(A/N) Hey guys, sorry about the long delay for this chapter, especially as the fault can only be laid at my feet, as this one was one of mine. We were really busy last week with the end of Phase One: Genesis, and I was forced to direct all of my attentions at wrapping up that fic, putting this one aside for the time being, and I apologise. I just hope that what we've got coming up will serve as a satisfactory apology. With the stress of having to deal with running this fic, college, work and trying to balance a social life on top of that, alas, my writing time has been cut down severely lately.

As a result, I'm only going to write one more chapter myself, afterwards taking a step back and allowing others to write, however, I will continue to plot this fic. As a result, I'm looking for anyone interested in taking part in working on this fic to message me about potentially taking on a few chapters, joining our team. Just send me a PM and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!

Enjoy!

Chapter Fourteen - Calm Before the Storm

Dr Gavin Free / Vav

Written by NicKenny

"Sometimes it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes you don't even know it's there. And sometimes, it isn't. It's in those times that this world needs people like us." – The Horse Puncher (in response to the government's crackdown on vigilantism, before his disappearance from the public eye).

Gavin looked around his room despondently, sighing, before standing up and slowly making his way to the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of black coffee which he sipped with obvious distaste. He knew that he should be out there, searching for Michael and Ryan, but the thing was – the sad, pathetic thing – was that he didn't even know where to start. X-Ray and Vav were crime-fighters, not crime-solvers, great for clamping down on gangs, yet all but useless when an actual investigation was required.

Well, that wasn't quite fair to Ray, he was forced to admit. Ray's abilities could prove of use to the police and the FBI, his enhanced vision noticing things that the human eye would not pick up, and having the smarts to know what was important and what wasn't.

Gavin wasn't like that. The experimental serum that had granted him vastly increased strength, speed, endurance and improved reflexes hadn't affected his brain. He wasn't an idiot by any means, despite how he acted around his friends, the fact that he had made it through surgical college proved that. However…he lacked Ray's common sense, and Ray was his superhero partner, his teammate…but Michael was his best friend.

While he would never say it to him, knowing that it would just result in a torrent of mildly traumatising abuse, Gavin needed Michael around to keep him sane. Without Michael…the world just seemed a darker and more frightening place…

Damn, he was sounding like a wimp. He could almost hear Michael's insults now, to some extent he could probably just summarise them at this point, having suffered through them for years. Gavvy Wavvy joke, "Yo Mama" joke, gay joke, something about his lack of masculinity, poor British accent impersonation, "seriously though", another masculinity joke, something about him crying, followed by an apology.

Still…it was better when Michael was around. Even when he was at his most abusive, deep down, Gavin knew that he never really meant any of it, no matter how good a show he put on at times. Michael was his boy. That would never change.

He stood up and walked through his apartment, making his way to the front door and exiting, locking the door behind him. Can't be too careful, even if X-Ray and Vav had crushed most of the crime in Achievement City. Burglary still happened every day. After all, it was a big city. They couldn't be everywhere at once, to stop every petty crime.

Walking aimlessly through the streets for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably no more than half an hour or so, his brain eventually began to slow down, and he felt he could breathe once more. Passing by a shop that proudly proclaimed "Jamaal 5 in 1", Gavin was forced to pause for a moment to wonder who Jamaal could be, and what exactly the five in one referred to. Giving up on this universal mystery, he shrugged and turned away, continuing on his walk. He finally stopped outside a café that he and Michael normally went to after their shifts finished for a bite to eat before splitting. At least, that's what they used to do, before Michael met Lindsay, and suddenly he didn't have as much time to spend with Gavin.

Not that Gavin minded, he was just glad to see his boy happy, and besides, he liked Lindsay. She worked as a voice actress for some bizarre anime show, or something to that extent, and Gavin had like her from the moment he had met her, even though part of him ached at his replacement.

Okay, that definitely sounded weirder than he meant it to. What he meant was that…he was sad…because Michael had no more free time, which he had previously spent most of Gavin Free, a great guy to spend Free time with, aha, but…well…yeah. He missed him.

He walked into the café, greeted the server with familiarity, rolling his eyes when she asked were his friend was and relying that he was "too busy with the girlfriend", sitting down in the same seat that he always did and ordering the same thing he always did – coffee, black with two sugars, and a traditional crêpe. People like crêpes, he remarked mentally to himself, noticing that several other people were also tucking in with gusto into the fancy pancakes.

Actually, that may have been due to the fact that this place was a creperie, but Gavin preferred to entertain the notion that there was a secret society of crêpe eaters following him, and aimed a suspicious glare at the nearest one, an elderly lady, who carried on eating her lunch without the faintest sign of turning into a killer robot, much to Gavin's disappointment.

Picking up his knife and fork, he began to eat, savouring the familiar taste, until and even more familiar voice broke his contemplation of the supreme tastiness of this particular crêpe.

"I've spent the last two hours calling your phone, trying to get a hold of you, you know," the voice remarked accusingly, as a shadow fell over Gavin's table. Sighing, he looked up at Ray, his right hand reaching into his pocket, withdrawing his phone, which supported Ray's claim, eighteen missed calls displayed, the bold font staring at him disapprovingly.

"Sorry man," Gavin sighed, still looking down, unable to meet his friend's reproving gaze. "Just…haven't been myself today. Bit shaken up by all this faffing about recently. Just…" he trailed off, and finally looked up. Ray was taken aback by how tired his partner looked, but did his best not to show it. However, some trace of his surprise must have betrayed him, for Gavin simply sighed, looking away, saying:

"I know, I look like I've been absolutely mullered. Haven't been able to sleep, really, over the last few days. Not been able to eat either…not without throwing it up afterwards. Not since we took down the Enderwolf. Just can't stop wondering: What else is out there? Who else is after us?" He took a deep breath to steady himself and glanced back over at Ray.

"I'm scared, Ray."

Ray's brow furrowed, not quite able to believe what he was hearing. For Vav, his partner in heroics, the scourge of Achievement City's criminal underworld, to be admitting this to him…well, it made him realise how badly the recent attacks had affected him.

"Come on man, don't be ridiculous," Ray murmured gently, reassuringly. "We beat them, didn't we? The Feds have the Enderwolf, Adam, or whatever the hell his name is, in custody right now. We saved the day, yet again!"

Gavin stared at him and sighed once more, clearly unconvinced by his friends reasoning. "But what about next time? You know they're going to be back. They're not going to let up, just because we set them back a bit. And we didn't save Ryan or Michael. God only knows what's happened to them," he finished mournfully, digging into his pocket and removing the bullet that he had caught after their fight with the Enderwolf, regarding it mournfully.

"I thought you were supposed to hand that over to J-Roll?" Ray asked, slightly exasperated but not at all surprised by his friend's actions.

Gavin just snorted and pocketed it once more, shaking his head. "What good would that do? We know fired it, and why. What could it possibly tell us?"

Ray conceded the point, and sat down across from Gavin, still looking worried. "Look man, we'll find them, I promise. And if those Community bastards dare to try and go up against us again, do you know what we're going to do?"

Gavin looked up at him slowly, curious despite himself, smiling slightly. "What?" he asked tentatively, as Ray began to grin.

"We're going to kick their asses! Because that's what we do! And every time they get back up again and try to take us on, we'll just not them back down again," and here his voice dropped to a whisper. "We're X-Ray and Vav! No one's ever been able to touch us, and they never will!"

His friend nodded, smiling, and finished his crêpe, signalling to the waitress that he'd like to pay his bill, and not a word was exchanged between the two until they had left the creperie, when Gavin finally turned to him with a look of determination on his face.

"You're right, Ray. We'll find them. The Community won't know what's hit them, well knock them back so hard!"

Ray grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder, and the two began walking through the streets, chatting aimlessly, somewhat lessoning the sense of dread and unease that had fallen over both recently. However, as they walked, they were completely unaware of the presence following them, watching their every move, its eyes locked firmly on them, just as shark watches its own prey as it moves closer and closer, its teeth chomping in anticipation.

The Community weren't going to let up, and the concept was so alien to them that it hadn't even entered their minds. X-Ray and Vav had defeated them once again, but instead of warning them off, this only made them more determined to destroy the two heroes. They had a moment's peace, while the Community regrouped and planned their next assault.

But make no mistake, this was merely the calm before the storm, the brief moment of recuperation before the tide rose and swept away all that sought to hold it back, reshaping the world before it.

They had no idea of the forces that were stacked against them. They did not have a clue what sort of beast they had just awoken. But as the man followed them down the street, just another tourist walking through Achievement City, he couldn't help but give a wry grin. The Enderwolf was just the beginning. He had much worse in store for them, before he'd reveal himself and ensure that the last thing they thought of was his name.

Shadlz.