Title: No Regrets
Fandom: Static Shock
Characters: Pops, Virgil/Richie
Prompt: #09 (Months)
Word Count: 500
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock or the Justice League.
Author's Notes: m/m, drabble, Virgil's POV. Following the story arc for "Unaffected" and all if its sister fics. I thought, why not, ya know. This one needs to be read in sequence after the others. Hopefully, I'll be able to wrap this up soon. A drabble created for the Lj community known as fanfic100. Unedited and unbeta'd.
No Regrets
"It's been three months since that infamous moment when our two of Dakota's most respected individuals went to war with each other. Since then, we have had several of the Justice League patrolling our streets, and the revelation that Alva Industries was the main culprit behind the first Big Bang due to unethical and unsafe business practices. Today, Lex Luthor has announced his acquisition of Alva Ind-"
With a flick of his wrist, Virgil cut the small television off.
"It's been three months. In three years, it will still be a topic of conversation. In thirty, though, most people will have forgotten it. But what about you?" Pops asked as he sat down at the kitchen table.
"I'm not concerned with people remembering it or forgetting it." Virgil answered quietly. "I'm mostly concerned with people getting past it."
"Oh?"
"I mean, I know why the League has been riding on… Richie," Virgil informed him, finding an orange to peel while he talked. In the time since the incident at Alva's facility, he had been avoiding his father. He had needed to, just so that he had more time to figure things out. Figure himself out. "At first I didn't, and it pissed me off. But now I get it and I understand it, and… even though I don't like it, I accept it."
"And Richie?" Pops asked, concerned.
"Richie… hasn't talked about it yet. I think he's still sorting things out. Plus, he's been pretty busy with their pet projects. Which, funny enough, he's getting paid for even if Static isn't getting a dime for protecting Dakota."
"So, it's now become a job for him?"
"If you mean in the sense that it pays him wages, yes," Virgil answered as he nodded. He began pulling the orange apart. "But if you mean in the sense that it's become tiring and bothersome, no. He enjoys what he does."
"Because he's good at it," Pops agreed.
"Exactly."
"So… why do you think they've been riding him so hard?"
"Because of me," Virgil answered. He popped one of the slices into his mouth, enjoying the way the tart juices filled his mouth.
"That's… a bit arrogant, don't you think?"
"Mmm," Virgil nodded as he swallowed. "I wondered, you know. At first, I thought that they were punishing him because they couldn't punish me, because I have a more real, flashy kind of power."
"But?"
"But, over the months since then, I've realized… it's because I won't do anything extreme without him there. I'm more moderated. I don't have him there to back me up," the young superhero said slowly. "And because he isn't in any danger, I know that he's going to be back at the lab."
"So, it's to punish you?" Pops asked. "Why?"
"Because." Virgil answered, his eyes on the orange's remains. "I don't regret killing all of those people. In fact… I'd do it again."
He looked up to his father, his soul naked and afraid, but holding no regrets.