Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. Milestone, Dwayne McDuffie, DC Comics and WB own it. It would be cool if I did. I would had Shiv live up to his full potential.

Warning: Will contain slash, drugs, violence and one sided relationships. This will be a bit riskier than my average fics. Knowing me it'll be okay but I only thought it fair to place a warning. I hope everyone enjoys the rendition of Shiv by a third author. I want to be original and hope this is.

A/N: No Shiv in this chapter. If you want Shiv skip it. V/R though. I also go a little overboard on conspiracy Richie. He had a UFO in his room in an episode. He believes in Roswell and geniuses tend to be a bit off. Also a big underlying theme. If you can guess it you get a cookie. I hope everyone likes this chapter. BTW, each chapter is 3 pages.

Taken Lightly

Chapter 2: The Transmission

Virgil Hawkins battled bang babies on a daily basis. He had actually just broken up the Metabreed, a bang baby gang, only a few days ago. Things had calmed down signifigantly since then and Virgil was spend some time just hanging out at the gas station of solitude. The station was almost a world different than when they had originally found it. It was fixed up to be clean enough for his super genius partner not to go into cardiac arrest and an old couch had been moved in to make the place fairly homey. It was still dimly lit with the occasional interspecies visitors but all and all, it was a nice place to spend a good free of crime fighting.

Richie sat on the far side of the station in what he had dubbed his control center. It was packed with three desks and a table coated with inventions, schematics, parts, Backpack, a new version of the Shock Box, his computer, designs and various tools for any task from nuclear physics to sewing. The walls were littered with information on every bang baby in the city and everything Richie considered important to know about them. He was however at the moment sitting in the said corner listening to any broadcast he and Backpack could pick up. It was a very quiet day.

"Rich, admit it. No one is doing anything today. Give it a rest." Virgil said lying on the couch almost half way across the room.

Richie removed his headphones and looked over at Virgil. "And what if a bang baby attacks? What if the Metabreed comes back? Or Hotstreak? We have to be vigilant."

"We don't need to be nothing, Rich." Virgil stretched. "You have Backpack set on auto sensor. If anything happens, it'll know."

Richie grunted slightly. He hated the idea of having his job taken over by any machine. Even if it was his beloved computer. Being a super genius left few options in terms of being a super hero and he was beginning to think he was running out of things to build for Virgil. He could only make so many things before all of Static's needs were filled to any rational extent.

"At least take a break. You're making me nervous running around like that."

But just as Richie began to get up, Backpack began to beep rather maniacally. Richie put his headphones back on, booting up the information onto his computer as Virgil raced around the station getting into his gear. Richie pushed a flurry of keys on his keyboard as Virgil pulled on his mask and grabbed his saucer standing behind Richie waiting to hear where he was going and why.

"So what is it Rich?"

"It looks like a video file. Someone is feeding out a .avi file onto a general..."

"Pretend for a minute, you aren't a super genius." Virgil interrupted.

"Its a movie that someone wants you to watch."

"You didn't have to dumb it down that much."

Richie gave him an indignant look then returned to the computer, "I traced it back to downtown and Bingo!"

"What is it?"

"Its a video clip from the Crane Rehabilitational Clinic."

"Okay. Play it."

"What?"

"Its a video clip, isn't it? Play it."

"V, it could be a trap. Or a brainwashing program. Or..."

"Fanmail."

Richie snorted. "You're ego gets any bigger and we'll need a new hideout."

"Rich, its from a hospital. Its not going to be anything dangerous."

Richie groaned and began downloading the file to view it.

The screen went black for a moment before showing an Asian woman in her twenties. She was petite with long very straight black hair and glasses. She was dressed in a lab coat and held a clipboard in her arms. She was expressionless and seemingly calm. " Crane Rehabilitational Clinic, Dakota, United States of America, 20 00 hours, July 23rd" she said calmly without blinking. "I am sending a message in hopes that the bang baby presently known as Static will receive it. If you are that person, we are in desperate need of your assistance. You have valuable knowledge on the fugitive metahumans and it is my hopes that you will come and assist myself and my team. Transmission end." The screen went black and returned to normal.

Richie and Virgil stared for a moment quietly. Richie pulled his headphone down around his neck as Virgil rubbed his head. "What do you know about the Crane Clinic?" Virgil said looking at Richie.

"I know that if you're a bang baby, you stay far away from it."

"Anything else?"

"You want everything I know on it, V?"

"Yeah. Only summarized, Rich. If you told me everything I'd be here all summer."

"Its a mental institution/prison basically. It houses metahumans so the jails don't have to."

"It doesn't sound that bad."

"Yeah, that's what the workers want you to think. The institute is known for housing every scientist willing to cut up a bang baby. It has no moral ethics. Its giant lab for research with criminals as the lab rats. Its not a place to mess with, V."

"Is everything a conspiracy with you?"

"Its not a conspiracy. Its like a death camp. No way out."

Virgil sighed. "Rich, my pops said its not that bad there. He says its working on a cure for the big bang."

"By cutting up bang babies."

"Rich, I have to go." he said slightly annoyed. "They said it was urgent."

Richie rubbed his forehead. He obviously didn't think it was a good idea for Virgil to go. He racked his brain looking for an argument for Virgil's. Nothing was coming to mind. Well actually two hundred seventy four ideas came to mind. None that he thought stood up to Virgil's logical which was a critical factor in winning a planned argument. According to Virgil, it was his duty as a superhero to risk his life on a daily basis because he had super powers and no one else was willing to. It was noble but in Richie's opinion unnervingly dangerous. He had tried to find ways to make it less so. He had found ways to waterproof his uniform and made up countless strategies specialized to the fighting style, powers, weaknesses and disposition of every known criminal bang baby in Dakota. He didn't like surprises. You can't prepare for a surprise.

"Come on Rich, what's the worst thing that could happen?" Virgil said to Richie with a grin.

Richie almost twitched. A rough number of around three thousand extremely violent and/or inhumane ideas popped into his around the same minute. "So not helping, V."

Virgil bent over and hugged the now rather worried super genius. "Nothing is going to happen. Like I said Pops doesn't think its that bad and he'd know about this."

Richie did have to admit that Mr. Hawkins had an almost unnatural knack for knowing these things. "I'm putting a wire on you."

Virgil sighed still hugging Richie. "You're paranoid, you know that, don't you Rich?"

"I prefer prepared."

"Call it what you want, Rich."

I almost didn't get the slash in. I hope you review. Ideas are welcome.