Title: The Best Laid Plans

Author: Silverkitsune

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Static Shock is the property of the WB and all other associated networks and creators. The characters of Tracy, Derrick, and Carlos however do belong to me. The drug Lethe is also my own creation.

Authors Note: Apologies that it took so long for this chapter to come out. Thank you to all who have reviewed.

Part 8

They were playing Egyptian Rat Screw and if Carlos could beat the jack Derrick had just thrown down then it would all be over. Aden was already out, his sharp eyes and large hand waiting for the appearance of the double set of cards that would allow him to slap back into the game while across the table Carlos sat grinning at the two of them, shuffling and reshuffling his thick hand of cards.

"Carlos," Derrick snapped. "It's your turn."

Carlos slapped a nine over Derrick's jack.

Derrick nodded approvingly at the cards, as though they had played a part in his momentary win. It was when he leaned over to collect them that he first heard the voices.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I just need to ask you a few things."

"Go to hell."

"Tracy -"

"Get out of my way."

"No."

Pushing away from the rickety card table, Derrick made his way over to the warehouse entrance and pushed the door open. The back of a tall, skinny, black man was in front of him. He could see Tracy over the man's shoulder a look of fury etched across her usually stoic face. Derrick would bet that she was only a breath away from attacking the man.

"You got a problem Tracy?" Derrick asked casually.

Before Tracy could answer the head of the man turned completely around. Derrick bit back a gasp, his eyes going wide and frightened. When he realized that he recognized the face, his fear was quickly replaced by amusement and caution.

"Adam."

"Derrick," Adam responded. He didn't twist the rest of his body around leaving his head and neck facing Derrick while his front still faced Tracy. The sight was humorous and slightly sickening. Behind Adam, Tracy slowly began to reach for her knife. Derrick gave a small head shake. Burning black eyes stared back into his, but she nodded and let the hand fall to her side.

"I honestly didn't think you'd still be living in this dump," Adam said.

Derrick shrugged. "I'm not the one who was living in a circus tent for three months. Turn the rest of you around. You're making me sick."

"Rude to turn my back on a lady," Adam said dryly. "Don't you have any manners?"

"Tracy," Derrick said.

Her composure already collected Tracy walked around the meta-human, the remains of her anger still smoldering in her small dark eyes. Once she was next to Derrick, Adam let the rest of his body follow the direction his head had turned. 

 "You come to arrest us?" Derrick asked his tone low and condescending.

"Depends if you've done anything that I'd need to arrest you for," Adam retorted.
Smirking Derrick put his hands up. "Be stupid to tell you if I had, now wouldn't it?"

"And you of course are anything but stupid aren't you Derrick?" Adam said. "I've just got to talk to Tracy for a minute. Then I'm gone, but if you want to make trouble I have no problems with kicking all of your asses and dragging you down to the police. I'm sure they could find something on you."

Derrick hesitated. If Adam wanted to fight, Derrick knew they wouldn't be able to beat him. He was a meta-human now, a freak, and Derrick was no fool. 

"Tracy," he said. "Do me a favor and talk to the boy, but bring it inside."

Ignoring the scalding look Tracy threw at him, Derrick backed up waving to the doorway.

"After you."

Adam walked in. Tracy and Derrick at his heels.

Neither Aden nor Carlos moved from their seats when Adam entered the warehouse. They glance first to Derrick who shook his head. Aden raised an eyebrow, but kicked back and put his feet on the table. Carlos pulled a cigarette out of his jacket pocked, lit it, and began to smoke. Derrick joined them, sliding into the empty chair his gaze carefully studying Adam for reactions while Tracy stood toe-to-toe with the meta-human, her arms still down at her sides, the long sleeves of the hoodie engulfing her small hands.

"Talk," she commanded.

"I want to know about any of the new drugs that have shown up in Dakota recently," Adam began. "Anything that would be injected into the arm and that might resemble heroin."

"You're looking for drugs?" Tracy asked amusement coloring her voice. "They were never your thing before."

"No, but they were yours," Adam said.

"Not anymore," Tracy said giving her short, black hair a flip. "And if you've really gone all straight and narrow then what makes you stupid enough to think that I'd tell you if I did know something? I'm not a big fan of prison Adam. I can't help you."

"Aw Tracy have a heart," Derrick barked suddenly from his spot at the table. "Was the break-up really so bad that you've got to send the boy away empty handed?"

Carlos let out an amused snort.

"We could help you out Adam," Derrick continued watching the older man with faked sincerity. "Except that, like you said, it's a little embarrassing to still be living in this dump." He sighed. "Unfortunately, we lack the kind of cash that would help us get into a nice, cheap, motel and off these cold streets."

Adam's eyes narrowed.

"I hear it's really warm in Dakota's jail cells."

The amusement that had covered Derrick's face quickly melted away, his sharp eyes going cold. He couldn't afford to be sent to prison over this.

"If you want help then we're going to need specifics about the wonder drugs you're looking for," he finally growled.

"There are two," Adam said slowly pulling the image of Ritchie into the forefront of his mind. "The first one makes you look like you're dead. Your skin gets cold, your pupils become dilated, and you throw up afterwards."

"Sound like Lethe," Carlos broke in with a bored tone. "Came from Metropolis. It's the newest stuff out there, and the most expensive. Looks so much like heroin that the police don't even know it exists yet." He took a long deep drag off of his cigarette. "Gives you one hell of a ride if you can find it."

"Are those the only symptoms that go with it," Adam asked cautiously. He looked nervous, Derrick noted. Far to tense for someone who could easily dispose of the four of them without breaking a sweat. There was something else going on, and he waited patiently for more information to be presented.

 "Memory loss," Carlos said flicking some of the ash off the end of his cigarette. "Three days of memory loss. Oh, sure you remember that you shot up, and even that's a little fuzzy, but from that moment count backwards three days. Those days no longer exist."

Adam looked curious, "Anything else?"

"Not unless you get a bad batch of the stuff," Aden said joining the conversation. "Heard it happened to one guy, caused one hell of a fever; killed him."

Adam's dark eyes slid over to Aden. Derrick noticed with interest that a look of panic had flickered across Adam's long face at the mention of a death. It had disappeared so quickly that no one other than Derrick, who had been watching for just that sort of reaction, would have noticed. This was the information that Adam had come for.

"Really?" Adam finally responded

Aden nodded sagely.

"Yep. The hospitals around here don't know how to deal with it yet. Apparently the stuff looks so much like heroin that even doctors get fooled. If you get a bad hit your best hope it that someone gets you to Metropolis, they might have an idea of what they're dealing with."

 "Most people just die," Carlos said taking another drag. "Their bodies can't fight the fever."

Adam made a 'hmm' noise in the back of his throat then began listing the symptoms for the second drug.

This is bullshit Derrick thought with amusement. Adam's body language had changed dramatically. For anyone who knew what to look for the other man now seemed anxious, ready for the deal to be finished so that he could be on his way. He just wanted to know what Lethe was.

Carlos and Aden were responding to something that Adam had just asked. Derrick ignored them. He was intrigued. Just when he'd thought this particular game was over a new piece had been added to the board. He needed to think of how he was going to deal with it. 

Trying to make it look like all you wanted was a list of the new stuff so that you'd know what to look for when you did the superhero gig. Looking for information on Lethe after we just get rid of that kid using the same drug. I don't believe in coincidences Adam.

The conversation between Adam and the rest of his crew was finished.

"Thanks for your help," Adam said heading for the door. "Let's hope we never have to do business again."

Tracy sneered at his retreating back not turning around even after the other man had disappeared from sight.

Derrick pushed his chair back, the legs scrapping loudly across the cement floor.

"Carlos, follow him," he ordered. "Tracy, Aden, get the stuff together. We're taking rubber boy's advice and moving out."

It was almost 1:30 when Ritchie woke up again. Fever bright eyes blink at Virgil as he slid an arm behind his friends back, helping him to sit up.

"Sip that," he commanded pushing a cup of water against Ritchie's lips.

He did.

"How do you feel?" Virgil asked when Ritchie was finished.

"Sick," Ritchie whispered back. "Really sick. Do I have the flu?"

"Um, no."

"Oh," Ritchie mumbled looking confused.  "Did I give blood?"

Virgil eyebrows raised his eyebrows, puzzled.

"What?"

"There was a needle in my arm," Ritchie mumbled. "But I don't remember why."

"No Ritchie you didn't give blood," Virgil answered hurriedly. "But the needle. What do you remember about that?"

Ritchie's face clouded over, and he fought to keep his eyes from drifting shut.

"Someone had my arms," the teenager whimpered.  "I couldn't move, because somebody had my arms. I couldn't-"

He was loosing him to the fever again.

"Never mind Ritch," Virgil said pushing his friend back onto the couch. "Forget it, we'll talk later."

Ritchie nodded his eyes drifting closed.

Fighting the urge to tear his hair out, Virgil slid to the floor, his back to the couch. His own eyes were beginning to droop closed, but as much as he wanted to he couldn't sleep. Giving himself a hard shake Virgil got to his feet and made his way to the kitchen to raid Adam's fridge. He needed caffeine. 

He was half way across the room when the front door opened and Adam came in. He shut the door with a bang, striding quickly across the room making his way to the couch. Bending down he laid a hand over Ritchie's forehead frowning when he found no change.

"Vigil, go into my room," Adam ordered. "Get some of my street cloths on then get back here. Be quick!"

"What are you talking about?" Virgil asked. "What did you find out?"

"I'll tell you in the car."

"Car? Where are we going?"

"Do you have to question everything?" Adam exploded.

"Yes, because you never seem to want to share anything that might be important!" Virgil snapped back. "You want me to trust you? Then I need you to trust me, especially when it involves my best friend!"

Adam sighed, annoyed, but no less impatient.

"I was right, it's a new drug called Lethe. It fit all of the symptoms Ritchie had, and it's new enough that no hospital around here is going to be any help. We need to get him to Metropolis."
"Why Metropolis," Virgil asked.

 "That's where the drug came from. If anyone knows how to help him it's going to be there."

"So I was right, this isn't normal." Virgil said worriedly.

"Yes," Adam agreed, "and if we don't get him help soon the fever will kill him."

Virgil felt his stomach tighten. He swallowed and nodded, but didn't move.

"How long will it take us to get to Metropolis from here?" he asked the gears in his mind beginning to move.

"If we don't stop and my car doesn't break down, a day and a half," Adam answered. "If we leave now we can get him there by tomorrow night."

"That's too long," Virgil said. "I can get there in a couple of hours."

"But you can't carry him," Adam argued.

"No," Virgil said slowly, "but I think I could find someone who could fly back here, get Ritchie, and go back to Metropolis faster than we could drive one way."

"Are you on drugs too?" Adam asked in disbelief. "Who do you possibly know in Metropolis that can fly that fast! Hell man, who do you know who can even fl-." He stopped, suddenly understanding. "No. No, you're kidding. You know him?"

"Not really," Virgil said. "He's more like the friend of a friend."

An image of a scowling Batman appeared in Virgil's mind, and he mentally winced. Friend was a bit too strong of a word to use when describing that particular relationship. Tolerant comrades might have been a better term.

Changing direction, Virgil headed for the window, pulling his mask out of his pocket. Adam followed, grabbing one of Virgil's shoulders.

"How do you know you're going to be able to find him?"
"I'll yell 'help' in a really loud girl voice," Virgil snapped pulling away. He paused at the disbelieving look on Adam's face. "I'll figure something out."

Adam let out a low grumbled then threw his hands up.

"Fine, I'll stay here and try to keep your boy over there in the land of the living. You go play nice with all the other superheroes and make a brand new friend."

Virgil grinned, pulling his mask back into place.

"I'll be back," he said snapping his bored open, and climbing out the window.