This chapter isn't characteristically action-packed, but we're getting there. Sorry about the long wait guys, I've been super busy with college work—I work with my campus media on top of my job and classes, so I haven't had much time for writing. It stinks I know, but it's okay because Thanksgiving Break is soon! Wahoo!

Anywho, enjoy guys! Thanks for all the support, you people are awesome :)

Chapter 9: Working Hard

Nightmares of Ganger plagued him all night. Violet would wrap her arms around him to help him stay asleep, but it didn't help. He was wide awake by three in the morning, and clearly exhausted. He didn't know if he was keeping himself awake on purpose or if he seriously could not fall asleep on his own anymore.

He had to go see Whitcomb before this got out of control.

He laid there listening to Violet's breathing for what seemed an eternity. When he finally looked at his watch, he sighed that it was finally five in the morning—a somewhat normal time to get up. Right?

Extracting himself from Violet's hold and planting a kiss on her forehead, he grabbed his computer and took the travel tube to the dining room. Being so early, the house was dead silent, a respite he was thankful for.

Sitting down he opened his laptop and uploaded his email. He had a few emails from Lucius, Edna and Bob on random super intel, and a couple emails from Robinson Industries' scientists, telling him what he needed to get done. He frowned at all of it. What he wouldn't give to just move to Hawaii and stay there?

He moaned and rested his head on the keyboard, sending a plethora of letters shooting across the screen and then mailing the note to Bob on accident. The computer made a noise, confirming the message's delivery and Wilbur frowned deeper. It was five in the morning and he was already struggling.

Why was everything falling apart over some jerk who was picking on him? For what? Did the guy just want glory or fame, to be the guy that officially drove Phantom into the ground? Or was it something more than that?

With Magnum, Wilbur had known in the back of his mind that they had met before. The same had applied with Jumper and Psych. He knew he knew them. But Ganger? He had no recollection of the guy's identity, so it couldn't be a personal issue. It had to be a job.

But that's what Danny told him the week after the first attack. This wasn't new information. So who in the world would be hiring Ganger to do such heinous things to people? Someone who obviously wanted to make a point. Or make a statement.

"Well don't you just look peppy this morning?"

Wilbur jerked up and nearly blasted a fireball at Nancy, who stood there with wide eyes when she realized she was almost obliterated.

He exhaled heavily then covered his face with his hands, breathing hard. "Nancy…" He said, voice muffled. "You scared me half to death."

"Sorry…" she smiled sheepishly, sitting across from him.

He looked at her and smiled at her frazzled blonde hair. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing. How'd you sleep?"

She shrugged. "Alright. I gotta say though, that is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in."

"Yup, quality made by Robinson Industries. I actually helped invent that."

"Really? How old were you?"

Wilbur smiled, glad to talk about something light-hearted. "Oh five."

Nancy's face screwed in confusion. "Really?"

"No joke. Of course I don't really remember it, but I apparently told my dad that I thought we should have more comfortable beds that were made with feathers. I obviously was talking about down feathers and my dad took the thought to heart. Custom-made mattresses were on the line a year or so later. Scientifically proven to improve sleep quality." He paused in the middle of his commercial and frowned t his keyboard. "Unless you're too…" He stopped, his tension returning.

"Too what?"

"Too stressed to sleep."

"Oh." Nancy frowned too. She sorta knew what he meant, but she was struggling with grief. Whole different ballgame. But she still smiled, "Can I help you?"

Wilbur breathed a laugh. "I don't know kiddo. If the professionals can't figure it out, what makes you think you can? No offense."

"None taken. But sometimes you need to talk about problems right? Like they tell us in school: when you have a problem, talk it out with someone and a solution is more likely to come to mind."

Wilbur rubbed his eyes, "My father came up with that theory; I'm very familiar with it. And besides, I've talked to many a people about this issue."

"But have you talked to a teen about it?" She raised an eyebrow.

Wilbur smirked at her determination to get information. "Don't look at me like that," she said tartly. "You never know who will help you solve problems. Even if you're stumped, ya gotta keep moving forward." She paused. "Oh wait. That's your family's catchphrase. I don't need to preach it to you."

Wilbur smiled briefly before looking down at the table. "Trust me, it's harder to live by when it's your catchphrase."

"Wow, that's deep."

"Pff," Wilbur breathed, shaking his head. Nancy giggled, then pressed again, "But seriously, what's the problem?"

"Ugh…" He leaned on his arms. "Women." Nancy laughed again. "I could get into trouble for telling you anything about it."

"Oh pish-posh, rules are for babies."

He looked back up incredulously, "Not when you work for the government!"

"Oh yeah," She pouted, really wanting to know what was going on. "I just want to know why you look so… awful." At his raised eyebrow, she hurriedly continued, "I mean, even with your suit on, I could kind of tell that you didn't look so great but without it? You look awful Wilbur. Really, you do."

"Don't need to tell me," he smiled.

He couldn't tell her everything with the building coming down… Ganger's phone call and all that. He certainly didn't want to end up making her cry because he couldn't save her parents…

"I'm…" How should he word it? "I keep having these run-ins with a villain by the name of Ganger. He comes out of nowhere and attacks me at random times, but not necessarily directed at me. Sometimes…horrible things have happened to prove a point that… that I'm not good enough. I can't-"

He stopped. He almost said "I can't save everyone", but that would hit too close to home. But the look on her face showed that she knew what he was getting at. He looked at the table, waiting for her response.

She swallowed slowly, and quietly asked, "So… you're trying to catch him so nothing else happens? Is that why there is a national broadcast for his arrest?"

He nodded. "Yes. There are so many implications, things we have to factor in. The big plot in general is my problem. I don't know why he's doing this or why is he attacking me. There has to be a reason but… I can't fathom it."

Things were quiet for a few minutes as they thought. Nancy looked up at Wilbur, whose exhausted, haggard expression made her cringe. She said, "What if you tracked him?"

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"The next time you run into him, have a tracking device ready. Surely you guys have those?"

The thought had crossed his mind before, but he hadn't paid it much mind. But now it made more sense. "It may not be so easy to stick a tracker in him… but it's worth a shot."

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Lucius asking about tracking devices. It wasn't til after the message sent that he realized it was only five thirty in the morning. "Oops. Hopefully he won't be upset that I woke him up…"

"Who?" Nancy asked.

"A friend," he replied.

Nancy smiled, not pressing him for information she clearly shouldn't know. She knew that he had probably told her too much already. "So… how long do you think we'll be staying here?"

Wilbur pursed his lips. "I'm not sure. My dad's going to be working on that for me."

"Oh that's cool. My parents always admired your dad..." She smiled faintly, but after a few seconds the tears began brimming.

Wilbur frowned sadly and reached a hand to her. "Hey, it's going to be okay…"

"How do you know that?" She asked but held his hand, covering her eyes with the other.

"Because we will not leave you or Josh until it is." He replied firmly. "I promise."

Nancy smiled through her tears, though they didn't stop. Wilbur held her hand while she cried for her parents; he swallowed his to again conceal his guilt.

Xxx

"You want to track him?"

"It's a thought."

"You're asking for it." Kevin shook his head, walking across the kitchen in his apartment. Nikki, Cole, Brian and Sarah sat on barstools along the countertop, Cole tapping on his laptop as usual as he listened.

Wilbur threw his hands out, "What do you want me to do? We have to do something!"

"Wil, I get that, but we have squads fanned out all over the country and the CIA is negotiating with European affairs to allow lookouts over there too! What more do you want?"

"I want this to stop." Wilbur turned and paced the living room. "I can't just wait around for him to attack anymore. I won't sit here waiting for him to murder more innocent people just to prove to me that I'm not good enough. That's stupid."

"I'm sure there's more to it than that," Kevin argued.

"Really, is the sky blue too?"

Brian cleared his throat, eyes focused on the lighter in his hand, the flame on his arm, "I have a thought. Why isn't he attacking you directly like the first time? I mean, what's he waiting for? Is he waiting for you to find him?"

Nikki shook her head, "That wouldn't make sense because he hasn't left any clues behind for Wilbur to find him, let alone anyone. So far he is untraceable." She looked over at Brian torching his indestructible skin and slapped his shoulder. "Would you stop that? I hate it when you do that!"

"I'm testing my skin to see if I can feel the heat the longer I hold the flame on one spot. Don't judge because you're skin isn't as tough as mine."

"You may be strong, but I will wrestle that out of your grasp so fast with so many girls, your head will start to spin."

"Guys, focus. You're stressing Wilbur out." Cole interrupted, eyes not leaving the screen.

Wilbur looked at him with an eyebrow raised. "I'm not-"

"Don't lie, I can sense a lie through your tone of voice and I can smell the stress leaking off your clothes. Relax." Cole replied, still furiously typing.

Wilbur blinked a few times with an awkward expression, then pursed his lips. "Sometimes you freak me out with your dog senses, you know that?"

"You're welcome."

"What does stress smell like anyway?"

"Do you really want to know? It's pretty involved in anatomy."

"Nevermind."

Cole smirked, "I thought not."

Kevin leaned over the counter and peered over the top of Cole's screen. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Hacking into the CIA files to get more intel on Ganger. If I can. There's a lot to get through and you can't stop or you'll get caught."

"And to think you're talking to us and hacking the CIA at the same time, and you still make sense." Kevin shook his head in amazement.

Brian snickered, "You're going to get caught one of these days and they're going to revoke your super license."

"Oh please, I could outrun all of them, and like you people wouldn't vouch for me anyway. Besides," Cole hit "Enter" on his keyboard and finally stopped typing. "I've got a lot of hiding places."

"Hm, care to share?" Nikki asked, intrigued.

"Maybe. Someday, if we ever have reason to go into hiding." Cole's brow furrowed and he leaned forward to see his screen more clearly. The others crowded around him to look as well, but cyber messaging didn't make much sense to them. Wilbur understood a little bit, but this was madness.

"It is a wonder that you are not a nerd with no friends." Brian commented.

"No," Kevin smirked. "He's a single nerd with no friends."

"Hey, don't judge!" Cole snapped out of his reverie.

Nikki smiled and hugged Cole from the side. "Do not despair; we shall find you a girlfriend yet."

"Oy…" Cole muttered. "Back to the CIA."

The group was silent for a few moments as Cole read, but Wilbur grew impatient again. "Anything?"

Cole sighed tiredly and shrugged, "No, but I'm working on it."

"Alright thanks." Wilbur replied, not catching Cole's exhausted expression. "It's getting late. I have to get home, so I'll see you guys later."

"Be careful." Kevin called down the hall as he left.

Wilbur's only response was closing the door.

Cole slapped his laptop closed and leaned over it, sighing long and loud. Nikki put an arm around his shoulders. "You should rest."

"He's been working me like a dog."

"Huh, imagine that," Brian chortled.

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "Come on, this is serious," he said in a calm, even tone.

"I know," Brian frowned, finally setting down the lighter down on the counter. "I don't know how much more of this I can take. I'm getting stir crazy."

"You're getting stir crazy?" Cole asked incredulously, raising his head. "How much have you done exactly?"

"No, I mean I can't take this gnawing starvation in my guts any longer, I think my stomach began digesting itself hours ago," Brian whined as he punched a frequency onto his phone. "I'm getting Stir Crazy, does anyone want something?"

His friends merely stared at him with open mouths. The thought of Chinese food was last on their minds right now. Kevin finally shook his head with a retired sigh, "No, Shannon will be home soon."

Xxx

Cornelius and Franny walked hand in hand down the sidewalk after exiting the restaurant. They hadn't had a date night in a long time because their schedules were so hectic, but upon discovery that this night was open for them both, they reserved this night weeks in advance.

"Anywhere else you want to go?" Cornelius asked her with a smile.

"Mmm, not really. Let's just walk." Franny smiled.

"Walking is so old-school; we should take the Belts." Cornelius nodded his head toward one of his most popular inventions, the moving sidewalk that acted like a conveyor belt.

"Walking is healthy, mister. We're walking, and that's final." Franny pulled him along by the tie and kept going.

"Since when are you so bossy?"

"Since when are you so lazy and whiny?"

Cornelius guffawed, shocked at her word usage. "Lazy? Whiny? I resent that."

Franny stopped and looked up at him, "Oh quit your whining and pay up." Cornelius bent down and gave her a small kiss before holding her hand and walking again. This was something they did whenever one bested the other; the payment was a kiss. Overall it was a pretty good system, even after twenty years.

They approached their car, chatting quietly about Wilbur. "Do you think they're closer to figuring anything out?" Franny asked.

"I'm not sure," Cornelius frowned, stopping by the car bumper. "I guess we'll just have to wait and s-"

A bright flash of light overtook his vision, a massive boom blasted his hearing, and he felt himself fly forward. Then all went black.

Aaaaaand I lied. So we get a lil action! Sorta… Next chapter will definitely involve even more stress for Wilbur and will explain what happened in that last sentence. Stay tuned, the party's just gettin' started! ;D Thanks for all the reviews!

~EmK