Shock to the Eco System
"Elaboration"
Nigella looked Static over. "Nothing broken – no cuts only a few minor bruises you lucky devil" she said as she mussed his dreadlocks. She now had a utility belt on her dainty hips and was looking very cool. "So you say you were saved by "Dazzle" any idea who that is?"
"Nope" Static said. "The paint was still wet though so it had to be Dazzle who saved me."
"Hm" Nigella raised an eyebrow. "I could try to have a sniff around – but the scent might be pretty stale by now." She frowned and tapped her lips with a finger. "I can only hope she's an ally and not one of Isis' thugs." She pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Meanwhile its evident we might be seeing more of the Syndicate."
Richie nodded and gave a noise of agreement. He was immersed in something…Nigella and Virgil walked over to take a look. "What's this?" Virgil asked.
"Well, it's Isis Babylon's research – she was working on all kinds of mutagens and applied them mainly to plants. I have to ask though – what's her goal?"
Nigella tightened her lips. "Well she wants to crush society as we know it and start again by diminishing the population and turning them into metahumans – the humans she keeps will be slaves – she'll over run the planet with mutant insects, fish and plants then use her talents as a manipulator to keep a small army of metahumans on her side…as enforcers"
Richie leaned back in his seat. "I just can't get how no one's on to her yet…"
"She's good at hiding. She's got a plan and nothing will stop her – I followed her here from Metropolis. She manipulates the insecure…" Nigella stopped. "If there was some way to find out WHY people worked for her…we could probably break her hold on them somehow"
"Like how exactly? All the people working for her are greedy crooks" Virgil shrugged.
"Eh…nice theory V" Richie muttered.
"People aren't born evil…sometimes it just happens…that they can't help it" Nigella said distantly. "And not all crooks are evil!" Her eyes became feline for a second and Virgil jumped back out of sheer shock.
"Okay, let's all calm down and think this through" Richie said. He spun around on his chair. "How could we get one of them alone? Maybe get their plans out of them?"
"No" Nigella shook her head. "She'd only share those plans with one of her Inner Circle members: Willow, Typhoid Maria, Froggy, Cyclone…and Eclipse of course". Richie's mind drifted back to the leather clad backside- BOY and his shadow powers. "Yeah" Richie nodded. "Him…them…yeah…"
"So we need to either drop the idea or capture one of them" Virgil nodded. "I think I have the juice to handle them…" his fingertips crackled with energy.
"No – you're extremely powerful but I suspect that's a double exposure to the gas really – the thing is…you're arrogant" she shrugged off the outraged outburst from Virgil.
"ARROGANT? Listen up! I'm the hero of this city-"
"And what's Richie? Chopped Liver?" she snarled back like a lioness. "You always take the limelight for yourself no matter what and you hate competition! You forget that you're a metahuman you act like you're a god you overestimate yourself!"
"You're just some lousy cat chick who has a thing for leather and can't get over the fact no one's there for you! You're a brat and your brothers a lost cause – he's the freaking poster child for BIRTH CONT-"
Virgil slammed into a wall. Nigella's kick had been fast and furious, her eyes were totally feline now, she hissed at him and vaulted out of the skylight. Richie looked at Virgil.
There was silence in the Gas Station of Solitude.
Froggy balanced on one hand, his entire body suspended on a beam. Eclipse entered the room and Froggy fell. Willow frowned and shook her head. "I need to talk to you Eclipse" she said. Froggy was dusting himself off. Willow grabbed Eclipse by the arm and led him from the room. Shiv raised his eyebrows.
"Your sister is hot property" he said.
"Too hot for you" Hauntress sneered. "Willow's a skanky bitch."
"Don't TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT" shouted Froggy, he leapt onto the back of a chair and balanced perfectly on its narrow steel back. Hauntress's eyes glowed and she laughed at him. Nearby her new cohort Madelyn levitated a glass of juice to herself and gave a superiority laced glance to Froggy.
"Make me"
"I don't need to – she'll bash your brains out" Froggy retorted. His sister was violently passionate when she got pushed to it.
"She could try I'll blast her with my powers and leave her desperately distraught" Hauntress spat. She turned away. Froggy was tempted to kick her but he held the wish down and focused on thinking happy thoughts.
He looked up. Willow had just returned to the room…but Eclipse was gone. Froggy hopped along the corridor towards Eclipse's rooms. The door was locked – but Froggy knocked anyway. There wasn't a sound. Froggy knocked again – nothing.
Froggy bit his lip then with his superhuman strength he popped a panel on the wall near the door controls and quickly rerouted the power. The door slid open. Eclipse's leathers were tossed around as well as a tie-dye shirt he must have worn under the jacket…which was funny since he usually wore just black not orange tie-dye.
Froggy stopped. What was he wearing now then?
The shower room door opened and Eclipse walked out in a towel hanging on his slender hips. He wasn't as lithe as Froggy was but his hips were damn narrow.
Froggy swallowed. "Sorry – I wanted to see where you were…" Froggy managed.
"Here" Eclipse murmured. "I needed to think". Shadows covered his body and changed into black trousers and a black shirt. "Why were you worried?"
"Just was" mumbled Froggy. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. I think I am…Thank you" Eclipse replied. Froggy gave a sweet smile…then hurried from the room before he said anything stupid.
Richie sat watching the clock. He'd been woken up at 12 by a call from Francis who'd gotten his number somehow to say gruffly: "I'll be over in an hour". Richie had gone back to sleep for three minutes before bursting out of bed and frantically rushing to find his parents.
They had gone to his fathers NRA pool party or something.
Nigella had stood in the living room with a cup of coffee and wearing a black silk robe she'd bought, after her fight with Virgil (retail therapy of a sort – it stopped her going to hit him again) and looking amused.
"How come you're worried about Franics?" she asked.
"He once gave me a wedgie that made my eyes water. Oh and, another time, he hung me upside down from the gym flagpole!" he shuddered as he remembered the incidents. Though in all fairness it had been – interesting, given that he'd been given a good look at Francis' muscled legs and arms…STOP! Not about him! Never about him!
Nigella just shrugged and walked back into the kitchen.
"Wait. What if he sees you? Will he realize I'm gear? Then what? I'm not a fisticuffs hero! He'll barbeque me?" Richie exclaimed as he went into another panic.
"Uh. No. I said he wasn't an idiot – I never said he was a genius. Besides he's got that inhibitor on"
"Yeah does that inhibit his muscles?"
Nigella nodded. "He did like his street fighting…okay I'll go read upstairs. I found a copy of war and peace I'll try to read it…" she rolled her eyes and sauntered up the steps. Wow what a pair of legs.
There was a knock at the door. Richie froze.
"Come on Foley, I don't have all day"
Francis Stone was here. "Yeah - coming" Richie said, wishing he didn't sound like a girl.
Francis was standing in the porch, he had a bag over his shoulder and was looking bored.
"Come on in" Richie muttered as he turned away. Francis grunted and walked in after him, Richie wished the world would swallow him now but…well he was currently without a shovel to dig his own grave so he didn't stand a chance of vanishing into the old Terra Firma.
"So where do we start?" Francis asked
"Well we need to figure out the stuff we're researching and – uh – how we'll handle the title" Richie replied. "Then we research and highlight – then finish up by working on layout and content."
Francis tossed his bag to the floor by the sofa and nodded. "Okay, whatever" he muttered as he sat down. Richie sat down at the other end of the sofa and opened out a notepad.
"Uh. Okay – so Love screws us over…where do we see examples?" Richie asked.
"Uh – Desperate Housewives?"
"Yeah…okay"
"Romeo and Juliet"
"Why do you say that?" Richie asked.
"I guess coz love killed them, they didn't fight for it coz they couldn't so they offed themselves rather then try and fail or succeed. Cudda been 50/50 but they died and it was neither fail nor success" Francis shrugged.
"Guess that makes sense" Richie nodded; he scribbled it down on the pad. "There's also the argument that they loved each other enough to die so they could be together"
"Pfft"
Richie and Francis froze and Richie realized they weren't alone.
"What was that?"
"My Cat!" shrilled Richie, realizing it must have been Nigella. "So…not a fan of Shakespeare?"
"Nah. Just look at how all his love stories end? Merchant of Venice: poor Shylock gets stripped of what he values most – though Portia was pretty damn smart to win against him and bail her guy out"
"Yeah. But how did love screw Shylock over?"
"Love of money…"
"Oh…" Richie stared at his feet. "So – are you going on that school trip to the Alva industries factory tomorrow?"
"Yeah…everyone is" Francis muttered. "Let's get this started so I can get on with my life dweeb. What do I do?"
Richie gritted his teeth and picked up a book. "Okay, here, this is about the presentation programs we'll be using read it and get to terms with it"
Francis went white. He took the book slowly, his fingers grazed Richie's and a burst of warmth raced up his arm. Francis was definitely hot.
As in fire hot not hot desirable hot…no way. Not ever! Francis opened the book and stared at the pages for a few minutes. Richie looked at him. Francis was squinting and his lips were moving slowly as he tried to make out the words.
"What's wrong?" Richie asked. Francis went rigid again and snapped the book.
"I don't have time to waste on this!" Francis exclaimed as he shoved the book into his bag. "I'll read it later!"
"If you can find anyone to do it for you" Richie muttered. Francis grabbed him by the collar and raised his fist threateningly.
"What did you say?" he growled dangerously, his face was close to Richie and the smell of Doritos (sniff – chilli AND cheese flavours both eaten at the same time…Richie liked to do that – eating them one by one, wondering which one he'd get next... FOCUS FOLEY!). He stared into Francis' dark eyes – and felt afraid…but he saw just a peek of something else in the dark pools.
Suddenly Francis was ripped away off the sofa and grabbed into a bizarre limb lock. Nigella had him twisted in knots with his head in her headlock. "Say it – Say it Frankie!"
"NIGELLA!"
"Say it Frankie or else!"
"No!" Francis growled as he tried to struggled free. "Get off!"
"Say it Francis!"
"N- OOOOWWWWW" Francis yowled. "Okay! I'm gay for Bravestar! I'm gay for Captain Planet! I'm gay for El Dorado!"
"You left out the FLASH and AQUAMAN and The GREEN LANTERN should we start again?"
"Aw! God! Let me go Ella!"
With a sigh Nigella released her twin. He grumbled and straightened up. "What are you doing at the dweebs house?" Francis growled.
"I'm their lodger" Nigella said firmly. "And you're not getting on my good side by threatening the son of the people who've given me a place to stay".
Francis folded his arms and growled something at her.
She replied with an equally angry expression. Richie realized they were speaking French. He'd never pegged Francis for speaking French. Suddenly they were shouting until. Francis grabbed his bag snarled "Later Foley" and stormed out.
"What was that about?" Richie asked as he stared at the door.
"I told him to go home and cool off and to be polite to you. Now, soda?" she smiled.
"Well, yeah sure, but also: what about my project with him? I fail if he doesn't partake"
"He will…give him time to calm down" Nigella sighed. "What's this about the Alva Factory?" she walked into the kitchen with Richie. He handed her a soda from the fridge.
"Alva's given our classes a chance to visit the main building for a tour of the labs and factories" replied Richie as he tapped the top of the can and pulled the ring. Nigella nodded and leaned against a kitchen unit as she started to drink.
"Dandy"
"Not really…I have a bad feeling…" Richie muttered.
"What could happen that would be so bad?" snorted Nigella
"Uh-Oh. Whenever someone says that something always happens in a bad way" Richie groaned. He sipped the cold drink and realized that Francis had left some heat behind in his body…weird.
The Alva Factory… the next morning
The elevator opened and the men waiting for it were flung backwards by Madelyne Spaulding as she stepped out. Cyclone, Magma, Puff, Typhoid, Hauntress, Willow and Tamara strode towards the production line. "Now is the time Tamara" Hauntress said.
"You bet" Tamara sneered. Her body began to grow as she twisted into the monstrous form she had once used to hunt her ex-boyfriend Marcus down. She rushed forwards and slammed into the nearest forklift, it hit the side of a control tower and split it open.
"Puff, Cyclone, you go now" Willow said. "Let the boys in".
"Time to have some fun" Puff cackled as she floated upwards and melted the tower glass out. Cyclone whirled up and into the tower trapping the men in her vortex and slamming them off a wall.
"They're all turned around" Cyclone sighed as she stepped out of her tornado and pushed the button on the control panel.
The loading bay doors hissed open. The guards were arriving – they tried to shut the doors but Shiv's light-energy clams tore them open. "Hey boys say hello to my pal" Shiv cackled.
Eclipse stepped in, he removed his top hat…the darkness inside gushed out at a group of men and swept them down the room like they were in a rushing stream.
"Time for some big time noise" Boom said. He unleashed a sonic blast that destroyed a security vehicle. Onyx slammed two guards aside and picked up Carmen Dillo to throw the living ball into a group of guards who toppled like bowling pins.
Gel slammed his body onto the nearest group of men then spread out and shoved them away easily. He swirled up and lashed out with whip like limbs.
Larva dispersed into maggots and scuttled all over the men around him, he swept around them and strands of silk formed around them, tying them down before he converged on himself again to tug all the strings and glue them together.
Froggy flipped on the attack, he kicked a man in the gut, rolled over his back and unleashed a particularly powerful kick to the guards backside. The man flew into the air and crashed down a few feet away. Froggy leapt over one man with a hop, spreading his legs and landing in the splits to twist and knock the legs from under the guard to deliver a kick to his head. He adjusted the green goggles on his face and then rushed off to fight more.
Replay's duplicates rushed a team of guards. "What's wrong? Is their controversy over my latest feature?" he laughed as his clones beat down the men.
Replikon flew about overhead, he was a large gargoyle, the stun shots bounced off his skin too easily. "Let's rap this up" he grunted as he shot down and scooped up too men so he could drop them onto a security vehicle.
"Hyde, Kangor…the door" called Eclipse.
The two metahumans moved towards the large doors. Kangor slammed his heavy feet onto the centre, a few kicks later there was a heavy dint in it. Enough for Hyde to grip the misshapen metal and rip the doors open. "I should be leading this opperation" grunted Hyde.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah" muttered Eclipse. "Doctor. Phase one has been completed."
"Good" she purred over the psychic link to all her troops. "Well done my children. Willow commence the program I gave you, Eclipse, have the boys hurry the process along" she strode into Edwin Alva's office. The secretary looked up at the woman dressed in a purple haute couture suit with the black lining. The coat was tight and accented her ample tanned bosom. She had a purple ribbon around her neck and her long dress had slits up to the hips. Her strap covered high heels didn't make a sound on the marble – she advanced.
The dark tresses of her hair were swept up elegantly. "Can I help you?" the secretary asked as she eyed the woman disapprovingly. The woman's purple painted lips didn't move but a voice reached the brain of the secretary without the use of the ears.
Isis Babylon to see Edwin Alva. If you want to help, fall unconscious.
The secretary slumped forward onto her computer. "I'll see myself in" Isis smirked. She walked towards the doors and shoved in. The board of directors and their security men in the room whirled around. "Hello Edwin…still kicking I see…" she smiled sweetly. Like poisoned honey.
"Babylon. I had you fired!"
"I can respect that – but I'm here to tell you that I've found my true calling in life"
"Escort this rambling mad woman out" Alva hissed.
The bulky security men advanced on the dainty woman. "All you men against one defenceless woman? How…horribly unfair…for you" she laughed darkly.
Virgil and Richie filed out of the school buses with the other students. "They have the second largest computer in the world here" Thomas Kim said. "And there are some of the most refined scientific tools as well."
"Yeah like the Super Electroscope" grinned Richie. He and Thomas were having "nerd moments" as Virgil called them. Daisy stepped up beside him.
"Hey Daisy" Virgil smiled.
"Hi" she said distantly as she looked him over. Then she jumped back to herself. "So – excited? Specs and Trapper might still be working here"
Virgil laughed. "Not if we're lucky" he said. Daisy wound her arm around his back and smiled at him. "What's up Daisy?" He was suddenly aware of how much closer Daisy was then usual. Sure she'd be close but then she'd pull back a little. Like she was afraid.
"Nothing just glad to be with you" Daisy said. "Hey you'll never guess who I saw. Static Shock in Person". She grinned.
"How many times do you see that guy?" Virgil asked. Daisy looked at him slyly but hid didn't notice.
"He doesn't seem to complain" she replied.
Virgil smiled to himself as they entered the lobby. Guess he didn't, because Daisy had been through a lot and had put up with lots of Bang Baby troubles – as well as the occasional psychotic robot. She could be pushy sometimes but he liked her because she made him feel comfortable and content.
They entered the hall. There was a hiss and clunk. The doors sealed around them. "What's going on here?" exclaimed the teacher. The sound of heeled footsteps could be heard.
"Ladies, gentlemen, things in between – you are guests of the Doctor. Mr Alva has been – incapacitated by Dr. Ishtar by now so you're stuck with my tour" Willow was standing nearby, she was wearing a long black gown with wide sleeves, it wasn't as tight as her usual wardrobe but she was holding her fan. "So let's start with the offices you're going to be held in at the factory".
"One woman? Against us?" the captain of the football team growled.
"Yeah, kinda" Willow said. "Get moving towards the elevator, my colleagues are riding them up. No pushing orderly line -" the captain charged. Willow sighed, stepped aside, grabbed his outstretched arm and shoved it like a lever, his body flipped over and he landed painfully on his back. "You're lucky I didn't blow you a kiss" she said calmly. With a nod of her head at the elevators the terrified students filed in.
Richie and Virgil exchanged a look.
NEXT CHAPTER: What does Isis do to the people? What's her plan? Will Richie and Virgil be able to get to her? Can they stop an ARMY of metahumans? Is Richie crushing on Francis? How will they stop whatevers going down?
All questions, comments and thoughts are welcome. Even if you just want to point out your foavourite characters or lines and why you like them. We love to hear!