Heroes

Notes: I modified this chapter a bit, to make it more…what I want it to be.

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Chapter Three
You're Tearing Down
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Jacob blinked blurry eyed at the two of them. He was still about half-asleep and slightly mystified. Virgil found he couldn't blame him. Then he reached up and pushed his hair from his face. "You know the Justice League?"

Virgil nodded. "Yes."

"And you're just going to…call them up, ask to borrow their computer, and look up my mother?" He looked…well, skeptical was too nice a word. He looked like he thought they had just lost their minds and he wanted to know where the most accessible exit was.

Richie smiled crookedly. "Not…exactly, no. V has some weird mentor program going on with Lantern, which is weird because Lantern swears he hates everyone-" Virgil rolled his eyes and Richie's smile just grew. "And Batman lets me poke around in his lab as long as I promise to keep him updated and if I should happen to use the computer while I'm up there then so be it."

The search Richie had run two days ago had been a bust. Even with more information from Jacob it was like she hadn't existed at all. Not that she had died or had left the country, but that she simply hadn't existed. And, considering all of the things that were connected to her it didn't make sense that she'd just…vanished or hadn't been born or whatever.

"Uh huh." He blinked again. "That makes even more sense. Do you two think I could go back to sleep now or do you want to regale me with tales of Power Rangers?"

Virgil sighed. "You know you're really sarcastic for a guy who kept trying to run away from me two days ago."

"You were intimidating two days ago. Then I discovered you have Loony Tune sheets. That's not intimidating it's…cute."

Virgil gaped, wondering how he'd seen those. He hadn't used them in years, he wasn't completely lacking in maturity after all, but he'd been…too nostalgic to just throw them away. They were supposed to be in a box in the basement.

Richie was staring at him now. "You still have those bro'? That's…um." He trailed off and shook his head, apparently not having the words to accurately describe what he was thinking. Virgil glared and shoved him lightly.

"I don't use them. I just don't want to throw away perfectly good sheets."

"Sure man."

"I'm serious!"

"I didn't say anything." Richie insisted, holding up his hands defensively.

While they were talking (bickering) Jacob hauled himself up off of the couch and shuffled out. The sound of a door slamming made them both turn. Richie arched an eyebrow then smiled slightly.

"He doesn't believe us."

"I got that feeling as well." He shrugged. "That whole atom shifting thing they do should convince him pretty fast."

"True. I think I could make something-"

"No."

"But V-"

"No. You will not be scrambling my atoms. Stop thinking about it." Richie was frowning at him almost pitifully. He swallowed and turned around. This was stupid. His friend pouting at him wasn't crumbling his resolve already. "I mean it. I'm not letting you play with my atoms."

Richie sighed. "Fine. Maybe it I ask Jacob nicely."

Virgil had to squash the urge to offer himself. He didn't want Richie playing around with him on a molecular level; it just didn't…sit right in his head. But, at that same time, he didn't think he wanted Richie trying whatever he was plotting out on Jacob. This was purely out of concern for the other blond of course; it wasn't like he cared who Richie chose for his little experiments or anything. Him, Jacob…he could call up Frieda for all he cared.

It wasn't like he was…jealous or something like that. Jealous over atom scrambling…no. That would be stupid. It was just concern for the person being scrambled.

If he kept repeating that over and over in his head he would eventually believe it.

Hopefully.

Richie had him…really stressed out lately. If he wasn't wondering at Richie's mood swings and alternate bursts of endless energy and total lack of energy he was trying to figure out what the hell was going on in his own head. He confused himself almost as much as Richie confused him lately.

Jacob came back eventually, gnawing on a piece of toast distractedly. He plopped onto the floor in front of Richie and tilted his head off to the side. Virgil followed his gaze and saw he was watching the reporter on the TV, which was currently on mute, intently.

"Can you two read lips?" He was obviously talking about the fact it was on mute. Virgil just arched an eyebrow.

"No. Can you?"

"No. But it's a useful skill I believe everyone should have." Jacob smiled faintly when Richie coughed, clearly holding back laughter. Virgil just blinked.

Okay… He reached over for the remote and turned up the volume in time to catch the end of whatever the anchor was saying.

"-Mrs. Raevyn Brown and her daughter Rayne had been missing for almost two weeks now. Her parents and husband have received no ransom demand, though police say all three have been cleared. In other news the governor has declined to comment on the alleged sex tapes circulating about her daughter."

Richie laughed. "That's a great way to follow up a missing person story."

Virgil was inclined to agree. He glanced at his watch, noting the time. Then he looked over at the other two intending to tell to say they should get going but the words died on his lips. Richie was watching Jacob. And it wasn't like he was just…watching him. He was watching Jacob the way Virgil liked to tell himself he watched Daisy (but never Richie.), with a look of interest. …no, not interest, that wasn't quite the right way to describe it. Seemed too innocent.

It was…longing? Want? …Interest in more than a platonic way.

A glance at Jacob showed he was watching the news through lowered lashes while chewing on his bottom lip, head tilted off to the side.

"We have to get going." He wondered about the suddenly gruffness of his voice. Richie jumped, glanced at him, and then blushed like someone who'd just been caught doing something wrong. He looked away and stood up. Jacob groaned but stood up as well.

Virgil scribbled a note to his father letting them know where they were going and dropped it on the coffee table before heading out. It was the middle of May but it was abnormally warm. People were blaming it on global warming and melting glaciers.

He was pretty sure that, considering the way the Earth's luck tended to suck, there was some kind of evil and sinister force behind it. There was always some kind of evil and sinister force behind everything these days. At least it seemed that way sometimes.

He was pretty sure homework and finals for seniors were the product of a really sick and diseased mind. He could help but fear that sometime over the summer he'd get a letter saying he'd failed some final and would have to come back and re-do his senior year.

He shuddered at the prospect then glanced over his shoulder.

Richie and Jacob were following him down the street but seemed more interested in talking to each other than anything else. He had to admit he didn't understand the allure. It wasn't like Richie knew Jacob or anything. And what they did know pointed to Jacob being a sarcastic, bitter, and slightly nasty individual. How was the appealing?

Wait…was he saying Richie was gay? Or at least thinking it very intently

No. He'd know if Richie was gay. He would have said something. They didn't have any secrets from each other; they'd been best friends for a decade. He could read the blond like a book; Richie couldn't hide anything even if he wanted to.

Though, if he was going to be honest with himself hadn't he just been thinking about how it seemed like he didn't really get Richie anymore? Could this be part of it?

Before he could follow that train of thought any further a hand was on his arm and pulling him back.

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It all played out beautifully in his mind. The real world faded into whiteness and meaningless noise and possibilities played out on the back of his eye lids and it all worked together so seamlessly, like a piece of classic music. It all made sense, it all flowed and connected and he could see even the tiniest element of it all.

It was amazing in its intricacy. He saw a thousand different things play out and let his mind latch onto the ones that made the most sense.

The woman behind the wheel didn't know the steering column was cracked when she left. The car was fighting her all the way to work, but she was late and couldn't afford to pull over and figure out what was wrong. If her daughter hadn't touched her with jelly covered hands she would have left on time and would have been at work already.

She leaned to fiddle with the radio. "Piece of shit car.'

A girl jumped roped in front of her house, alone but waiting for her older sister to join her. She'd be out in a moment. She didn't jump rope much anymore but an offer from her too-cool teenaged sister was simply too good to pass up.

Virgil kept walking, thoughts occupied with something other than where he was going. He paused at the fire hydrant and turned, looking to see if they were still…still what? Didn't matter. The little things never mattered.

The woman wanted to turn but it didn't quite work. She went at a strange angle, heading for the little girl. She shrieked and jerked it as hard as she could. Her car shuddered its protest but obeyed. The girl didn't even notice, jumping still. The car crossed the street fast and jumped the curb hard. It hit body and then hydrant.

Blood, pooling on pavement and flowing between cracks and into the gutter. Little girl shrieking, falling down, traumatized. Never be right again, years in a mental facility. Irrational fear of cars. Runs inside, crashes into sister on way out, tumble down stairs.

Woman screaming…screaming. She'd never forgive herself. The guilt would crush her, her husband would leave and take their daughter. She'd have nightmares for ever. Overdose on sleeping pills. People running and calling for help and it was far too late for that. Richie stood, frozen in time, pale as a sheet. Lose of sanity. Secrets, terrible secrets people pointing and whispering the voice getting closer and smothering.

Black marble headstone.

Hospitals. A lifetime of hospitals and straps and people watching him all the time.

Alone. Afraid to go outside, afraid to see anything. White rooms. Simple white rooms. Never peace, never sleep, never never never.

Comfort.

In theory anyway.

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He tripped over something (air) and all but tumbled into Jacob who yelped. Unable to hold Virgil's weight Jacob went tumbling to the ground, pulling Virgil with him. A few people on the street turned to look, apparently confused.

Virgil blinked down at Jacob who groaned and pushed at his shoulders. What sounded like Richie's laughter came from above.

"What the hell did you-?"

A scream and a crash made him trail off. For a long moment all he could hear was the sound of water hitting the ground. Then Jacob shoved him again, face contorted in pain. Right. Crushing the stick thin midget was a bad thing.

He jumped up and turned to see a car had jumped the curb and slammed into a fire hydrant. The hydrant had busted and water was spraying into the air in an arc then pattering against the pavement almost gently. It had jumped a few paces from where Virgil had been yanked from. He turned back and looked down at Jacob who appeared to be trying to draw in breath.

"You…how…"

"Holy fuck dude, you're like twice my fuck weight." Was the only response he got. Richie had stopped laughing and reached down to help Jacob up. The other blond allowed himself to be pulled up to his feet then raked his fingers through his hair.

The driver of the car tumbled out, looking horrified but not injured. Virgil had to say he didn't care since he could have been run over. People came rushing over, talking and gaping and…all of that good stuff that people did at the sight of an accident. Mostly staring.

People always had to stare at a wreck.

"How did you do that?" Richie asked with a touch of awe in his voice.

"I saw it. The steering is shot; I could see the driver fighting with it down the road. Probability of you getting hit was very high." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't always destroy things. Why keep a power that did nothing but evil?"

Virgil couldn't deny the sense in that. Apparently neither could Richie because he just blinked. Then turned and continued down the road, carefully avoiding the scene. Jacob smiled at him wryly.

"Why do you look so surprised?"

"You just…car."

He laughed. "Yeah man, I'm not going to let a car hit you. We're cool aren't we?"

"I…yes. We are." Oh and hello guilt. It's nice to meet you. Come to kick my ass have you? Can't say that I blame you. I'm a bad bad person. "Cool. Yes."

"How long do you think you'll be speaking in monosyllables?" Jacob grabbed his arm and began pulling him along to catch up with Richie.

"…don'no."

He wondered if this was what being in shock was like.