Alright guys, Chapter Two is about to initiate…
"That the shadows kept me hidden. From the light that calls my name. All the creatures stood above me. Now I'm crawling towards the sun." –Crawling Towards The Sun, The Hush Sound.
Virgil sat back at the desk impatiently; he had to admit he was a little peeved. When ever his father was short handed around the center, he was automatically forced to help. And he didn't mind it most the time; it was nice to help people as Virgil Hawkins, but he had already been busy. He had plans to study with Daisy, go to the comic store with Richie, and he was going to end the day with some patrolling time as Static. But no, the second his father's assistant called in sick, Virgil was expected to drop everything he was doing to help. 'Meanwhile Sharon is doing nothing today but sitting around at home chatting up her precious Adam over the phone.' He thought bitterly. As he began to think of ways to convince Richie to come and keep him company, the front door opened. Pete and Ellie stepped in. Pete seemed very relaxed as he took a seat on a small blue chair casually. Virgil looked over and saw them have a small little discussion that he couldn't hear. Ellie was tense as she looked around at the place awkwardly; it was painfully obvious she had never set foot in a place like the community center before. She jammed her pale hands into her pockets and pulled out a pink piece of paper, then she caught sight of Virgil and strolled over to the desk.
"Welcome to the Freeman Community Center, I'm Virgil." He stated.
"Hiya Virgil, I'm Ellie. My brother and I are late for an appointment, but I think there's a mistake because we have separate times." She said. Virgil grabbed the big appointment book resting on the desk and used his fingers to look through the names.
"Eleanor and Peter Covelli?" he asked checking to see if he had found the correct appointment.
"That's us." Ellie said.
"I didn't know parents still named their kids Eleanor…" Virgil grinned, Ellie snorted.
"Trust me they don't, my dad's name is Malcolm Orville Covelli the fifth. He decided a long time ago to curse his children with names from the previous century." She explained, Virgil laughed. He checked back to the appointment book.
"Well, uh there doesn't seem to be a mistake. It's got you scheduled for 3, and then Peter scheduled for 3:45." He explained. Ellie's face fell.
"I have to talk to the dude alone?" she said with a sigh.
"I think so, you've got my dad as a counselor, and he usually works one on one." Virgil said catching Ellie's disappointment he added, "You're not used to this kind of stuff are you?"
"You mean talking about how hard life is with a random stranger? No, not really. I'm pretty sure that's something I've understood since I was two." She said.
"Well take it from his son; my dad definitely knows how to help people. He won't make you say anything you don't want to say." Virgil said with a smile. Ellie reflected it.
"Thanks, that makes me a feel a little bit better." She said, then tilted her head curiously, "What school do you go to?"
"Dakota Union High." He stated, Ellie grinned.
"Awesome, I start there tomorrow, maybe I'll catch you around." She said. Suddenly an idea came to Virgil.
"Maybe after your appointment I can convince my dad to let me off so I can show you around the school." He stated. Perhaps, he wouldn't have to spend his Sunday cooped up in the community center after all. Ellie's expression filled with a little excitement.
"Oh, that'd be great, I've been thinking about getting a dry run of my schedule so I don't get too lost tomorrow." She said, a purposely loud cough sounded from across the room, she turned her head to see her brother pointing at his watch with an eyebrow raised. She rolled her eyes.
"Don't mind Pete, he has a lack of subtlety." She said. Virgil gave a small chuckle.
"He's in the last room on the left." Virgil pointed out the hallway. Ellie nodded and began her journey to see Mr. Hawkins. She looked around the walls that were decorated with cheesy cut outs of children's hands on neon colored paper forming a rainbow. Motivational posters took up all the other empty space. She opened the last door and a kid with green hair styled into an obnoxious style, pushed pass Ellie. He grumbled an apology and kept moving. There were a bunch of desks in a row but she stopped as she got to an oak desk. There were a few framed pictures that caught her attention. There was one of Virgil wearing a cheesy smile and a teenage girl with pig tails who looked very annoyed. She picked up one framed photo off the desk and held it in her hands. It was a picture of Virgil, a blond boy and a large man holding a fish. She could only assume the large man was Virgil's father. A hand touched her shoulder and she jumped, almost dropping the photo. She whipped around and sure enough the man from the picture was surveying her.
"Sorry." She handed him the photo hoping he wouldn't be mad at her for disturbing it. Mr. Hawkins just gave her a small smile.
"It's quite alright; it's one of my favorite pictures. You must be Eleanor, I'm Robert Hawkins." He extended a hand and Ellie shook it.
"Oh, uh… you can call me Ellie." She said.
"Alright, why don't you sit down Ellie?" Mr. Hawkins motioned for her to take a seat. She quietly obeyed as he took a seat at his desk chair and put on his glasses as he read a small file, "So it says here, you just moved here from New York City." Ellie nodded, "How did you like New York?"
"Oh it was great… I really loved it there." She said.
"What exactly did you love about it?"
"Well… it was a very hectic city, very fast paced. I like fast paced things…"
"I see and how do you feel about Dakota so far?"
"It's a bit slower, but I think I can manage." She said. Mr. Hawkins looked up from the paper and brought all his attention on to her.
"How are you planning to manage?" he asked curiously. Ellie shrugged nervously.
"Well I don't know… I tend to get over stuff quickly." She said. Mr. Hawkins adjusted his glasses and folded his hands.
"Well there's a quite a difference between getting over something and actually managing your problems."
"There is?" Ellie questioned blankly.
"Managing your problems helps bring you closure. But when you ignore how you feel about something that only helps you suppress it." He explained. Ellie shifted uncomfortable and then remembered what Virgil had said.
"Can we uh… talk about something else… please?" she requested. Mr. Hawkins let out a sigh and nodded.
"Of course, you can talk about things when you're ready." He stated, "Why don't you tell me about your family?" Ellie nodded.
"My dad is a scientist, his name is Malcolm, and he's the one who set this all up. I have three older brothers. Charlie Dan lives in San Francisco and John is a junior at Harvard. My other brother Pete lives with me and my dad. You're uh… gonna talk to him next." She said sheepishly.
"I see, how do you and you're dad get along?" he asked. Ellie's face lightened.
"We get along great; he's always been there for me. He understands me better than anyone else. He's kind of like my dad and my best friend." She explained.
"So have you talked to him about moving?" Mr. Hawkins asked.
"No, no, no, it was uh… hard for him too, you know? He really liked where he was and he needs to worry about his own feelings. I don't wanna add mine on top of his, he'll only worry. I don't like to make him worry anymore than he already does." She said.
"Who else do you have to talk to?" Mr. Hawkins asked. Ellie paused, she rolled in her lips.
"Well I have friends… but uh… they have their own stuff to deal with, and I don't want to…" Ellie started but she was interrupted.
"Bother them?" Mr. Hawkins finished for her. Ellie nodded slowly, and he jotted down a note on the white piece of paper. She wished she could read what it said. 'Wow, I really hate being analyzed.' She realized.
"Can I ask you something?" he said. Ellie nodded, and he put down the pen and folded his hands again, "What kind of feminine influence do you have in your life?"
"Oh…" Ellie stopped for a moment completely taken aback. Her hand fell to her chin and she began to think of the first female in her life that came to mind, "I guess, I see my grandma and my aunts on holidays and stuff."
"Well, I meant on a daily basis." He said. Ellie began to think again.
"I had a friend in New York; she was kind of like a sister to me." She shrugged.
"Yes, but here in Dakota, do you have any feminine companions at all?" he asked, Ellie shook her head, Mr. Hawkins nodded, "I see, I'm only asking, because I couldn't help but notice you haven't mentioned your mother once." Ellie winced.
"She's… uh… not much of a factor." She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, "She lives in Houston, so I don't talk to her often."
"When was the last time you did talk with her?" Mr. Hawkins asked.
"Seven years ago." Ellie stated.
"I see, so she doesn't really play any role at all in you or your brother's li…" he started.
"No, uh just me." Ellie said, "My brother's still talk to her and see her occasionally."
"Why is that?" Mr. Hawkins asked.
"Well she doesn't like me… so I just kind of removed myself from the picture, hoping she would call my brothers more often. And it worked… they talk to her monthly." She explained, he wrote down another note and Ellie shifted uncomfortably.
"I see, if you don't mind me asking, why don't you and your mother get along?" he asked. Ellie shrugged.
"You'd have to ask her, I said she doesn't like me, I never said the feeling was mutual." She explained, "If you don't mind, could we change the subject again… I don't like talking about my mom."
"Whatever you'd like Ellie… what do you want to talk about?" he asked. Ellie's mind blanked.
"Oh… uh… I uh… I don't know." She said, "I'm not good with talking about feelings and stuff. It's hard enough for me trying to keep an open mind about all this."
"I see… I take it that it wasn't your idea to come here today." He observed.
"Guilty as charged." Ellie looked up sheepishly, "My dad's idea, he doesn't think I convey my emotions enough, says I'm too closed off."
"I understand what he's talking about." Mr. Hawkins said, he glanced at his watch, "Well, it's almost time for your brother but I would like to talk to you again. I think we touched on a few issues in your life that you need to address. Would you like to make another appointment for next week?" he asked, Ellie sighed knowing that Malcolm would make her go anyway.
"Okay." She said.
"Great, same time next week." Mr. Hawkins nodded.
"See you then I guess…" Ellie stood up and went to turn but then remembered something, "Oh… uh I was talking to your son, Virgil. He mentioned showing me around Dakota Union High before I start tomorrow, but he mentioned he was hoping he could get off a little early..."
"Sure." Mr. Hawkins nodded taking a look around at the empty office, "It's slower than I expected anyway, just tell him he needs to be home in time for dinner."
"Thanks Mr. Hawkins, it was nice meeting you." She said.
"Likewise." He said as she left the room. Ellie stepped back out into the hallway, and ignored the decorations as she passed them again. Pete stood to his feet as soon as he caught sight of her. He grabbed her by the shoulders.
"So what's the diagnosis sis? Are you crazy? Are you just looking for attention? Are you a possible homicidal maniac? Are you just starved for…" he started dramatically.
"Hey Pete, I can save you a half an hour in there and diagnose you right now. Get off your lazy butt and go get a job. Better yet go to college and then get a job." She crossed her arms. Virgil snorted from the desk and Pete shook his head.
"One-nothing, Ellie bean. But the night is still young." Pete stated as he walked by her.
"I'm not sticking around, so do whatever you want when you get out." She called after him. Ellie walked over to Virgil.
"If you're still feeling up to a tour, you're dad decided to spring you." She informed him. Virgil leapt from his chair.
"I'm free? Are you joking?" he questioned with disbelief.
"It would be very mean of me to joke about something like that." She stated.
"Well then I definitely owe you a tour." Virgil said and he grabbed his backpack from underneath the desk.
"Rad, are there any good places to eat around here? I'm starving." She asked. Virgil jumped over the desk and led her to the door.
"Sure, we'll pick up a couple of burgers and then we'll go down to the school. There's some book fair going on so it should be open." He explained.
"Sweet."
The two teenagers sat across from each other at Burger Fool as they finished their meal. Ellie took a long sip of her soda as Virgil used a napkin to wipe the grease from his fingers.
"So… what was it like living in New York?" Virgil asked. The two had gotten acquainted during the meal. They had talked about everything from their annoying siblings to their similar interests. Ellie was happy to have met two people that she could get along with.
"It was pretty great, I knew the streets so well, where to go, where to avoid and now I gotta worry about stumbling into a bad part of town." Ellie sighed.
"Well, I'd say avoid the graffiti infested area, but that would really limit your walking distance." Virgil said, Ellie laughed. There was a loud crash from outside. The whole restaurant seemed to jump up and rush to the window in anticipation. Ellie and Virgil were among them as they both sat up in their booth. Talon flew right by their window and Virgil got to his feet.
"Ellie, I'm sorry, I forgot… that… my friend needs me to tutor her… rain check?" Virgil asked. Ellie nodded anxiously not even appearing to hear him.
"Yeah, see you at school. I'll go call my dad for a ride," She said absentmindedly then rushed for the bathroom as Virgil rushed for the door. A habit that they had both grown to accustomed to.
Static was the first one on the fight, of course. Talon was high up in the air, almost crawling towards the sun. He chucked a zap cap at her and she spiraled down to Earth. Static quickly zoomed down and went to finish her, ending the battle quickly but Shiv attacked him from behind with a glowing purple blade.
"Sneak attack huh? That's rude…" Static announced matter o factly.
"Knocking Talon outta the sky for no good reason is just slightly more rude." Shiv raised an eyebrow and made another swipe at the superhero. Static jumped back on his disc and hovered up a few feet off the ground. As he prepared to send a dose of electricity right through Shiv, a yellow whirlwind surrounded the purple haired meta human. The whirlwind closed in tighter until it stopped. When Static's dizziness from watching it faded, he could clearly see Shiv thoroughly tied up. A girl stood above his disorientated form. She had blond hair that matched the yellow spandex hugging her tightly. The only color that wasn't loud and obnoxious was the plain black mask, which was just a little too similar to Static's for his taste, that covered half of her face.
"Watch your back!" she called. Static had been so thrown off by the presence of a new hero that he hadn't noticed Talon get back up. She lunged at him and just narrowly missed. The yellow clad superhero sped forward and tackled the feathered teenager. They rolled into a nearby alley and Static flew right behind them. But after another whirlwind of vibrant color, Talon was restricted by a rope as well.
"Thanks for warming them up for me, Sparky." The girl smiled as she stood to her feet. Static could tell he disliked her already.
"I had that handled, Speedy." Static retorted.
"Oh, it certainly seemed that way, sugar." she snickered. The two heroes stared at each other for a long moment before it dawned on Static.
"Hey, I know you…" Static realized, "You're Velocity… you have the same super power as The Flash, only he's cooler and more well known."
"And I know you. You're Static, you have the same super powers as a carpet." She reflected the smirk and crossed her arms.
"I thought New York was your turf." Static grumbled.
"Maybe I want a change of scenery, it would appear you can't handle Dakota all by yourself." She said.
"News flash, I was doing just fine without you. Shiv and Talon are Childs Play, I wouldn't be so proud of myself if I were you." He stated.
"I'm not here to fight with you Sparky; I'm here to fight bad guys." Velocity stated, "How about this? I patrol the east side, and you patrol the west, we can alternate every other day."
"How about this? You leave Dakota and go back to the NYC." Static suggested and turned around to start walking away. Velocity blocked his bath within a fraction of a second.
"Trust me, I'd love to do that. But I gotta stay close to home, daddy's orders. So you either take this deal or we just continue to fight each other instead of the scum that pollutes this city." Velocity raised an eyebrow, Static let out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine… it's a deal." He growled. Something told him this would be just as fun as sharing the streets with Rubber Band Man. A satisfied smirk danced across her face.
"I knew you'd see the errors of your ways."
"Don't push it." Static said as he hopped on to his disc and flew a feet off the ground, "You may be fast, but when I'm airborne I can get around Dakota a lot quicker than you."
"Take away that saucer and you're just as grounded as me, I can run circles around you." Velocity spat.
"Take away your speed and you're just a scrawny teenage girl." Static retorted and started to rise up higher.
"Take away your electricity and so are you!" Velocity called out after him.
I know, know, again with the cliché's! What are the freaking chances that the two superheroes would meet without their masks on?! Whatever… they did, that's out of the way. So as you can see Ellie and Virgil are getting along just fine. Static and Velocity, however, are quite another matter ;)
So review and tell me what ya think sugar plum!
