Billy's father seriously regretted the day he first left a screwdriver within the boy's reach---little Billy had disassembled half the house in a few hours. It wasn't long before he put old junk in the garage for Billy to play with, and within a year or two it became a working laboratory.

He lived with his dad. Mom was working on a serious study in Greece, so he didn't see her too much. Their relationship was strained even further by Billy having to keep his hero duty a secret, and he's carrying a lot of guilt about that, knowing he might not see them again.