Static Shock Issue 4: Throwback

By Calvin Burrell

Late at night, four teens had gathered together in an abandoned gas station in Dakota. Shenice Vale, also known as She-bang, sat on the edge of an old couch, rubbing her side where she got hit by a super strong gangster. She was resilient enough to take it, but it still hurt like hell. Richie Foley, also known as Gear, sat in an office chair, tightly gripping the armrests. His expression was the irate opposite of the hilarious video he had paused in the middle of watching when the others arrived. Virgil Hawkins, also known as Static, paced back and forth. His favourite blue jacket was currently draped over the opposite edge of the couch from where She-bang sat. Beside that jacket was the one known only as Dusk, idly running her hand along the sleeve as she watched Virgil pacing.

Okay, I gotta stop pacing before I drive myself crazy.

Crazier.

Virgil paused and stood still, looking at Dusk. He looked like he was trying to form a sentence, but Dusk beat him to it.

"You want to know what happened, right? Why I had to leave like that?...I like your new outfit, by the way," Dusk spoke, adding the last comment in hopes that it would get a smile.

"I think we'd all like to know," Richie added, ignoring the mention of Virgil's costume.

"Uhh, question," said Shenice, half raising her hand. "Who is this? I mean...I know who she is, I've seen your files. Really disorganized, by the way. But you don't have much on her other than a name. Dusk, right?"

"Yeah, that's me," Dusk said before looking at Richie. "You've got files on me?"

"I've got files on everything," Richie answered. "Well...I did,"

"How?" Virgil said, breaking his silence. "How are you...I saw you die,"

"Did you?" Dusk asked. From her tone, he could tell it was an honest question and he thought back to that night.

It was about two years ago. I still don't know who started the fire. Hotstreak was locked up and Holocaust or Pyre or whatever he calls himself was busy with his own thing. And after how it went down, I didn't care who started it.

Dusk and I were on the scene, along with the Dakota Fire Department. I had a different outfit back then. A dark blue costume with a lightning bolt across it, along with a way oversized yellow coat and a Malcolm X cap. Nothing flashy but it was homemade and I'm pretty sure most other superheroes just shop at the same costume place.

Anyway, Dusk and I were working on getting people out...

Static flew out of the burning building through a broken window with a child in his arms. Flames spat out of the window behind him but he evaded them and hovered towards the ground. Once lowered, he put the kid in the arms of her mother, who Dusk has rescued a moment earlier.

"I think that's everyone," Static said.

"Sure hope so. Give me a lift, will ya?" Dusk replied. She hopped onto his disc and they both flew back up, floating around the building to try and spot anyone inside.

"This place is about to come down," Static pointed out.

"And we can't see a thing from here," Dusk added. "I'm going back in,"

"What!? There's not enough time!"

"Don't worry, boy thunder," Dusk said with a laugh as she leapt from the disc. "I got this!"

Dusk's jump easily carried her across too the building. She rolled and crashed back in through a window. Static looked on, stunned for a second before trying to follow. Right as he got close, a portion of the wall collapsed inwards, blocking the window. He called out Dusk's name as he shielded himself from the debris. He looked for a way to move it without collapsing the entire structure but it was impossible with the building so close to falling. He hovered there, watching even as the fire crews put out the flame. A whole hour had passed after the last flames went out before he managed to pull himself away.

At least, that's how I remember it.

"Well...?" Dusk said, snapping Virgil out of his memories. "You didn't answer me,"

"I guess I didn't actually see you...Y'know," Virgil couldn't finish the sentence. "But I remember you going into the burning building and the wall collapsing,"

"Yeah...Not my brightest moment," Dusk replied as she started to explain what really happened. "That wall fell on me, but don't forget, I'm tough. Maybe not as tough as Donner or your friend here, but I can take a hit. Or a wall..."

Dusk's story continued. The wall fell on her and the debris was heated by the flames. For a moment it looked like she'd either be crushed or burned alive. Then her fist burst out of the wreckage. She dug herself out, ignoring the pain all over her body. It would heal fast anyway. As she stood, she caught a glimpse of movement in front of her. When her vision got less blurry she saw a man there, with dark hair and some sort of opaque, yellow film covering his entire body, leaving only his head exposed.

"Oh, aren't you something...?" The man said with a sinister grin and an odd voice. Like something else was manipulating his mouth. Before Dusk could reply, the film tore itself off the man, giving off strange energy as it did. It wrapped itself around her body. Dusk could feel it enveloping her and trying to pierce her tough skin. She felt sudden dizziness then everything seemed to go numb. When she moved, it wasn't her causing it. She ran through the building, exiting through a wall on the opposite side where Static couldn't see. There was a strange voice in her head and all Dusk wanted to do was scream.

Dusk finished her story to incredulous looks from the others.

"So what the hell was that thing?" Shenice asked.

"Never could get a name out of her, but I knew she was a Bang Baby," Dusk answered. "Someone who got hit by that gas the same night as you, Static. She can absorb energy from other people's bodies or take them over entirely when the one she's riding in burns out. I wasn't her first victim, but I lasted the longest. For six whole months she made me hurt people...or worse. Eventually, it was too much for my body to handle and she moved on, expecting me to die. For real this time. But I recovered after a few weeks and tried to track her down. Not easy when she could be anybody,"

"Why not come to us for help?" Virgil asked with a frown. "You should've said something so I'd know...so I could help you,"

"After what I did to all those people..." Dusk looked down and shook her head. "I didn't think you'd want to see me again. Especially since you thought I was already gone,"

"But it wasn't you," Virgil said with a hurt look on his face. "It wouldn't have mattered. I would've understood. I do understand,"

"I know I was being stupid," Dusk confessed, holding back tears. "But the weeks turned into months and I guess I just thought you'd be better off without me,"

"We're friends. Nothing is gonna change that," Virgil said as he sat beside Dusk, putting an arm around her. "Nothing at all,"

"Yeah...Guess I'm not used to having a friend like you..." Dusk replied, wiping her eyes.

"So..." Richie said awkwardly after a silent moment had passed. "What about that person who was controlling you? What else do you know about her?"

"She never gave me her name so I've been calling her Snare, among other things. She's been body-jumping again recently. I managed to follow her trail back to Dakota but I lost her after she transferred to someone else. Some redhead girl," Dusk answered while running a hand through her hair.

"Redhead..." Virgil said slowly as he started to realize something. "When 'Snare' takes over someone's body. It'd leave them drained, right? Sorta tired all the time?"

"Yeah," Dusk said with a nod. "That's what happens to her victims."

"Damn...I think I know whose body she's in," Virgil said, standing up suddenly. "We have to get her outbefore it's too late!"

Meanwhile as midnight rolled in, Snare, using Frieda's body, clutched a woman by the throat. Tendrils of energy drained out of the woman into the yellow film that now tightly covered Frieda's body. After a minute, that woman was dropped on the ground in a comatose state. In her head, Frieda let out a cry of fright that went ignored by the metahuman controlling her.

"More," Snare said through Frieda's lips. "More,"

To be continued...