Whew, more Static. You know that overwhelmed feeling you get when you realize just how much you need to write to get from point A to point B and it feels overwhelmingly daunting? I'm drowning in it right now lol So I hope to God I'm not rushing in this story D: Patience is a virtue, right? Well, let me know what you think 3 You're reviews keep me going; I don't mind if it's just to mention the weather, it reminds me I'm not writing to no one C:

-Also, I'll have you know I rewrote this chapter twice cause I wanted to get it right D: I'm really nervous about it right now as it is cause I don't want to mess up. The first version seemed off so it was rewritten and taken a different direction D:

Against the Odds-

It was early sunset by the time the duo made it to Phoenix, and about an hour before they got there, Hotstreak noticed the electric hero testing his powers in the seat next to him. He didn't comment and let the hero concentrate; he'd being doing the same thing if he were in his shoes.

They pulled in to a parking garage in the late afternoon, Static making sure he wasn't easily recognizable as his hero persona, and milled around downtown until they spotted an internet cafe. Static explained to Hotstreak that they really didn't want to be holding onto the data, and they would just need to sort through it to get what they wanted and then they would ditch the drive.

Jamming the flash drive into the laptop's side, Static opened the folder and started searching. From the intense look in Virgil's eyes, Hotstreak figured this was going to take a while and bothered to ask, trying his best not to sound whiney, "So how long's this going to take?"

Static didn't look up and shrugged, "Not sure, but judging from the size of this file, I'd say more than an hour."

Hotstreak tried not to audibly groan, but Static noticed his discontent anyway and offered, "I saw a bar on the corner, what do you say you hang out down there and I'll come find you. It's not like you can help here anyways."

Shoulder's lifting in excitement, Hotstreak grinned, "Yes!"

Static sighed, "Don't be so depressed about it."

Hotstreak didn't bother to hide his change of mood and moved past Static to the entrance, slapping his hand down on his shoulder and thrumming, "See you in a few then." Static's had to work to pretend to stay concentrated on the screen in front of him as Hotstreak's fingers idly trailed from his shoulder off his back. It was a short, casual gesture, and Virgil wasn't even sure if Hotstreak did it on purpose, but as the front door swung open, Static was still tense from the fiery trails his fingers had left on his shoulder. Resisting the urge to look out the window as he passed by, Static rolled his shoulder to relieve the feeling so he could concentrate on the task at hand.

Hotstreak swung into the bar in complete confidence and sat down right in front of the bar, content to sip the cold beer he'd just gotten as he relaxed. He had a fake ID sure, but most people didn't question his age when he walked into a bar anyway; he'd always looked older than he was.

Lazily leaning back in the chair, Hotstreak's eyes floated up towards the sports network on the plasma near the ceiling. He'd never been that enthralled in sports, but it was always amusing to him to watch other beat the crap out of each other. As the time ate away, Hotstreak found himself so engrossed in the sport on the screen ahead of him, along with the loud chatter of the people around him, that he didn't notice Static until he was sitting next to him.

Hotstreak turned in the chair until he could read his expression, "You find what you needed?"

Static frowned and licked his lips, "I got it, but it's gonna be difficult." Sighing Static picked up Hotstreaks beer and weighed it in his hands, unhappy with the amount in the bottle he set it back on the table as he waved the bartender over and ordered something stronger.

Hotstreak raised an eyebrow at the fake ID he flashed and commented dryly, "You didn't seem the type."

"All Richie; figured it would come in handy. Right now I'm thanking all the heavenly powers."

Static poured himself a shot and stared down into it and muttered, "Really difficult," before downing it in one gulp and moving on to another. After pouring the third, he left it and fell back in the chair. Hotstreak fumbled for words as he grilled, "Where is he?"

Static was feeling the effect of the alcohol as he rubbed his eyes, "He's in deep; they have him at Langley."

"I'm not fluent in 'smart' Static, fill me in."

Static let out a dramatic sigh as he met his eyes, "That would be the F.B.I."

Hotstreak felt his stomach plummet, "You're shitting me."

A hysterical laugh bubbled from his chest, as he muttered darkly, hand on the next shot, "I shit you not."

Watching Static down the burning alcohol, Hotstreak looked between the bottle and the hero before making up his mind and moving the bottle away from him, "Okay that's enough of that."

Watching him seriously Hotstreak asked, "What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know." Static's yes were slightly glazed as his gaze burned holes in the surface of the bar.

Finishing off his beer and paying off the bartender, Hotstreak dragged his friend away from the bar and intended on taking him back out to the street. Static didn't argue and followed after him like a lost puppy. Hotstreak let him lean up against the brick wall at the front of the bar and asked, "How much dough do we have?"

Static closed his eyes like he was trying to remember before giving up hand handing over his wallet. Hotstreak counted the bills and decided they had plenty for the time being, and at the moment, Static needed a moment alone in the privacy of a hotel room to pull himself together.

Hotstreak pushed the wallet back in his hand as the hero replaced it and the pyro was feeling the beginnings of annoyance as a rather beautiful african american girl, or woman, it was hard for him to tell these days, sauntered up to Static.

Looking him up and down, Hotstreak felt a rise of irritation at her interest in the electric hero, "Mmmm boy, you are fine." Smiling past her shining purple lipstick, she was all charm, "What's your name?"

Virgil fronted a smile and turned on the charm; charm and humor Hotstreak was beginning to notice was Virgil's sanctuary, "Virgil."

She stepped closer, the light drink in her hand a top off that she was out for a night of man shopping, "Hmm, I'm Raven."

Hotstreak decided to intervene as he positioned himself between Raven and Static, his voice was dripping with fake kindness, "That's nice, now Virgil is leaving."

Dragging Virgil away by his wrist Raven shot him a deadly glare and turned heel and left them both in a storm of female rejection. Glad they weren't staying in the bar anymore, Hotstreak let go of Virgil's arm and let him follow him to a nice little hidden hotel. Paying for their room and organizing the room key ect. Hotstreak only had to deal with a few strange looks before they got to their room.

Static looked emotionally spent, and the depressant running rampant in his system wasn't going to be solving any problems. Static almost tripped over the threshold of the room before catching himself and falling to the bed. Leaning forward on his knees Static slurred, "Thanks Hotstreak." The room held only one queen sized bed, but it was much nicer than the hotel they'd stayed at before and that fact alone had kept Hotstreak from spending double on a room with two beds. Not that it was his money anyway.

Francis lifted his arms in a shrug, "Don't mention it." Now that they were both alone and away from the sights and sounds of the city, Hotstreak realized just how hammered Virgil was. Sitting down next to him with his hands on the edge, Hotstreak ventured, "Hey man, you okay?"

Taking a shuddering sigh, Static mumbled, "mmfine." When he met Hotstreak's eyes, the pyrokinetic felt his stomach flip at the intensity of his gaze, his dark eyes glassy and haunted. Feeling intimidated, Hotstreak leaned back and tired to keep the uncertain wavering out of his voice, "Virgil?"

Virgil moved his gaze to his lips at the sound of his name and took a deep breath, hands clenching as the tension strengthened between the two metahumans. Francis felt like he was breathing through a straw and each breath was more difficult to take under his dark gaze. He couldn't discern the emotion in the other's eyes, and it made him uneasy.

Hotstreak was caught completely by surprise when Virgil curled a fist in his shirt and flung him flat to the bed, swinging one leg over his middle and moving the majority of his weight on top of him. Hotstreak was too stunned to move when the hero leaned down so his nose was next to his neck, his dreads falling over his shoulders to cover his face.

Hotstreak tensed, mind blank as he fought for control over his body, to move, to push him off, to do anything but just lay there. But his body seemed unresponsive for the moment as Static moved to look down into his eyes, hesitating before crushing his lips to Hotstreaks. Hotstreak curled his fingers in the comforter, his heart rate bordering on panic as he closed his eyes. Lips numbing under the contact with the electric metahuman, Hotstreak felt Static relax his hand on his chest, spreading his fingers from the crushing grip he'd had on his shirt to an open palm.

For some reason, that touch alone undid Hotstreak's paralysis and he was confused at the things he was feeling from Static. Concentrating, Hotstreak kept his body heat under strict control, careful that his flare in mood didn't cause him to accidently catch fire. His lips literally tingling from the contact, Hotstreak swallowed and mumbled flatly as Virgil broke the kiss with heavy pants, body still tense with shock, "You kissed me..."

Static straightened his arms on either side of Hotstreak's shoulders and answered simply, his voice still heavily slurred and coated in the scent of alcohol, "I wanted to." His eyebrows bunched in confusion as Static sprawled out on his chest. Hotstreak held his breath and stayed as still as he could, swallowing heavily at the comfortable weight on his chest.

Licking his lips, Hotstreak edged, "Uhh Virgil?"

Virgil made a noise and sat up, his nose inches from Hotstreak. The pyro was confused when the hero gave him a goofy smile, "You have pretty eyes."

Hotstreak worked up the courage to grip his shoulders, rolling him off of him and onto the bed next to him, "Okaaay, that's nice." Mumbling mostly to himself, "I don't think you know what you're doing."

Static didn't hear his comment and rested his arms over his stomach and kept looking up at the ceiling, his tone turning morose, "I'm going to fail."

Hotstreak was unprepared for how to deal with this side of Static much less his extreme mood changes; he was still recovering from the kiss; the kiss he would think about later. Propping himself up on his elbow he tried his best to go for sympathetic, "Woah, woah, that...that's not gonna happen. All we gotta do is go get the geek back, and everything's fine."

Static's voice was nearly inaudible as he whispered, "What if it's not?"

Hotstreak answered slowly, thinking out his response as he said it, "Just sleep it off, we'll deal with this tomorrow. You got me, and...everything will work out."

Static swallowed and took a shaky breath, "Kay."

By the time Hotstreak built up the courage to face him, he was already asleep. Smiling grimly, Hotstreak felt an anxious knot tie in his chest; He was not looking forward to morning. He was going to have to figure out which way was up if Static remembered what happened. He probably wouldn't, but he couldn't be so sure. Mentally kicking himself, he took note that the hero might be able to take a punch but he couldn't hold his liqueur.

Turning the subject in his mind, Hotstreak realized that kiss had changed everything. All his subtle glances and brushes were because he'd been wanting that all along. Static was the one person he'd ever known who had every really understood him, and cared enough to get to know him for who he really was.

But that attraction he'd felt to the hero had only begun recently, an attraction he now knew to be far too real. And it shook him to his very core. Previously, he'd dealt with relationships by deflecting his feelings with anger or acting like they didn't exist.

His relationship with Aquamaria had been disastrous, he'd been so desperate to keep her close he'd taken away her one shot at happiness. Even though she'd found a way back to being human, he was still feeling guilt over the accident, if he could even call it that. He'd been too selfish to see anything other than what he wanted. Not that that aspect of his life had ever changed.

Now that Static was in the picture, he didn't want to screw up. He'd always screwed everything else up, and there was a flicker of hope that maybe he wouldn't screw this up. Even if Static wouldn't mention it outside of the influence of a drug, now he knew that the hero was at least a little attracted to him. That was information he could live with.

But for the time being, Hotstreak decided to deal with all this like all his problems previously; he put it on hold. Anxiety keeping him awake, Hotstreak had a difficult time falling asleep, the adrenaline rushing in his system far from wearing down. Eventually he must have passed out though because the next time he opened his eyes it was bright in the room.

Feeling worse for wear from his lack of peaceful sleep, Hotstreak immediately searched the room for his problem. Static was nowhere to be found in the room and a card key was missing from the dresser, so Hotstreak assumed he'd gone out briefly.

It was almost noon when Virgil slid the key and pushed open the door. He looked tired, but if he remembered their encounter last night, he was a brilliant actor. Nevertheless, Hotstreak ventured to ask, "Soo last night?"

Static frowned and took a long gulp of coffee before setting it down on the dresser, "I woke up to a strange room and a splitting headache, so I left to find aspirin. As far as I'm concerned there was no last night, but there was definitely a morning." He didn't remember.

Hotstreak had to focus to keep his sigh of relief from being too obvious, but Static didn't notice his efforts. Handing him a bag Static explained in detail, "Tacos." He'd brought him back about 6 normal tacos with a side of chips for lunch and Hotstreak figured the hero had either skipped food or already eaten.

Hotstreak decimated their ranks, even eating the little cups of salsa as Static fell back to the mattress, eyebrows scrunched from his headache. When Hotstreak was done with his lunch he tossed the trash onto the dresser by the tv cause the wastebasket was at just the wrong angle for him to throw it and actually make it.

Hotstreak wasn't sure if he should bring up their future plans just yet, so he picked up his key and left for a walk, content to let Virgil nap away his hangover now that he was aided by aspirin.

Not sure if he was asleep or not, Hotstreak was mindful of how loud he was as he tugged the door shut behind him and started at a brisk pace to the lobby.

Walking always helped Hotstreak think, and he was in dire need of some soul searching. He'd already decided he wasn't going to screw this up, and the longer Hotstreak walked and the more time he had to think about it, he was beginning to see that if he was going to make this work, he was going to have to go against his instincts and wait. He'd always been impulsive, but he didn't think this situation called for it. He wasn't sure about how to go about any of this relationship business that was as foreign to him as astrophysics.

If he really wanted to be with Virgil, and from the positive things he felt around the other, he was pretty sure he did, then eh was going to have to let Virgil move first. Technically he already had, but Hotstreak wanted him to know he'd made the first move. If Virgil had feelings for him, he would help him figure out what to do. Hotstreak had to hope that he would. All he could do now was hope and wait...and get Foley back, that was important too...without dying in the process.

Sorry it was kinda short, but please review and let me know what you think; I take everyone's ideas and opinions into consideration! And this is where the speed of their relationship gets tricky D: I'm trying not to get too OOC D: