Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. It belongs to Mister Dwayne McDuffie, Milestone, DC Comics and WB. I wish it did. Then, Shiv would have a split personality named Joe and they would argue.

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: This is the second to the last chapter. I know it makes me sad too. I've loved writing this bad boy. I hope you like this one and I will have a present for you next time. Its a little slashy but not. I hope you like the chapter.

Taken Lightly
Chapter 9: The Big Bang

Virgil and Richie had returned from the Chen home a few hours before dinner. It was a silent walk back to the gas station, where they gathered their things silently. They felt a wave of guilt knowing what Solada had told them. Even Virgil and Richie's curiosity couldn't denounce the fact that they had uncovered something, not only very personal but something not for them to know. Virgil had also been taken aback by Solada, she was not what he had expected. She wasn't the cold hearted monster, he had expected a women like her to be. She was human with a horrible problem that she had no control over.

Richie sat at the computer by the cluttered desk playing with the mouse. "Should we just lay off on it?"

Virgil turned. He was sitting on the small sofa in the gas station thinking things over. The question had taken him a little by surprise. "I don't know, Rich."

Richie stared at the wall for a moment. "It...it isn't our business. The entire pursuit isn't actually morally acceptable." Richie said obviously speaking from sheer intellect.

"But?" Virgil said, leaning over the back of the couch. "Quit talking like a computer, Rich. If I wanted logic, I'd ask Backpack. What do you actually think about this?"

Richie sighed. He hated when Virgil did this. It was so much easier to tell him the facts without really getting down to emotions. "I think that it all depends."

"On what?" Virgil said, looking directly at Richie.

"On how attached you are." Richie paused for a moment. "Or he is."

Virgil shot Richie a look.

"Don't act like you don't know." Richie said bluntly. "About people... like him."

Virgil's raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? What are you talking about Rich?"

Richie sighed. He had forgotten that not everyone was an expert on human psychology. "Its a psychological response. People usually have one or two responses to severe neglect. It can result in a variety of neurological shortcomings and..."

"Rich, can you give me lamen's terms?"

"Since his mom ignored him so much, he could either have no desire for relationships of any kind or could have a distorted view."

"You're saying..."

"He could have taking your interest as meaning something else. Friendship. Compassion. Any positive emotion."

"He's insane, Rich. He's manipulative."

"He may be insane but I don't think he's that manipulative." Richie said, looking at his computer screen.

Virgil shot Richie a look.

"Its just a guess from his physical attributes." Richie said, bringing up some files on his computer. "He is erratic and highly unstable. He's one of the hardest bang baby to guess when planning a strategy because it only has a broad range of similarities."

"This doesn't prove your point, Rich."

"He's direct. Its the common similarity. I assume, he is the same mentally. He probably doesn't lie or manipulate." Richie paused, spinning the mouse on the mousepad. "I'm guessing, anyway."

"I don't know, Rich."

"I think you should go one more time to tell the doctors anyway."

"You're right as usual, Rich."

Richie sat silently for a moment. "I told you not to get too attached, V. Did you?"

Virgil was surprised by the statement. He really did not expect it at all. He got up off of the couch and walked over to Richie and hugged him. He really didn't know what else to do. "Not a chance, Rich."

Virgil went to he center again the next weekend. He wore his Static costume to the visit like he always did. He wasn't looking forward to the encounter. He really didn't know how he was going to tell Dr. Lin. She had had such confidence in him. It seemed almost cruel to disappoint her. Richie was right, though. He had become far too close to Shiv. He wasn't even a friend. He was a marauding metahuman with no regard for human life. He couldn't treat him as an ally, a friend. He took a deep breath and walked into the building. He turned down a hallway as doctors passed quickly. Dr. Adams turned as he walked by her and she looked up from her clipboard. She looked up to Static slowly with the clipboard at her side. "Static." she said with a cool smile. "So glad to see you."

Static turned quickly. It was uneasy being around her. She was cold. "Yeah."

"May I speak with you in my office?"

Static recoiled a little and put his hand inside his coat turning on the two way microphone on his inner coat. "About what?"

"It will only take a moment."

"Fine...ma'am." Static said and walked into a small office.

She locked the door behind her and looked over to her desk. She placed her hands on the desk behind her. "I know about you and Dr. Lin's plans. I don't like it and I don't pretend to."

"What do you mean? You're here to help bang babies and that's what she's doing."

She grinned. It wasn't normal at all. It was almost maniacal. "I am here to help normal people. Bang babies are examples of mutation. A horrible imperfection that needs to be corrected. I have no desire in helping any one of those monsters and especially not one that is at such easy distance."

"What kind of doctor, are you?" Static said, half scared out of his mind. "He came in here, half dead. You saved him. Why are you doing this?"

"Saved him!" she said, loudly. "I saved a specimen. I have no intention of releasing him. I need him alive to study. However, I've learned all I can by observation. I need to go further."

Static stared. He didn't know how to react.

"And if I had any control over the issue, you would be in a cell with that monster."

"Metahumans are people. How can you do this? I can't let you! I'm going to get him out of here! BANG BABIES ARE NOT JUST LAB RATS!" Static was hysterical. He charged his hands. He wasn't even thinking at the moment. It was pure instinct.

Suddenly, Dr. Adams removed a black handgun from her coat and pointed it at Virgil. "Don't move."

Static froze. He was less than ten feet away from her. He knew that an electric charge would trigger a reflex in her finger. He didn't know what to do. His fist sparked viciously.

"I should have gotten rid of you the moment you walked into this clinic. You bang babies are nothing but trouble. You have no place in society."

At that moment, the door opened and standing in it was a very frightened Richie and a confused Dr. Lin and Jackson. Dr. Lin rushed forward. "Caren! Caren, what is going on!"

"Shut up, Lin! Can't you see! I'm getting rid of the only thing stopping our research!"

She rushed to Static's side. "He's a child, Caren!"

"Not anymore! They aren't human and you know, they aren't!"

"Caren!" Dr. Jackson yelled as a shot was fired.

Everything happened in an instant. Richie screamed, throwing a zap cap from a belt on his side. Dr. Lin pushed Static and collapsed onto the floor in a heap. She was screaming and blood poured from her side. Dr. Jackson rushed to her side, huddling over her yelling for help.

Static was in shock as he lay on the floor for a moment. Richie was hunched over him. He appeared to be upset but Static couldn't tell. He could hardly see. His pupils were dilated and the rest of his body was shaking rapidly. It took a long moment for him to get a hold of himself. Static blinked his eyes. He swallowed hard and tried to rise to a sitting position. Richie was indeed upset. He looked terrified. His face was pale and he was shaking almost as violently as Virgil. Richie tried helping him up as he sat on the hard tile floor.

Static panted for a moment and turned. His mouth gaped. Dr. Adams lay in a heap on the floor of the office. It appeared as though she had been burned electrically from the inside out. She was charred almost black with a brittle appearance. It was an image hard to get out of your mind. Static looked up at Richie, who appeared oddly unfazed by the scene he had just caused, appearing more worried about Virgil than the fact that he had just killed someone. He appeared to be calming by the moment knowing that Virigl was all right. It was eery.

Static stood up and backed out of the room. Richie followed. Paramedics had arrived to pick up Dr. Lin and appriopriately Dr. Jackson had gone as well. Static just wanted that image out of his head. It was horrible, more than anything he had seen before. "Are you all right?" Richie said, nervously hovering behind him.

"What do you think!"

Richie looked upset. "I know it was close. But you're okay. Right?"

"Who cares about me! Someone just died! You killed her!"

"She was trying to kill you." Richie said. He looked scared but not completely able to understand the situation. "She was hysterical. What was I supposed to do?"

"You could have restrained her!"

"And let her do this again. She won't come back to get you this time! Never!"

"Is that all that matters to you?" Virgil said, half shocked.

Richie didn't answer. It was awkward.

"Is that what being a super genius does to you?"

"You don't understand, V. I had to make a decision. She would have killed you, V and that doctor and anyone else that she wanted!" Richie said seriously. "I have to get back to the gas station. I just came because I heard the wire. I'll see you there, V."

"Don't call me that in my gear."

"Yeah... right." Richie said almost hurt by the comment and left the hallway toward the exit.

Static stood in the hall for a moment. The doctors had cleared and he was alone. He felt his stomach almost give out. It was hard to breath for a moment. The entire experience had rattled him. He pulled off his white mask. He didn't want to be Static at the moment. He didn't want to be him when he felt so scared. He swallowed hard. He knew he had to confront Shiv. There was no way around it. It had to tell him he was bailing out of this.

He walked into the hallway where Shiv's cell was placed. He didn't bother to put his mask on. He would be gone soon and for some reason, he didn't seem to care anymore. He walked over to the cell and pushed the button. "Shiv."

Shiv rolled over, immediately. He appeared happy to see him. He grinned. "What? I'm not Joe toda..." Shiv stopped suddenly seeing Virgil's face. "You... your... what happened to you?"

"Nothing." Virgil said hastily. "I have to tell you something."

Shiv appeared concerned. "Static... what's... why are you covered in blood?"

"That's not important. I'm trying to tell you that..."

"Yes, it is. Are you bleeding?"

"No!"

"Then, why are you covered in blood?" Shiv said. He looked scared. "Let me out! You're bleeding."

"No!"

Shiv looked around. "Then come in here. You're hurt. I can tell."

"No! I'm not going in there!"

"You look exhausted. You need help!"

"And why should I trust you, Shiv?"

"Because you already trust me! Why are you calling me that?"

"What are you talking about?" Virgil said backing away.

"You come here. You got me out of that stupid little cell. You called me by my name. You knew my name! You took off your mask!"

"Shiv, you don't understand."

"Stop calling me that!" He was maniac. He was now standing up with his hands formed to purple blades panting. "I don't want to be called that! Not by you!"

Virgil was slightly frightened. He knew he was safe but he was like a caged animal. You didn't feel safe so close. "Alright, Joe. What are you saying?"

Shiv lowered his arms. "What am I saying? What am I saying! You know what I'm saying. How couldn't you?"

Virgil didn't like how this sounded. It wasn't going the way he had hoped.

"I will not be abandoned again! Not by you!"

"Abandoned? What do you think is going on?"

"You hate Shiv, I know, you do. But you didn't hate Joe. You wanted to see him and that's why you keep coming back. You wanted to see Joe." It was hard to tell if he was going to start laughing or crying. He was completely hysterical.

"Shiv..."

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he said yelled with his blade in front of himself. "I don't want you to call me that!"

"Fine. Joe, I never loved you. I don't know what you thought but I didn't. I never did and you didn't either."

Shiv backed up. "You don't mean that. You're just confused. You just don't understand yet." He was huddling back on himself into the corner of the cell.

Virgil sat down on the floor outside of the cell. "Do you remember the night of the Big Bang? I do. I wasn't supposed to be there. I came because Wade's gang wanted me to finish off this bully problem I had. You know Hotstreak, right?"

Shiv didn't answer but he slouched slightly.

"Well, he was called F-Stop, back then. He used to beat me up in school all the time. I went to Dakota Union. That's a public school. Wade used to stick up for me. He told me to finish off the problem. I went to the pier that night and they gave me a gun."

Shiv turned his head slightly but quickly turned back the wall when Virgil turned to check.

"I couldn't do it though. I ended up in the middle of that gang war. Then, the crates exploded. I climbed over the fence and passed out."

Shiv slightly turned his head over his shoulder.

Virgil moved his hand up and pushed a button on the side of the door. The wall moved out of the way. There was no longer a solid barrier between them. "I ended up at home the next day and I found out about my powers. Lights worked by themselves, metal could float, everything. I decided to be Static. To make something good out of it." Virgil looked up.

Shiv was sitting on the other end of his cell no longer crawled in on himself. He was sitting watching Virgil with interest. "You went back home?"

"Yeah. What happened to you, Joe? How did you become, you know."

"Shiv. How did I become Shiv?" Shiv looked almost frustrated. "I was stupid. I was really stupid."

Joe walked down the hall of his school into the front office. He was slightly drowsy from the medication he had to take. He was now off anything that Ivan could give him and being watched very closely by his parents. It was probably in one of groggiest moods of his existence. He looked into the front office and sat down in one of the small chairs. The secretaries talked on the phones, jotted down notes and shuffled through papers. One of the secretaries looked up from her papers and smiled. "Joe?"

"Yeah." he said, quickly lifting his head.

She handed him a small brown envelope. Joe frowned at the envelope and walked out of the office looking at the tawny paper envelope. He stood in the empty hall for a moment. He sighed and at last quickly ripped the small envelope open and looked at the small piece of paper inside. It read coldly:

Geometry: D-
History: E
English: D
Science: E
P.E. : A

Teacher's Comments: We are unhappy to inform you that your son's conduct is deplorable. He appears to be neglecting his medication and frequently makes outbursts in class. He is a distraction to the other teachers and students. His social skills, concentration, comprehension and cognitive skills have not improved over the past few months and I suggest trying stricter or more dramatic treatments for his condition or at least have him make an effort.

Joe was furious. "I do make an effort! What do they think I'm some stupid, lazy..." Joe trailed off as he quickly walked out of the building. He got on his skateboard and rode away from the school. He was thinking to himself then smiled. His father. His father knew he studied and how hard it was for him. His father would understand. It was one bad marking period. He wasn't that bad a student.

Joe stopped at his house and turned into the yard. He greeted Spike warmly and left his skateboard up against the side of house. He walked in through the front door and walked down the hall to his bedroom with Spike at his heels. He changed out of his school uniform and into some more comfortable clothes as Spike crawled onto Joe's bed. Joe turned on his video games and sat on the bed. He sat with Spike playing his games for probably an hour or more. He was happy actually. The small dim room was not dreary today. It was a welcome, cozy feeling knowing that his father would be on his side on this one. He was sure of this. He had actually told his father how he had ended up buying drugs and though, they were far from close. He was his father and they were teachers with no personal relationships, whatsoever with him. It was nature to favor his son over his son's teachers. It was only right that way, in Joe's opinion.

Tadahashi arrived home around five in the evening. He walked into the door and he was greeted subtly by Joe who was in the living room. He was surprised. Joe was usually in his room as he and Solada avoided each other fiercely. He turned into the living room and folded his arms over his chest. Joe turned his head and grinned mildly. "Hi dad."

"Jomei..."

"You know, Joe is one less syllable to say and sounds better."

Tadahashi resisted the urge to scold the teenager for his comment. "Jomei, where's your report card?"

Joe smiled. Tadahashi shot him a smirk. Joe laughed. "I didn't burn it again. Its in my pocket." he said and pulled out the piece of paper handing it to his father.

Tadahashi opened the paper and looked it over. His expression quickly changed. His face quickly went from in a pleasant mood to shock to furious. "What happened!"

"Its my teachers." Joe said confidently.

"Your teachers... Jomei, you were on marijuana for half the marking period and you blame your teachers!"

"I got off it and I tried! You know I did!"

"You tried? If you have tried, you could have gotten this up to a passing grade in half a marking period!"

"You know I tried!"

"If you tried, you'd do better! When I was your age, I was..."

Joe stood up. He looked angry, almost furious. "I'M NOT YOU!"

"Fine! You don't have to be me!" Both Tadahashi and Joe were furious. They were standing now barely two feet apart screaming at one another. "I don't expect it! But, you have to do well in school!"

"I try! Its not easy for me but I try!" Joe's muscles tensed as he rose higher on his feet. He was at full height the same as his father. However as he rose on his feet, he was taller by almost an inch. He didn't usually get into heated arguments with Tadahashi. Joe was almost always laid back with a controlled presence. "Don't even try to say I don't!"

Tadahashi's glasses slid on his face slightly. He had never been this furious at Joe in his life. "If you tried, you would pass Jomei! How do you expect to make it on your own! YOU HAVE NO PLANS! NO REAL TALENT! YOU CAN HARDLY..."

Joe erupted with a mixture of angry and hurt. His father had always joked in some way about how skateboarding and video games wouldn't get him anywhere but, he had never attacked him in this way before. It was a direct honest attack and Joe was not prepared. He was now standing almost eye to eye with his father. "I hate you."

Joe run off to his room and locked the door. He was unsure whether he had yelled or whispered it. His mind was spinning. He couldn't think straight. He only knew that he had to get out of his parents' home. He had been hurt by them before. Many times. His mother had never even smiled at him for as long as he remember, let alone touched him, and his father had been too absorbed in his shortcomings to see anything good in him, he knew that now. He had never had a safe nurturing parent and he was sick of the ridicule and neglect. He wanted a family or to be on his own. It was better to have no one than many who didn't care at all. He pulled down a dufflebag from his closet and began filling it with anything he could think of.

Spike watched from his master's bed anxiously. However, he did not make a sound or interfere. Spike had always understood his master. He could tell how he felt and how he acted. His master was hurt and he was not going to interfere in his master's flight. It was the only decent thing to do.

Joe finished packing and looked around to for a way out. He noticed the small window on the far end of the room. He zipped the bag and flung it over his shoulder. He walked over to his bed and scratched Spike behind the ears. "I'll miss you, boy. You were the only one who really knew me, my only friend. Take care of yourself and try not to get in too much trouble." he said as he rubbed the old Akita's head.

He rose and walked over to the window. He pulled the window open and jumped out of it onto the yard below. He sprinted across the yard, over the fence and into the street. He began running. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't particularly care at that point. He just intended on getting as much distance between him and his parents' house as possible.

He stopped nearly a mile down the abandoned road. He looked around. It was near some type of pier. It was fenced off with large tanks on platforms with a toxic symbol on it. Inside on the far, it looked like a riot. He wasn't sure what was going on. But, he heard something: sirens. It was the police. He knew if he got caught he would be taken back to his parents' house. He panicked and slipped through the fence. He had just walked into the middle of a gang war. It had to be almost five hundred people there, all were fiercely fighting one another. "Get out of the way!" He heard someone say to him or maybe to someone else, however, it was too late. He was punched in the face by what looked like a latina woman. He was on the ground for probably no more than five minute. However, the fight moved so quickly he was stepped on almost seven times, apparently, left for dead by the gang bangers. He turned to his left. He had dropped his bag but it was gone. Someone had picked it up. He was about to consider the option of just lying there until it was over. He really was safest being stepped on and not in the line of fire. However before he could decide, he heard yelling from the other end of the pier. The police were firing on the crowd. There were explosions and a thick mist like gas covered the pier. It was like a fog. Joe rose to feet and looked around. The air was thick with the dirty gas. It was impossible to see anything more than ten feet away from you.

The gas was rising. It was now almost twice as tall as he was and thickly coating the air. He looked around again hoping to see something. It was near impossible. He could hardly breath as he looked in every direction. Finally, he saw someone. It was the latina woman from earlier. He stared unable to stop. She appeared to be melting or not melting but changing into water. He was awestruck and disgusted at the same time. He knew she needed help, even if she did punch him in the face. But just as he got up to move toward her, he felt something. It was stinging in his hands and eyes. He stood for a moment. He was sure he was screaming. However, when you are that much pain you can't hear as well as normally and you wouldn't want to. The area was deafening with screams. The gas had an almost acidic effect on the skin. Full grown men were literally brought to their knees by it as it absorbed itself into their cells. Joe would have done the same if this knees hadn't locked from fear. He looked down at his hands he was sure they would be raw and red by now. To his great surprise that was hardly the result. His hands were glowing a pale purple. He began panting. This was impossible. It couldn't be happening. He looked around still terrified. The gas was clearing and he did the only thing he could think of: run. He ran right down the middle of the yard and right to the wall. Then, He leaped over and ran into a nearby alley. He looked back in shock. He had just ran more 500 yards and jumped clear over a 10 foot fence in less than three minutes and wasn't even close to being out of breath.

That's it. Please Review.