Author's note: I started writing this story back in 2012, but I didn't want to post it until it was finished. The ideas were all there and a lot of it was written, but I never had the motivation to finish it. If you like the story, you can thank Warrior's Bride for helping me pull things together and complete it.

Also, thanks to my beta and good friend Shakespeare's Lemonade for reading and critiquing everything I share with her.

The story is nine chapters in all, so I'll probably post about once or twice a week.

I hope you enjoy the story. Let me know what you think.

Electrified

by

Riter's Fury

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Chapter 1

They were closing in. Danny could hear them ripping apart the warehouse searching for him. He knew he didn't have much time. It was amazing he had lasted this long. Every fiber of his being wanted to curl up and wish away the hell he had been through in the past thirty-six hours. But wishing wouldn't help him. And it wouldn't help his partner.

Steve remained strapped to the electrical monster, burns marking his arms and chest. His breathing was ragged and labored. Danny knew he was slipping away. "Hang on, buddy," he whispered, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. "I'm gonna get us out of this." He hoped he sounded confident because he sure didn't feel it.

Steve lifted his head. He tried to focus on his partner's face, but the effort was excruciating and his head fell back against the chair. He knew he wasn't going to make it, and he needed Danny to accept that. He wanted him to leave while he still had a chance. His lips moved, but he had no strength to voice his request. He only managed a groan.

Danny glanced at Steve. "Don't even think about giving me one of those 'I'm about to die' speeches. I'm not interested. You're gonna make it." Then he thought to add, "We both are."

Steve raised his head slightly. "Go," he managed to say before his eyes closed and his head slumped against his chest.

"Hey. McGarrett." Danny shook his friend. "Come on! Don't die on me!"

No response.

Danny wasn't sure what he was going to do. He was running out of time.

#~~#~~#~~#

Danny Williams' home, 36 hours earlier...

An incessant buzzing woke Danny from his sleep. Without opening his eyes, he reached over to the bedside table trying to find the alarm clock. He accidentally knocked it to the floor, but the sound didn't go away. He opened his eyes and groaned. It was his phone, not his clock.

This better not be about a case, Danny thought as he picked up his phone. He didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" he answered in a gruff voice.

"Good morning, Detective Williams," a cheerful voice responded.

Danny rubbed his eyes, then reached down to pick up the fallen clock. It was two in the morning. "Good morning? Who the hell is this?"

"E. L. Tric. Or Dr. Tric if you prefer."

"Who?"

"I want to offer you an experience of a lifetime."

"What are you some sort of salesman? Do you know what time it is?"

"I'm more of an inventor marketing my own product. Commander McGarrett is already using my invention and he is quite stunned by it."

"So, Steve put you up to this? Only that idiot would think it was funny to call someone at two in the morning. I'm not interested in your product, and don't call again."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought your partner's life meant more to you than that, but I guess I was mistaken. I won't trouble you further."

Danny sat up. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, so you are interested." Dr. Tric sounded like an excited child. "Your partner is thrilled, aren't you, Commander McGarrett."

Danny felt a shiver along his spine. "He's with you?"

"Yes, but he's tied up at the moment. He's sitting in a special chair I built for him."

Danny didn't like the sound of that. "What are you doing to him?"

"I actually won't be doing anything to him at all. What happens to him is entirely up to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I have a series of tasks I would like you to complete. The first one is to open your front door. There's a package waiting for you. Don't worry, it won't explode. It wouldn't be any fun if you blew up at the beginning of our game. I have many exciting things in store for you."

Danny felt as if he was in some B-rated horror movie. He was on the phone with a certifiable lunatic who had his partner in some special chair that probably wasn't a La-Z-Boy recliner. He figured he had no choice but to retrieve the package.

As promised, he found a small brown box sitting outside his door. He looked around, but there was no one in sight. Picking up the package he went inside. "I have it," he said.

"Oh goody. Now open it."

Danny lifted the flaps, uncovering a small device nestled in cotton batting. "What is this?"

"It's a specially designed earpiece."

"Okay. Do you care to elaborate on that?"

"It goes in your ear."

"I think I got that much figured out."

"It plays a very important role. It links directly to the voice command feature in the chair and it provides a way for the three of us to communicate with each other throughout this experience. Oh, did you want to say something, Commander McGarrett?"

"Don't do it, Danny!" Steve yelled.

"Steve-" A humming, followed by a zap and a grunt, interrupted Danny. "What was that?"

"Oh, I forgot to mention there are certain things you cannot say, or do, because it will cause your partner an unpleasant tingling sensation. So by saying 'Steve'- Hum. Zap. Grunt. "Whoopsie. I accidentally said Steve." Hum. Zap. Grunt.

"Please stop!" Danny exclaimed. "I get the point."

"Very well, but let me explain further. By calling your partner by his first name, trying to contact your other crime fighting friends, Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, or taking too long on any one assignment, et cetera, et cetera, your partner will receive an electric shock as you have just heard. Each time you fail to follow the rules, the power will increase. I'm sure you know what will happen if it gets too high. The human body can only withstand so much."

"What kind of sick maniac are you?"

"A brilliant one. Now I think you should get some rest, detective, you'll need plenty of it for your upcoming adventures."

"You expect me to sleep?"

"Look in the bottom of the box. You'll find something to help you with that."

Danny turned the box upside down. A sealed bag containing a white tablet dropped onto the table. "You just expect me to take this? How do I know it's not poison?"

"For your friend's sake you should ask fewer questions. I'll be in touch. Sweet dreams."

"But will you at least tell me why you're doing this?"

"I'd thought you'd never ask. Let's just say it's an experiment in human behavior, one that will be a most electrifying experience."