Title: Into The Woods
Author: Silverkitsune (The 1 is an add on from fanfiction.net, not me)
Rating: PG
Parts: 1 of 1
Warning: Slash towards the end. You have officially been warned and if you have a problem with this and you go on it is your own fault. On another note, for anyone thinking that I would be out of my mind to think that slash might work in this fandom let it be known that Ritchie's character in the comic book Static, which is what the show Static Shock is loosely based off of, is in fact gay. Don't believe me? Go find and read issues 16-21. Hey, even if you do believe me go read the comic anyway. If you can find the back issues it's a really cool comic.
Disclaimer: Static Shock is the property of the WB and all other associated networks and creators. I am making no profit from this.
Virgil had never had anything against the state of Michigan. It didn't have an aura of dorkiness hovering over it like Wisconsin did. It didn't have it's own moronic slogan like, "The Land of Lincoln" which Illinois had (well, he guessed that through Chicago, Illinois had redeemed itself at least a little bit), and it wasn't one of those states that he considered so insignificant that it didn't even appear on his radar like, for example, Iowa. However, right now he would have gladly joined up with any evil super villain whose plans of world domination involved obliteration of the entire forest covered land mass.
"Hawkins, keep up," called a voice from farther up the trail. It was Taylor the youth group's 20 something year old leader. Lou, the other group leader, must have been in back keeping the stragglers together.
Re-shouldering his backpack, Virgil quickened his pace over the small patch of open ground before him. If he had to catch up with the rest of the group then he would have to do it before they found another rock covered hill for him to climb. It was harder then it sounded, and even though he was only carrying bug spray, a flashlight, and a half eaten lunch his backpack was beginning to feel as thought someone had been sneaking bricks into it.
Who ever said camping was relaxing was out of their minds, Virgil thought with annoyance.
Imagining different Michigan destruction scenarios had been the one thing keeping him sane, and somewhat entertained, during this whole ordeal but unfortunately he was beginning to realize that that particular task was better suited to villains with apocalyptic dreams and psychotic world leaders who knew what they were doing. He'd have to aim a little smaller.
Scrambling up one of the more difficult hills on the trail Virgil's feet slid over a patch of mud, and he would have tumbled back into the other boys if instinct hadn't taken over. Throwing his powers forward, he swiftly looped a band of electricity around a tree branch, yanking it close enough for him to grab.
"You all right Hawkins?" Lou called from behind him.
"Yeah I'm ok," Virgil yelled back pulling him self the rest of the way up. No one had seen that little display of Bang Babyness, but he was going to have to be more careful.
Picking his way around the various tree roots and rocks that littered the trail, Virgil decided that instead wiping out all of Michigan he would only destroy the section of said state that was currently causing him grief. The Porcupine Mountains. No one would miss the forest preserve, and annihilation of the Porcupine Mountains would mean that the Escarpment Trail (or the second layer of Hell as Virgil had come to think of it) would no longer exist. No Escarpment Trail meant no twenty mile hike, no hike meant no reason for a camping trip and no camping trip meant that he would be sent back to Dakota to spend the rest of his summer in a blissful state of inactivity.
Planting his feet and pulling his weight back, Virgil crossed over the hump of the hill and trip-trotted his way back down the other side.
The day had been overcast and foggy, the clouds thick and threatening to rain on them at any moment. The forest only stretched out fifty feet or so on either side of the trail before disappearing into the mists, and he paused for a second at the bottom of the hill to stare into the deep woods. I really was kind of cool looking. Not that he was going to be telling anyone that. With a sigh he pushed onward.
Maybe I don't want to wipe this place off of the planet, he thought grudgingly. But that doesn't mean that I don't get to blame someone for sending me up here.
A familiar blond head several campers in front of him caught his eye and he winced in sympathy as Ritchie stumbled, then fell, over a bit of uneven ground. They'd started this hike close together, but distance had been made by the other boys many failed attempts to escape from a bee.
"Ahh! Damn it! God! Leave me alone!"
Apparently it still hadn't given up, and Virgil watched with amusement as Ritchie batted and twisted trying to knock the offender away.
At least he hasn't gotten stung yet, Virgil thought.
Technically he could blame Ritchie for this little vacation, but it was hard to be angry with someone when they were being molested by a killer bee, and tripped over every tree root on the trail because their glasses kept fogging up.
Picking his way around one of the slipperier parts of the trail, Virgil suddenly felt his feet slide out from under him yet again. He threw his hands forward, his knuckles scrapping against a sharp stone when he hit the ground. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself back up shaking hair out of his eyes. Ignoring the stinging cut on his hand, Virgil scrambled over the last bit of mud glad when his feet landed on top of dry rock.
OK, so Ritchie was out of the blame category. This nightmare had been Mr. Foley's brain child anyway. The man had seen an announcement for a week long camping trip in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan taped up on the youth center bulletin board, and had decided that his son would benefit from spending some of his summer vacation surrounded by nature.
"He said, 'gee wouldn't it be nice to spend a week exploring the wilderness?'" Ritchie had exclaimed in frustration when he'd first told Virgil about the trip. "I said 'Yeah I guess.' Not 'yes it's been my life long dream to get shipped out to the middle of nowhere for a week sign me up!'"
"You're going to be gone for a week?" Virgil had said in dismay.
"I have nothing against nature," Ritchie had continued. "But my talents with computers are no use when it comes to making a fire, or pitching a tent, or knowing what to do when rabid bears attack camp."
"Rabid bears?"
Pulling at his hair in frustration, Ritchie had collapsed onto the bed next to Virgil and pulled his glasses off to massage the bridge of his nose.
"At least you're coming too."
"What do you mean 'at least you're coming too?'?"
"Didn't you hear? Your dad talked to my dad. Your dad thought it was a brilliant idea, and signed you up."
"Since when do our dad's talk? Our dad's don't talk. They've talked like once."
"I think they ran into each other someplace. I don't know. Does it matter?"
It didn't, it hadn't, no amount of begging had gotten him out of it and he'd been forced to go anyway.
The trail had finally led him out of the forest, and for the next fifty feet twisted through a stretch of grass, wildflowers and the occasional wild berry bush. It also led them right next to the cliff side that was supposed to offer a spectacular view of The Lake in the Clouds. If the fog that was currently blanketing the entire forest preserve would have lifted he was sure it would have been a beautiful sight.
So now he had this down to two people. A toss up between his father and Mr. Foley with who got the blame laid on them. The choice was an easy one. He loved his dad, he tolerated Mr. Foley.
Asshole, he though venomously finally glad to have a target for his annoyance.
From behind him Dan, a native of Tennessee, began to whine.
"Man, are we almost there," The other boy wailed. "I can't do this. My legs are killing me."
"Those aren't the only things that are going to be killing you if you don't shut up," Virgil said softly.
"I can hardly breathe up here. The altitude must be too high. I want to go home."
Lou's voice floated up from behind them.
"Dan, knock it off. Just keep climbing. We are so close to the end that the rest of this is just going to feel like nothing."
Oh yeah, nothing. Right.
It was almost nightfall by the time the group reached the end of the trail.
Stumbling along Virgil took small quick steps to keep from tumbling head over feet down the sudden slope. He had never been so happy to feel pavement under his sneakers. All he wanted to do now was crawl onto the bus, collapse in a seat next to Ritchie and enter a comfortable zone until he could get back to the campsite and sleep.
Ritchie materialized next to him looking just as exhausted, but a whole lot dirtier.
"I'm investing in contacts as soon as we get back to Dakota," Ritchie said wiping off the condensation that had collected on the lenses of his glasses.
Virgil leaned over collapsing against the other boy.
"Stand right here Rich, OK?"
Ritchie chuckled.
"Our fearless leaders over there look upset," Ritchie said nodding in the direction of Taylor and Lou. "Should I be worried?"
The two older boys where having an intense looking discussion with a short, aged forest ranger complete with lots of angry gesturing.
Virgil opened his mouth to answer, but his words were manhandled to the side by Lou's loud booming voice.
"We've got a small problem guys," he said. "Seems the bus broke down, and we're all going to have to hoof it back to the campsite."
"Exactly how far is the campsite?" Ritchie asked suspiciously.
"About 8 miles."
There was a collective groan from the 10 sweat covered teenage boys.
Virgil smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand.
"I say we kill them both," he said dryly. "No jury in the word would convict us."
One of the things that had kept Virgil from simply grabbing Ritchie and hiding out in the Gas Station of Solitude for a week were the descriptions his father had had about the night sky outside of Dakota.
"Your mother and I used to go camping a lot when we were still in college. She loved the way the stars were so clear at night. You can't see them properly in the city. Too many lights, but out in the woods you can see more stars then you ever thought existed. You know, she once told me that she thought the stars being so bright were God's way of making up for all of the darkness in the woods."
He hadn't said anything when Virgil had nodded his head and mumbled that he would go, hadn't even asked for an explanation when he'd seen Virgil print a star chart off of the internet the next day. Mr. Hawkins had just smiled at him and put his finger down on a section of the map.
"This is the Milky Way. Looks amazing if you can see it."
Embarrassed Virgil had muttered a 'thanks'. He'd been anxious to find it since his first night out in Michigan, but unfortunately every night of the trip had been so overcast that he could see nothing but milky gray blue clouds. He'd been hoping for something different tonight, like Gods way of saying sorry that every other aspect of this trip had so severely sucked, and as the group finally stumbled back into camp Virgil tilted his head up. No such luck, the sky looked the same as it had for the last four days, nothing but clouds.
He headed for the showers.
Clean, if a little damp, Virgil dragged his tired body into the tent he and Ritchie were sharing. The walk back from the trail had taken them over an hour and his feet killed. Dropping his bag to the side of the tent, Virgil kicked off his shower shoes and flopped down onto the sleeping bags with a groan. Everything about this trip sucked. Everything.
Closing his eyes, he heard Ritchie come in and drop his own gear onto floor with a loud clunk. The two zippers went up and around sealing them off from the outside world, and that done the blond teenager collapsed next to Virgil with a groan much like the one he'd just let out.
Turning, Virgil slid his arms around the other boy curling around him like a cat. Ritchie, in turn, scooted closer to Virgil.
"I have thirty- two mosquito bites," Ritchie murmured. "I counted them. There are actually thirty-two."
"I have three blisters on each foot," Virgil mumbled back.
"I have holes in my jeans and scrapes all over my knees from falling."
"Got scratches on my knuckles."
"Got molested by a bee."
"Had to listen to Dan whine for the whole 20 miles."
"Bent my glasses."
"I may have poison ivy."
"I don't think I can beat poison ivy," Ritchie said his words beginning to blur together in his drowsiness.
Virgil shrugged, "That's why I'm wussiest camper and you're just the runner up."
"No I think Dan's wussiest camper," Ritchie answered.
"Don't take my title away from me Ritch, it's all I've got left."
"That's really sad Virgil."
Virgil snorted then nudged the back of Ritchie's neck. He smelled like wood smoke from the campfire they'd used to make dinner. Bug spray too and a little bit of sweat. Not a sent he'd want to bottle up and sell, but he didn't really mind it.
He could feel Ritchie's breathing deepen, and then slow as the other boy fell into a deep sleep. Unsure, Virgil cracked an eye open, "Ritchie?"
There was no response.
"My arm's going to be nothing but pins and needles tomorrow if you stay like this," Virgil said to the air.
Bending back his free arm, Virgil grabbed the edge of his blanket and pulled it over the two of them. Who would have ever thought it could get so cold up here at night?
He nestled back into the sleeping bags, and was almost asleep when he was hit by a sudden wave of paranoia. Lifting his head Virgil peered through the darkness, staring at the sealed entrance. It was shut tight. If anyone tried to get in he'd have plenty of notice, and the cold would keep the other boys in their own tents for the rest of the night anyway.
Virgil let his head drop back, and closed his eyes anxious for sleep.
Under his arm, Ritchie stirred partially awakened by Virgil's movements.
"It's nothing Ritch. Go back to sleep," Virgil responded softly his own eyes now closed.
He could feel Ritchie relax against him, easily finding his way back to the slumber he'd momentarily abandoned his body warm under the weight of Virgil's arm.
Maybe not everything about this trip sucked, Virgil decided. And who knew, he still might get to see the Milky Way. He bet Ritchie would know how to find it.