Disclaimer: I do not own Static Shock.

Author's Note: I read through this story and decided to rewrite a few of these chapters in hopes to improve the writing style, dialogue, and clarity. So far I have rewritten chapters 1-4 and am unsure if I wish to revise any of the others. Please leave a comment, whether you enjoy the additions or want to see changes in this chapter or any of the others. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favored this story.

A little more than five years had passed since the night of the second Big Bang. The media reported the restoration of Static and Gear's powers, also assuming that the two menaces known as Hotstreak and Ebon regained theirs. Several new meta-humans emerged that night, but as many of them were peaceful civilians, were treated with the cure almost instantly and of their free will. Having seen their group of heroes many times thereafter, it became a known fact that those who were originally affected had grown stronger from the second explosion.

For Shiv, he only wished his past life to remain there in the past. He stood on a lonely street corner watching the snow fall. Having nowhere to call home, nor anyone to turn to, he merely stood there. His eyes fixed on one of the hideouts from his past. Every hole and cracked brick on the building fell no where near in comparison with the scratches and rips on his heart. Wounds that time had poorly mended, leaving holes and loose trim on every edge. The memories of the time when he was feared, respected, and on occasions, admired only seared him, persuading him to move from that spot. That forsaken building reminded him that those times were gone. And he missed it. He missed the fun times, his friends, the thrill of causing mayhem, but most of all he missed her.

He sighed and turned, the sole of his tennis shoes came in contact with the snow. He slouched over, grasping at the sleeves on his tattered jacket, his only source of shelter. He longed to see her face once more. He was aware of her new residence, but did not have the courage to barge in on her new life.

He continued to walk. The wind tapped his face and seeped through his jacket. His breathing sped and clear mucus began to leak from his left nostril.

The snow began to fall in an elegant pattern. Watching the beauty of the flakes dance in the sky gave Shiv a bit of comfort. The serene scene soon changed as another memory entered his brain.

It was the first snow after the Big Bang. Ebon had no plans for turmoil that day due to him and Kangor catching a cold. Shiv took this news to do what he did best, play. He ran outside and dove face first in a three inch pile of snow. He began rolling around as he roared with laughter. She watched Shiv's ridiculous behavior from the doorway. Shiv saw her standing there and asked her in between giggles to come join him. She frowned and told him he played around too much. As usual, Shiv told her to put some fun in her life and went back to playing. Eventually she gave in, whether out of pity or to relive her childhood he did not know, nor did he care to ask, the fact remained that she was playing in the snow with him.

As much pain as it caused, that was one of his favorite memories of her. At least he knew for that one day she was happy with him. Those were the days he thought would never end. If allowed one wish, he would ask for one more moment with her to cherish for the rest of his life.

The atmosphere became colder and the hour later. Having no home, Shiv searched for a spot to sleep for the night. An empty alley seemed like the best place, so he curled up tightly on the damp ground. The smell of urine and rotting cardboard settled around him. The faint chewing of what Shiv assumed to be rats echoed from the nearest trashcan. There was nothing close by to use as a blanket and he was too tired to search for anything. Shiv acknowledged that he would be ill in the morning, but fatigue took hold and he shut his eyes, instantly falling asleep.

It was not long after that he was woken. Someone forcefully shook Shiv's shoulder calling his name. Though Shiv was half asleep, he knew the voice.

Shiv opened his eyes and groaned, "What do you want, Hotstreak?"

Hotstreak sighed. Even though Shiv's purple hair was now black and his once bright skin now pale from the many nights without much food or sleep, he could still see the innocent glow his old teammate possessed.

"Come on, it's too cold for you to sleep out here," Hotstreak said. He grasped Shiv's hand and heaved him to his feet.

Shiv stumbled, putting his hand against the faded brick wall to catch his balance. His throat was dry and his voice cracked as he spoke, "I got nowhere to go."

"You don't have a home?" Hotstreak asked.

Shiv shook his head. He felt a tingle in his throat and coughed into his fist. He used his jacket sleeve to wipe away the falling snot and sniffed back the excess.

Hotstreak sighed. He placed a firm hand on Shiv's shoulder and gave him a look of pity. "You can crash at my place tonight."

Shiv frowned at the look in Hotstreak's eyes. However his frozen limbs and growling stomach surpassed his pride and he gratefully accepted.

Hotstreak walked out of the alley, looking behind his shoulder to make sure Shiv was following. The smaller of the two kept up despite the weight on his eyelids. His knees tensed up, but he refused to fall behind. Hotstreak stopped in front of a four-story apartment building. It was nothing fancy from the outside, yet the stairway had an inviting presence about it. Hotstreak stomped up the stairs and reached for the keys in his pocket. Shiv coughed while walking, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around his body. Hotstreak stopped short of a door on the third floor and unlocked it, stepping through the doorway. Shiv took a deep breath and walked inside.

The room was of average size with a small living room, a kitchen to the left, and a bathroom off to the side. There was a used sofa sitting against the wall, in which the paint had begun to peel. A tee shirt, newspapers, and other forms of trash covered the sofa's cushions. There was a table sitting over near the entrance with papers of all sorts thrown about the surface. An old chair sat beside the sofa, on the side table was a broken lamp that Hotstreak never got around to throwing away, and a TV stood near the wall with a red jacket hanging over the top. At the edge of the kitchen rested a small dining table with three wooden chairs. A microwave covered in grime sat over on the counter, a large, white refrigerator stood in between the counter and a stove which was stained with grease. The sink was beside the stove and full of dirty dishes. Beside the fridge was a yellow wall phone. The carpet was buried beneath a mountain of cups, paper, boxes, old food, and other disposable items. Shiv could see the bed in the room was unmade with clothes laying all over the floor. The bathroom door was closed, but Shiv expected it to be in the same state as the rest of the house.

"Make yourself at home," Hotstreak said heading towards the kitchen.

"When did you get this place?" Shiv asked looking around.

"A couple months ago," Hotstreak replied. He took two white mugs from the cabinet.

"And it's already a disaster?" Shiv teased.

"Now don't you start nagging me too," Hotstreak said placing the cups down on the counter. "I get enough of that from Shenice."

"Shenice?" Shiv asked with high-pitched curiosity.

"My girlfriend," Hotstreak said while putting the mugs in the microwave. Hotstreak turned around to watch Shiv try to make his way through the obstacle course on the floor. He smiled and said, "Just throw all that stuff on the floor."

Shiv shrugged and tossed the junk on the couch to the carpet below. He let himself fall on the sofa.

"Here, drink up," Hotstreak ordered handing Shiv one of the mugs.

"Hot!" Shiv exclaimed as he nearly dropped the cup.

"Duh, that's why it's called hot chocolate," Hotstreak said rolling his eyes.

Shiv's grin grew as he sipped the drink. The warm liquid eased his frozen, parched throat. He let out little giggles before each swallow. Hotstreak paid no mind, anyone who knew Shiv was used to that behavior. Hotstreak sat down and tried to ignore those memories before the pain of the past infected him as well.

"So how's things going?" Hotstreak asked trying to start a conversation.

"Alright," Shiv lied. He covered it up well with his gleeful expression.

"Anyone new in your life?" Hotstreak asked.

"No, not really," Shiv said. The image of her face surfaced behind his eyes. Shiv chugged down half the drink before changing the subject. "How's this girl of yours?"

"Shenice?" Hotstreak asked.

Shiv nodded. "What's she like?" he asked.

"She's perfect," Hotstreak said. "She's smart, beautiful, strong, athletic, and fun. Very unpredictable."

"Sounds nice," Shiv said.

"Oh, she's very nice," Hotstreak said. "She's kind to most people." He took a sip of his hot chocolate and added, "She does have a mouth though. She's always nagging me about how I dress and my house, the music I like, people I hang with, how much I smoke, the fact I smoke, how much I drink. Always has something to say."

"All couples disagree," Shiv said.

"I guess so," Hotstreak said. "But she's a keeper. I wouldn't give her up for anything. You know, it's like when I met her I couldn't stand her. But now I can't imagine what my life would be like if she left." Hotstreak's face became solemn as another thought drifted in his mind. Or if she died.

Shiv gulped down the rest of his drink. He then held his frosted fingers around the cooling edges of the cup. Hotstreak brought the brim up to his lips and sipped, a few beads spilling down the side.

Shiv could bear the silence no longer. Besides there was something he had wanted to know for some time now. "Hey, are the rumors true?"

"Rumors?" Hotstreak asked.

"That you're now a crime-fighter and teamed up with Static's crew?"

"That's true," Hotstreak answered. He brought the mug down to rest on his leg.

"So you fight your old friends?"

"Most of the original bang babies are no longer criminals."

"Really? Do you know what they do now?" Shiv asked.

"Most of them," Hotstreak said. "Wanna' know?"

Shiv nodded with a large smile on his face. He looked like a child about to hear a bedtime story.

"Well," Hotstreak said teasing Shiv. Shiv smiled showing his teeth. Hotstreak continued, "Let's see. Ebon doesn't live in Dakota anymore. From what I've heard he owns a casino and makes a lot of dough. He also has a cute girlfriend, at least that's what Adam told me. I haven't seen him since Adam's wedding. And that was two years ago. Maria is a journalist and a swim instructor for children. She and her sister are still very close. I talk to her at least once a week."

Shiv was surprised when Hotstreak admitted to dating Shenice, for he still believed that he and Maria were together. When he last saw Hotstreak, he and the aqua lady were inseperable. He and Kangor often joked that the two of them would ride off to a chapel in Vegas and get hitched on a whim. A part of him always believed Maria was too smart and pretty for Hotstreak. He was glad that the two of them were still close friends.

Hotstreak continued, "Kangor is a fireman now. He got married two years ago and he and his wife are expecting a daughter in four months. Ferret operates the camera for a local news station. He is happily married and has two children, a boy and a girl. I'm not sure if you know her, but psychotic Madelyn is a politician. No one really likes her, but they know she'll get the job done. She's bossy and pushed this poor man into an engagement. I feel sorry for him."

Shiv could not recall ever meeting Madelyn in person, but from what he heard from the other meta-humans who had she was not exactly the most pleasant of people.

Hotstreak thought carefully to make sure he was not forgetting anyone. "Oh, well nevermind, I don't know what happened to Slipstream, nor do I really care. Let's see, Carmendillo, he, well, um...I'm not quite sure what he does. Everytime I see him he's with a different woman."

"Wow, everyone seems to be doing good," Shiv said.

"Not exactly," Hotstreak said. "Hyde is in prison for murder."

Shiv never actually met Hyde either, but from the immense hatred that spawned from Ferret when Hyde's name surfaced gave Shiv a good reason to not want to meet him. Once Shiv asked Kangor about Hyde to which he also voiced his dislike for the man, but not nearly as the severe disdain Ferret held for him.

Hotstreak continued, "Puff still causes trouble. Onyx proposed to her once, but she laughed in his face. He was so upset he tried to drink himself to death. That night he met a sweetie named Ally. They started dating and eventually got engaged. Puff got jealous and tried to kill Ally. Onyx attacked her to save Ally. Puff is still in prison for attempted first-degree murder." Hotstreak's face became grim. "And for their safety (and Shenice's) let's hope she stays there."

"You keep up with the whole crowd," Shiv commented.

Hotstreak smiled. He was proud of the turn-around he and most of his friends made. Of course he was the only one to go far enough to offer his services to the town in exchange for having his criminal record cleared. The other meta-humans originally mocked his choices, but over the years they either came to support him, or became indifferent to the subject.

"Hey, what of your partners?" Shiv asked. "Are they full-time superheroes, or do they have normal lives?

"Sure they have normal lives," Hotstreak said. "I can tell you, but I can't reveal their identities."

"Why?" Shiv asked.

"I just can't," Hotstreak said.

Shiv folded his arms and pretended to pout.

"Shiv that's not going to work," Hotstreak said with a roll of his eyes.

"Fine, but I want every detail," Shiv replied.

"I can't do that," Hotstreak retorted. "But I can tell you what I can." Hotstreak raised his eyebrows. Shiv nodded. Hotstreak smiled and continued, "Static gets paid to be a superhero, like the rest of us. He is married and has a son. When he's not working, he volunteers at many charities. He's a great guy. Gear is not married, but is seeing someone he's known for a long time. He spends the majority of his free time with her. Rubberbandman is only a part-time superhero, since he's a famous musician. He married his sweetheart, Sharon Hawkins and they have a four-year old daughter. You know him as Adam Evans, Ebon's brother. They forgave each other and are close again."

Hotstreak laughed in his head. He found it humorous that Static and Ebon used to be each other's worst enemy and now, because of the marriage of their siblings, were related.

Shiv only ran into Adam a few times, several when he was still a criminal himself. Shiv shut his eyes trying to block the memories of his past from his mind. Every day another memory surfaced to remind him that his record still held many theft and vandalism charges. At times he wondered if there was even a reason to clean his life up if people still felt he would harm them. The prejudices were the worst part of trying to change, very few willing to give him a chance. He barely smiled realizing if Hotstreak was able to, perhaps he could as well. The smile soon faded into a frown when he remembered the only reason Hotstreak was able to overcome his past was with the help of his improved powers, something which Shiv failed to recover at the second explosion.

The phone rang making both men look up. Hotstreak jumped and dashed through the room, leaping over all the junk, to reach it. His hand grasped the telephone and he answered it in the same monotone voice he always used addressing the other party on the phone.

Shiv tried his best to keep from eavesdropping, but his curiosity won the battle. He overheard Hotstreak talking with someone on the other line. At first he smiled and spoke kindly to what Shiv made out to be a soft, female voice. Soon Hotstreak's eyes widened and the tone in his voice lowered. He almost seemed to be whispering about something. He nodded and agreed with something the woman said three times. Hotstreak confirmed the location of the Dakota Penitentiary and promised to be there within the hour. The conversation ended and Hotstreak hung up with a heavy sigh.

"Something came up, I have to go meet Static and She-Bang," Hotstreak said grabbing his coat off the television without making eye contact. "I don't know when I'll be back. You're welcome to sleep on the couch tonight." Hotstreak buttoned up his jacket.

Hotstreak checked his teeth and hair in the dusty mirror hanging just above the phone before leaving the house. Shiv frowned at first, but eventually shook off the strange behavior.

"You can get something to eat if you want," Hotstreak said pointing to the refrigerator. "Just don't clean out my fridge."

"At least something will be clean," Shiv joked.

Hotstreak chuckled as he left and locked the door.

Shiv took advantage of Hotstreak's offer and treated himself to a buffet. After his meal, Shiv threw the plate on the floor with the rest of the mess. He stretched out on the couch and fell asleep. By the time he reached dreamland, Shiv had forgotten why he was sad.