Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own soul, and even that is debatable. (tm) disclaimer

Notes: Okay, so I promised myself I would update all of my fics this spring break and not start a new fic until they were all updated, but...uhm, wow this idea was beating me over the head. So I had to go with it!

Basically this is a different take on the episode "Flashback". A "what-if" scenario, if you will. Had Ebon never returned to the past with Static, Gear, and Timezone, would Virgil have been able to save his mother? And if he had been able to, how would that affect the present? This is how I see it :)

Also, in the "new" present, Richie's superhero alter-ego is "Hypno" and not "Gear". The way I see it is that a) Virgil was the one who named Richie "Gear". If Richie wasn't friends with Virgil at the time, then how could Virgil name him? and b) Without being friends with Virgil, I think Richie would be an entirely different person, which may have affected the places he would go and the times he would go to these places. So I think it's very possible that he could have been at the first Big Bang in this "alternative universe". And for those of you who read "Shatter", you should know that I believe had Richie directly inhaled the Bang Gas, he'd be telepathic and telekinetic.

Fade Away
Prologue

Worrying his bottom lip in despair, Gear set Backpack down safely in the smallest nook of the gas station, pulling off his helmet so that he could connect one of Backpack's input devices to his head. Closing his eyes tightly, Gear slowly inserted the tiny needle-shaped instrument into his right temple, ignoring the temporary flare of pain. When he felt his mind was able to adjust to this new intrusion, Gear opened his eyes and stared down at Backpack, taking in a deep breath before programming the computer to download every single one of his thoughts and memories into its system.

Just as a precaution, right?

Just as a precaution.

When the job had been completed, Gear pulled the needle from his skull and wiped the traces of blood that covered it, commanding Backpack to retract and go into standby mode. He paused as a thought occurred to him and quickly booted Backpack up once again, turning on Backpack's recording system and pointing its camera towards the center of the room, before putting it back into standby mode with its camera still running. He had just finished covering Backpack with a nearby blanket when he heard Static's voice shout for him.

"GEAR! Where are you?" his partner cried, coming to a halt as he reached the gas station's doors. A second later, Static was joined by Timezone.

"Did you… save your mother?" For some reason, Gear was finding it hard to get the words out.

"I did, man! She still got shot, but I was able to get her to a hospital. They said she'd be all right!" Static was practically walking on air as he spoke, running over to where his partner stood. He wrapped Gear up in a bone-crushing hug and grinned. "And I owe it all to you… if you hadn't come up with that remote to go back in time…"

Gear yanked himself away and nodded. "Yeah."

Frowning, Static laid his hand on Gear's shoulder, trying to catch his friend's gaze. "Are you okay, man…?" He paused as he caught sight of the small wound on Gear's temple. "Dude, what happened?"

"I…we…we should get back to the future." Gear pulled away again and turned to Timezone, nodding sadly to the new meta-human. She frowned and nodded as well, apparently understanding his anguish. Looking back at Static, Gear sighed. "Now."

Any and all concern that had littered Static's gaze suddenly vanished at the prospect of returning to a world where his mother was still alive.

"Gear…Richie…I… I really don't know what to say…" Static mumbled, voice becoming choked as he stepped closer to his friend. Gear looked away.

"Please… don't…" Somehow, Gear knew what was coming. It had been coming for a long time, they both knew, but they'd wanted to leave it for an occasion that was special. That they would never forget.

How ironic that that time would be now?

"Thank you…" It was a soft whisper that accompanied the hand Static used to cup Gear's cheek, partnered with the tears threatening to fall from Static's eyes. Gear wanted to scream.

And then Static kissed him.

Pushing his partner away with all of his might, Gear grabbed the Time Remote from the floor and tried to find the correct button that would lead them back home through his now blurred vision.

"S-stupid remote…"

"Richie…?" Gear tried to ignore the hurt tone in Static's voice, rationalizing that it would all be forgotten soon.

All of it.

Forgotten.

Never to have happened.

Finally finding the button he so desired, Richie pressed down and kept his grip on the remote as if it were his only savior in life.

Forgotten.

O:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:o:O

Virgil Hawkins groaned as he watched the U-Haul truck make its way up his driveway.

"I still don't see why we have to move back to Dakota," his older sister, Sharon, whined to their father. "I mean, we left for a reason, didn't we? It was way too dangerous there."

Mr. Hawkins chuckled and patted her on the shoulder. "The riots stopped five years ago. Since then, Dakota has been anything but dangerous."

"Yeah, you know, if you skip the part about the bang babies," Virgil muttered, getting up from his spot by the window and joining his family by the bottom of the stairs. Mr. Hawkins rolled his eyes and pushed his children through the front door.

"This was your mother's idea, you know. She's been wanting to move back to Dakota ever since she fully recovered from being shot. In fact, she never wanted to leave in the first place."

"So now I know where you get your craziness from, Sharon," Virgil laughed, darting out of the way to avoid being smacked. Sharon somehow managed anyway.

"Maybe there'll be more of that bang gas left and you'll get infected. Then you'd turn into an even creepier monster than you are now and would have to leave home. I'd gladly hand over the job of beating you up to Hypno and Timezone."

"Pfft, are you kidding?" Virgil grinned. "If I became a bang baby, I'd be right up there with Hypno and Timezone as one of Dakota's favorite superheroes. I'd be so good, even the Justice League would be begging me to join"

A loud crash from behind cut Virgil off, causing him to whip around and face his pale mother. Sharon frowned and ran over to help her with the boxes she had dropped.

"Mom? Are you okay?" Virgil asked in concern. Mrs. Hawkins flushed and nodded, laughing at her own clumsiness.

"Oh, you know, I'm just getting old…" she said quickly. Sharon and Virgil exchanged identical looks of skepticism but let it pass. Whenever Virgil even mentioned superheroes (especially becoming one) in jest, their mother would have some sort of episode. Virgil liked to think that it was because their mother was overprotective of him and the thought of him being in danger was far too overwhelming. Sharon, on the other hand, always countered that idea by saying that it was because their mother didn't want Virgil accidentally destroying the world in his haste to stop a bank robber.

Personally, Virgil liked his idea better. Sighing, he grabbed his suitcase and made his way to the car, strapping on his seat belt as he said his last goodbye to the house that had been so good to him for the past five years.

"Dakota, here we come…" he mumbled, before opening up his bag and pulling out a faded newspaper article. It was on Hypno and Timezone, Dakota's very own superheroes. While he had always had a slight obsession with superheroes in just about every aspect, he found a personal interest in the crime-fighting duo from Dakota. The thing that he found so mind-blowing about them wasn't that they had superpowers or that they saved lives, however; it was that they were teenagers, just like he was. Timezone was a young teenage girl with the amazing power to control time thanks to her Time Remote, and her partner, Hypno, was around the same age, known for his psychokinetic abilities and incredible genius. Both had been affected by what had become known around the country as "The Big Bang" and, unlike most of the meta-humans running rampant throughout Dakota, they used their powers to protect the city.

Virgil sighed as he reclined himself, waiting for the rest of his family to join him so that they could take off. He brought the article into his line of vision again and frowned at the photograph that was presented. Whenever he looked at the picture, he was always captured by the sad look in Hypno's eyes, despite the smile that graced the young superhero's features.

"Baby boy?"

Virgil looked up at the voice and rolled his eyes, getting back into a sitting position. "Mom, I told you not to call me that."

Mrs. Hawkin's chuckled and slid into the backseat next to her son, glancing at the article he had been studying. An odd expression crossed her face for a moment, before she smiled warmly, running her fingers through Virgil's dreads.

"I think this move will be good for you. Maybe it'll put things back to the way they're supposed to be…"

Virgil raised an eyebrow at the words, as well as his mother's wistful tone. "Uhm…ookay?"

"Just try to act like you don't hate this as much as you really do…for me?"

Virgil couldn't help but grin at the puppy eyes she was directing towards him, finally realizing where Sharon got it from.

"Yeah, mom. For you."

TBC