Grey and Blue

Charlie couldn't stay hiding under the bridge the entire night. Her mind was racing - sleep was impossible. She checked her watch - 3:31am. She had to do something. Shivering, she rose from her crouching position and crawled up the embankment, pulling a black peacoat tightly around her front and buttoning it up. Letting her hair down for warmth, she ventured out and into the park. Her head began to clear. Her training and mission briefing began replaying in her mind, and she felt compelled to seek out John. If there was one thing Charlie was known for, it was determination, even impetuousness. She was tenacious, and a threat from John hadn't phased her.

She would wander the streets until she sensed him. She would find him, and bank on the fact that he wanted nothing to do with her, hoping he did not find her first. This was a chance to train and hone her abilities.

The streets were dark, despite the illumination from the warm glow of the street lamps. The light seemed to be swallowed in darkness from one block to the next.

"Where are you...."
 
Gate City had a protector – the northern section, at least. He was a staunch guardian, a man of the night. Known to appear without warning, and punch out his foes before they could even cry out in surprise or disdain, he was the people's symbol, and their hope. The police still classed him as a vigilante, however – and, though they didn't particularly like what he was doing, they did seem to like the results he got. Still, he was making them look bad – hence their repeated attempts to apprehend him, all of which had ended in vain. And what was this protector's name? Shadow Man.

Donning a navy blue face mask and a hooded cloak combination that covered every feature on him bar his eyes, he leapt from rooftop to rooftop, his padded boots (of the same colour, one might add) allowing for near-silent movement. His gloves, navy blue as well, though not currently being used, seemed to have a far rougher surface on them, than any other part of his costume – likely due to the fact that it provided grip so well. And, upon the chest of his grey one-piece, his symbol was emblazoned – a black dagger. He was the stab in the dark, except he didn't miss.

He had received word of a potential gang war erupting that night – an odd development, considering how there was a somewhat mutual agreement between gangs to not take it out of the slums, but he wouldn't forgive himself if a fight actually did happen. He had defused this sort of situation before – he had had help, once or twice, but most of the time he was on his own. He'd need to be quick about it, though – if he so much as took one minute longer than he had to, things could go awry. In his early days, they had, and he still shuddered at the memories of it.

Like a human bolt of lightning, he dashed onwards, sticking to the darkness to keep himself hidden. Charlotte was the least of his worries right now, considering that he had had to wait until early morning to actually take action. The police couldn't be called, they wouldn't get to the location in time with the amount of traffic that night, between them and the gangs. Everything hinged on the nocturnal superhero, who was rapidly closing in on the location described to him by Mr White. Unbeknownst to him, he had jumped right over Charlotte – he had taken to the roofs, in order to get a better view, and tp avoid anyone who might wish to stop him.
 
In a flash, she sensed him. It was incredible. Her heart gave a loud thump and she honed in on it. Her senses were tingling, and her body turned in the direction he had flown. "There"

And she took off in the direction he had gone. She may have seemed like nothing but a silly girl, but this was when she excelled. At superhuman speed, she dashed through the streets, faster than could be sensed. Her pupils dilated and it was almost as if she could see further into the distance. She scanned the skies, and spotted someone jumping from roof to roof, in what appeared to be a uniform. What the fuck... She couldn't be sure it was him from appearance, but there was an unmistakable tingling in her senses. It was him, for sure. It seemed so urgent. She knew what he was up to. What he was best at.

"I've got you."
 
John did not notice Charlotte tailing him – or rather, he refused to notice her. He had more urgent matters to attend to, and if there was someone there that wanted to challenge him, he would let them once he was done. That aside, it could have just been one of Gate City's other protectors – John couldn't cover the entire city, so it was only to be expected that others had been appointed. He focussed on the path ahead, feet pounding mercilessly against concrete rooftops, drawing glances from the occasional civilian who had not bothered to go to sleep at that point in time.

Eventually, he came upon one side of the potential gang war. It was just another bunch of hooded louts who wanted to make some noise, and cement their position as "tough guys." John sighed at how the wayward youths were likely beyond any repair, and leapt down to a level low enough to address them, while still being out of range of whatever crude firearms they possessed. In response, when someone actually noticed him, they shouted to their fellow louts, and was already aiming his handgun. Improperly, one might add, but that was hardly the point.

"It's Shadow Man! Shoot him!"

A volley of poorly-aimed rounds were shot at John, but he jumped down and darted into the shadows without so much as his costume being hit. Somehow, the group cottoned onto the reason he had gotten his name – in other words, the fact that he was able to blend in with the shadows, to the extent that he became almost invisible. Not that he was superhuman, he was just extremely well-trained. And, despite their best efforts, the amount of incapacitated gang members slowly increased, as John forced them to keel over in pain and submit, one by one – he couldn't knock them out, as he knew that any blow to the head powerful enough to knock someone out, would likely cause permanent head trauma. But there was something else that was scaring them.

It was how John could just meld into the shadows, emerge, destroy one of them, and go back, without anyone so much as seeing him out of the corner of their eye. They couldn't track him, they couldn't even see him. They began to shoot at even the slightest of noises, even if it was just a pebble being tossed near them. They were terrified – not hard, considering who they were, but there was no mistaking just how John had managed to keep his sector so free of crime lately. It wasn't just his exceptional fighting and stealth skills – he was frightening. And no petty crook wanted to face him again, on a dark and lonely night.
 
Charlie watched the entire fight from behind the safety of a corner, a smirk, nay, a smile growing on her face. Perhaps he wasn't as useless as she believed him to be. He would have to be meaner, though, if this was going to work, and unafraid to kill.

She stayed until the fight was done, and the crooks had run off, tails between their legs. It was then that she stepped out from behind a dumpster.

"Impressive," she praised. She held up her hands as if in surrender and took a step towards him. "Listen, you're all suited up. I think it's great and whatever. You fought off some petty crooks in a gang war. Yay. But there's something a lot bigger than this happening. Will you please just give me a chance to explain?"
 
When under his Shadow man guise, john was not known for talking much, instead preferring to let his actions do the talking. In this case, he followed this trend, and stepped back into the blackness, virtually disappearing from sight. He knew who she was, of course – not what she did or who she was affiliated with, but he knew Charlotte. However, he did speak to her – not much, but that was how he operated.
"Speak quickly."

The strange thing was, his voice seemed to come from a place a good few feet from where he had disappeared – not even in the same shadow. He wasn't throwing his voice, and it was no illusion – he was simply an excellent practitioner of stealth. And superhuman speed was only so helpful when you couldn't even detect who you were supposed to explain things to.
 
She felt a sense of relief and stayed where she stood, understanding that he was still around, even if she couldnt see him.

"These petty thieves and gangs... they're all a distraction for something much more sinister. I can't say their name, not here, but they're everywhere. Their presence has been observable since the early 1940s even. They are the elite, they are the 'them' that you hear people talk about. They are the Man. And they've got plans for you, and for all your superhero buddies. Why do you think they pit the human race against each other? Do you really think there would be gang wars, or hell, even gangs if someone didn't have their finger in the pot, stirring shit up? They benefit from the publicity you and your pals make for them. And you have made it easy for them. Until now."

She pulled the hair from the side of her neck, exposing what looked to be a tribal symbol that had been tattooed in black ink. "We are the alliance. We have striven to expose the dirty secrets they keep hidden in plain sight. That's how they work. Keep it in plain sight and nobody will believe it really is a secret society. We need your help, Shadow Man. I won't say more than that, not now."
 
John listened intently to all Charlotte had to say, keeping his firearm aimed squarely at her head in case of an emergency. It was only an air pistol – far from deadly. But, it would smart, and the pellets fired from it were more than likely able to put out a person's eye, if it made contact. He considered what she was saying, throughout the whole time she was saying it – it all seemed so far-fetched. He had always assumed society was dirty, that there would always be people that needed subduing, and it was just a fact of life that everything was corrupted. And yet, there was a certain ring of truth in her words – he wouldn't leave just yet.

However, his interest level dropped a few thousand feet when she said that his help was needed. He shrunk further back into the shadows, still aiming carefully, taking great care not to accidentally back into anything – which would completely defeat the object of hiding, and in a remarkably stupid way.
"I work alone," he said, in a voice too different from John Taylor's to be recognised, "Find a different hero."

And, though his expression could not be read, there was no mistaking that he meant what he said. He would work with someone when he needed to, but whenever and wherever he could, he would avoid making contact with anyone.
 
She was tensed by his standoffishness, but she kept herself calm.

"I had a feeling you might say that. But they know who are. Who you really are. They know who I am, and they know of the alliance. Haven't you read the papers? They're imbedding microchips in newborns - it's becoming standard practice. Soon, everything we do will depend on these chips. They're masquerading around as useful tools containing identification and financial information, insurance and blood type. I know this all seems so unimportant to you, and I suppose it is. Neither of us will be around long enough to witness the downfall of this empire."

Here, she swallowed, seemingly choking back a tear and frustration. "We need to you help us head the first attack. It... It was supposed to be me... But they told me I needed a superior, or at least a partner. Please... just think about this. Would you really be happy simply staving off the hoods for the rest of your life when you're capable of so much more? When you know of the evils that are causing the mindless feuds? Our intel tells us that soon there won't be much left of the world to protect, if the society is able to carry on the way they have."

Her voice grew softer, sounding as though she were on the verge of tears. She stiffened. "Please. Help us."
 
John remained in the shadows, pondering – would it really be all right? Would he really be happy if he just continued beating up petty criminals, never being able to show his true potential? He disregarded the notions as a result of vanity. He had been assigned a sector – he couldn't leave it. Not now. Silently, he changed position again, giving the impression of being everywhere at once. He didn't know what was with Charlotte, but he knew he'd have to keep her on her toes, lest he be endangered. He didn't fully trust her, and was only listening because he knew he could regret it later on.

"Contact the Bastion," he said, "I'm a local hero."

The Bastion was, of course, the international gathering of all superheroes and heroines. John wasn't old enough to join them – he had been invited to join their youth-based version, the Shield, but he had refused on every occasion. He knew he wasn't a team player, and if that was what Charlotte was asking, she was essentially asking for the world. He figured that the Bastion would be more able to deal with her request, or at least, one of his more sociable allies. He couldn't think why anyone would come to him to team up.

But then, he noticed something in her tone. When she rounded off. The tone, the way she looked – he wasn't able to tell fully, but from what he could see, her expression was genuine. It was either that, or she was a better actor than he thought. Either way, he found his defences crumbling. Not because he was susceptible to a girl crying, he had trained for that long ago. No, it was her expression, and how she was speaking. He couldn't say no to it – but he couldn't say yes. So he reached a compromise.

"But… If informing the Bastion doesn't work… You know where to find me."
 
She sensed he had moved, but she refrained from turning her body completely - only her head turned in his direction. She stared into the darkness, and though her eyes could not see him, she stared directly at him. His tone lifted her spirit, and her senses were tingling once again. However, she wouldn't get her hopes up, though she knew it would have to be him. She bit her lip.

"Jo-- Shadow Man. The alliance specifically sent me to you. I've.. grown up, training to be honed to you. This isn't just about the alliance and the Illuminati. This is about my mission, my job. What I've been brought up to do." She'd have to tread carefully at this part.

"They brought me up to understand the Illuminati. They told me the Illuminati killed my parents for exposing them too far. The Alliance believed this would be drive enough for me to head the attacks. But somehow they lost their faith in me. And then they found you. Strong, charismatic, enigmatic, a young man... everything the Alliance wanted as a leader. My... my job, my life, my entire upbringing is on the line should you choose to decline. I know you may have a million questions, and I will answer them. If and when you're ready."
 
John's fingers closed around the trigger. He was more than ready to shoot her, to make his point. He was more than ready to just leave, and pretend it had never happened. But there Charlotte was, spilling her story out – and though he doubted what she said, given that it had more holes to him than a bad fanfiction, and the fact that the Illuminati were supposedly involved, but he decided to go with it. He didn't fully trust her – only enough to listen to her. But, it was a start. That aside, if there was someone who would go to such an extent to kill him, he supposed he could use Charlotte.

"Speak to me tomorrow," he said, emerging from a shadow behind her, "We can't be seen talking. Not here. People will think you're of importance to me and will try to use you against me. And that's inconvenient for both of us."
John turned to an alley, preparing to disappear into the shadows once more, and then begin running across the rooftops to get back home. He needed to do his research as well – meeting her without information would be inadvisable, to him. "And one other thing. I'm not sure what you are, or where you come from, but my instincts tell me you are to be trusted. Make no mistake, though. I have a ring embedded with a stone worth seventy-thousand to stop the mightiest hero in the Bastion. With you, all I need is a well-placed tranquiliser dart from a silenced weapon."

And, with that, he left.
 
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