Static Shock Issue 5: Hijacked
By Calvin Burrell
Can't panic right now, I've gotta stay focused. My old partner just came back from the dead and it looks like the body snatching villain she was kidnapped by just took over my best friend. If we can find her, maybe we can save her. We have to.
"Any sign of her yet?" Static asked into his headset. Cold wind rushed by him as he flew on his disc. Dusk stood just behind him, holding on tightly to his body.
"Nothing yet, bro," Gear replied into his helmet. His rocket-propelled roller blades had him soaring over rooftops as She-bang ran and leapt across them. "Backpack's triangulating the location of Frieda's cell phone. Hopefully, she's got it on her. Are you at her house yet?"
"Just got here," Static answered as he arrived and circled around. He and Dusk floated by the window to Frieda's room and saw it was empty. "Damn! She's not here!"
"We're getting close, just stay cool, alright?" Gear replied to his friend, who he knew would be worrying about Frieda's safety. Gear looked down, expecting to see She-Bang keeping up with him. Instead, she was still a few rooftops back. He landed on a roof to let her catch up.
"Why're we stopping?" She-bang asked, after leaping the gap across from the next roof over and sounding uncharacteristically out of breath. "Did they find Virgil's friend?"
"No, but...you okay?" Gear asked.
"Yeah. Let's get moving. We gotta find this girl, don't we?" She-bang replied sharply.
"Do you want me to..." Gear made a vague gesture with his arms, implying his intention. She-bang rolled her eyes and reluctantly allowed Gear to carry her.
"When did you get so heavy..." Gear muttered under his breath, but She-bang heard him anyway.
"Watch it, gadget boy. Just cause you're carrying me, doesn't mean I can't...wait, look down there!" She-bang held off on her threat when she saw their target below. Snare had a man pinned against a wall as she drained energy from him, using Frieda's body as a vehicle. She-bang pushed out of Gear's arms and let herself fall towards the ground. She flipped, and landed on her feet, leaving cracks in the street. Gear touched down just behind her, looking surprised at the amount of force she landed with. Snare turned to see the heroes that had just landed and grinned.
"Now what do we have here...?" she snarled through Frieda's mouth.
"Static, we found her," Gear said into his helmet as She-bang raised her fists. "You better get here quick,"
"Oh yeah, call your friends. Let's have a party," Snare said, raising Frieda's arms. Blasts of energy shot out, striking Gear and forcing him to the ground.
"She can do that!?" She-bang said, not at all expecting the sudden attack.
"She can do that..." Gear confirmed sorely.
Frieda's face was pulled into a menacing grin as she clenched her fists...
Takes too long to get around this way, even at my top speed. If I go any faster, Dusk is gonna squeeze me like toothpaste guessing by how tight she's holding already. But this is Frieda we're talking about. I'm not about to let some meta human nutcase hijack her.
When Static arrived, Gear was dazed and lying on the hood of a car while Snare had She-bang by the throat, draining energy out of her.
"You!" Dusk yelled. She leapt from the disc as Static landed, charging right at Frieda.
"Wait!" Static yelled, but Dusk was on his friend already, pelting the yellow film around her body with blows. The meta human that had taken over Frieda's body also greatly increased her strength and she easily smacked Dusk aside.
"If it isn't my favourite ride. Thought I killed you..." Snare said, putting a curious expression on Frieda's face. "Guess I'll have to suck you dry again,"
Snare took a step but then found a wall of electrical energy blocking her. She turned to see Static attempting to block her in.
"You must be Static. Gotta do better than that Sparky," Snare said as she blasted back. The energy knocked the teen hero off his disc.
"Didn't know you could do that..." Static muttered as he tried to stand.
"There's plenty I can do. Let me show you," Snare said as she hit him with a stronger blast. She then leapt at him, pinned him to the ground.
"Get back!" Static yelled as his body let off a charge. The force sent Snare tumbling back as she let out a cry of pain in Frieda's voice.
Dammit. Gotta remember Frieda's still in there. Every time I hurt Snare, she feels it too.
Dusk, however didn't seem to want to hold back. She returned, tackling Snare to the ground. The two traded blows as they rolled before Dusk was able to shove Snare away as she stood. Snare started letting loose energy blasts that Dusk blocked with her shield. Pieces of it started to chip off as Snare let off a continuous stream of energy. Frieda tried to call for help from within, but could only watch as the shield broke apart. Then she felt pain from the side as Static's metal disc struck her. It hurts, but she knew it hurt the one controlling her more. She cheered on her friend, much to the annoyance of Snare.
"I want you off of my friend," Static said as the disc returned to him. "Got a nice jail cell for you to occupy instead,"
"No. She's mine now! I'm going to use the life of your pathetic little friend and if I decide to be nice, you can have what's left!" Snare growled as she shot energy at Static. He put up an electrical shield that absorbed the blast. Meanwhile, Frieda was trying to break out, causing Snare to lose focus. Cracks began to appear over Frieda's body.
"This is our chance!" Dusk yelled. "Pour it on!"
Static then let off lightning from his hands. His attack made contact with Snare's and the two energies sparked fiercely. The meeting point of the two forces pushed slowly towards Snare. She let out an angry yell as it hit her. Static kept releasing more energy as Dusk ran forward. There was a bright flash of light and a thunderous boom as she leapt. When Static's vision returned, he saw Dusk and Frieda on the ground a distance away and Snare standing on her own, now a figure made entirely of the yellow film that had covered Frieda's body.
"Had enough yet?" Static said with a grin.
"Don't be stupid, kid. You didn't force me out, I let her go," Snare replied as she charged at Static. "Now I want you instead. I want your power,"
"Whatever makes you feel better, lady," Static said as Snare grabbed him. "But if you want it so bad, take it!"
Static's eyes glowed as electrical energy arced from him to Snare. At first she smiled evilly, absorbing the energy, but the output was quickly too much.
"No! Stop!" Snare protested as she tried to let go.
"But I've got so much to give!" Static spat back as he put his hands on her, forcing the energy right into her body. "This is for what you did to my friends, and everyone else!"
Snare screamed as the power overloaded her. All the energy she had stolen exploded out of her body, shooting a bright, multicoloured spire of light into the sky. She fell to the ground, now looking like a normal human as smoke drifted from around her body.
What a night. I think I need to take a nap for the next few years. Still, we stopped the villain, saved Frieda and Dusk is back. Couldn't ask for a better ending. The police have Snare locked up tight and she won't be going anywhere for a long time. She-bang was pretty pissed about getting beat twice in one night, but we all have our bad days. Guess there's only one thing left to do...
Static, Gear, Dusk and She-Bang were back in the abandoned gas station. Gear and She-bang were clearly tired and wanted to go home, but Static had told them he had something important to say.
"So what is it?" She-bang asked, fiddling with her gloves.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Gear asked curiously.
"Well...it's about Dusk, actually," Static said, causing her to look his way. "This might be sudden, with you just getting back and all but, I was hoping you stick around for a while. Maybe join our team?"
"You really want me to...?" Dusk asked with a hint of a smile. "Well, it's been a while but I miss our little superhero team-ups."
"Is that a yes?" Static asked hopefully.
"It's a hell yes," Dusk said grinningly. The two old friends hugged as Gear and She-bang looked on.
"All's well that ends well, I guess..." Gear said. Part of him still wanted to be angry at Dusk for how she left Virgil, but seeing how easily his friend forgave made him change his mind.
"Yeah...Hey, I''ll see you guys later, alright?" She-bang said as she walked out. She walked faster than usual, but no one seemed to notice. Once a certain distance away, she removed one of her gloves, looking at her hand. The skin was tinged grey and looked denser than it should be, even for her. She opened and closed her fist, looking at her hand with a worried expression.