Chapter 4: First Test

Note: Single-quoted italics are Aly's "Inner Mind" or "Mind Voice." Her other thoughts will be simply woven into the paragraphs...you'll see.

The next morning, Aly's lids fluttered open as golden sunlight filtered into her room through the open window. Rolling onto her stomach to groan softly into her pillow, she continued to blink into the warmth of the sun's rays for a few moments before sitting up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Glancing up at the wall in front of her behind her bed, she blinked as she noticed a small white slip of paper tacked to her bulletin board with a pushpin. Reaching out, she pulled down the note and opened it, curiosity lacing her sleep-marred thoughts. The note read, in nearly illegible, spidery script:

Aly,

Meet us at the gas station around noon.

There's something important we need to tell you.

—Gear

Aly's heart skipped a beat. Maybe this meant that she was going to be welcomed into the team! Or maybe she was going to get the chance to "prove herself" with her first test. Along with the rush of thoughts and glee that came with these thoughts, a sudden plague of embarrassment hit her as she began to slowly recall her dream. Aly had been standing in front of Gear, but when he leaned down to kiss her forehead, it was Richie's lips that were pressed against her skin. A hot blush flared across her face, tingeing her skin crimson as she realized that she would have to try and maintain some sort of composure today when around him to keep from humiliating herself further. Taking a deep breath as she flopped back against her bed, a single phrase raced through her sleep-drunken mind.

'Shit, it's gonna be a long day...'

Aly watched the digital clock in Virgil's room eagerly, watching the red numbers change slowly. Why did time have to pass so freaking slowly when you were A) excited or B) nervous! Biting her lip to keep from screaming, she attempted to appear interested in the videogame the two boys were playing, all the while counting down the minutes until 11:45 when she would seek permission to leave the house and "explore Dakota" for the rest of the day. Having calculated that it would take approximately 15 minutes to sprint to the gas station, Aly was ready to take off at a moment's notice...too bad there was still a half an hour to go until then.

So far, the day had progressed without a hitch. The family breakfast Sharon planned out for this glorious Saturday morning was a welcomed change in Aly's routine, and made her new home feel more like she was a member of the family, and not just a houseguest. Then, thanks to her incredible combination of eagerness and boredom, Aly had taken to watching DVDs and playing the latest video games with her foster brother and Richie. Though she had only beat Richie once, she was perfectly capable of kicking her brother's butt without a problem, much to his dismay. Now, watching the two best friends battle on screen, she found herself oddly wishing that noon would hurry up and get here...and yet, wishing that this day would drag on forever, just so she could stay with the pair she felt most comfortable around.

'But mostly Richie,' that little voice in her head said in a sweet sing-song voice, 'we mustn't forget dear Richie...'

Aly felt a blush creep up her cheeks. Aw, great. She just had to be thinking of him now, when she was sitting just a few feet away from him. Glancing sidelong at him, she felt her blush grow hotter as she found herself studying the calculating look he got whenever he was doing something even as simple as playing a video game. It almost reminded her of...

'Gear,' the voice in her head cried, 'he reminds you of Gear.'

Stubbornly, Aly slowly shook her head in response. No. No, that couldn't be. Gear was so much cuter than Richie – his eyes were so intelligent and were such a piercing blue that they seemed to see into your soul. Instantly remembering that look Gear got when calculating the best way to take down an opponent, Aly tried to ignore the voice in her mind as it stubbornly returned.

'Look at Richie's face – He's got that same look right now.'

No, no he doesn't. Aly thought stubbornly. It's completely different. After all, what about that adorable smile of his? – Gear's smile is so much more brilliant than Richie's.

'Is that what you thought when you first met Gear? Hmm...Let's think about that...Um...– NO!'

Shut up! Aly mentally retaliated. Her mind desperately searched for something that was different between the two, something that her mind couldn't throw back at her. The earring? No, both boys had one. Laugh? No, they both had the same sort of chuckle that made Aly subconsciously grin in response. Wit – that was it! Gear was much more witty and clever; his confidence was probably only second to his intelligence. Take that! Aly thought with a slight smirk forming on the corners of her mouth. But, as always, her mind had a reply for that one.

'Oh, sure...Richie just randomly figured out your secret out of pure dumb luck! And he's kicking Virgil's butt now because he's the "Master of Games," right? It has absolutely nothing to do with superior intellect or that devious look in his eyes. Wake up and see the light, O' Blind One! Richie. Is. Gear. You're in love with your brother's best friend.'

For some reason, despite all the times she had tried to convince herself it wasn't true, when Aly's inner mind stated it like that, she somehow came to see the light. Her eyes widened as she inhaled an inaudible gasp. Because not only was she probably crazy for being able to hold a silent conversation with herself in her mind, but she was also falling simultaneously for two halves of the same guy.

'Oh. My. Freaking. God.'

When at last Aly was able to leave the house, she sprinted the entire way to the gas station, determined to make it there before Richie and Static. Along the way, she began to ponder that if Richie was Gear...didn't that mean that Static had to be...Aly's eyes snapped open wide. Virgil was Static.

'Well bravo, Mistress Fog-For-Brains! It only took you how long to figure that one out! Good thing your crush is a genius – he's got enough intelligence for the both of you...'

"Shut up." Aly snapped aloud at the last snide comment, running faster as she neared the gas station. A last minute thought ran through her mind as she neared her heroes' headquarters: to reveal that she knew their secret, or not? For now, Aly decided to keep her mouth shut until the time was right to announce the fact that she knew the "secret identities" of her foster brother and crush.

Pushing open the door to the station, Aly wasn't the least bit surprised to see Gear lounging in a chair in front of several computers and electronic gadgets strewn about a long desk in a corner. Static was jadedly zapping a tennis ball at just the right angle to make it bounce against the floor to the wall, and then sail back at the source of its movement. The sight was enough to send Aly into fits of laughter, considering just moments ago these very same "bored crime-fighters" had been fighting zombies in the room just across the hall from her own. Fighting to keep a straight face, she whirled across the room to plop down on a seat across from Gear. With a bright grin on her face, she eagerly awaited the reason for her summons.

"So...what's up, guys? Some meta-human baddies out making trouble?" Aly punched the air in front of her like a boxer as if mimicking knocking out Hotstreak or Talon, one of the very few Bang Babies she had actually come into contact with. To her surprise, however, Gear raised his azure gaze to hers and shook his head, his face grave. The smile instantly wiped from her face, Aly sat up straighter, fear suddenly piercing her heart like an arrow of ice. What was going on?

'There's gonna be trou-ble...' A familiar sing-song voice chanted in the back of her mind. Aly in response chanted her own mantra back at it: 'Shut up. Shut up. Shut up...'

"We received an anonymous tip that the Metabreed are starting an all-out Bang Baby War...And it's starting tonight. Ebon wants to eliminate all the heroes, so that his gang of meta-humans can take over Dakota - once and for all."

Aly's face went white. A war? They expected her to fight in an actual war! The voice in the back of her mind was quick to remind her that it was Aly's own fault for wanting to get into this hero business. Taking a deep breath to calm frazzled nerves, the girl spoke, her voice nowhere near as even or calm as she would have liked. The tremor of fear was well-hidden, but by the gentle smile on Gear's features, Aly knew he'd heard it.

"You want me...to fight with you? To stop this...Ebon?"

"Exactly." Gear murmured, the teen's cool cobalt gaze as steady as his tones.

Static chose this moment to rise from his chair and walk over to Aly's side, his arms crossed as that protective look came over his dark features again. It made Aly smile slightly in spite of herself to see it. In a way, it was nice to know that Virgil was worried about her, Static or not. Grinning impishly up at him as he began his long speech of being attentive in battle and not letting your guard down and obeying orders the first time given, she placed a light hand on his arm, smirking slightly.

"I know. It'll be dangerous. But I'm ready. I promise. I can help you win this war...Just give me a chance," Turning towards Gear, she repeated her last statement, all the lighthearted radiance of her previous smile melting into a grim stare, "all I need is a chance."

The partners exchanged a glance and nodded conclusively. With a solemn smile, Aly rose and hugged each of them in thanks, almost surprised at herself for such a bold action. Even more surprising was the fact that both heroes accepted it, even hugging her gingerly back. Together, the team left their headquarters, ready to accept the challenges of the war...ready to battle their way to victory.

In the heat of battle, Aly soon learned that things became marred and blurry. One attack led right into the next...one foe's cries melded into the others. At times it seemed as though she was not fighting several individual Bang Babies, but a giant entity that moved and struck as one. Bloodied and battered from long hours of battle, Aly soldiered on as did her partners. For a time, it seemed as though the Metabreed would overpower them, but all too quickly, the tides changed. Now, the rouge band of meta-humans was being driven back into retreat by Aly and her team.

When at last Ebon called the day's retreat with a last fiery attack from Hotstreak as a parting blow, Aly felt as though she would faint from relief. Glancing around her at the blood and gore of the battlefield, she felt bile rising in her throat, but she forced the vile-tasting stuff down, clamping a hand over her mouth just in case, her horror-struck visage trembling madly. She had killed. She had murdered. She had slaughtered. She had fought against evil and in her triumph, wounded other humans andeven took a few lives. A sob was wrenched from her throat unexpectedly as she fell to her knees, rocking slightly as she was overcome with waves of agony resulting from the shock of her first bloody battle.

A warm presence above her made her glance up as Gear knelt and pulled Aly fiercely into his arms, gripping her tightly as if he never meant to release her, allowing the distraught girl to sob into his shoulder. When at last her body stopped shaking, Aly took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. Glancing upward as she felt Gear's body trembling slightly, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or frightened at the sight she beheld: tears were sliding noiselessly down the blonde's cheeks, his normally cheery blue eyes now somber and aghast.

"I'm sorry," he whispered so softly Aly could barely hear him, "I'm sorry we let you get involved in this mess..."

Unable to speak past the lump in her throat, Aly shook her head mulishly and glanced toward where several paramedics who had just arrived on the scene were helping wounded Bang Babies into ambulances, wrapping bandages around gashes and administering any sort of quick first aid he could to those in need – be they friends or foes. In their states of pain and disorientation, all of the meta-humans accepted the treatment, unable or unwilling to fight back. Turning her shadowed gray gaze onto her hero and teammate, Aly shook her head once more as she responded in an equally soft whisper.

"I wanted to."

Gear smiled slightly, though Aly noted that his smile didn't reach his eyes. Rising, she glanced about for Static, frowning when she couldn't spot her foster sibling. Casting a sharp glance at Gear, she spoke a single question, her words clipped and urgent.

"Where's Static?"

At the blank look on his features, she began to panic. A thousand-and-one horrible possibilities raced through her mind, causing more alarm to rise in her. Attempting to keep a cool head, she couldn't help but jump when Gear suddenly spotted to a figure limping nearer, a large bloody stain on his upper thigh. Static. Sprinting over to him, Aly cried out his name, not even caring that in her fright, her tongue grew loose, allowing her foster brother's name to escape instead of her teammate's.

"VIRGIL!"

For the moment, not a single person seemed to care. Gear, at Static's side in but a few moments, was examining the wound, shaking his head gravely. At the look on his face, Aly knew even before she knelt at her foster brother's side that the injury was bad...possibly even fatal. Taking a deep breath, she decided that her only course of action was to heal the fallen hero – on her own. Rubbing her palms together, she took another deep breath and began to chant a single word under her breath, pressing her palms over the deep gash, muttering her mantra as a pulsing blue light spread from her body to her hands to Static's wound.

Little by little, the pulsing light began to repair the damage done – re-mending flesh, replacing blood, mitigating pain. By the time that Aly finished chanting her hymn, there was naught but a large tear in the fabric of the African American hero's costume as evidence of his abrasion. Feeling faint from the large amount of power she just depleted, she swooned and fell backwards into Gear's strong embrace, allowing the world to grow dimmer and dimmer around her until everything faded to an impenetrable velvety black.

Author Notes: I lovedwriting this chapter! (Despite the fact that there was a little less Aly & Richie in this one) Hehe - Aly's inner mindis fun to write.Thanks again to my loyal reviewers and friends alike- I heard from a bunch of you that you liked the last chapter better than the first three (and that the Aly x Richie pairingis cute, lol). I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that, since I knew the beginning would be a little slow. It should pick up the pace from here on out, but we'll see, right? -wink-

mcmeghan92: Sure thing. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, since I enjoyed writing it!

lt. commander richie: I'm glad you liked the last chapter! Hopefully, it made up for my faux pas with the "Kidnapped" episode.