Title: Future Imperfect

Author: Kate R.

abelard950@aol.com

Disclaimer: not mine and Never will be. Static and the JLA belong to DC Comics and Warner Brothers.

Rating: PG-13 to R

Pairings: Virgil/Richie

Summary: Think 5 years in the future, Static got hurt and has been in a healing coma. Batman now has to wake him up because there is a problem.



Future Imperfect
By Kate R
.

1: Missing: One Gear

Virgil," he heard. He didn't want to answer the voice. It was nice here and warm. It was a good place to be. "Virgil, wake up. There's a problem."

He knew the voice was Batman's but he didn't want to move yet. Not unless he really had to.

"Virgil, Richie is missing. We can't find him."

And that got his attention and he woke up. He wondered why he was in a hospital bed but then he focused on Batman and what he had just said. "What happened to Richie?" and whoa, his voice was different. When had that happened?

"We don't know," Batman said to him. "He went on a routine patrol of Dakota a week ago and vanished. We found his signal belt and helmet and we found Backpack but we haven't found him yet. We have a feeling we're running out of time if we want to find him alive. We need everyone looking."

"Whose gonna kill him?" Virgil asked. But he got up anyway and grabbed the clothes that had been laid out for him.

"Ebon and his gang. They rule Dakota now. Since you were hurt," batman told him. And he finally looked in the mirror and saw that he had aged.

"It's been five years, Virgil," Batman said. "Gear brought you to us and he stayed with us, with you ever since that day. But he's the only one who knows Dakota as well as you did. Shebang is here too but she couldn't find him. She tried. We think you can. We think you might be able to get to him in time. We think...."

"Costume," Virgil said cutting him off. Batman smiled and brought him a costume in the size of clothes he now wore. Virgil got dressed and then walked over to a box marker power cell and charged up on it.

"Where in Dakota did he disappear? I need to know so I know where to start looking."

"By the old Juvenile Detention Facility," Batman said as he handed Virgil a metal disk. It was bigger than his old one and he saw the cells for storing power on this costume were more advanced than on his old one.

"Gear has been busy," Batman said. "He's worked on improving your costume ever since you were hurt. I hope you find him in time, Static. There is no chance he isn't hurt by this point but there is a chance he's still alive."

"If he's dead," Static said charging up his hands. "So are they."

And he flew out of the base he was in, heading for Dakota by the map Batman had given him.

"Hang on, Richie," he said. "I'm coming."

**************

Ebon's lair at that same time:

"How is our prisoner holding up?" Ebon asked Shiv as he looked out the window at their makeshift cross and the man nailed to it.

"He screamed for Puff last night," Shiv said as he watched the man struggle weakly against the nails. "I have no idea what she did but he screamed. Hot Streak got a few moans out of him burning him."

"Good, go out and gag him. I wanna hear him scream loud enough that we can hear it through the gag."

Shiv smiled nastily and went to do that. To hear Gear scream that loud would be fun for them. Of course, hearing him when they'd nailed him to the thing had been fun too. Hearing him trying not to scream after 5 days in Ebon's hands. He'd been hanging for nearly two days now. Guy was made of some stern stuff, as his mother would say.

Shiv gagged him and then grinned as everyone came out. It was dark now. No normal people would be on the street until tomorrow at sunrise. No one ever was.

"Time for some fun, Gear," hot Streak said. He knew Gear's real name and sometimes he called him that while torturing him. Gear was a bang baby like they were. He should have been one of them. But no, he had to choose hero, just like Static. And they'd gotten Static too. No one had seen him
in five years.

Shiv went first, cutting Gear. He enjoyed this. Little cuts and then they'd throw salt on them and rub it in. Gear would grit his teeth then, trying not to make a sound. Heroes all had this thing about enduring.

Gear had it too. However, they were making progress. He screamed now, when they hurt him enough.

"You scream for us tonight and we'll stop early, Richie," Hot Streak said as he made his hands hot. He grabbed Gear by the arms and began to burn him, heating up until the pain registered and Richie began to thrash against the nails, which caused him even more pain.

"Come on, Gear. Just scream. It'll be a lot easier on you if you just...what the hell?"

And Francis, AKA Hot Streak, suddenly jerked away as a bolt of electricity nearly fried him. They all looked up and stared. Static was there, hovering above them, and he looked pissed.

"You have until the count of three to get away from him," Static said in a deadly voice as his hands began to glow with a deadly charge of electricity. "1...2..."

He didn't get to three before Puff started to back up. Apparently the look in his eyes was no joke. He looked murderous and they realized he wouldn't hesitate to fry them where they stood if they didn't get away from their victim.

Only Ebon stayed. And only until Static fired his power at him. The anger in that blast had even Ebon running. And Shiv hit the road as well, leaving just Static, looking up at the makeshift cross that held his best friend.

"Oh, hell," Static whispered as he looked up at the man hanging from he cross with his head slumped against his chest. "Hang on, Gear. I got you."

Using his powers to pull metal out of flesh was not something he wanted to do again in this lifetime. Even seemingly unconscious, Richie cried out when the nails were removed. Then, he seemed to just fall forward and Static had to move fast to catch him before he hit the ground.

"I've got you, Rich," Static said as he lifted his friend, his lover, into his arms. He wondered how Richie had survived for 5 years alone but he knew the answer to that. Richie had always been tougher than he looked.

"V?" the weak, gasping voice said as Richie started to wake up.

"N-not a d-dream then?"

"No, Rich," Virgil said as he laid a gentle kiss on Richie's lips. "Not a dream. Hang on. I'm gonna take you back to base, okay?"

"Uh-huh," Richie whispered hoarsely. "Hurts man. Really hurts. Worse than getting shot."

"I know. You got tough."

"Screamed a couple of times."

"Rich, Superman would have screamed if they'd been doing that to him. Come on, we'll get you taken acre of, okay?"

"Uh-huh. Gonna pass out now, V. Kay?" And Richie lost consciousness-leaving Virgil to hold him and get them on their way back to the base he'd come from. He looked down at his tortured friend as they flew and all he could think of was "God, If I'd been there..." But that wouldn't help anything so he settled on thinking about the rage when he'd seen what they were doing to his lover. And they had been lovers before the coma or whatever it was. He and Richie had been together before he got hurt. Richie had taken care of him, now it was time for him to take care o Richie. And he would. As soon as he got him back to base.

And after that? Well, lets just say Ebon and his gang were going to get it. Big time.

Ebon wanted to play hardball? Static would play hardball. And when the game was over, Ebon would be in pieces. That was Static's promise.



2: Damage

He flew into the Bat Cave with Gear resting in his arms. Batman was waiting. There was a med-table laid out like it had been prepared. Static laid Gear on it and watched as Batman began to check him over methodically.

"Damn, Richie," Bruce muttered. "More scars? Then again you are one of our front liners. Guess we can't expect you not to get scarred up. Lets see here, I'm thinking you didn't have a chance to use your other powers this time? Blind fold?"

"Dark," Virgil heard Richie answer him. "I didn't have the time to get the light up."

"No one could have in that situation. The titans are coming in to see how you are. Robin wants to know if he can pick up your patrols or anything for you. I told him it was covered."

"Virge doesn't know everything yet. Let the Titans take Dakota for now," Gear said. Richie could tell there was a difference between Richie and Gear. Gear was a battle-hardened warrior. Richie was still a gentle person. And it seemed that Batman wanted to preserve that was well.

"Okay," Batman said. "The Titans can take Dakota until you're back on your feet and can show Virgil everything that's new."

"Good," gear said. "Use the stimulator. Make it heal a bit faster. I can't afford to be down for too long."

"Gear, you need to rest more. I can patrol Dakota some nights. You need to rest. You've hurt yourself a couple of times not resting," Batman told him gently. "Now, lie back and rest. Static is here with you so I'll go check on Robin and the others. I think that was them coming in through the door."

"Okay," gear said. And only after Batman left the cave did Richie come back out and he looked at Virgil imploringly.

"I got you, bro," Virgil said as he gripped Richie's hand. "I know it hurts."

"Yeah," Richie said. "Like anything. Stay here with me for a while? I'm not kidding about you not knowing what's out there right now but I really want to spend a little time with you. I might even take the Bat's advice and let it be without the stimulator."

"Yeah, I'll stay. Like I got any other place to go?"

"Your dad and Sharon and Adam all live here too. Bruce yanked them here right after I brought you."

"Yeah, well, I'm not leaving you alone right now. Get some rest, Rich. I'm here," Virgil said. And Richie nodded, letting the pain meds Batman had given him kick in. He was soon sleeping the sleep of the deeply drugged.

Virgil stayed by the bed, sitting in a chair and eventually drifting off. He woke up later hearing voices speaking to each other that he recognized as Batman and Robin.

"Has anyone been able to find her?" Robin was asking as Virgil woke up.

"No," Batman answered. 'If she ash any sense whatsoever in that genetically engineered mind of hers, she's staying as far away from me as she can right now. She'd know I'd be furious about this. I trusted her to have his Back, Tim."

"I know, Bruce," Robin, Tim Drake, said. "It isn't your fault she ditched."

"It is my fault," Batman said. "I trusted her. I never should have given her that trust. I trusted her because she'd stopped a few bad guys in Dakota and look what happened to gear because of it? I'm tired of her attitude and her slip shod, lazy, careless work. Shebang will never be a hero like Static and Gear are. Like you all are. I will never acknowledge her after this one."

Virgil felt more anger as he realized what he'd just heard. Gear was not supposed to be alone. Shebang was supposed to be with him. He looked down at Richie, seeing the scars he knew had been gotten over the years of fighting and being proud of Richie for continuing on even with him down. But then, he looked at the new injuries, where he knew there would be new scars, on his wrists and ankles, and he knew now there was someone at fault for Gear getting caught alone. And when he saw her again, he was going to put her through a wall for it.

"Virgil," Batman said as he realized Static was awake. "Try not to kill her, okay? I know you're angry and I know I can't ask you not to hit her but please, don't kill her. As much s I hate to admit this, we do need her sometimes."

"Fine," Virgil growled. "But only because I respect you."

Batman nodded and watched as Virgil brushed Richie's hair off his face and then bent and kissed his forehead again. Batman knew he could leave them alone to get things done upstairs now. The Titans were here and he wanted to track Shebang down.

2 days later:

Shebang walked into Wayne Manor and headed down to the bat cave area to see if the boss had anything he needed done. Making her patrol with the geek was so boring so she'd ditched the last one. Maybe Batman would finally get the message and make her the Primary Front Liner in Dakota. She was the best for it, after all. She was fast and super strong and nearly invulnerable. She should not have had to be taking orders from Gear.

The clock swung open in front of her and she started to go down when suddenly, a blast of power hit her and threw her back up the steps and into the wall in the dining room. After knocking her through the wall in the study.

"Where the hell have you been?" were the first words she heard when her head finally stopped ringing. She looked up and found herself looking at Batman and he looked furious.

"I..." She began. He looked down at her and on his face was such a look of pure disgust.

"I told you to patrol with Gear last week. Where did you go?"

"I don't need to be treated like a rookie, Batman," she snapped.

"I'm more of a Super Hero than Gear is. I don't know why you treat me like an errand girl. Besides, it isn't like anyone got hurt with me not being here, right?"

Another blast of power hit her and knocked her into another wall and she realized it wasn't Batman who threw it.

"Wrong, little girl," Batman said as he dragged her to her feet and fog marched her down the steps. "Someone got hurt very badly because of you not showing up. Gear got hurt. Hell, he was damn well crucified because you weren't there to back him up. You just lost any trust you had from me."

"But...but...I mean, doesn't that just show he isn't a real hero if he was stupid enough to get caught?" she said trying to put all the blame on the unconscious man I the bed. Batman had been forced to employ the stimulator because something had come up and they now needed Gear back up as soon as possible.

Another blast of power slammed her and another followed it and another and she finally realized who was throwing the blasts. Static..was awake? Good, maybe now with gear down he'd notice her? But if that was true, why was he attacking her? And why was Batman letting him?

"Gear is ten times the hero you'll ever be," Static yelled as he hit her. "You'll never be on his level. You'll never be on any one's level. You'll always be a little girl playing dress up! This is not a game you stupid bitch! Gear got hurt because of you! Gear was..."

"Virgil," a weak voice cut through the noise of his yelling.

Shebang watched as Static stopped his attack and turned to the bed where she could see Gear had forced himself to sit up and he was shaking from the effects of the stimulator. "Virgil, stop."

"Rich, you shouldn't be up," Virgil said as his anger at her melted away to be replaced by concern for Gear.

"You can't kill her, V," Richie gritted out.

Virgil nodded and forced him to lay back.

"Make a deal with you, Rich," Virgil said. "I'll let her live if you lay back and let this thing heal you, okay?"

"Okay, V," Richie said. And he did lay back and he did let his eyes close as the stimulator healed him. Static turned and shot an acidic look at Shebang who was staring in shock.

"It'll never be you," he said to her. And that was the last thing he said for awhile.

END PART 2