Shock to the Eco System

"Concern"

Quagmires dried out husk collapsed with a deep groan at Hotstreaks feet.

"Nigella" he frowned.

"Francis" she nodded.

"Wait...wait...hold up...she's your sister?" gaped Virgil.

"Hmmm" Wildcat mused. "Maybe this isn't the best place to discuss this".

"I thought you were with Mom in Metropolis...with Damon too..."

"Damon is...Damon isn't..." Wildcat shook her head. "No I'm not"

"Since when are you a Bang Baby?" Francis snapped as if suddenly remembering it. In response his sister put her hands on her hips and shifted the weight of her body onto one leg as she glared at him. Her eyes blinked into cat mode for a few moments.

"Since that night at the Docks I went to stop you doing anything stupid" she snapped.

"I...you...I told you not to come!" Francis snapped. Richie and Virgil looked bewildered but Nigella shook her head and ignored her brother. "Wait...wait a second...the shadow dude that chipped my bracelet was-"

"Nico" nodded Nigella.

There was a scream of tyres and in the time it took them to turn around there were guns and fire extinguishers aimed at Hotstreak. Francis burst into an inferno, melting the bullets before they could get close. "FRANCIS DON'T" snapped Wildcat. He flinched and lowered his hands, the flames subdued and he looked at his sister. "You've let that temper control you too long...stop" she snapped. Francis flinched and his sister hugged him. "Please don't ruin it, look, you helped defeat a bad guy they have to take it into the account!"

"I don't want to go back to juvie" he whispered.

"You won't have to" she said. "It's okay."

"Is F-Stop studdenly being...civil?" Virgil whispered.

"Evidently so" Richie murmured.

Wildcat escorted Hotstreak over to the police and they nervously clapped a new parole bracelet onto his wrist. "They say they've created a more compact parole system, they're using the back up one and are connecting new bracelets to it" Wildcat said. "Where's Tantrum?"

Richie's eyes widened and he slapped his head. "One second" he yelped and jetted over to the bus shelter. He returned with Thomas Kim in his arms who was still out cold. "Yeah he seemed - upset about the bracelet thing"

Virgil nodded. "Better get him tagged again. Hey Wildcat-" he turned around to find Nigella Stone was gone.

At the Gas Station of Solitude Virgil looked at Richie. "You okay man?"

"Yeah" Richie said without looking back at him as he finished an upgrade to Backpack he was working on. "Just - y'know - surprised that HotStreak was...helping!"

"They have Quagmire in custody" Static said. "They're giving him some fluids back while they wait for the bang baby cure to be made in a big enough dose."

"Wow do you guys get a discount on gas here?"

Virgil jumped and turned around. Wildcat was in the doorway standing in a sultry pose. "Uh we're just hanging out miss...um..."

"Static, Gear...do me a favour and cut the Wholesome-Teens-Hanging-In-A-Gas-Station crap I can smell the ozone around you Static, and that's not counting the unique smells you both" she walked in and removed her mask. "Nigella Stone" she offered her well maniquered hand. "And you two are?"

"Richie Foley" Richie said as he shook her hand.

"Virgil Hawkins" Virgil sighed as he shook the hand when it was offered to him. "How did you track us down?"

"Sense of smell, I'm no blood hound but I'm above average" she shrugged. She sat on a desk and crossed her legs. "I've got a present" she added waving the disk at them. "My full files on the N-Syndicate. Some of my things arrived from Metropolis last night, this is my master record on them" she said. "The FAQ database...better thent he one I showed you before."

Virgil looked at the disk. "Richie, fire up the laptop!"

"Quagmire's been captured we should rescue him" Eclipse said quietly.

"He is irrelevant to our cause" Typhoid Maria sneered as she punked her hair again. "He has served his purpose, and he will not fear being Turned Back as Phase 4 will bring him back to us. Remember the dream Eclipse."

Eclipse gave her one of his cold, unreadable looks...Willow put her hand on his shoulder.

"Don't" she warned him. "We don't need fighting, we need to stay focused, united!"

Froggy sat in the corner watching the proceedings. Willow turned and walked out of the room. He hopped after her. "Willow!" he called.

"Yes?" she smiled as she turned around. Seeing her smile was rare but lately she'd been Up and Down with her emotions.

"I'm worried - these new bang babies...they're...not good" Willow nodded as Froggy straightened up. "They're too like Typhoid, Cyclone and...others we've met..."

"The team is being diluted" Willow sighed. "Just remember you'll never be without family." She turned and headed towards the main doors. "Tell Dr Ishtar I'm taking the Jaguar" she called over her shoulder. "I have errands to run...I'm grocery shopping again." She gave a soft smile and shrugged. Froggy knew he was the only person she smiled for.

He may have been considered the whipping boy of the rest of the team but Willow cared.

"You're wanted inside" Eclipse said. Froggy jumped, Eclipse wasn't someone you heard approaching. His high buttoned collar and slicked back hair gave him an air of refinement. But he wasn't a snob. Froggy nodded and hopped after Eclipse back into the main hall.

Francis felt like an extinguished rocket. He'd let Nigella convince him into putting a bracelet back on. As he swept out the Mulcahey Convenience store he tried not to think about it. The Parole Board had decided not to tuck him back into jail...he was still allowed in school and he'd only gotten an extra month on his parole sentence.

He put his forehead onto the top of the brush and sighed.

"Francis" Joanne the clerk called. "This gentleman is being - threatening!"

"I'm NOT paying $1.65 for this crap!" the man spat as he hurled the tube of glue at the girl. Joanna had her brown hair tied into a bun, she didn't look entertained but she wasn't "security". Francis was the stock boy and since he could still make a little fire he was also able to intimidate people.

He handled people like the pale, drawn out looking glue sniffer whenever they surfaced, and rarely that was. He untied the apron and walked towards the man.

"Hey I know you - you're Hotstreak" the guy sneered. "You don't scare me! You ain't got no powers! That bracelet took em from you!"

Francis smiled in response and punched the goon as the sniffer pulled a flick knife. The right hook was something he'd perfected in the boxing gym...he let it rip and down went the poor sap. Francis dragged him outside and tossed the knife to Joanne who caught it in the bin.

Francis looped the apron back on and went back to sweeping up outside the convenience store. The Jaguar pulled up. It was red with white racing stripes. The woman stepped out, high-heels, long black coat, dark green scarf around her head and neck, sunglasses and gloves. Very nice figure.

Francis leaned on his broom as she walk past him and entered the shop. She took a glance back at him and he fought the urge to do his little victory dance (Hotstreak Scores it With DA LADIES!) he didn't say that...bad way to go.

When he got close he saw she wasn't all that old she just had maturity. She was about 16 probably just barely...fabulous figure...she seemed to be shopping for an army, but not in important food just in stuff like toothpaste, hairspray, make-up, dyes, razors, shaving cream, soap, snack foods and other stuff in that vain not stuff to LIVE off just stuff to have around.

She paid with new bills and let Joanne keep the change, Joanne was counting the cash when she shouted: "Francis help her with her bags please!" called Joanne with a smile as she noted the puddle of his own drool Francis was clearing up. He grunted and carried the bags out for the girl. She fit them all into the jag.

"Thanks" she said. She had a familiar voice...she pressed a dollar bill into his hands and shrieked out of the parking lot in her fancy car before roaring down the road. Francis looked at the bill in his hand, then at the departing car, then back at the bill and let his jaw drop.

It wasn't a dollar bill

It was a hundred dollar bill. He ran inside. Joanne was staring at the money. "She left 100 extra dollars!" Joanne exclaimed. "She gave exact change and left me 100 dollars!"

"She gave me $100 for carrying the bags out!" Francis exclaimed. They hugged, hopped around and sang we're in the money out of sheer shock...then pulled apart and looked like bored professionals for the sake of oncoming customers.

"Maria Holland, a.k.a Typhoid Maria" Nigella said. "Able to host virus' and bacteria and pass them on to anyone who gets close, this has also left her with superhuman strength - she's dedicated to the dream because it means she'll be able to find homes for her bacteria - she deems them children... very small, ugly, dirty, children". She rolled her eyes. "She's one of the top ranking N-Syndicate metahumans. Ishtar trusts her to do a lot of dirty work."

"I've got a bone to pick with that oversized mosquito" grunted Static. "She made me sick, I hate being sick!"

"Be careful" warned Nigella. "She's able to infect dozens of people with just a sneeze...and not with the common cold, she can spread diseases of any kind by breath alone."

"Okay - I'm working on something to handle her with" Richie said as he began to jot down notes.

"Wait until you see the others" Nigella said. "They're all bad in their own way"

"Greaaaaaaaaaat" Static rolled his eyes.

"Carla Holland a.k.a Cyclone, she's Maria's sister. She can spin her body and limps at superhuman speeds and create a cyclone that can blow you away or suck you in and when she wants to she tosses out projectiles that are carried by her spin and can punch through concrete" Nigella had changed from the picture of the punked up Maria to the more preppy blonde Cyclone. "She's not as blatantly nasty as her sister but she's just as viscious - except in a preppy way."

"So she spins..." mused Richie. He flipped to a new page and started to write...

"Gabriella Velores a.k.a Hauntress, psycho illusion powers and not afraid to use them, she can make the mind see things they believe are real..." Nigella looked at Huantress' picture on the computer screen with contempt. "She's able to get stronger from negative emotions, she's mean and spiteful but only strong if you let her pray on your insecurities and fears. If you fight them and find positive feelings her powers diminish."

"I'll break out the self help tapes" Static said. "How did we miss all these Bang babies?"

"Some are new bang babies, others are old and some ran away before their powers surfaced or went underground" Nigella explained. "Hauntress hid away in a Haunted House in Gotham until Ishtar recruited her".

"Kevin Cartel a.k.a Quagmire, he was a Cuban national, hiding at the docks after his family got sent back there. Stumbled upon the bang gas and gained the form of a swamp...not much of a threat now" she added.

"Will they try to rescue him and give him back his powers like they did Shiv?" Static asked. "I mean.. they seem to be able to do that"

"They are, but Shiv wasn't just a recruit...they wanted him for something else - I can't pin point what though" she shrugged. "Eclipse and maybe a few others will want to - but Ishtar will vito the idea."

"Why?"

"She has a dozen new metahumans that can do his heavy lifting jobs" she shrugged. "Larva...never mind" she skipped the image.

"Hey! Wh-" Richie was cut off by Nigella turning to the image of Magma.

"Elodie LeFevre a.k.a Magma, she comes from New Orleans and was created by the new big Bang, she can generate blasts of lava and lava rock from her body, not to mention she's made out of the stuff. If you take her on keep that in mind. She's a brute force pawn, rarely in the Major Loop, hardly the biggest player on the team"

"Still dangerous, we can't overestimate her" Static said firmly.

"Agreed, she's no pushover" Nigella said. "And your EM powers won't work on her rock shell or her lava body. She's too hot for that"

"Wow, way to make a guy feel futile" groused Virgil.

"Ken Tamasoki a.k.a Gel" Nigella said. "He's a living semi-permeable silicon based life form, he can morph his body into whips and spikes and shapeless blobs, he can trap a person and control their enviroment within him, their oxygen levels, whether they're crushed or not...that kind of thing. He's not a bad person but he's desperate to be accepted. hence the way he's used by the organization."

"So then why are they doing it if they're being used?" Richie asked.

"They've all been promised something" Nigella said. "But above all they're...a family. Ishtar may be a megalomaniacal psychopathic sociopath with control issues who needs a good shrink... but she gives them homes and food and looks after them."

"But it's not all peachy" nodded Static. "She's just getting them to do what she wants by making them think they want it too! Controlling them because they feel insecure."

"Take a gold star Mr. Hawkins...next up... Natalie Winterborne a.k.a Willow. She chose the name based on the place she was born. Under the large willow tree in Dakota Park when her mother gave birth...Willow - Natalie - she's been living in Australia most of her life, she returned here back at the first big Bang to bury a relative who'd passed on and was caught in the gas. She has the ability to manufacture chemicals of varied sorts in her body and project them by kisses, touch or her fingernails. She's beautiful and intelligent and a mistress at manipulation. Don't cross her, her stepfather was a Navy Seal who taught her everything he knew."

"Ouch" murmured Richie. "That can't be fun...super powers and Navy Seal karate grip action?"

"She's one of the top ranked members along with the right hand man of Dr Ishtar. Nicolaus Carver a.k.a Eclipse. His powers are a mystery to me. Only that he seems to generate shadows from his hat and cane. He's sharp as a whip and very clever. He's been trained by Ishtar as a bodyguard and is a founding member of the Syndicate"

"He looks a little cold" Richie muttered.

"He's a nihilist, if something bores him he quite often destroys it or changes it or just loses interest. I don't know his story but he's trusted by Ishtar impeccably."

"He's such a nice boy" Static cooed.

"Now we're at Jordan Winterborne a.k.a Froggy..."

"He's got the same last name as Willow! They're related!" Static said. "Right?"

"No they're complete strangers that look alike and have the same last name" Nigella snorted. "Very clever, another gold star!"

"Don't patronize me-" muttered Static.

"Only if you stop stating the obvious, giving me low looks because I'm Francis' sister, slouching and not paying due attention" Nigella snapped. "Froggy has an amphibian physiology in some aspects, he can breathe underwater, his legs and spine are so strong that he can lift small vans and throw them like trashcans. He's the twin brother of Natalie Winterborne, they were separated as children, he satyed here in Dakota with the father pretty much forgetting Natalie existed as she did him. Then at the funeral of their Grandmother they found each other again...only for her to have to leave again. Three days after she left his father was killed in a car crash and his powers surfaced - he ran away and IShtar found him, reunited him with his sister and presto...he works for her" she hit the button and gave a tiger like growl.

"Lastly...Isis Babylon a.k.a Dr Ishtar. She introduced herself to her Syndicate by hologram and video links. All of a sudden she's here in person..."

"How do you know?" Static cut in.

"Well I went and saw Quagmire, brought him grapes, asked how he was doing, threatened to throw him out the window, adjusted his pillows...the usual" he shrugged. "She spoke to them in person but Quagmire couldn't tell me much more, he's not Inner circle he's also physically mutated so he wasn't allowed leave the base other then in a vortex portal so he couldn't tell me anything."

"Well that's not very helpful" sighed Richie. "Why can't they have a listed number or be on Cribs or something!"

"Guess" smiled Nigella. "Interesting concept though...Isis is the daughter of a famous Historian from the Middle East, he died and she and her mother came here, her mother was a doctor of medicine and Isis grew up with an interest in the field, she was most interested in Ecology and genetics. In college she spearheaded Save The Planet Rally-Days and that stuff, she got into trouble for going a little over the top and went to councilling - after that she cooled her jets and got a job - - - - with Alva Industries."

Static shot up with a grunt. "Alva!"

"Stop, you know he's not as bad as he used to be" Richie sighed. "You warned him off doing anything unpleasent because you could give the authorities those files I grabbed on his less-than-legal activities."

"He's still a crook"

"Ah, but he's a soon-to-retire crook and Junior is less crook orientated since he prefers the books to the crooks" Richie said. "We both know Junior lost that zest for crime when they brought him back, it may have taken a few months to set in but he finally got the idea behind not being evil and despotic". Static grunted and sat down.

"As far as I know Isis stole a fortune from three companies who'd hired her to spy on Alva, but she didn't steal from him, she just robbed his Bang Baby Formula and vanished. As far as I know she's been trying to recreate the bang baby gas but has only found how to break down the "cure" for it"

Richie frowned and scribbled a few notes down. "Sounds like she's using a standard denaturation formula that takes apart the proteins added onto the bang-strand that make it become inactive..."

"That's nice" Nigella said. "But History and Languages are my strong points." She sat down. "Okay boys, the fact is that I can't predict what she's doing...I came to you because we need Richie and his gigantic mondo-brain to go into overdrive."

Richie nodded. "Okay - all these metahumans are vulnerable somehow"

"Yeah" Virgil nodded. "She's using their weaknesses! She promised the escapees freedom and got them on her side! She gave the runaways and outward mutations homes...she's making them rely on her like they would their mother! Kinda twisted"

"All the best villains are" sighed Nigella. "I have a horrible feeling that there's more to come... we have to recapture the villains before she can turn them into a proper army!"

"Fabulous" murmured Richie. He could sense the prospect on the horizon.

Dressed in a long purple gown that had a mesh of ribbons on the shoulders and snaking down the arms Dr Ishtar addressed her gathered legion. "Now my children" she said as Willow walked up and stood to the back left of the womans chair (with a decidedly bored demeanour). Eclipse was on the other side. "This is the beginning of Phase 3. Phase 1 was the Gathering, Phase 2 was the Liberation we are now entering Phase 3: The Brewing. We will be creating a new source of strength - those who wishg to take the world will do so!"

"What are you on about?" snapped Puff.

"I am going to bring your powers to full maturation" Dr Ishtar said through gritted teeth. "If you want that then stay...if you don't please walk out through the door and leave this place"

No one moved. "Good" Dr Ishtar said.

Richie swallowed nervously as he debated opening the book. It was about coping with sexuality... he was terrified by the book. He'd found the section near the very back of the library (ironically one aisle back from the religion aisle). He shook his head and casually slid it back into the stack of books he'd gotten on the Easter Rising of 1916 in Ireland.

Heritage. Go figure.

Daisy walked past, spotted Richie, frowned and sat down. "You okay? You look worried"

"Hi Daisy...no I'm...I'm okay" Richie murmured.

"No you're not you feel really upset" Daisy said with a LOT of concern in her voice. She circled the table and sat down beside him. "What's wrong?" They were far into the back of the library...Richie didn't worry about anyone seeing him start to cry. Daisy hugged him. And he could feel that she was shocked and very worried. "It's okay, It's okay, shhhh It's okay"she whispered like a soothing mantra to him. "What's wrong Richie? You can tell me."

"I- I'm just so confused" Richie sobbed. "I don't understand...what...what's...I thought I did but I don't and it's so hard for me..." he whimpered. "Daisy...I am so confused"

"Come on Richie it's okay" Daisy patted his back. "What is it?"

"I'm gay" Richie's voice barely came out. He hadn't realised that telling someone would be so hard. Daisy just held him for a few minutes then she looked him in the eyes, her hands were on either side of his face.

"That's it? Richie, you shouldn't be afraid!" she took his hand. "You've got friends who'll support you. You're feeling worried, afraid that you'll be betrayed or cast out...but we couldn't do that to you!"

"Are you sure?" Richie murmured as he wiped his eyes. "Because I can't be sure with Virgil..."

"Yeah...I know" Daisy said. "I'll keep your secret Richie. But you can't bottle it up forever!" She checked her watch. "I have to go, my parents are visiting my Grandma and I have to go with them so...if you need me. Just call...okay?"

"I...yeah okay" nodded Richie. He sat alone after Daisy had left...he liked the quiet, it let him think for a while...he was able to focus. Slowly he got up and put the books back, then he headed towards the exit.

"Damn!" there was a thud and a book hit a wall. Richie stopped and frowned. He heard someone turning pages and apparently start again.

"I off-often thin-k that bee-hin-hine-behind thhhh-that little nod of thhhh-tears...t-airs...theirs leee...lie three tho-oh-ow-thow-sand thousand years of de-kite..de-keet..."with a frustrated groan the boy threw the book aside. Richie froze when he saw the red hair. It was Francis...slowly he backed away - DAMN FLOORBOARD.

Before Richie could get his mind to command his legs to run Francis grabbed him and slammed him into a wall. He held Richie off the ground by his collar and glared.

"What are you doing here?" snapped Francis.

"Homework" croaked Richie.

"You weren't spying on me?" growled Francis. "Coz I don't like books but I can read!" There was some sort of desperate panic in his voice - just faintly.

"No I wasn't" croaked Richie.

"Fine. Whatever" Francis snapped. "I'm gone anyway!" he turned and stormed away. Richie rubbed his throat and watched the red haired teen leave. The crimson died locks...what colour was Francis' hair anyway? It matched his goatee but both Francis and Nigella had Crimson Hair. What was it originally?

Richie picked up the book. Arthur Miller's "A View From A Bridge" -

((Hotstreak obviously knows this is a quiet section to go to)) Richie mused. ((Then again he could have just lucked out when he guessed)).

Richie had other things to worry about. Daisy loved Virgil...what if she told him? He was about to consider fleeing to Canada when he realized that he'd left his lucky torque wrench in the gas station. That meant ANOTHER trip to the station and then he had to wander back to his house and avoid his dad and mom and their keen interest in where he was, what he was doing, who with, why and if they had to worry about teenage pregnancies.

He laughed at the thought.

Larva watched Froggy carefully. "I mean - I get it...she's only known me a little while" conceeded Froggy as he balanced on the beam on one hand and looked at Larva. "But she's keeping something from me that she SHOULD be able to trust me with. I'm her brother! Her twin brother!"

Larva shrugged.

"I'm worried about her, she's acting funny" Froggy sighed. "She's had a few mood swings lately... I mean Is it - y'know - That Time Of The Month? If so why is it lasting five weeks?"

Larva shook his head.

"Okay it isn't what's wrong?"

Larva patted his chest

"Indigestion?"

Larva frowned and patted his chest over the heart.

"Love? I amn't sure..." murmured Froggy. He vaulted on his one hand and kicked off a wall to land on all fours beside Larva who was seated on the floor. "She's always said 16 is too young for love..." He shrugged. "Whatever...thanks for listening"

Larva waved a hand.

"Are you okay? Want to tell me anything?"

Larva looked away sadly and then shook his head.

"It's your girlfriend...you miss her"

Larva nodded and wiped a caterpillar away from his eyes so it rejoined his body by melding into the finger. Gingerly Froggy patted his shoulder.

Richie walked into the station and blinked. Nigella was curled up on the old sofa with rags over her. "Nigella?" Richie murmured. In the blink of an eye Wildcat had blurred over to him and pressed her sharp nails to his throat.

"Richie! Sorry" she said. "I'm...having one of my light sleeper moments"

Richie looked around. "You're sleeping here?"

"haven't anywhere else to go" she shrugged. "I was hiding out in an old apartment block up until yesterday when they demolished it. I think I might try the train terminals where my stuff was delivered too. I'm a master at ripping off vending machines"

"You - you're seriously sleeping here?"

"Well I was until you woke me...just a catnap I can survive a few nights without sleep" she said. "If it's a problem-"

"It is...come on, my parents have a spare room, they said I could give it to a friend for a sleepover or whatever..."

"I couldn't impose" Nigella said.

"Yes you can" Richie grinned.

Nigella tied up her hair behind her head with a large clip and lifted up the bag of clothes. "I guess one night is okay..." she admitted. Richie decided Mr Hawkins was rubbing off on him. He brought Nigella back to his house. She was dressed in black jeans, white runners and a short black tracksuit top over a tight dark red high necked sweater that was cut off at the navel. It was casual yet appealing.

"Mom? Dad?" It was his Dad's poker night so his Mom came out of the kitchen spraying an aerosol of "Lovely Lavender" around to defeat the smoke in the air.

"Hello honey" she said. She noticed Nigella standing nervously behind him (and boy was that a first for Richie to see from Nigella). "Who's your friend?"

"This is Nigella Stone" Richie said. "Mom...she needs a place to stay for the night...is it okay if she takes the spare room?"

"Have you eaten dear?" asked Mrs Foley.

"I had some canned tuna" Nigella said before she could stop herself. "---On wholemeal bread" she added with a laugh. "And some milk - at lunch time"

"I see - you seem tired dear but I can't let you have the room" his mom said.

"But Mom!" Richie exclaimed.

"Not now Richard! Let me finish" his mother cut him off. "Unless you agree to a plate of Irish stew (Grandmothers recipe handed down generations) and a nice hot shower My dear husband will be busy for a while ... apparently its not his night to win - they bet with beer, cigars, house work, sports utensils and so forth...at this rate my husband will be a sobre non-smoking man who doesn't play sports but does mow lawns...so you may have to clear the clutter a bit with me - now do we have deal on your say Ms Stone?"

((Nigella looks like the cat who ate the Canary)) laughed Richie inwardly. ((Stupid puns!))

Mrs Foley lead Nigella into the kitchen explaining how the Garage was her husbands territory until cleaning, organizing or sale came into play. Richie climbed the stairs to his room and fell down face first on the bed.

N-Syndicate. Sexuality. Nigella. Francis. And School forgotten he crawled under the covers after kicking his trousers and shoes off and putting his glasses on the desk by his bed...and slept heavily.

To Be Continued

I'd like to here coments, queries and thoughts on this story. Ways to improve it are welcome in suggestion form with a well-balanced review.

I'm trying to humanize my villains so thoughts are always welcome. I want to hear what you have to say about anything in the story and your thoughts on it or them or whatever. I'd like to know who your favourite characters are and why you like them etc. Help me make this fic work!

Please don't flame me or I'll laugh at you and slate you in my next chapter. Anywhooooooooooooo - next chapter. Richie asks Nigella some questions, Francis finds himself in an uncomfortable position at school, a school trip goes bad, Virgil remains oblivious to Richie's troubles, Eclipse picks a bone with Static and Froggy contimplates the Bang Baby recruits...

Also if anyone wants I have some comments from the characters that I didn't add in because they weren't as serious as I liked...that surprises me too.