Heroes

Chapter Two

A little peculiar

Once Jacob was in the shower and Virgil had called his father and tried hard to be…subtle about the situation and get the man to come home sooner, he and Richie had retreated to his room. He left the door open so he could keep an eye the bathroom door. He couldn't be blamed for wanting to be careful when an admitted thief was using his shower.

He was just being careful.

Richie sat at his desk and opened the pre-Calc book he'd left when backpack's alarm had gone off, then picked up his pencil. Virgil could only watch as he wrote out the math problems, pausing every so often to actually think. Most of Richie's work was done on automatic but one the rare occasion he decided to actually think Virgil knew it. He rolled his eyes heavenward and got this glazed look on his face. It never lasted long, as the answers to everything laid within his brain. Richie had smiled ruefully once and said it was just a matter of figuring out how to extract it.

Well that and writing it don. Richie had, on more than on occasion, lost marks in math for not showing the work. He was often accused of using a calculator and cheating, as no one could get all of the answers mentally, and 'I'm a human super computer' just wasn't an option.

Still the sight of Richie just going about business as usual was surprising. And frustrating.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The blond blinked at him like he was the one with the problem. "Homework."

Virgil stated, wondering if Richie had lost it or what. "Are you serious? How can you just sit there and…do homework? You've just…I mean…in my shower!"

"Well." Richie shut his book while turning a bright shade of red. His eyes stayed trained on the desk. "Sorry Virg. I was just-"

"Acting really funky? I've noticed." Virgil frowned down at this friend, severely tempted to reach out and shake the smaller teen until he started acting the Richie he knew. He didn't though, settling for shaking his head and shuffling over to his closet. "If I didn't know better I'd think someone had taken your body over again bro'. You've been so weird lately."

(He was looking through his clothes so intently that he noticed the way Richie's already pale skin went ashen and the clenching of his fist. Sadly he'd never been what one would consider overly perceptive, especially in areas concerning the blond.)

But Virgil was rather occupied at the moment. He'd hit a growth spurt towards the end of his sophomore year and it had continued halfway into his junior. He'd ended up a few centimeters shy of an even six feet. Richie on the other hand was cursed to stay about 5'6 or 5. Entropy was a little bit shorter than Richie was, so…

"You don't have anything that will fit him." Richie said, looking up to watch him for the first time. He tilted his head off to the side. "I have some clothes here don't I?"

Virgil rolled his eyes. Duh. Of course Richie had stuff here, he spent more time at Virgil's house than he did at his own. "Yeah. Slipped my mind."

"Obviously." Richie's smile was rueful.

Virgil pointedly ignored the blond and, after a moment of blank staring as he tried to recall where Sharon liked to put Richie's things when she went on a cleaning spree, walked over to his dresser. A pair of blue jeans, a black wife beater, and a baggy black hoodie found their way into his arms before he realized there was a slight problem.

"Hey, Rich-"

"He can just keep the jeans. I have others."

Virgil nodded then dumped the stuff onto the bed. "I'm going to call for pizza. Hawaiian like always?"

"Yeah." Richie said almost distractedly. "I'll bring him down when he's dressed and…stuff. How long do you think it's going to take your dad to get here?"

"He should beat the pizza." Virgil smiled wryly. "I hope. I'm kind of tapped out at the moment."

Richie laughed and shook his head. "That's terrible man. Maybe you should…I don't know, get a job?"

Virgil blinked at him blankly. Richie laughed again and, confident that his best friend was now…less strange, he left the room.

He hesitated by the bathroom door, listening intently for any…overly suspicious sounds. First thing he heard was, of course, the running of the shower and then, underneath that what sounded like quiet sobs. He stared at the door for a moment, wondering if he should…do something.

In the end he decided he wouldn't take kindly to someone bursting in on him at a moment like that, so he continued down the hallway. He couldn't imagine what would have moved Jacob to tears but he wasn't exactly an expert on Homeless Bang Babies and what may or may not set them off.

He flopped down onto the couch and turned on the TV, hoping to rid himself of the sudden…uneasy feeling creeping up on him. He was just in time to catch Anita Mann talking about them and their little 'misadventure' at the Supermarket.

Joy.

"-Static's power quickly proved ineffective according to bystanders, against this new Bang Baby. Gear too seemed useless as his weapon backfired against him. After Static was rendered unconscious he and Gear were both taken by the meta-human. Some say this is just the first sign of things to come. As mutants get more powerful after the second bang the few heroes Dakota has, such as Static and Gear, become obsolete and that a cure should be released regardless of consequences."

Virgil turned off the TV with a growl. Ineffective? Useless? Obsolete? He'd like to see them take on a probability altering meta-human and then come and tell him how obsolete and useless they were becoming. If they had been more prepared for Entropy things would have gone differently. The second bang had, at the very least, made it so he could hold and handle more power than before. He'd taken in a lot more than he had the first around and he kind of expected to sprout a tail or second head any day now.

Richie…well, the blond had actually become more withdrawn since the second bang. Sometimes he was afraid Richie was hiding something from him but he honestly couldn't imagine what or why. Richie could be turning into a giant pus monster and Virgil wouldn't care.

…Well. He'd care because that'd be pretty nasty but it wasn't like they wouldn't still be friends because of it. Richie had to know that by now. And yet

"Virgil!" His father's near frantic voice cut through his thoughts and he turned to stare at the man, who was looking just a touch on the haggard side. "You're okay?"

"Um. Yeah." He blinked. "What's wrong with you?"

"I heard on the radio on the way over that Static and Gear had been taken and after that strange call about Static cling I didn't know what to think."

Note to Self: Work on subtly more

Virgil really hated the media. "No worries Pops, we're fine. We need a little help with something and I figured you'd be the best guy to call."

"Oh. Well I'd be glad to help you boys out. What's the problem?" Now assured that he and Richie were fine the older man seemed a considerable amount more at ease.

Virgil opened his mouth to respond but footsteps above his head made him look up. Two sets, headed in the general direction of the stairs. A moment later Richie, with Jacob right behind him, came down the steps and halted at the landing. Virgil blinked at the newly clean and slightly damn Jacob. He looked different when he was clean.

His hair was so light it was more white than anything and it curled along his jawbone wetly. His skin was pale, but had been scrubbed to a slightly pink color. He was holding up Richie's pants awkwardly and, considering how they hung off of Richie it was a true testament to how thin he must have been. He looked around with wide nervous eyes and seemed like he might just bolt any minute.

Virgil briefly entertained an image of him trying to run only to trip over the bottom of Richie's pants and land in a heap on the floor. It would have been funny if Jacob wasn't small enough that one good fall might break some bones.

His dad regarded Jacob silently for a moment, as if studying him to find something out. Jacob squirmed and almost shrank behind Richie. Then his father offered a smile that was nothing short of warm and east.

"Well. I'm Virgil's father, Mr. Hawkins. I didn't realize there would be anyone but Richie over. Sometimes I don't think he has any other friends."

Virgil rolled his eyes. "Pops."

Jacob stared at his father and Virgil swore he could see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he straightened up a little bit but rocked back on his heels some. A nervous reaction it seemed.

"Hello Sir."

His father made a noise of mock surprise. "Virgil! I didn't know you had any actual polite friends. Mr. Hawkins is fine young man, though the manners are appreciated."

"I'm not polite?" Richie asked with a frown.

"Don't you live here?"

"Point taken."

Virgil smiled at Richie's rueful expression then nodded to the blond behind him. "Pops this is Jacob. He's the one who abducted us. Only…you know, not. Obviously."

His father looked over at him then back at Jacob. Then back at him again. "I see. I assume you're going to be explaining."

The doorbell rang and Virgil smiled widely. "Over pizza."

With a resigned sigh his father turned to answer the door. "Times like this I almost miss your sisters cooking."

Virgil stared at his father's back. "But…we aren't even hurt. Why would you want to kill Jacob like that?"

000000000000000

Virgil watched with thinly veiled interest as Jacob sat on the floor, pushing his slice of pizza around on his plate with a look of semi-thoughtfulness. He wondered what was going on behind those murky eyes, though why he was so interested he didn't know.

Maybe because it seemed strange he'd eaten his first slice at a speed that had made even Richie blink, finished off a second at a more subdued pace and had then taken to vacant staring. Virgil kind of thought that he could have eaten more.

He had to be hungry right? He'd been stealing food after all.

His father was watching Jacob as well but his expression was less curious and more…actually Virgil didn't know. It was shuttered, closed off. Finally he looked over at Richie.

"Richie do you think you and Jacob could get my briefcase and the box on the table in the kitchen?"

"Uh. Sure. I guess." Richie picked up his plate then looked at Jacob. "You don't mind right?"

"No." Jacob was up already and looking a little awkward. He followed Richie closely and an image of a puppy came Virgil's mind. He banished it quickly and arched an eyebrow at his father who was now watching him very intently.

Virgil wasn't sure what that look meant. It was close to thoughtful but also seemed to border on disappointed and sad.

"What?"

"I'm just trying to figure out how to resolve this. We can't turn him in to child services of course. They'll force the cure on him and he may expose you. We can't just forget about him either."

Even if they could do that without suffering through years of guilt, Richie would never go for it. Once he got an idea in his head he held to it steadfastly. Virgil sighed. "Com'n, you have to have some kind of idea. That's why we came to you."

"Obviously." His father offered him a small smile then shrugged. "I suppose he could just…stay here. Unless he's a run away and has family that is looking for him, in which case it'd be best to try and contact them."

"Dead." Jacob's voice was a little on the raspy side. He was standing by the kitchen door holding his father's briefcase. "My mother is dead. Or at least she was dying when I left…it's been a year so… My father didn't take well be my…abnormalities. I didn't run away."

He was white-knuckling the briefcase like it was some kind of lifeline he couldn't afford to let go of least he topple over the edge of a cliff. Once again Virgil wondered what was going on in his head. He wasn't sure what it meant but Jacob was starting to remind him faintly of Richie.

"Tell me her name and I'll find out." Richie's voice came from behind Jacob and so he missed the completely bewildered look on the small teen's face. "Could you…move? Please? Heavy box."

Jacob blushed but stood off to the side. "Sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No big." The box was set down on the table before the blond flopped onto the floor next to Virgil. "So, he's going to stay here?"

"I-I don't want to im-impose." The stutter, which had mysteriously vanished since the gas station, was back. "I'm fine on my own, m-mostly."

"I'm sure you." His father's tone was very soft and soothing. "Still your power isn't totally under control and I'm sure Richie and Virgil can help you with that. It's temporary of course, just until things are under control. And after Richie looks up your mother it'd be pointless if we couldn't find you."

A blank look. Then a shaky nod. "I…um. okay. For a little while maybe."

"Of course." A small smile. Then a nod towards the briefcase. "May I?" Jacob was by his side and holding it out before Virgil could blink. His father took it then gestured that he should sit. "Would you mind telling me a little bit about you? I can't just have you living in my home without knowing something."

"Makes sense." A soft murmur then a nod. "I'm nineteen. From Nebraska, moved to Dakota right before the first bang. West Dakota High, didn't graduate. Dad kicked me out last May, couldn't afford to raise a freak anymore."

Virgil didn't miss Richie's small wince as Jacob's words. He felt bad too; he couldn't even begin to imagine his father saying something like that to him. Still the strange look on the blond's face seemed…to say something Virgil couldn't pick up. Azure eyes seemed to echo with a kind of sadness and while this all ranked high on Virgil's depressing shit scale…he felt he had missed the boat.

Why the hell was everyone so damn sad? What was he missing?

His father didn't comment but instead wrote in a book he'd extracted from his briefcase.

"Thank you Jacob. I think I've got an idea to explain this." His father didn't look up as he spoke. "I was thinking of starting a mentor program with the Women and Children's shelter downtown, to encourage the women and teens to go back to or stay in school. I was going to make you boys volunteer over the summer anyway so you'll just help Jacob instead."

"That's great." Richie brightened almost instantly as he'd never been upset to begin with. The abrupt change made Virgil's head spin just a little bit. Richie just couldn't seem to make up his mind emotion wise. It was headache inducing. "Maybe you can go back to school."

Jacob's lips formed a ghost of a smile. "I guess."

"Do you think we can use your computer? I want to start looking for information of Jacob's mom."

"Be my guest. Just…don't try to modify anything this time please."

"Okay." Richie grabbed Jacob's arm and began to drag him towards the office his father kept. Virgil started to stand up as well, not sure what to make of all of this.

He'd finally gotten rid of Sharon.

"Son, sit down please."

He stopped and turned slowly before sitting down nest to his father warily. Had he done something wrong? God he hoped now. He so didn't want to be grounded right now. End of senior year…that'd just be…blasphemy.

"Are you okay? I'm sure you can't be too fond of Richie putting you in such a tough position."

He shrugged uneasily. When had talking to his father become complex? Sometime around puberty he was pretty sure. Why he didn't know. His dad was pretty much as cool and accepting as they could possible come.

"It's…weird. Not like him."

"No it isn't." His father nodded his agreement. "I think…Richie is just going through some tough changes but you shouldn't let that bother you. He'll come around and talk to you about it eventually, I sure."

Virgil was silent. How his dad always knew what he was trying to say even when he didn't know what he wanted to say was something he'd never figure out.

"I don't mind that he wants to help someone. It's what we do after all but…he just…latched onto him so quickly. After he fried my system, like it was nothing. And he's moody and cranky most of the time, won't even let me touch him, and then the rest of the time he's so happy it's frightening and it can change with no warning. One word or look and it's like he's a different person." Virgil realized faintly that he was literally pouring out his guts and that it kind of felt good to get it all off his chest. "It's like he's not even Richie anymore, and now there's this guy and Richie wants to help him so badly I swear I can almost feel it and it doesn't make sense to me. And then it's like you and he are both seeing something I can't see and it's kind of annoying."

"Hmm."

That was it. Hmm. It was a response worthy of the Bat himself. He groaned and slumped over onto his side, putting a hand over his eyes. Hmm. Fuck.

"Don't pout Virgil."

"'M not pouting." He was sulking in a very manly manner.

His father sighed and reached over to haul him back into an upright position. "Sometimes I swear you're eight, not eighteen. I was just thinking. I still think you should just wait Richie out for the time being. And Jacob…he has a look about him I know very well, in his eyes." His father was watching him with that intense look again. He squirmed. Creepy. "Do you remember Mrs. Leary's pit bull? How she used to smack it with that stick to make it tough but just made it withdrawn and meek instead?"

"Yeah?" He did remember it. Didn't see the connection.

"It's like that; suspicious and expecting to be hit and betrayed at any moment. So many kids who come into the Center off the street look like that."

Something in Virgil's mind clicked and he imagined he could see the little light bulb suddenly turning on above his head. The connection was made and he frowned.

"You think he was-"

"I think you should be nice to him and try to keep any bad…vibes to yourself otherwise you'll risk scaring him off and both Richie and I will be very upset with you." His tone indicated he'd be more than upset. "He'll be sensitive to dark moods and feelings, jumpy, nervous, and distrustful. Just try to keep him comfortable. You're a nice person Virg, I know you can manage it."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah I can. But-"

"Everything else will sort itself out. They always do." That said his focus shifted elsewhere. "I'll have to arrange a doctors visit for Jacob. He looks like he hasn't eaten in ages and I want to make sure he's okay beyond that. I don't think Sharon will mind giving up her old bedroom and I think we can use some of the money in the Mentor budget to get him a few things and… You're still here.

Virgil held up a hand defensively. "Sorry Pops, didn't know I was so unwanted." His father smiled slightly and waved him off. He shook his head then headed off to see if Richie needed help. Which he wouldn't but he didn't want to start him homework just yet.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Mr. Hawkins watched his son walk off and sat back with a sigh, considering the teen's words about Richie. He considered the blond like a second son and was worried that something may actually be wrong with him beyond what he'd shared.

Richie had confessed a month ago that he might have been gay. Actually it had been more like a mini-breakdown on Richie's part and he'd gotten a surprising view of how…insecure and worried the blond really was. He didn't think Richie's hoarse voice telling him that he didn't want to be gay, and explaining in a very logical manner how it made no sense to be homosexual or be attracted to the same sex, would ever truly fade from his mind.

His heart had ached for the teen and the most he'd could do was try to calm the blond down and tell him that he wasn't doing anything wrong or unnatural (difficult to do when Richie had a million arguments to the contrary.) He wasn't sure it'd done any good because he was even more silent and withdrawn.

It was natural of course for someone who came up in an overly strict household where such things were frowned upon to have issues coming to terms with themselves and he figured if he just waited it out eventually Richie would accept.

Now he wondered if that had been a bad idea. Maybe, with all of the experience he had with troubled teens, he couldn't see what was really going on? The Forest for the Trees and all that.