Shadow Of The Nightshade

Encountering Him.

I ignored her actions and walked towards the door. 'Let's go'

Flame stepped in front of me, blocking my way. 'You're going like that?' She said looking me up and down.

I took a step back, arching my eyebrow in question. 'And what's wrong with how I'm dressed?'

I had ditched my black hooded jumpsuit and mask for something more "my style."

I was currently wearing a black ankle-length trench coat lined with layer of Kevlar, Lexan and other carbon fiber composite, bullet proof materials. Underneath I was wearing black leggings and combat boots inlaid with Lexan-just in case. And to complete the look, I had thick fire resistant gloves resting snuggly around my fingers-you can guess what happened.

As with my other getup, this one was designed to keep the heat in and the cold out. Also it was fireproof, waterproof and bulletproof. I'd be lying if I said my favorite color wasn't black. After all I was raised in the dark.

My face was the only visible part of my body-I did not wear a mask since it would have been for no use if the person who happened to see me died shortly after.

And if by some miracle I was caught on camera, I was one of those lucky children who were never registered into the system. I would be recognized solely as Shadow, I had no secret identity to protect.

I stared down at my gloves in thought. Fingerprints were a more complex issue. I could leave fingerprints everywhere and they would be traced to no one, but once that happened I would be in the system forever. Shadow would exist, I would be real.

And I can never let that happen, because no matter how much a person changed their appearance their fingerprints stayed the same-unless they had enough money to change them, which I do-and a lot of transactions could be done with my fingerprints if anyone ever got their hands on them.

So if there was any reason to wear a mask it would be to hide my emotions. The league had ordered me to wear one because they lacked my in-depth thinking.

'Shadow, were you listening to a word I said?' Flame groaned, throwing her hands into the air in exasperation.

Tightening the Velcro straps on my gloves, I answered her. 'You were talking about how I wasn't dressed right to crash a blackmarket arms deal.'

Their mouths dropped open and I rolled my eyes. They should have been used to being shocked by me, by now. But to be honest, if someone asked me how I knew that was what she said I wouldn't be able to answer them for my life.

'So are we going or not?' I asked, dragging them out of their reverie.

They both snapped their jaws shut simultaneously. It was comical.

'Well?' I asked them walking towards the door.

'Yeah, yeah. We're coming.' Sabre said offhandedly.

I threw him a pointed look before walking down the hallway.

'Ow, what was that for.' I heard Sabre cry out.

'Forget it jerkwad!' Flame yelled back.

'Oh. So you just punch people for no reason!'

'You want me to punch you again?' She said, her voice dangerously low as her Norwegian accent broke through.

Ignoring their usual antics, I walked down the hallway, right past many gawking Shades.

Was it weird that they hardly ever saw me, and it was now that our rivals 'The Eternals' were fighting for our turf that I decided to make an appearance?