"Dani," I asked.
"Yes, love?"
"What the hell am I looking at?"
"What do you mean, darlin'? This is your working outfit!" She said, motioning at the mannequin before us.
"It's literally a monstrosity of leather!" I said back. I didn't worry about Grace overhearing us due to her being at school. Her mother had her enrolled in a daycare program that was basically a preschool. She flourished there.
"No it's not, the bra piece is really soft cloth with some gel grip to keep it from fallin'!" Dani replied back.
Truly, the jumpsuit was a masterpiece and showed how well she could work in a twelve hour period to create something like it. It was black leather that had a zipper in the front that stopped around where my breasts would hang. She had a white and gray bra-like cover over the breasts that the zipper did very little to cover. I could tell right away it was going to be skintight and most likely stuffy. Especially considering my body would naturally produce shadows after a period of not having them near me.
"Okay, I know what you're thinkin'," she started as she began to take it off the mannequin. "But you need to try it before you knock it. I made it breathable and," she paused and opened some zipper pockets I didn't notice before, "you can store shadows and keep them out of the light if you need to."
She passed me the leather suit and cloth coverup and shoved me into the bathroom. I sighed before slipping out of my jeans and Nirvana t-shirt. The air of the house was cold as it assaulted my bare skin. I groaned loud enough for Dani to hear me (she laughed) before slipping my bra off and attempting to put this suit on. Despite my prior thinking, it slipped on easily and didn't immediately make feel suppressed.
It was softer than I thought it would be and fit almost skintight, but there was still space inside that allowed me to move around freely. It was warm enough that I knew I wouldn't easily get cold once the weather dropped off into winter, but light enough that I knew sweating would be at a minimal.
I stepped out and heard a low whistle from Dani that had my cheeks glow a bit before I stepped into her work space.
"Just right! All we need to finish you off!" she said, turning to her desk to pull out a pair of knee high boots and shoved them into my arms. I sighed again and sat down to follow her instructions.
The boots were combat type boots that laced all the way to my knees and one I put them on, I could tell that they had steel toes. I noticed the slight heels that she had managed to sneak on. She knew I couldn't walk in high heels, but these were more moderate and only elevated me a few inches up.
As I stood, I wobbled a bit as I worked to gain my balance. Dani smiled at me as my center was reached and I could walk around with only a slight but of wobble.
"And, for the mask," she said, pulling out what seemed to be a sheer piece of white fabric. She fastened it to my hair and behind my ears. "I knew you said your eyes were important to that future vision of yours, doll, so I modified a mask that left your eyes free but still made it hard for people to tell it was you."
She smiled at me and grabbed my hand. "Darlin', you look perfect, come take a look." Dani then pulled me over to the mirror and stood behind me with her chin on my shoulder.
For once, I admired how I looked. I looked stronger than I had been in years.
"Now, the last part," Dani pulled me to the couch and sat me down. She quickly moved into her room and pulled out two full suitcases of disguises before going back for the last two. The first one opened to tons of tops and bras that would definitely fit me perfectly. The next was skirts and jeans along with underwear and socks. I smiled at how each thing looked. The third case was full on shoes of all kinds that I knew she couldn't have made, but all of them were in my size. The last one was full of wigs, prosthetics, and makeup.
"Daniella," I said, hearing the wavering of my voice. She was truly one of my favorite people.
"Oh, sweetheart, no crying," she said, using her long sleeves to wipe my tears. "Don't ruin this with tears, instead dirty it with the blood of your enemies." The innocent smile on her face as she said that made a shiver run down my spine. I knew that if Daniella wanted to hurt anyone, she could do it and seem as sweet and innocent as possible and then get away with it. That did nothing to quench the fear running through my veins.
"Did you leave a note, doll?" she asked, moving to pull out an outfit from my suitcases and set it on my lap, folding my other clothes as she went.
"I did," I responded, taking the outfit with me as I moved towards the bathroom. "It said that I was taking a business trip and have no definitive return date."
"Good," she said as she closed the cases and I stepped into the bathroom to slip out of my outfit. "Did you choose a name?"
"I'm going under the name of Shadow."
~~~~
The clicking of my heels on the sidewalk echoed through the busy streets of Philadelphia. Dani had chosen a red plaid skirt and black long sleeved crop top for this leg of my mission. A pair of black heeled ankle boots completed the look. My black hair had been pinned to my head and a blonde wavy wig was secured onto my head. All I had done with my makeup when I got into a hotel room was simple winged eyeliner and mascara that made my eyelashes look long.
My first and only lead was a man by the name of Gregory Jones. He was someone my father had been in constant contact with for drug runs.
Everywhere I walked, I was slammed into. The store I was looking for came into view sooner than I was anticipating, but the relief I felt when exiting the crowds was welcomed.
"Hey there, welcome to Shop Stop!" someone in the back called as the bell over the door rang. A man walked out with his salt-and-pepper hair and a small easygoing smile on his face. He wore a white dress shirt with a green and brown vest over top. His slacks were a little short and I fought down the twitch I could feel coming up to the surface.
"Hello," I called back, analyzing his features. His larger nose and brown eyes were what immediately made me match him to the file.
Gregory Jones, fourty-three, owns Shop Stop gift shop in downtown Philadelphia. Wears tacky outfits with slacks slightly too short. Drug runner, leg of drug line unknown. Single father of three, one being a meta with the ability to cause plants to grow, it makes her sick after a while.
I hated to do this to a trio of daughters who are most likely as ignorant as I was to my father's work, but I knew I had to shut it down at the source.
I walked the shelves to see each of the small glass statues. I stopped when I saw a pair of grey dolphins and smiled before picking them up, one in each hand. The smaller one in my left had a slight green glow while the larger right had darker eyes.
I looked over to the side and touched a small glass girl in pink and white hanbok* clothing with matching fans set out to her sides, as if preparing for a dance, bringing another sad smile to my face as I moved the smaller dolphin to my other hand and reaching out to touch her.
~~~~
I remember when I was little, maybe five or six, and my mom and dad took me to South Korea to the village of Boseong-gun*, my mother's home town. I remember how traditional the family was and having to dress in hanbok the entirety of my visit and having Halmeoni braid my hair and tie it with ribbons.
Momma had been taking with her sister, Yami, about how life had been going in America and caring for us.
I sat down onto my knees in the shade as she did and played with one of my shadow dolls over next to her. The rules were that I was allowed to play as long as Momma could see me.
I don't remember how I did it, but I had ended up hurting myself very badly.
My mom had sat with me covered in bandages for a few days before Halmeoni had suggested my mother dance a traditional dance she had learned when she was around my age. I remember the fans and dress with varying shades of blues as it flowed down with a slight slit in the front.
Her dancing was beautiful and it was as if she was healing me without needing any ability or powers.
I had been up and back to normal only a few hours after that as if nothing had happened.
~~~~
I blinked the memory away. I can't be Serenity right now. I am Shadow. I am a hero in disguise. I am not Serenity Rae Alacritas right now.
I thought for a second before taking the dancer with me as well up to the register.
"Did you find everything okay today?" he asked, scanning the tags on each of my items and beginning to wrap them up.
"Yes, thank you," I said, trying to will him to look up at me and make eye contact. I needed him to.
He looked back at the register and looked up at me for a split second before looking away. Darn it, not long enough.
"That'll be thirty-eight, forty-three. Cash or card?"
He looked up again and seemed transfixed on me this time and I felt the strange rush of getting to know every detail of the rest of a person's life. I paid close attention to his path back to his car before using my ApplePay and walking out and back to my car where Naya peeked up at me with her head tilted.
"Yes, I got what I needed. I need to change and be back here in five hours," I rubbed her head and started the car.
~~~~
I stood in the alley with the shadows wrapped around me and my long dark hair in a single ponytail down my back. Nerves and anxiety were heavy in my veins as I saw Gregory start walking towards me.
As fast as a snake, I grabbed him and pulled him to me before covering his mouth and muffling his screams. I hid us in my shadows as a few people trickled by.
"I suggest that if you want to survive this encounter and see your daughters again that you make this transaction simple and painless, okay Gregory?" I could feel his fear as I mentioned his daughters.
"Relax, they're safe as home. Miranda made spaghetti, your favorite. Aren't you a lucky dad? I'm going to remove my hand now. Scream and I'll make you pay, understood?"
He nodded enthusiastically and I slowly removed my hand and was pleased with the silence.
"Now, Gregory, tell me where the Underground is based."
"I-I don't know, okay? I'm just a sixth leg, okay? I don't even know about anything else okay?" His voice was trembling, but his eyes held true. He was telling me the truth.
"Then tell me who leg five is and where I find them," I responded, watching his body language. Not once did I threaten him with my weapons, but I could tell by the way he was acting that he knew I could very easily take his life here.
"Her name is Theodosia, okay? She's in D.C. She runs me loads every few weeks to deliver to buyers here in town and to take to leg seven," I could feel his ease as he realized that this information meant he was going to be safe.
"Do you have her file?"
"Of course, we each have files on the legs before us and after us so we know who we're looking for."
"If I give you a drop location, I need you to leave it there, understood?" I stared back up at him and saw his eyes start glazing over at my vocal change.
"Yes. I will drop it at Landmark's Ritz Five tomorrow before sunset. I leave it in theatre two under seat number nine in row F. I don't tell anyone that I gave up the information. I will follow your orders to the letter, Shadow."
He walked away, still slightly dazed and I let the air rush out of my lungs as slight nausea assaulted me. I don't understand this power at all, and it made me nauseated using it, but it still worked. I just needed more practice.
~~~~
The next day, I went up to Ritz Five and looked at the movie selection before buying a ticket. The sun had set hours ago and I knew that my file would be here.
My movie was in theatre one and I made a beeline to the other theatre. It was conveniently well-hidden underneath the seats in the row. I smiled and found a back exit and went to my car.
My next target was Theodosia Martin, twenty-nine. Blonde wavy hair and blue eyes. Not only a drug leg, but also a prostitute. Interesting. One son, only two months old.
I sucked in a huge breath of air before driving back to the hotel and parking my car. I put my head in my hands as I let the new information wash over me and I stashed it away as I walked back inside to see my Naya.
*Hanbok - traditional Korean clothing
*Boseong-gun - small village in South Jeolla Providence, population of around 61,000
*Halmeoni = grandma in Korean