own. She looked so brain fried she wouldn't recover."

"We can never assume that either, I guess," Gear muttered.

"Wait a minute," Precious asked. "How did Mr. Hawkins react to being captured? Was Static able to keep his identity a secret?"

"Nope," Static answered. "He figured it out. I thought you noticed."

"Oh. I had wondered, but I wasn't sure. I felt a little guilty because I thought I accidentally gave it away."

"You don't have to feel guilty. Pops is smarter than I give him credit sometimes."

"I guess this means I can't do any magic for a while."

"Don't worry, I'll be able to get rid of this virus," Gear said. "I'll get it back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, Static and I will look for Omnaura."

"Gear," Static whispered, "I don't think we have anything to worry about. You know Omnaura's in not functioning normally. It's not possible."

"How can it not be? This is very similar to the worm she infected my system with. And Omnaura had to discover your identity somehow with a camera."

"I can't explain the bug, but she just took a really hard dive. Even after it was over, she was shaking like a leaf. You know how she gets when she's scared. Her autism was acting up. With her magic hat malfunctioning, it's no wonder she started seeing things."

"But she's right, we can't assume. This could be serious."

"You just try to clean up that virus, and I'll do my thing. If anything comes up, I'll take care of it."

"Alright," Gear shrugged and went back to work. He wasn't sure why Static was so adamant.

##################

Precious wanted to spend her time off to play Galaxy Sea, but Aunt Claire had other ideas. All day, she made sure that they both were ready for that night. She gave Precious a long shower, then made her wear an uncomfortable dress, then put makeup on her, then did all kinds of stuff with her hair that was much too hot on her scalp and took hours to do. Precious hated it.

"Mommy, this hurts," she whined.

"Well the French have a saying, 'It hurts to be beautiful.'"

"We didn't have to do this last time."

"We're going to a high class restaurant, one of the kinds that has a dress code. Besides, the Hawkins got all dressed up for us last time. We need to return the favor."

Just then, Mr. Foley came in. "Well," he said with a smile. "Don't you two look lovely?"

"Hi Uncle Sean," Precious said.

"Hey Precious," he whispered to her, "Better watch out. Aunt Maggie might put her on her shelf with all her other china dolls."

"Please don't let her do that," she whispered back.

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it."

"Well Sean, you're home early," Aunt Claire remarked.

He acted like he didn't hear her, but looked in her eyes and said, "So Claire, what's the occasion?"

"Precious and I have been invited to have dinner with a friend."

His tone became much more serious. "The same friend who invited you over the other night?"

"Yes."

He looked down at his niece. "Precious, why don't you go up to Richie's room and play video games for a little while?" Then he looked back up at his sister and said sternly, "Your mother and I need to have a little talk."

Precious nodded and ran up to the room. She had been anxious to play all day, so the seriousness of her uncle's voice escaped her. She closed the door, turned the volume a notch or two too high, and immersed herself in a world of digitized fantasy. Richie came in about five minutes later. "Oh, there you are," he said. "Good thing you're up here."

"Why?" Precious asked without even looking away from the screen.

"Uh, never mind. Hey, I got Magic Hat 2 fixed."

"Good."

"And I just worked out a system with Mr. H. for tonight. If you ever notice anything amiss, just tell your mom that you need to go to the bathroom. He'll offer to escort you, then he'll take you to the restroom for you to change. We'll try not to page you on the Shock Box unless we know we can't handle it by ourselves. Got it?"

"Yeah--Oh man! I just died! And I can't remember the last time I saved, and we just got so far. I hate when that happens."

"Precious, did you even hear me?"

"Yeah Richie. But why are you so worried? Why would anybody attack a restaurant, and what are the chances that they'll attack my restaurant?"

"Look, despite what Virgil says, I believe Omnaura was behind what happened yesterday, and I think she's after you. If she was planning to take over the world, like last time, other digital objects (such as Backpack) would have been infected with her virus. But I couldn't find a trace of the virus in any of my equipment. I don't know how she knows about your Magic Hat, but this plainly shows that you were a target somehow."

"Oh. OK. Well, I gotta go to the bathroom."

"That's right. You say it just like that."

"No, I mean I really have to--" Precious got up and started to open the door.

"Oh! Yeah, ok. Hey wait! Stop!"

But it was too late. Precious heard it all.

Aunt Claire screamed, "SHAME ON YOU, SEAN BRIAN FOLEY! I thought you grew! I thought you changed! I thought you learned to look beyond these shallow stereotypes!"

"IT'S NOT A STEREOTYPE!" he screamed back. "I've heard it on a documentary from one of their own . . . kind. IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"Where did you see this documentary? MTV?"

"What difference does it makes? They're not like us, Claire. They're a completely different culture, and that culture is still very dangerous. It's not a safe place to mix romance. I'm telling you, you'll never be anything more to him than a status symbol."

"Do you think that's how his son looks at my daughter?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

Aunt Claire screamed even louder, but Precious closed the restroom door and couldn't hear it clearly. She sat down and cried a little. When she was done, she could hear that her mother was also crying.

"Claire," Sean said gently, "you gotta understand. You're my little sister, and I'm the only family you have left. I'm supposed to be looking after you. I just want to keep you from making a huge mistake that you'll regret for the rest of your life."

"Oh, I already made one of those. YOU APPROVED OF HIM! HE WAS WHITE!"

"DON'T YOU GO BRINGING--" But before he could finish, Claire walked out of the room. She got Precious by the wrist and went for the front door. She shot Mr. Foley a defiant glare and went walked out to the car. Mr. Foley crossed his arms and watched them drive away. Mrs. Foley came out to talk to him. She touched his elbow, and he angrily turned to her. He said coldly, "If they are not back by 11:00, lock the door."

"Sean, your niece is with her."

"She can spend the night with the company she chose to keep!" he yelled. "Let's have dinner."

Claire drove as far away from the house as she could. Then she pulled over to the shoulder of the road and hit her head on the steering wheel. After collecting her thoughts she said, "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to hear some of that. I know it hurt you. It hurt me tremendously."

"But why was Uncle Sean yelling at you? Was it just sibling rivalry?"

"No, honey. It's deeper than that. I love your uncle, but he has a problem. Your uncle has always been prejudiced against African Americans."

Precious began to think aloud, "P-R-E-D . . . P-R-E . . . I am not familiar with that word."

"It's a good thing. It's an awful word."

"It's a bad word?"

"Not per se, but it's a bad thing to be. It means that he separates out a certain group just because they are different from him, in this case it's African Americans like Virgil's family. Then he takes little details that apply to some people in that group and apply them to all the people in that group. Do you understand?"

"No."

"Alright, let me give you an example. There are some African American young men, just a little older than Virgil, who commit violent crimes. They're all on the news almost all the time. Because of that, for a long time your Uncle Sean believed that African Americans were all dangerous. Back when he was young, it was really bad. He called African Americans course names and beat them up daily. Worst part is, my dad, your grandfather, he encouraged Sean's behavior. This is going to sound cruel, but sometimes I'm glad he passed away. You didn't need to be influenced by that kind of thinking."

"But how could Uncle Sean think that Virgil or Virgil's daddy is dangerous? They're really nice."

"I don't really understand it, honey. There's always been a strain between our two races. Over two hundred years ago Africans were brought to America as slaves. It wasn't until just recently that they got full rights as citizens. It's not right that we've treated them as unfairly as we have for so long. It still goes on. I don't know why. But I am so proud of you for making friends with Virgil without even questioning his skin color. I've been proud Richie for making friends with him as well. Richie helped open your uncle's mind at last. Uncle Sean doesn't feel as prejudiced as he did before, but his opinions were not gone forever. He opposed my going to see Virgil's father."

"Why?"

"It's something he heard about African American men looking exclusively for a Caucasian woman. I don't think you're old enough to really understand. I don't believe Mr. Hawkins is like that. He's a thoughtful, caring man, and he just wants to make a friend."

"Maybe more than a friend?"

"Maybe, and even if that's the case, it's ok. Well, we need to get going. He's probably wondering where we are. Here, I'll reapply your makeup."

"OK," Precious said reluctantly. They were quiet the rest of the way. Precious just kept mulling in her mind what she had just heard, and the more she thought of it the less sense it made.

Mr. Hawkins was waiting for them at the restaurant. He smiled big when he saw them. "Claire! My goodness, you look . . . great!"

"Why thank you, Robert."

"And Precious, you are really living up to you're name."

"Thank you, Mr. Hawkins," Precious said meekly.

They were shown to their table. Precious looked out the window. She stayed silent and munched on breadsticks. She paid no attention to what Mr. Hawkins and her mother were saying. There was still too much on her mind. It was probably just as well. It made the two feel like they had more privacy.

About when she was eating her last bite of steak, Precious saw something out the window. It looked like a flying woman with glowing eyes, and she was coming toward the restaurant. "Omnaura?" Precious thought. She turned back to her mother. "Mommy, can I go to the bathroom?"

Mr. Hawkins picked up his cue. "Sit tight, Claire. I'll escort her. We'll be right back." He took Precious by the hand and led her to restroom. Then he handed her a beach bag and whispered, "Do what you need to do. Good luck."

She nodded and went in. She put her Magic Hat on and had to activate it a couple of times. She wanted a disguise that looked nothing like what she really looked like because she didn't want her mother to recognize her. As soon as the Muse got a mask that suited her, she called Static and Gear. "Guys, I think I just saw Omnaura! I saw a flying woman with eyes that glowed green!"

"That sounds like her," Gear said.

"We'll get there as soon as we can," Static replied. "Right now we kinda got our hands full."

"OK, I'll try to hold her off."

"You sure?" Gear said.

"I have to. Nobody else can, unless RB and Shebang are anywhere around."

"No, I think they're both out of town."

"Then I gotta do it. I'll be ok. I'm just worried that Mommy will feel worried about me." Just then there was an explosion just outside the restroom. "Gotta go!" the Muse said quickly before signing off.

Outside, Omnaura had broken in. "Robert Hawkins, I presume? It has been a long time."

"What do you want? If it has anything with Static--"

"I'm not interested him at the moment."

"It's me you want isn't it?" a voice said behind her. Omnaura turned to see the Muse cross-armed. "Well, here I am. Give me one good reason why I should be afraid of you."

"Robert are you ok?" Claire came running to Mr. Hawkins' side, and then she glared at the new specter. "Robert, who is this?"

"Bad news," he replied.

Omnaura did not even notice the two of them. "Yes, Muse, I am after you. Trust me, I have many reasons why you should fear me."

"I'm not going to allow you to take over the world again. My magic will stop you."

"Oh my dear, you don't see. Much of my equipment has been damaged, so I am not ready quite yet to seek a network that expansive. I've decided to start small. I've decided to start with you."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you stole my idea. Your powers are derived from a neural helmet, much like my own."

"Are you so sure? Most people believe it is my pendant."

"You're rather careless, Muse. I can't tell you how much footage I got of you scratching your head beneath that helmet. I can show it to you if I had a monitor, but there does not seem to be one here. I can see the circuitry underneath too. It is very similar."

"Maybe so, but I didn't steal it. I had it long before you ever showed up."

"Oh, but I had the blueprints written for my neural network before you were even born. Don't worry. I'm not accusing you . . . yet. After all, this may just be a case of 'Great minds think alike.' Besides, there is a benefit to this. I can link my neural helmet directly to yours, and I can see what is in your mind."

"What?"

"It's true. I can sense the neurons firing in your brain, and I believe I can translate them to thoughts. I can learn everything I want to about you, but even more than this, I can control you!"

"You can't! I won't let you!"

"Oh, but I can. Let me demonstrate." Omnaura closed her eyes. "Oh, isn't this interesting? I believe I have found your weakness already."

"No."

"Yes. I don't believe you're even aware of this. Your cerebellum is much smaller than normal, and it is very weak. Do you know what the cerebellum controls, Muse? Balance, posture, coordination. I wonder what would happen if it were ATTACKED!"

A couple of surges of electricity emitted from Omnaura's neural helmet. The Muse cringed and fell down. Her limbs flailed all about her. It looked like she was having a seizure. The fit passed, but the Muse still couldn't stand.

"That's just a little taste of what I can do, my little puppet. Here's another. You said when you first saw me that you weren't afraid of me, but I see what you are afraid of. Oh, this is too easy."

Omnaura looked up and smiled, and all the fire alarms in the restaurant went off. Any people who were still in the restaurant immediately got out. Only Mr. Hawkins and Claire stayed. Claire started to get up and attack Omnaura, but Mr. Hawkins stopped her.

"Please, make it stop!" the Muse screamed.

"Why? I am having too much fun. Now you're thinking of Static and Gear. You would love for them to be here, wouldn't you? Well, you're out of luck. I made sure that they were well occupied. How does it feel, Muse, to be completely powerless? No friends, no control, and no way to keep me out! Now, let me get in deeper. Let's see who you really are."

"NO! MAGIC!" At her command, all sorts of holograms erupted from her magic hat. There were dragons, ghosts, and monsters. One ghost with deep blue eyes, silver hair that went down to his feet, and wearing a black cape knocked Omnaura down with an abnormally long sword. Other than that, most of the apparitions didn't directly hurt Omnaura, but they tore up the restaurant and forced Mr. Hawkins and Claire outside. Omnaura continued to get in, but the Muse continued to fight.

The Muse was starting to get tired. Her head hurt, and she felt drained of energy. She was just about ready to quit when she felt two strong arms pull her up. "Here we are," a voice said in her ear. It was Static!

"YOU!" Omnaura yelled. "YOU DID THIS TO ME!"

"I had to, or you would have hurt Pops or given my identity away!"

"She doesn't know anymore," the Muse muttered.

"Huh?"

"She doesn't remember your identity. She's searching her mind for your name, but can't find it." Omnaura gawked at the Muse, and the young superhero said to her, "That's right, Omnaura. It works both ways. All I see in your mind is greed and evil thoughts."

"It's not supposed to," she answered.

"Why shouldn't it? Aren't we connected?"

"I failed."

"No. You wanted to know who I am. I showed you. It was my darker side, yes, but that was the best I could do in the state I was in."

"Evidently there were things I did not take into account. No matter, I have something planned in case this happened." She touched her helmet, and a gigantic, wooden robot with a cannon came stomping toward the restaurant. "I know, metal would be a more suitable choice for such a contraption, but wood is such a poor conductor of electricity.

"We need to take this outside," Static whispered to the Muse. Together they teased and taunted Omnaura and the robot until everyone was outside away from the city. Omnaura mounted the robot and aimed at Static. "Hey Gear! That's your cue!"

"Right away!" Gear yelled above. He threw what looked like a Zap Cap at the robot and covered the robot and Omnaura in a sticky, brown substance.

"Ugh!" Omnaura groaned. "What is this?"

"You should feel proud. You were part of the debut of the Sap Cap. Static, show her how good a conductor tree sap is!"

"Everybody cover your eyes!" Static yelled.

Then he created a huge ball of electricity. The energy was drawn to the sap-covered monstrosity, and the robot exploded. Omnaura was flung into the air, but she managed to yell, "I'll be back!"

Gear found her a little while later and called an ambulance through Backpack. "She was in bad shape, but I think she'll live," Gear reported. "Evidently she escaped house arrest, so she's going to be in big trouble when she gets out."

"Oh, you poor dear!" Claire ran up to the Muse and hugged her shoulders. "I saw the whole thing! That was awful! Are you ok?"

"Uh, yeah," the Muse answered as she looked down at her shoes.

Claire saw Static just behind the Muse. "Well done, Virgil."

Static tried to muster the best-surprised look that he could. "Virgil?"

"Oh, I mean Static. My bad. You just look a little like someone I know."

Static rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. Then he smiled. "Hey, I remember you! How's your daughter doing? You know, it really makes my day when I see her."

"Oh, could you help me find her please? She was going to the restroom when we were attacked, and nobody saw her escape the restaurant. I'm afraid she wandered off again."

"I don't think you have to worry," Gear said. "I saw a small, opened window on the side. I bet she climbed out when all the alarms went off. We'll find her."

"Thank you so much." Claire gave the Muse another hug. "You mean so much to my daughter. I hope you find her." She was surprised that the Muse wasn't hugging back. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"She's probably just shocked still," Gear suggested.

"Yeah," the Muse nodded. "Shocked."

"It's ok, though," Static said. "She's got a good family."

The Muse held Static's hand. "I have a good brother."

They all went off to a place for the Muse to hide and switch Magic Hats. When they returned, they found Mr. Hawkins and Claire talking together.

"Move?" Claire asked. "I don't know."

"It'll be for the best, Claire," Mr. Hawkins said. "I can find more opportunities for you. Precious can be with Richie and Virgil all the time. And we can see each other more often. You do want to see me again, don't you?"

"Well . . . I just don't know. You're so nice, Robert. But moving away from Metropolis, it's just too big of a jump."

"I think Precious will adjust to the change easier than you think. She loves it here."

"I mean too big of a jump for me. Metropolis has been my home since I was a little girl. I'm not saying no, but I'm really going to have to think about it."

"Take all the time you need."

"You'll keep in touch, will you?"

"Of course."

"Robert, did that woman say that girl had a weakness in her cerebrum or her cerebellum?"

Mr. Hawkins sighed. "I'm sure she said cerebellum."

Claire nodded. "That's what I thought." Only then she greet Precious with open arms.

##################

Virgil succeeded in sleeping in the next morning. He came down and saw Mr. Hawkins in the kitchen reading the newspaper and sipping on coffee. "Morning, Pops. Where's Sharon?"

"She's already headed on for the day. You can have some cereal."

"Alright! I missed her cooking!" He pulled out a store brand version of Honey Nut Cheerios. "So, how'd it go last night, apart from the time Omnaura terrorized it?"

"It went alright. She was very charming. Unfortunately, she's probably gone now. She had to leave for home today. I tried to convince her to move here, but I don't think it worked. She gave me a pretty definite 'maybe.'"

"So I guess all we got to do now is wait for her 'maybe' to become a 'yes?'"

"Yeah, but even if it does, I don't know."

"Really?"

"I got to be honest with you, Virgil. I admired and respected Claire, and I thought she was nice looking, but I never really loved her. I didn't feel the way I did with your mother or with Trina. I was partly dating her out of necessity. I thought it would be convenient to keep the superheroes together in a family, and I know some things about autism that Claire probably does not. I also wanted to get her back on her feet and provide her a life with a clean start. I know sometimes love doesn't come easily, but in order for this to work both of us have to desire it. I'm not sure if that's the case."

"I see. Well, you know, it maybe for the best. I mean, how is Miss F. going to take it when you tell her that I'm a superhero as well as her nephew and her daughter?"

"Virgil, I think she knows."

"No kidding?"

"The symptoms that Omnaura described are consistent with autism, and how many other autistic children were at that steakhouse last night?"

"Oh. Well, maybe it's possible that she decided it was a coincidence."

"It's possible. You know I tried to keep from telling her. That's why I suggested she move here. Now that she refused, I'm not sure what to do to keep Precious occupied at home."

Virgil's eyes lit up. "I think I do."

He ran upstairs and told Gear his idea over the Shock Box. Gear agreed, but told Static that he better hurry. Aunt Claire was about to leave.

Virgil made it there just in time. "Miss F.! We need to talk to you!" He got her into a side room. "A few years ago, Richie and I made these special walkie-talkies that transmit long distance. We can talk to each other from the other side of town. I even succeeded in calling Richie when I was in Africa."

"So, they're like cell phones?" Claire observed.

"Sorta," Richie nodded. "We were thinking of making one just like it for Precious this summer. Then when she's at home, she can call us late in the afternoon and tell us about her day. It should help her communication skills, and we can help her with her problems."

"But we would like it to be kept secret," Virgil explained. "It's like a game, you know?"

"Yeah, this would be great. You guys are geniuses! I bet that would work! I bet that's what we need!"

"Alright, we'll do it," Richie said.

"Hey by the way, where is Precious?" Virgil said. "Didn't she want to say goodbye to her mother?"

"She already did right after breakfast. Then she left. She said she had something she needed to think about."

"That's odd," Virgil said. "I'll look for her."

After Claire left, Virgil got in his costume and searched the city. He found the Muse sitting alone on the three of the clock face downtown. "Muse, what up?"

She turned to him, and Static did a double take. Her skin was very dark. Normally it looked like she got a good tan, but this was different. And she had tight braids going down her back. "Whoa! You look like Alicia Keys!"

"Is that good?"

"Well, Alicia Keys is one of my favorite people."

"Sharon likes her too."

"Wow. That's one thing we have in common. I know you mean nothing bad by this, but I wouldn't go down there like this. Some people might get mad."

"Why?"

"Well, it's called black face, and some people use it to be offensive."

"I'm just trying to understand. Why would anybody feel prejudice to this? What's wrong with it? I don't see anything wrong. Sometimes when I want to understand, I try to rehearse. I go through it so many times in my mind, even speak it aloud. I think better when I hear my thoughts, and I thought I'd think better if I see my thoughts."

"Where did you hear talk like that?"

"Uncle Sean yelled at Mommy yesterday before we left. She said it was because he was prejudiced."

"Oh. I was afraid it would come that way. Look, I don't completely understand it either. I don't think anybody does, not even those who say they know everything about it. I don't really want to know, and I am so glad that you don't understand it. You're innocent. But the worse thing about this is, I'm afraid you're going to feel your share of prejudice soon."

"Why?"

"Because you're a girl and you're . . . different."

"But we're all different. That's what I don't get the most. Why would anybody single out people because they're different? It just doesn't make any sense."

"No, it doesn't."

"I guess, you know, we all come from the same source. Somewhere down the line we're all brothers and sisters. Perhaps this prejudice is a form of sibling rivalry."

"I never thought of it that way. Maybe it is. But that doesn't make it reasonable. It's not right."

Next episode: Legend--Static, Gear, and the Muse take a trip to see another famous superhero.