Static Shock Fan Fiction ❯ Watch The Sky ❯ Chapter Seven ( Chapter 7 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Manga-Chick 
Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for children under 17
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.21.2007 | Updated On: 04.09.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.5K | Visits: 252 | Status: Completed
Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for children under 17
Non Anime: Static Shock Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Psychological | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.21.2007 | Updated On: 04.09.2007 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.5K | Visits: 252 | 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
A/N: Thanks, Carol Coates, for your review! I’m happy that it made your day–truth to tell, I wasn’t even expecting to update THAT fast. >.< (shocked face) And I wouldn’t kill off one of my fave charas–erm...so...soon. Yah. XD Thanks feeding me...I was a lil hungry.
Chapter Seven
Virgil was out of breath by the time he’d reached the Foley house. He was driven by panic, having come back into Dakota to find that Osgoode had left numerous messages at their home, the special tracking device he’d invented flashing with distress. When Virgil had discovered that Osgoode was back home, he was infused with terror in that something had happened to him–he wouldn’t be able to stand his guilt if something had happened to Osgoode while he was away. He knew how much Osgoode depended upon him if he were in trouble.
He hadn’t even bothered to call before arriving on the Foley doorstep, ringing the doorbell incessantly. It scared Virgil that the house was silent, feeling his heart slam fiercely in his chest as he waited for somebody to open the door. Maggie answered, looking frazzled as she took him in. Virgil searched any signs of her tired face for trouble, and felt immense relief when the woman stepped back to let him in.
“How are you, Virgil?” she asked softly, shutting and locking the door behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“Oz...Oz was trying to call me. I was outta town, I came over here as soon as I possibly could,” Virgil explained in a rush, searching for any sign of the twin as Maggie walked away from the foyer. “Is he...?”
Maggie gestured lifelessly at the living room. “Maybe you can get more out of him than us. They certainly had us in a worry, this weekend.”
Confused as he watched her walk upstairs, Virgil started toward the living room. The television shimmered with activity, the loud shouts of an action flick bathing the dark room with flashes of light. Virgil saw that the twins were laying on the couch together, in a position that startled him. He couldn’t tell whom was who, and was too afraid to try lest he made a serious mistake. One was lying on his back, the other curled tightly next to him. It looked as if both were asleep. Something ominous touched Virgil as he stared down at the pair of them, utterly at a loss as to which was which. They were both dressed in the very same t-shirt and lounge pants, both of their hair mussed, both possessing the innocent expressions of sleep. There were no distinguishing features that set them apart.
Virgil knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t touch it. It was in the way they lay, the silence of the house. Something was wrong, and he didn’t know what. He stared down at similar sleeping expressions and felt his hormones pop to life with a sort of obscene warmth that made him feel extremely guilty. He whirled away to look at the television screen, admonishing himself for thinking that way despite the situation. But he couldn’t help it that he found them so attractive–he couldn’t help but think of the Doublemint jingle, wincing as he forced himself to focus on the television set.
Maggie walked in, carrying a blanket. She gave Virgil a gentle smile, blue eyes twinkling behind her glasses, sensing his discomfort. “We’ve had some trouble this weekend,” she repeated with another soft sigh. “Richard disappeared without telling us where he was going...but Osgoode found him. Funny thing is, neither will tell us where they were or what they were doing. But they are acting so...different. Sean and I are worried about them.”
“What do you mean ‘different’, Mrs. F?” Virgil questioned, casting the sleeping pair a look. He felt wretched for allowing flitting images of lecherousness touch his thoughts. He couldn’t help it, and felt guilty for feeling this way while talking to their mother. After all the trouble that Richard put them into, and he was still considering a three-way–
Maggie frowned thoughtfully, then bent down to shake one’s shoulder. “Wake up, honey. Virgil’s here. Why don’t you talk to Virgil for awhile, while I put your brother to bed?”
The twin on top mumbled something, the other finishing it in the same tone. Maggie straightened, casting Virgil a troubled look. Virgil furrowed his brow. For some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck were rising, and something incredibly off radiated from the pair. Maggie muttered a few words to the twin on top, and the other answered in the same monotone as before. But as she pulled away, both of them sat up in unison, shifting to sit side by side. What startled Virgil were the same expressionless faces, the same glazed look in their eyes. The darkness of the room gave them both dark eyes, sent the very same shadows over their faces. His skin rippled with goosebumps as he stared at them in startled silence.
It looked as if neither had life in them, and Maggie touched her forehead briefly before looking at Virgil with worry.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with them,” she murmured. “It’s like they’re not there. In the head.”
Virgil nodded absently. Then gave a sheepish smile. “Um...Oz?”
Neither answered, staring at him blankly–as they had the very first time they’d laid eyes on him. Virgil repressed a violent shiver, Maggie catching hold of his distress. She smiled gently once more, reaching out to touch the shoulder of one of them, encouraging him to his feet. “Let’s go, Richard. Virgil and Osgoode need to talk–”
Osgoode snatched his brother’s wrist, holding him place. The expression on his face turned venomous as he looked at his mother, and Virgil felt more disturbed than ever as he saw this. Maggie let go of Richard’s arm quickly, a sound of startle catching her throat. Richard regained his seat, still expressionless as Osgoode released him. Staring at the pair, one looking ready to pounce, the other unfeeling, Virgil had the distant thought that Maggie was right in a way. It looked as if they were off in their own world–unable to translate to the one that they knew. His brow furrowed, feeling that instinctive need to solve and rescue despite the fact that he had no idea what it was he was supposed to do.
“I’m feeling a little thirsty, Mrs. F,” he said slowly, looking at her. “Can we go to the kitchen?”
Maggie gave him a curious look, but nodded vaguely. With one last glance at her children, she led Virgil out of the living room. When they left, Virgil glanced over his shoulder to see that the pair were sitting motionless–staring at nothing.
“So...what happened exactly?” Virgil asked quietly, gesturing that he wasn’t actually thirsty. Maggie touched her throat with an absent gesture, then related to him what had happened. When Virgil got her full version, he frowned. He figured that Osgoode was trying to get a hold of him for assistance in locating his brother. As he went over Maggie’s details, he tried to think of any metahumans that may have hypnosis powers, or something similar. Before he could question her further, Maggie shifted suddenly.
“They were like this, before,” she added, giving him a worried look. “Every time they had trouble with bullies in our old town, it was as if they...they shut down. Just like this.”
Virgil was only vaguely familiar with what those ‘troubles’ were, but Osgoode had never gone into detail. He doubted that Maggie, at this point in their relationship, would bother him with intimate details. He gave a curious tilt of his head. “Like it was too much for them? I mean...”
Maggie thought about it. “No. As if...as if they are trying to forget. Does that sound odd to you? In a way, it’s almost as if...well...I don’t know, exactly. Osgoode was always the most overprotective, though. But sometimes I feel as if he’d–well...I don’t know what I am talking about.”
She gave a nervous laugh, and Virgil gave her a weak smile in return. “I’m just happy they are home and all right.”
01010011
At school the next day, Virgil waited near the front of the stairs, waiting for the sight of the Foley car to pull into the area. But as time went by and the first bell rang, the twins hadn’t yet arrived. Virgil knew Osgoode wasn’t the type to be late and felt worry and concern flood him. Taking a chance, Virgil left the school and headed back to their house. After he’d left last night, he was troubled with so many questions–most of which needed to be addressed by the pair of them. He was concerned that a metahuman was involved.
He walked up the front walk, noticing that Maggie was gone for the day–he figured Sean was asleep. As he knocked on the door, he self-consciously straightened his tie and adjusted his blazer, feeling slightly nervous as he waited for someone to answer. The door opened and Osgoode smiled at him sheepishly, still dressed in pajamas, but with a black tee.
“Hi,” he said shyly, sending Virgil’s stomach fluttering. “We skipped school, today. I’m sorry I didn’t call and tell you.”
“W-where were you this weekend?” Virgil asked, noting sharply that Osgoode was behaving normally. The Osgoode of last night had been frightening. He stepped in as Osgoode invited him in, the sounds of a fighting game in play. Richard scowled at him customarily from the living room, but spared only a second in doing so. From the looks of it, they were in the midst of a fighting tournament on the latest Virtual Fighter.
“Oh, stupid here was shacked up with some boyfriend of his,” Osgoode muttered, hitting his brother atop of the head as he sat next to him. Virgil took the chair, slowly lowering his backpack down onto the carpet as he studied the pair of them. They were behaving so normally, now... “Didn’t tell anybody where he was, and had the ‘rental units all in a worry.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Richard insisted, pressing buttons rapidly.
“Anyway, we didn’t feel well and decided to skip just to be safe,” Osgoode said, looking at Virgil once more. He pulled his legs up onto the couch, crossing them. He gave a curious look. “Maybe it’s a bug going around.”
Virgil stared at him for a few moments, lost in the way the light from outside made his eyes sparkle. He flushed as he fiddled with his slacks. “Don’t recall any bug...”
The moment was awkward as Richard rolled his eyes and continued playing. Finally, it grew too much. He tossed the controller aside, scowling at both of them as he rose from the couch. Virgil noticed the fresh bruises on his arms, startled at the color. He scowled harshly at Virgil as he stomped out of the room, Osgoode tossing one of the throw pillows after him. Moments later, the pair of them heard the twin running upstairs to his room, and Osgoode winced in preparation of a slamming door.
He looked at Virgil as the door slammed loudly, the other teen jumping in response to the slamming. “So, what’s up? Couldn’t call in advance?”
Virgil felt himself flush once more as he played with his tie. “Ah...no. I just...I missed your calls all weekend, and I was...well, truth to tell, I was really worried, Oz. I came over as soon as I could, and I...I don’t know. It was weird.”
“What was?” Osgoode asked with concern, furrowing his brow as he swept his bangs from his face. Virgil couldn’t help but notice that the pair of them needed haircuts–he found it dangerously endearing how the blond strands fell into their eyes, giving them mischievous looks. He felt his gut twist.
“I came over last night,” Virgil answered, looking at him. “Both of you were...pretty out of it. I mean...your mother and I tried talking to both of you. But it was like...like you were here, but you weren’t.”
Osgoode gave him a puzzled look, shifting in his seat. “What do you mean? We were here all evening. I don’t remember you coming over.”
Virgil gave a curious tilt of his head. “You don’t? You...both of you, it was like...well, your mother mentioned that when something happens, you two are out of it...I don’t know. But I was here.”
Osgoode stared at him in silence, and the more Virgil stared back, the more he realized that Osgoode truly had no idea what he was talking about. The twin looked lost. “I...I would remember you coming over, Virgil. We...we didn’t part on the best of terms.”
Virgil sat forward, holding out his hand in a pleading gesture. “Don’t pull away from me again, Oz. Please. Just...let’s just figure out what happened this weekend before we talk about that. But for the record, I am so sorry. I am so sorry I did that to you. I didn’t...I don’t want to hurt you, or cause you discomfort in any way or situation. I just...I just want my friend back.”
Osgoode looked down, nibbling on his bottom lip. Virgil wished he’d stop doing that. It was as if the twin were purposely forcing his attention there. The silence stretched, long and awkward, as the pair rummaged through their thoughts for something more to say. Osgoode looked at him, opening his mouth to say something when Richard screamed, “GET OUT OF MY ROOM! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!”
Osgoode’s face crossed with embarrassment as Virgil twisted to look up in that direction with puzzlement. As he did so though, he focused in immediately on the small form that scurried away from Richard’s door and down the hall. Moments later, the bathroom door shut softly with a click. He wondered if he really did see what he thought he had.
“Ignore him, Virge, he’s insane,” Osgoode muttered. “I...so you were saying?”
With some reluctance, hairs rising once more on the back of his neck, Virgil turned in his seat. It was wholly uncomfortable, though, as every sense in his body was awakened. It felt wrong to turn his back to something he couldn’t rightly explain. He forced himself to focus on Osgoode, who was looking at him with something similar to suspicion. Clearing his throat, Virgil said, “I just want to apologize. And...I don’t know. I...I don’t want to drop the subject, and I’d like to fix things, but...if you don’t feel comfortable with the situation, I don’t want to keep pushing it on you.”
Osgoode’s flush contrasted with the color of his hair, his eyebrows furrowed with trouble. He kept licking his lips, drawing Virgil’s attention to the action. Every nervous movement he made, Virgil noticed. The sunlight highlighted his hair, illuminated the color of his eyes. The empty piercing in his earlobe drew Virgil’s eye, the dimple making the other teen want to touch. He looked so soft where he sat, the sunlight catching him just so.
Despite himself, Virgil felt his stomach flutter once more. Hormones were starting to embarrass him, and he discreetly pulled one of the throw pillows over his lap to fiddle with the fringe.
“Virgil, I...” Osgoode trailed off, looking intensely frustrated as he reached down to grip the couch cushions he sat atop of. Virgil waited anxiously for his next words, hoping that they were going to clear the air. If they could...it would release this tension. Osgoode’s fingers whitened for a moment then released as he looked at Virgil once more. “Where did you go this weekend?”
Virgil wanted to strangle something. Somebody. Anything. It had almost seemed as if Osgoode was going to address the situation, and it was obvious he was avoiding it yet again. But he schooled his features and exhaled slowly to release some of that frustration. “I...there was some trouble in Gotham. Some of the metahumans were giving Bats some trouble. It’s all done and solved, and...I kinda figured you were avoiding me for a reason, so I didn’t...I didn’t bother with letting you know where I was going.”
Osgoode stared at him for a few moments, then smiled slightly. “It’s okay, V. I understand. I just...I’m glad you’re back and things are okay. I feel better now that you’re back in town.”
Virgil smiled weakly. The heavy flutter in his stomach was killing him. Osgoode knew where to hit him where it hurt.
Osgoode shifted in his seat, fiddling with a pillow. Virgil chanced a look up. “V, I…I really don’t remember you coming by, last night, as you said. Could you tell me what happened?”
Virgil furrowed his brow curiously. “Well…I rushed over as soon as I was able. Your mom let me in. Said that both of you caused them a ‘scare’ this weekend. When I tried to talk to you...it was like…like you weren’t really…there.”
Osgoode gave him a bewildered look and then rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He searched his memory for any remembrance of such an encounter. He gave Virgil a pressing look. “I’m sorry. I just don’t. All I remember, Virge, is…is…feeling awful when I woke up this morning.”
At this, he was bewildered. “I…I remember going to bed Saturday night, wondering where Richard was. The units and I had agreed we’d go out to Richard’s hangout spots, and…and…that’s all. Wow, that’s weird. Maybe I was just so exasperated by what Richard did that I just…blocked things out.”
Virgil believed him. Osgoode truly looked bewildered at his lack of memory. The twin grew embarrassed at this, obviously flustered as he touched his elbows, scratched the back of his head. He startled when Osgoode bellowed for Richard, leaping off the couch as he looked at it with a searching expression, as if it would give him the answers he was looking for. When Richard came down, scowling at Virgil venomously, Osgoode reached out to tug on his earlobe.
“Do you remember Virgil coming over last night?”
“Oh my god. Don’t tell me of your escapades, I really don’t wanna know” Richard muttered, covering his ears with both hands. Osgoode scowled at him, but he blushed. He socked his brother in the chest, Richard exhaling heavily as he fended him off. “No! I don’t! Why?”
“I honestly can’t remember what happened yesterday,” Osgoode said in a bewildered tone. “Do you?”
Richard thought about it, screwing his face up with concentration. Virgil didn’t want to chance looking up in case he put himself in a terrible position. He took his chances staring at the pillow, ears straining.
“Actually…no. I don’t,” Richard replied in the same bewildered tone. “Isn’t that weird? I mean…I remember…going out for a walk…then…that’s it. Gee, maybe the parental units punished us so gruesomely that we automatically locked the memory out. Like some sort of disassociation thing.”
He laughed, amused at the idea. Leaping onto the couch, he continued with, “Maybe dad was so angry at me for leaving the house and catching me smoking that he tried to beat me up and then you tried to intervene like the bestest brother in the world that you are, and he ended up beating on you, too, and then mom wanted part of the action so she was, like, taking a frying pan on us both and then she and dad went at each other like Ortiz and Shamrock and totally destroyed the house Dragon-Ball Z style–”
“ENOUGH!” Osgoode roared, covering his ears as Richard bounced excitedly on the couch. Osgoode yanked him off the couch, straightening the cushions once more. “Geez. No, Virgil, that didn’t happen.”
“Or maybe we were taken captive and held as sex slaves for a bunch of metahumans that found us hot as hell and fucked us so hard and out of our minds that we just don’t remember it, but when we DO see them again, our memories will be triggered once more and they’ll just kidnap us again just to do it ALL again and–”
Osgoode started pelting him with the throw pillows, then chased him out of the living room. He was bright red when he faced Virgil again, wiping sweat from his forehead as Virgil struggled hard not to let that rambling fantasy affect him in any way. “Erm…sorry. I…honestly, Virgil, I don’t know what the hell happened yesterday. It’s starting to freak me out.”
“Has this happened before?” Virgil asked, finally looking up once he heard Richard rummaging around in the kitchen.
“Well…yes. Yes, actually,” Osgoode murmured, sitting slowly on the couch after righting the cushions. His expression was vague, but his eyes were focused sharply on the memory. “Yes…there were a few times when this happened. Mom and dad were…they remember it. It was…well, I told you we had trouble with people in our old town. After…after something happened, mom said it was as if we just went…blank. Like…we shut off.”
“That’s what she said last night.”
Osgoode was silent for a few moments as he thought about it. Virgil studied him intently, taking in his rounded chin, his smooth cheekbones. His eyes were tracing the line of his profile, wanting to reach out to touch Osgoode when the twin looked at him with a faint expression. “It’s not unusual, V, for strange things to happen to us. Isn’t that odd? We’re so used to it that it doesn’t strike us as out of the ordinary.”
Virgil stared at him in silence, blinded by the almost serene expression on Osgoode’s face. The stillness was awkward–as if each were completely aware of the other’s presence.
The moment was broken by the shattering of glass, Richard screaming, “I was drinking THAT!”
Osgoode jerked, furrowing his brow. Virgil struggled not to look in that direction, focusing hard on Osgoode.
“What are you doing in there?!” Osgoode bellowed.
“They knocked my milk over! Dirty bastards…I wanna be 5’10” like Cindy Crawford, and they’re trying to crush my dream like K-Fed’s record album!”
“Idiot.” Osgoode mulled it over while Virgil furrowed his brow, wondering who ‘they’ were. He looked at Osgoode for help when the twin then startled him with, “I think the house is haunted. Isn’t that funny? Strange things happen here. Maybe we should investigate it, huh?”
Virgil thought of the small form racing down the hallway, and couldn’t suppress a shiver. Osgoode then laughed. “Just kidding. Ghosts don’t exist. Wanna play me, Virgil? Betcha can’t beat me at this.”
Virgil managed to tear his attention away from the situation, blinded by Osgoode’s broad grin.
Later that afternoon, Virgil had to use the bathroom. He was a little scared to do so after what he’d seen earlier, but he chanced it. After he was done, searching every crook and cranny for the little form, he left the bathroom to hear Richard talking ‘valley-girl’, Osgoode laughing every little while. Virgil paused, leaning against the railing as they continued playing Virtual Fighter. It was so nice to hear the twins laughing and talking together as they used to. He felt awful that he’d come between them the way he had, pulling Osgoode in one direction and pushing Richard in the other. Listening to them, hearing their similar laughter, made Virgil regret coming off the wrong foot.
He started to head downstairs when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, he saw the shadowy form of a human ducking into Richard’s room, the door creaking slightly behind it. Virgil’s heart leapt in his chest, his eyes wide as he once again tried to guess what he’d just seen. This form was bigger than the last–more distinct. But he knew what he saw.
Virgil pulled away from the stairway, feeling his heart thumping against his chest as he ventured toward Richard’s room. A shadow crossed within the open slit of the door and the frame, and Virgil startled at the sound of their laughter from downstairs. The atmosphere was changed somehow–it was heavier, more ominous. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising, for feeling as if something was going to happen. Virgil took a deep breath, then pushed the door into the room. It was similar to Osgoode’s in every composition, but there was something wholly different about it–it was the atmosphere in the room, the feeling of occupation.
He surveyed the room, looking for any sign of the humanoid that he’d seen earlier. Though the room vibrated with the sense of feeling, Virgil couldn’t see anything. A soft sound to his left caught his attention, whipping his head around just in time to see the closet slide shut. He stilled for a moment then marched forward, determined to find out what it was that drew his intrigue. He paused before the closet, feeling his skin break out in goosepimples. Something trickled along the back of his mind, and Virgil began getting the heavy sensation of dislike–as if someone were glaring daggers at his back. As he reached out to open the door, a soft hissing sound emitted from behind the door, as if a cat was hissing a warning. Determination set, Virgil prepared to open the closet door when he heard a stern ‘ahem’ from behind him.
He whirled, seeing Osgoode giving him an irritated expression, arms crossed stiffly over his chest. The hissing stopped abruptly. Virgil stilled, feeling absolutely guilty as Osgoode’s eyes narrowed and his stiff posture gave away his feelings. Virgil felt himself break out in a cold sweat, turning away from Richard’s closet with a sort of sheepish expression.
“I…I saw something,” he stammered, gesturing at the closet. “It…it ran in here. I was just…I wasn’t sure what I saw…”
Osgoode’s face was steely for a few moments, a muscle twitching at his jaw. Virgil felt something tickle at the back of his mind once more, feeling as if he should be prepared for something. Then Osgoode forced himself to relax, dropping his hands to his sides.
“What did you see?” His voice was curt.
“A…a…I don’t know exactly.” Virgil trailed off, feeling foolish. Osgoode’s eyes were dark behind the lenses of his glasses, and Virgil could see that his fingers were fisted into balls that he tried to hide behind his thighs. “Um…but it…went into the closet.”
Osgoode’s swallow was audible. But he walked into his brother’s room, striding to the closet. Without pause he jerked the door open, and Virgil looked inside. He saw nothing but clothes there. The scent of Richard washed over him, making him uncomfortably aware of that day when he was deceived. He shifted awkwardly.
Osgoode’s gaze was cold when he looked at Virgil. “It’s empty,” he said tonelessly. Virgil didn’t know what to say. He knew what he saw. But he couldn’t explain it. He looked at Osgoode with a pleading expression, grabbing one wrist when Osgoode moved to pull away.
“Oz. Don’t take this wrong,” he urged. “I saw something, I–I didn’t know what it was. I had to look. I…it wasn’t…”
Osgoode studied him for a few moments and then looked away. The strength in which he used to pull his hand back was surprising, both startling and upsetting Virgil as he looked after him helplessly. Before anything more could be addressed, Richard bounced into his room with a bag of chips and stopped short upon seeing them. His face screwed with horror.
“GET OUT!” he screamed, hurling the bag of chips at them. He raced off down the hall, running into their parents’ room. “DAD! OFF YOUR FAT ASS!! Oz is trying to make it with Virgil in MY ROOM!”
Osgoode shot Virgil a furious look and raced after his brother, both of them shouting back and forth in their parents’ room, Sean waking moments later to roar in fury over the rude awakening. Virgil groaned, clutching his dreads with both hands as feelings of horror and helplessness swamped him. He looked back at the closet, shaking his head with discontent. He knew what he saw.
01010011
Virgil wasn’t going to let the mistake go so lightly–he ignored all of Osgoode’s hints to leave, determined to show that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. But for Osgoode to make such a big deal out of it showed him that Osgoode felt something for him. That was hard to deny or ignore. He stuck to Osgoode’s side like glue, ignoring Richard’s attempts at fights, brushing off his words and insults as if they were nothing. He called his father to let him know where he was, and found himself accompanying the twins for a run to the grocery store later that night. Maggie had claimed, quite loudly, that she needed ‘alone time’ with Sean. She’d snapped a riding crop in the air, disgusting all teens with her revealing leather bustier and worn Nike sweats.
Halfway to the grocery store, Virgil was struggling to make Osgoode smile or join him in a round of jokes, the twin moving stiffly and barely saying a word in response. It was one of Virgil’s more mightier battles in life, fighting off Richard’s snide comments and trying for a response from Osgoode at the same time. He felt exhausted. But he didn’t want to give up.
They’d just entered a by-way, Richard lagging behind to coo to a cat sitting nearby. Halfway down the stairs, both Osgoode and Virgil retracted their hands from the railing, as it seemed to scorch their palms. Both of them jerked their heads up to see Hotstreak glowering at them from the bottom, fiery eyes locked on Osgoode. Smoke wafted away from his body, his hands glowing red as he forced heat into the railing.
Recognizing him, both Virgil and Osgoode gaped, startling in mid-step as the older teen stalked up the stairway toward them.
The redhead’s face screamed murder, and it looked as if he’d lost sleep in the past few days. The wild look in his eyes had both of the teens recoiling, ready to flee. It was unnatural for the other teen to be so haggard.
“What did you do to them?!” he snarled, his voice filled with rage. His eyes were still locked on Osgoode, his whole body stiff with raging fury, smoke turning black as it continued to waft away from him. “Huh? What did you do to them?”
“W–what are you talking about?” Virgil stammered, knowing that Osgoode couldn’t speak up. He settled himself in front of Osgoode without thinking, the twin cowering behind him, hands curled over his arms. Richard looked up from the cat he was petting to see Hotstreak facing them. Interest hit him, and he grinned kookily until he realized that the metahuman wanted to kill them.
“Virgil Hawkins,” Hotstreak growled, eyes taking on a molten color. The heat raging from him was tremendous, causing both teens to take a few steps back up the stairs in an effort to escape it. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Who knew you would be hanging out with a murderer!”
“A ‘murderer’? What are you talking about?”
“Talon, Shiv, Kangorr! They’re dead! Ain’t hit the news yet, but this one was the last to see them alive!” Hotstreak snarled, fists curled at his sides. He was upset, trembling with helpless rage and horror.
Virgil’s face furrowed with confusion, Osgoode’s as well. But before either could say anything, Richard was pushing past them, confronting Hotstreak with obvious bravado. He pointed a finger in Hotstreak’s face, the metahuman startled at being confronted so easily.
“You leave my brother and his gay boyfriend alone!” Richard stammered, drawing away from the heat, but forcing Virgil and Osgoode back up the stairs.
The heat left Hotstreak abruptly as he took in the identical faces of the Foley twins. He blinked, eyes returning to amber as confusion registered over his features. One eye focused on Richard, then on Osgoode, the other plainly not following the first. He clamped his mouth shut, opened it to speak, then shut it again. As Richard kept the others walking up the stairs, Hotstreak finally shrugged and resumed his fiery state of previous.
“No matter! What the fuck! Both of you will get your asses kicked for what you did!”
“What did we do?” Richard asked curiously. He took a few moments to take in the other teen’s appearance, Virgil and Osgoode ready to run. Hotstreak froze once more as he realized that the action was familiar.
He blinked, confused all over again as Richard smiled sweetly at him, crossing his arms behind him with a playful stance. Hotstreak recalled being hit on by a teen with that very same expression. He looked back at Osgoode, whose scared features were almost covered by Virgil’s protective frame, the latter teen standing in front of the former. But if he had been hit on by the boy with the gold eyes, then…
Hotstreak completely burnt out, reaching up to hold his head with a confused expression as he looked from one to the other. “Erm…I…I don’t know anymore.”
“Who’s a murderer?” Richard asked, sensing his safety as the other teen continued to be confused by the sight of two of them.
Recalling the sight of his dead friends, the stench of their dead bodies, Hotstreak was once again prompted into action. He reached out to grab onto Richard’s shirt, jerking the teen off his feet and slamming into the wall next to him. Richard gave a loud grunt upon, but laughed.
Osgoode dropped his head against Virgil’s shoulder. “He’s insane,” he muttered. “And I think Static should have been here hours ago…!”
Virgil nodded curtly and ran off, Osgoode watching helplessly as Hotstreak’s other fist popped into flames.
“Those were my friends back there,” Hotstreak snarled, eyes once more turning a molten-red, smoke wafting from his head. “However you managed to do all that, you’re gettin’ back tenfold!”
“But I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Richard protested, grabbing a hold of his wrist with both hands. He peered into his face and suddenly grinned. “Has anybody ever told you you’re sexy when furious? Let’s be friends!”
Hotstreak’s hand fell slightly, and he gaped. He then used both hands to prop him against the wall. “I’m fuckin’ threatenin’ your life, and you’re fuckin’ hitting on me! Hello, dumb-ass, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you for what you did! You think this is a joke, or a game?!”
“Well…no, but…” Richard struggled to toe the ground, throwing Osgoode a begging glance. But Osgoode stayed where he was, searching the skies frantically for any sign of Static. Richard paused in mid-action, wondering where Virgil was. “I…I just don’t think that…I should be killed for…for something that I think I would remember. And I’m distracting you while…while the um…police come by. Is it working?”
Hotstreak faltered, scanning the streets for any sign of the police and spying Osgoode. Osgoode gulped, a worried expression on his face as the metahuman focused his good eye on him. He struggled not to go cross-eyed as he realized the other was looking in a direction away from him. Hotstreak dropped Richard, stalking after Osgoode. The younger twin started to run when Static finally flashed into sight, slightly out of breath.
“Hold there, Red!” Static boomed, hands flashing with power as Hotstreak whirled to face him. “Back off!”
“You’re all the one for fuckin’ justice and shit, an’ you let this go?!” Hotstreak screamed, tossing fireballs up at him as Osgoode hurried to Richard to make sure that he was okay. “Three people are DEAD because of–of–whichever one it was, an’ you just let it go! Yeah, okay, maybe they weren’t people of the year cuz of shit, but they weren’t meant to die like that!”
Static avoided the fireballs with ease, but his face clearly displayed his puzzlement upon his words. “What are you talking about?” he asked curiously, hovering nearby while Hotstreak heaved for breath.
“Talon. Shiv. Kangorr. All of them are dead, man. And these two–whichever one it was–did it! Shouldn’t there be justice for them?”
Static was clearly bewildered, Hotstreak tense as he stared up at the superhero with a furious expression. Holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, Static lowered himself so that he could step out onto the sidewalk, allowing the other to tower over him. Showing him that he trusted.
Hotstreak was surprised at getting Static’s attention. For a moment he was thrown off, but he looked back at the twins, once more distracted by their identical features. Richard smiled at him, but Osgoode stared at him with calculating coldness, jaw twitching. Despite the sensation of his skin crawling, Hotstreak looked back at Static.
“Three people are dead because of them, and while I don’t know how, nor how they did it. It’s just…it…well. Just go down there and look! These two–!” he pointed at the twins, who looked blank upon the accusation, “–were the last to see them alive!”
“Let’s start from the beginning,” Static said, a confused expression upon his face. “I really want to hear what you’re saying. Start from the beginning.”
Hotstreak hesitated, frowning as he looked from one to the other, startled at having Static’s attention. He looked back at the twins, then stubbornly crossed his arms. “Take West Thirty to the sewer grating. Take two lefts, one right, another left and straight to the door with the Keep Out sign. Look in there and get that shit settled. They shouldn’t have to rot like that.”
“But why accuse them of killing–?”
“Ebon had this plan, man! He knows that–er–one of them is the one you hang out with. He snatched him and–I ain’t gonna get into trouble for this, am I?” Hotstreak interrupted himself to ask.
“N-no. Go on.”
“Well, anyway, he and Puff went on halfies to use…whichever…to get to you. But then, me an’ Kangorr ran into…the other one…and Kangorr took him back to Ebon’s hangout. Well, Ebon didn’t fall through with his end. So we checked it out to see what the fuck. We–we found them…they were dead, man!” Hotstreak sputtered, casting the twins a suspicious glance. “I don’t know how they did it, if you see it–I don’t–I don’t really know which one…”
Static looked over at Osgoode curiously. The twin looked at him blankly, Richard looking just as lost as he observed his interaction with his brother.
“I’ll check it out,” Static reluctantly said. He was quite aware that their ‘lost time’ the past weekend was pressing on him. But he didn’t want to think that the two were involved. “But…maybe you should just…what if it wasn’t him?”
“That’s the thing! I don’t know which one it was that Ebon had! I don’t know which one–well…wait.” Hotstreak turned to them, stomping over to look into each twin’s face until he straightened. He pushed Richard’s head . “THIS is the one Ebon had first. I recognize that mug. And this one,” Hotstreak shoved Osgoode onto the sidewalk, the twin grunting in surprise, “is the one me and Kangorr picked up. He didn’t say anything at all. Kangorr took this one back to the hideout.”
Static was startled at the furious glare Osgoode was sending him from the sidewalk. In spite of the situation, he shivered. It looked as if Osgoode wanted to rip his head off. Swallowing hard as Richard hastily helped his brother to his feet, Static focused on Hotstreak. “I–I’ll check it out. In the meantime, I want you to leave them alone.”
“No way! That ain’t fair!” Hotstreak cried, once again blazing. The very sight of him on fire had nearby bystanders running away in panic. “If it were one of us, you’d have them all tied up and–this is unfair! This is discrimination! I’m lettin’ ya know that–!”
“STATIC!”
All of them startled, looking up to see Puff descending onto them quickly. Her face was clearly troubled, her cheeks tracked with tears. She looked just as distressed as Hotstreak did, her eyes blazing as they settled on the twins. She then performed a double-take before launching into a slightly hysterical fit. “Static, you’ve–you’ve got to come with me! Something happened, and–! IT WAS THEM!...er…him…?”
Static was truly mystified as yet another Bang Baby accused the twins of murder. Looking at them, he took in their bewildered expressions. They looked just as lost as he did, but the two Bang Babies could only look at them accusingly. Puff looked ready to kill them, only she couldn’t decide which one it was that was the culprit.
“Anyway, it ain’t fair that you’d let them off the hook when you wouldn’t let us!” Hotstreak completed his earlier accusation.
“What are they talking about?” Richard asked, his brother’s face stony, arms crossed stiffly over his chest. Static wasn’t sure what it was Osgoode was angry at him for, but it wasn’t the time to ask. “We didn’t kill anybody…I mean, it’d be impossible. There’s no way…”
Static felt the back of his neck crawl. For some reason, the stories he’d gotten from Osgoode about their old hometown came back to him. He looked back at them, allowing Osgoode’s pouty countenance to slide as something dark settled at the pit of his stomach. He looked back at the two disturbed Bang Babies.
Something had happened–and he had to find out what.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “You’re right. I have to be fair,” he said slowly. Every word he spoke was heavy, and he had some difficulty forcing them out. He knew Osgoode was gaping at him in horror. He forced himself to look up. “I’ll check it out….but in the meantime, both of you will have to be detained.”
Richard looked at him blankly, but Osgoode looked at him in such a betrayed way that Static had to look away. “It’s only fair. They’re clearly distressed, and it doesn’t seem like a lie…”
“Static…!” Osgoode exclaimed, his voice cracking. “How could you believe them? They’re criminals!”
“Watch your mouth, punk!” Hotstreak snarled, Puff moving quickly to confront the younger twin.
“You murdered them!” she snapped. “Something like this can’t be ignored! Who knows who the next victim will be when you’re involved!”
Osgoode said nothing to her, but he didn’t look away from Static. His expression was truly venomous, and it turned only darker when his brother showed the opposite reaction.
“Will we get to stay in a jail cell while we wait?” Richard asked with some excitement. “I’ve never been to jail…wow. That’s kinda cool.”
“You retarded, or something?” Hotstreak asked him, giving him a skeptical look. “Who gets excited about fuckin’ jail?”
“Is it true they serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? And we get to watch tv?” Richard asked him while Static avoided Osgoode’s accusing stare. “Will we have to stay with big-time criminals? Oh my god, do we get to wear jumpsuits, too?”
“Erm…well…yeah.” Hotstreak stared down at him in confusion. He’d never seen anybody so excited at the thought of going to jail.
“I’ll take your word for it. You seem experienced.” Richard grinned up at him in such way that despite himself, Hotstreak felt his face flushing.
“I want to call my parents,” Osgoode said tightly. His eyes were furious, blazing hotly behind the lenses of his glasses. His cheeks were flushed with color, and while Virgil thought him a rather passionate sight, now wasn’t the time to listen to hormones. Osgoode was truly betrayed by his decision.
It also hurt that his suspicions were taking hold of him. Making him feel as if he were stabbing Osgoode in the back. He didn’t want to take the metahumans’ side, but he couldn’t help but feel that something had truly occurred in which the twins were involved.
“I want to call my lawyer.”
“Oz, we don’t have a lawyer.”
“You can’t do this to us without probable cause,” Osgoode continued, his tone cold as he stared daggers at Static. He gripped his brother’s arm tightly, Richard wincing. “You’d take the word of common criminals, of proven metahuman idiots over two civilians. You’re making a mistake.”
Static stared helplessly down at him. “I’m sorry. It’ll be safer at the jail until I check this out. I have their word that they won’t try anything on you while I’m doing this.”
Hotstreak and Puff looked resolute, their postures stiff as they glared at the twins. Osgoode finally looked away from Virgil, his shoulders angrily set. He still hadn’t released his twin. Static wanted to desperately believe that this was all a ploy, something that the metahumans were toying with in their efforts to bring him down. But their faces and their tones were so distressed…
He sighed heavily. Looking at Puff straight in the eyes, because he didn’t trust himself with looking into Hotstreak’s for fear of making a mistake, he said, “I trust what you say. And I will investigate it. But I need your word on that you won’t do anything to them while I do this. If justice is to be served and they are guilty, the judicial system has to deal with them fairly. Just as it does with you.”
Both of them continued to look unsettled, looking at each other with doubt. Static really didn’t want to piss Osgoode off any further, but he had to do this. He had to be fair. The twin looked absolutely furious, his skin red and his eyes blazing with furiousness. It would be a long time before Osgoode would allow him close again, but his duties had to be taken seriously. He had to be fair.
“Let me flag down a patrol car,” he muttered, rising to do just that. As he was doing so, Richard gave a cry of pain, but settled into silence as attention turned to the pair of them. Osgoode wouldn’t look at any of them, holding onto his brother’s arm tightly as he refused to acknowledge Static.
Feeling absolutely monstrous, Static went in search of a patrol car in which to carry out his side of the promise.
Warning: profanity, darkness, slash
A/N: Thanks, Carol Coates, for your review! I’m happy that it made your day–truth to tell, I wasn’t even expecting to update THAT fast. >.< (shocked face) And I wouldn’t kill off one of my fave charas–erm...so...soon. Yah. XD Thanks feeding me...I was a lil hungry.
Chapter Seven
Virgil was out of breath by the time he’d reached the Foley house. He was driven by panic, having come back into Dakota to find that Osgoode had left numerous messages at their home, the special tracking device he’d invented flashing with distress. When Virgil had discovered that Osgoode was back home, he was infused with terror in that something had happened to him–he wouldn’t be able to stand his guilt if something had happened to Osgoode while he was away. He knew how much Osgoode depended upon him if he were in trouble.
He hadn’t even bothered to call before arriving on the Foley doorstep, ringing the doorbell incessantly. It scared Virgil that the house was silent, feeling his heart slam fiercely in his chest as he waited for somebody to open the door. Maggie answered, looking frazzled as she took him in. Virgil searched any signs of her tired face for trouble, and felt immense relief when the woman stepped back to let him in.
“How are you, Virgil?” she asked softly, shutting and locking the door behind him. “Is everything okay?”
“Oz...Oz was trying to call me. I was outta town, I came over here as soon as I possibly could,” Virgil explained in a rush, searching for any sign of the twin as Maggie walked away from the foyer. “Is he...?”
Maggie gestured lifelessly at the living room. “Maybe you can get more out of him than us. They certainly had us in a worry, this weekend.”
Confused as he watched her walk upstairs, Virgil started toward the living room. The television shimmered with activity, the loud shouts of an action flick bathing the dark room with flashes of light. Virgil saw that the twins were laying on the couch together, in a position that startled him. He couldn’t tell whom was who, and was too afraid to try lest he made a serious mistake. One was lying on his back, the other curled tightly next to him. It looked as if both were asleep. Something ominous touched Virgil as he stared down at the pair of them, utterly at a loss as to which was which. They were both dressed in the very same t-shirt and lounge pants, both of their hair mussed, both possessing the innocent expressions of sleep. There were no distinguishing features that set them apart.
Virgil knew something was wrong, but he couldn’t touch it. It was in the way they lay, the silence of the house. Something was wrong, and he didn’t know what. He stared down at similar sleeping expressions and felt his hormones pop to life with a sort of obscene warmth that made him feel extremely guilty. He whirled away to look at the television screen, admonishing himself for thinking that way despite the situation. But he couldn’t help it that he found them so attractive–he couldn’t help but think of the Doublemint jingle, wincing as he forced himself to focus on the television set.
Maggie walked in, carrying a blanket. She gave Virgil a gentle smile, blue eyes twinkling behind her glasses, sensing his discomfort. “We’ve had some trouble this weekend,” she repeated with another soft sigh. “Richard disappeared without telling us where he was going...but Osgoode found him. Funny thing is, neither will tell us where they were or what they were doing. But they are acting so...different. Sean and I are worried about them.”
“What do you mean ‘different’, Mrs. F?” Virgil questioned, casting the sleeping pair a look. He felt wretched for allowing flitting images of lecherousness touch his thoughts. He couldn’t help it, and felt guilty for feeling this way while talking to their mother. After all the trouble that Richard put them into, and he was still considering a three-way–
Maggie frowned thoughtfully, then bent down to shake one’s shoulder. “Wake up, honey. Virgil’s here. Why don’t you talk to Virgil for awhile, while I put your brother to bed?”
The twin on top mumbled something, the other finishing it in the same tone. Maggie straightened, casting Virgil a troubled look. Virgil furrowed his brow. For some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck were rising, and something incredibly off radiated from the pair. Maggie muttered a few words to the twin on top, and the other answered in the same monotone as before. But as she pulled away, both of them sat up in unison, shifting to sit side by side. What startled Virgil were the same expressionless faces, the same glazed look in their eyes. The darkness of the room gave them both dark eyes, sent the very same shadows over their faces. His skin rippled with goosebumps as he stared at them in startled silence.
It looked as if neither had life in them, and Maggie touched her forehead briefly before looking at Virgil with worry.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with them,” she murmured. “It’s like they’re not there. In the head.”
Virgil nodded absently. Then gave a sheepish smile. “Um...Oz?”
Neither answered, staring at him blankly–as they had the very first time they’d laid eyes on him. Virgil repressed a violent shiver, Maggie catching hold of his distress. She smiled gently once more, reaching out to touch the shoulder of one of them, encouraging him to his feet. “Let’s go, Richard. Virgil and Osgoode need to talk–”
Osgoode snatched his brother’s wrist, holding him place. The expression on his face turned venomous as he looked at his mother, and Virgil felt more disturbed than ever as he saw this. Maggie let go of Richard’s arm quickly, a sound of startle catching her throat. Richard regained his seat, still expressionless as Osgoode released him. Staring at the pair, one looking ready to pounce, the other unfeeling, Virgil had the distant thought that Maggie was right in a way. It looked as if they were off in their own world–unable to translate to the one that they knew. His brow furrowed, feeling that instinctive need to solve and rescue despite the fact that he had no idea what it was he was supposed to do.
“I’m feeling a little thirsty, Mrs. F,” he said slowly, looking at her. “Can we go to the kitchen?”
Maggie gave him a curious look, but nodded vaguely. With one last glance at her children, she led Virgil out of the living room. When they left, Virgil glanced over his shoulder to see that the pair were sitting motionless–staring at nothing.
“So...what happened exactly?” Virgil asked quietly, gesturing that he wasn’t actually thirsty. Maggie touched her throat with an absent gesture, then related to him what had happened. When Virgil got her full version, he frowned. He figured that Osgoode was trying to get a hold of him for assistance in locating his brother. As he went over Maggie’s details, he tried to think of any metahumans that may have hypnosis powers, or something similar. Before he could question her further, Maggie shifted suddenly.
“They were like this, before,” she added, giving him a worried look. “Every time they had trouble with bullies in our old town, it was as if they...they shut down. Just like this.”
Virgil was only vaguely familiar with what those ‘troubles’ were, but Osgoode had never gone into detail. He doubted that Maggie, at this point in their relationship, would bother him with intimate details. He gave a curious tilt of his head. “Like it was too much for them? I mean...”
Maggie thought about it. “No. As if...as if they are trying to forget. Does that sound odd to you? In a way, it’s almost as if...well...I don’t know, exactly. Osgoode was always the most overprotective, though. But sometimes I feel as if he’d–well...I don’t know what I am talking about.”
She gave a nervous laugh, and Virgil gave her a weak smile in return. “I’m just happy they are home and all right.”
01010011
At school the next day, Virgil waited near the front of the stairs, waiting for the sight of the Foley car to pull into the area. But as time went by and the first bell rang, the twins hadn’t yet arrived. Virgil knew Osgoode wasn’t the type to be late and felt worry and concern flood him. Taking a chance, Virgil left the school and headed back to their house. After he’d left last night, he was troubled with so many questions–most of which needed to be addressed by the pair of them. He was concerned that a metahuman was involved.
He walked up the front walk, noticing that Maggie was gone for the day–he figured Sean was asleep. As he knocked on the door, he self-consciously straightened his tie and adjusted his blazer, feeling slightly nervous as he waited for someone to answer. The door opened and Osgoode smiled at him sheepishly, still dressed in pajamas, but with a black tee.
“Hi,” he said shyly, sending Virgil’s stomach fluttering. “We skipped school, today. I’m sorry I didn’t call and tell you.”
“W-where were you this weekend?” Virgil asked, noting sharply that Osgoode was behaving normally. The Osgoode of last night had been frightening. He stepped in as Osgoode invited him in, the sounds of a fighting game in play. Richard scowled at him customarily from the living room, but spared only a second in doing so. From the looks of it, they were in the midst of a fighting tournament on the latest Virtual Fighter.
“Oh, stupid here was shacked up with some boyfriend of his,” Osgoode muttered, hitting his brother atop of the head as he sat next to him. Virgil took the chair, slowly lowering his backpack down onto the carpet as he studied the pair of them. They were behaving so normally, now... “Didn’t tell anybody where he was, and had the ‘rental units all in a worry.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Richard insisted, pressing buttons rapidly.
“Anyway, we didn’t feel well and decided to skip just to be safe,” Osgoode said, looking at Virgil once more. He pulled his legs up onto the couch, crossing them. He gave a curious look. “Maybe it’s a bug going around.”
Virgil stared at him for a few moments, lost in the way the light from outside made his eyes sparkle. He flushed as he fiddled with his slacks. “Don’t recall any bug...”
The moment was awkward as Richard rolled his eyes and continued playing. Finally, it grew too much. He tossed the controller aside, scowling at both of them as he rose from the couch. Virgil noticed the fresh bruises on his arms, startled at the color. He scowled harshly at Virgil as he stomped out of the room, Osgoode tossing one of the throw pillows after him. Moments later, the pair of them heard the twin running upstairs to his room, and Osgoode winced in preparation of a slamming door.
He looked at Virgil as the door slammed loudly, the other teen jumping in response to the slamming. “So, what’s up? Couldn’t call in advance?”
Virgil felt himself flush once more as he played with his tie. “Ah...no. I just...I missed your calls all weekend, and I was...well, truth to tell, I was really worried, Oz. I came over as soon as I could, and I...I don’t know. It was weird.”
“What was?” Osgoode asked with concern, furrowing his brow as he swept his bangs from his face. Virgil couldn’t help but notice that the pair of them needed haircuts–he found it dangerously endearing how the blond strands fell into their eyes, giving them mischievous looks. He felt his gut twist.
“I came over last night,” Virgil answered, looking at him. “Both of you were...pretty out of it. I mean...your mother and I tried talking to both of you. But it was like...like you were here, but you weren’t.”
Osgoode gave him a puzzled look, shifting in his seat. “What do you mean? We were here all evening. I don’t remember you coming over.”
Virgil gave a curious tilt of his head. “You don’t? You...both of you, it was like...well, your mother mentioned that when something happens, you two are out of it...I don’t know. But I was here.”
Osgoode stared at him in silence, and the more Virgil stared back, the more he realized that Osgoode truly had no idea what he was talking about. The twin looked lost. “I...I would remember you coming over, Virgil. We...we didn’t part on the best of terms.”
Virgil sat forward, holding out his hand in a pleading gesture. “Don’t pull away from me again, Oz. Please. Just...let’s just figure out what happened this weekend before we talk about that. But for the record, I am so sorry. I am so sorry I did that to you. I didn’t...I don’t want to hurt you, or cause you discomfort in any way or situation. I just...I just want my friend back.”
Osgoode looked down, nibbling on his bottom lip. Virgil wished he’d stop doing that. It was as if the twin were purposely forcing his attention there. The silence stretched, long and awkward, as the pair rummaged through their thoughts for something more to say. Osgoode looked at him, opening his mouth to say something when Richard screamed, “GET OUT OF MY ROOM! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!”
Osgoode’s face crossed with embarrassment as Virgil twisted to look up in that direction with puzzlement. As he did so though, he focused in immediately on the small form that scurried away from Richard’s door and down the hall. Moments later, the bathroom door shut softly with a click. He wondered if he really did see what he thought he had.
“Ignore him, Virge, he’s insane,” Osgoode muttered. “I...so you were saying?”
With some reluctance, hairs rising once more on the back of his neck, Virgil turned in his seat. It was wholly uncomfortable, though, as every sense in his body was awakened. It felt wrong to turn his back to something he couldn’t rightly explain. He forced himself to focus on Osgoode, who was looking at him with something similar to suspicion. Clearing his throat, Virgil said, “I just want to apologize. And...I don’t know. I...I don’t want to drop the subject, and I’d like to fix things, but...if you don’t feel comfortable with the situation, I don’t want to keep pushing it on you.”
Osgoode’s flush contrasted with the color of his hair, his eyebrows furrowed with trouble. He kept licking his lips, drawing Virgil’s attention to the action. Every nervous movement he made, Virgil noticed. The sunlight highlighted his hair, illuminated the color of his eyes. The empty piercing in his earlobe drew Virgil’s eye, the dimple making the other teen want to touch. He looked so soft where he sat, the sunlight catching him just so.
Despite himself, Virgil felt his stomach flutter once more. Hormones were starting to embarrass him, and he discreetly pulled one of the throw pillows over his lap to fiddle with the fringe.
“Virgil, I...” Osgoode trailed off, looking intensely frustrated as he reached down to grip the couch cushions he sat atop of. Virgil waited anxiously for his next words, hoping that they were going to clear the air. If they could...it would release this tension. Osgoode’s fingers whitened for a moment then released as he looked at Virgil once more. “Where did you go this weekend?”
Virgil wanted to strangle something. Somebody. Anything. It had almost seemed as if Osgoode was going to address the situation, and it was obvious he was avoiding it yet again. But he schooled his features and exhaled slowly to release some of that frustration. “I...there was some trouble in Gotham. Some of the metahumans were giving Bats some trouble. It’s all done and solved, and...I kinda figured you were avoiding me for a reason, so I didn’t...I didn’t bother with letting you know where I was going.”
Osgoode stared at him for a few moments, then smiled slightly. “It’s okay, V. I understand. I just...I’m glad you’re back and things are okay. I feel better now that you’re back in town.”
Virgil smiled weakly. The heavy flutter in his stomach was killing him. Osgoode knew where to hit him where it hurt.
Osgoode shifted in his seat, fiddling with a pillow. Virgil chanced a look up. “V, I…I really don’t remember you coming by, last night, as you said. Could you tell me what happened?”
Virgil furrowed his brow curiously. “Well…I rushed over as soon as I was able. Your mom let me in. Said that both of you caused them a ‘scare’ this weekend. When I tried to talk to you...it was like…like you weren’t really…there.”
Osgoode gave him a bewildered look and then rolled his eyes to the ceiling. He searched his memory for any remembrance of such an encounter. He gave Virgil a pressing look. “I’m sorry. I just don’t. All I remember, Virge, is…is…feeling awful when I woke up this morning.”
At this, he was bewildered. “I…I remember going to bed Saturday night, wondering where Richard was. The units and I had agreed we’d go out to Richard’s hangout spots, and…and…that’s all. Wow, that’s weird. Maybe I was just so exasperated by what Richard did that I just…blocked things out.”
Virgil believed him. Osgoode truly looked bewildered at his lack of memory. The twin grew embarrassed at this, obviously flustered as he touched his elbows, scratched the back of his head. He startled when Osgoode bellowed for Richard, leaping off the couch as he looked at it with a searching expression, as if it would give him the answers he was looking for. When Richard came down, scowling at Virgil venomously, Osgoode reached out to tug on his earlobe.
“Do you remember Virgil coming over last night?”
“Oh my god. Don’t tell me of your escapades, I really don’t wanna know” Richard muttered, covering his ears with both hands. Osgoode scowled at him, but he blushed. He socked his brother in the chest, Richard exhaling heavily as he fended him off. “No! I don’t! Why?”
“I honestly can’t remember what happened yesterday,” Osgoode said in a bewildered tone. “Do you?”
Richard thought about it, screwing his face up with concentration. Virgil didn’t want to chance looking up in case he put himself in a terrible position. He took his chances staring at the pillow, ears straining.
“Actually…no. I don’t,” Richard replied in the same bewildered tone. “Isn’t that weird? I mean…I remember…going out for a walk…then…that’s it. Gee, maybe the parental units punished us so gruesomely that we automatically locked the memory out. Like some sort of disassociation thing.”
He laughed, amused at the idea. Leaping onto the couch, he continued with, “Maybe dad was so angry at me for leaving the house and catching me smoking that he tried to beat me up and then you tried to intervene like the bestest brother in the world that you are, and he ended up beating on you, too, and then mom wanted part of the action so she was, like, taking a frying pan on us both and then she and dad went at each other like Ortiz and Shamrock and totally destroyed the house Dragon-Ball Z style–”
“ENOUGH!” Osgoode roared, covering his ears as Richard bounced excitedly on the couch. Osgoode yanked him off the couch, straightening the cushions once more. “Geez. No, Virgil, that didn’t happen.”
“Or maybe we were taken captive and held as sex slaves for a bunch of metahumans that found us hot as hell and fucked us so hard and out of our minds that we just don’t remember it, but when we DO see them again, our memories will be triggered once more and they’ll just kidnap us again just to do it ALL again and–”
Osgoode started pelting him with the throw pillows, then chased him out of the living room. He was bright red when he faced Virgil again, wiping sweat from his forehead as Virgil struggled hard not to let that rambling fantasy affect him in any way. “Erm…sorry. I…honestly, Virgil, I don’t know what the hell happened yesterday. It’s starting to freak me out.”
“Has this happened before?” Virgil asked, finally looking up once he heard Richard rummaging around in the kitchen.
“Well…yes. Yes, actually,” Osgoode murmured, sitting slowly on the couch after righting the cushions. His expression was vague, but his eyes were focused sharply on the memory. “Yes…there were a few times when this happened. Mom and dad were…they remember it. It was…well, I told you we had trouble with people in our old town. After…after something happened, mom said it was as if we just went…blank. Like…we shut off.”
“That’s what she said last night.”
Osgoode was silent for a few moments as he thought about it. Virgil studied him intently, taking in his rounded chin, his smooth cheekbones. His eyes were tracing the line of his profile, wanting to reach out to touch Osgoode when the twin looked at him with a faint expression. “It’s not unusual, V, for strange things to happen to us. Isn’t that odd? We’re so used to it that it doesn’t strike us as out of the ordinary.”
Virgil stared at him in silence, blinded by the almost serene expression on Osgoode’s face. The stillness was awkward–as if each were completely aware of the other’s presence.
The moment was broken by the shattering of glass, Richard screaming, “I was drinking THAT!”
Osgoode jerked, furrowing his brow. Virgil struggled not to look in that direction, focusing hard on Osgoode.
“What are you doing in there?!” Osgoode bellowed.
“They knocked my milk over! Dirty bastards…I wanna be 5’10” like Cindy Crawford, and they’re trying to crush my dream like K-Fed’s record album!”
“Idiot.” Osgoode mulled it over while Virgil furrowed his brow, wondering who ‘they’ were. He looked at Osgoode for help when the twin then startled him with, “I think the house is haunted. Isn’t that funny? Strange things happen here. Maybe we should investigate it, huh?”
Virgil thought of the small form racing down the hallway, and couldn’t suppress a shiver. Osgoode then laughed. “Just kidding. Ghosts don’t exist. Wanna play me, Virgil? Betcha can’t beat me at this.”
Virgil managed to tear his attention away from the situation, blinded by Osgoode’s broad grin.
Later that afternoon, Virgil had to use the bathroom. He was a little scared to do so after what he’d seen earlier, but he chanced it. After he was done, searching every crook and cranny for the little form, he left the bathroom to hear Richard talking ‘valley-girl’, Osgoode laughing every little while. Virgil paused, leaning against the railing as they continued playing Virtual Fighter. It was so nice to hear the twins laughing and talking together as they used to. He felt awful that he’d come between them the way he had, pulling Osgoode in one direction and pushing Richard in the other. Listening to them, hearing their similar laughter, made Virgil regret coming off the wrong foot.
He started to head downstairs when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Whipping his head around, he saw the shadowy form of a human ducking into Richard’s room, the door creaking slightly behind it. Virgil’s heart leapt in his chest, his eyes wide as he once again tried to guess what he’d just seen. This form was bigger than the last–more distinct. But he knew what he saw.
Virgil pulled away from the stairway, feeling his heart thumping against his chest as he ventured toward Richard’s room. A shadow crossed within the open slit of the door and the frame, and Virgil startled at the sound of their laughter from downstairs. The atmosphere was changed somehow–it was heavier, more ominous. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising, for feeling as if something was going to happen. Virgil took a deep breath, then pushed the door into the room. It was similar to Osgoode’s in every composition, but there was something wholly different about it–it was the atmosphere in the room, the feeling of occupation.
He surveyed the room, looking for any sign of the humanoid that he’d seen earlier. Though the room vibrated with the sense of feeling, Virgil couldn’t see anything. A soft sound to his left caught his attention, whipping his head around just in time to see the closet slide shut. He stilled for a moment then marched forward, determined to find out what it was that drew his intrigue. He paused before the closet, feeling his skin break out in goosepimples. Something trickled along the back of his mind, and Virgil began getting the heavy sensation of dislike–as if someone were glaring daggers at his back. As he reached out to open the door, a soft hissing sound emitted from behind the door, as if a cat was hissing a warning. Determination set, Virgil prepared to open the closet door when he heard a stern ‘ahem’ from behind him.
He whirled, seeing Osgoode giving him an irritated expression, arms crossed stiffly over his chest. The hissing stopped abruptly. Virgil stilled, feeling absolutely guilty as Osgoode’s eyes narrowed and his stiff posture gave away his feelings. Virgil felt himself break out in a cold sweat, turning away from Richard’s closet with a sort of sheepish expression.
“I…I saw something,” he stammered, gesturing at the closet. “It…it ran in here. I was just…I wasn’t sure what I saw…”
Osgoode’s face was steely for a few moments, a muscle twitching at his jaw. Virgil felt something tickle at the back of his mind once more, feeling as if he should be prepared for something. Then Osgoode forced himself to relax, dropping his hands to his sides.
“What did you see?” His voice was curt.
“A…a…I don’t know exactly.” Virgil trailed off, feeling foolish. Osgoode’s eyes were dark behind the lenses of his glasses, and Virgil could see that his fingers were fisted into balls that he tried to hide behind his thighs. “Um…but it…went into the closet.”
Osgoode’s swallow was audible. But he walked into his brother’s room, striding to the closet. Without pause he jerked the door open, and Virgil looked inside. He saw nothing but clothes there. The scent of Richard washed over him, making him uncomfortably aware of that day when he was deceived. He shifted awkwardly.
Osgoode’s gaze was cold when he looked at Virgil. “It’s empty,” he said tonelessly. Virgil didn’t know what to say. He knew what he saw. But he couldn’t explain it. He looked at Osgoode with a pleading expression, grabbing one wrist when Osgoode moved to pull away.
“Oz. Don’t take this wrong,” he urged. “I saw something, I–I didn’t know what it was. I had to look. I…it wasn’t…”
Osgoode studied him for a few moments and then looked away. The strength in which he used to pull his hand back was surprising, both startling and upsetting Virgil as he looked after him helplessly. Before anything more could be addressed, Richard bounced into his room with a bag of chips and stopped short upon seeing them. His face screwed with horror.
“GET OUT!” he screamed, hurling the bag of chips at them. He raced off down the hall, running into their parents’ room. “DAD! OFF YOUR FAT ASS!! Oz is trying to make it with Virgil in MY ROOM!”
Osgoode shot Virgil a furious look and raced after his brother, both of them shouting back and forth in their parents’ room, Sean waking moments later to roar in fury over the rude awakening. Virgil groaned, clutching his dreads with both hands as feelings of horror and helplessness swamped him. He looked back at the closet, shaking his head with discontent. He knew what he saw.
01010011
Virgil wasn’t going to let the mistake go so lightly–he ignored all of Osgoode’s hints to leave, determined to show that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. But for Osgoode to make such a big deal out of it showed him that Osgoode felt something for him. That was hard to deny or ignore. He stuck to Osgoode’s side like glue, ignoring Richard’s attempts at fights, brushing off his words and insults as if they were nothing. He called his father to let him know where he was, and found himself accompanying the twins for a run to the grocery store later that night. Maggie had claimed, quite loudly, that she needed ‘alone time’ with Sean. She’d snapped a riding crop in the air, disgusting all teens with her revealing leather bustier and worn Nike sweats.
Halfway to the grocery store, Virgil was struggling to make Osgoode smile or join him in a round of jokes, the twin moving stiffly and barely saying a word in response. It was one of Virgil’s more mightier battles in life, fighting off Richard’s snide comments and trying for a response from Osgoode at the same time. He felt exhausted. But he didn’t want to give up.
They’d just entered a by-way, Richard lagging behind to coo to a cat sitting nearby. Halfway down the stairs, both Osgoode and Virgil retracted their hands from the railing, as it seemed to scorch their palms. Both of them jerked their heads up to see Hotstreak glowering at them from the bottom, fiery eyes locked on Osgoode. Smoke wafted away from his body, his hands glowing red as he forced heat into the railing.
Recognizing him, both Virgil and Osgoode gaped, startling in mid-step as the older teen stalked up the stairway toward them.
The redhead’s face screamed murder, and it looked as if he’d lost sleep in the past few days. The wild look in his eyes had both of the teens recoiling, ready to flee. It was unnatural for the other teen to be so haggard.
“What did you do to them?!” he snarled, his voice filled with rage. His eyes were still locked on Osgoode, his whole body stiff with raging fury, smoke turning black as it continued to waft away from him. “Huh? What did you do to them?”
“W–what are you talking about?” Virgil stammered, knowing that Osgoode couldn’t speak up. He settled himself in front of Osgoode without thinking, the twin cowering behind him, hands curled over his arms. Richard looked up from the cat he was petting to see Hotstreak facing them. Interest hit him, and he grinned kookily until he realized that the metahuman wanted to kill them.
“Virgil Hawkins,” Hotstreak growled, eyes taking on a molten color. The heat raging from him was tremendous, causing both teens to take a few steps back up the stairs in an effort to escape it. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Who knew you would be hanging out with a murderer!”
“A ‘murderer’? What are you talking about?”
“Talon, Shiv, Kangorr! They’re dead! Ain’t hit the news yet, but this one was the last to see them alive!” Hotstreak snarled, fists curled at his sides. He was upset, trembling with helpless rage and horror.
Virgil’s face furrowed with confusion, Osgoode’s as well. But before either could say anything, Richard was pushing past them, confronting Hotstreak with obvious bravado. He pointed a finger in Hotstreak’s face, the metahuman startled at being confronted so easily.
“You leave my brother and his gay boyfriend alone!” Richard stammered, drawing away from the heat, but forcing Virgil and Osgoode back up the stairs.
The heat left Hotstreak abruptly as he took in the identical faces of the Foley twins. He blinked, eyes returning to amber as confusion registered over his features. One eye focused on Richard, then on Osgoode, the other plainly not following the first. He clamped his mouth shut, opened it to speak, then shut it again. As Richard kept the others walking up the stairs, Hotstreak finally shrugged and resumed his fiery state of previous.
“No matter! What the fuck! Both of you will get your asses kicked for what you did!”
“What did we do?” Richard asked curiously. He took a few moments to take in the other teen’s appearance, Virgil and Osgoode ready to run. Hotstreak froze once more as he realized that the action was familiar.
He blinked, confused all over again as Richard smiled sweetly at him, crossing his arms behind him with a playful stance. Hotstreak recalled being hit on by a teen with that very same expression. He looked back at Osgoode, whose scared features were almost covered by Virgil’s protective frame, the latter teen standing in front of the former. But if he had been hit on by the boy with the gold eyes, then…
Hotstreak completely burnt out, reaching up to hold his head with a confused expression as he looked from one to the other. “Erm…I…I don’t know anymore.”
“Who’s a murderer?” Richard asked, sensing his safety as the other teen continued to be confused by the sight of two of them.
Recalling the sight of his dead friends, the stench of their dead bodies, Hotstreak was once again prompted into action. He reached out to grab onto Richard’s shirt, jerking the teen off his feet and slamming into the wall next to him. Richard gave a loud grunt upon, but laughed.
Osgoode dropped his head against Virgil’s shoulder. “He’s insane,” he muttered. “And I think Static should have been here hours ago…!”
Virgil nodded curtly and ran off, Osgoode watching helplessly as Hotstreak’s other fist popped into flames.
“Those were my friends back there,” Hotstreak snarled, eyes once more turning a molten-red, smoke wafting from his head. “However you managed to do all that, you’re gettin’ back tenfold!”
“But I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Richard protested, grabbing a hold of his wrist with both hands. He peered into his face and suddenly grinned. “Has anybody ever told you you’re sexy when furious? Let’s be friends!”
Hotstreak’s hand fell slightly, and he gaped. He then used both hands to prop him against the wall. “I’m fuckin’ threatenin’ your life, and you’re fuckin’ hitting on me! Hello, dumb-ass, I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you for what you did! You think this is a joke, or a game?!”
“Well…no, but…” Richard struggled to toe the ground, throwing Osgoode a begging glance. But Osgoode stayed where he was, searching the skies frantically for any sign of Static. Richard paused in mid-action, wondering where Virgil was. “I…I just don’t think that…I should be killed for…for something that I think I would remember. And I’m distracting you while…while the um…police come by. Is it working?”
Hotstreak faltered, scanning the streets for any sign of the police and spying Osgoode. Osgoode gulped, a worried expression on his face as the metahuman focused his good eye on him. He struggled not to go cross-eyed as he realized the other was looking in a direction away from him. Hotstreak dropped Richard, stalking after Osgoode. The younger twin started to run when Static finally flashed into sight, slightly out of breath.
“Hold there, Red!” Static boomed, hands flashing with power as Hotstreak whirled to face him. “Back off!”
“You’re all the one for fuckin’ justice and shit, an’ you let this go?!” Hotstreak screamed, tossing fireballs up at him as Osgoode hurried to Richard to make sure that he was okay. “Three people are DEAD because of–of–whichever one it was, an’ you just let it go! Yeah, okay, maybe they weren’t people of the year cuz of shit, but they weren’t meant to die like that!”
Static avoided the fireballs with ease, but his face clearly displayed his puzzlement upon his words. “What are you talking about?” he asked curiously, hovering nearby while Hotstreak heaved for breath.
“Talon. Shiv. Kangorr. All of them are dead, man. And these two–whichever one it was–did it! Shouldn’t there be justice for them?”
Static was clearly bewildered, Hotstreak tense as he stared up at the superhero with a furious expression. Holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture, Static lowered himself so that he could step out onto the sidewalk, allowing the other to tower over him. Showing him that he trusted.
Hotstreak was surprised at getting Static’s attention. For a moment he was thrown off, but he looked back at the twins, once more distracted by their identical features. Richard smiled at him, but Osgoode stared at him with calculating coldness, jaw twitching. Despite the sensation of his skin crawling, Hotstreak looked back at Static.
“Three people are dead because of them, and while I don’t know how, nor how they did it. It’s just…it…well. Just go down there and look! These two–!” he pointed at the twins, who looked blank upon the accusation, “–were the last to see them alive!”
“Let’s start from the beginning,” Static said, a confused expression upon his face. “I really want to hear what you’re saying. Start from the beginning.”
Hotstreak hesitated, frowning as he looked from one to the other, startled at having Static’s attention. He looked back at the twins, then stubbornly crossed his arms. “Take West Thirty to the sewer grating. Take two lefts, one right, another left and straight to the door with the Keep Out sign. Look in there and get that shit settled. They shouldn’t have to rot like that.”
“But why accuse them of killing–?”
“Ebon had this plan, man! He knows that–er–one of them is the one you hang out with. He snatched him and–I ain’t gonna get into trouble for this, am I?” Hotstreak interrupted himself to ask.
“N-no. Go on.”
“Well, anyway, he and Puff went on halfies to use…whichever…to get to you. But then, me an’ Kangorr ran into…the other one…and Kangorr took him back to Ebon’s hangout. Well, Ebon didn’t fall through with his end. So we checked it out to see what the fuck. We–we found them…they were dead, man!” Hotstreak sputtered, casting the twins a suspicious glance. “I don’t know how they did it, if you see it–I don’t–I don’t really know which one…”
Static looked over at Osgoode curiously. The twin looked at him blankly, Richard looking just as lost as he observed his interaction with his brother.
“I’ll check it out,” Static reluctantly said. He was quite aware that their ‘lost time’ the past weekend was pressing on him. But he didn’t want to think that the two were involved. “But…maybe you should just…what if it wasn’t him?”
“That’s the thing! I don’t know which one it was that Ebon had! I don’t know which one–well…wait.” Hotstreak turned to them, stomping over to look into each twin’s face until he straightened. He pushed Richard’s head . “THIS is the one Ebon had first. I recognize that mug. And this one,” Hotstreak shoved Osgoode onto the sidewalk, the twin grunting in surprise, “is the one me and Kangorr picked up. He didn’t say anything at all. Kangorr took this one back to the hideout.”
Static was startled at the furious glare Osgoode was sending him from the sidewalk. In spite of the situation, he shivered. It looked as if Osgoode wanted to rip his head off. Swallowing hard as Richard hastily helped his brother to his feet, Static focused on Hotstreak. “I–I’ll check it out. In the meantime, I want you to leave them alone.”
“No way! That ain’t fair!” Hotstreak cried, once again blazing. The very sight of him on fire had nearby bystanders running away in panic. “If it were one of us, you’d have them all tied up and–this is unfair! This is discrimination! I’m lettin’ ya know that–!”
“STATIC!”
All of them startled, looking up to see Puff descending onto them quickly. Her face was clearly troubled, her cheeks tracked with tears. She looked just as distressed as Hotstreak did, her eyes blazing as they settled on the twins. She then performed a double-take before launching into a slightly hysterical fit. “Static, you’ve–you’ve got to come with me! Something happened, and–! IT WAS THEM!...er…him…?”
Static was truly mystified as yet another Bang Baby accused the twins of murder. Looking at them, he took in their bewildered expressions. They looked just as lost as he did, but the two Bang Babies could only look at them accusingly. Puff looked ready to kill them, only she couldn’t decide which one it was that was the culprit.
“Anyway, it ain’t fair that you’d let them off the hook when you wouldn’t let us!” Hotstreak completed his earlier accusation.
“What are they talking about?” Richard asked, his brother’s face stony, arms crossed stiffly over his chest. Static wasn’t sure what it was Osgoode was angry at him for, but it wasn’t the time to ask. “We didn’t kill anybody…I mean, it’d be impossible. There’s no way…”
Static felt the back of his neck crawl. For some reason, the stories he’d gotten from Osgoode about their old hometown came back to him. He looked back at them, allowing Osgoode’s pouty countenance to slide as something dark settled at the pit of his stomach. He looked back at the two disturbed Bang Babies.
Something had happened–and he had to find out what.
Taking a deep breath, he nodded. “You’re right. I have to be fair,” he said slowly. Every word he spoke was heavy, and he had some difficulty forcing them out. He knew Osgoode was gaping at him in horror. He forced himself to look up. “I’ll check it out….but in the meantime, both of you will have to be detained.”
Richard looked at him blankly, but Osgoode looked at him in such a betrayed way that Static had to look away. “It’s only fair. They’re clearly distressed, and it doesn’t seem like a lie…”
“Static…!” Osgoode exclaimed, his voice cracking. “How could you believe them? They’re criminals!”
“Watch your mouth, punk!” Hotstreak snarled, Puff moving quickly to confront the younger twin.
“You murdered them!” she snapped. “Something like this can’t be ignored! Who knows who the next victim will be when you’re involved!”
Osgoode said nothing to her, but he didn’t look away from Static. His expression was truly venomous, and it turned only darker when his brother showed the opposite reaction.
“Will we get to stay in a jail cell while we wait?” Richard asked with some excitement. “I’ve never been to jail…wow. That’s kinda cool.”
“You retarded, or something?” Hotstreak asked him, giving him a skeptical look. “Who gets excited about fuckin’ jail?”
“Is it true they serve peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? And we get to watch tv?” Richard asked him while Static avoided Osgoode’s accusing stare. “Will we have to stay with big-time criminals? Oh my god, do we get to wear jumpsuits, too?”
“Erm…well…yeah.” Hotstreak stared down at him in confusion. He’d never seen anybody so excited at the thought of going to jail.
“I’ll take your word for it. You seem experienced.” Richard grinned up at him in such way that despite himself, Hotstreak felt his face flushing.
“I want to call my parents,” Osgoode said tightly. His eyes were furious, blazing hotly behind the lenses of his glasses. His cheeks were flushed with color, and while Virgil thought him a rather passionate sight, now wasn’t the time to listen to hormones. Osgoode was truly betrayed by his decision.
It also hurt that his suspicions were taking hold of him. Making him feel as if he were stabbing Osgoode in the back. He didn’t want to take the metahumans’ side, but he couldn’t help but feel that something had truly occurred in which the twins were involved.
“I want to call my lawyer.”
“Oz, we don’t have a lawyer.”
“You can’t do this to us without probable cause,” Osgoode continued, his tone cold as he stared daggers at Static. He gripped his brother’s arm tightly, Richard wincing. “You’d take the word of common criminals, of proven metahuman idiots over two civilians. You’re making a mistake.”
Static stared helplessly down at him. “I’m sorry. It’ll be safer at the jail until I check this out. I have their word that they won’t try anything on you while I’m doing this.”
Hotstreak and Puff looked resolute, their postures stiff as they glared at the twins. Osgoode finally looked away from Virgil, his shoulders angrily set. He still hadn’t released his twin. Static wanted to desperately believe that this was all a ploy, something that the metahumans were toying with in their efforts to bring him down. But their faces and their tones were so distressed…
He sighed heavily. Looking at Puff straight in the eyes, because he didn’t trust himself with looking into Hotstreak’s for fear of making a mistake, he said, “I trust what you say. And I will investigate it. But I need your word on that you won’t do anything to them while I do this. If justice is to be served and they are guilty, the judicial system has to deal with them fairly. Just as it does with you.”
Both of them continued to look unsettled, looking at each other with doubt. Static really didn’t want to piss Osgoode off any further, but he had to do this. He had to be fair. The twin looked absolutely furious, his skin red and his eyes blazing with furiousness. It would be a long time before Osgoode would allow him close again, but his duties had to be taken seriously. He had to be fair.
“Let me flag down a patrol car,” he muttered, rising to do just that. As he was doing so, Richard gave a cry of pain, but settled into silence as attention turned to the pair of them. Osgoode wouldn’t look at any of them, holding onto his brother’s arm tightly as he refused to acknowledge Static.
Feeling absolutely monstrous, Static went in search of a patrol car in which to carry out his side of the promise.