Static Shock Fan Fiction ❯ Watch The Sky ❯ Chapter Six ( Chapter 6 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Manga-Chick 
rated for extreme violence; character death.
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.19.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 264 | Status: Completed
rated for extreme violence; character death.
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.19.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 264 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN STATIC AND OTHER ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS! Dwayne McDuffie and WB and Milestone do in...their various ways.
Warning: profanity, darkness, slash
Chapter Six
At the first shriek of male agony, Richard jerked himself awake. He lifted his head upon hearing Shiv shriek continuously, Talon crying out in Spanish. Raucous male laughter rang out then was silenced when a sharp slap cut through the air. Multiple voices carried out beyond the car wall, arousing Richard’s interest. He stiffly sat up, hearing Shiv protest in a whiny voice as Talon continued speaking in Spanish, another female voice joining in from time to time. He grabbed his glasses, wiping his eyes clean before slipping on the black rims.
The makeshift cell was set within one of the subway cars, the windows barred tightly and the door locked with chains. Richard had seen that it was someone’s room, but he had no idea whose–the trio hadn’t a place to set him, so Talon had locked him here. Ebon had disappeared a while after they’d settled, and Richard had fallen asleep, having trouble in doing so. He kept wondering if his parents had missed him yet, and was troubled over what he’d learned. He was positive that Osgoode was helping Virgil as Static. As for why Virgil had that role and how Osgoode had discovered the secret was a genuine mystery.
He was hurt that Osgoode had kept such a secret from him. But it certainly explained so many things…another thing that bothered him was knowing that Osgoode had certainly told Virgil what Richard thought of Static; it would just be more fuel for Osgoode to have in keeping his friendship with the other teen, something that made Richard feel miserable. It just felt as if he’d given the pair another reason to conspire against him, ensuring that distance from his brother.
He shifted over to the barred windows, looking out to see that another group of metahumans had entered the hideout; they were familiar as well, Richard squinting to catch a better sight of them. A black teenage girl with twin pigtails atop of her head, a massive seemingly non-human man, and two other men that had their backs to him. Richard glumly held onto the bars, wondering what they were doing and what they planned on doing to him. Their plans in luring Static into their clutches by using him made him feel sick; he wasn’t sure what they were capable of, and what they planned on doing to lure Static to them.
Ebon appeared from the shadows, snapping at the new group as he flung a full paper bag at Shiv. Yelling ensured, and Richard watched with interest as the black girl’s lower half turned into some sort of purple mist, the larger man setting himself firmly into the concrete, the other black man posing to jump, the last cackling in sneering regard. Richard wasn’t sure what was being said, as everyone was talking at once.
He looked away as Shiv walked over, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. He rattled a bottle of the proposed medication that Talon had gotten for Richard last night, and held up a bottle of water. “Hey there, sleepy head! Time for your meds! Gotta take ‘em quick, cuz you gotta long day ahead of ya! It takes a lotta energy for being a victim, y’know.”
Richard sighed, glumly taking the bottle of water and the single pill that Shiv dumped into his hand. He hid the medication as Shiv looked away. Richard handed the water back, holding up a cigarette. Shiv fumbled his pockets for his lighter and held the flame up so Richard could use it. Exhaling slowly, Richard disappeared from Shiv’s sight by sitting awkwardly on the hard floor. He glared at the glowing ember of his cigarette as he heard shouting reach loud volume. Shiv hurried away with a bellow of his own.
He finished off the cigarette, stamping it out on the floor and flicking the butt away. He hoped that efforts were being made to recover him because he really wanted to go back home. He missed his family, worried over Osgoode’s future due to this revelation. He wasn’t certain if these people knew Static’s real identity, but he was sure they’d figure it out once they somehow found out about Osgoode. The thought of his brother’s safety being compromised by the revelation of his identity gave him chills. It was bad enough they’d had troubles with bullies in the past–to have metahumans on them was a completely different situation.
He sat up once he realized the car was being approached and looked out at Ebon scowling in his direction. He felt a little hopeful once he realized that Talon was fending off the other black girl, and Shiv was engaged into a battle with the larger metahuman and the other black man with large feet. Their names escaped him at the moment as Ebon peered at him cautiously.
“You on your meds?” Ebon demanded over a loud crash of sound. “You ain’t all kooky?”
“It depends on your definition of ‘kooky’,” Richard mumbled, looking down so that he wasn’t breathing his morning breath into the criminal’s face. “Please let me go. I don’t have any involvement with Static.”
“Right. And we’re just as blind as you are. Now look–once we get all organized, your cooperation will make things a little more easier for all of us. Especially on you. This clear?”
Richard nodded grimly, clutching the bars tightly. “What are you going to do?”
“I ain’t revealin’ nothin’ on you.” At another unsettling crash of sound, Ebon whirled around with a snarl and stomped off, hollering for order. Richard slumped against the wall with a groan, glumly wondering if Static would even make a mad effort once he realized that he wasn’t Osgoode. After his reaction the other night, why should Static make the effort? Maybe the other teen would figure that having him out of the way would ensure Osgoode’s entire attention on him.
He rose again as he realized that it was growing quiet. Peering out, he saw that Ebon was calmly explaining his plan to all present. They were some distance away, the echo within the underground area making it hard for Richard to catch what was being said. He squinted as he pressed his forehead against the bars, straining his ears. Hearing footsteps coming toward him from the other direction, he shifted to see one of the other men approaching him, eyebrow cocked in interest. Richard gaped at him, clutching the bars with both hands.
“Please let me out!” he pleaded. “I have absolutely nothing to do with Static!”
“ ‘Please let me out’,” the other mocked, then snorted. “Man, you sound like a dork. Why should I let you out? Maybe you should just rot there.”
Richard frowned, tightening his lips. “Wow, somebody’s on the rag. Do you know my mom?”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I beat up on jokes like you for breakfast, dweeb. I’d suggest watching what you say to me from now on. I mean, I could have a change of heart in your current predicament,” the other said with a sneering grin.
Richard grew hopeful. “Really?”
“…not.”
Ri chard sighed, shoulders slumping. But he didn’t look away because even if he were in danger, he certainly felt a pique of interest in the other male. He was the height he liked, built strongly, and despite the fact that he wasn’t all that good-looking, there was just something in his face that Richard really liked. The more he took in, the more he realized that only one eye was focused on him–the left was focused in another direction. The color of amber was almost similar to his gold, but seemed almost brown. Richard wondered what diagnosis went with that particular detail, unbothered by his ‘lazy eye’. It just made the man more interesting.
It was also a little delightful in that the other hadn’t looked away from him, either. Richard gave a shy smile, straightening to lean against the bars, peering up into the right eye to focus on him.
“I’m open for negotiations as a reward for letting me go,” he said in a coy tone.
The other gave a startled look, openly growing insulted when Ebon popped up behind him, shoving him away from the car. Richard sighed once more as they started to bellow at each other, Talon stomping over with an irritated expression. Richard noticed, with personal amusement, that she’d changed from her purple monstrosities to something more fitting with her orange color. She refused to acknowledge him, self-consciously placing a clawed hand on her hip as she gave the men a disgusted snort.
“Are we going to do this, or what? You done comparing balls?” she shrieked, feathers fluttering about. “We waste more time with both of you fighting than concentrating on our next mission!”
Ebon whirled on her, shoving the head of the other man with an annoyed snarl. As Talon glowered at him, the other black teen stomped over. She adjusted her mid-riff baring top, straightening the belly-button jewel that sparkled brilliantly.
“She’s right, you know,” she muttered, reaching into one pocket to reapply her grape-scented lipgloss. After rolling and smacking her lips, she put the tube back. “We spend more time waiting on both your egos than we do with our plans!”
“Chill, Puff. Damn,” Ebon muttered. “Have your crew ready where I told you. Make sure you make a big enough distraction for my boy to be placed where I discussed. Then we go from there.”
“Right. Let’s go, Hot Head. Leave the pretty man alone. Ebon’s made it quite clear he don’t want your ass.”
Both men went into undignified sputters while Talon snickered, Puff smiling with glee. Richard watched Puff wave in the other men. When Hotstreak walked by him, Richard managed a goofy smile and called out “’Bye!” to his back. Talon eyed him with a frown, but Richard wasn’t bothered. He kept watching the other until he couldn’t see him anymore.
Ebon looked at him in annoyance, Richard managing to focus on him with some effort. “Your boy Static is goin’ down. Hope ya ready for it.”
There was a loud banging noise of a door slamming shut, the entire hideout ringing with silence that was customary to the trio occupying it. Richard shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the bars with an almost bored expression. “Will you try to kill me?”
Ebon’s shadowy expression was grim. “If it has to come down to it. One less white boy to bother with. But them news folk will make it pretty. They always do for your folk.”
Gripped with fear, Richard stared up at him, clutching the bars tightly. “You wouldn’t…you can’t do that!”
“Why not?” Ebon questioned, turning away from him. “I’d do anything to bring that hero down.”
Clenching his teeth, Richard watched him and Talon walk off. He slumped against the wall, wondering how he was going to get out of this situation. Just as he was going to wander the car to kill some time, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. His skin turned clammy. The sensation of not being alone hit him suddenly, with the full force of a punch to a gut. His eyes widened, stiffening as he realized that They were in the area.
01010011
Osgoode raced toward the last comic book shop on his list. His parents were at the mall, cooperating with the security force there in an effort to look for their son. He’d asked for the task of looking into the places where he knew Richard frequented. Osgoode was feeling panicky the more hours passed and Virgil was still out of touch. His emotions felt completely unstable as his brother stayed missing and his best friend continued to ignore him. He didn’t like the feeling at all.
He found the store and nervously asked his questions. It was hard for him to talk to people–he usually relied on either Virgil or Richard to do so. Talking to people required his eye contact, for a lift in his voice. Osgoode had always been too nervous and shy to do either, finding it entirely disconcerting to connect with some other human being whose intentions were a mystery. No matter whether it was a cashier in a random grocery store or a teacher.
Osgoode just didn’t like it.
He left the store disappointed–Richard hadn’t been there, either. The store employees remembered the pair of them and were familiar with Richard. They assured him that they’d keep an eye out, but that was all they could do. Osgoode headed toward the mall, glumly staring at one of his brother’s school pictures. An absolutely ridiculous concept, as he only had to show his own face in order to provide a visual for his brother, but their parents insisted. The slight differences in hair style, eye color and style of their glasses–he’d been surprised when Richard got his new pair, for he was taking a step in their accessorized differences, something that he didn’t do very much–was very small; those that got to know them often considered it odd that they’d try to stay the ‘same’ when every set tried to be different from the other.
But perhaps it had been their former life in their old city that had kept them close; their environment ensuring that clingliness between them in an effort to fight against those that didn’t like their different outlooks on life. Dakota had changed that–Virgil had changed that.
Now Osgoode wondered if he regretted venturing away from his brother in this manner–what if it were his fault that they never saw Richard again? What if he’d never hear his brother’s random shouts and experienced his clingy actions again? Osgoode grit his teeth, not wanting to imagine that sort of life. It was too agonizing, too alien.
As he was hurrying toward the mall, he heard a surprised shout from a nearby alleyway. He paused in mid-run to see two guys gaping at him, obviously recognizing him. He definitely recognized them, for he’d helped Static capture Hotstreak and Kangorr plenty of times. But in those circumstances, he was armed with his inventions and Static’s extraordinary powers. He had nothing, now.
Osgoode stilled in fright, seeing them exchange startled expressions and confused actions. As Kangorr asked Hotstreak if ‘he’d gotten away from Ebon already’, Osgoode felt horror fill him. He immediately pierced together a possible scenario, one that felt right. Somehow the Metabreed had kidnaped his brother, thinking that he was Osgoode. The groups were familiar in a way with Osgoode, catching sight of him as he walked with Static behind the scenes, so it would be obvious that they’d react in such a way in an effort to get to Static.
Ebon must have gotten a hold of Richard, intending on holding him hostage until he got Static in his grasp. That situation felt right.
As he registered this, Kangorr and Hotstreak started for him. Osgoode found strength to move, uttering a gasp as he began to run. He heard their annoyed shouts as they gave chase, Osgoode racing across the street, intending on making a run for the mall. But his heart pound fiercely, telling him that Ebon must have Richard–how the pair knew this bothered him.
The Metabreed and the Metamen didn’t get along–Hotstreak and Ebon had too big egos that allowed proper cooperation. The thought that the two metahuman groups were cooperating in an effort to get at Static was a staggering one–but one that was true, and one that assured Osgoode that they had Richard.
But if they did have Richard, then that meant his identity was very much compromised. They obviously didn’t know he had a twin, and Richard probably didn’t volunteer this information as well. It also meant that Static had two very weak points. To get at him, the groups would only have to get to the twins. And that put the entire family into danger. Something that was very frightening to think about.
But the family’s safety was overridden by his concern for Richard. He needed to have his twin nearby–he needed to be with him. Osgoode stopped running, barely winded. His long hours of exercise in the streets had given him a more athletic frame and lungs; he could run and lift in ways that would surprise those that knew him.
He thought of how worried his parents would be when they realized that he’d gone missing as well. Which meant that he’d have to work quick, and Static would have to stop ignoring him sometime. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that he had time to send Static a warning via the shock box, which he’d devised for this sort of situation. Static would receive the signal and follow the tracking device that Osgoode had on him at all times; in the form of his single hoop earring. He would definitely compromise his family’s safety with this mess but…that was going to be something he’d think about later. Right now, he just wanted to get to Richard to make sure he was okay.
Static hadn’t let him down before; despite their problems in personal matters, Virgil would still come through to rescue him.
He turned to face the two men, both of whom circled him carefully.
“How you get away so fast?” Kangorr asked with a puzzled expression.
“Aw, who cares?” Hotstreak asked, reaching out to grab Osgoode by his shirt, jerking him forward. “You ditch ‘em, twerp? Must’ve done it when we left. Hah! Ebon’s such a doob, he let this runt–”
He suddenly trailed off, looking puzzled as he looked closely at Osgoode’s face. He allowed the bigger man to pull him around, his throat too clogged with nervousness anyway. He couldn’t bear to say anything, mind going blank in the face of intimidation. Hotstreak always made him nervous, that ruined eye of his focused elsewhere while the other one set on him. Truth to tell, it always made Osgoode cross-eyed.
“What?” Kangorr asked, walking over. They were both startled at the shouts of onlookers, all of whom recognized the pair. When it looked as if they were going to storm them in an effort to help Osgoode, Hotstreak shoved the twin into Kangorr and began hurling fireballs.
“I’m going to take ‘im back to their hideout,” Kangorr shouted over the gleeful cackles Hotstreak made as he blew things up. “See what the hell, eh?”
But the redhead was having too much fun to answer, sending massive torrents of flame in one direction while preparing a fireball to hurl at a screaming bystander. Kangorr shrugged and curled an arm around Osgoode’s middle, the twin gulping before he had the uncomfortable sensation of Kangorr leaping into the air with his abnormal leg-strength, hopping large distances away from the scene of chaos.
He just hoped Static was paying attention to the distress signal.
01010011
Ebon’s hideout was located in an abandoned subway section in the south end of Dakota. Osgoode made a note of his surroundings before Kangorr covered his eyes and led him through various tunnels. By the time they reached the place, Osgoode was pretty sure that he knew how to get through by taking mental note of the turns he’d taken. He could hear Shiv going on about some random subject when they entered. Ebon and Talon were talking quietly nearby, and when they saw Kangorr walking toward them with Osgoode in tow, everyone went silent.
Ebon stomped over, grabbing Osgoode by his arm with startled eyes. He whirled to look at the car he’d locked Richard in, Talon rushing over to confirm that the other twin was still inside.
“I told you!” she cried, Richard popping into view moments later to see what was happening. His eyes widened upon seeing his brother as Kangorr dragged him over. “I told you he must have a twin, or lookalike! THAT’S the one that was always on our asses! I’m sure of it.”
Ebon had to assess this for himself, looking from Osgoode to Richard until he looked at Kangorr curiously. The Jamaican explained what had happened, Osgoode relieved upon seeing his older brother unharmed. Ebon muttered something under his breath, signaling that Osgoode be locked in with his brother. When the door slammed shut behind him, the chains set back into place, Osgoode quickly embraced his brother with a relieved exhale.
“Oz…” Richard trailed off, giving an uncertain look at the faces peering into the cell. Osgoode glanced at them, then looked back at him. The others then moved away to argue amongst themselves.
“Mom and dad are going to be pissed,” Osgoode said quietly, not wanting the others to hear. He spoke so low that Richard had to lean in close just to hear what he was saying. While he was so close, Osgoode brushed some dirt from his hair and straightened his wrinkled t-shirt with absent gestures.“They didn’t have any idea where you were. They can’t even file a missing persons until later tonight. You need to tell people when you’re leaving.”
Richard looked away, awkwardly shuffling his feet. Osgoode wrinkled his brow, then licked his thumb to wipe off some dirt from his brother’s face, Richard giving him a disgusted look before batting his hand away. “Quit it, mom. Geez...”
“Well, you’re so damn dirty!”
“I don’t expect anyone to stay spot-clean when they’re kidnaped by superpowered psychos!”
“...How long were you dreaming of this particular situation to say that?”
“...Uh...for...for awhile. Was it cool?”
Ebon swore the air blue with a change of plans. Once Richard realized that the others were occupied, he hissed, “I know, now. That’s fucked up, Oz, that you kept this from me! I feel stupid now that I know what I know! When our parents find out what you and Virgil Hawkins have been doing–”
Osgoode grabbed his brother’s arm harshly, digging his fingers into sensitive skin over his ribs with a strong pinch. He twisted his skin fiercely, making him cry out in pain. “You’ll say nothing to mom and dad about this,” Osgoode hissed back, punctuating this with a harder grip. “You say something to them about Virgil and I, and I swear I’ll make you pay for it. That’s something that’s between us–between Virgil and I. If word gets out who Static really is, his family will be in grave danger!”
“What about our family?!”
“What have you told them?”
“Nothing! I don’t know anything, and I had no idea what they were talking about until I started thinking about it! They know who you are, Oz, and now they know me–!”
“Did you tell them our names?”
“No! They didn’t ask! And besides, they weren’t interrogating me, or anything–! Oz, what are we going to do? They wanna use us–well, you–to get to Static! That guy said that he’d even kill us to do it!” Richard whispered low, Osgoode loosening his grip.
The younger dropped his hold on him, narrowing his eyes as he studied his brother. He thought over the situation, running it through his mind as he kept the ‘Breed within earshot, knowing by their voices that all of them were a small distance away from the car. Too far from hearing their conversation. He looked back at Richard.
“Say nothing. Nothing at all. Right now they’re confused. They don’t know that I’m the one helping Static,” Osgoode said his name pointedly, “and it needs to stay that way. Keep playing stupid, which shouldn’t be hard for you... Don’t say anything else. Don’t even hint at our families. Their attention will wear off once something else pops up.”
“But, Ozzie–!”
“Don’t say anything, Richard!” Osgoode warned, stepping close. He grabbed his brother’s hands, examining the bandages. He then exhaled heavily as he studied them, Richard worrying his bottom lip as he waited for his brother’s next words. He then stilled as Osgoode began unwrapping the dirty wrapping, revealing the healing cigarette burns. Something clenched his stomach as Osgoode studied them with a cold expression.
Slate-grey looked into gold as Osgoode gave him a grim look. Without looking away, Osgoode curled his nails into the wounds, making Richard gasp as pain raced through him.
“Keep quiet,” Osgoode muttered, voice cold. “Now listen to me. You’ll say nothing of Virgil, Static, and what you’ve heard. You’ll keep it to yourself. If word gets out who I am and Virgil is threatened, I’ll be really really angry. While they do have an advantage at this point, they don’t have everything. They still don’t know who we really are. Tell me everything that they’ve said and demanded of you from the moment they grabbed you.”
He let up on the pain as Richard struggled to focus, thinking of when Ebon snatched him. Since Osgoode could still hear the others arguing beyond them, he listened to what Richard had to say, prying for every detail. It seemed that they were safe, in a sense; he and his friend’s identities were ‘okay’. But it was at an disadvantage in that now that Ebon knew their faces, the man would stop at nothing to go from there. At the worst, they were going to be a weak point for Static.
He didn’t release his brother’s hands, but he could feel them growing sweaty and trembling in his grasp. Static must have gotten the distress signal by now. Hopefully the superhero would swoop in at any time now and stop the ‘Breed from going through with their plans.
The group would have to be eliminated. That was all it would take to keep their identities safe. Osgoode released his brother’s hands, turning away from him to peer out the window. He hadn’t engaged in any close combat with any of them–he had the zap traps and caps for that. Static usually did the rest, but Osgoode had to admit that the superhero had a major advantage for that.
Static had the power and the ability to just eliminate people altogether. Osgoode sometimes wondered why he didn’t just do that to the unstable metahumans that proved a menace to society and other humans. It would have made Dakota a lot more safer.
But he knew he could do it. He knew, given the opportunity, that he could eliminate the contemptible. He just needed that chance. He heard Richard whimpering behind him, and felt his face cross with severe annoyance. Now that he was close to his twin, he was reminded of how irked he felt whenever Richard was harmed.
He studied the car they were encased in. He spotted one of the back windows, noting a little crack at the bottom. Shoving Richard aside, Osgoode searched the floor for something sturdy and found a fist sized piece of concrete. He picked it up, feeling Richard’s curious gaze on him as he crossed to the window. With a low exhale, he made sure his grip was tight on the piece of concrete, and began hitting that spot repeatedly, making his brother fret.
“Even if you break out that glass, we can’t exactly fit between those bars, Osgoode,” Richard protested in exasperation. “It won’t do any good to break it!”
The reinforced pane gave, shattering with a dull crack of sound. Richard muttered something Osgoode didn’t catch, but the sounds had caught the attention of the group outside the car. Osgoode hurriedly took out the largest shard, deftly sweeping that up one of his sweater sleeves and hurrying over to hide behind Richard as the chains were removed.
Ebon and Shiv stepped in to investigate, the shadowy man looking at them suspiciously. Shiv’s arms were glowing pink with conjured weaponry, and Osgoode narrowed his eyes at the manic giggle the Asian gave upon observing the pair of them together.
“Like a mirror, almost!” he exclaimed, arms turning back to normal. “’Cept this one’s a little fatter…and this one’s a fairy. Or…or is it the other way around...I dunno!”
Ebon’s eyes were narrowed in suspicion, but he obviously didn’t catch the newly broken back window. He stepped out of the car, Shiv turning to follow him when Osgoode shoved past Richard, grabbed the Asian by his hair, and yanked him off balance. At the same time, he was shoving the piece of glass into the man’s throat.
Richard gasped aloud with a horrified look on his face, but quickly silenced himself with his hands over his mouth as Osgoode shot him a warning look. The younger then shoved the choking man away from them so that they had room to move.
It happened so quickly that Ebon didn’t catch what was happening until the twins were running out of the car. They were headed for the door that Osgoode remembered coming through, having calculated that short distance from being blindfolded. Talon and Kangorr were alerted by the action, Talon taking flight as Kangorr leapt the distance from where he stood to where the door was located. Osgoode stopped short as Richard bumped into him, Ebon looming close to them, stretching his arms out to block their path. Talon kept to the air, glaring down at them as Osgoode looked at Kangorr with thought.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ebon boomed, grabbing one of their arms and yanking them with him. “We still got use for the pair of you. You ain’t goin’ no where until–”
It was at that moment when Shiv flopped out from the car, grasping the spurting wound of his neck with bloodied hands. The ‘Breed froze where they were, Talon falling out of the air in her shock. The Asian was struggling to breathe, looking wholly panicked as he tried to stop the gushing of his blood with both hands. Attention diverted from him, Osgoode had to smirk. Shiv sure looked different without that insane cockiness of his, and it had been so terribly easy to hurt him.
Ebon moved forward as Talon gave a low cry, rushing to her comrade’s side. This gave Osgoode the opportunity to run again, pulling on Richard’s arm as they ran for the door. Kangorr managed to turn his attention from the horror of Shiv’s injury to see them running for the door. He leapt after them, landing with one abnormally large foot against the door that Richard tried to open, and one on the floor. Osgoode quickly slammed his elbow into the man’s face, grunting with the effort of force as Kangorr’s glasses shattered. Without pause, he slammed his elbow once more into his face, effectively cracking the cartilage in his nose with a well-placed hit. Kangorr began screaming aloud, but he managed to lift a foot to kick the twin away from him.
The heavy force sent Osgoode off his feet, hitting the floor with bone-jarring force and making him grunt. Richard just stood in shock–not surprised with Osgoode’s dangerous efforts, but by the complete disregard for the metahumans’ life. Osgoode carried on as if he were trying to squash bugs; with no real regret or remorse on his expressionless face. It was that expression that made Richard squirm, too jumpy to relax and ready to move when Osgoode signaled him to.
Ebon realized that it was this twin that was causing the damage, moving to use force on him as he shifted shape. His arms stretched and re-formed, forming into twin mallets that he fully intended to use on Osgoode. The younger twin looked up to see him doing this, knowing he’d be too slow to dodge the attack. He gasped, feeling entirely defeated as the shadow mallets came down at him.
At that very moment, time seemed to stop. The very air grew thick and suffocating, the floor scraped with numerous feet. Brought to attention by the moving noises, Ebon paused. Something was different–above the noises of both Shiv and Kangorr, there was whispering. The sound of various childish voices that cut through the air, accompanied with animal-like hissing.
The twins froze. They recognized the harshly uttered whispers and the charged atmosphere as that belonging to Them. The air felt heavy with danger, with something large responding to a dangerous threat. The sense of retaliation hit the twins as footsteps scraped over the pavement, the sound of numerous bodies heading directly toward them. The familiar feeling of fright hit the twins, along with the sense of being overwhelmed by anger and fury.
As Ebon was distracted by the sound of the incoming danger, Osgoode left the floor and hurried to his brother. Both of them were wholly startled by the surging presence of Them, of the fiercely enraged feeling that came from Them. Without realizing it, the pair of them were clinging to each other customarily, eyes wide as they watched the shadows for any sign of Them.
Shiv suddenly let out a choked noise of panic, Talon turning in time to seeing him yanked back into the car, door slamming shut with a loud sound. There were the sickening sounds of crunching bones, Talon screaming out in fright as she tried to open the door. Shiv’s noises were cut short with bone-chilling finality. Ebon whirled, with confusion plain in his eyes as the distracting noises of footsteps seemed to come from all directions at once.
He looked over at the twins, seeing that both of them were clinging to each other in childish fashion, looking wholly terrified. He was startled at that, noting their wide eyes and deathly pale features, their knuckles white as they locked hands around each other. The fact that these two teenage boys were in such a state was terrifying for Ebon–he wasn’t sure what was happening. What he should be so afraid of. There must be another metahuman that was playing with them–
He whirled as Kangorr gave a scream that startled them all; Ebon had been staring so intently at the twins that he hadn’t noticed the man was snatched by the unknown, pulled into a nearby drainpipe that was impossible for a human to enter. He was struggling mightily to be released from a pair of ultra-slim arms that reached out from the pipe to curl around his middle. Ebon moved in that direction to assist when it all happened in seconds; Kangorr’s feet left the floor as he started to bend unnaturally against the drainpipe, the center of his back slowly pulling into the opening. The sound of crunching bones rang out into the air, Kangorr’s screams of panic interrupted sharply as his body folded in half, unnaturally fitting into the opening and slowly pulled into the pipe.
The only thing that kept him from fully disappearing into the pipe were his two large feet. They twitched violently as his body spasmed from within.
Mouth open, Ebon whirled around to look back at the twins, then at Talon. The woman was frozen in a state of paralysis, her naturally wide eyes focused on Kangorr’s visible feet. The sensation of being overwhelmed by the unknown was too much for Ebon–without another word, he sank into the ground, Talon noticing his escape with a panicked and angry scream.
When Ebon disappeared, Talon screamed a couple more times, whirling around as she kept away from walls, pipes and shadows–catching sight of the twins, she focused on them, panting heavily. They stared back at her with wide eyes, unmoving.
She started toward them, claw outstretched as she pleaded in both Spanish and English for them to make it stop. But they stared up at her in silence.
When she felt the cold, slithery feeling of hands on her wings, coming from the shadows to her left, Talon froze. The two boys were staring to the left of her, obviously more frightened than before. The harsh hiss of its breath was the only audible thing that she heard–she was shaking violently as she forced herself to look at what it was that was next to her, spying a long, gaunt form. Its visible arms were pale, with stark colored veins pressing against its rubbery skin. The limbs were long and thin, the fingers abnormal in the human sense. Its body was hidden within the shadows, but it stepped forward to fully grab her, giving her full view of its form...and its face.
Before she could even move, its arms swept around her and darkness consumed her before she could even scream.
Warning: profanity, darkness, slash
Chapter Six
At the first shriek of male agony, Richard jerked himself awake. He lifted his head upon hearing Shiv shriek continuously, Talon crying out in Spanish. Raucous male laughter rang out then was silenced when a sharp slap cut through the air. Multiple voices carried out beyond the car wall, arousing Richard’s interest. He stiffly sat up, hearing Shiv protest in a whiny voice as Talon continued speaking in Spanish, another female voice joining in from time to time. He grabbed his glasses, wiping his eyes clean before slipping on the black rims.
The makeshift cell was set within one of the subway cars, the windows barred tightly and the door locked with chains. Richard had seen that it was someone’s room, but he had no idea whose–the trio hadn’t a place to set him, so Talon had locked him here. Ebon had disappeared a while after they’d settled, and Richard had fallen asleep, having trouble in doing so. He kept wondering if his parents had missed him yet, and was troubled over what he’d learned. He was positive that Osgoode was helping Virgil as Static. As for why Virgil had that role and how Osgoode had discovered the secret was a genuine mystery.
He was hurt that Osgoode had kept such a secret from him. But it certainly explained so many things…another thing that bothered him was knowing that Osgoode had certainly told Virgil what Richard thought of Static; it would just be more fuel for Osgoode to have in keeping his friendship with the other teen, something that made Richard feel miserable. It just felt as if he’d given the pair another reason to conspire against him, ensuring that distance from his brother.
He shifted over to the barred windows, looking out to see that another group of metahumans had entered the hideout; they were familiar as well, Richard squinting to catch a better sight of them. A black teenage girl with twin pigtails atop of her head, a massive seemingly non-human man, and two other men that had their backs to him. Richard glumly held onto the bars, wondering what they were doing and what they planned on doing to him. Their plans in luring Static into their clutches by using him made him feel sick; he wasn’t sure what they were capable of, and what they planned on doing to lure Static to them.
Ebon appeared from the shadows, snapping at the new group as he flung a full paper bag at Shiv. Yelling ensured, and Richard watched with interest as the black girl’s lower half turned into some sort of purple mist, the larger man setting himself firmly into the concrete, the other black man posing to jump, the last cackling in sneering regard. Richard wasn’t sure what was being said, as everyone was talking at once.
He looked away as Shiv walked over, sheepishly running a hand through his hair. He rattled a bottle of the proposed medication that Talon had gotten for Richard last night, and held up a bottle of water. “Hey there, sleepy head! Time for your meds! Gotta take ‘em quick, cuz you gotta long day ahead of ya! It takes a lotta energy for being a victim, y’know.”
Richard sighed, glumly taking the bottle of water and the single pill that Shiv dumped into his hand. He hid the medication as Shiv looked away. Richard handed the water back, holding up a cigarette. Shiv fumbled his pockets for his lighter and held the flame up so Richard could use it. Exhaling slowly, Richard disappeared from Shiv’s sight by sitting awkwardly on the hard floor. He glared at the glowing ember of his cigarette as he heard shouting reach loud volume. Shiv hurried away with a bellow of his own.
He finished off the cigarette, stamping it out on the floor and flicking the butt away. He hoped that efforts were being made to recover him because he really wanted to go back home. He missed his family, worried over Osgoode’s future due to this revelation. He wasn’t certain if these people knew Static’s real identity, but he was sure they’d figure it out once they somehow found out about Osgoode. The thought of his brother’s safety being compromised by the revelation of his identity gave him chills. It was bad enough they’d had troubles with bullies in the past–to have metahumans on them was a completely different situation.
He sat up once he realized the car was being approached and looked out at Ebon scowling in his direction. He felt a little hopeful once he realized that Talon was fending off the other black girl, and Shiv was engaged into a battle with the larger metahuman and the other black man with large feet. Their names escaped him at the moment as Ebon peered at him cautiously.
“You on your meds?” Ebon demanded over a loud crash of sound. “You ain’t all kooky?”
“It depends on your definition of ‘kooky’,” Richard mumbled, looking down so that he wasn’t breathing his morning breath into the criminal’s face. “Please let me go. I don’t have any involvement with Static.”
“Right. And we’re just as blind as you are. Now look–once we get all organized, your cooperation will make things a little more easier for all of us. Especially on you. This clear?”
Richard nodded grimly, clutching the bars tightly. “What are you going to do?”
“I ain’t revealin’ nothin’ on you.” At another unsettling crash of sound, Ebon whirled around with a snarl and stomped off, hollering for order. Richard slumped against the wall with a groan, glumly wondering if Static would even make a mad effort once he realized that he wasn’t Osgoode. After his reaction the other night, why should Static make the effort? Maybe the other teen would figure that having him out of the way would ensure Osgoode’s entire attention on him.
He rose again as he realized that it was growing quiet. Peering out, he saw that Ebon was calmly explaining his plan to all present. They were some distance away, the echo within the underground area making it hard for Richard to catch what was being said. He squinted as he pressed his forehead against the bars, straining his ears. Hearing footsteps coming toward him from the other direction, he shifted to see one of the other men approaching him, eyebrow cocked in interest. Richard gaped at him, clutching the bars with both hands.
“Please let me out!” he pleaded. “I have absolutely nothing to do with Static!”
“ ‘Please let me out’,” the other mocked, then snorted. “Man, you sound like a dork. Why should I let you out? Maybe you should just rot there.”
Richard frowned, tightening his lips. “Wow, somebody’s on the rag. Do you know my mom?”
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean? I beat up on jokes like you for breakfast, dweeb. I’d suggest watching what you say to me from now on. I mean, I could have a change of heart in your current predicament,” the other said with a sneering grin.
Richard grew hopeful. “Really?”
“…not.”
Ri chard sighed, shoulders slumping. But he didn’t look away because even if he were in danger, he certainly felt a pique of interest in the other male. He was the height he liked, built strongly, and despite the fact that he wasn’t all that good-looking, there was just something in his face that Richard really liked. The more he took in, the more he realized that only one eye was focused on him–the left was focused in another direction. The color of amber was almost similar to his gold, but seemed almost brown. Richard wondered what diagnosis went with that particular detail, unbothered by his ‘lazy eye’. It just made the man more interesting.
It was also a little delightful in that the other hadn’t looked away from him, either. Richard gave a shy smile, straightening to lean against the bars, peering up into the right eye to focus on him.
“I’m open for negotiations as a reward for letting me go,” he said in a coy tone.
The other gave a startled look, openly growing insulted when Ebon popped up behind him, shoving him away from the car. Richard sighed once more as they started to bellow at each other, Talon stomping over with an irritated expression. Richard noticed, with personal amusement, that she’d changed from her purple monstrosities to something more fitting with her orange color. She refused to acknowledge him, self-consciously placing a clawed hand on her hip as she gave the men a disgusted snort.
“Are we going to do this, or what? You done comparing balls?” she shrieked, feathers fluttering about. “We waste more time with both of you fighting than concentrating on our next mission!”
Ebon whirled on her, shoving the head of the other man with an annoyed snarl. As Talon glowered at him, the other black teen stomped over. She adjusted her mid-riff baring top, straightening the belly-button jewel that sparkled brilliantly.
“She’s right, you know,” she muttered, reaching into one pocket to reapply her grape-scented lipgloss. After rolling and smacking her lips, she put the tube back. “We spend more time waiting on both your egos than we do with our plans!”
“Chill, Puff. Damn,” Ebon muttered. “Have your crew ready where I told you. Make sure you make a big enough distraction for my boy to be placed where I discussed. Then we go from there.”
“Right. Let’s go, Hot Head. Leave the pretty man alone. Ebon’s made it quite clear he don’t want your ass.”
Both men went into undignified sputters while Talon snickered, Puff smiling with glee. Richard watched Puff wave in the other men. When Hotstreak walked by him, Richard managed a goofy smile and called out “’Bye!” to his back. Talon eyed him with a frown, but Richard wasn’t bothered. He kept watching the other until he couldn’t see him anymore.
Ebon looked at him in annoyance, Richard managing to focus on him with some effort. “Your boy Static is goin’ down. Hope ya ready for it.”
There was a loud banging noise of a door slamming shut, the entire hideout ringing with silence that was customary to the trio occupying it. Richard shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the bars with an almost bored expression. “Will you try to kill me?”
Ebon’s shadowy expression was grim. “If it has to come down to it. One less white boy to bother with. But them news folk will make it pretty. They always do for your folk.”
Gripped with fear, Richard stared up at him, clutching the bars tightly. “You wouldn’t…you can’t do that!”
“Why not?” Ebon questioned, turning away from him. “I’d do anything to bring that hero down.”
Clenching his teeth, Richard watched him and Talon walk off. He slumped against the wall, wondering how he was going to get out of this situation. Just as he was going to wander the car to kill some time, the hairs on the back of his neck rose. His skin turned clammy. The sensation of not being alone hit him suddenly, with the full force of a punch to a gut. His eyes widened, stiffening as he realized that They were in the area.
01010011
Osgoode raced toward the last comic book shop on his list. His parents were at the mall, cooperating with the security force there in an effort to look for their son. He’d asked for the task of looking into the places where he knew Richard frequented. Osgoode was feeling panicky the more hours passed and Virgil was still out of touch. His emotions felt completely unstable as his brother stayed missing and his best friend continued to ignore him. He didn’t like the feeling at all.
He found the store and nervously asked his questions. It was hard for him to talk to people–he usually relied on either Virgil or Richard to do so. Talking to people required his eye contact, for a lift in his voice. Osgoode had always been too nervous and shy to do either, finding it entirely disconcerting to connect with some other human being whose intentions were a mystery. No matter whether it was a cashier in a random grocery store or a teacher.
Osgoode just didn’t like it.
He left the store disappointed–Richard hadn’t been there, either. The store employees remembered the pair of them and were familiar with Richard. They assured him that they’d keep an eye out, but that was all they could do. Osgoode headed toward the mall, glumly staring at one of his brother’s school pictures. An absolutely ridiculous concept, as he only had to show his own face in order to provide a visual for his brother, but their parents insisted. The slight differences in hair style, eye color and style of their glasses–he’d been surprised when Richard got his new pair, for he was taking a step in their accessorized differences, something that he didn’t do very much–was very small; those that got to know them often considered it odd that they’d try to stay the ‘same’ when every set tried to be different from the other.
But perhaps it had been their former life in their old city that had kept them close; their environment ensuring that clingliness between them in an effort to fight against those that didn’t like their different outlooks on life. Dakota had changed that–Virgil had changed that.
Now Osgoode wondered if he regretted venturing away from his brother in this manner–what if it were his fault that they never saw Richard again? What if he’d never hear his brother’s random shouts and experienced his clingy actions again? Osgoode grit his teeth, not wanting to imagine that sort of life. It was too agonizing, too alien.
As he was hurrying toward the mall, he heard a surprised shout from a nearby alleyway. He paused in mid-run to see two guys gaping at him, obviously recognizing him. He definitely recognized them, for he’d helped Static capture Hotstreak and Kangorr plenty of times. But in those circumstances, he was armed with his inventions and Static’s extraordinary powers. He had nothing, now.
Osgoode stilled in fright, seeing them exchange startled expressions and confused actions. As Kangorr asked Hotstreak if ‘he’d gotten away from Ebon already’, Osgoode felt horror fill him. He immediately pierced together a possible scenario, one that felt right. Somehow the Metabreed had kidnaped his brother, thinking that he was Osgoode. The groups were familiar in a way with Osgoode, catching sight of him as he walked with Static behind the scenes, so it would be obvious that they’d react in such a way in an effort to get to Static.
Ebon must have gotten a hold of Richard, intending on holding him hostage until he got Static in his grasp. That situation felt right.
As he registered this, Kangorr and Hotstreak started for him. Osgoode found strength to move, uttering a gasp as he began to run. He heard their annoyed shouts as they gave chase, Osgoode racing across the street, intending on making a run for the mall. But his heart pound fiercely, telling him that Ebon must have Richard–how the pair knew this bothered him.
The Metabreed and the Metamen didn’t get along–Hotstreak and Ebon had too big egos that allowed proper cooperation. The thought that the two metahuman groups were cooperating in an effort to get at Static was a staggering one–but one that was true, and one that assured Osgoode that they had Richard.
But if they did have Richard, then that meant his identity was very much compromised. They obviously didn’t know he had a twin, and Richard probably didn’t volunteer this information as well. It also meant that Static had two very weak points. To get at him, the groups would only have to get to the twins. And that put the entire family into danger. Something that was very frightening to think about.
But the family’s safety was overridden by his concern for Richard. He needed to have his twin nearby–he needed to be with him. Osgoode stopped running, barely winded. His long hours of exercise in the streets had given him a more athletic frame and lungs; he could run and lift in ways that would surprise those that knew him.
He thought of how worried his parents would be when they realized that he’d gone missing as well. Which meant that he’d have to work quick, and Static would have to stop ignoring him sometime. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that he had time to send Static a warning via the shock box, which he’d devised for this sort of situation. Static would receive the signal and follow the tracking device that Osgoode had on him at all times; in the form of his single hoop earring. He would definitely compromise his family’s safety with this mess but…that was going to be something he’d think about later. Right now, he just wanted to get to Richard to make sure he was okay.
Static hadn’t let him down before; despite their problems in personal matters, Virgil would still come through to rescue him.
He turned to face the two men, both of whom circled him carefully.
“How you get away so fast?” Kangorr asked with a puzzled expression.
“Aw, who cares?” Hotstreak asked, reaching out to grab Osgoode by his shirt, jerking him forward. “You ditch ‘em, twerp? Must’ve done it when we left. Hah! Ebon’s such a doob, he let this runt–”
He suddenly trailed off, looking puzzled as he looked closely at Osgoode’s face. He allowed the bigger man to pull him around, his throat too clogged with nervousness anyway. He couldn’t bear to say anything, mind going blank in the face of intimidation. Hotstreak always made him nervous, that ruined eye of his focused elsewhere while the other one set on him. Truth to tell, it always made Osgoode cross-eyed.
“What?” Kangorr asked, walking over. They were both startled at the shouts of onlookers, all of whom recognized the pair. When it looked as if they were going to storm them in an effort to help Osgoode, Hotstreak shoved the twin into Kangorr and began hurling fireballs.
“I’m going to take ‘im back to their hideout,” Kangorr shouted over the gleeful cackles Hotstreak made as he blew things up. “See what the hell, eh?”
But the redhead was having too much fun to answer, sending massive torrents of flame in one direction while preparing a fireball to hurl at a screaming bystander. Kangorr shrugged and curled an arm around Osgoode’s middle, the twin gulping before he had the uncomfortable sensation of Kangorr leaping into the air with his abnormal leg-strength, hopping large distances away from the scene of chaos.
He just hoped Static was paying attention to the distress signal.
01010011
Ebon’s hideout was located in an abandoned subway section in the south end of Dakota. Osgoode made a note of his surroundings before Kangorr covered his eyes and led him through various tunnels. By the time they reached the place, Osgoode was pretty sure that he knew how to get through by taking mental note of the turns he’d taken. He could hear Shiv going on about some random subject when they entered. Ebon and Talon were talking quietly nearby, and when they saw Kangorr walking toward them with Osgoode in tow, everyone went silent.
Ebon stomped over, grabbing Osgoode by his arm with startled eyes. He whirled to look at the car he’d locked Richard in, Talon rushing over to confirm that the other twin was still inside.
“I told you!” she cried, Richard popping into view moments later to see what was happening. His eyes widened upon seeing his brother as Kangorr dragged him over. “I told you he must have a twin, or lookalike! THAT’S the one that was always on our asses! I’m sure of it.”
Ebon had to assess this for himself, looking from Osgoode to Richard until he looked at Kangorr curiously. The Jamaican explained what had happened, Osgoode relieved upon seeing his older brother unharmed. Ebon muttered something under his breath, signaling that Osgoode be locked in with his brother. When the door slammed shut behind him, the chains set back into place, Osgoode quickly embraced his brother with a relieved exhale.
“Oz…” Richard trailed off, giving an uncertain look at the faces peering into the cell. Osgoode glanced at them, then looked back at him. The others then moved away to argue amongst themselves.
“Mom and dad are going to be pissed,” Osgoode said quietly, not wanting the others to hear. He spoke so low that Richard had to lean in close just to hear what he was saying. While he was so close, Osgoode brushed some dirt from his hair and straightened his wrinkled t-shirt with absent gestures.“They didn’t have any idea where you were. They can’t even file a missing persons until later tonight. You need to tell people when you’re leaving.”
Richard looked away, awkwardly shuffling his feet. Osgoode wrinkled his brow, then licked his thumb to wipe off some dirt from his brother’s face, Richard giving him a disgusted look before batting his hand away. “Quit it, mom. Geez...”
“Well, you’re so damn dirty!”
“I don’t expect anyone to stay spot-clean when they’re kidnaped by superpowered psychos!”
“...How long were you dreaming of this particular situation to say that?”
“...Uh...for...for awhile. Was it cool?”
Ebon swore the air blue with a change of plans. Once Richard realized that the others were occupied, he hissed, “I know, now. That’s fucked up, Oz, that you kept this from me! I feel stupid now that I know what I know! When our parents find out what you and Virgil Hawkins have been doing–”
Osgoode grabbed his brother’s arm harshly, digging his fingers into sensitive skin over his ribs with a strong pinch. He twisted his skin fiercely, making him cry out in pain. “You’ll say nothing to mom and dad about this,” Osgoode hissed back, punctuating this with a harder grip. “You say something to them about Virgil and I, and I swear I’ll make you pay for it. That’s something that’s between us–between Virgil and I. If word gets out who Static really is, his family will be in grave danger!”
“What about our family?!”
“What have you told them?”
“Nothing! I don’t know anything, and I had no idea what they were talking about until I started thinking about it! They know who you are, Oz, and now they know me–!”
“Did you tell them our names?”
“No! They didn’t ask! And besides, they weren’t interrogating me, or anything–! Oz, what are we going to do? They wanna use us–well, you–to get to Static! That guy said that he’d even kill us to do it!” Richard whispered low, Osgoode loosening his grip.
The younger dropped his hold on him, narrowing his eyes as he studied his brother. He thought over the situation, running it through his mind as he kept the ‘Breed within earshot, knowing by their voices that all of them were a small distance away from the car. Too far from hearing their conversation. He looked back at Richard.
“Say nothing. Nothing at all. Right now they’re confused. They don’t know that I’m the one helping Static,” Osgoode said his name pointedly, “and it needs to stay that way. Keep playing stupid, which shouldn’t be hard for you... Don’t say anything else. Don’t even hint at our families. Their attention will wear off once something else pops up.”
“But, Ozzie–!”
“Don’t say anything, Richard!” Osgoode warned, stepping close. He grabbed his brother’s hands, examining the bandages. He then exhaled heavily as he studied them, Richard worrying his bottom lip as he waited for his brother’s next words. He then stilled as Osgoode began unwrapping the dirty wrapping, revealing the healing cigarette burns. Something clenched his stomach as Osgoode studied them with a cold expression.
Slate-grey looked into gold as Osgoode gave him a grim look. Without looking away, Osgoode curled his nails into the wounds, making Richard gasp as pain raced through him.
“Keep quiet,” Osgoode muttered, voice cold. “Now listen to me. You’ll say nothing of Virgil, Static, and what you’ve heard. You’ll keep it to yourself. If word gets out who I am and Virgil is threatened, I’ll be really really angry. While they do have an advantage at this point, they don’t have everything. They still don’t know who we really are. Tell me everything that they’ve said and demanded of you from the moment they grabbed you.”
He let up on the pain as Richard struggled to focus, thinking of when Ebon snatched him. Since Osgoode could still hear the others arguing beyond them, he listened to what Richard had to say, prying for every detail. It seemed that they were safe, in a sense; he and his friend’s identities were ‘okay’. But it was at an disadvantage in that now that Ebon knew their faces, the man would stop at nothing to go from there. At the worst, they were going to be a weak point for Static.
He didn’t release his brother’s hands, but he could feel them growing sweaty and trembling in his grasp. Static must have gotten the distress signal by now. Hopefully the superhero would swoop in at any time now and stop the ‘Breed from going through with their plans.
The group would have to be eliminated. That was all it would take to keep their identities safe. Osgoode released his brother’s hands, turning away from him to peer out the window. He hadn’t engaged in any close combat with any of them–he had the zap traps and caps for that. Static usually did the rest, but Osgoode had to admit that the superhero had a major advantage for that.
Static had the power and the ability to just eliminate people altogether. Osgoode sometimes wondered why he didn’t just do that to the unstable metahumans that proved a menace to society and other humans. It would have made Dakota a lot more safer.
But he knew he could do it. He knew, given the opportunity, that he could eliminate the contemptible. He just needed that chance. He heard Richard whimpering behind him, and felt his face cross with severe annoyance. Now that he was close to his twin, he was reminded of how irked he felt whenever Richard was harmed.
He studied the car they were encased in. He spotted one of the back windows, noting a little crack at the bottom. Shoving Richard aside, Osgoode searched the floor for something sturdy and found a fist sized piece of concrete. He picked it up, feeling Richard’s curious gaze on him as he crossed to the window. With a low exhale, he made sure his grip was tight on the piece of concrete, and began hitting that spot repeatedly, making his brother fret.
“Even if you break out that glass, we can’t exactly fit between those bars, Osgoode,” Richard protested in exasperation. “It won’t do any good to break it!”
The reinforced pane gave, shattering with a dull crack of sound. Richard muttered something Osgoode didn’t catch, but the sounds had caught the attention of the group outside the car. Osgoode hurriedly took out the largest shard, deftly sweeping that up one of his sweater sleeves and hurrying over to hide behind Richard as the chains were removed.
Ebon and Shiv stepped in to investigate, the shadowy man looking at them suspiciously. Shiv’s arms were glowing pink with conjured weaponry, and Osgoode narrowed his eyes at the manic giggle the Asian gave upon observing the pair of them together.
“Like a mirror, almost!” he exclaimed, arms turning back to normal. “’Cept this one’s a little fatter…and this one’s a fairy. Or…or is it the other way around...I dunno!”
Ebon’s eyes were narrowed in suspicion, but he obviously didn’t catch the newly broken back window. He stepped out of the car, Shiv turning to follow him when Osgoode shoved past Richard, grabbed the Asian by his hair, and yanked him off balance. At the same time, he was shoving the piece of glass into the man’s throat.
Richard gasped aloud with a horrified look on his face, but quickly silenced himself with his hands over his mouth as Osgoode shot him a warning look. The younger then shoved the choking man away from them so that they had room to move.
It happened so quickly that Ebon didn’t catch what was happening until the twins were running out of the car. They were headed for the door that Osgoode remembered coming through, having calculated that short distance from being blindfolded. Talon and Kangorr were alerted by the action, Talon taking flight as Kangorr leapt the distance from where he stood to where the door was located. Osgoode stopped short as Richard bumped into him, Ebon looming close to them, stretching his arms out to block their path. Talon kept to the air, glaring down at them as Osgoode looked at Kangorr with thought.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Ebon boomed, grabbing one of their arms and yanking them with him. “We still got use for the pair of you. You ain’t goin’ no where until–”
It was at that moment when Shiv flopped out from the car, grasping the spurting wound of his neck with bloodied hands. The ‘Breed froze where they were, Talon falling out of the air in her shock. The Asian was struggling to breathe, looking wholly panicked as he tried to stop the gushing of his blood with both hands. Attention diverted from him, Osgoode had to smirk. Shiv sure looked different without that insane cockiness of his, and it had been so terribly easy to hurt him.
Ebon moved forward as Talon gave a low cry, rushing to her comrade’s side. This gave Osgoode the opportunity to run again, pulling on Richard’s arm as they ran for the door. Kangorr managed to turn his attention from the horror of Shiv’s injury to see them running for the door. He leapt after them, landing with one abnormally large foot against the door that Richard tried to open, and one on the floor. Osgoode quickly slammed his elbow into the man’s face, grunting with the effort of force as Kangorr’s glasses shattered. Without pause, he slammed his elbow once more into his face, effectively cracking the cartilage in his nose with a well-placed hit. Kangorr began screaming aloud, but he managed to lift a foot to kick the twin away from him.
The heavy force sent Osgoode off his feet, hitting the floor with bone-jarring force and making him grunt. Richard just stood in shock–not surprised with Osgoode’s dangerous efforts, but by the complete disregard for the metahumans’ life. Osgoode carried on as if he were trying to squash bugs; with no real regret or remorse on his expressionless face. It was that expression that made Richard squirm, too jumpy to relax and ready to move when Osgoode signaled him to.
Ebon realized that it was this twin that was causing the damage, moving to use force on him as he shifted shape. His arms stretched and re-formed, forming into twin mallets that he fully intended to use on Osgoode. The younger twin looked up to see him doing this, knowing he’d be too slow to dodge the attack. He gasped, feeling entirely defeated as the shadow mallets came down at him.
At that very moment, time seemed to stop. The very air grew thick and suffocating, the floor scraped with numerous feet. Brought to attention by the moving noises, Ebon paused. Something was different–above the noises of both Shiv and Kangorr, there was whispering. The sound of various childish voices that cut through the air, accompanied with animal-like hissing.
The twins froze. They recognized the harshly uttered whispers and the charged atmosphere as that belonging to Them. The air felt heavy with danger, with something large responding to a dangerous threat. The sense of retaliation hit the twins as footsteps scraped over the pavement, the sound of numerous bodies heading directly toward them. The familiar feeling of fright hit the twins, along with the sense of being overwhelmed by anger and fury.
As Ebon was distracted by the sound of the incoming danger, Osgoode left the floor and hurried to his brother. Both of them were wholly startled by the surging presence of Them, of the fiercely enraged feeling that came from Them. Without realizing it, the pair of them were clinging to each other customarily, eyes wide as they watched the shadows for any sign of Them.
Shiv suddenly let out a choked noise of panic, Talon turning in time to seeing him yanked back into the car, door slamming shut with a loud sound. There were the sickening sounds of crunching bones, Talon screaming out in fright as she tried to open the door. Shiv’s noises were cut short with bone-chilling finality. Ebon whirled, with confusion plain in his eyes as the distracting noises of footsteps seemed to come from all directions at once.
He looked over at the twins, seeing that both of them were clinging to each other in childish fashion, looking wholly terrified. He was startled at that, noting their wide eyes and deathly pale features, their knuckles white as they locked hands around each other. The fact that these two teenage boys were in such a state was terrifying for Ebon–he wasn’t sure what was happening. What he should be so afraid of. There must be another metahuman that was playing with them–
He whirled as Kangorr gave a scream that startled them all; Ebon had been staring so intently at the twins that he hadn’t noticed the man was snatched by the unknown, pulled into a nearby drainpipe that was impossible for a human to enter. He was struggling mightily to be released from a pair of ultra-slim arms that reached out from the pipe to curl around his middle. Ebon moved in that direction to assist when it all happened in seconds; Kangorr’s feet left the floor as he started to bend unnaturally against the drainpipe, the center of his back slowly pulling into the opening. The sound of crunching bones rang out into the air, Kangorr’s screams of panic interrupted sharply as his body folded in half, unnaturally fitting into the opening and slowly pulled into the pipe.
The only thing that kept him from fully disappearing into the pipe were his two large feet. They twitched violently as his body spasmed from within.
Mouth open, Ebon whirled around to look back at the twins, then at Talon. The woman was frozen in a state of paralysis, her naturally wide eyes focused on Kangorr’s visible feet. The sensation of being overwhelmed by the unknown was too much for Ebon–without another word, he sank into the ground, Talon noticing his escape with a panicked and angry scream.
When Ebon disappeared, Talon screamed a couple more times, whirling around as she kept away from walls, pipes and shadows–catching sight of the twins, she focused on them, panting heavily. They stared back at her with wide eyes, unmoving.
She started toward them, claw outstretched as she pleaded in both Spanish and English for them to make it stop. But they stared up at her in silence.
When she felt the cold, slithery feeling of hands on her wings, coming from the shadows to her left, Talon froze. The two boys were staring to the left of her, obviously more frightened than before. The harsh hiss of its breath was the only audible thing that she heard–she was shaking violently as she forced herself to look at what it was that was next to her, spying a long, gaunt form. Its visible arms were pale, with stark colored veins pressing against its rubbery skin. The limbs were long and thin, the fingers abnormal in the human sense. Its body was hidden within the shadows, but it stepped forward to fully grab her, giving her full view of its form...and its face.
Before she could even move, its arms swept around her and darkness consumed her before she could even scream.