Here it is, my next Static Shock fanfiction. This has nothing to do with the Shaman story, it's sequel will hopefully be in progress soon.
As it stands... I don't own Static or Gear... or their hottie counterparts though the superheroes are ten times hotter! But I will return them when I am done with them... and they're properly whomped and thusly healed...
ON WITH THE SHOW!
I stood at the corner as the people fawned over him. I moved from my leaning post and began to walk away. It would be best if I just got out of there. For all of us.
"Hey, are you alright?" I heard him ask.
"I'm fine, go back to your fan club Static." I said, not even looking at him.
"Whoa, I know this was about you, somehow. Just what did those guys want?" He asked.
"They're thugs. What do you think they wanted, an autograph?" I said, being snappier than I probably should have to my rescuer.
"Hey, don't bite his head off. It just seemed like those 'thugs' as you put it, were after more than money or a good time." Gear said, rolling up. "There's something you're not telling us."
"Maybe you're just a little paranoid." I said, walking away.
"Backpack scanned those thugs, and he scanned you. There was a lot of electricity being discharged." Gear said.
I stopped dead. "Blame your friend Static for that." I said without turning.
"It wasn't coming from me." Static said quietly from above me.
"He's right. This was different, has a different signature. Like it was coming from someone who wasn't a bang baby." Gear said.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." I growled. "Maybe you should check your computer. Sparky here probably doesn't help the electronics too much."
I heard them both shout in dismay as I took off running. I ran as hard as I could, finding little to hide in or behind. I tripped and fell to the ground.
I had precious seconds before they would catch sight of me, so I rolled underneath the van parked on the street.
Soon feet appeared, encased in rollerblades that had been toyed with by Gear no doubt. They looked pretty sleek, if he could design some like that and sell them, I was sure he'd earn a pretty penny. I tried to quiet my pounding heart as he closed in.
"You know, she's probably right V. Maybe I should shield Backpack better. That's probably why." Gear said.
'V? Who's he talking to now?' I thought
"Maybe, I think there's more to this than meets the eye." Static answered. Why did Gear call him V?
"Did you see her jacket?" Gear asked.
"Yeah, she's from Metropolis. Wonder what she's doing so far from home." Static said.
I'd have cursed. Chichi-san would be laughing at me, telling me he told me so. Then again, he had been lucky. He hadn't been born with my burden.
My father was like that though. Gii-san had passed the family burden onto me. He left his son, my Chichi-san out of it.
Lucky. Gii-san had burned himself out years before my birth. Baa-san hadn't, and told stories of the family of my father. They had a history of burning themselves out early in their lives. Early for us anyway, we lived a long time.
I was the odd one. My mother was the fire clan, and my father was half water and half air, not an unusual coupling, but they had produced me. Fire hardly ever coupled with anyone that had a drop of water in them. The clans were enemies.
By the time I had finished grumbling about my family in general, the two heroes had gone. I rolled out from under the car, thanking the ancestors for a moment. A blessing it was to be able to repel the filth around me. I then walked the rest of the way home.
"Konnban'wa ChiChi. Genki desuka?" I asked, removing my shoes in the doorway. (good evening dad, how are you?)
"Genki desu. Konnban'wa neko-chan." My father said appearing at the door. (I am fine, good evening Cat)
"Kono machi wa kemeyou na hito no chichi no kansen dearu." I replied. (this town is full of strange people father)
"Soshite kunren suru to watashi tachi ga ichi tsuga mitsukeru made kanzen ga kakureru tame ni aru. Tabun anata no chichi no anata no haha no chi to sore wa Baa-san no youna nagai seimei ni chansu wo ataeru kamoshire naika." He replied with a smile. (and is perfect to hide in, until we find one to train you. Maybe, with your mother's blood within you, it may allow you the chance at a longer life, like Grandmother)
"Watashi wa chichi wo sou nozomu me to Gii-san wa odayaka de aru. Hi, kuuki oyobi mizu to watashi ni san kara niga aru. Haha wa watashi no umare no nochi de moe ta." I said. (I hope so dad, Grandma was of the water tribe. They are tranquil. With fire, air, and water, I've two out of the three. Mom burned out after my birth.)
"She was fire. They have tempers. I loved hers. I either fanned the flames or quenched them. Her burn out was not natural however. Someone forced it. Our Gii-san's family however, it is genetic. A curse if you will." Chichi-san said.
"Maybe I will break it." I said. It was a common ritual between us, to keep hope.
"Yes, now to bed with you Reiko-chan." Chi chi-san said, kissing my forehead.
I was up doing a kata when the doorbell rang. I sighed, waiting for my father to answer the door. It kept ringing, rolling my eyes I stopped and answered it. I was surprised to see a woman at the door, and three men behind her. The blonde boy stood in the back ribbing his companion about something. Both seemed my age. I stood there for a moment.
"Chichi-san! Koko ni kite kudasai!" I shouted, turning. (Dad can you come here please)
"I'm sorry, do you understand English?" The only adult asked.
"I do, my father does not." I said.
"Reiko? Genki desuka?" He called. (Reiko? How are you?)
"Watashi tachi ni gesuto no chichi-san ga iru" I replied. (We have guests father)
"Soko ni dare ga imasuka?" He called back, getting closer. (essentially: Who are they?)
"Please come in, removed your shoes. This may take a while." I said. "who might you be?"
"I'm Mr. Hawkins, this is Virgil my son, and Sharon my daughter. And this is Richie, Virgil's friend." Mr. Hawkins said.
"Dare?" Chichi-san asked. (who?)
"Why do we have to take our shoes off?" Sharon asked.
"It's a Japanese home, just do as she says." Richie said.
"Hawkins-san, to Virgil kun, to Richie kun, to Sharon chan." I said. ( Their names with suffixes at the end, denoting respect shown to the father, reference to boys, and girls)
"Ohaio gozaimashta" Chichi-san said. (Good morning)
"Father says good morning. This way. Chichi-san would like to know the occasion for this visit." I said, continuing to translate.
"Chichi-san?" Virgil asked.
"It's like saying dad instead of father." I replied.
"We're here to welcome you to our neighborhood. You're about Virgil's age aren't you?" Mr. Hawkins said.
"Yes." I said, translating for my father.
"Arigatou." My father said. (thanks)
"Father gives his thanks."
"Tell me Reiko, were you born in Japan?" Mr. Hawkins asked.
"No. I don't think so. I can't remember. My father doesn't talk about it because of my mother. I think I was born out of this country, the last I remember Baa-san telling. I am American, but Japanese as well. I was born on our way to Metropolis. Father is most definitely not American. We moved to Japan again when I was three. Mother worked at a big company that sent us places. We've recently moved from Metropolis." I said.
"Where is your mother from?" Sharon asked.
"Mother was also from Japan. She died on the job. One of the many reasons we moved to Dakota." I said.
"Oh, sorry." Sharon said.
"I think it's time to go. If you ever need a hand, we live one house down from you. Just give us a ring. Let's go kids." He said.
They turned to go. I saw Virgil giving me a curious look, and Richie was looking at me with a penetrating gaze. They too turned to go. I reached out with a tendril of electricity, testing them both. I got a response from Virgil. He was not some normal teenager.
Virgil turned around and looked at me. I held a stoic expression on my face, telling him nothing. He turned and left with his family and friend. I rolled my eyes after shutting the door. I leaned against it, sighing. It was going to be an interesting day at school when it started up again.
"Reiko-san, those boys recognized you. Are they who you were talking about?" father asked.
"I am sure one of them is. His friend probably is the other, but I cannot be so sure without checking. I need to go father, I feel…" I said
"Go then, blow off steam, but be careful wear your charms." He said.
"I know father" I said, kissing his cheek.
As a way to prevent a burn out like my mother had, we had fashioned charms that would kick in and keep the majority of the energy from being expelled in a way that would kill me or other people. It would do it's best to head off a burn out.
I put the charms on in an order designated by where they went and how they were designed. I had bracelets for my right ankle, then a small belt of wires intricately woven, bracelets on my wrist, an arm band on my left arm, and thumb and index finger rings for both hands. I also had a necklace, earrings and a small head piece that was woven similar to my belt.
It would seem like overkill, but I had almost burned out once, and they saved my life. Besides, it gave me a sort of style that was my own. People tended to steer around me more often dressed as I was, but I did not care. I hardly stayed in a place long enough to make valued friendships, except Metropolis. I had no worries about airports since we had our own plane to go places.
I walked alone, careful to keep away from any thugs so I didn't have a repeat of the night before. I felt the storm brewing. It was likely to rain and storm hard today. I didn't mind. Rain was soothing to me. Although in a city like this, it would be polluted as well. I sighed. I wished that perhaps we would find a cleaner place. Dakota was cleaner than Metropolis, that was for sure.
"You know Richie; it's rude to follow a person like that." I said, without turning around.
"How'd you know it was me? Let alone that I was there?" He asked.
"The Mountain technique." I said.
"What?" He asked.
"As a martial artist, we are told not to focus on what is close, we are to focus on the mountain in the distance, and are able to fight with more accuracy and speed. If you focus further away, you will see movements around you better than if you did not." I said.
"I see. Why didn't you use it last night then?" He asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I said.
"I think you do. "Richie said, coming in front of me. "Don't play dumb. You tested V at your house, because you had a hunch about him."
"Your nuts" I said, walking around him. He grabbed my arm.
"Reiko, there's no hiding who V and I are. You know it as well as we do." He said, getting close to my face.
My breath hitched. His eyes were full of emotion, and behind it was a courage I didn't see in many his age. I wasn't used to someone being this close to me, and it was a strange feeling.
"I'm not like you, or him. I have my own problems." I said, yanking my arm away.
I ran. I hated this. We were here barely three days and they knew who I was, what I wasn't. I felt tears spilling down my cheeks as I dashed away from Richie.
"Reiko! Reiko wait!" He shouted after me.
Rain started to pour down and everyone started to find drier places to be. Except me, I was down on the docks. The rain mingled with my tears, hiding my weakness. I was making lightning.
Ta daaaaa... and that's the first chapter. It was a little difficult writing in the translations for the Japanese. I had written them a while ago while still in class, and now that I've had a full two semesters of German with the final semester of Japanese... well... yeah.. I'm a bit rusty.
I put the Japanese in there to show that Reiko's father (who is only known as Mr. Kinomoto) knows no English. Future exchanges between the two will mostly be in English, with the occaisional common phrase. Mostly Genki Desuka, or Konnichi'wa.
I'm sorry if it was confusing to you, I didn't mean for it to be. And beleive me. I'm not writing that much Japanese again without finding a program on here that will show it in hiragana. I hate writing Japanese in romanji (which is the alphabet we read in here.)