*Discontinued* Shifter

45

"You ok?" Roman whispered softly seeing how tense his love was beside him. The group was all taking Virgil into the station to finalize his acceptance in the group. Logan had given him a complete rundown on everything he had said to the chief as they both knew it wouldn't be that easy. Virgil had to come in for input into the system and for debriefing. If you couldn't tell he was nervous. His nails hadn't stopped shifting color since he woke up this morning. Roman frowned as he took his hand gently coaxing Virgil into looking at him. "I'm right here. No matter what happens you know I won't let you get taken from me. Right?"

"I know." Virgil choked a bit as the four of them stopped short in front of the precinct. Logan had mentioned that Virgil should be in his raven form as it's a form they all can tie to him without revealing who he is complete. None of the heroes are known by their actual names and faces, which is why they all had their suits on too. "Can't help it. I-I just..." Virgil's eyes started to change and Roman quickly forced him to meet his eyes with a smile. Virgil tensed as Roman blinked making the sound around them filter out.

"It's ok, Hun. You don't have to explain. I know." Virgil nodded as Roman pulled him into a hug. "I'm scared too. You know I am, but I won't let anything happen. We'll get through this..."

"Love, I know you have foresight but you can't ALWAYS know what going to happen."

"You're right." Roman smiled softly as he pulled away to look into those shifting eyes. "I don't know what's going to happen. However... Whatever it is... however this goes... you and I will be together at the end of it."

"And if they try to arrest me?" Roman's eyes narrowed as Virgil shifted about anxiously. "What if they don't give you a choice? What if they force it... a-and try to take me into custody?"

"Then I will fight them."

"Roman!" Virgil snapped up in shock as Roman glared him down with a serious look in his eyes. "You can't possibly be serious. That would make you a criminal. They would hunt us BOTH down. Ro..."

"I stand by what I said, Virgil." Virgil faltered as Roman brushed his tears away. "If at the end of this we both fall into the black so be it. As long as I am with you... and you are safe... I couldn't care less about what happens."

"None of that is going to happen." Logan finally cut in making the other look over to see the sad yet stern look the more serious of the trio had. "I understand your fear but with us all here they are at a standstill. They cannot make a move against you without losing every single one of us and quite frankly... they can't afford to lose us. Not with Headhunter still out there. They have their hands bound..."

"We're using that to our advantage." Patton added helping to ease Virgil's nerves enough so that his eyes were no longer changing. "Logan and I came up with a strategy. You just stick with Roman ok? There won't be much you have to do besides initial set up and answering a few questions."

"And I'll be with you the WHOLE time. Ok?" Virgil took a deep breath and nodded. Roman noticed how his nail finally stopped changing and he smiled brightly as he shot Logan a look, who then opened the door. Everyone seemed to freeze up as the group walked further into the station. Roman held Virgil close supportively squeezing the other's hand as they went. 

"Ah... Polarity." The chief called as he stepped out of his office only to frown the second his eyes spotted Virgil. "And the group... I see the shifters here."

"If by shifter you mean my partner..." Roman glared the man down making the other tense as Virgil pulled Roman's arm in subtly. "...then yes. We're here to finalize the paperwork."

"Why you let a shifter join you I have no..."

"I'd watch your words, Sir." Virgil smiled softly, hiding the nerves and anger he had fairly well. "You wouldn't want to sound racist, would you? After all, Shifters are just a power race. I couldn't control the powers I was born with no more than the color of my skin." Several heads around the room looked up, and Virgil smirked knowingly. Several of them were those of color and he could tell they understood what he had meant. "I only want to do my part. Isn't that why anyone chooses this job?"

"Right this way." The man said through clenched teeth as Virgil frowned and followed along with everyone else. The second they all walked in the chief checked to see if anyone was around before locking the door and glaring at them. "What the hell is wrong with all of you? Shifter aside you broke protocol. Now you're telling me it was a shifter and I should have all of you docked." Virgil flinched causing Roman to pull him in, making the chief glare at the two of them intently. "Especially you, Resonant. It is obvious that your not well enough to be making..."

"Alrighty there, Jason." Patton giggled lightly making the chief growl at the use of his name. "I'm going to have to ask you not to do that."

"Not to what, reprimand? You broke protocol. Not to mention that shifter was WORKING with Headhunter." Virgil flinched as Jason pointed angrily at him. "I have half a mind to put him in cuffs just for that alone. Then you have to add all the madness he has caused in the past... the fact that he's a shifter alone is troublesome."

"Working with... Working With?!" Roman snapped his voice making the room shake with his rage. "He was never working with Headhunter. He was forced to do as he said because YOU LOT couldn't keep that villain behind bars. You failed in securing him, and as a result, caused HIM to get caught in the crossfire. Any damage done by Headhunter or those he FORCED to work under him are therefore YOUR FAULT!" 

"Rez." Virgil smiled softly as he gently tugged on the hero's arm. "It's ok."

"No, it isn't. This man couldn't do his job and as a result, you were put in danger. You didn't have a choice. You had to listen to Headhunter or else bad things would happen." Virgil's eyes darkened as Roman crashed and sighed. "I just don't want people thinking any of what happened was something you wanted. It's bad enough you suffered through that... you don't deserve this."

"As Rez here already stated..." Logan smirked as he brought everyone's attention him, noticing right away the anger in Jason's eyes. "My friend here was undercover working as a mercenary to get as much information as he could to us about the villains and criminals around the area. He's worked with Rez personally as they are indeed partners... In his undercover work, he had to take several jobs to keep up appearances to thus make himself well known. He was meant to cross paths with Headhunter."

"In your failure, Headhunter was forced to drastically change his usual routine and recruit people around him." Patton continued with a very serious look in his eyes that made even Jason falter. "As 'Raven' is a well-known shifter he became a target. Same as the two villains Confusious and Manic... Headhunter forced all of them into joining them. Therefore..." 

"My partner was put in danger and forced into acting like a villain because you failed to do your job. Do not blame him simply because of what he is... It is your fault alone." Roman finished as glared the chief down. Jason's eyes met with Virgil who tensed and shuddered under his gaze.

"I was never a Villain, sir. Whether you want to believe it or not doesn't matter. What does is... Because of Headhunter and the madness that happened... 'Raven's' as good as dead." The room went silent as Virgil's voice subtly shook. "I can no longer be out there. I can't take jobs. I can't do anything. My credibility as a mercenary is gone... my safety, in general, is nonexistent." Virgil took a deep breath before repeating. "The mercenary Raven is dead." Virgil glanced around to see everyone's looks before meeting Roman's and smiling. It had been something he thought a lot about since Logan told him about him becoming a hero. Just as he had to leave his past behind him... he had to leave Raven behind him too. Raven WAS dead... "I'm the hero Shade."