Title: Riding The Lightning
Fandom: Static Shock
Characters: Virgil/Richie, Hephaestus, Zeus, Hotstreak, Ebon
Prompt: #68 (Lightning)
Word Count: 600
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock.
Author's Notes: m/m, drabble. Oh Noes! Another Alternate Universe! This time, I thought to put the two into a true pantheon, that of the ancient Greek Gods. This is a drabble created for the Lj community known as fanfic100. Unedited and unbeta'd.

Riding The Lightning

"Hephaestus!" Zeus called out, his voice booming through the fire light cavern, causing all work to stop and most of the denizens to flee.

Hotstreak, the fire-haired demon who'd been filling one of the forges with the hottest fire any demi-god could conjure fled into the shadows provided by his ally Ebon, one of the many hidden monsters lingering in the crippled god's current domain. They knew well enough that no matter their lineage, all creatures were mortal when up against Zeus's wrath.

"Greetings, King of Gods," Hephaestus shouted back, drawing Zeus's attention towards him. "I'm over here."

"Greetings, God of the Forge!" Zeus replied happily, in an oddly contented mood. He moved through the cavern with a calm demeanor, seemingly unmindful of the young demi-god who followed close on his heels. "How are you this glorious day?"

"Is it day outside?"

"Indeed it is," Zeus grinned. "If you left your forge more often, you might notice these things."

"My apologies, m'lord," the wild-haired smith replied, not looking up from the intricate work he was overseeing. "But me and my newest assistant have been kept overly occupied by the muses."

"Oh?"

"It seems that they've of mind to inspire my assistant overly much," the lame god said as he shuffled away from his blond apprentice. "But it is fascinating to see what he can dream up."

"Heh," Zeus snickered. Sweeping his hand out to lead the weaker, younger god away to a more private place, the monarch said, "I am here to request lightning bolts, if you've got them to spare. I've a new caretaker of them, and I wish for him to start immediately."

Hephaestus tilted his head as he regarded his king, and then looked to the small demi-god who trailed behind Zeus. His skin the color of night, wearing a dark blue tunic, the youth looked too young and human to be of much use carrying the powerful weapons.

For his part, the dark-skinned youth had eyes only for Hephaestus's blond assistant.

"What's your name, boy?" Hephaestus asked.

"Virgil," the youth answered, his eyes darting up to look at him and then around the room. Anywhere and everywhere but at the young smith who was finally putting down his tools to join them.

"Gear!" Hephaestus shouted.

"Yes, m'lord?" the blond asked, rushing up to kneel beside him.

"Go fetch a lightning bolt, one of the smaller ones. I'd like to see how… Virgil… handles them."

Gear stood up and, grinning at the blue-clad demi-god, ran off to do Hephaestus's bidding.

"Gear, hmm?" Zeus murmured. "That's his name?"

"That is the name I call him." Hephaestus replied. "But the name his father gave him was Richie. I prefer Gear."

Gear reappeared, carrying one of the smaller bolts in a pair of clamps so that his hands did not touch the weapon. Virgil glanced at Zeus before he reached for the glowing bolt. As soon as his fingers brushed against the invention, he let out a small yelp.

But the bolt was gone, absorbed into him. With a grin of his own, he splayed out his hand and reformed the lightning bolt, as perfect as if it was fresh from Hephaestus's forge, though smaller, less impressive bolts danced around his eyes and through his hair.

Zeus laughed, impressed. "Ahh, now that's striking, don't you think?"

"Seems to me he's gotten a bit of a… static… charge from it," Gear commented, eyeing Virgil more than was appropriate and in ways that had nothing to do with concern for his health.

"Static, hmm?" Virgil asked, returning Gear's gaze. "I like that."