I should be studying... You see how well THAT'S working out.
Title: Mind Games Episode 4
Author: jestersnthieves
Summary: Weird happenings, calling in the calvary and love at first sight.
Spoilers: Richie becomes Gear. Madeline is a son of a batch of cookies... Sorry to spoil it. Let us continue
Rating: PG-13? I don't know
Pairing: VirgilXRichie
Warnings: Thar be gays under the cut.
Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. It sucks to be me. No need to sue.
Distribution: Ask first. Be considerate. The internet has enough schmucks.
Episode 1: http://community.livejournal.com/the_gas_station/162265.html
Episode 2: http://community.livejournal.com/the_gas_station/162556.html
Episode 3: http://community.livejournal.com/the_gas_station/164404.html
Please Vee. Don’t come.
“Who said that?” Virgil said looking around. Riche? He was a mile above the city. Why would Richie be up here?
Vee? What the-?
“Oh god I’m going crazy.”
Then we’re both crazy because I can hear you too.
“You’re inside my head. How’s that work?”
How should I know? This is kind of like when I was talking to Madelyn in my head why she was controlling me. But… this is way more natural. Her brains all twisted and screwed up.
He laughed, “So it’s the ShockVox in our heads? Cool...”
Yeah. Real cool. You are way to willing to believe things sometimes.
“Wait a minute how do I know it’s really you?”
Because Madeline still can’t get in your head.
That was sound enough reasoning for him, “Are you alright? Has she hurt you?”
I’m fine… In the loosest sense of the word. And she hasn’t hurt me. She’s been using me as a sort of… Host. Like a base of operations.
“Creepy.”
Yeah, and she called me good-looking. Anyway she’s assembled an army of Bang Babies waiting to jump you. It’s a trap. She’s using my super powered brain to control all her minions at once. She has every Bang Baby in Dakota. She’s been really busy.
“Alright then what do you suggest Einstein.”
Find backpack, call the league tell them you need help or they’re going to have to deal with a mutant army in the hands of a psychopath.
“Is he back at the gas station?”
No, he’s at your house.
“Fine, I’ll go get him.” It was Richie. For sure. If it were Madeline why would she spill out all her plans to him?
What was…Vee?…. sound fuzzy… Static must have been losing signal. The password…backpack… Then he was gone. Damn, what password! Virgil headed to the gas station and changed to his civilian cloths.
“I guess it’s time to head back home.” He was exhausted. But Richie wasn’t hurt. Home was quiet. He let the door click behind him.
“Virg?” A weak question from the kitchen Sharron ran out of it to meet him. She hugs him tight. “Are you okay, baby bro?” He hugs her back. No. No he’s not okay.
“Yea.” The lie is easy. It’s what she needs to hear. It’s what he needs to tell her.
“Dad was worried about you. You haven’t been home-”
“I was out looking for him.”
“I know, but you couldn’t just-”
“No.” He hugged her tight.
She sighed, “I know you care about Richie a lot. But look at you Vee. You’re warn out.” The two biggest understatements of the year.
“I know. I feel it.” And he did. This lack of sleep was kicking his ass. “Look, I’ll get some rest if you let it go. I’m worried enough so as it is.”
Sharron sighed, “Fine. Go sleep bro… And he’ll be fine. I know he will.” Virgil the went up stairs to his room. He looked but he didn’t see backpack.
“Backpack!” He said in a loud whisper. “Backpack!” He looked under his bed, “Backpack!” Oh great I’m Dora the Frickin‘ Explorer. This is just- “Ahhh!” He was suddenly thrown off balance and clutched by a shaking mechanical robot. Backpack. He clung to Vee like a scared animal, “There you are!”
“Voice pattern accepted. Password?” It said in a very Richie sounding voice, except cut and pasted into a sentence.
“Password?”
“Incorrect- Hint: Richie‘s Hero.”
“Um, Superman?”
“Incorrect: Two Attempts left.”
“Plant Man?”
“Incorrect: One Attempts left. Emergency Hint: Has saved Richie’s life 129 times.”
Virgil thought about it… “Virgil?”
“Password accepted. What can I do for you Virgil?”
“You can talk?”
“English is basically a code. It is easy to comprehend.” Got to love AI’s. It switched between Richie’s voice and the voice thing he messed with on his computer
“I need you to call the League. Richie’s in trouble.” Backpack made the noise AOL makes when dialing up. Then a click.
“Gear?” Oh great, Batman. The most understanding of all superheroes… Just great.
“It’s Static.”
“Static? Where’s Gear? I told him to only use this line for emer-”
“This is an emergency! There is this Bang Baby out their who can possess people’s minds and stuff and she has Gear and is using his brain to enact this massive campaign to take over the city using her personal army of Bang Babies and she has Gear and she’s out of her mind.” That all came out very rushed.
“Calm down, Static. Look I understand you’re upset…” There was the clacking of computer keys. “Jon is in the area… Okay he’s in the country, but still, he can be their in a couple of hours. If she can really possess people’s minds I don’t know if we should send to many more. I’ll look up who else may have some mental abilities and see if they’re on assignment. Just… Hang in there. And panicking is not going to help Gear.”
“I know… It’s just…”
“It’s not just. I understand where you’re coming from. I do. Lay low and stay put. Jon will be there soon. Maybe get some rest.”
“Rest.” Yeah, whatever.
“Sleep.”
“Fine.” But he wouldn’t like it.
“You don’t have to like it.”
“OUT OF MY HEAD BATMAN.” Backpack closed the call. He smiled, “Thanks. I think I‘ve had enough of telepathy for one day.” Backpack’s little eye thing rubbed against him, much like a cat. “I should sleep though.” The eye bobbed up and down. He fell back on his bed. Backpack curled up next to him, “You miss Richie, don’t you?”
“I miss my mom.” That was actually in Virgil’s voice. A sound bite. Virgil couldn’t help but giggle though. “Illogical response.” That was a Spock bite.
“You just called Richie mom.” He sighed, “look at me, I’m talking to a robot.”
“Artificial intelligence is still intelligence.” Richie sound bite. He missed Richie.
“I hope John get’s here soon.”
“Me too, Pops.” Another Virgil sound bite. He blushed. Stupid programming. Richie would have to fix that. He blushed more when he thought Richie did that on purpose.
...........................................................................................................................................................................................
Richie was clinging to the only thing he has left. The only memory he could save from Madeline. It is because it was the strongest he had. The things that keeps him grounded.
A little blond boy walks home from school. He don’t fit in. He’s one in a million. He’s carrying all his stuff in his arms. Someone took his book bag. He knows better than to tell the teacher. The last time he told her the kids who’d picked on him beat him up on his way home. They pulled the chair out from underneath him. They tripped him. They called him names. They took his lunch money. They were classic bullies. It was kind of how you became cool and popular in class. You had to pick on him at least once. He didn’t fit in. The boy walked with his head hung low. His shoulders slumped. He was just a boy, and he carried all the pain that his world put upon him. His parents were fighting again too. His dad was anyway. His mom just kind of took it. She bore the front of it. And he knew it was his fault. Everything was his fault. A group of kids ran past him, one with red hair bumped into him, knocking him to the ground and causing his books to scatter. “Watch it!” Yelled the kid. The other kids stopped.
“Sorry.”
“Hey, I know you. You’re Richie the resident reject.”
He got that from the smart kids. This kid wouldn’t know an alliteration if it bit him in the- “Yeah, I’ve been called that. A lot.”
“Why don’t you do us all a favor and just put yourself out of your misery. What a waste of a kid.” Richie nodded as he gathered his things, good to know it wasn‘t just him. “What are you stupid or something?” He just kept nodding. “Why you-” His leg swung back to kick Richie. He braced himself for impact. Instinctively closing his eyes. It never came. He opened them slowly. Someone stood between them arms stretch protectively. The kid was a foot shorter than the one about to kick him. Richie stared in awe.
“Leave him alone, Francis!” The older kid looked from him to Richie. Then around at the crowd.
“Let’s go you guys.” They looked at each other, “Now!” The crowd disbursed. Richie was blushing furiously. The kid who stooped down to the ground was black with short course curls sticking to his head and a big smile. It made his stomach go all fuzzy.
“You sure got a lot of stuff. You should think about getting a bag.” He helped him collect it. Richie just moved in a daze. Once they had all his stuff, he stood. The kid offered him his hand. Helping him up.
“He could have killed you.”
“Nah. My dad and his dad bowl together. I’m Virgil.”
“Ri-Richie.” That smile again. He smiled back. It was contagious. All the way home they talked and it turned out they were in the same class. Virgil just sat on the other side of the room towards the back and he slept most of the day, only waking up to crack a joke. They also both loved Plantman. As they approached Richie’s he slowed down.
Virgil noticed, “What is it?”
“Nothing.” He lied. He didn’t like to do it.
He looked at the house ahead, “You… Want to ask your mom if you can come to the Community center with me?” Richie nodded and continued walked. His mom was in a bit of shock. Richie had never brought home a friend in his life. Of course she let him go. The Community Center was known for being a good place for kids. Richie promised to be home by seven and ran after Virgil down the street. He’d have followed him anywhere.
Richie smiled as he watched the scene unfold. He knew now that he’d fallen in love then and there. At the ripe age of eight. It’d be eight more until he figured it out but there it was Virgil had saved his life in more ways then he could ever know or understand. Without Virgil, Richie was sure he wouldn’t have lasted. He wished he was stronger, not for himself but for Virgil.