Author's Notes: Okay guys, you thought updates were slow before? Well my spring semester just started, but I'll try my best. Enjoy this chapter, I know I did making it.
Chapter 4 'The Blackout (The Warning)'
"This is where the story ends, we will never need to leave, we keep running! The walls keep coming down, this is a warning…" –Save Our Selves
By the next morning, Dexter had the crazy idea that Freakazoid had gotten over his sneezing fit and was better. But no. And as Dexter headed to the bathroom down a darkened hallway because literally ALL the power was out, he decided he'd better leave the crazy ideas to his alter ego at this point, because honestly—
(GYAAACHO!) FIZZT!
Yeah, Freakazoid had only gotten worse actually. That was just how their luck went. Once you begin to go downhill…you pick up speed.
(...that didn't hurt Freak, did it?) The geek sent softly as he stood up from his crouch and gathered up the blown bulb from the lamp he'd been passing. The bulb, which had no electricity running to it thanks to the rolling blackouts (that Dexter was starting to suspect were being caused by Freakazoid) had exploded as Freak had dispelled his extra electricity. Dexter wasn't an outlet because, because probably Freak wasn't letting his human body be an outlet, so the excess energy rammed into the first available source it could find and blew whatever it came into contact with to kingdom come. Dexter sighed a little, and gathered up the shards with his telekinesis, making sure to collect every tiny piece so no one could cut their foot on the glass.
Dexter paused as a suggestive thought hit him. "….no I will NOT leave some pieces of glass outside Duncan's door!" The tiny geek hissed as he headed down the dark hall, and Freakazoid's mental response was a very mature huff and pout. And another sniffle, but that had nothing to do with Dex denying some revenge on his big brother. At least Dexter was assuming it didn't.
(…sniff….nuh….I feel funny. Dexxy I feel weird, make it g'way? Please?)
Any of Dexter's annoyance at his other half faded completely.
(Oh, Freak. You sound stuffed hang on, I'll see what I can do, okay?) Dexter soothed softly, immediately turning into a source of comfort to the hero whether he knew it or not. Dex hurried to the bathroom with the shards and blackened bulb trailing behind him. He managed to dump them safely in the trash bin that was always kept right outside the door and looked around helplessly in the dark.
"But how can you have clogged sinuses Freakazoid? You don't even have sinuses. At least I thought you didn't."Dexter muttered, knowing no one was even up yet and not worrying for being overheard. Freak's sneezing on his side of their shared brain had woken Dexter up from his less than fitful sleep and honestly the boy was just relieved to have an excuse to stay awake. It was only 5 am. He'd gotten…maybe two hours? But that didn't matter.
(AHHHHCHOO! AHHHCO!) Dex glanced over head, watching the lights flicker on and off in time with the hero's sneezing. Like he said…downhill.
And anyway Freakazoid was so distracted from his own sneezing he hadn't noticed his geek wobble a bit as he got them away from the big pieces of technology like his computer in his room and headed into the second floor hall. Only to find the power was completely and utterly shot to heck. At first, Dex had assumed a fuse had simply blown and it was just a matter of tinkering in the basement but then…Freak had sneezed once before the lamp incident and Dexter saw the lights flicker on over head, then die again.
Worst part was poor Freakazoid was causing this and he didn't even know why.
"Don't worry Freak," Dexter murmured into the darkness of the bathroom, wincing as his bare feet hit cold tile and his hands reached out into the blackness, searching rather aimlessly really. He smacked his knee on something—probably the tub—but ignored the ache and said instead, "We'll patch you up, okay?"
(Mhm.) And Dexter smiled, even if he was blind as a bat like this. And then Dexter blinked. Oh. Duh. The geek narrowed his eyes, focused and gathered some of that blue energy that came with his mind powers in his palm, and perked up when he found it'd made enough of a light source to find the cabinet mirror. Yes!
(Gyuh...m'stuffed up with electricity I think…but wha'bout you Dex? You okay?)
"I'm doing much better now that I can see in front of me….yes Freak, don't worry about me, I'm okay." The geek chuckled softly, pushing aside some antacids for the good stuff.
"Uhm…well we don't have much. DayQuil…Pepto…" He rattled off quietly, shoving aside bottles and boxes and the occasional toothbrush. If they treated this like a human would treat a sinus clog it should go away, right? That's what Freakazoid thought, and Dexter was too tired to do anything smart like use his brain. He just wanted sleep all of a sudden, but his hero came first.
"Ah, here we go! We have Mucinex and Advil Freak, which one do you want me to take?" Dexter waited a few seconds, and then blinked.
(…Freakazoid?)
(Mh, wha? Oh, sorry Dexxy, just tired. Uh, take whatever you want buddy, I'll convert it after it dissolves in yer stomach.)
Dexter peered worriedly at himself in the mirror, as if he was trying to check on Freak through his reflection. "Oh, Freak," The geek fretted in a soft voice, and hurried to down two Mucinex.
(This isn't like you Freak….I'm worried.) Dexter admitted mentally, putting everything back and letting the light fade from his palm.
(….aw, you do care.) Dexter head a mental chuckle as well as imaging Freak slouched on the couch in the Freakazone and grinning tiredly at the ceiling.
"Of course I care Freakazoid." Dexter murmured, tip toeing by his parent's and Duncan's room and making it safely. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and paused before the top of the stairs, his room in front of them a couple feet. But he balked and glanced into the dark downstairs.
(…What is it Dex?) The geek blinked back to life.
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just trying to decide if I should sleep on the couch for a couple hours, you know, away from my…really amazing computer that I know you'd never hurt intentionally but that I don't want to see fried." Dex muttered out bashfully and quickly, feeling rude for even suggesting such a thing.
(…I've always liked that couch you know.)
"Yeah, me too." Dex nodded with a sigh, heading down stairs. "…you will be okay if I get some sleep Freakazoid, right?" The geek asked as he skipped the last step before the carpeting, because it squeaked badly.
"I mean, I don't want to leave you alone, I could come into, into the Freakazone…if you wanted a-and keep you company?" Oh crap, did he sound too eager? Too clingy? Dexter swallowed and kept those last two thoughts very private, and tuned in just in time to hear:
(…s'my fault, for not letting ya get all the sleep you need Dexter.) It was so rare to hear his actual name from his alter ego the little geek was caught off guard and stared at his blanket he'd tugged off the rocking chair.
"Oh, oh it's alright Freakazoid, please don't worry about it." Dexter smiled softly, laying down on the couch and pulling the crocheted blanket over him.
(Still, you need all the rest you can get. M'sorry I woke you for a little, a little nasal congestion.)
That they weren't even sure he was capable of having in the first place. Dexter frowned a tiny bit at the ceiling, arms behind his head. Roddy and Freak had told him over and over Freak was more computerized superhero than he was a, a meat popsicle. Before that whole incident with the splitter and Gutierrez, they'd never even thought the erratic electric charged hero was capable of being human. Not just human…a really unstable…scary human sometimes. It wasn't his fault, but….
(…You okay buddy?)
"Huh?" Dexter answered intelligently. "Oh it's just; I wouldn't call sneezing electricity out a little congestion Freak." He mumbled, hoping to distract his hero.
(…oh nutbunnies that reminds me I broke your mom's vase too.)
"Which one, the one at the top of the stairs or the one Dad bought her for Christ—"
(Top of the stairs….) Self-pity and shame and sheepishness slid over Dexter's side of their shared mind, who wasn't used to receiving these emotions, he was usually the one pouring them onto Freakazoid who took them without complaint and tried to make him feel better. So Dex took a leaf out of his hero's book, (because Freak was nothing if not a hero to him,) and sent over assurance and acceptance and love.
"…aw c'mon Freak," Dexter slurred into the couch cushion. He grinned lazily. "Don't be blue."
Silence.
Then, (Ohhhh you sneaky little Dexxy you been waiting to say that for years haven't ya. You're lucky you're so cute you can get away with this stuff.) Dexter might have blushed if he was more conscious. As it was he chuckled weakly and rolled over into the soft worn couch, slinging a thin arm over the back and pretended it was a familiar muscular chest he was snuggling against.
"G'night." He managed to mumble, his own exhausted mind shutting down.
F!
(…Night Dexxy…) And Freakazoid waited the usual ten seconds until he heard the soft mewling sound that signaled his boy was truly asleep, and added (Love you.)
Dexter slept on. Freak didn't blame him.
As for himself, the hero snuffled and sniffled and tried to keep himself quiet. This whole mess was one thing, waking poor Dex up was another! He didn't know what was wrong with him; it wasn't like the servers at WikipediaMD had a section for computerized superheroes with the species 'Freakazoid' for him to check into. They really out to get on that though, this sneezing thing was getting old. Ah but…but it'd pass, right?
Freak sighed, a bit heavily if anyone was paying attention, and leaned back against his couch, trying to fall into the closest thing he had to a Sleep mode. But Hibernate did not come, and Freak frowned a little.
He only sneezed once more after that, and thankfully nothing exploded, in here or out there.
Exactly four hours later, (give or take a few minutes maybe) Freakazoid felt Dexter's mind jerk to life as his tiny body was shoved unceremoniously from the couch and flopped gracelessly onto the floor.
"Ack! D-Duncan!" Freak heard, and opened his eyes wearily. No, he hadn't been sleeping just…recharging. But now he wasn't and Dexxy wasn't either and Freakazoid felt something akin to crankiness hit him as he stretched and listened to his poor boy object to Duncan's rough 'brotherly love.' Pfft.
That stutter was kind of cute Freakazoid would be the first to admit, but he felt it sometimes made Dex more of a target. He shoved himself off his own couch in the safety of his boy's mind and strutted over to the large eye shaped windows. For good measure he glared at the buffoon towering above them.
Duncan however, didn't notice.
"He's such a weenie," Freak snapped out loud, knowing only Dexter would hear him. He was still irritable from last night's sneezing fest, so he shut off Duncan's voice with a huff and only heard Dexter's nice voice instead. That didn't stop Freak from adding his own thoughts though, spoken aloud in the Freakazone.
"Dex kick him in the—"
"Duncan I was not trying to shirk out of chores, I was just—no, why would I sleep in plain sight of mom,-I was only…fine…I'm going, I'm going!"
F!
(…He's such a weenie.) And Dexter, having been woken up just a bit too harshly for his liking, was inclined to agree with his alter ego for once. As it was, he stifled a yawn behind his hand and stumbled in what he assumed was the direction of the stairs.
(Wow, I'm surprised, usually only Gutierrez can get you to use your special peeved off tone.) Dexter sent with a faint smile as he wobbled up the stairs.
(Gutierrez's not a weenie, he's an asshole. He's been upgraded ever since…well, ever since.)
The geek smiled faintly as he headed into his room for his clothes. (I know Freak, I know. It's okay now…pinkie promise.)
(But—)
Alone in his room with the door shut, Dex spoke out loud as he kneeled down and dug around for a clean pair of shorts.
"Freakazoid…he's in jail, justice has been delivered, and everyone is safe."
(…and you.)
Dexter paused, poking his head out of his shirt and blinking round his jostled glasses. "Hm?"
(…you're safe too.)
Dex blinked, put on his glasses back on and straightened his baggy overshirt. He smiled softly, nodding, even though Freak couldn't see. Apparently Dexter was in a different class than 'everyone.' He wondered, a little idly, what class that might be then.
"That's right; I'm safe too, Freak. Promise I won't go anywhere."
(Kay. Thanks, Dexxy.)
"Mhm."
Unbeknownst to the hurricane he'd just managed to quell with a couple soft spoken words, worthless little Dexter Douglas tidied his room, and went downstairs to start his day.
His day started with him being kidnapped while out getting groceries for his mother.
Well, not exactly kidnapped but it was more or less what Roddy had done, coming up behind him in the grocer's and startling the boy so bad he'd nearly dropped the eggs he was carrying and the overhead lights had flickered aggressively. (Freak could only see what Dexter was seeing.) Freak's presence relaxed immediately upon finding it was Roddy, who, duh, clearly wasn't a threat to his boy.
"Sorry lad, thought ya heard me coming." Roddy said with a look.
"Ah, no, nope, I didn't, h-hi Mr. MacStew," Dex squeaked, still getting his wits and his eggs about him.
"So uhm, what, what's up, s-sir?" The little geek blinked up at the man curiously, because Roddy didn't just show up for tea and chats out of the blue.
"Trouble, lad." The man said with a serious gaze, (though to be fair…Roddy always looked serious. Or annoyed. That was an expression reserved usually for Freak though, not him.)
"T-trouble? What kind—"
And then the lights in the entire place died like a candle had been huffed upon, casting the market in darkness. Dexter heard shrieks and gasps and he too jumped, gasping a little when Freak's protective presence surged forth from the back of his mind and said something about hitting a switch. Dexter blinked once and suddenly he could see in the dark, a faint blue tint to everything as the boy's mouth fell open and he turned to see Roddy, his own eyes glowing faintly. Oh, oh right, Roddy and Freak could see in the dark, Freak better than Roddy of course. Dexter still jumped when he felt a large hand take his wrist and pull his basket away, setting it somewhere.
"This kind of trouble lad…now come on, we need to get out of here."
F!
The entire city was down, no power, no generators, nothing. The rolling blackouts had finally reached Washington, but Roddy and Dexter knew that it had really reached the Douglas's home, which just happened to be surrounded by city.
(As if we don't have enough to deal with.) Dexter sent with a moan to Freak as Roddy led them from outlet to outlet to the Electrical and Gas Company that supplied power to the most of the city. The WGE was slightly under panic and shutdown of course, but Roddy and Dexter avoided them easily.
(Right? Wonder if this has anything to do with my sneezing…)
(Hold on, I'll ask.)
But Roddy threw them a curveball, as Dexter suddenly found himself standing in a room that had a few windows to show the huge panels of gray and dark buttons. The geek paused, mouth slightly open as he looked around, then back at their mentor in askance and confusion.
"Lads? I'm going to ask ye to do something very important fer the city. I'm sorry, I know yer still tired an all but, but we've got figure out why this is happening and we can't leave the D.C. in the dark while we do so. So…the only option I can think of it asking the Freak to charge the city for a while."
Dexter stared dumbly back at their mentor for a moment.
"….how long is a while?" The geek finally asked warily, looking worried for his alter ego.
"However long he can manage, unfortunately. Small miracles and all that, we'll take what we can get...but if yer not up to it…"
"It won't, won't hurt him, right?" Seemed little Dexter only got a spine when it concerned someone close to him. There was no one closer than Freakazoid, to be fair. Their mentor smiled faintly.
"….what lad? Hurt the Freakazoid?" He pointed out with a wry look and an eyebrow raise.
"Well maybe not hurt but, I know he can't be hurt, that's my job but I mean, make him tired? I can only replace so much…I don't even have electricity in me." Dex finished off lamely, looking at the floor.
"No lad, ye don't, but I've contacted the Chip and it'll be funneling some extra juice into you for this, since it's needed. It wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't serious, but we've got to keep power to the places we can. I'd do it myself but I've already give all I can to the other cities across the country. Aye," he sees the look on Dexter's face, "This has been happening for a bit now."
Dexter nodded softly, looking away, clearly still hesitant. Oh…this was a big deal then, if other cities were experiencing this…and it was all centralized here where Freak was…oh, oh nutbunnies, as Freak would put it.
"I guess….a bit wouldn't hurt…" He stared out the window; there was no natural sunlight, just gray all over the city from the clouds. Dexter's eyes scanned the buildings for something to look at, to buy them a little more time. His eyes fell on Washington General.
"The hospitals around here probably really need the electricity…" His eyes widened faintly as that though struck him, and his resolve cracked and crumbled. What right did he have to hold his superhero back if it wasn't a truly huge danger to him? When innocent people were suffering in this blackout and the misery would be eased by Freak's help?
(…Come on Dex, please, lemme help? Please!?)
(Alright, alright Freak, save your batteries.) Dexter sighed and rubbed his temples, while Freakazoid grinned. Sassy Dex was the best.
But Dexter had a bad feeling about this.
F!
"Okay, lad….you're sure you're alright with doing all this, aye?" Roddy paused, turning around from the electrical panel he was leaning over, glancing worriedly at Freak who now stood in Dex's place with narrowed eyes.
"No. but that's not nothing new Roddy, I always do stuff I'm not sure about, it'll be fine." Freak sniffed into a tissue Dex had made him bring out into the Real World and tossed it into the garbage can. "Ready yet?"
"Aye, just about. Now you remember, normally yew would charge Washington and its neighbors for a whole week and not feel a thing. But you're not normal right now," the Scottish man jabbed a finger into Freak's exclamation point for added effect, because this was serious.
"I know Roddy, I know, I've got—"
"Yes." The man said firmly. "You do. And any unnecessary pull on the boy'll send him for a loop that I don't think either of you should go through right now. Not with his…condition."
"Right." Freak's shoulder slouched in his worry. "His condition." He parroted sadly, heading for the panel and eyeing the exposed circuitry.
(It'll be okay Freakazoid, do what you have to. I'll probably just get a little sleepy is all, like usual.)
Freakazoid sighed a bit heavily and shook his head. (No, sorry Dexxy. Not taking any chances. Gonna do this with kid gloves on.) The hero smiled and presses his gloved palms flat to the board, watching his electricity stagger from his hands in bright bolts and then slam into the machinery.
The lights overhead flickered back on, a radiator whined to life somewhere. Freak's electrical discharge remained white and clear and strong as he let more and more pump into the electric houses.
This was, technically, a wound that was draining the Freakazoid. And it didn't matter he was willingly letting his juice get sucked up by the dead machinery, it was something he needed to live and it was leaving him, small amounts or no. So Dexter Douglas' mind acted automatically and started filling in what Freakazoid had lost, drawing on some bottomless force that only the Chip knew how to access inside Dexter. Dexter was now the one getting drained, but the boy never complained. That's how it had always been, if Freak got rammed with Longhorn or zapped by the Lobe's ray guns, it was Dexter who got broken ribs and Dexter whose nervous system shuddered and got injured. Dexter had the scars. Freakazoid was a computer, he didn't get wounds.
Oh, Dexter healed back up quickly alright. But it was still weird, and Freakazoid wasn't sure he liked his Dexxy being his 'charger' and fixing him up all the time. It wasn't fair. Freak tended to ignore it for the most part, but was usually careful to not get beat up too much, or at least stay outside so that when he did change back Dex didn't need a hospital, just some painkillers and sleep. But there was always that what if, because Dexter's body didn't seem to have a stopper. It gave and gave to Freak until Dexter was half alive or worse. That, that was scary. Freak had promised to never let that happen, ever.
By this time the whole building had been brought back to life, and Roddy relayed that outside the surrounding buildings were starting to get power back already, energy flooding back to the rest of the city.
Freakazoid filled the reserves, saw the energy coming from him turn vibrant red and knew it was time to stop before it became electric blue.
"Okie dokie. Gave 'em enough for a week or so, and the generator should run for another three days off that after the power gets sucked out. That should give us enough time to figure out what's causing this…and stop it."
"Well done lad! Looks right as rain outside, I'll keep ya posted, and contact ye about our next move tomorrow. In the meantime…best go home and get some rest, the both of ya, aye?"
Because already Freak's hair was already flopping slightly and the superhero was yawning and blinking sleepily.
"Mhm, yeah…okay…later Roddy…" Freak mumbled before folding into something that was more or less electricity and shot into an outlet, surging down the lines and toward home.
He landed on Dexter's bedroom carpet just as the grandfather clock struck seven down in the hall.
"Oh…Dex we forgot," Freak yawned, flopping back onto their bed, which groaned, unused to the larger body on it.
"Forgot the….food'nstuff for…your mom…" His eyes dropped close before he could stop them, and wouldn't open again.
"Freak in," he breathed softly, just in time, before both their minds shut down, and everything for them this time, went dark.