My friend is going through cancer right now, so I've been a little distracted. I'm sorry.
AwesomeJellyBean: Not quite, but I have been toying with the idea of writing a sequel with that in mind. Always glad to hear from you!
Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own Static Shock.
Warning: Foul language and violence.
.:Line Break:.
The moon rose higher in the sky, bathing the docks in its pale light as Katrina and Francis approached the warehouse.
"Is there anything I need to know about these two?" the healer asked. The two began crouching as they drew closer to avoid being seen.
"Puff can turn her body into gas and fly. She can make knock out gas and this other weird gas that melts stuff."
She groaned inwardly, realizing that this would not be as easy as it was last time. "Lovely. And Onyx?"
"He's a big, purple guy. I guess his power is super strength." he whispered, "I'd be more worried about Puff, though. She's smarter and faster than Onyx. And she has a bad temper."
Katrina sighed. Francis gestured for silence as he quietly opened the warehouse doors. The two snuck in and hid behind a stack of crates.
Further into the warehouse Puff paced in front of a small fire. Onyx, who sat next to the fire, stared up at the girl with worry on his face.
"She looks mad." Katrina thought.
"What are we going to do, Puff?"
"I don't know, Onyx." she snapped, irate, "Everyday I hear more about this Wade guy trying to recruit bang babies."
Francis and Katrina exchanged looks.
"Bingo!"
They crept closer to the criminals, careful to remain unseen.
"Word has it that no one has seen this guy's powers and yet he's still getting followers." Puff stopped pacing and folded her arms over her chest, "I hear Ebon isn't taking it too well, either. If this guy keeps going on the way he is now, I think Ebon will start trying to pick a fight with him. Those two may just start a bang baby war!"
Katrina bit her lip and glanced at Francis. Both hoped Puff was exaggerating, but they knew she wasn't.
"This is one fight I plan on staying out of." she continued, "Those two are crazy!"
Francis decided that this was a good time to make an appearance. He stood up, smirked, and strode over to the two, leaving Katrina in her hiding place.
"Well, what do you know? We agree on something."
Onyx shot to his feet and was by Puff's side in an instant. The purple haired girl narrowed her eyes.
"What do you want, Hotstreak?"
"Hey, don't be like that. I'm not here to fight."
She scoffed in disbelief, hands on her hips, "Well, that's a first. What are you here for?"
"Information."
Puff raised a brow. Everyone knew that Hotstreak never went to anyone for help, even if it was just for information. He was always more of the lone wolf type who preferred to do everything himself.
"...What do you want to know?"
"I heard you mention a guy named Wade. I want you to tell me everything you know about him and, while you're at it, I want you to tell me whatever you know about a bang baby who calls herself Black Widow."
She threw her head back and laughed, causing Francis to frown. "What, didn't get enough of a beating from him before the Bang?"
He growled, hands curling into fists. It seemed that no one they met was in a cooperative mood.
"Even if I did know anything, what makes you think I'd tell you?" Puff asked as her laughter died down, "Black Widow is under Wade's protection and if you honestly think that I'd be stupid enough to cross a guy who wants to gather an army of meta-humans, then you're even crazier than Wade and Ebon put together!"
Katrina's worry began to grow. If what Puff said was true and her sister had run into Black Widow the night of her disappearance, Kathrine was in deep trouble. The idea of a bang baby war didn't sit too well with her either.
"Nothing I say or do will make you change your mind?" he asked.
Puff was one girl he didn't feel like fighting, especially when Katrina was in danger of being caught in the crossfire. Somehow, he didn't think that her healing powers would help much if her head was melted off.
"That's right. I don't have a death wish."
"Really?" he drawled, smoke rolling off his body in waves as he gathered fireballs in his hands, "You could've fooled me!"
A fireball flew into Onyx, bursting on impact. Momentarily stunned, he stumbled around. Puffs lower body dissolved into a purple gas and she let out an enraged shriek.
As she started aiming acidic gas at Francis, Katrina frantically surveyed the area for a weapon of some kind. Blue irises landed on a long, straight metal pipe lying a few inches away from her, temptingly gleaming under the dim warehouse lights. Katrina couldn't help but grin.
Francis dodged another of Puffs attacks, only to see Onyx charging right at him. He sighed, "Today is just not my day."
Just as Onyx was about to swing his fist, a loud "clang" resounded through the building and a look of pain flashed across his face. Suddenly, he was falling and Francis had to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed by the giant.
"What the-"
Before he could even finish his thought, Katrina rushed forward, pipe in hand, the most feral expression in her usually peaceful blue eyes. The pipe came down on Onyx's head with such great force that Francis was certain that his skull would break. But it didn't. The blow, although powerful, was only strong enough to knock the bang baby out, as his skull had been too dense for the metal to damage.
Katrina stood over the fallen giant, lungs gulping down air, feeling the familiar sensation of adrenaline coursing through her every vein. Francis stared at her in awe. If he had had any doubts about her being in a gang before, they were definitely gone now.
She met his gaze with a timid smile, gripping the pole so tightly her knuckles were white.
"...Holy shit, Trina." he breathed, finally finding his voice.
She was able to give no words as Puff screamed in anger, "I don't know who you are, but you're going to pay for that!"
The two ducked as she swooped down, blowing more acidic gas in their direction.
"Are things always this much fun with you?" Katrina joked, mirth and mischief dancing in her eyes.
He grunted in irritation as Puff barely missed hitting their heads.
"No, usually the only bugs I have to swat at are Static and Gear. Now I know how they feel."
He stopped briefly to hurl a fireball at Puff as she passed by them. He missed.
"If this is how annoying things are for them, it's hard to believe they haven't just killed us."
Again, he aimed at Puff and again he missed. Francis growled, smoke now leaking from milky white eyes.
Katrina patted his shoulder with a smirk, calming him a little. "Patience, Hotstreak, is a virtue."
Puff swooped in close once more and, before she could even blink, Katrina rolled out of her way while swinging her weapon into the back of the purple haired girl's head. As the cold metal connected with her cranium, Puff was sent fling into a stack of metal crates. Her body became solid and she groaned in pain, vision blurry. The last thing she remembered before passing out was Katrina turning to Hotstreak and saying, "See? I told you that you might need my help."
The two watched as Puff went limp. Francis crossed his arms over his chest petulantly, refusing to meet Katrina's gaze.
"I could've taken them."
Katrina smiled knowingly, a brow raised in amusement, "Of this, I'm sure."
She walked over to pile of junk in one of the corners of the warehouse and began digging through it, as though she was looking for something.
"What are you doing?"
"Looking for rope." she replied, "We need to restrain them so they don't try to run or attack us when they wake up."
"Katrina, do you really think rope is going to hold them?"
The healer stopped, eyes traveling to the criminals as she realized her mistake. Sighing, she ran a hand through her now tangled brown tresses. "What do you propose we do? We can't just leave them like this."
He glanced around the warehouse, pleased with all the metal he saw. "I have an idea."
.:Line Break:.
When the two criminals woke up, Onyx was wrapped up in steel beams and Puff was sealed in an iron crate. Both struggled to break free, but the effort was fruitless.
"Hey, let me out!" Puff shrieked, pounding on the walls that held her.
"Not until you tell us what you know about Wade." Francis kicked the crate for good measure.
"Sorry, but I'm going to be hunted down like a dog because you two are sticking your noses where they don't belong."
"Hotstreak," Katrina interjected, annoyance coloring her voice, "Perhaps we should turn up the heat."
She winked at him, silently telling him to keep the temperature low enough so it wouldn't hurt her. Francis grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"Okay, fine!" Puff surrendered before he could even touch the box, much to his disappointment. "Wade has been recruiting bang babies lately, even came to Onyx and me once. We turned him down, though."
"Recruiting bang babies for what?" Katrina pressed.
Puff heaved a sigh, shifting in the cramped crate, "Rumor has it he wants an army to take over the city. Then he's going to capture all of the other bang babies, good and bad, and make them fight for him so he can take over everything completely."
Francis and Katrina shared a disturbed look.
"You failed to mention that this guy is a total headcase."
He merely shrugged, "Eh, must be a new thing."
The healer turned back to their reluctant informants, "Do you know where he is?"
"Not exactly." she answered, "But I hear he's somewhere in the old abandoned subway tunnels. Ebon's down there, he probably knows."
Francis stiffened, "Damn it."
"What's wrong?"
Onyx chuckled from his position on the floor, "You're not from around here, are you?"
Patience wearing dangerously thin, the healer narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, I'm not above kicking you in the face just because you're tied up on the floor."
Onyx, not the least bit concerned by her threat, only laughed again. "You're feisty. Hotstreak must really like you."
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't make me char you!"
"Ebon," he started, ignoring Francis, "Is the leader of the Meta-Breed, a gang of criminal bang babies. He used to be the worst bang baby in the city-"
"That title belongs to me!"
"- until this Wade guy showed up out of nowhere and started causing trouble. I hear that he really gets under Ebon's skin."
"Do you know where he is exactly in the tunnels?"
Onyx opened his mouth to speak, but Francis cut him off.
"I know where he is."
When Katrina glanced at him, she was startled to see something dark burning in his green orbs. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he swiftly turned on his heel and started walking out of the warehouse. Katrina watched for just a few seconds, deeply concerned, before chasing after him.
"Hey!" Puff shouted, hearing their retreating footsteps, "What about us?"
In response, Francis kicked a crowbar in their direction. He then exited the building with the healer in tow, blocking out the furious shouts of Onyx and Puff.
He finally stopped a good distance away from the warehouse, studying the nighttime sky.
"Francis?"
"I think you should go home." he said suddenly, causing his companion to gawk at him, "It's late and the Meta-Breed is dangerous. I'll go talk to them and take care of things from here. You should get some sleep and-"
A "smack" echoed through the empty streets. Francis, stunned, held his now red cheek. Katrina still had her hand raised in the air. Stubborn, blazing blue eyes glaring up at him through her bangs.
"You," she began, her voice low and angry, "are an idiot. I already told you that I will not sit idly by while my friends and sister are out there. Do you really think that, knowing this, I can just go home and sleep like nothing's wrong? I can take care of myself, Francis, contrary to popular belief! There is no way in hell you are doing any of this without me!"
The pyro regarded her for a moment as her words sunk in. Then, the corners of his lips turned upwards and Francis ruffled the girl's hair, much to her displeasure.
"You really are a stubborn bitch, aren't you?" He meant it affectionately.
Katrina pouted at him, trying, and failing, to look menacing.
"Alright, then. Follow me."
.:Line Break:.
It was close to two in the morning when Francis and Katrina entered the abandoned subway. They had been walking less than ten minutes when the healer's cellphone started ringing. He watched as she dug it out of her pocket, checking the caller I.D.
"It's Mr. Hawkins." she whispered before answering the device.
"Hello, Katrina? I apologize for calling you so late. Did I wake you up?"
"It's alright Mr. Hawkins and no, you didn't wake me. I couldn't sleep. Is something wrong?"
"It's Virgil." he told her, distraught, "He still hasn't come home yet and Richie's parents just called me saying that he hasn't turned up either. Have you come across any news about your sister yet?"
This new information was doing nothing for Katrina's already frayed nerves. "No, sir."
"I'm worried." he admitted, "There are a lot of bang babies out tonight and Rubberband Man is struggling to keep up with them all."
Katrina's brows furrowed, "What about Static or Gear?"
"No sign of them or Alba Terra. It's like they disappeared."
"Disappeared?"
"What are the chances that they'd vanish along with Virgil, Richie, and Kathrine?" An odd thought then crossed her mind, "Terra is missing because Kathrine is missing. But why..."
"Hello? Katrina? Are you still there?"
"...Yes, sir." she answered, still deep in thought, "I'm sorry, sir, but I have to go now. I'll call you if I learn anything new."
"Alright. Thank you, Katrina."
Katrina hung up the phone and tucked it back into her pocket as she pursued her previous train of thought.
"Kathrine ducks out of class when there's trouble and, at the same time, Virgil and Richie are nowhere to be found. Kathrine bails out on plans at the last minute because of bad guys, Virgil and Richie are unusually flaky. Virgil seems to be a genius at fixing technology and making it work, Static has electric powers. Richie is incredibly smart with an IQ much higher than even the most gifted high school, Gear is exceptionally intelligent." Katrina paused as the dots began connecting in her head, "Same body types, same voices, same personalities... There's no way it could be a coincidence."
The realization struck her like lightening. Her jaw fell wide open and her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.
Francis, who had been watching the rapid change of Katrina's facial expressions, waited for her to say something, to give some sort of explanation for the way she was behaving. A few minutes passed, she said nothing.
He sighed impatiently, "What? What is it?"
"This is one of those situations where people say, 'oh, my god'."
"Don't keep me waiting, out with it!"
She turned to him, astonishment written all over her face, "I know why Virgil and Richie are missing."
"Why?"
"It's because Static and Gear are missing."
Francis blinked, "...You are not making any sense."
"Don't you get it?" she asked, "Virgil is Static, Richie is Gear! They were probably taken by Wade when they were on patrol with Terra!"
"Katrina," he began slowly, as if explaining something to a small child, "That's nuts."
"Not really. Think about it, Francis." she urged, "Their voices, body types, and personalities are identical. Whenever Static and Gear appear, Virgil and Richie disappear. They act the same way Kathrine does when there's trouble and needs to slip away. Plus, you said it yourself, Virgil was at the docks that night. It all adds up."
The more Francis thought about it, the more he realized that Katrina was right. Static did act like Virgil, but because Virgil never acted any differently towards him after the big bang, he never made the connection. And although he didn't recall seeing Richie at the docks, he had noticed that his mediocre intelligence had steadily rose to ridiculous heights after the event.
"Even if they are," Francis said, trying to snap out of his daze, "we still need to get them back."
"Why, Francis! I didn't know you cared so much!"
It was an inappropriate time to make a joke, but it was all Katrina could do to keep her overloaded mind away from a hysteric episode. It was all just so much in such a short amount of time, it was almost more than she could handle.
Predictably, Francis didn't laugh. "I don't. But being tortured by Wade is something I wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Ebon."
They started moving again, both a bit on edge.
"So... I take it that you and this Ebon have history, or something?"
"You could say that." he grunted, ducking under a particularly low pipe, "I teamed up with the Meta-Breed sometimes, but Ebon always had to be in charge. I don't like being told what to do, which is why I usually worked alone, so that made us to fight a lot."
Katrina absently nodded, recalling what Onyx said about Wade getting under Ebon's skin. "He likes to be in charge, then?"
"Yeah, in charge and feared. I wasn't afraid of him and that pissed him off because he couldn't control me like the others. In his mind, he's the strongest, badest bang baby in Dakota."
"That's probably why he hates Wade so much." Katrina then grinned, an idea forming in her head, "Maybe we can use that to our advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
.:Line Break:.
Sorry about being gone so long. Like I said in the beginning, I'm worried about a friend of mine. I also have finals coming up and I'm graduating soon, so things have been hectic to say the least. Thanks again for your patience and support, you guys have no idea how happy your feedback and encouragement makes me. You guys are the greatest and I hope that you'll continue to stick with me.