Static Shock Issue 3: Reunion

By Calvin Burrell

Oh my god. I don't think I can take much more of this. Feels like my arms are going to pop out of my shoulders. The strain is too much to bear. If I don't do something about it now I'm gonna-

"What about this one?" said a female voice, snapping Virgil out of his thoughts. He looked at his girlfriend, Daisy Watkins, who was trying on clothes in front of a mirror. When she suggested a date for this weekend, he didn't think it would be shopping. Nor did he think he'd have to carry so many bags of new clothes and shoes.

I think my fingers are going numb. Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to carry Frieda's stuff too. Speaking of Frieda...

"My fashion sense doesn't go much further than maybe wearing a nice hat sometimes. Why don't you ask Frieda?" Virgil said. Frieda Goren was currently seated nearby in the only available chair, much to Virgil's jealousy. She was also asleep and hadn't heard anything that was said.

"I don't know what it is, but she's been really tired a lot lately. That's why I wanted you to come with us," Daisy said with a frown.

"So she wouldn't ruin your shopping day by catching some Zs?" Virgil asked.

"No, so you could talk to her. She's my best friend but you've known her for way longer," Daisy answered as she nudged Frieda awake. Frieda bolted up suddenly as if she didn't know where she was but quickly returned to reality when she saw Daisy's clothes.

"Hey, that looks great on you. You should get it," Frieda said while yawning. Virgil shook his head emphatically at the idea of adding more bags to his load.

"No, I just wanted to try it on. I think I'm done shopping for the day," Daisy said with a smirk at her boyfriend.

"Yeah, looks like you got a lot of that done," Frieda said, pointing to the bags in Virgil's hands.

"Actually...most of these are yours..." Virgil pointed out. Frieda looked confused as if she didn't even remember buying all those things.

"I'm...gonna get changed," Daisy said, giving Virgil a look that he understood to mean 'say something to her now'. As Daisy went in the changing room, Frieda stood up and stretched. Virgil took that opportunity to take her seat and set the bags down, sighing loudly.

"Sorry about all the bags," Frieda yawned apologetically. "I'm probably gonna end up returning half that stuff,"

"Seriously, Frieda. Are you okay?" Virgil asked, with clear concern.

"Yeah...no...I dunno. I'm just really tired lately. And lately I've been feeling like...Like I'm living in some weird out-of-body experience,"

"If there's anything I can do," Virgil offered. "Just ask, okay?"

"Don't you worry about me, Sparky," Frieda said. "You've got your other job to think about, remember?"

In case you missed it, since Frieda's a master of subtlety, she knows about the whole superhero thing. It was pretty unavoidable. She's one of my closest friends and she helped me out after I got hurt really bad early in my career. I don't want to go into detail, but it did involve a lot of iodine. Not even Daisy knows about me being Static. I know, I should tell her. I'm practically lying to her if I don't. I'm just waiting for the right moment...

"Yeah, I do. But you're still my friend," Virgil responded.

"I know you are," Frieda said as she gave him a hug. "I promise I'm okay,"

Can't really help someone that doesn't want to be helped, right? Frieda knows I'm here for her whenever she wants to tell me what's going on. Who knows, maybe it really is nothing.

Aside from some minor ketchup spillage in the food court, the rest of the day was pretty uneventful. You don't wanna hear about that, right? You want action. The kinda action that involves an illegal gun deal going down in the bad part of a bad town at night? The kinda gun deal that involves metahuman protection? The kinda metahuman protection that dresses in an ugly yellow outfit that makes him look like a-

"Duck!" She-bang yelled as a green sedan sailed through the air towards her and Static. Static threw himself to the ground while she jumped up, landed on the vehicle then flipped off of it, letting it hit the ground behind her. Static stood back up and got onto his metal disc as the two heroes stared down the criminals before them. Several thugs, armed to the teeth and one metahuman wearing yellow with red gloves and a mask.

That guy in the yellow with the bullseye on his chest called himself Bulletproof. Can't say much for his clothes, but apparently he really is bulletproof. And strong enough to throw a car. Lucky for me, I've got someone just as strong on my side.

"Static, you get the guys with guns. Bulletproof's all mine," She-bang said, already moving.

"Yessir, boss lady ma'am sir," Static said sarcastically as he took to the air.

Okay, that was what I was gonna say to do anyway but she doesn't have to be so bossy about it.

The men with guns began firing. She-bang did a complex series of flips to avoid getting hit while Static created an electromagnetic shield that caught every single bullet then simply let them fall to the ground.

"I saw that in a movie once," Static said with a smirk as he descended on the shooters. Meanwhile, She-bang did a flip that launched her right into Bulletproof feet first. He stumbled back and She-bang took advantage with another kick. She tried to hit him with a front kick but a sudden punch knocked her down. The blow was not only unexpected but the hardest time She-bang had been hit in a while. Before she could get up, Bulletproof grabbed her cape, swung her around and threw her into a streetlight that broke in half on impact.

"You're just punk kids," Bulletproof laughed. "When Don Cornelius hired me for this protection gig I thought he was expecting Blood Syndicate or something. Oh well. Long as I get paid..."

Bulletproof advanced on She-bang and she grabbed the broken streetlight. She swung the long metal rod like a baseball bat and it struck Bulletproof in the head. She got in a couple more hits before he grabbed it and tossed it down the street.

"Okay, kid..." Bulletproof said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's have some fun..."

Meanwhile, the criminals guns were magnetized together in a metal ball and all of them were stuck to the nearest wall. Static looked over them and grinned, unaware of She-bang's predicament.

"Bad case of Static Cling? Don't worry, it'll clear up by the time the police arrive," Static mocked them before the sound of a loud thud caught his attention. He turned to see Bulletproof dangling She-bang by the cape as he punched her repeatedly. The impact of the blows was like two trucks crashing into each other. Bulletproof caught his eye and grinned.

"Don't worry, punk. You're gonna get yours," Bulletproof said as he casually dropped She-bang. She crumpled onto the floor as Static glared at the one who had managed to beat her. She-bang tried to say something but Static didn't hear what, or notice that she was looking behind him until he heard a female voice.

"Look out, Static!"

Static looked back just in time to see a female figure land behind him from a leap out of the shadows. She had a large metal shield on her arm that a bullet pinged off of. One of the thugs still had a gun on them and lined up another shot. Reflexively, Static zapped them unconscious, but his eyes were on the person standing before him.

"Dusk?" Static gasped. Dusk looked at him apologetically but with a hint of a smile.

"Hold that thought," Dusk said as she ran past Static towards Bulletproof.

"Another one of you? Fine, bring it o-" Bulletproof started to taunt but was cut off by She-bang hitting him in the back of the leg as she stood, making him fall to his knees. Before the metacriminal could get up, Dusk's run became a charge and she leapt, sending her knee into Bulletproof's face.

"You're pretty strong..." She-bang said, as she began to realize who this person was. Dusk saw the look on the other teen hero's face and interrupted her train of thought.

"Yeah, you two. How about we show this guy just how tough we really are?"

She-bang nodded just before Bulletproof barreled at them in rage. She-bang swung her right fist as Dusk swung her left. Both connected at the same time and Bulletproof went flying. He sailed past a still stunned Static into the wall where the other criminals were still stuck. Bulletproof ended up embedded in the wall and groaned into the imprint his face made.

"Yes! Nice punch," Dusk said, expecting a similar response from She-bang but all she got was a look that was hard to read. Dusk then looked at Static who was still staring at her like he'd seen a ghost.

"Hey, Static, I'm...I'm sorry," Dusk started as she walked towards him. "I know what I did and you deserve an explanation but...c'mon, you have to say something,"

Dusk stood before Static, waiting for a reply, anything to let her know just how much he had to hate her ride now. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug as tears flowed from his eyes. Dusk did the same, taking care not to squeeze too tight.

Dusk...She's...She's alive. After the fire, after all this time. How? I know I should ask but, right now the how doesn't matter. Right now I don't even know what to think...

In another part of the city, Frieda was in her room, on her knees dry heaving. She felt impossibly sick, like some sudden disease had come over her. Frieda dragged herself to her feet and stared at herself in the mirror.

"What...what the hell is happening..." Frieda muttered as she stared.

Suddenly she was hit with an overwhelming dizziness, then numbness. She still looked in the mirror and saw herself, but somehow it felt different. Like the person in the reflection wasn't her. She tried to move but her body wouldn't respond until it moved on its' own. She let out a scream but it only echoed inside her own mind. When her lips did move, it wasn't her own words.

"Shut up and stay in there. I'm going to find me some fun..."

To be continued...