Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. It belongs to Dwayne McDuffie, Milestone, DC Comics and WB. Shiv would not be the first of the Metabreed to go down every time.

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: Thank you so much for all of the reviews. You have no idea how grateful I am. I am so sorry if his name is wrong. I haven't seen Power Outage and can't seem to find any reference to it. I did a fair bit of research before doing his fic and it never came up on any of the communities or websites. The new name is going to stay. I hope no one minds.

Taken Lightly

Chapter 5: The Compromise

Virgil pushed the intercom again nervously, "Joe. That's your name right?"

Shiv was still staring at him but now standing. He didn't move as he stared. He appeared shocked, confused and on some level slightly amused. However he always looked at least slightly amused. "How did you know about that?"

Virgil thought for a minute wondering if he should tell him the truth or pretend he knew him. Virgil's heroisms kicked in about then and better logic. He'd never be able to maintain the old buddies idea after almost electrocuting him to death every other day. It would be illogical for someone to continuously try to kill an old friend then suddenly stop and make up like nothing had happened. Plus, Richie would laugh at him for even trying. He decided the truth was the safest route to take. He pushed the intercom and took out the flyer holding it up to the glass. "I saw this flyer. Its you, isn't it? Your parents were looking for you before the Big Bang."

Shiv looked at the flyer. The boy appeared happy without a care in the world. He looked like the last person to run away from home for any reason but looks were often deceiving. He knew that. "Yeah, that's me before the Big Bang." Shiv said almost as though he were thinking about something. He didn't look at Virgil while saying it.

"I just wanna talk."

"No, you want me to cooperate." He said looking up with only one eye from the flyer.

"I'm not trying to force you into something. I just want you to have the doctors question you. So you can get out of here. I talked to one of them. They're not trying to hurt you."

Shiv looked at him angrily. He didn't want to be lectured by that. Static disgusted him and he quickly snapped back from the shock of hearing his previous alias. "Get out of here, Static. I'm none of your business."

"Come on, Joe. If you can stand there and talk to me for this long without trying to cut me in half, you're not that angry at me."

"I don't have a knife."

"Don't give me that! You can make weapons with your hands. Its not like you're some normal street thug."

"I can't work my powers! They drugged me with something!" Shiv yelled growing angry.

"What do you mean?" Virgil looked at him absolutely confused.

Shiv raised his hands. They were still a red hue. "It doesn't work!"

Virgil made a slightly disgusted sound. However, he was more shocked internally. He had just met the sweet tiny little woman that had lead him to the room. He had quickly brushed aside Richie's conspiracy theory into the Roswell category. He couldn't imagine that sweet doctor or the good-natured man at the entrance burning someone's hands in some way to disable a metahuman's powers. It was like Sharon being nice to him. It wasn't natural or right somehow. "Who did that?"

Shiv gave him a look. It wasn't a happy look. It was irritated and impatient. He had noticed the impatience of Shiv's personality. He was too active to wait. He must have been going stir crazy in that cell. "The doctors. Who do you think Ebon?"

Virgil was still trying to make himself understand the situation. How could those doctors do this? Dr. Lin was so concerned about Shiv and Dr. Jackson seemed indignant about how he was in the clinic. They couldn't have done that. It just didn't add up. "Look! I want to talk to you. How about a deal?"

Shiv appeared to relax and slightly amused. He liked deals. "What kind of a deal?"

Virgil didn't like the look in Shiv's eyes. It was too amused. It was the same look as when he was out fighting. It was like an animal. "I want you to give me a chance to talk to you and you want to get that stuff off your hands, right?"

Shiv appeared amused. Maybe too amused. He was getting excited, excited for the first time in several days. His maniac nature could only be subdued for so long and this was close to its limit. "Yeah. What's the deal?"

Virgil was getting increasingly nervous. Shiv was practically shaking with excitement and it had come out of nowhere. It was as sudden as turning on a light. He had gone from a brooding inmate to acting like a child about to receive a treat. It was unnerving but he thought it was better him happy than angry. "If you talk to me and answer honestly then I'll get that off your hands and find you a way out of here."

Shiv appeared much like a child who had just gotten their treat. He lit up with a rather maniac smile. He quickly tried to compose himself which looked increasingly more difficult than it should be for a nineteen year. "Hhmmm... that is a good deal. I may actually get to like you. But one thing..."

Virgil gave a look worry and surprise. He didn't like the idea of Shiv having a large say in this. It wasn't that he wasn't up for compromise but Shiv was insane and the insane did not reason well. "What's that?"

"I want to get my powers back first and a bigger room. There's no room to move around in here." he said as seriously as Shiv could which was not very at this point.

Virgil almost laughed with relief. It wasn't illegal. "Alright, Shiv. Whatever you say."

Shiv nodded grinning rather proudly. He appeared satisfied with the arrangement.

Virgil stood for a minute thinking this over. Richie was going to kill him once he heard about this. He pushed the intercom again. "One more thing. I have to question you, so don't kill the doctors."

Shiv looked at him maliciously which quickly changed to a grin. "I'll try. Can't make any promises though, hero. I'm not some saint like you."

Virgil quickly became very nervous which he brushed off quickly. He couldn't be distracted by it. He had to be calm. "Fine, I'll get the doctors to get that stuff off your hands."

Virgil turned off the intercom and left the room. It was awkward in that elevator. He had bargained with a madman. He had taken quite a risk in letting Shiv have his powers back. However, he had seen humanity in his eyes for those few moments after he mentioned his name. It hadn't been Shiv looking at him. It was someone else. Just the mention of that name had brought something out in him. He felt for him at that moment. Virgil shook his head. Richie was right. He couldn't get attached. That's a death wish if there ever was one. But still he was a metahuman as well. He could understand the want for his powers to return. It was almost a part of himself now and he couldn't imagine having them taken away without any consent.

He left the elevator to see Dr. Lin waiting for him. She appeared curious and a bit worried but also calm. Virgil walked out trying to organize his thoughts. She walked up to him calmly clinging to her clipboard. She opened her mouth to speak but Virgil was too quick for her. "I talked to him. I made a deal with him. He wants that stuff off his hands. Its hurting his skin and he wants a bigger room. He said he'd talk to me if I could do that."

Dr. Lin appeared surprised. She looked down at her papers. "It'll be done. Come back as soon as you can. We really need to learn who this young man is."

Virgil considered telling her about the flyer but decided against it. He didn't know why. He supposed it was curiosity. He was curious himself on how the madman in that cell and the happy boy on the flyer could be the same person. "Yeah."

The doctor almost smiled if you could call it that and walked out of the room.

Virgil left out the door, took out his saucer and flew off. He wanted to head home but he knew Richie would like an update and decided to go to the gas station. He flew down and walked into the moderately sized abandoned station. He yelled out a greeting to Richie telling him he was back. The sound of Richie tripping over something and several metal cans falling over echoed the station. Virgil laughed to himself. Richie ran over and appearing alert. He was wearing the goggles from back when he had been known as Push. He wore them when was working at his computer. He said they relaxed his eyes. Virgil had always been unconvinced but never said anything about it. "So V, what'd you find out?'

"Nothin."

Richie gave him a look showing pure indignity. "Nothing?'

Virgil had begun taking his costume off. "Nothing. I just did what the doctors wanted and..."

"And what?"

"I made a little deal with Jo-Shiv."

"You what?"

"They took away his powers and he wouldn't talk unless he got them back."

Richie rubbed his head. He was trying to think this through. It wasn't easy by any means. He wasn't happy with Virgil's decision but he had to admit to it if it was the only way. "There wasn't any other way?"

"No, Rich. He wouldn't even talk to me until... I mentioned it."

Richie sighed then smiled. "Alright." He trust Virgil.

Lying to Richie is bad. I hope everyone enjoys.