Chapter 9: When Life Hits the Fan
The Dakota Civic and Community Center was nothing less than the city's final vestige of social redemption. Acting as a buffer between the lure of street life and the stability of family, the community center had saved a great number of teens in danger of slipping into the violent cycle that had swallowed so many of Dakota's once promising young adults. In many ways, the work of the community center was nothing short of an act of desperation, in the hopes of reaching out to the many teens within the great city whose lives were constantly challenged under the threat of an ever increasingly violent world.
And so, as Static and Talon made their way stealthily through the facility to the office of Robert Hawkins, the former allowed a self-mocking smile to cross his face at the difficulty he was having in the present course he was traveling while not being seen by the assembled participants of the center. The last thing he needed after yesterday's unnerving jailbreak as well as the tension building between Ebon and his gang and his own allies were to draw attention to himself.
After Talon had made her heartfelt plea to him to help fight against Ebon and protect the city, Static had returned to the gas station to inform his friends, and to have it put to a vote as to whether Talon should join. After all, he was their appointed leader, but he respected their decisions and council greatly. The only real surprise he got from the voting was Gear's outright rejection of the request, advising his best friend, in great length, of all the difficulties she had given them in the past. Adam had agreed to it however, reminding them that he himself was given a second chance and everyone deserves a chance for redemption. Shebang's reply was no surprise at all however, as she looked prepared to bounce both Static and Talon, the former for suggestion the idea and the latter...just because.
Thus, the decision was split, and so Static allowed Talon to make her choice. Knowing she would not be trusted and often looked upon with suspicion, the feathered Bang Baby nodded her head and chose to help Static and his allies. She had information after all, and contacts for several criminals that would be helpful. But despite how helpful she would be to their cause, she was painfully sincere in her desire to right the wrongs of her past, and for that, she didn't need any of their permission.
That had led the two of them here, Static moving in the shadows while Talon crawled along the rafters. After what seemed an eternity and a heartbeat, Static found himself facing the door of his father's office. Looking toward the winged teenager perched above him, Static signaled for her to stay until he'd call for her before knocking on the office door.
A grunt of acknowledgment from the other side of the barred entryway caused Static to smile again, realizing how busy his father must be and wishing he could find some other way, before opening the door and entering the modest office. His father had not bothered to look up as the door opened and closed, and only when the young man took the chair in the far corner did he acknowledge his presence.
Slight alarm crossed his face as he looked at his costumed son, wondering what would cause him to arrive fully uniformed. "To what do I owe the honor?" His father asked, as a slight, teasing smile played at the corner of his lips.
Taking a deep breath as the younger man closed his eyes, Static looked at his father, a strange weight of uncertainty shining from his own orbs. "Remember when you told me that if I ever needed to talk things out to just ask," the hero began, his words coming as a fast, unrestrained confession. "Well, I could use your advice."
Surveying his son with great interest, Robert reclined his ample frame in his worn office chair as he fought the urge to massage the sudden pressure that began to build along the bridge of his nose. The best he could manage however was a weary smile to try to ease his son's mind. He could never confess to being comfortable with his son's other life, and he desperately missed the days when his biggest concerns belonged to the uncertainty of putting his children through college, not wondering if they'd come home bruised, battered or even at all. But regardless of his deepest fears, he had made the promise to the young man, and despite his own worries, he could not resist the smile of unquestionable pride whenever he would see footage of the heroic acts of the charismatic champion he called his son. How many fathers, he often wondered, could be blessed with that.
"You know I'm always here for you Virgil, nothing will ever change that," Robert began, his paternal smile easing his son's initial apprehension.
Swallowing hard before nodding his head in understanding, Static began. "I may have done something that upset some of the other members of the team."
Raising one curious eyebrow at his son's statement, Mr. Hawkins waited for his son to continue. "You remember the Bang Baby named Talon? Uh...feather, used to fly around and cause a bunch of trouble," Static added at the blank expression he received from the older man. When no sign of recognition greeted the hero he continued. "Yeah, well...there are a bunch of Bang Babies out there. Anyway, she's helped Gear and me out of a couple of tough scrapes, but she was still a criminal. But...she says she wants to reform and help us fight Ebon...and honestly, I'm not sure if that's such a good idea. I mean, Adam said she should get a second chance, since he got one, but Shebang was absolutely outraged over the idea...and I'm not sure if I'm driving a wedge between us."
"What do you think son?" His father asked. He recognized the tactic immediately; it was what his father did when he wanted either Sharon or himself to solve a particularly difficult problem for themselves while he acted merely as the guide, keeping them focused.
"I'm not sure anymore," the younger man said, a sad smile creasing his lips. "I believe her when she said she wanted to help us, but I don't know how that's going to throw off the team dynamic. If they don't trust her..."
"Do they trust you?"
The question caused Static to pause for a moment, his eyes narrowing in thought as he contemplated the purpose of the question. "Well, yeah...they sort of named me the leader."
"And you trust her, correct?"
"I'd like to...it's just not that easy."
Robert smiled, indulging his son's naiveté at life. "Son, there is nothing easier in this world than trust. All the bonds that people hold with one another are built on trust. If you trust her, and your friends trust you, then eventually you'll bridge that gap between them."
"But I'm not sure if it's for the best..."
"Sometimes son, what is for the best is not always what is right."
Adam Evans rested peacefully on the couch of his modestly tasteful apartment. It had been a hectic couple of weeks since his return from tour, but despite the supernatural drama that had consumed his life, he was most grateful to be back.
His mind drifted alternately between his own troubled thoughts and the peace he felt in the arms of woman by his side. Resting his head comfortably on Sharon's shoulder, he would not restrain the smile forming on his face if he could, as she used her free hand to cradle his cheek. It was amazing in times like these, that all the world's problems still hung over his head, yet were quickly forgotten with just a simple gesture from this one incredible woman. If he could have but one wish, it would be to stay like this forever.
"What are you thinking about?" Sharon asked as her soft, sleepy voice sent a shiver down Adam's spine. He had never experienced love at this level before, an unquestionable and unrelenting passion that could, in an instant, destroy him and bring him back to life stronger than before. And he mused over the notion that, if just her voice could affect him so, touching those perfect lips to his would cause every fiber in his body to explode.
"Just thinking," Adam said as he pulled the small woman closer to him while nuzzling her head against her shoulder. "I'm thinking over my past, and realize I must be the luckiest man in the world. I was also thinking," he said, taking another moment to turn his head and gently lay his lips against the curve of Sharon's neck, "that I pray to God that I never take that for granted."
The small confession brought a generous smile to Sharon as she gazed at her lover. "You won't, because I'll keep reminding you." She played, placing her own head against his. "Besides, I was thinking the same thing. Only that, all I have to do to remind myself of my luck is look at you."
Adam turned his body and cradled Sharon's face between his hands as he brought her lips against his. In all his life, he had never been so right about anything. At the slightest contact with the beautiful woman in his arms, his universe exploded.
Doctor Donald Todd moved nervously about his laboratory, adjusting vials and confirming the temperature of boiling beaker. He could not escape the sense of unease that had clutched his very soul since his meeting with Edwin Alva. Things were getting too out of hand and if need be, he would take the entire story of the bang baby gas to the media, his own professionalism be damned.
But as he moved to retrieve an unused test tube to check the validity of the serum he was producing, a black, shadowy hand gripped his wrist.
"Long time no see Doc," Ebon sneered as he gazed at the terrified scientist, a handful of other bang babies flanking the shadow master. "You wouldn't happen to be cooking up more of that antidote would you?" With but a flick of his head, Ebon summoned a vortex beneath the desk that quickly swallowed the efforts of Dr. Todd's research.
Shiv cackled madly as he moved from behind his leader, glaring as he took pleasure in transforming his hands into various weapons, each more terrifying and frightful than the last. Raking the room with his frantic eyes in an effort to find an escape, Dr. Todd understood the inevitable.
"So then, do you tend to kill me?" Dr. Todd replied, trying and failing desperately to sound braver than he felt.
"Killing you won't do any good doc. You see, people would ask too many questions if we did something like that. Instead, we've got other plans for you."
At those words, the red skinned Jersey moved into place, coming to stand inches in front of Dr. Todd. "Don't worry," she purred as she placed her hands on sides of his head. "If this hurts, just scream."
And he did.
Virgil stretched out on his couch, working the tension from his body as his mind replayed the events earlier that day with his father. He couldn't help but smile at the memory of his father's advice, yet was equally happy that he offered his assistance to the feathered Bang Baby. Though, that assistance came with a few conditions he was certain Talon would accept.
The Civic Center had, within the past year, began building dorms in an attempted outreach program to house troubled teens in an alternate environment than juvenile detention centers. As of yet, the program had not gotten off the ground, but his father agreed to allow Talon to use one of the rooms as a home, a place where she could rest without being disturbed by other people. Of course, the conditions were quite simple. Three times a week, the elder man would require that Talon scheduled counseling with him or his daughter. The other condition was that Talon would need to tell her mother where she had gone.
Mr. Hawkins had been most adamant about that point, knowingly saying that no parent wanted to be without knowledge of his or her child. At that point Static had left the two to discuss the arrangement, yet never moving too far away lest something happened. He hated not trusting Talon, but much of what Gear reminded him of had stuck to his mind. Even still, he wanted to give her a chance to at least prove him wrong.
So as he leaned back on the couch, his eyes closed against the glaring light that filtered through the large whole that stood where his living room wall had once been, Virgil sighed deeply as he tried to ease his mind of the emotional weight that had all but consumed his life as of late. Yet as he felt his body relax into the hazy realm that existed just beyond consciousness, the blaring tones from the television woke him, as the symbol of the local news channel's special report stared tauntingly at him from the screen.
"This is Shelley Sandoval," the easily recognizable reporter said, her face and posture grim and businesslike. "Coming to you live from city hall where we have been advised that an emergency city council meeting has just concluded. The topic of concern surrounding this impromptu meeting is to address the growing violence among the meta-human community here in Dakota.
"Wait just a moment," Shelley said, pressing her fingers to the unseen speaker poised against her ear. "We've just received word that the mayor is having an emergency press conference. We go to you live."
The scene quickly changed to one of an immaculately decorated chamber, large wooden pillars framed the background behind the middle-aged woman at the microphone.
"Citizens of Dakota," the mayor began, his words heavy as if his declaration was one of undeniable importance. "Over the past several months, our city has fallen under the threat of attacks that have injured countless innocent people, and have caused tens of millions of dollars in property damage.
"It is fortunate, despite our current crisis, that many business leaders in our community, headed by Mr. Edwin Alva, have stepped up to offer financial support and the means by which to rectify the damage done. Be that as it may, it does not solve the problems at hand."
The mayor paused a moment to study the crowd for no other reason than to add validity to the importance of his next statement. "Having conferred with our city council, business and community leaders as well as our leaders of the emergency services, we have come to the painful realization that we can not handle this crisis alone.
"Therefore, under the new ratification emitted into the city charter, we are authorizing the forming of a new and separate policing force known as the Special Crimes Unit. The SCU was adopted from the special unit founded in Metropolis, and we have their full support to move forward with our sister program.
"The job and responsibility of the SCU will be to police and quarantine the activities of all meta-humans within the city of Dakota. We cannot allow our people to suffer any longer at the hands of these thugs."
Immediately the room echoed with a thousand requests from reporters to have their questions answered. It took a moment of confused concentration before the mayor could focus on a single reporters inquiry.
"Madam Mayor, Matt Nickels, the Dakota Chronicle, what about the Bang Babies, Static Shock and others who are determined to stop the violence?"
A mirthless, mocking laugh echoed from the mayor as she addressed the reporter. "Mr. Nickels, of all that I have seen of the destruction, reports of Static Shock's so-called heroic activities have only led to greater devastation. From all accounts, the self-proclaimed protectors of Dakota are nothing more than a common street gang with super powers. The actions of the entire Bang Baby population, for that matter, are nothing short of a gang war, and it's the innocent people who are caught in the crossfire. No Mr. Nickels, we will not allow another tragedy to befall Dakota as it did during the riots."
"Will the SCU be able to counteract the actions of the Meta-Human population Mrs. Mayor?"
"The principle of the SCU's founding here in Dakota is based off of the success they have had in dealing with Meta-Humans in Metropolis. But of course, we can take no chances. If we find the SCU ill-equipped to deal with the present crisis, I have the governor's approval to authorize a state-of-emergency for Dakota. But that is not what we want. Your city officials have worked tirelessly to secure the safety of our citizens and we will not let it be threatened by a potential war between the Bang Babies.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, and all citizens of Dakota," the mayor began, each word announced with slow purpose. "From this day forward, any and all Meta-human activity, will be considered an act of terrorism."
There was more to the speech, Virgil knew there was but couldn't focus on the face or words that came from the television. He suddenly felt smothered as a deep, unrelenting chill had taken possession of his heart and spread to the extremities of his body. And despite his inability to breath properly from the horrifying sense of betrayal, he paid no attention to the tear that ran the course of his cheek.
-To be continued
A/N: Another evil cliffhanger. Ha ha. Hope you guys like it. Now you've gotten a sample of Alva's plan. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. More is sure to come, be sure of that. Again, thanks to everyone who reads and reviews my work. I am most thankful.