Shade: Unbound

If there was one habit she had maintained after running away from home, it was looking in the mirror. Lyra checked herself over for the umpteenth time, her eyes drifting to her hair. Black at the roots; she’d have to dye it again soon. And she couldn’t forget her glasses, even though she hadn’t ever had problems with her vision. At least she had an excuse to fuss over her appearance with the disguise she needed to maintain.

Perhaps nobody was actively looking for her, but she wasn’t going to risk it. Better to just keep it up and make sure she was never caught, because she absolutely could not afford to be. The last thing she wanted was to be caged like an animal, forced to dance to the whims of some government organization that couldn’t care less about her.

Good. Let that drive you.

Lyra took a deep breath and let it out slowly, summoning every ounce of self-control not to give any other visible reaction to the voice starting to agree with her thoughts. Just like everything else, this wasn’t going to stop her from solving her problems her own way.

Giving herself a last once-over in the mirror to make sure she didn’t look too bad, she headed out the door, walking down the stairs of the apartment complex towards the outside world.

Though she hadn’t questioned it much at the time, this place had been rather easy for her to get. To her knowledge, the owner of this building wasn’t engaged in anything illegal, but she wasn’t who they thought she was. Back then, she had been surprised by the relative trustworthiness of the people who had forged her new identity. Now, she knew Cyrus Wardell had been the one ensuring she got settled quickly.

She didn’t know what to make of it. Not that she was ungrateful or anything, just… it made her suspicious. He obviously wanted her because of her power, but where would she end up if she kept doing what he asked? Where would Finn end up? Well, they would deal with that when the time came. Her teammate seemed to trust the man, or at least willing to play along for the moment, so she simply followed his lead. She trusted his judgment.

A few days had passed without incident since they completed that mission and successfully escaped from that Venin lieutenant. No emergency abdominal surgeries this time. The corners of her mouth twitched downward as she stopped her hand from going to her scar. She didn’t like being reminded of it, and she liked the idea of bringing attention to it even less.

Lyra’s steps echoed faintly in the stairwell as she made her way to the lobby. The cool, stale air of the apartment complex was a stark contrast to the warmth outside, the kind of heat that clung to you like an unwanted shadow. She paused for a moment, her hand lingering on the door handle. The voice had been quieter lately, but its presence was always a weight in the back of her mind. Not enough to distract her from her goals, but enough to remind her that it was still there. Watching. Waiting.

Out on the street, the city buzzed with its usual rhythm. Cars sped by, people moved with purpose, and somewhere in the distance, a dog barked. Lyra slid her glasses up the bridge of her nose, scanning the area as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She was just another girl in the crowd. She had learned not to glance around suspiciously, look for exits, or jump at every sudden movement in her peripheral vision. It wasn’t necessary. She could simply use her power to map out the area with sound, and the people around her wouldn’t notice a thing.

She let out a quiet breath and tapped into the familiar sensation—an invisible ripple extending out from her like a pulse, bouncing off the surfaces around her. She didn’t need to close her eyes to picture the map in her head. It was instinct by now, like breathing. The echo returned in waves, tracing the world in shades of sound only she could interpret.

Pedestrians rushed past, a child tugging at her mother’s hand, a couple deep in conversation. Nothing stood out. She wasn’t being followed; no unfamiliar shapes hovering too long in one place, no sudden movements that set her instincts on edge. She forced her muscles to relax and matched her pace to the casual rhythm of the sidewalk.

One step at a time, she reminded herself. One step at a time.

For people she expected to interact with more than once, she tended to commit the sounds they passively emitted to memory. Their breathing patterns, their footsteps, the tempo of their movements, that kind of thing. Finn was the person she was most familiar with, but she could also pick out the other three when she reached the street behind her destination. And going by the way the Finn-shaped blob turned its head in her direction, she had been noticed as well.

When they came into view, Lyra saw the Wardell siblings standing in the middle with Finn and Colette on either side of them. She was surprised to see them here with such low security, but then again, maybe there was actually a ton of security present that she didn’t know of. If there was one thing Cyrus had made clear, it was that he had the means to employ subtle guardians.

Casey was standing with her arms crossed while Aiden conversed with Finn about… having hero parents? What? She’d never known Finn’s parents were heroes! But wait, why were they discussing this in public? And Finn wasn’t even wearing his disguise. Had he deemed it safe now that they had other people around, or did he just not care anymore? Ugh, she wasn’t even within earshot and everything about this meeting was already throwing her off.

She pursed her lips and looked up at the building, which was at least familiar. It was an arcade that had been founded before Apexia, nearly a century ago. After the emergence of primebeasts, it had been damaged, but remained standing—though it had received many renovations over the years. Along with the Wardell estate, it was one of the most famous buildings in the district.

By contrast, the faces of the Wardell children weren’t well-known at all, which was probably intentional on Cyrus’ part. That was a decision she agreed with, at least. Fame wasn’t something you thrust upon someone, they had to want it for themselves.

Colette waved, which made Casey turn to look as well. Aiden and Finn’s eyes were already on her. Lyra didn’t like being the last to arrive and holding everyone up, but it was convenient that she wouldn’t have to wait for everyone to gather. She was sure she was on time, regardless.

“Hey,” Colette said when she arrived.

“Looks like we’re at capacity,” Aiden announced, breaking off his conversation with Finn. “Let’s head inside.”

And so they did. The entrance hall was lined with colorful lights on the sides, creating the right atmosphere for an arcade. It was hard to articulate, really. She wasn’t sure what gave those semi-dark pathways that appeal, but it was there. There was no issue with visibility, but the dim lighting combined with the neon colors gave the place a feeling of immersion, like stepping into another world. Lyra adjusted her glasses again as she entered, the faint sound of game machines and the steady hum of conversation filling the air. The arcade was busy, but not overwhelming. People clustered around various machines, some lost in their own battles against pixelated enemies, others laughing as they shared a round of multiplayer fun.

Finn walked ahead of her, not giving any outward sign of wariness, but nevertheless being ready. Again, it was hard to pinpoint any sign of what exactly gave off that impression of vigilance, but she knew for a fact that Finn was just as alert here as he would be on any mission of theirs. Maybe it was the way he distributed his weight when he walked? He just looked more prepared than he would have previously.

“Ever been here before?” Colette, suddenly at her side. She had seen the older girl coming, but it had been an impressively innocuous approach.

“I, ah, no, this is my first time. Coming here, I mean,” Lyra replied. She glanced over at Casey, but Finn’s classmate seemed content to observe in silence.

“Same,” Colette said. “I heard the air hockey tables here are insane. Want to give them a try later?”

“Sure, yeah, that sounds nice.”

”Oh, look at that!” she pointed toward a massive dance machine that was lighting up with rapid flashes of blue and pink. “You ever try something like that?”

Lyra’s stomach churned at the thought of being on display like that, even though Colette’s question seemed innocent enough. “Uh, no. That looks… intense.”

Colette laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not that great at it either. We could just watch other people embarrass themselves.” The girl turned her head again to see Aiden and Finn stepping up to the pads. “Or not.”

“Here we go,” Casey muttered.

The three girls went to stand behind the two boys that were about to begin a game. Lyra had no idea what magic Aiden had been working while she wasn’t paying attention to get Finn to agree to this, but here they were, moving with a fluidity she couldn’t hope to match. There weren’t many people near them at first, despite the song they selected being one Lyra knew would probably be hard to dance in tune with. Then the music started, and neither player missed a single step.

People were beginning to draw closer, watching the previous record get casually obliterated. By the end of the song, neither boy looked worse for wear. The crowd murmured as a stone-faced Finn walked away while Aiden was trying to convince him to do another song.

The next game, whack-a-mole, played out much the same way. And the next. And the one after that.

Perfect. Scores. Every. Time.

Clearly, they were using internal color manipulation to enhance their proprioception in order to improve their physical coordination. And even if Aiden wasn’t copying Finn’s power, he probably had some other ability to help him dominate at an arcade. Or perhaps neither of them was taking this seriously and they were just that talented. Lyra didn’t feel like asking to make sure.

It was when they neared the pinball machines that Casey got fed up. “Aiden, you’re not getting tired of showing off?”

Her brother glanced around. “Ah, dear sister, that was merely the prelude. Wait until we cycle back to the first game—then you'll witness the true competition as we strive to surpass even our personal bests.”

He just got a deadpan stare in return, at which point Colette decided to intervene. “Hey, why don’t you guys head off on your own for a while, and I’ll show the girls around to another game I’ve been meaning to try?”

“You’re right,” Aiden said. “What do you say, Finn? I’ve been meaning to show you the VIP section, which a certain someone was unwilling to enter.” As he said that, he gave his sister a pointed glance, but it had no heat in it.

When Finn raised an eyebrow at Lyra, she couldn’t do anything but shrug.

“Alright,” Finn responded, and turned to head off with the older boy.

It was strange. Aiden didn’t seem socially tone-deaf, so why would he focus so much on one person without giving the rest an opportunity to engage? Was it something with Casey? Trying to annoy her into getting him to leave her alone? Why not just do that from the start, then? Lyra didn’t have the people skills to unravel all the layers of whatever this interaction was. Colette was already leading them to a more out-of-the-way section of the arcade while engaging them in casual conversation, so she put it aside for the time being.

For someone who had never been here before, Colette sure seemed to know her way around. They reached a quieter corner, where the lights weren’t as blinding, and the noise wasn’t as loud. Colette stopped in front of a large machine Lyra hadn’t noticed before—an old-school skee-ball setup with a vintage feel, wooden lanes polished from years of use, and faded lights giving it a nostalgic charm. It felt out of place in this modern arcade, but somehow, it fit the calmer section they were in.

“So,” said Colette. “Can you do your thing?”

Lyra gave her a weird look. “My thing?”

The dark-haired girl leaned in close and whispered, “Sound-blocking barrier.”

“Oh! Oh, yeah, I can. One second.” She raised one hand a few centimeters off her side and flexed her fingers. The sounds around them were muffled. This way, there would be no suspicious dead silence if someone came near them. “Done.”

“Great!” Colette exclaimed with impressive volume, apparently having complete faith in her ability.

Her fellow vigilante leaned against the side of the machine. “I was just wondering, you know? What's it like being on a team with Shade?”

Lyra wasn’t sure what she'd been expecting, but it wasn’t that. Which was odd, considering it wasn't that surprising of a question. Of course they would inquire about the more interesting member of her team.

She didn't have to think long about her answer. “It's purposeful. Efficient, I guess? It's hard to put into words, but Finn is really driven. He's constantly training. Even when we're out doing something together out of costume, I'm pretty sure he's using his power the whole time to improve his range or control.”

Colette tilted her head. “Out together, huh? You’re dating?”

“No,” Lyra said, a bit too hastily. “No, just friendly outings. It was something I suggested, and honestly, I think he’s just humoring me. It’s… nice of him. He doesn't have to, so it’s not like I don’t appreciate it.”

At her side, Casey grabbed a ball and tossed it up the ramp into the outer target. “Allister is your leader, isn’t he? You’re not worried that involving yourself with him too much will negatively affect your team dynamic if you keep getting closer without him realizing it?”

It took Lyra a second to realize Cyrus’ daughter was talking about Finn. “I’ve thought about it, but he's not as oblivious as you think. He’s actually very aware of what's happening around him, like people-wise. He just doesn’t care that much, I think.” She was becoming less and less sure the more she talked. It felt rude to speak about his personality as if she knew him super well, but she didn’t feel like she was wrong, either.

Colette nodded slowly, her fingers brushing idly against the skee-ball machine. “Hmm, so he’s like that all the time? Sounds stressful. It’d be a real shame if he burned out. Maybe he could use a little something to loosen him up, you know?”

“A little something,” Lyra echoed, uncomfortable.

“Yeah. You like him, don’t you?”

That… she wasn’t certain of. She felt like she knew Finn too well to idolize him in the distant way one would with a celebrity or a superhero, but she also hadn’t exactly had an entire lifetime to consciously decide which of his characteristics appealed to her, and in what way, despite how often he occupied her thoughts. They had only known each other for a couple of months, after all. But she somehow didn’t think that meant their relationship was shallow. Finn was just not a simple person. Heck, she would be hard-pressed to say what she wanted in a partner to begin with!

Though none of that changed her desire to be ever closer to him…

“I don’t know,” she ended up saying.

The other girl didn’t seem surprised by her answer. “Can’t hurt to see if he’s open to going on a real date. I mean, what do you think he would say if you asked?”

Lyra straightened her back and crossed her arms, then narrowed her eyes as she used her power to modulate her voice to do her best Shade impression. “Don’t be ridiculous, Calliope. Focus on the mission.”

That caused Colette to immediately burst out laughing. Casey was quiet, but Lyra could see the girl’s shoulders shaking.

“That was,” Colette breathed, still chuckling. “That was so accurate.”

Realizing what she’d just done, Lyra quickly continued in her normal voice, “Finn can never hear about this. Okay?”

She got a shrug in response. “Sure, my lips are sealed. On one condition.”

“Condition?” Lyra asked, a pit forming in her stomach.

“Mmhmm. You have your own place, right? Invite him over for dinner.”

Lyra’s eyes were wide. “Dinner. In the evening? Just us, alone?”

Colette smirked. “Yeah, duh. Do you have a better way to figure out how you feel?”

Glancing around, Lyra caught Casey giving her a look that might have been sympathetic.

Suddenly, she was starting to regret what she’d gotten herself into.