E-MAIL: cayennefire@yahoo.com [feedback is encouraged!]AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is not your typical ER fic - such as show char/show char romances, etc. Please take this all with a grain of salt as you read. Hopefully you all will enjoy this one: being in the point of view of a char who's totally new to anything even related to the show, detailing HER life changing experience. Yeah, it's kinda fluffy. :)DISCLAIMER: I do NOT [keyword: NOT] own any and all characters from ER [such as Carter and Malucci, Abby etc.] - though Malucci and Carter certainly would be nice to keep for a couple of hours. Mmm, yum! They have just been *borrowed* for the confines of this story and *will* be returned at the end. However, I *DO* own the following characters: Hanalei Saratoga, DVM, Sandra Kim-Saratoga, Charles Saratoga [as well as any maternal/paternal relatives mentioned]; Tara, Steven, Madison DeMarco, Dr. Nakamura, Tomei, plus anyone else mentioned or included in the story who are obviously NOT from the show. It would be appreciated if these chars were not *borrowed* without the author's permission. Though I would prolly say yes. :)RATING: PG-13 for drug usage, cursing, and sexual implications. The rating may heighten later on in the story. Be forewarned.ARCHIVES: 'Static' may NOT be archived without the author's express permission!And here it is... 'Static'.{introduction: life before chicago}/ FLASHBACK \1989 - Los Angeles, Calif.Okay, girl. You can do this. It's no big deal, just a coupla punches.Hanalei looked down wordlessly, gazing at her fitted black flare jeans and her tight black halter top that covered her petite body, down to the battered brown leather jacket gracing her shoulders. Her pair of thick soled black sneakers from the local K-Mart were tied tightly, and her darkly outlined makeup shimmered in the moonlight that shone through the dusty window of the old abandoned warehouse. She frowned.Ha, who am I kidding? Just a coupla punches? More like battle scars!But she removed her jacket, draping it on the unoccupied chair nearby and tightening the black bandanna on her head that pulled back her head of long, dark brown wavy tresses. Her eyes - brown ones which were as milky smooth as a bowl of freshly poured cream - fluttered closed with the whisk of a pair of dark, feathery brown eyelashes. She pressed her eyelids closed more tightly, and then opened them, and letting out a deep breath she didn't know she had. She sighed, shaking her head. It was almost time to begin."Here, girl," Tomei strolled up, opening up Hanalei's palm and placing inside a lightweight object. Hanalei looked down at her right palm and said nothing. "To calm your nerves, Lei. Just chill."Hanalei nodded solemnly, and extended out her left arm, bending it out to full length and watching as Tomei tightly tied a strip of stretchy latex rubber at a point on the inside crook of her elbow. Tomei stood back and said nothing as Hanalei picked up the substance-filled syringe in her hand and gingerly injected it into a visible vein, handing the syringe back to Tomei when it was empty. Mere seconds couldn't pass before Hanalei experienced an intense rush, gasping aloud at the suddeness of the euphoric feeling. Tomei smiled as she watched Hanalei's facial features relax visibly, and Hanalei removed the piece of rubber tied around her elbow and pressed her thumb down on the spot where she injected to stop the light bleeding."Oh hell yes," Hanalei gasped breathlessly when she was finished. Tomei grinned."C'mon girl," Tomei placed a hand on the small of Hanalei's back, "Let's get this shit over with so we can all party!" She led Hanalei away from the corner and into the crowd of people, most dressed in bandannas and dark clothing. They all whooped and hollered as they saw Hanalei make her appearance, grinning and flashing a flirty smile to a few scattered guys. Tomei clapped her hands together and hollered loudly."Aiight, all my fellas step aside; this be a girl's thing right here!"Laughter and scattered conversation echoed throughout the old, dusty warehouse as all the guys parted from the crowd and lined the walls, hushing their tones to watch the scene set out before them. The small bunch of girls, maybe 15 or 16, gathered up in two lines, waiting as Tomei made a proud speech to them."My ladies and my fellas," Tomei said loudly. "Tonight we welcome one of our most dearest friends into the Black Dragons. She is a chica who takes no crap, a chica I am proud to initiate into our ranks this fine evening." Tomei's hand motioned to Hanalei lightly. "You who have been through the beginning before know now what Lei must go through tonight. Should Lei pass through the line without fail, the Black Dragons will have a new sista among their ranks to celebrate." Tomei paced around in front of the crowd.Hanalei took her place at the head of the gauntlet, looking down the middle of the two lines set before her. Something inside of her was surprised that she didn't feel scared. Maybe it was the crystal meth working, or maybe it was the guts she had worked so long to muster up. Or maybe she was having a temporary case of insanity. In any case; the nerves that should have been were no longer there. She actually smiled."Enough of this shit," Tomei exclaimed. "Let the initiation begin!"Cheers erupted throughout the warehouse, never stopping as Hanalei stepped into the aisle, holding up her head high and smirking as she walked through the line of girls punching and screaming and attacking from left and right. Hanalei did not wince when she felt a set of long acrylic fingernails scratch through her cheek, nor did she say anything when she felt a hard force slam into her stomach. She walked. Because it was something she had to do. She was almost to the end of the gauntlet, and then this all would be over.Her cheek tickled. She raised her hand up absently to scratch it, and looked down at her hand in subtle shock when she withdrew her fingers and found them stained with bright red blood. Blood. Blood was trickling down her cheek; tinging her pale olive skin with the essence of color. A lump rose in her throat.But another wave of euphoria washed over her, and Hanalei forgot about the blood. She licked her bloody fingers clean as she walked, smiling as the last punch was given to her, and she reached the end of the line. Screams of cheering arose in the warehouse as everybody came rushing up to her, playfully wrestling her to the ground. Tomei smiled as she stood back and watched. Then she walked up to the crowd of people, and pulled Hanalei out of it, hugging the girl to her side as she snapped her fingers. The sound echoed.Tomei hollered something about the tattoo parlor, but Hanalei didn't hear.I did it.Yes, Hanalei, you did it.I actually did it.Hanalei grinned from ear to ear as Tomei tossed Hanalei's jacket to her, which she caught breezily. She grinned as she was led out in the crowd of guys and girls, out into the cool night air, out into the dirt-filled parking lot, where dozens of cars and the like were parked. People began to jog to their cars, others to the car they were getting a ride with. Everyone knew where they were going. They had been there before.Hanalei hopped into Tomei's beat up Ford pickup truck, into the passenger's seat next to Tomei, looking back over her shoulder and watching as several guys and girls hopped into the back of the truck and sat.I did it. I'm a Black Dragon.Nothing hurt anymore. Hanalei didn't even feel her hands shaking. She just smiled wanly.Of course, that feeling of peace and serenity could have been the drugs working.