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, Aden, Carlos, Dr. Kumar, Dr. Cruz, Jenny and Ankit however do belong to me.

Author's Note: Ya know, I never expected this thing to get this long. I'm thinking a few more chapters and I should be able to wrap it up…I hope. Once again thanks to everyone who has enjoyed this fic so far and taken the time to comment. Remember, this is set before Ritchie was Gear…well before he knew he was a Bang Baby anyway.

Part 14

"We're in a research lab a few miles outside of Metropolis." Virgil answered. "Superman flew us out here."

There were a few beats of silence.

"What?" Ritchie asked.

"It's a really long story," Virgil said. "And I'll tell you all of it as soon as you answer a few questions for me."

He ran through the basics first. Who are you? Who am I? Parent's first names, mother's maiden name, name and description of mother's new husband, Adam, Adam's powers, the Big Bang, Mr. Hawkins, Sharon. Who's the vice president?

"It's still Cheney right?" Ritchie asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Oh, damn."

When that was over and done with, he moved on to questions about the past. How old had he been when he met Virgil? When did his mother move away? What was the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?

"African or European?"

From there it was onto the random questions, which proved little to no help in easing Virgil's worries.

"How do you make a cheese omelet, Ritchie?"

"I have no idea."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know."

"Have you ever made one before?"

"I don't think so. Why would I have made a cheese omelet before?"

"I don't know!"

"Virgil why are you asking me all of these questions?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. Now, tell me if you know how to order a pizza."

Somewhere in between trying to discover if his friend remembered how to shift the gears on his bike he noticed Ritchie carefully sitting up and in a rather pathetic attempt at movement trying to twist his body around.

"What are you doing?" Virgil asked, standing up and hovering uncertainly.

"I am reaching behind my back, so that I can grab one of the pillows that I know I'm leaning against," Ritchie responded in breathless and practical voice. "Once I have it, I'm going to throw it at you in a desperate attempt to make the questions stop."

Virgil stopped in mid-hover and had the decency to look sheepish.

"Now," Ritchie continued. "Do I have to brain you to death, or are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Sitting back down, Virgil held his hands up in surrender. "Naw man, put the weapon down. I'll tell you everything."

It was a longer story than Virgil, who had lived through the whole thing in real time, remembered. He started in a rush, hoping to get it all out in one telling before Ritchie fell back asleep. By the end, he was taking it slower though, trying to remember all of the important details. When his last word on the subject of the last few days had been delivered he wiped the sweat that had unknowingly collected across his forehead in the cool room,

Ritchie, forced to squint due to the loss of his glasses, nodded at the end of the recap took a deep breath and asked one question, just to make sure he had one of the more important facts down.

"Three days?"

"Yeah," Virgil said. "That's what the doctors told me."

"And I might have forgotten other things too?"

"Maybe?"

"How will I know if I don't know them if I can't remember knowing them in the first place?" Ritchie asked his voice going up a notch.

"What?" Virgil asked, trying to follow his friend but failing.

Ritchie took a few deep breaths trying to calm him self down. "You don't think I did anything important in the last three days, do you? Like, I don't know, fail a test or lose my virginity?"

Virgil grinned, "No, I think your GPA and your V card are still intact."

Ritchie rubbed his hands over his face. "That's good, well not the second thing, but no yeah that's good."

"You ok?" Virgil asked. He was getting rather sick of that question.

"Not really," Ritchie said. "I mean along with feeling like the football team just trampled over me, I've apparently been through a rather traumatic experience that I can't remember. I kinda want to go back to sleep."

"I'd rather you didn't," came a voice from the doorway.

Both Virgil and Ritchie turned to see Dr. Kumar, flanked by Adam, enter the room.

"I want to check a few of your vitals first," she said, stepping around Virgil. "And this one," she nodded in Adam's direction, "wanted a look at you. But yes, when I'm done I think it would be wise if you went back to sleep."

Pulling a stethoscope around her neck, she placed the ear buds into her ears and asked Ritchie to unbutton the too large shirt they'd dressed him in.

"You should go back to the main room, Static," Dr. Kumar said her eyes still on Ritchie.

"There's food and Superman wants to speak with you."

Virgil nodded. "Ok. I'll be back, bro. Don't go anywhere on me."

"Where am I going to go?" Ritchie asked with a chuckle. "You're my ride home."

With one final eye roll, and a shoulder punch to Adam, Virgil stepped out of the room.

When the door had slid shut, and a firm look from Dr. Kumar had stopped Ritchie's squirming, Adam leaned against the empty chair and let out a long breath.

"Man," he said. "I am so glad this is over."

Surprised, Ritchie glanced at Adam.

"I'm sorry," the blond teenager said. "Do I know you?"

The car wasn't new, but it wasn't old either. Dark blue in color it was inconspicuous in that there was nothing shiny or flashy about it, and factoring out emergencies it wouldn't break down somewhere along the road. Derrick approved of it the moment he slid into the driver's seat and started the engine. Tracy had appeared moments after Derrick's final inspection of the car had taken place, and without a word stumbled into the backseat with a rather woozy look on her face, chose her seat, pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up, and fell asleep. Aden came next, a suspiciously new backpack hanging over one shoulder. He'd tried to make a move for the front seat, shouting "shotgun," but Derrick had snapped at him, and shoved him to the back. Derrick had turned towards the front seat, still swearing at Aden, when he noticed Carlos was already in the car and in the process of buckling his seat belt. He pushed the seat as far back as it would go to give his long legs enough room to stretch out, then went searching for a map. He was, and always had been, acting navigator for any of their out of the way excursions.

They'd been on the road for about half a day, cruising the highways, pulling off at marked exits, and trying to remember where Rt 55 tuned into RT 355, before Tracy finally woke up. Hearing a noise besides Aden's snoring or Carlos' grumbling as he glared at the map, he glanced into the rearview mirror and saw Tracy draw her hood away from her face.

"Give blood again?" he asked.

"Yeah," Tracy said with a yawn.

"Always wipes you out."

"Yeah, I guess. Hey we there yet?"

"Naw," Derrick responded. "Got another day on the road."

"Oh, yay," Tracy grumbled. "Nothing I love more than being stuck in a car with the three of you. Jesus, Carlos does your seat have to be all the way back? I can hardly move."

Carlos calmly flashed her the finger before pointing out the window to his left.

"Get off here," Carlos said, looking up from the map. "This exit, then we're on 355 for like an hour."

Flipping on the turn signal, Derrick nodded and moved off the lane of fast moving traffic and onto the exit ramp.

"Hey, Derrick, nothing in this agreement with Winter said we have to hang around with Aden while he has family time, right?" Tracy asked.

"It better not," Carlos grumbled from the front. "Those people are crazy."

"We separate from him once we get to Metropolis," Derrick answered. "We'll meet up with him later, and I'm thinking we'll be spending a few more weeks in this town before heading out. I'm gunna need you idiots to be on your toes. Tracy, you're the only one who knows Metropolis. Can you get us around?"

"Been a while since I've been back," Tracy said crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back into her seat.

"How long?"

"Two, maybe three years. I left right after my mom died."

"Can you find us some place to stay?" Derrick asked, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," Tracy said. "Sure."