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[b][color=B6D0E2]Paris Island, Dakota City[/color][/b]
[color=darkgray]The Aftermath[/color]

The familiar sound of KRS-One's Sound of da Police playing from his phone startled Virgil and his friends awake. [color=B6D0E2]"Shit. It's my dad."[/color] Virgil said as he snapped up from Daisy's comfortable bed. He reached for his phone on the nightstand and looked at the caller ID for a second before deciding it was better to answer it. [color=B6D0E2]"Hey, dad. I'm sorry for not letting you know where I was. I crashed at Richie's."[/color]

"I'm just glad you weren't caught up in that Big Bang by the docks. Your mom was busy all night transporting kids and officers. We were afraid you'd be one of them."

[color=B6D0E2][i]"If only you knew, dad."[/i][/color] Virgil thought to himself before verbally responding to his father. [color=B6D0E2]"Richie and I saw it on the news last night. A lot of those kids went to our school, but you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."[/color]

"I need you down at the Community Center today. We're putting together care packages for the victims' families. Get here as soon as you can."

[color=B6D0E2]"I got you. See you later, Pops."[/color] Virgil hung up the phone and placed it back down on the nightstand. He felt a jolt of electricity travel from his hand to the phone as he put it down and picked it up again to see if it was okay. It was more than okay. It was fully charged. [color=B6D0E2]"That's weird. I could've sworn it was on sixty."[/color]

Daisy turned to face Virgil, a pillow separating the two in the bed. [color=FF007F]"Everything okay? You're leaving already?"[/color]

[color=B6D0E2]"Yeah..."[/color] Virgil said, not entirely sure about the first question. [color=B6D0E2]"Everything's good, I think. My dad wants me to go to the Community Center and help out, but there's no rush."[/color]

[color=96DED1]"We can come with you."[/color] Richie said. [color=96DED1]"We need to talk more about last night and make sure that gas didn't affect you."[/color]

[color=FF007F]"We could stop by the hospital on the way and get you checked out. Your mom should be off work by now."[/color] Daisy added.

Virgil honestly did not want to go to the hospital, but he knew that his friends would force him to if he didn't agree so to save himself the trouble he decided to give in.

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[color=darkgray]Dakota City Medical[/color]

Virgil had never been to war and desperately hoped he would never have to, but if he had to guess this is what the medical tent would look like, but a thousand times worse. It was chaos everywhere. Nurses and doctors were scrambling to help patients and figure out what was happening to them. Patients were screaming in pain and confusion as their bodies transformed into disfigured messes. Virgil covered his mouth and ran back outside to throw up. He hunched over and puked out nothing but stomach acid.

Richie and Daisy followed him outside and rubbed his back. [color=FF007F]"Are you okay?"[/color] Daisy asked.

[color=B6D0E2]"I can't go back in there. I can't end up like that. Please don't tell me I'm going to end up like that."[/color]

[color=96DED1]"I don't think you will. I mean, you haven't gone all nightmarish already."[/color]

[color=D70040]"Oh, this has to be the greatest day of my life."[/color] A voice called out sending a shiver down Virgil's spine. [color=D70040]"First, I survive that nightmare last night to become new and improved. Now I get to finish what I started with you at the docks."[/color]

Virgil was frozen in fear. If he had to be honest he would have hoped that of all people, Frank didn't survive last night's incident. He would have been fine with him still being bedridden right now, but nope. He looked completely fine and was spouting some nonsense about being new and improved.

When Frank sparked a flame in his hand Virgil realized it wasn't nonsense he was spouting. He thought back to the victims of the gas back inside the hospital and realized that they were being transformed. It was like the gas was forcing them to awaken or manifest an X-Gene. [color=B6D0E2]"Come on, stupid legs. Move."[/color] He muttered to himself as he tried to command his body to get the hell out of dodge. He turned to see Daisy and Richie were in a similar state of fear. He hated his cowardice. He hated the fact that he was about to get his friends killed. The only thing he could move was his arms. He closed his eyes and thrust his arms forward in a poor attempt to block the flames for his friends. He could feel the heat, but he couldn't feel his arms or body burning. Virgil opened his eyes to see a shield of electricity projected from the palms of his hand. It was solid enough to block the flames and snap him and his friends out of their fear.

[color=FF007F]"Virgil..."[/color] Daisy started to say before Richie cut her off.

[color=96DED1]"Dude! You have powers!"[/color]

[color=B6D0E2]"I... I have powers."[/color] Virgil said turning his look of confusion into a confident smirk.