"So, what's the plan, again?" Richie asked, as he and Virgil put on their costumes.
After stopping at Zoey's house and determining that no one was home, the heroes headed to the Abandoned Gas Station of Solitude to prepare to rescue their friend.
"To kick Ebon's shadowy butt and save Zoey," Virgil responded, putting on his mask.
"Well, if it's that easy…" Richie, now dressed as Gear, retorted, rolling his eyes.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Fighting bang-babies and saving our friend, while keeping our identities a secret? Easy peasy, lemon squeezy."
"Riiight, what was I thinking?" Gear snorted, picking up on his partner's sarcasm.
"Well, what other choice do we have?" Static said. "Either we attempt to save her or we just let the old juvie hall become her permanent residence."
Gear sighed. "I know. I just feel like there's an easier way to do this. I mean, the last time we faced him at the mall, the whole thing practically blew up in our faces," he explained. "We were lucky we got her out of there."
"You mean, we were lucky you got her out of there," Static corrected him. "If you hadn't thrown that rope-thing, we wouldn't have been able to get to her in time."
Gear, recalling his heroic act, rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I do what I can."
"So how was I able to zap him without zapping her, too?" the electric superhero asked curiously. Come to think of it, he had never found out what 'magic trick' his partner had pulled to save their friend.
"Rubber-coated rope. Prevents electrons from moving freely," Gear explained. "Essentially, upon grabbing it, she became an extension of the rubber, therefore preventing her from getting shocked due to the lack of an electric current."
"Wow, and I thought physics was McGill's area of expertise," Static teased.
Gear shook his head. "Nah, that's just the basics. That, and the fact that I'm a genius.
Static cocked a brow. "Okay, Mr. Genius, we better get a move-on if we wanna save Zoey."
The superhero began to walk towards the exit of their headquarters when he noticed his partner wasn't following him.
Turning around, he saw that Gear hadn't moved at all.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
The techie sighed. "Look, I wanna save her, too. But don't you think we might need some backup on this one?"
Static shrugged. "I guess. I mean, what'd you have in mind? Batman? Superman? Green Lantern?"
Gear stroked his chin in thought. "I was thinking…someone closer to home."
Static frowned, struggling to follow his friend's train of thought. "Well there's not really anyone in Dakota that's available except—" His eyes widened as it dawned on him who his partner was referring to.
"Oh no."
"Oh, yes," Gear said, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly upwards.
"Ugh, do we have to?" Static whined. "I mean, I can just call Batman and see if he'd be willing to help."
Gear narrowed his eyes skeptically. "You really think Batman has the time to help us save a teenage girl from a few genetically modified gang members?"
Static thought for a moment. Batman was probably dealing with villains far more threatening than a couple of street thugs. "No," he answered, sighing. "But, her? Really?"
"Only person I can think of that isn't a million light years away right now."
"Good point," Static said. "I guess, if we have to, I'll make an exception. Just this once."
Zoey sat on her cold, metal cot, thoughts of her two friends consuming her. Could they really be Static and Gear?
She kept going back-and-forth on it, the possibility too overwhelming for her brain to process. To think that, for the entire eight months she had known them, she hadn't had the slightest notion that they were one of Dakota's most revered heroes.
It was almost funny, actually, to think she had been so excited to see the heroes in-person at the comic book store, when in reality, she stood beside them almost every single day of her life. She even shared a class with them, for crying out loud. Couldn't get more acquainted than that.
What was even funnier was how 'Static' had told her to show her artwork to her friends, knowing that he'd probably be seeing the same drawing twice.
Zoey shook her head in amusement. Virgil was a piece of work, for sure.
Though, her amusement quickly turned to dread, thinking about her conversation with Ebon. She didn't know how much time had passed since she had spoken with him, but she had a feeling he'd be back soon to check up on her.
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, she heard the click of a door open. She turned her head to see the shadowy meta-human himself enter her cell. Her back stiffened, bracing herself for another confrontation.
"So, have you thought more about my little proposal?" he asked.
Zoey eyed him warily. "I have."
Ebon narrowed his eyes, growing impatient. "And?"
Zoey's mind raced. If she said no, he'd surely dispose of her then and there. If she said yes, she'd be able to buy more time, perhaps enough for someone to come and find her.
"I think I'm gonna take you up on it."
Though she couldn't see it herself, she could've sworn Ebon was grinning.
"Congratulations. You're now a part of the team."
Zoey nodded, pretending to be excited about her new, fake commitment.
"So, uh, what do I do now?" she asked, anxiously glancing around the room.
Ebon's invisible grin grew wider. "Come, let me introduce you to the rest of my crew."
"So, uh, who are we rescuing again?" an agile young woman asked as she cartwheeled across the rooftops of Dakota city.
"We told you, already. It's our friend from school," Static responded. "Ebon thinks that she knows our secret identities."
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time you blew your cover," She-Bang replied snarkily.
Static growled in frustration. He knew it had been a bad idea to bring little Miss-Know-It-All along for the ride.
"Hey, we did not blow our cover," he retorted. "And let's not forget the only reason you found out my identity was because there was some shady, underground group that was after you. I just so happened to be in the way."
She-Bang rolled her eyes. "Well, it was still obvious who you were, anyways."
"Riiight."
"Hey, take it easy you two, we're supposed to be working together, here," Gear interjected, attempting to redirect the conversation.
Static and She-Bang glared at one another but did not continue to engage.
"So, what's her name again? Zoey?" the female superhero finally asked. "Doesn't ring a bell."
"That's 'cause you never met her," Static answered.
"She started school with us this past year. She's new," Gear explained.
"I see," She-Bang muttered, absorbing the information. "Is she pretty?"
"What?!" Static exclaimed.
"Is she pretty?" the heroine repeated.
The electric superhero shook his head. "What kind of question is that?!"
She-Bang shrugged. "Just curious."
Static frowned, trying to understand the meaning behind her cryptic question, when it finally dawned on him.
"Oh, you're tryna figure out if Gear and I are interested in her."
She-Bang shrugged once more. "Well, yeah."
Static cocked a brow. "First of all, none of your business. Second of all, I got my eye on somebody already."
Of course, this piqued the girl's interest even more. "Who?" she asked.
Static smirked, knowing full well it was driving his nosy friend crazy. "It's a secret."
She-Bang glared at him. "Virgil Hawkins, I swear to go—"
"Hey, look who's blowing who's cover now?" Static interrupted her. Even though they were far too high off the ground for anyone to hear them, he still liked pushing her buttons.
Realizing she wasn't going to get anywhere with stubborn counterpart, She-Bang turned to Gear.
"What about you, Gear?" she asked.
Gear's eyes widened. "Oh, uh, no one at the moment," he answered. "I'm just flyin' solo. Gives me plenty of time to work on my new inventions. If someone happens to come along, great. If not, that's fine, too."
She-Bang turned to Static. "See, why can't you be up front like Richie?" she asked, forgetting they were in costume once more. "Nothin' wrong with being honest."
Static raised a brow. He wasn't entirely convinced that Gear was being completely transparent about his feelings, but he understood that this wasn't the time and place to be teasing his partner. Right now, they had a mission to focus on.
"How far til the old juvie hall, Gear?" he asked.
Gear glanced through his visor. "We should reach our destination in approximately five minutes."
"Let's just hope we're not too late," She-Bang said.
Static rolled his eyes. "Says the one who took an extra ten minutes to meet us 'cause they were too busy looking at themselves in the mirror."
"Hey, a girl's gotta be appropriately accessorized," She-Bang retorted. "Can't hurt to be prepared."
Static shook his head in annoyance. "Well, try not to break a nail this time, okay?"
This time, Gear rolled his eyes. As much as he enjoyed She-Bang's assistance, he grew tired of their constant bickering.
"Before we get there, let's make a plan. No doubt they'll be expecting us."
"Right," Static agreed. "As far as we know, Ebon's still working with Hotstreak, Talon, Shiv and Kangorr."
"There could be more, too," Gear added.
"Which is why Gear wanted to ask you for help," Static finished, turning to the female superhero.
Only mentioning Gear's desire for her help made She-Bang frown, but she knew this wasn't the time to be discussing technicalities.
"We should split up, then," She-Bang declared. "I'll take Hot-Pants and Bird-Girl. Static, you can take Ebon."
"Wait, why are you—"
"And I'll take Shiv and Kangorr. And get Zoey, I guess," Gear said.
"Hey, don't I get a say in this?" Static demanded.
"Okay, how about you get Zoey and I'll take Ebon?" his partner asked.
Static thought for a moment. "Actually I'll take Ebon. I got some unfinished kicking butt to do," he quipped. "It's personal, now that he's messing with our friends."