Disclaimer: I don't own Static Shock. It belongs to Mister Dwayne McDuffie, Milestone, DC Comics and WB. However if I won it in a round of Trivial Pursuit, Shiv would have a back story and a sexy heroic villain episode.
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 final chapter besides a short epilogue. I'll post later. I hope you enjoyed the fic. This chapter is insanely long and rather intense. No real happy ending but no French tragedy either.
Sorry for the long wait. I've been working on other things. However, here it is. I hope you like it.
Taken Lightly
Chapter 11: Shiv
A large African American security guard walked into the small storage room. He looked around. He had been on shift for nearly eight hours now. The pay was good he had to admit but Alva's hours were grueling, however, he wanted the job. Perhaps, it was the fact that he was overworked or maybe Joe was just that good at what he did. Whatever it was, Joe was positioned directly above him and the guard didn't notice in the slightest. However Joe was not one for chances tonight, he pulled himself higher tightening his grip on the vent and held his breath. He couldn't be caught. There was no way to get away without using his blades and he was not using his blades.
The guard walked into the room calmly. He didn't notice Joe at all. He was actually more deeply concentrated on the fact that he was probably going to be home by midnight and that it had been an uneventful night. He almost smacked himself. 'Of course, it had. This is Alva Industries. The security could stop a cold. Nothing was getting in.' Little did he know that Joe was no more than seven feet behind him and had gotten in with little to no effort. As soon as the guard was past the door, Joe began to lowering himself slowly onto the floor. He landed silently. It was almost effortless for him to, his bones were hollow from the Big Bang. It made him lighter on his feet than anything else alive. He could jump higher and land softer but it came with a price of course, any significant blow shattered his new bones.
However, he had always stayed a step ahead and as all as he did that, his bone density wasn't important. Nonetheless he had more pressing matters at the moment, he needed to find a key. He scanned the guard, creeping close behind him. He was no more than a foot from him now. He tried to focus. It was hard, in the back of his mind was Shiv, who wanted nothing more than to make a scene. He couldn't let him though. He had to get in and out before he got cocky. He knew his cockiness was a vice of his. It'd probably kill him one day. Hopefully, it wouldn't be today. Then, he saw it. The key was in the guard's pocket, a small corner was exposed. He could get it. It wouldn't be that hard. He reached for it.
However, he made one fatal error. He forgot to hold his breath. The moment he removed the card key he exhaled and being only inches from the guard it was impossible to miss. It was an amateur mistake but a costly one. The guard spun instantly and grabbed at him. He was too slow though even with Joe that close to him. Joe jumped heaving himself over the large guard and onto a nearby shelf. The guard looked awestruck. His pupils dilated. He pulled out out a walky talkie and began to yell into it, "Bang Baby! Bang baby in Sector 8!"
Joe panicked. He jumped down from the shelf and ran out the open door. He began to sprint but luck wasn't with him. Everything was locked. He was trapped in a maximum security mouse trap. He knew this but continued down the hall. It was his own choice. Guards were at every corner. The events after that were blurry as they happened at such a high speed. It is certain though that shortly after he passed the second corner, he felt something. The something that he had felt was a gun wound. Joe had been shot for the first time. It should have been much worse and the pain excruciating but he was on an adrenaline high. Blood flowed quickly. He looked behind him. He realized then what had happened. However the shock of being shot for the first time was nothing compared to a realization made clear by the guards.
"This way! He's this way!" The guards voices were indicating a cruel fact about anything when it is shot. Any good hunter knows this rule of thumb: if you have shot an animal, he will run and to find him all is needed is to follow the trail of blood left behind. The animal will run out of fear until he bleeds to death or until he is too weak to go on. At this moment, there is a cruel irony. It is said to be only humane to now kill the terrified and exhausted being. This rule was often used with animals, however, it was not above these guards to use the same technique to kill a young bang baby. After all to most, bang babies had lost their humanity and were no more human than animals which were not exempt from this brutality. Joe was no more to those guards than a tiger to a group of villagers. "Shoot to kill, you idiots! He's a bang baby!"
Joe was terrified. The guards were both behind and in front of him now. This couldn't be happening. The guards grew closer now. Joe reared holding his wounded arm. His eyes darted from one guard to the next. There was no humanity in their eyes. Why would there be? He was not human to them. He was no more than a dangerous animal to them: fascinating, deadly and inhuman. Joe thought to himself it had to be impossible. Then, he fell. He couldn't feel anything or hear anything. He was numb with fear and adrenaline. He looked behind him. It was his leg. A pool of bright red blood was surrounding it. They had shot his leg. He couldn't run anymore. The sickest part was that he hadn't been running. They shot his leg for sport or revenge or perhaps amusement; a story they could tell about how they had taken down a bang baby. He lay there for a moment, shaking. He was waiting now. He was waiting for the end of what was a cruel game. He could hear the guards' guns cock. He was practically in tears. Even that wasn't stopping them. Then, it went black.
Joe was laying still for a moment. Light slowly returned and his eyes adjusted. He was in the subway on Milestone Street. Ebon was standing right above him. He was alive. Ebon, his friend, had saved him. He turned his head to face Ebon. The fear that had consumed him only moments ago was gone. He was safe and in company he knew. His leg and arm were still bleeding badly but somehow he managed to sit up and face his friend.
Even with the lack of detail in Ebon's face, he was definitely furious. His stance was assertive, if not a little hostile, and his eyes piercing. "Do you know what you did?"
That moment it hit Joe and a flood of memories came back to him. "I didn't get it."
"Yeah, you didn't!" Ebon's pale white eyes narrowed. "Y'also almos' got me shot!" Ebon picked him up by the neck and pinned him to the wall of the compartment.
Joe whimpered and terror overtook him. He hadn't seen this side of Ebon or anyone for that matter. "E...ebon."
"I told chu to get it!" He was squeezing his neck, now. Joe was gagging and flailed his good leg slightly. It was a hopeless effort. He was wounded and Ebon was far stronger than him to begin with. "THEY'LL BE LOOKIN' FO' YOU NOW!"
Joe was trying to pry Ebon's hand off of his neck. It wasn't any good. "I... I... couldn't... do... it... without... my... pow... ers..."
Ebon's eyes widened but it faded quickly and he whipped Joe across the floor. He landed with a crack. It was almost definitely his bones. They were fragile and had most likely snapped. Joe was truly helpless at this point. "I TOLD YOU TO USE THEM, YOU STUPID..."
"I CAN'T!" Joe was yelling. He couldn't tell though. His ears were ringing too loudly and tears were running down his face. He was scared for his life and overwhelmed with guilt from failing Ebon.
"YOU CAN! I'VE SEEN YOU! YOU LYING SON OF..." His eyes were now directed and narrowed toward him and, his voice was painfully loud and angry. He was looming like some type of predator. He was not wounding Joe entirely out of anger. He was doing so as another assertion of dominance. It was a pack order of sorts. He was dominant and Joe his submissive.
Joe couldn't resist an urge to defy and cut him off. "I...I CAN'T! I C-CAN'T DO IT! I'LL KILL THEM!" Joe was in tremendous pain. He couldn't hear anything but Ebon's screaming voice. It rang in his head as he lay half curled on the floor.
"YOU CAN'T KILL THEM! WHAT TYPA' CRAP IS THAT?" He kicked Joe hard to the ribs. At least some of Joe's ribs cracked. Ebon didn't seem to notice as Joe curled further in on himself holding his ribs with his good arm. "THEY'D KILL YOU AND YOU WOULDN'T DO A THING TO STOP THEM! YOU USELESS..."
"STOP IT!"
Ebon looked slightly taken aback then angry. "Don't you EVER TALK BACK TO ME!" Ebon picked him up again and throw him through the half smashed window of the subway train. He landed with a painful crack. Glass was bedded in his skin, hair and clothes. Ebon slowly walked out of the compartment and up to Joe. Joe lay motionless for a moment then rolled to look at Ebon. Joe's eyes were still wet from crying and dipping blood. One of the glass shards had cut right above his eye and blood poured down into it. Ebon gave a look of disgust and spit at him. "You better learn faster. I don't keep no pathetic bangers." He said and walked away.
Joe lay for a long time. He had failed Ebon. He had failed his only friend. Ebon had done so much for him. He had taken him in, given him a family and at least in Joe's mind, had loved him unconditionally. He deserved this. He had to, it didn't make sense if he didn't. He ran his hand through his hair and pulled out the last strands of his black hair. He looked at it. It was tinted red with blood. He held it in his hands for a moment staring at it. It was in some small way all that was left of his old body and it was only a few strands of black hair. He wasn't himself completely anymore. He was officially unnatural and unnatural was only natural for him now. He took out a small piece of paper and wrapped the black hair in it. He placed it in his pocket. He wanted it with him.
Joe pulled himself up to sitting. He was still for a moment. He had felt upset a moment ago but it had faded now. He felt cocky and almost annoyed. His pupils dilated. "If you just had let me use my powers..."
Joe's eyes returned to normal. He sudden felt the cockiness fade away and a return of sorrow. He was Joe, again."You would have killed everyone."
His pupils dilated again and his emotions faded into Shiv's. It was an uncontrollable sensation. He could not react because it was not him. He was conscious of it but it was not him and in no more control then if someone was sitting next to him. "And?" It was Shiv. "We would have done what Ebon said."
"And killed all of those people." Joe said. He was growing upset. He felt a sense of disbelief and irritation at the callousness of Shiv.
"So its fine for you to die but not them?" Shiv said with a playful tone.
"No." Joe said. It was slightly hesitate. It did directly contradict what he had just said.
"Well, I don't see what you're saying, then." Shiv said and laughed maniacally.
"You can't kill people. Its wrong!"
"I don't think it is. Ebon doesn't think it is. The guards didn't think it is. Its only you. Maybe, you're wrong."
"I am not."
"Well, if everyone else is wrong." Shiv chuckled. "I think you're just crazy."
"I am not!"
"I think you're going crazy and you don't even know it."
"I AM NOT!"
"I think you're completely nuts and you can't admit it. Or maybe you're so crazy, you can't even tell."
"STOP IT!"
"How can I stop it? I'm not real. I'm you."
"YOU ARE NOT! YOU ARE NOT ME! I'M NOT CRAZY!"
"Then, why are you talking to yourself?"
Joe was crying again. He couldn't go crazy. He couldn't. "Get... out... of... my... head!
Shiv laughed. "I am you. I can't 'get out of your head'. I am you and soon you'll be me and you... you won't exist."
"NO! I AM NOT YOU!" Joe was yelling and sobbed to himself. He couldn't let it happen. He couldn't.
Shiv was gone. Somehow, Joe had pushed him out for now. It was harder than before though. Shiv didn't have the human qualities that restrained Joe. You cannot be just and powerful. It was impossible. You had to be barbaric and cruel to be powerful. That was the separation. Joe was human and Shiv was not. He was power. They were two separate people but weren't. They were individuals but were not. They were fighting for dominance and Joe was not winning anymore.
Talon sat on the old subway car. She had seen it all. She didn't know how to react exactly. It was a confusing and slightly disturbing scene. His voice had changed pitch at least twice for one. She needed to talk to him. She had obeyed Ebon this long but enough was enough. She could talk to anyone she wanted and if he said otherwise. She'd gauge his eyes out.
She flew down behind Joe. He was sitting on the ground holding his ribs. He was slightly hunched and seemed to be calming down. She approached him slowly with her hands behind her back. She walked slowly with her head slightly tilted to the side. She didn't want to startle him. He didn't seem like he could take a good scare. "Shiv. Shiv."
Joe turned a little. He was surprised to see her. He had never talked to her. He knew he wasn't allowed to talk to her and he didn't want to answer that name at the moment. He wanted to have a minute to sort things out and recover. He could if he had time.
Talon was irritated. She was a spirited woman to put it nicely and hated to be ignored. She walked around in front of him. "What is wrong with you!" She was a far enough distance that she didn't feel threatened but close enough to talk to him. Her hands were on her hips and she was bent over slightly to be at eye level with him. "First you talk to yourself! Now you don't talk at all! Shiv... Shiv... Is anybody in there?"
Joe was still silent. He just wanted some time alone, some time to think.
"You act like there are two people in there!" Talon noticed that he wasn't listening. "Hello? Shiv! SHIV!"
Joe snapped his head up and met her eyes. He seemed annoyed, irritated by her in some way. "Don't call me that!"
Talon recoiled a little. She hadn't been expecting that. She recovered quickly though. It was the way things were. You don't show weakness. She knew that Shiv had to learn that but felt sympathetic for him. "What am I supposed to call you? You're name's Shiv."
Joe was bruised across his body and bleeding badly. However, he somehow managed to stand up. He was at around eye level with her. He stared at her for a moment. "My... name... is... not... Shiv, and I never want you to think it is." He stared directly at her. His eyes were blood shot with grey bangs underneath them. He was exhausted but he was perfectly serious.
"Fine. What is it then? Why are you called Shiv?"
"Ebon... Ebon called me that... I didn't... think it ..." He was almost talking to himself.
Suddenly, something dark slid across the floor. The mass grew into a form which rose from the ground into a figure. It was the ever omniscient Ebon. "What are you talkin' about?" He sounded angry.
Joe froze at the sound of his voice. Talon, however, did not seem to have the same reaction. "I was talking to Shiv." Talon said with a bite to her voice. She was annoyed with him.
Ebon turned to Joe quickly. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TALK TO ANYONE!" He said and hit Joe on the side of the head. Joe was not prepared for the assault and fell to the ground. He crawled back up to his knees. The side of his face was bleeding bad. Ebon had hit a piece of glass and it had tore into his skin. He didn't move. He simply tried to hold both his bleeding face and injured ribs at the same time.
Talon gawked for a moment at Joe then jerked her head toward Ebon. "Are you crazy!"
"Shut up, Talon!" Ebon said angrily.
Talon's eyes narrowed and her feather rose. "I dare you to say that again, Ebon." She was furious and certainly possessed an air of intimidation that Joe did not possess. "What is wrong with you? WHY ARE YOU RUNNING SHIV DOWN LIKE THIS! I TOLD YOU HE WAS NO BANGER!"
"If he ain't now, then he's gonna be!" Ebon said simply. The argument deteriorated from there. There was nothing further to discuss. Joe was not a gang banger but Ebon had a certain knowledge that few had. He could understand and predict beyond what was evident and Joe knew it now more than anyone.
The next few days, Joe was silent. It was an unnatural silence only broken by his incessant mumbling to himself. It was always the same, a constant argument between himself and "Shiv". If he had been objective, he would have known he was going insane. The days before the beating from Ebon, he did questioned his sanity. He didn't anymore. It is a fact that the insane don't question their sanity and that is what makes them insane, the lack of questioning and probing for understanding. Joe didn't ask questions anymore. He didn't need to speak to be a tool for Ebon. He wasn't beat when he was silent. It seemed to suit his ends. Shiv was no longer a problem as he did not let him speak either.
The attack at the corporation had taught him that as long as you are not caught, you didn't have to kill. He wasn't seen by anyone when he stole anymore. He was like an animal. He was clever and sneaky but dangerous all in one package. However, this was a far cry from the person he would become. The event that lead to this was on a cold night almost three months after the Big Bang.
Ebon, Joe and Talon were walking down beside a street on the outskirts of the north side of Dakota. They had been looking for something to knock off. It was a slow night though. The sky was cloudy and Joe swore he could sense rain. It was a smell in the air. He didn't say anything though. He never did anymore. Talon looked back at him. He was walking furthest back and keeping an eye out. She was concerned somehow. She knew he wasn't her responsibility but she couldn't help that nagging feeling that having him in the Breed was horribly wrong. Ebon didn't seem to notice.
"Anyone see anythin'?" Ebon said without turning around.
"You know, he won't answer you Ebon. Why is he on watch?" Talon said irritably.
"He's got the best eyes."
"And won't talk."
"He better if the police show up."
"He won't."
"How do you know?"
"He doesn't anymore. At all."
Ebon turned back to looking forward.
"You know, I'm right."
Joe wasn't listening. He didn't listen much unless he was being instructed. It was a good strategy. It kept him from being beat up and kept him in his head. He was beginning to like it in there.
Cars rushed down the busy street. They were easy enough to mistake for normal people in the pale light and the drivers didn't pay any attention to them. The cars were probably moving much faster than they should have in the area. The streets were not very wide and people lived all around. However, the police in Dakota weren't ever very good at monitoring speeders or anything else for that matter.
Joe continued to walk, ignoring the whoosh from cars. Then, he heard something. It was oddly familiar. He turned his head quickly to look across the street. "Spike?"
Talon and Ebon turned to Joe surprised. They didn't know exactly what he had said but it was something. "Did you see something?" Ebon said looking directly at Joe.
"Spike. What?" Joe said no louder than a whisper. He couldn't understand. However, the confusion was short lived. Spike was standing across the street. He was dirty and appeared hungry, much like Joe himself. Spike had heard him though. Even though, he was old and across the street. He heard him. The akita became excited at the sight of his master and best friend. What happened next never left Joe and it probably never would. The old dog began to run from the sidewalk and into the busy street. It happened in an instant. He was hit by a speeding car. Spike gave out a horrible sound on impact it was between a whine and howl. There was a horrible cracking sound and it was over. It was that fast and that merciless.
Joe was practically in shock. Joe ran into the street jumping clear over a car and up to his old friend. He knelt down and stared for a moment. He didn't know what to do. He bent down further and touched Spike. He wasn't breathing. His only real friend was gone. Joe was crying. Everything was falling apart all at once.
The driver of the car got out. He looked angry. "That stupid dog ran right out in front of me..."
"Don't... talk ... about... my... dog." Joe was still clinging to Spike as his head slowly turned to the driver.
"Your dog! It figures. Stupid street kid would have a dog like that." The driver never saw it coming. Ebon and Talon didn't either for that matter. Joe was off the ground and in the air in seconds. His blades were growing a brilliant purple as he charged the driver.
The driver was probably dead within moments, if he was lucky. However, Shiv didn't want to kill him. He wanted to mutilate him. By the time Talon and Ebon got to the scene, the body was no longer recognizable. Shiv was panting and laughing hysterically. The car, Shiv and the remains of the driver were coated in blood.
Even Ebon was shocked by the sight and Talon was speechless. Ebon scanned the scene. There was a car. There was a driver. He scanned, however, the sheer amount of blood made it hard to concentrate on anything but Shiv. But Ebon saw what Shiv had been crouching over only moments before. It was a dog. A dog had been hit by a car and Shiv had decided to make ground meat out of someone. Ebon's shock remained for a few more moments before recovered. He turned to Shiv who was standing there grinning maniacally. "We should get out of here."
"Ebon." Talon was still shocked as she looked at Ebon.
"No Talon! We should go."
Virgil stood and not saying anything for a moment. There wasn't much to say after a story like that or an ending like that for that matter. Virgil knew every word was true that the story was accurate to the note. So, there was only one thing he could do. Virgil stepped out of Shiv's way.
"What are you doing?" Shiv asked. He looked confused as he lowered slowly his blades to his sides.
"Don't break anything or I'll have to stop you." Virgil said trying not to sound upset. "Just get out of here!"
Shiv didn't ask again. His blades dissolved as he ran past Virgil and jumped into a ventilation shaft. Virgil never saw Shiv in the center again. He was gone before Virgil left the building and true to Virgil's orders, nothing was broken.
Virgil left the center relatively slowly. It was empty now. The police had come and any doctors or bang babies still in the facility had been evacuated. It was silent and felt as though it had been abandoned for weeks which it soon would be. The incident with Dr. Adams would certainly put the facility out of business. He couldn't say he would be unhappy to see this place closed down though.
Virgil walked down until he got to the main lobby and sat down on one of chairs. He felt a sick unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach. He slouched into the large chair and tilted his head slightly. The entire experience had put him into a dismal mood. He looked down at the floor and thought for a moment. He knew one person was feeling the same as he was right now, if not for an entirely different reason, Richie. He put his hand down into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out his shock vox. He looked at it for a moment. He didn't know exactly what to say to Richie. It had been quite a day and he wasn't thinking as clearly as usual. Not that it was ever easy to apology to someone but sulking never helps anything. However, Virgil's good nature won out in the end.
"Richie. You there, Richie?"
It sounded like Richie was waiting a moment to answer hesitant to what he might hear. "Yeah. I'm here, V. You okay down there?"
"I'm sorry, Rich. I wasn't thinkin'. You did what you thought you had to."
Richie made a confused noise best described as between a 'huh?' and an accented grunt. He was having a hard time understanding exactly what was going on and this was new to him since the birth of his powers. He had expected Virgil to stand his ground on this, be thick headed as usual and eventually, make a halfway apology. This was considerably different. "What do you... what!"
"I was too righteous, I guess. Sometimes people have to do things to stay alive and... I'm sorry, Rich."
Virgil could tell Richie was happy if not a little sentimental. "No problem, V. So what happened down there?"
"Everybody's gone. The police came and..."
Richie interrupted. His voice had a tone between apprehensive and overly interested. "What about Shiv?"
"He got away."
"He got away?"
"Yeah. He pulled his blades on me and got out." Virgil was calm as he lied. He didn't think Richie would understand and they had just gotten back together so nicely, too.
"Are you okay, V?" Richie sounded a little nervous over the shock vox.
"Fine. He missed and, I guess, he just wanted to get out. He didn't come back after me."
"You sure he's gone?"
"Yeah. He took off. I was just in his way."
"That's good. I'm glad you're not hurt, V."
Virgil felt a wave of guilt. Richie was genuinely concerned. He could tell even without seeing him. "I let him go, Richie."
"What?"
"He didn't run away. I opened the cell and let him out and he left."
"You what!"
"I had to, Rich. He trusted me and I had to."
"You WHAT!"
"Stop sayin' that, Rich."
"Are you insane!"
"Maybe a little." There was a pause. "No more than you, though."
"He's going to go back to the Breed."
"Probably. I hope he doesn't though."
Richie made a groaning noise that he only made when Virgil gave him a headache. "So what now? Do you know where he's going?"
"Nope."
"Do you know when he left?"
"Not really."
"Do you know anything at all about Shiv's location?"
"Not a thing."
Richie paused. "Are you planning on doing anything at all about this?"
"To find him. No, I thought I'd give him a head start."
"You are crazy, V."
"And so are you. That's why we make a great team. Nothing like blind sympathy and aliens."
"Roswell doesn't exactly have huge evidence saying they didn't kill aliens." Richie muttered.
"I have to admit I am sold on your microchip-1984 theory."
Richie sighed but Virgil could tell he was satisfied. "So, what now?"
Virgil looked up at the ceiling of the center as he slouched back in the chair. He lowered his shock vox to think for a moment. This end felt unfinished, unresolved. He couldn't leave things in such a mess. He was a hero and had to save the day. However, there was a unsettling feeling inside of him because knew he couldn't. It was beyond his power. But he felt as though he could still do something. He pulled the shock vox back up against his face. "Do you remember what Solada said?"
"About what?"
"She doesn't know what happened to Shiv. She said that Mr.Chen used to come home and doesn't anymore. He probably doesn't know, either."
"V, I don't think its a good idea to tell them. We don't even know if they don't know. Besides, think about it, would your pops want to hear that about you?"
"Its better than not knowing."
"You really think this is a good idea, V?"
"I think they should know what happened, Rich."
He heard Richie sigh then a blur of keyboard clicks. "Chen, Tadashi. He works in a building in the business sector. Dakota Electronics. His office is on the 40th floor. Are you sure this is a good idea, V?" Richie sounded concerned.
"I think its better than not knowin', Rich." Virgil paused as he got up out of the chair. "I'll be back soon. Don't worry Richie. I'll be fine."
"I know but be careful and do the right thing."
"I will." Virgil tried off the small machine and placed it in his pocket. "Love you, Richie."
Virgil left the center and pulled his mask back on over his face. He didn't want Mr.Chen to recognize him and especially not all of Dakota. He took out his saucer and flipped it out. He jumped on and flew off. He had to admit he wasn't sure of the moral standing of what he was about to do. He knew that finding out your son was one of the most prominent mutants in the city was not an easy thing to swallow but he knew not knowing whether he was dead or alive had to be worse by far. He knew that they had both been horrible parents in many respects but they seems to genuinely care of Shiv. Something no one else had ever done.
Virgil found the building. It was a large skyscraper clustered in the busy district. It wasn't easy to miss by any standards even if, Virgil were on the ground which he was not. He flew up to the large building and began counting the floors. He had to find forty. 36. 38. 40. He hovered outside the window for a moment. He had to admit he was nervous but he was a hero after all. It wasn't all fun. He flew closer to the window then used his powers to unlock the window and walk in. He closed the window again and put his saucer away.
It was a moderate sized office. It was plain for the most part with only a desk and a waist basket to decorate it. Virgil figured the desk would be the best place to start. It looked like the desk of the average workaholic. It was cluttered with papers, post-its and deadlines. He appeared that he had been taking on anything and everything the company had to offer anyone. Virgil sighed and started to walk by the desk. As he did, his coat got caught on something. He turned slightly to look at it and groaned. He yanked, trying to set it free with no success. He began to pull harder which sent the drawer flying clear out of its slot. Things scattered everywhere. Virgil looked down at it. He felt a wave of unprofessional embarrassment. He couldn't walk through a room without breaking something. He was beginning to understand why his Pop's didn't let him in his office that often.
He then bent down to pick the things up. The drawer was full of newspaper articles, a video cassette tape and audio tapes. As he peered through it, it became clear why he wasn't keeping it out in the open. It was predominantly about Shiv and as he observed further it grew even more disturbing. Newspaper articles read the same: "young Asian bang baby", "Shiv, a member of the metahuman crime gang the Breed, was caught today and is being held for numerous crimes", "residents of Paris Row are advised to be extremely wary of any Asian males around 5'9" as the wanted bang baby, Shiv is extremely dangerous even when unprovoked." and so on. He had wanted posters, the missing person's flyer, dozens of photos by the press and amateur photographs. The tapes were simply labeled "JOMEI". Virgil picked it up and flipped up the plastic shield around the inner tape. He he place one hand on his temple and the other was holding the tape with a finger on the magnetic ribbon. He then created a small charge. He was watching the tape. He had found many of these unusually uses for his powers. The tape, however, was full of reports. News reports concerning the Breed or more specifically Shiv. Virgil put down the tape. There had to be hours of footage. It was to an obsessive degree. They appeared to be taken very good care of, almost cared for, and the sheer number of items was staggering.
Virgil was too busy staring at the pictures to notice the door open. Tadashi had walked into his office without Virgil even noticing. "Get... away... from... that!" Tadashi rushed over and snatched the papers from Virgil. He held them in one hand and the drawer in the other. He began looking through it immediately. He seemed to be very worried about any of it being missing.
Virgil first felt a wave of shock. It subsided though as he noticed Tadashi's interest in the item and lack in him. "Mr.Chen?" Virgil said in a low voice.
Tadashi ignored him at first but by the end of the investigation of his collection. (Noticing that it was all indeed there.) He turned to Virgil. He was glaring through his eyeglasses with the same tired grey bags under his eyes as his son. It was actually striking how similar they were. Their frame were almost identical and the face familiar. However, he didn't have the same eyes, Shiv's having a most predominant fold of skin, and his skin was significantly lighter than Shiv's which bore the richer tone of his mother, the Thai side of the family. "Get out!" His voice was lower and also sterner than Shiv's.
"You know about Shiv?"
The look on Tadashi's face answered the question. He didn't need to say a word.
"You know, its Joe."
Tadashi gave him a look of pure hatred. "How can you even ask me that? He's my son! You don't think I'd know my own son!" He was growing more furious. His eyes were locked with Virgil's. He had the same animal-like gaze as his son. "I RAISED HIM! AND YOU ASK ME IF I CAN TELL IT'S MY JOMEI WITH A CHANGE LIKE THAT!"
Virgil backed up a little then regained compositor. Virgil was angry now. He had seen the look on Shiv's face. It was pure loneliness. He couldn't even tell what love was and Tadashi was spurting out this about raising him. "YOU'RE THE REASON HE LEFT! YOU CHASED HIM OFF!"
"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT!"
Virgil recoiled. He had no idea Tadashi felt that way. He had assumed wrong again about Shiv's family. Tadashi didn't need a heroic lecture. He needed to let himself let go of Joe.
"You don't have to tell me I chased him out. Chased away the only child I ever had or could ever have! He was the only family I had left and I chased him away like I did with the rest of them!" Tadashi was upset if not angry. "You don't marry out of your own in Japan. I DID! I pushed my family away and then I pushed him away! Don't you lecture me about what I've done! I'd do anything to have him home! I did this to him! He was my responsibility and I couldn't handle him."
"Hey! Stop it! He ran away. It ain't all your fault. He chose to be at the docks. He chose to join the Breed. He could have come home. He just didn't. Its not your fault."
"He was my responsibility!"
"What about your wife? He was her responsibility too. Its not your fault that Jomei got screwed up and couldn't handle it!"
"Solada couldn't take care of him. He was my responsibility!"
"You were alone taking take of him! Sure, you could have been nicer but its not your fault! You couldn't handle him. Who could?"
"I could have!"
"You pushed him too hard but you loved him! He was your son and you can't keep blaming yourself! Its not your fault and pretending it is isn't helping you!"
"I pushed him and now he's a mutant! He'll never normal again and its my fault!"
"It wasn't your fault! What you did was wrong but you didn't do this to him!"
Tadashi looked extremely upset. He had been yelling the whole time and he didn't seem like he could anymore. "Is he all right? Can you at least tell me that?"
Virgil thought for a moment. "No. Shiv isn't Joe. Joe died a long time ago."
"What?"
"Three months after the Big Bang."
"But... Shiv. I know its Jomei. I can tell." Tadashi looked almost hysterical. "Its Jomei."
"Jomei isn't coming back and Shiv isn't Joe. Shiv killed him."
Tadashi looked devastated but seemed to understand. "The doctors said it was miracle we had a baby at all. We can't have another baby. He was our only chance. I guess, I thought, if I could see Shiv, I'd have my son back. But he's not coming back is he?"
"No. He's not."
"When he ran away, it was like finding him dead. My only son dead." Tadashi wasn't looking at Virgil anymore. "Thank you. Its nice to have someone finally tell me what happened. Better to know."
"You're welcome, Mr.Chen." Virgil said and flew out the window.
Virgil got back to the gas station by around eight p.m. He had taken the long way there. He wanted to fly by himself for a while to clear his head. He felt a little hollow inside. The way a kid feels when a toy breaks. He landed outside. Richie was waiting for him when he got there. Richie knew he would be upset. It was no easy task telling a parent their son was dead. Richie paused for a moment. His insides were twisted in a knot at this point. He was so relieved that Virgil was all right. "Are you all right, V?"
Virgil didn't answer and walked into the gas station.
Richie was worried which was not an unusual since his powers had developed. He was prone to paranoia. However, this was often directed to self-preservation with one exception and that exception happened to have walked in looking more than fatigued. He didn't go on instinct but sometimes it gets the best of everyone. Richie put his arms around Virgil and hugged him tightly. For once, Virgil really couldn't think of any logical solution to a problem.
"Thanks, Rich." Virgil really didn't care why Richie was going on instinct. All Virgil knew was is that he had had a very long day and he desperately needed to hug from someone.
Their curfew was at nine o'clock. Over the next hour, Richie did his best to comfort Virgil. He was by no means an expert but Virgil didn't seem to mind. He enjoyed the sudden outburst of honesty in Richie's actions. Super geniuses were rarely ever completely sincere. Too much on their minds and worries which clustered. It was pure trust that Richie was.
They left just early enough to walk back. He didn't really trust Virgil to fly. He seemed shaky. It had been a long day for him after all. Richie walked him home. Richie didn't want to leave him alone that night but Virgil said he would be fine. Richie was reluctant but left.
Virgil sat on the couch in his living room. He had changed into his "Virgil clothes" before leaving the gas station. He was looking at the small missing person's flyer. He felt a heavy lump in his throat. He wondered what Joe had been thinking when it was taken. Was he happy? Was he high? Did he have any idea that his father loved him? Or that his mother didn't hate him?
Mr. Hawkins saw Virgil on the couch and looked over his shoulder. "Its sad isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is." Virgil said still looking at the picture.
"They always wanted a baby and they loved Joe more than anything and he never knew. Its a shame. If they had paid more attention to him." Robert Hawkins paused for a moment. "I guess sometimes kids are taken lightly."
The End