Authors: Andy Briggs
Virus Attack (24 page)
Toby didn't understand immediately. Then he frowned. “What other bases? I thought that was the end of the Hero Foundation?”
“If I had died, it would have been. That was the Foundation's headquarters. The very first we made. And it was the
main
storage area for our powers. With those gone it's going to take a while to rebuild the collection. From that location you could control
everything
, which is why Basilisk wanted it. But we have other subbasesâones Basilisk didn't know about. They're smaller, and not as efficient, but we'll manage to get Hero.com back online soon, even if it runs at a limited capacity until we can rebuild a new HQ.”
“The other bases, where are they?” said Toby, relieved to find a glimmer of hope.
“We created them around the four elements. That's
air
destroyed. But the location of the others is a secret
for now, I'm sorry. Once we get the satellite back we can reach other Downloaders so they can finally begin to fight back. And their bravery will bring the Primes out of hiding and ready to fight. If it hadn't been for you four stalling Basilisk, we would have lost
everything
.”
Toby grinned, relieved that they
had
made a difference. Mr. Grimm stepped onto the balcony and whispered something in Kirby's ear. Then they both excused themselves.
Everybody was surprised that Grimm had survived, although Toby guessed that he'd probably teleported away at the first sign of danger.
Kirby paused before he left the room.
“You should all go home and rest. We'll let you know the moment Pete's condition changes.”
Toby only wished his friend was better, then life would be back to normal. Well, normal for them. He was convinced Pete would pull through, and when he did, Toby promised himself that he wouldn't be such a control freak over using Hero.com. His friendship was more important. And they could be a team once moreâdoing what they did best.
The door opened again. Toby was expecting another nurse to enter, but was surprised when he heard Lorna shriek with delight. Her boyfriend had arrived.
Toby took a deep breath and walked into the room.
He stopped in utter shock when he saw the new arrival. The last person he had expected to see.
Jake Hunter.
Toby didn't yet know that Lorna had just led them all into a world of troubleâone that would alter their lives forever.â¦
From: Andy Briggs
To: HERO.COM readers everywhere
Subject: Careful on the Web!
As you know, the Internet is a brilliant invention, but you need to be careful when using it.
In this awesome book, the heroes (and villains!) download their powers from different Web sites. But HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET don't really exist. :-( I thought them up when I was dreaming about how cool mind control would be. The idea for HERO.COM suddenly came to meâespecially the scene where Lorna and Emily ⦠Oh wait! You haven't read it yet so I'd better shut up! :-) Anyway, I began writing and before I knew it, the idea had spiraled into VILLAIN.NET as well. But I had to make up all of the Internet stuff. None of it is really out there on the Web.
Here are my tips for safe surfing on the Web: keep your identity secret (like all good superheroes do); stick to safe Web sites; make sure a parent, teacher, or guardian knows that you're onlineâand if anyone sends you anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't reply, and tell an adult you trust.
I do have my own Web site, and it's totally safe (even without superpowers!):
www.heroorvillainbooks.com
Be safe out there!
:-)
Andy Briggs was born in Liverpool, England. Having endured many careers, ranging from pizza delivery and running his own multimedia company to teaching IT and filmmaking (though not all at the same time), he eventually remembered the constant encouragement he had received at an early age about his writing. That led him to launch himself on a poor, unsuspecting Hollywood. In between having fun writing movie scripts, Andy now has far too much fun writing novels
.
He lives in a secret lair somewhere in the southeast of Englandâattempting to work despite his two crazy cats. His claims about possessing superpowers may be somewhat exaggeratedâ¦
.
Don't miss the stories of how
Hero.com and Villain.net got started!
THE WORLD IS
COUNTING ON YOU!
Tired of being a goody-goody all the time?
Ready to get in touch with your dark side?
Luckily, Andy Briggs, the courageous mastermind behind VIRUS ATTACK, has a dark side too. Join him in the continued struggle for world domination in:
VILLAIN.NET
Dark Hunter
Turn the page for a teaser chapter, and prepare to find your inner supervillain!
Log on for your own superadventure at:
www.heroorvillainbooks.com
Superpowers are just a click away
.â¦
CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF SAVING THE WORLD? DISCOVER THE WORLD OF THE SEEMS
.
You know the rain we had two weeks ago or that nightmare you had last night? Becker Drane can tell you exactly who or what was responsible, because Becker works as a Fixer for The Seems. From the Department of Weather to the Department of Time, The Seems keeps our world running smoothlyâat least, it's supposed toâ¦
www.theseems.com
www.bloomsburykids.com
VILLAIN.NET
Dark Hunter
the nemesis of HERO.COM
WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?
Read an exclusive excerpt at the back of this book!
AND FIND OUT HOW IT ALL BEGAN â¦
