Author's Note: This is the FINAL chapter!
Warning: Disturbing Imagery: non-sexual
Chapter Six: Final Days, Part Two
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (8)
Book IV
Ovid John
Chapter Six: Final Days, Part Two
Richie didn't even want to wait. That was the biggest problem. He sat in the waiting room chair, ramrod straight, and ignored Fiyero's hand on his leg. He stared straight ahead and scarcely even seemed to breathe. Other patients who might have normally been fascinated by him, and by the phenomenon of Static using a pay phone, and Hotstreak, a former terror, sitting beside Gear, kept their eyes down or trained on the quietly-playing television. They all felt that something in Gear's posture prompted them to pretend they were elsewhere, or at least that the superhero wasn't in the waiting room with them. And, just in case, the caution they exercised towards Gear carried to the others.
Only one child tried to watch, and she was urged in a whisper not to stare; it wasn't polite. The little girl stole peeks at Gear especially; she was four-almost-five and possessed of a pervasive curiosity. She liked watching both Static and Gear on television, but Gear was nearer to her; she could study him better. Static was hidden, because of her place on the floor, by her father's knee.
At last, her father tired of her peeks and picked her up. " 'Detta, stop it," he whispered. "Let the superhero alone."
Fiyero glanced at the man, wondering if he understood how much attention he was drawing to himself. It was much worse than when the little girl just stared.
Richie stood suddenly and approached the father and daughter. The man looked a little nervous (Fiyero didn't blame him) but 'Detta tried to reach out for him.
Richie touched her small hand with his gloved fingers. "Hi," he said softly. "What's your name?"
Very politely, demurely, she said, "Odetta Carver." She grinned, and her voice lost its quiet attitude. "Hi, Gear! Why are you in the hospital?"
"Two friends of mine have been hurt."
"My mama's having my little sister," Odetta said.
Richie squeezed her hand lightly. "That's good news. Are you ready to be a big sister?"
Fiyero slipped out of his seat and rushed across to where Virgil was still talking on the phone. Tapping Virgil's shoulder, he whispered, "Look!"
Virgil turned his head. "What is-?" Then he stopped, smiling. Quickly, he said good-bye to his family and hung up. Then he and Fiyero just stood there, watching the miracle of Richie back in the world with them.
Odetta was saying, "…care of Lily Anne. That's my sister's name."
"I like it." Richie stood. "I have to go now. Thank you for talking with me."
Odetta wriggled out of her father's weakened grasp and jumped to the floor, holding up her arms.
Richie gazed at her for a moment, then picked her up. He let her touch his helmet, his faceplate, Backpack's arm. Then he hugged her gently before setting her down. "Thank you, Odetta. I'll look out for you in the doctor journals in twenty years or so."
Fiyero and Virgil hurried to catch up with Richie as he started out of the emergency room doors. He went with a slightly bowed head, and his hands were clasped before him as he walked. When the three of them were all outside, Richie turned to the two he loved. "I'll be okay for a little longer," he said. "And… Who called the ambulance for my dad?"
"Guilty as charged," Virgil answered.
Richie smiled and grasped Virgil's hand. "Thank you." Then he squared his shoulders. "Let's go. We were supposed to be approaching Brainiac's location half an hour ago."
They were walking again, but Fiyero put his hand on Richie's shoulder, squeezing lightly until the blonde looked around at him without slowing his pace. "Did you-?" Fiyero cursed his weak tongue and his beleaguered brain. "Richie, tell me…" He shot Virgil a pleading look, but Virgil stared mutely back, unable to offer any help. "I mean, the Zap Caps-" He shook his head violently. "Please tell me that was Gear who tried to kill your father. Please tell me that was him."
"Gear's with Brainiac." Richie reached up and touched Fiyero's hand on his shoulder. "I did it. I sinned. I… committed patricide. Because I know he's as good as dead. I can feel it. I saw the fire start; I knew John and Bernadette…" He swallowed. "Anyway, I know he's dead, or will be soon. I've seen it already.
"And I hate it." His voice was getting quieter and quieter. "I hate that I meant to kill him. I hate that I lost myself enough to his teachings to exact revenge when God… when God could have changed him, made him a better person, maybe healed him completely so we could be a family again." Richie's voice broke. "But now I stole that chance from him."
"Don't think of it like that," Virgil said, walking faster so he could walk in front of Richie, facing him. "God decides when each of us dies, right? He knows when each of us dies, right? He knows our lives before we live them. So He saw this coming. So He must have planed it."
Richie stopped so suddenly Fiyero's right foot caught on Richie's heel and both of them staggered forward a step. "Just because God knows what's going to happen doesn't mean He caused it!" Richie screamed. He shrugged off Fiyero's hand and stood toe to toe with Virgil, still screaming. "That's like saying God causes floods and earthquakes today just like He did the Old Testament! It's different now! We're living in the Age of Grace! We're each of us responsible for following Christ; no one can make that decision for us! And I just took away my dad's final chance to get right with God! So don't fucking tell me God caused me to kill my father!" He stood, gasping, glaring at Virgil, and then something inside him seemed to crack.
Richie took a step back and looked away from Virgil. "I can't do this," he whispered. "I can't do this. I can't face God with this much blood on my hands. I can't fight Brainiac with only half my sanity." He laughed brokenly. "But if I don't, I damn the whole world. What the hell do I do, God? What the hell do you want me to do?" Lifting his eyes to the sky, Richie screamed, "What now? You said you'd help me! Where are you?"
Open the links.
Richie opened his mouth to tell both Backpack and Virgil- whichever one had sent the message- to just… They can't connect to me. My shields are too strong. They can't connect to me. Richie shuddered and hugged himself. Please, God, I can't go insane. Please.
Stop, Richie. I Am here for you.
His reaction was slow, slower than it had been in Ebon's room, even, but Richie's mind began to catch up with what his heart was trying to tell him. He dropped his shields and flung out his sorrow into the void. His mind argued that it couldn't work, that Virgil and Backpack had their shields up.
They didn't. Almost at once, warm energy wrapped itself around Richie from both directions. Dimly, he felt Fiyero holding him up, supporting almost all his weight.
Have hope for your father. I send help in many ways, Richie. You will not heal all at once, but for now cast your care on those you love, and on Me. Through them, I will carry you until you are ready to try a few steps while I walk beside you. I need you, Richie. I need you to save My people. Will you?
…Yes, God… Yes.
"Richie?" The three voices overlapped, coming from inside and outside his head.
"It's all right… I'm all right. God… Thank you, Jesus…" He smiled ruefully, thinking that he sounded like a Southern Baptist preacher. Well, at least now I know where those words, that emotion, can come from. And somehow it doesn't sound as false now as it used to when I said it with everyone else. No offense to the Southern Baptists, but the KKK stole that phrase from them. Richie straightened and turned so that he was facing both Virgil and Fiyero. His hand went to Backpack's arm. "Thank you. I love you."
Turning his eyes fully on Fiyero, Richie took one of the teen's hands in both of his. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I attacked him. I'm sorry I'm not what you expected, what you wanted. Please-"
Fiyero drew Richie against him. "Of course you're what I want. I didn't know you could be so angry, and I never want to see you in so much pain that you are tempted towards that anger, but of course I want you."
Richie turned his eyes to Virgil. Memories of shouting at his lover flitted across his face, marking it. "V…"
Moving closer, grasping Richie's hand as the blonde reached for him, Virgil said, "I love you, Richie. We'll work through all of this together. The three of us want you always, and won't ever give you up. Don't think we love you any less; you're human, Richie. We don't love you because you're super smart or because you're perfectly in control; we love you because you're our Richie." He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"After-school special," Backpack said, and the three of them laughed. Fiyero, looking slightly mystified, but willing to join in, grinned at the others.
Virgil was surprised to hear how different Backpack's laugh was from Richie's. Their voices were alike, but Backpack… his laugh was all his own. Grinning, Virgil slung an arm around Richie. Fiyero did the same thing on the other side. "Well, we're off to see the wizard." Virgil started to stride away, pulling the others with him. "The scary wizard named Brainiac! Because because because BECUZZZZZ-"
Fiyero reached over and slapped a hand over Virgil's mouth. "Let Richie do the singing, okay?"
Richie turned pink as a piece of strawberry shortcake; Fiyero and Virgil laughed again. "Okay, okay," said the blonde. "We have to get going. We're already late. I don't know how long Gear can stall Brainiac."
Virgil flipped out his saucer. "Hop on, Hothead."
Fiyero grimaced. "Only because I want to squeeze your ass." He glanced at Richie again, meaning to wink, but he was startled by Richie's expression. The blonde was blushing again, but he also had a rather knowing look in his eyes. Shaking his head, Fiyero joined Virgil on his saucer. "Let's get out of here."
oOo
Brainiac came awake in the body Gear had built. Its unconscious state had been brief, but it had been there. Gear had enjoyed that moment of complete silence. Now that he'd been with Brainiac for many days (the last few hours had been especially long) he realized he wouldn't give up everything to travel with Brainiac. And it's not just the loss of a human body. It's… Gear grinned. He drives me crazy!
It scared Gear to know how close he'd come to just going with Brainiac; abandon the plan, help Brainiac escape, talk the supercomputer out of destroying Earth, but just leaving Richie behind. For a moment, everything had taken a backseat to Gear's desire to travel with Brainiac, gathering information by whatever means necessary. And that included both Gear's need for a human body and his love for Virgil.
I'm lucky I came back to myself at all. The grin slipped from Gear's face as Brainiac came fully awake. The computer wasn't yet aware of the firewalls and Gear prayed it would stay that way. Except Brainiac isn't the only one trapped by them. He shivered, hiding his reaction from Brainiac as always. I can't see how Richie will get me out of here alive.
Remembering the virus Richie had developed, the one that would sweep through Brainiac like a wind-driven fire through dry brush, Gear had to force himself not to feel sick. Thrive on the danger until there's nothing else, he thought. I can't have Virgil; I never could. All I can do is make sure Richie remembers me. That's my only immortality. Anguish rose inside him, but Gear snarled and vowed, I'll face my death just like I've lived: on my terms. And my terms don't include fear.
"Gear, I am ready. When will the ship be ready?"
"In another two hours, sooner if you can help me." Against his will, Gear's thoughts turned to Richie. Against my will? That sort of thing isn't supposed to happen. I'm supposed to be nothing but will. Isn't that why I'm so dangerous to Richie, Backpack, and the world at large?
Richie's voice floated out of the void, and Gear couldn't repress it. He had time for one thought before Richie's remembered words temporarily overwhelmed him: I'm going insane. That's what it has to be. And here I thought I was strong enough to face death with my mind intact.
Then the memory spoke. You can't help caring about only two things in the whole world- a fact that I don't really believe, if you want to know the honest truth- I can't help worrying about you. But if you want me to keep it to myself, I'll try… A fact I don't really believe, if you want to know the honest truth… two things in the whole world… I can't help worrying about you… a fact I don't believe, if-
Shut up! Gear screamed in his mind. I only care about myself and Virgil! You don't matter to me, Richie! I hate you! I want to be away from you! I'll never trust you or like you, so how can I love you enough to care about you? You're the millstone around my neck, the cord I trip over in the dark! Who do you think you are, caring about me and telling me what I do and don't care about?
"Gear, you seem distressed."
Shit. I'm cracking. "I'm all right; it's just that Richie is near-" I hope he really is; no, I want him to stay away from here- "and I want to make sure we don't mix."
"What exactly will happen if you are in close contact?'
"We'll both die." It was close enough to the truth to pass muster.
None of this was in the original plan, of course, but that can't be helped now. I've done what needed to be done, what Richie couldn't do, even as he's set himself out as bait. That's Richie's failing; he can't sacrifice others for the good of the many; he can only sacrifice himself. And sometimes that just isn't the right thing to do. It's so highly praised in this stupid society, but it's the last thing that's needed right now. What the plan needs is the sacrifice of someone who was never supposed to be here in the first place.
We'll both die. Close enough to the truth to be uncomfortable. I hope it's more than half-true… No, I don't. Virgil's going to need someone and Backpack's just not equal to Virgil's special needs. And since I could never comfort him…
"Then I will keep you separated. I will keep you with me, protected, and I will absorb only Richie's knowledge, not his physical body."
That'll be some trick with Backpack hidden away and Richie's shields up. "When you have his intelligence, will you kill him?"
"Of course. What other purpose could he serve?"
"He would make excellent bait for the Justice League. Especially if he's half-mad after you've taken his mind from him. A weak, mind-blasted citizen is something the Justice League couldn't resist. They would almost surely charge in here without thinking, easy prey for you."
An alarm went off in the shared part of their mind. Brainiac turned to it, but Gear knew instinctively what it was. Richie's coming. Squaring his mental shoulders, refusing to die in fear and confusion, he thought, Now it begins.
oOo
"Richie, allow me to say one more time that I dislike this plan intensely."
Richie smiled distractedly as he ripped his costume a little more. "I know, BP." He took the cracked helmet Fiyero handed him, reflecting that now he would be lucky to see Brainiac before he was attacked. The circuitry that took the place of his glasses had been cut and fused. Well, that's part of the point, isn't it? He smiled at Fiyero, then reached out and touched Backpack in Virgil's arms. Both Fiyero and Virgil had been unusually quiet, but Richie had no doubt that Backpack had eloquently expressed their thoughts. To all three of them, Richie said, "I love you. I'll see you on the other side of this." His smile became a little less distracted. "Have faith."
Green Lantern strode towards them, carrying the knife Richie had requested. "Hold still," he ordered the blonde. Richie saw Virgil wince an instant before the knife pierced the skin beneath Richie's eye, drawing forth a stream of blood. The knife moved and cut a gash into Richie's scalp. Head wounds bled best. GL stepped back, examining his handiwork. "There. Convincing enough." He grasped Richie's shoulder and made sure the blonde was looking at him. "You have half an hour. Then we're coming in."
Richie nodded, but stopped quickly because it made him feel dizzy.
"Just don't die, Rich," Virgil said, his voice strained. "I don't want to have to explain all this to Pops and Sharon."
"And you and my Aunt Sue need to still have a cook-off to find out who makes the better pumpkin stew." Fiyero touched the tips of his fingers to Richie's arm. Virgil, too, had reached out.
Richie smiled at them; one by one, he touched the three people he loved. Then he let his hand fall. Unable to think of anything to say, he stepped around Fiyero and started towards Brainiac's underground hiding place.
It wasn't easy going; he stumbled from time to time, and hoped he didn't end up falling and gashing his head even more. Though I guess having a scrape or two on my hands wouldn't hurt. He sighed. Well, can't be helped now. Here's hoping Brainiac doesn't notice the incongruency of my injuries and my relatively pristine hands.
His mind went for a moment to those waiting for him to come back. Even if they were unconscious or dead, Richie thought of them as waiting. Even his father waited, and Richie was starting to think the man might still have a chance to be saved before he died, though it would be a near thing. He'll make it into Heaven by the skin of his teeth. He'll have no rewards or trophies besides his own salvation to lay at Jesus' feet. But that's enough. If only he'll have that…
I love you, Bernadette, John. I'll see you again. I'll come out of this; you'll see. Virg and Fiyero and BP will see, too. Mr. H will never know everything I went through. He saw the flight of stairs ahead and concentrated on finding the railing so he wouldn't slide all the way down. Cuts are one thing; knocking myself unconscious won't help anything. At the bottom, he gazed around at the close, dark walls. This was a back entrance into the hidden place where Omnara had hidden Virgil's father. Unlike the rest of the complex, it was dimly lit and narrow. More than likely nothing more than an escape hatch. Well, and it might do when Gear and I are ready to leave. He glanced up at the low ceiling and chuckled silently. Virg would almost have to hit his head to fly here. Good thing they're all coming in the "main entrance." It amused Richie that when the city sent workers to repair the hole Virgil had blasted in the street to escape Omnara, they hadn't seemed even the least bit curious when they found it already fixed. Well, Virg will give them another chance to fix the hole. He forced the smile from his lips, just in case he was being watched, and turned his mind forcibly to the sight of John and Bernadette lying, side by side, in the grass, as their life blood mingled. His heart shied from the image, but Richie felt the tears coming and held onto the memory.
Gear wasn't the only one determined to die as he had lived.
Tripping over a bit of ripped-up metal, Richie lurched into the large room where Omnara's computers were humming away. He almost fell, but caught himself in time. The tears were blurring his vision. Joining the memory of his foster parents were thoughts of losing those he loved in this dangerous venture. I've done everything I can to protect them. That thought held no comfort for him, and the tears came faster. They would be audible in his voice. Good.
A robotic arm wrapped itself around him, righting him, then dragging him across the room. Richie squinted, but didn't try too hard to see. He knew who had to be there.
"You are foolish, coming here alone."
Richie struggled against the arm. "I'm going to kill you right away, Brainiac. I'm going to use your weapons to kill the ones who killed my parents, then I'm going to kill you." He sobbed. "Even if you can never die, I'll give it my best shot."
"Your 'best shot' will have no effect on me."
"You'd be surprised." Richie allowed his voice to tremble.
"I have someone here you might want to talk with."
Richie laughed. "You have no one I want to hear. Everyone I love is safe."
"Or dead," Gear said, speaking through Brainiac, his voice hard and more human, more emotional, than Brainiac could ever manage. "And I don't care if you don't love me. The feeling's mutual."
Richie's eyes narrowed. "Traitor! You're working with Brainiac! You're going to betray the human race!"
"Well, since I'm not human, I figured that was fitting." Gear reached out with Brainiac's hand and brushed Richie's hand as he went through his pockets, looking for the Shock Vox Richie should have been carrying.
The concealed, quarter-inch long robot jumped from its place on Richie's hand to the top of the blonde's head with all the grace and precision of a flea. The little miracle of engineering had been constructed by Backpack and was connected directly to him. The connection had been difficult to create, and would be even harder to sever, especially since Backpack wouldn't be anywhere near his little invention. If he couldn't cut the connection, the micro-bot's destruction would be his own.
Brainiac/Gear (did Brainiac understand Gear could take over permanently almost at any time?) held up the Shock Vox. "Now Static will find you and I will kill him."
"He'll come armed, and with friends," Richie answered. "Don't be so sure you can defeat him."
Gear laughed; Brainiac's eyes were lit with it. "Yes, he has friends, but I know all about them. Every weakness, strength and soft spot is known to me, so it's known to Brainiac. You're defeated, Richard."
A simple baiting technique, one Richie would have never fallen for- except he was supposed to fall for it. "Don't call me that! Only Bernadette and John can-"
"Well, they're dead, aren't they? Don't you want to be reminded of them?"
Fresh tears shimmered on Richie's cheeks and he struggled anew, wanting to wipe them away. "They're alive in my heart!" There, Gear, take that! It's the best invitation I can give for you to take the next step.
Gear drew Richie close, almost within kissing distance. The flea-sized robot leapt to Brainiac's head and entered through the access panel Gear had left open. The panel closed without a sound. "So touching. That's why you won't live through this, Richard; you're too soft."
Richie was crying so hard now he couldn't see Brainiac's face. Not much of a loss there. "Stop calling me that!" Richie struggled again, almost desperately enough to break an arm. A manic strength had flooded his limbs as he committed himself fully to the death he knew would probably come very soon. It hadn't been fifteen minutes yet, let alone the half hour Green Lantern and the others were going to wait.
Brainiac took over; the metal coils around Richie tightened. "Open your mind to me. You will build a link between your mind and mine. Then I will take your knowledge. Your death will be quick and painless if you agree to help me. If you refuse, I will torture you until you submit."
Richie dropped his outer shields at once, allowing not only Gear into his mind (Gear acting on Brainiac's orders) but Virgil, J'onn and Backpack. He prayed Virgil and Backpack still had their shields up, but knew he couldn't trust to that fact. Brainiac didn't sense the others, due to a planned oversight on Gear's part, but the others could sense Brainiac. Richie felt Virgil's anger ebb and flow as his lover attempted to keep himself in check. "Please don't kill me," Richie begged. "I can help you. Please, I don't want to die yet… Not like John and Bernadette…" He allowed the vision of his parents bleeding away their lives to consume him.
Gear punched a hole in the vision. "There will be time for you to grieve later. First, make the connection complete on your end. This will be quick." And, under the words, Gear sent this message, more feeling than thought: You must live. Virgil needs you. Tell him I loved him.
Richie heard the message and stored it, allowing a few more tears to be drawn from him. Then he dropped the second to last shield, giving Brainiac what the computer thought it wanted: access.
One shield remained, and here Richie hid the plan, but he sacrificed everything else: his love for Virgil, Backpack and Fiyero; all of his memories of his father's abuse; his mother's insane cries. As his suffering was siphoned out of his mind along with his knowledge of much of the complicated technology on Earth, Richie felt the last shield tremble. He couldn't lose that last hold, at least not until Brainiac had been contained, but the shield was buckling too soon. Everything J'onn had taught Richie about fortifying his shields came into play, but it wasn't enough. A small crack formed.
Gear surged forward, leaping into Richie's mind as the blonde's knowledge was pulled in the other direction. Gear threw himself around that last shield, holding it in place, all the while telling Brainiac that Richie was holding out on them and that he, Gear, was going to bring down the last shield.
Richie shivered as he was treated to the full contents of Brainiac's mind in the exchange. He could feel what little control he had left slipping away. He couldn't even pretend to be helping Gear hold that last wall between sanity and insanity in place. Every sorrow he had suffered, every agonizing blow of his father's hand, and especially those things Richie himself had done wrong, attacked him from all directions. The memories were like ravenous wolves, maddened by rabies, just ripping at every bit of hot, bloody meat they could find.
And Brainiac's mind was worse. In the supercomputer's vast store of knowledge, Richie saw the trillions of murders the machine had committed in its endless search for knowledge. Slow death by radiation poisoning, instant deaths, panicked people, parents clinging to children, whole populations systematically wiped out. And even though he saw so much, each image was clear. Not all of them would stay with him, Richie knew, if he was allowed to live, but some could never be forgotten. A mother ran, carrying one live child and one dead, the second baby missing half its head. Brains and blood clotted in the mother's hair, and her living child, a little older than its sibling, screamed to be put down, for the mother to help Nila, help Nila, she must be cold, the wind was strong. Mamna, Mamna, help Nila! She's hurt! She fell down! Mamna, her eyes are- Then the wave of a blast akin to an atomic bomb swept over them and the mother died. The older sibling died last, succumbing to the next blast.Brainiac conducted experiments on some planets, before it decided that digitizing was enough; death was all the same to it.
Richie! Stay with me! Stay with me, Richie! Don't give it to it! Don't-
You care for him. Brainiac's voice in Richie's/Gear's mind was calm, implacable. Pain like a thousand knives, descended on both of the people in Richie's mind. Richie was protected somewhat by the shield Gear tried to build, but the shield was Gear.
Brainiac attacked ruthlessly; it attacked in vengeance and because it had been tricked, though it would have denied such feelings that it wasn't supposed to have. But the energy it threw at Richie/Gear was made of more than purpose, and both Richie and Gear sensed that. Brainiac had learned to hate.
Gear screamed as he was consumed by the fire of Brainiac's fury. Throw the switch! he ordered Richie. Do it now! Even if the micro-bot isn't deep enough, I can't hold the firewalls, I can't destroy the pathways! Now, Richie!
I can't hear the robot anymore, Gear. Richie's voice was calm, and he wrapped himself around Gear as much as he could, enduring the same pain, giving himself over to dying alongside what had once been half of his mind and was now a dying man. I can't hear anything outside us. But if the virus has been released, we'll know soon enough.
You were supposed to live and love Virgil! That was the plan! Dark flames raced over Gear's "skin" and he screamed again, even as he tried to make himself understood.
No. Richie was still calm. Shock had damped his terror, horror, and all the rest. The plan is to save the world if we can and bring Brainiac's death. He was merging with Gear, forcing himself in among the burning remains that had once been a brilliant mind.
Not- Gear shoved Richie back, ripping them apart- anymore!
Gear, wait! Gear, I can't leave you here! Fire like serpents' tongues and clawing fingers rose between them. An invisible wall forced them apart.
Richie's last shield crumbled and fell, and Brainiac surged into his mind, taking him by force, raping him in a more fundamental way than skin-to-skin.
That was when the virus swept through Brainiac/Richie/Gear, and Brainiac at last understood everything. The supercomputer tried to simultaneously pull out of Richie's mind so it could deal with the virus, and yet take Richie with it.
Gear flung himself at Brainiac, throwing up the final firewall around the two of them, pushing Richie out. A wordless cry issued from Gear's mind, made of triumph. There! Gear seemed to shout. I told you you'd go back to Virgil! I told you!
Then Gear was gone, Brainiac was gone, and Richie came back to himself. Memories of everything Brainiac had shown him were still swimming before his eyes, vying for position like squabbling crows. Beneath and among these visions was the knowledge that he was indeed alone in his mind, and that not one shield stood.
Creeping in, as if afraid to intrude, came his five senses reporting in. Smell was the first to reach him, and Richie realized the room around him was filling with smoke. He was starting to feel quite light-headed.
Then taste arrived, and Richie tasted his own vomit. Instinctively rolling over, he pulled himself out of the mess. But everything hurt; his body as well as his mind. He couldn't have moved again if he wanted to. And he wasn't really sure he wanted to try.
Gear… And, as the memory of the little robot releasing its virus just in time surfaced: Backpack…
The smell of burning metal was growing stronger. Richie coughed, but didn't feel the irritation in his throat. His eyes watered, but they sent him no images. The crackling of flames came to his ears, but soon a rending and tearing of metal overwhelmed that almost-homey sound. Richie tried to cover his ears and loosed a dry shriek at the pain that ran up and down his limbs, igniting in his elbows, shoulders and neck. The wish for unconsciousness flared in his mind and at once became a need.
But Backpack, Gear; I have to know-
"Richie… Richie…"
Something numbing touched Richie, though he wasn't sure where it touched. He welcomed the instant release from pain.
"Richie, please answer me. Richie, we need you to wake up and say something. Just move, Richie, and we'll know you're awake."
"Leave him alone. He needs to rest."
And that was where the tape of Richie's memory broke. Later it could be patched together, but he was never sure of anything that happened between the time he lost Backpack and Gear and when he at last woke up.
oOo
Brainiac was trying to escape its body. Gear made himself a dead weight and clung to Brainiac, slowing the supercomputer down as much as possible. He didn't have the strength for anything else. The firewalls were holding on their own, but that could change at any moment. And there are still the other circuits to fry. Don't forget that. You still have to escape and-
But there's no way to escape. I'm too tired. Gear turned his head and watched Richie fall away from them, disconnected at last, safe from Brainiac. There goes my last chance to ask you to tell Virgil I loved him. Gear sighed and gazed at the firewalls, seeing that they were still holding. Now I just have to hope someone destroys all the computers out there in case I missed some small kernel of Brainiac's intelligence.
A door opened in a firewall, but Brainiac was preoccupied with burning Gear off him. Gear watched the small beacon slip in; the firewall closed behind it.
Backpack moved forward, reaching out. Gear read the intention in the pulsing of he little light. Get out of here! Richie needs you!
I will bring you with me. Backpack launched himself at Brainiac, trying to separate the two determined minds. Some of the fire Brainiac was using to attack Gear skittered over Backpack, making him cry out.
Get out! I'm fine! Get out and protect Richie! He could have a Nervous Breakdown or something without you! Get out there and help him! Gear opened the door in the firewall and shoved Backpack out. And destroy the computers while you're out there!
The door was closing. But, Gear-
Tell Virgil I love him.
The door was almost closed. But, Gear-
Gear clamped down harder on Brainiac. His eyes bored into Backpack. Tell Richie I cared for him, too.
The wall was whole once more. A silent implosion took place then, taking both Brainiac and Gear in a flash of light.
oOo
Virgil paced at night, when no one else was around. He was supposed to be home, in bed, but he'd told his father that Hell would freeze over before he stayed away from Richie any longer than he absolutely had to. His pops had accepted, though it had taken him a few hours to agree to let Virgil stay at the hospital at night, and even longer for him to convince the hospital's director that the best thing, for both Virgil and Richie, was to let Virgil sleep on a cot at Richie's bedside every night. During the day, he went to school, forcing himself to pay attention, forcing himself to answer endless questions about how Richie had fallen into a coma. Frieda and Daisy were especially persistent, insisting that the doctors had to know something, that the hundred-odd tests must have produced at least some guesses. Virgil couldn't explain that only J'onn had any idea why Richie had been unconscious for over a week. No one could know about J'onn because that would bring up too many questions.
And considering the fact that J'onn only knows Richie's mentally, perhaps spiritually, exhausted, there's no reason to give them false hope, or to confuse them. I'm just not ready to tell them Richie's Gear and I'm Static. It's been hard enough explaining why Fiyero walks me to school every day and picks me up every afternoon for the walk to the hospital.
"Virgil, come to bed." Fiyero put his hands on Virgil's shoulders, forcing him to stop pacing.
Okay, so I pace when Fiyero's here. But he understands; he paces, too. He just does his pacing during the day when I'm at school.
"It's three o'clock," Fiyero went on. "You'll fall asleep over your Calculus test unless you at least try to get some sleep."
Virgil turned to Richie, moving to take his lover's hand. He caught Fiyero's fingers and drew him over, too. Taking Richie's limp hand, Virgil murmured, "What did you read him today?"
"Galatians, the first ten chapters of Lord of the Rings, and the first act of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. I think he's further along then you are. You should lay off triple-checking your math homework and take a crack at Shakespeare. Oh, and I started Fahrenheit 451for GED. Richie seemed to like it; he was quiet for it, anyway."
Virgil smiled wanly and lifted Richie's hand to his lips. "Did he move at all?" He kissed Richie's fingers, one at a time, then returned his lover's hand to its place on the blanket.
Fiyero closed his hand over Virgil's where the younger teen still held Richie's cold fingers. "Virgil, that was the first thing you ask me when I pick you up every day. He moved his head back and forth six times around ten, and his feet twitched a little about an hour before I came to get you." Fiyero rubbed the side of his face against Virgil's ear and murmured, "Come to bed. I'll stay awake with him. I promise to wake you if anything changes. You can count on me."
Virgil turned his head and kissed Fiyero softly. "I know." He released Richie's fingers and went to the cot. Sitting down, he sighed and yanked off his shoes. "Did you rest your voice, or did you talk to him all day?"
Fiyero smiled in the dimness as he sat in the chair nearest the bed and took Richie's hand. "Sharon came in for about an hour and talked to him. So did Adam. Your Pops dropped in for a half hour at lunch. Bernadette was allowed to sit by him for twenty minutes, but she was very tired. I went to see her when Sharon was here."
Virgil had curled up on the cot, moving around until he was semi comfortable. "Did she say anything?"
"To me? No. She talked to Richie a little, saying his name mostly. The stroke wasn't severe, but it was enough, Virg…il." Fiyero resisted the strong temptation to call Virgil "Virg" or "V." He didn't dare remind Virgil of anything Richie said, even accidentally. It might seem as if he, Fiyero, was trying to steal something special only Virgil and Richie had shared. "The doctors say she's getting better every day."
Virgil yawned. "And John?"
"He came to see Richie a little after she did. He stayed for an hour. He's exhausted, but he took a few steps with a walker today in Physical Therapy. He told Richie the initials PT don't stand for Physical Therapy, but stand for Pain and Torture. Richie…" Fiyero had to bite his tongue to force himself not to give Virgil false hope. He'd wanted to say Richie had reacted in some way, but that would have been more than stretching the truth. "Richie didn't seem to have any bad dreams today."
Virgil was struggling to stay awake. "…'nd Foley?"
Fiyero wondered if Virgil would rather hear the news when he was more awake, and decided that was probably the case. "Go to sleep, Virgil. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Give Richie…" Virgil succumbed, snoring lightly.
Fiyero stood and kissed Richie on the forehead. "I kissed him good night for you," he told the slumbering teen on the cot. Then he kissed Richie again. "And I kissed him good night for me." Resuming his place in the chair, Fiyero rubbed his thumb over Richie's hand and murmured, "And we did other things today, huh, Richie? I played some music, some of the Christian stuff and some Irish and a little soft rock. Personally, I think you'd thrive on heavy metal, but I don't think your neighbors would appreciate it." He smiled. "Because, no matter what you say, heavy metal has to be played at ear-splitting levels to be properly appreciated. Oh, and I played Adam's CD twice. I like to pretend you liked that, because it looked like you smiled. Can't be sure of that…"
He shifted in the chair, leaning against the arm. "And I told you the story of how we found you and rushed you to the hospital. Don't worry; I'm going to tell it again now so you can know." Rubbing at his eyes, Fiyero laughed feebly.
"Well, we were supposed to wait a full thirty minutes, but Virgil's feeling of unease was so strong J'onn said we could go in ten minutes early. I thought Virgil might kiss the Martian. I would like to see what sort of babies those two would have together. No chance of that, though; Virgil's stuck on you. Not that I blame him.
"So we started in a little early, but that was all right, because when we came in sight of the place where Virgil was going to blast his way in, it was already open because some gas underneath had already gone off and done Virgil's job for him. We were scared to death you'd been hurt, but when we got down there, we saw the gas had only exploded just there. You were in the main room, and you hadn't been hurt by any falling metal or by the fire. The smoke inhalation…. You had been breathing it was for too long, but we had the mask, and you breathed on your own. You didn't become like this until we were out of the underground and we were all trying to talk to you at once. Backpack and Virgil and I couldn't stop talking to you, even when the ambulance came. All three of us were in the ambulance with you, did you know that? We stayed with you right into the hospital and we didn't leave you, not once. We did have to be quiet, though, because Batman said we should let you rest. And, I don't know if you know this, Richie, but Batman can be damned intimidating. So we all shut up. Virgil and Backpack didn't even try to talk to you in your mind because J'onn was right there. Oh, we'd gotten you out of your costume, of course, so nobody knows who you are."
He stretched slightly and for a moment, Richie seemed also to be stretching; his fingers didn't move, but th sheets stirred slightly. Fiyero waited, but when the movement wasn't repeated, he sighed, kissed Richie's hand, and resumed, "That was eleven days ago, or it will be, at ten this morning. By which time, I'll be asleep and Sharon will be in here to talk to you while I sleep and Virgil's at school." He laughed. "We have it all down to a science; we all know our schedules. Someone is awake and sitting with you at all times. So if you can't hear us, it isn't because we aren't talking. Virgil asked me if I've rested my voice at all today, and you and I both know I didn't really, but Virgil doesn't need to know that. I drink a lot of water and tea (never thought I'd be drinking tea to ease my voice; see what I'm willing to do for you, Richie?) and I'm fine. And now I'm just rambling, but I have to keep myself awake and I don't want the T.V. to wake up Virgil. Besides, I hope maybe he can hear my voice, too, and it's helping him. I love you both so much." Fiyero's throat closed and he coughed. "And I'm not going to lose either of you."
Richie turned his head towards Fiyero, then away again. His hands tensed, then relaxed.
"Another nightmare," Fiyero muttered, determined to take care of this one alone Virgil didn't get enough sleep as it was. Briefly, he wished Backpack was there. "Well, can't wish for what I can't have." He took Richie's hand in his and began to try gentling him out of his pain. Richie's eyes were squeezed shut now and he was shaking all over. It was the most involved nightmare Fiyero had witnessed yet, and he didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. With the despair borne of days of suffering, Fiyero's mind tried to convince him that he was witnessing Richie's final moments, that Richie would die after living through some terrible memory, then he would die.
In which case, Fiyero knew, he should wake Virgil. But he sat, completely still, as Richie loosed a loud moan and struggled against the hand that held him down. His other hand went to the tube that had been stuck down his throat, but Fiyero caught that hand, too.
"Richie… Richie, listen to me…" Fiyero struggled against the manic strength that possessed Richie. "Just hold on for a little longer. Backpack will be here when the Justice League is sure he's healed. Richie, listen to me. Brainiac's dead. It was fried. And I saw… Well, okay, so I'm not sure what I saw, but there was definitely something on the computer screen before it blew. It was you… except it wasn't. It was changed. It was watching you, like a guardian angel or something." He tightened his grip on Richie's hands as the blonde began to thrash. "Please, Richie… You'll hurt yourself. Please listen to me. Brainiac's dead. I swear it's dead. It can't come back. Before he lost power, Backpack saw to it that all the circuits were fried. Brainiac can't come back. It's dead. You're safe. I swear you're safe. Please, Richie… Don't fight me."
The door t the hall opened and Fiyero's head snapped up. He let go of Richie with one hand and kindled a flame, grateful Virgil had found the "cure for the cure" Richie had made. "Stay out. I'm armed." It could be Sean Foley, back for another chat. Or it could be Ebon, who hadn't been able to find any more Bang Baby gas. Or it could be Slipstream. Or-
"Fiyero, it's me." Flash entered the room, but he wasn't the one who had spoken. The robot in his arms looked like hell; he had lost his arms and the one sensor eye was too obviously blind.
Fiyero stood, extinguishing the flame in his hand. He clasped both of Richie's hands again, refusing to let Richie hurt himself. "How are you?"
"Fine. Flash, put me on the bed, please. And then wake Virgil." Backpack couldn't touch Richie, or even move towards him, but that didn't seem to matter. Almost at once, Richie stopped trying to pull away from Fiyero. The silence in the room was broken by Virgil's confused grunt as he was roused. Then Virgil joined the other two at the bed and silence reigned again. Virgil held one of Richie's hands and was touching Backpack with his fingertips. His eyes moved between the blonde and the robot.
Richie moaned and tossed his head like a restless stallion. Then he was quiet again. He bore down on Fiyero's and Virgil's hands and crystalline tears made shining trails down his skin. He seemed unaware of the tears, just as he was unaware that he wasn't really trapped wherever he thought he was. Virgil wiped the tears away and kissed Richie's cheek, mindful of the various tubes and machines.
"Please, Richie…" Virgil's voice was scarcely above a whisper.
Backpack, too, spoke quietly. "He heard you. He hears all of us, even though he might not remember that when he wakes up. He is dreaming of his father; he knows Sean Foley was here yesterday."
Virgil shot Fiyero a glare across the bed. "What did he do?"
Fiyero looked down at Richie's hand clasped in his own. "He came in and read from the Bible. He cried. He told Richie he loved him. Then he went back to his room. He'll be taken to jail tomorrow- this morning- because he's healthy enough."
Richie stirred, but didn't awaken. When he was still again, Fiyero resumed, "I was going to tell you, but you were so tired… You don't sleep enough, Virgil."
Sighing, Virgil allowed that maybe this was true. He smiled at Fiyero, then turned his eyes back to Richie. "What's he dreaming about now, BP- Backpack?"
"You can call me BP if you want to," the robot answered. "I don't mind. Richie is trying to get Jesus and Sean Foley to talk. It seems to work, then it stops working, over and over again. Richie is very frustrated."
Virgil smiled a little. "I'll bet." He trailed his fingers over the robot's back. "Are you all right? Really?"
"I am far from repaired, as you can see, but the important connections work. I can hear Richie and I can speak. That's all I need. May I ask why you haven't tried to listen to him while he dreams?"
Virgil squirmed, withdrawing his hand so he could rub at the back of his neck. "He… fought me when I tried to talk to him. He threw up walls and… called monsters out of the darkness to fight me. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. There's no other way to explain what he did."
"He is ready to let you in now, I think," Backpack answered. "Perhaps if you can touch his mind, communicate with him-"
"What's keeping him unconscious?" Fiyero asked.
"I know not, though I would guess grief has something to do with it. Gear…" Backpack's voice had dropped to a whisper. "Gear died saving Richie. He saved Richie for you, Virgil, because he loved you and wanted you to be happy. But he also cared for Richie; he told me so." Backpack tried to shift a little closer to Richie and Virgil helped him. "I think Richie knew, even though he didn't hear Gear's confession. Richie just seemed o understand Gear better than any of us could."
"Well, Gear was once Richie, wasn't he?" Fiyero asked. "Of course Richie understood him." He squeezed Richie's hand. "So he's grieving about Gear and hiding from it?"
"Grieving, yes. As for hiding… Richie cannot hide. He feels responsible for Gear's death, I think."
Virgil tightened his hold on Richie's hand. "It's not your fault, Rich. All three of you knew the risk you ran. You did the right thing, and I know you tried to save him because I know you. Don't think it was your fault. You did everything you could. And maybe Gear-"
Richie's head snapped to the right, towards the sound of Virgil's voice.
Backpack shuddered strongly. "Richie does not want to hear about Gear anymore right now. Please connect to him, Virgil. He is ready for you to."
Virgil hesitated; he looked across to Fiyero and seemed to gather strength. Closing his eyes, he reached out. Richie?
Waves of anguish and anger met him at once and Virgil almost retreated. He could feel his connection to the outside world fading. Struggling for muscle movement, he pinched himself hard so he could stay grounded in reality. But now he could do more than feel the waves; he could see them, and smell them as well. They reminded him of the hot, putrid breath Carmen Dillo sometimes exhaled. Richie! Richie, where are you? Stop it! Let me in!
The waves withdrew slightly and Virgil peered into the distance. He spotted Richie standing on what looked like a small island. Virgil began to push his way closer. He tried to swim, but he wasn't getting anywhere, so he tried walking on the water. That worked better. When he reached the island- no more than a rock- he reached out for Richie. His lover was gazing at him with uncomprehending eyes.
Richie…
I'm not ready to wake up yet, V. Please don't make me. I don't want to see him. I don't want to answer questions. I don't want to see John and Bernadette.
But Richie, they're fine!
One of them is going to die. I can feel it. I knew their house was burning; I knew they were going to be shot. He turned away, hugging himself. A stiff, cold breeze had sprung up.
Virgil caught Richie's hand. But, Rich, you thought your father was going to die without being saved. And he's still alive.
Richie had gone completely still. A look of shocked, pleased understanding had crossed his face. His hands had fallen back to his sides. You're… you're right! He turned to Virgil and his eyes shone with renewed hope. I could be wrong again, right?
Virgil laughed; he couldn't help it. Right. You could be wrong. He drew Richie toward him. So? Will you come out? He grinned. Come on; we're already out of the closet. How much harder will coming out of your mind be? BP misses you. Fiyero misses you. Everyone misses you. Please? He leaned forward and kissed Richie's lips. Please, Richie? Please?
Richie laughed. You miss me so badly? How long have I been asleep, V? A few hours? It can't have been a day. I just- He turned away and the laughter died on his lips. The ocean was rising around them. The waves parted and a vision walked towards them on the dry strip in the middle. He was taller than Richie, more muscular, with a hard look in his eyes that softened slightly when he saw Virgil.
Is that-? But he's…
Dead? Richie nodded and his hand in Virgil's was suddenly slick with sweat. But this is what Gear looked like before he died. Isn't he… Richie shook his head. Beautiful? Can I say that about him without sounding conceited?
Definitely. Virgil put his arm around Richie's shoulders. Is this a memory?
More or less. Richie relaxed against Virgil. I just wanted you to see him, to understand. You were so important to him. For a long time, you were all he ever thought about. Your safety, your happiness, took precedence over his needs, his own life. Richie shook his head, but he was smiling. How can I do anything but understand? There were times when I wanted to be jealous, but I couldn't. He loved you unconditionally.
A voice boomed out over the water and the remembered Gear vanished as the waves crashed over him. Even though he knew Gear was already dead, Virgil shivered to see the water wash in, as if Gear's life was its food. But he couldn't dwell on that. The voice echoed again and Richie cringed, putting his hands over his ears. "Please don't let him take me… Please, V, he's coming! He's coming! Don't let him take me away! He hasn't been saved; he wants me to come with him and learn about hatred again! Please, Virg!" Richie clung to Virgil and sobbed. "Don't let him take me!"
Virgil felt a tug in the back of his mind; he realized at once that he was being dragged back to reality. But Richie's voice should have told me that. He's really talking.
Virgil came awake with a start. He threw up an electric shield instinctively, and felt something hit it.
Then Fiyero was leaping over the bed and bearing Sean Foley to the floor. Fiyero was snarling, and his eyes were literally burning, but he hadn't kindled any flames in his hands. "You're not touching either of them, you son of a bitch," he snarled into Sean Foley's stunned face.
Richie moved on the bed; Virgil glanced down at him, and saw the pained blue orbs gazing back at him. "Don't try to talk. There's a tube in your throat. We'll get someone to come take it out. Don't worry, Rich; everything's okay now."
Sean Foley didn't struggle, didn't try to speak, but the look in his eyes was pure hatred.
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins/Static Shock
Dear DiaryJanuary 24, 2003
Ha! Richie's been declared a medical miracle by the doctors, first because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, then because he was out of the hospital the day after he woke up. True, he couldn't go to school for another three days, but he recovered remarkably quickly for being unconscious eleven days.
And what did Richie do during those three days? Here's a short list. He wrote a eulogy for Gear, needing to let the ghost go. Then he finished two of his "everyday inventions:" those that are made for normal citizens to use. My pops took him to the patent office. Why is this so important? Richie wants to pay for his hospital stay and for Bernadette and John's continued care, and the little bit of money granted to Richie by the courts isn't enough. Wait, though; there's more. Richie made the cake for my birthday party, which was a week later than usual because I was in the hospital with Richie on my birthday. I became seventeen and didn't even think about it.
I could go on, but I'd rather talk about Richie's first day back. Frieda and Daisy jumped us in the hall and almost smothered Richie with hugs and kisses and nearly deafened him with screams of joy when they first saw him. They followed us around all day, making sure Richie had everything he could possibly want. Admittedly, Richie was a little tired by the end of the day, but he made it all right. He's been loaded down with tons of homework, but I'll help him with it. So will Fiyero, who's progressing quickly through the GED program. And so will Backpack, who has taken up permanent residence in our house, now that he has no one to hide from. We had to tell Adam who we are so Sharon wouldn't have to keep the secret, but that's where we've drawn the line. Too many people know already.
Richie isn't ready to be in costume every night. He's dedicating himself, between homework and visits to the hospital, to upgrading his inventions and changing his costume. I told him once, only jokingly, that I thought he could do better in the fashion department. He'd laughingly agreed, but hadn't done anything about it. But before I tell you what it looks like, I need to say this: I'm still nervous about having Richie with me when I patrol. No amount of kidding myself will ever change that. And Richie is the first to admit that Gear took certain abilities with him when he died. Hence, the upgrades to the inventions and the more protective costume. But I understand now that Richie needs to fight crime. So be it. I'll stay at his side and we'll get through everything together.
If you'll excuse me, I think Richie just came upstairs from the basement, where he and Backpack have been working on Fiyero's mental link so he can join the rest of us. I needt o go tell Richie I love him.
Peace.
Epilogue
In the early hours before dawn, Richie considered the cake he had baked for the following day. Virgil and Fiyero had argued about whether the cake for his twenty-seventh birthday should be chocolate or carrot. Richie had settled the argument by making a chocolate-carrot cake, two layers, one of each, and a third that was the two combined. Half of it would have gone to friends, Richie thought, smiling at his extravagance. But now I may as well freeze it for another day.
Locking the cake away in an enormous freezer bag, Richie set it in the deep freezer Sharon had bought them for their first anniversary. She said she wanted to make sure we always had plenty to eat instead of microwaving quick meals. But I think she really just wanted a place where I could store my cakes. Richie shook his head as he gazed at the seven cakes he'd made for various occasions: John and Bernadette's thirteenth anniversary (six days away), little Anansi's birthday party (eight days away) and the others for the bake sale the Center was putting on. Well, maybe I'll just include the birthday cake with the others. It isn't as if I've written anything on it yet. That was supposed to happen this morning.
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Richie sighed. Two hours, BP?
Yes, Richie.
Richie closed the freezer. Then I'd better wake up V and Fiyero. As he headed for the stairs, he asked, So are you ready to have a baby toddling around the house, getting into things, putting anything and everything in its mouth?
That will not happen for a few months, Backpack answered, sounding a little nervous. There is still time to check the baby-proofing measures you've installed.
Richie was climbing the stairs. Tell the truth, BP; how many times have you checked them already?
Only… Only thirty-nine times. I could still be missing something. After all, I've never been a godparent before, and you've never been a father.
Richie laughed. It's not rocket science, BP. It's-
No, it's much harder than rocket science because nothing stays the same! The baby can be fine one moment and distressed the next, with no apparent change in its condition!
Richie paused at the top of the stairs. You're really scared about this, aren't you?
A pause, then, Yes. I cannot help it, Richie. I have tried to be supportive, but I can't help being nervous.
What specifically are you afraid of?
Backpack's mind filled with a thousand images of injury, not just to a baby, but to a toddler, a school-age little one, a preteen, a teenager. It's a lifetime commitment, Richie. I never thought I would be protecting anyone besides you. But… but I want to help with the baby. And not just because it's a part of you.
Richie wanted to hug Backpack against him. Failing that (how could you hug someone who was tens of thousands of miles away?) he wrapped his mind around Backpack's worries. You're going to be a wonderful godparent, BP. You won't have to do any of this on your own, and… He smiled. I'll be here. It sounded conceited to Richie, but he felt Backpack ease in his mind.
I know, Richie. Thank you.
I love you. Richie pushed open the bedroom door and flicked on the small light he'd rigged to cast a soft glow over the room, nothing bright enough to wake whoever was sleeping. Virgil and Fiyero were sprawled out on the bed, taking up all available space. It never failed to amuse Richie that as soon as he got out of bed in the morning, both his lovers tried to move into the warm place he'd just left. And they do it subconsciously. That's what makes it so funny.
Grinning, Richie padded across the room and crouched by the side of the bed, kissing Virgil's hand that dangled over the side of the bed. Virgil didn't react, so Richie tugged at the hand gently.
You could say, "Static, you're needed." That would get him up.
Richie snickered. You're evil, BP.
Only when it comes to waking up yon slumbering logs.
Richie laughed freely, then stood. He climbed over Virgil on the bed and set to shaking both of his lovers. "Wake up, you two. The baby's due. Wake up."
Virgil moaned and rolled over, still fast asleep. Fiyero caught Richie's hand and tried to drag him into bed. Richie slapped the red head's groping hand away and whispered, "I have two water Zap Caps here with your names on them."
Virgil sat up straight and Fiyero rolled away so fast he would have hit his head on the nightstand if Richie hadn't caught him.
Backpack's laughter rang inside Richie's head. Apparently I am not the only evil one.
Well, maybe not, Richie answered, but I'd rather they be mad at me than you. He watched Virgil struggling to open his eyes. Fiyero was a little more successful; he'd managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed and sit up.
"Whazzit?" Virgil asked.
"Richie, it's- DAMN! three o'clock in the morning! This isn't funny!" Fiyero caught Richie's hand in his and turned to stare at him. "Are you okay?" Then he registered that Richie was fully dressed. "What's going on?"
"The baby's coming. The J League's sending the ship. We have to get ready." Richie sat back on his heels, grinning, as Virgil and Fiyero leapt at once to action, running around, taking showers, getting dressed, and generally getting in each others' way. Then, when they were both finally ready, it was, "Come on, Rich; we'll be late!" and "Where are we meeting the ship?" and "How can you be so calm?"
Richie rose gracefully from the bed. Treating his lovers like wound-up children, he took their hands in his and guided them downstairs. "We'll meet them in the park."
oOo
Closing his eyes, Richie felt for the connection between his mind and the small life only inches away. It was always there, but Richie, after nine months of being "pregnant," was hardly conscious of it. Soothing the unborn child who floated in the tank, Richie said, "We're ready." His hand went to the valve that would drain the fluid away slowly and he beckoned, still without looking, for the doctor the J League had hired to get ready to lift the baby out and cut the umbilical cord.
Off to the right, Virgil and Fiyero were holding hands and trying not to fidget too much. Backpack was in hardly in less of a state of nervousness.
The doctor stepped forward as the fluid was drained away; she cut the umbilical cord with a skilled hand and lifted the baby out. Spanking the baby, she elicited the little one's first cry. Taking the howling babe to the basin nearby, she washed off the fluid that glistened on the pink skin, then snatched a blanket.
A moment later, the doctor laid the slowly-quieting child in Richie's arms. "Congratulations. He's a boy."
As if we couldn't see that through the tank, Backpack sent.
Richie grinned, then kissed his son. Glancing up, he said, "You can come here now." The three hadn't moved, and so Richie added, "It's all right. Come see him before he falls asleep." Taking a step forward, he said, "He has your eyes, V."
The three parents approached nervously and Richie held the baby out to them. Backpack had crawled up onto a nearby table so he could see better. The baby blinked benignly at them, then his eyes drifted closed.
"He'll be awake soon and hungry," Richie said. "So? Have you two decided which name you're going to choose?"
"Robert Ovid still sounds good to me," Fiyero said.
Virgil shook his head. "John Fiyero Richard."
Rocking their son gently, Richie said, "Can't you compromise?" Then he sighed. "No; I know you've already tried. Okay… We have to decide something, so I had at thought." He laughed at the two pairs of eyes that looked at him suspiciously. "I think we should name him Bartholomew Edward Jones the third." He relished their horrified expressions for a moment, then said, "No, really; let's call him Ovid John. That way, if he doesn't like his first name, he can ask to be called by his middle name."
"Practical to the last," Virgil said, shaking his head. He touched Richie's cheek with the tips of his fingers. "It's fine with me."
Fiyero nodded. "Done."
oOo
Richie kissed Ovid as his son settled in for sleep. Glancing across the room, Richie watched Virgil and Fiyero cleaning up the mess from the party that had happened despite Richie's protests that he had the only gift he wanted. Well, I guess they showed me. Richie's eyes fell on the book it had taken Fiyero a year and a month to write. And this one's quite a bit longer than the last one. He kissed Ovid again. I'll have a good story to read to you, precious one. Then, thinking of all the violence and anguish in the story, Maybe I'll wait and start you out on something simpler. His characteristic, face-lighting grin shone out for a moment. Like Lord of the Rings. After that, you'll be ready for The First Kiss and The Miracle of Three.
Laughing quietly to himself, Richie decided he'd better ask Sharon what sort of books she'd read to her children.
O--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O
THE END
Author's Notes: Thank you to everyone who has kept with the story through all the twists and turns. I hope you enjoyed the ride. I'll be writing more in the Static Shock fandom, but for now I need to work on my neglected Star Wars and Lord of the Rings stories. Thank you to my dedicated reviewers, and also to those of you who didn't review, but kept going, reading each new chapter that came. I'm especially curious about what you thought of the story as a whole. Oh, and thank you to whoever warned me about typos. That was quite effective. I hope this chapter had fewer. I didn't trust to Spell Check. Oh, and my apologies that this took so long. I hate ending things, so I had to rework the ending four times.
And, just for those of you curious to see how far we've come:
Telling Tales
Book I
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (1)Pg. 2
With Brainiac: Forward: The Story Behind the StoryPg. 2
Chapter OnePg. 4
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (2)Pg. 7
Chapter TwoPg. 10
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (3)Pg. 16
Chapter Three: First Nightmare: KluxPg. 18
Part One: On the Space StationPg. 18
Part Two: GraffitiPg. 24
Part Three: The Hospital, and the DiscoveryPg. 39
Interlude: Back with Brainiac (1)Pg. 53
Chapter Four: Second Nightmare: Marriage is a BlessingPg. 54
Part One: HomePg. 54
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (4)Pg. 60
Part Two: A Day in the Life of a SuperheroPg. 69
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (5)Pg. 79
Part Three: Marital BlissPg. 86
Interlude: Back with Brainiac (2)Pg. 97
A Short ConversationPg. 99
Book II
Chapter One: MeetingsPg. 99
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (6)Pg. 113
Chapter Two: In the Middle of the NightPg. 115
Chapter Three: Hospital (Again) and Virgil Talks Things OutPg. 132
Chapter Four: Worried About RichiePg. 141
Chapter Five: Imprisonment and Questions AnsweredPg. 158
Epilogue
Part One: Back with Brainiac (aka Stealing Virgil's Diary)Pg. 183
Part Two: SmilesPg. 184
Part Three: From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (7)Pg. 193
The Miracle of Three
Prologue
You Deserve to Know…Pg. 1
Book I
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (1)Pg. 21
Chapter One: Breaking and MendingPg. 26
Chapter Two: The Trial, Part OnePg. 44
Chapter Three: Around Sunset and Gear Runs InterferencePg. 68
aka The Trial, Part, Two
Chapter Four: PlottingPg. 92
Chapter Five: On the Eve of BattlePg. 110
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (2)Pg. 129
Book II
Chapter One: AssaultPg. 133
Chapter Two: DiscoveryPg. 153
Chapter Three: HomePg. 174
Book III
Backpack's Personal Log (1)Pg. 197
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (3)Pg. 198
A short ConversationPg. 201
Backpack's Personal Log (2)Pg. 201
Backpack's Personal Log (3)Pg. 202
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (4)Pg. 203
Chapter One: Happy Birthday, RichiePg. 206
Chapter Two: Stand Strong Against the NightPg. 228
Backpack's Personal Log (4)Pg. 247
Backpack's Personal Log (5)Pg. 247
Backpack's Personal Log (6)Pg. 248
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (5)Pg. 249
Chapter Three: On-line ChatPg. 249
Backpack's Personal Log (7)Pg. 267
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (6)Pg. 268
Chapter Four: SeptemberPg. 275
Chapter Five: October: Before the IslandPg. 296
Chapter Six: October: On Alva's IslandPg. 316
Backpack's Personal Log (8)Pg. 338
Chapter Seven: October: Right after Alva's IslandPg. 339
Book IV
Chapter One: Christmas, 2003: Apart Again Pg. 360
Chapter Two: Christmas, 2003: Brainiac's Way BackPg. 386
Chapter Three: Christmas, 2003: Celebrate!Pg. 408
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (7)Pg. 435
Backpack's Personal Log (9)Pg. 437
Chapter Four: Power Outage Pg. 439
Chapter Five: Final Days, Part OnePg. 461
Chapter Six: Final Days, Part TwoPg. 481
From the Diary of Virgil Hawkins (8)Pg. 502
Book IV
Ovid JohnPg. 503
Admittedly, I didn't know it would go this far.