I watch as Serenity hurries away from me. Victoria showing up seemed to shock her beyond anything I've ever seen. Even though I don't trust Victoria, it was odd how she reacted.
"Is she okay?" Victoria asks me.
"I-I don't know. That was really weird." I hook my arm into hers and we begin walking towards secondary base.
Victoria stumbles and then resumes walking. "Speaking of weird, there's something you should know."
"What?" I cautiously ask.
"There's someone new in town."
I just laugh. "Tori, there's ALWAYS someone new in town. People move here everyday."
"I know. But this is different. It's a meta." She pauses as if choosing her next words carefully. "A meta running around playing the vigilante act."
"Did you catch a name and power?"
"She called herself 'Shadow' and her power matches her name. I wasn't able to copy her power because our interaction was so short."
"Stop worrying. She's probably just passing through and will be gone in a few days," I assure her. "If not then we'll take care of her quickly. You never know if a person like that could be useful"
"You're right."
Victoria remains awfully quiet for the rest of our walk. Something else was bothering her and I would get it out one way or another.
Once we reach the quiet of my office I confront her.
"What's wrong with you? Something happened and you're not telling me what it is. You need to tell me now," I demand.
"She said something while I was using your power." Her voice is practically a whisper. "And it worries me."
"What did she say?"
"She called me a murderer and I think if she had the chance she would have killed me." Victoria carefully says.
I think through what she said for a minute. "So you think," I pause. "That whoever this girl is thinks that you are me because they somehow know my dagger?"
She nods her head.
I bury my face in my hands. "This may become a problem. She could come after you." 'Not that it would be a bad thing.'
"I don't know what to do about her," Victoria complains. She plops herself down on the sofa in my office.
"Stay at home. Come out when you're with me and that's it. She could show up anywhere," I instruct. "Don't use my power in public or anywhere that could POSSIBLY be exposed and only use it when necessary."
"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine."
I roll my eyes. "Whatever you say. But it may be smart to head back home."
"Okay. I'll text you when I'm back. Bye!"
"Bye!" I wave after her. As soon as she leaves my cheery disposition drops.
I rush down the hall back to our main base of operations. Finding where our armor creators are, I hurry in the room.
Luckily, my favorite crafter was quietly working at his station. "Mark!"
He looks up. "Hey, what are you in here for?"
"I need an outfit."
"Don't you have plenty?" He asks in confusion.
I laugh at his response. "Not like what I need. How strong can you make leather by tonight?"
"As strong as you want it. Why?" He questions.
"There's someone new that I need to see what they're up to. I also need a mask."
"You're not playing superhero are you?"
"More like vigilante. Do whatever you want with the costume but just make sure it isn't too flashy and the leather is almost bulletproof," I tell him. "I also need a mask. You have full creative liberty over the entire thing.
"I just need measurements for your face and it'll be ready for tonight."
"Perfect!" I stand and let Mark take the necessary measurements.
"Thank you so much Mark!" I say on my way out.
…
I spend the rest of my day training and then turn in for some sleep. Once I wake up I get ready to go. I pull my hair back into a clip and add so much hairspray it won't budge in a hurricane.
Making my way down to where Mark works, I walk in to see him zipping up the back of a black leather suit with yellow all throughout it. The yellow starts in the middle of the back of the suit and loops around to the front. It twists down the arms and legs and collects in the palms. A black mask that covers the lower half of my face.
"So... What do you think?" Mark is nervously wringing his hands while he waits for my answer.
"It's perfect!" I rush over and grab the mask. I tie it around my chin and pull it up. Heading over to the small mirror, I see that it covers up any identifiable features and still allows me to breathe. I pull it off my face so Richard won't be able to identify the new rogue as me.
"I'm glad to hear it!"
"Thanks again Mark! I'll let you know how it holds up." I get it off the mannequin and fold it up.
"Anytime sweetheart!" He calls after me as I rush back to my room.
Pulling it on, I summon a small stream of light that hooks onto the zipper and pulls it right up my back. I put on a loose pair of pants and a hoodie then begin rummaging through my closet.
"There they are!" I exclaim. I pull out a pair of knee high boots with a sturdy block heel on them and put them on.
Heading to the garage, I grab a random pair of keys off the hooks. I get to the middle of the garage and press the alarm button to find out which car they go to. A small car in the corner goes off and scares some of the other people in there.
I hop in and take off towards secondary base. Letting the valet take the car to the garage, I get in the elevator and go to the top floor where our private suite is. I pull off my jacket and pants and pull the mask around my neck. Opening one of the windows I climb out and use small bursts of light to elevate myself to the roof.
While I wait for the sun to set I begin messing with my light daggers. Whoever this meta is knows my style and thinks Victoria is me. For now, it's better to let her think that so I can gain her trust and get her out of town. I decide on a new shape, similar to the one I trained with when I was little and didn't have full control of my powers.
Making several, I stash them in the pockets Daniel hid all along my suit. Finally, the sun was set enough for me to begin my work. 'And off we go,' I think.
I pull my mask up and jump off the roof. Right before I hit the roof below me, I let the light gather under my feet and carefully drop me. I keep going from rooftop to rooftop experimenting with my powers. Having never done anything like this before scared me some but I eventually figured out what I'm doing.
By using the small amount of light available to me, I was able to push it under my feet almost like I was flying. It only lasted for a short amount of time but I was able to fall a few feet and then redo it. Just so I didn't wear myself out I mainly ran across the roofs and did my fake flying when necessary.
A few rooftops over from me I see two figures, one smaller and one taller, running across. Observing them for a few moments I notice that the larger one helps the smaller one across the gaps between buildings. 'Interesting.'
I eventually let out a few small bursts of light in their direction. They don't see them so I send out a few more. Those finally catch their attention and they start making their way over to me. I head in their direction and we meet on a rooftop.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my city?" I growl.
"Who's asking?" The smaller one, a female, asks.
"No one that concerns you," I snap back. "Now answer my question or you won't leave this roof."
That seems to shake them both. 'Now they're scared. Let's leave them that way.'
"Icarus and Shadow," the male says.
A laugh escapes my mouth. "You do know that LITERALLY means follower right?"
"That's what I told him!" Shadow says.
"Why do you two find my name so funny?"
"Because you should have chosen one with a better translation than 'follower'," I say with air quotes. "Now back to my question, why are you in my city?"
"We're just passing through," Shadow tells me. "We'll be out of your hair in no time but for now you're stuck with us."
"I sure do hope so," I grumble.
"So now that we've answered your questions, what should we call you? Otherwise I'm going to keep calling you Grumpy in my head," Icarus says.
"Just call me Dagger."
"Okay Dagger, what can you do?" She asks me.
"You want to go one on one?" I summon one of my new light daggers in my hand. "Because I can make that happen really easily."
"I really thought you were someone else for a second but that's not what I saw with the last light meta I encountered."
"There's a couple of us in town. I don't know them too well, but we all have very distinct styles. So, are either of you going to accept my offer?" I stare them both in the eyes for a minute to see who will fight me.
Shadow steps forward but Icarus holds her back. "No powers. Hand to hand only. Got it?"
She mumble something under her breath in what sounds like Japanese then says "Fine."
"Sounds good to me." I let the dagger dissolve then take my regular fighting stance. "Tap out whenever you want."
"I won't be tapping out anytime soon."
We begin sparring and after a few minutes I notice something off. She acts like she's calling for her power but doesn't. It's almost like she's afraid of it.
"Time out!" I call.
"What? Why?" Shadow asks in confusion.
"Something's wrong with you. I don't know what but the way you're fighting doesn't seem right on you." I walk over and start pointing things out. "You're unbalanced and seem weaker than you are. I want to see your power."
She sends a look over at Icarus and then says "No. I-I can't."
"Why?"
"It's not working right. I'm only out tonight because I need some air." She admits quietly.
I pause for a minute and think. "Have you come in contact with anything that might stop your power from working correctly?"
"Some inhibitor drug. The doctor said it was from the Underground and they use it on metas that are a threat to them."
"Did you get the antidote from that doctor?"
"She did," Icarus tells me. "But it's still not taking effect all the way."
"Well no shit sherlock. That antidote is not completely effective because it wasn't perfected when all meta doctors in the area got it."
"What?"
"I can get you the real antidote but I need you to know it won't fully take effect for a few days."
"As long as it makes sure she's better we'll take it. Please just get it to us!" Icarus pleads.
"Meet me on top of Fox Theater in twenty minutes. Is a needle okay?" I ask Shadow.
She nods her head in response.
"Okay. I'll see y'all soon." I jump off the roof and disappear from their view.
...
Locating where I keep my stash of the inhibitor I grab a vial of the antidote and a syringe. Carefully putting them into one of my pockets I slip back out the window. I run across the roofs to Fox Theater where I see Shadow and Icarus sitting on one of the ledges. Quietly landing behind them I make my presence known.
"Nice to see you can be on time." They whip their heads around at the sound of my voice but relax when they see it's me.
"Did you bring it?" Shadow asks.
"I have it right here." I pull the vial and syringe out. "Now how long ago was she dosed with the inhibitor?" I direct the question at Icarus because I know that the inhibitor throws the victim's sense of time completely out of whack.
"About a month or so," he tells me.
"Then let's try a dose of about 20 milligrams. If you don't mind we do need your arm for this." I carefully measure out the proper dose and pass the syringe over to Icarus. "I'll let you do it."
Shadow has slipped her arm out of her costume and lets Icarus take hold of it. He inserts the needle into her upper arm and administers the dose.
As soon as he pulls the needle out she doubles over. Icarus looks at me with fear in his eyes as the syringe falls to the ground. "YOU POISONED HER!" He yells at me.
"No. She. Didn't." Shadow gasps. She straightens up and pulls her costume back over her arm. "I can feel my power again and it feels normal. But it feels like when I was a child."
"It does that to you. A few days of rest and it should be back to an almost normal level. Just don't use it for a while or else it could completely disappear," I warn her.
"I won't." She promises.
"Thank you Dagger," Icarus says to me.
"It was no problem. If you ever need me," I pull a phone out of my pocket. "Call me through this. There's only one contact in it and it's for me. It was not purchased under my real name so don't try tracing it. If you do you won't leave the city alive," I threaten. "Got it?"
"Got it." They answer in sync.
"I'll see you around. But don't go making any trouble. Making trouble around here typically doesn't end well."
"Thanks again Dagger. And I'll see you later." Shadow says to me.
I run over to the edge and jump off.
...
I wake up with Marin's arms around me in our bedroom. He didn't stir much when I got in last night but I knew the questions would be coming my way eventually.
But those would have to wait until later. I had a meeting to get ready for. Slipping out of bed a quickly get ready and then start heading to Cafe Express.
I arrive to see Serenity waiting on a bench outside.
"Serenity!" I wave at her.
"Kelsie!" She jumps up and pulls me into a hug. "I thought you wouldn't come."
"I couldn't leave my sister alone. Besides, I want to know more about you and your family."
"Then do you want to go in?" Serenity asks.
A smile stretches across my face. "Yes!"
She grabs my arm and together we walk into a new chapter of our lives.