Skills, Lies and Spandex (Pancake + Neobendium)

HappyPancakes

Edgepeasant
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Writing Levels
  1. Adaptable
“Operative: Shade. Target name: Shockwave.” The voice echoed into the microphone. Other than the light of the laptop, it was completely dark in the tiny space – the way he liked it. “Recorded estimated height, 5’3. Recorded origin date of crime, approximately six years prior. Notable crime sprees: The assassination of former governor Pen Cildick, and secretary of the city treasure, Camille Tohe, as well as the cash out of Thespank Bank two years prior. .” It took everything in the figure’s power to stop from giggling at his own recordings as he continued to look over stats. He looked over the weapons that have been recorded, as well as fake DNA strands that had previously been left as a trap by the villainess.

The council gave him a mission, and it was as clear as it needed to be. He needed to find Shockwave, and bring her to justice for the lives she’d destroyed. She had destroyed those lives in death, loss of hope, and unspeakable trauma. She needed to atone for the crimes she had committed, and the wrong she was investing in. Especially the time when people thought that she flashed them during a fight and her tits were out, and it was really corrupting for the children. Decent pair of tits. Nice sized areola, not too big or small of nipples either but, but those children. Those poor, poor children. The figure sighed, shaking his head at the memory. A good day for him, but a tragic day for mankind.

The figure continued to narrate facts and found evidence from others in the council before remembering his own encounters with the villainess. The majority of times, he knew he could best her in a fight. But those kinds of fights never made the crowd cheer. Even if he had a job to do, he still wanted to have some enjoyment. Hell, sometimes it was a little fun when she’d threaten to tie him up. He already saw what she could do to the people she didn’t like, but with her tying skills and the body in that suit? The figure reached down, digging in his sweats and wrapping around what he was seeking.


“Hey Darren the couch is here you need to – What the fuck! I thought you were doing work!” The door flung open and the light shone around a taller, tan man with sable colored hair, the nametag with his civilian name, Bryce Edmond, dropping onto the floor.

Darren quickly took his hand out of his pants, raising them and covering his eyes. Goddamn, how long had he even been in here?! “Swear to god I was!” he insisted, securing the laptop before shutting it down.

"Whatever, get out here and help me move this" Bryce rolled his eyes, going over to the rather unsightly pink couch left by Bryce’s mother.

"What, the great Atlas suddenly bested by a couch?" Darren grinned, securing the laptop and making his way back into the actual light. It was always too damn bright, no matter how many times they changed out light bulbs. He knew the truth though. It would have been pretty damn suspicious if people just happened to see Bryce handle a couch with one hand, and probably not even needing to use the stairs. They were things that Bryce was very capable of, but he wasn't looking to get outed out as a hero just yet. None of them were. Besides, helping Bryce switch the couches was the least he could do for his friend. He hadn't exactly gotten a gift for the new apartment Bryce got with his girlfriend, so he figured this would at least tide them over until he actually had something.

And? This was the day that Darren's new roommate was supposed to be moving in. Nothing made quite the impression like a pink couch affectionately nicknamed "Old Snatch".
 
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It was early on a Saturday morning, and Azra was running late. Well...not really, but her nerves had prevented her from sleeping, so she had finished packing at three in the morning, loaded up her car (which hadn't been used for at least six months) and then paced. A new roommate was, honestly, the last thing she wanted, and it would just put a cramp in her plans and her alter-ego. She didn't want to risk caring about anyone or anything.

Being a villain paid, but it would be quite suspicious for a normal worker to suddenly have thousands in cash- which is why she spent it slowly, keeping her purchases low and living just like another middle-class citizen. That was exactly the reason she had to move out- her landlord had sold the apartment to someone else, and they'd raised their prices so much it sent most of the residents flocking to greener pastures. Unfortunately, Azra didn't exactly have connections, so she had to reach out to roommate ads...and quickly found a few. She ended up picking one on the other side of town- it was a nice place, and she'd talked to the man who lived there first quite a few times. He seemed nice enough, and besides...if he wasn't?

She could take care of him easily enough.

So why was she so nervous? She let out a breath and glanced at the clock. Five AM. She was due to be there at ten. Five hours to waste.

Finally, around six, she fell asleep on her couch. She woke up at nine, and, in a bit of a panic, ate breakfast and darted out the door, locking it behind her once and for all.

Azra turned up at the apartment at ten AM sharp, her eyes following a truck that had just left the same street, a large pink couch strapped in the back. Slowly, she approached the door, hesitated, and then knocked firmly, trying to seem a bit more assertive than she felt.
 
After moving the couches in, Bryce and Darren settled in. Every space of the new couch needed to be filled, lived in. He didn’t want anyone thinking that he just got a new couch because of their roommate. He personally had a soft spot for Old Snatch, but she was just getting far too old. Besides, it was pink, and it was about time he stopped living like a frat boy, and lived like a post grad with no idea how to live his life. However, there were things in the apartment that he couldn’t dare let go: the picture frame covered in dried macaroni he and his sister made with their parents so long ago; the squirrel feeder outside the balcony window; and a rug that he swore tripped people out more than acid.

They were just things Darren loved, and his new roommate would have to get used to. It’s not like they were offensive. However, the overtly sexual magazine covers and porn comics of their fellow superhero? Incredibly offensive. “I found these in the cushions of Old Snatch and figured you’d want them back.” Bryce said, sitting back down and shaking his head. “GalactaGal porn? Really?” Bryce rolled his eyes in disbelief. “You know Denise is going to kill you if she ever finds out, right?” He asked, looking through one of them. “Yeah with the way this shit’s drawn? Definitely going to kill you.” Bryce pointed out, tossing the porn back on the couch.

“That’s why she’s not going to find out.” Darren said rather quickly as he scooped up the magazines, hugging them close to his chest. “Besides, it’s not even about Denise.” He explained, looking at the horribly drawn pictures of their ‘coworker’. She’d come from some unknown galaxy and adopted the name Denise Ryland, and who knows where GalactaGal came from honestly but it suited her a little better than Denise did. They were friendly enough, had a few beer nights occasionally but she wasn’t as chummy. He was almost grateful for that though. She was literally out of this world beautiful, and her body was killer. “She’s great but like, sometimes you want the fantasy ya know? Like most people wouldn’t get off if their pizza man started fingering their babysitter but – “

“Yeah yeah, fantasy. Got it.” Bryce said, probably just to stop the conversation in its tracks. Darren knew he wouldn’t understand. Just because he was getting a new roommate he had the potential to be attracted to, didn’t mean he could act out carnally. “For real though, you need help. Or you need to get laid.” Both very true things – more the latter than the former. “Like, I’m pretty sure if you scoped out some of the call girl services, they’d be willing to help you out.”

“Absolutely not. You have any idea about the research on those places? At least half of those girls are like, babies. Probably trafficked too.” Darren argued, drawing his line firmly in the sand.

“Kris made you watch another documentary and now you’re hooked”

This was very true. It was the only way Darren knew how to bond with his sister anymore. Krista had grown up, and the two of them had an official reconciliation or whatever since the death of their parents. But they both knew that things were still kind of distant between them, even when they worked in the same facility and Darren got her new cases – it was actually gross just how many of the more maniacal villains had access to brothels. But he had no time to go further into detail – the door was knocking and at this time? It was more than likely the new roommate. “That’s probably her.” Darren said, shoving the magazines into the nearest closed cabinet before answering the door.

“Hey, you’re just in time.” Darren answered with a friendly smile. He recognized his new roommate enough from the times they’d actually talked about living arrangements and payment processes in person. Darren’s other roommate was also in these talks but right now, they were out of town for some retreat. “So Auburn’s still going to be gone for another week but they really wanted to meet you.” He explained before closing the door behind them. “But hey, make yourself at home. Need any help settling in?” He said, trying not to focus too much on the parts that were obviously attracting him before remembering Bryce was in the room. “Oh yeah, Azra, this is Bryce. Bryce, Azra.” He said, letting them get acquainted.
 
The wooden steps creaked as she made her way to the door, and the cool fall breeze caught at her braided hair and fluttered the hem of her unzipped jacket. She looked presentable for once, wearing jeans and a simple grey t-shirt under a long black jacket. The door opened soon after she knocked, the sounds of talking quieting from the interior at the noise. Her roommate invited her in, holding the door and closing it gently behind her.

Azra stepped inside, her eyes sweeping the interior curiously. It wasn't the first time she'd been in the apartment, but it was still new to her. She offered the man on the couch a small, awkward smile, and gave a tiny wave. "Hey. Nice to meet you," she greeted, tugging slightly on her sleeve.

She glanced over at Darren after a moment, offering him a small quirk of her lips. "I, uh...yeah, I could use some help carrying some boxes in, if that's okay." She recognized the room she would be staying in from where she was standing- it was the one at the very end of the hallway, a simple white door leading into a small room. Small, but roomy.

Her car, parked outside by the curb, was packed full of various cardboard boxes, but with a few extra hands...she was sure it would take three trips at the most. The biggest thing she'd packed was her reading chair, which was still just a small barrel chair. Her bed and mattress had already been delivered, and the rest of her belongings were just clothes, shoes, and various decorations.
 
Darren at first wasn’t sure about bringing in a new roommate that wasn’t in with their systems, or someone he didn’t know completely. But he figured that out of the majority of people who get new roommates from ads like this didn’t get in trouble by any means. Besides, he was more than sure he could fight off anybody who tried to put a hand on his stuff, or him for that matter. It was not knowing that got the best of him at times. Sure you get to know people as you live with them, but what they brought with them, what they hid?

These were the things that Darren liked to know ahead of time, especially with the work he ended up doing for the organization. Still, he just let the smile shine on his face as Azra introduced herself to Bryce. He quickly gave the girl a once over. Secret to hide or not, the girl was nice to look at, from any direction. Especially the back, much to his delight. At least it would be a plus to living here unless she was absolutely despicable. She didn’t seem like that over the phone though, so Darren figured he had nothing to worry about. Well there was, but he was sure they discussed that already in the living arrangements.

“Yeah we can totally help with that,” Darren nodded as he and Bryce started heading towards the door. As the trio started to head towards the door, Darren tried to watch for any more signs that might have tipped him off about something wrong about his new roommate. Well, he intended to do that anyway. Instead, he ended up occasionally glancing over to the small of her back, with Bryce having to dig his elbow into him when he thought no one was looking. “I’m glad you found the place okay,” He said almost apologetically as they started to grab boxes.

“So, Azra, Az. If I can call you Az,” Bryce interjected, pretending to struggle with the reading chair. “Darren hasn’t told me much about what he knows. So what made you decide to make the big move?” he asked.
 
Azra led the way to the car, knowing that she was under examination from both of the men to her back. Still, it wasn't as if she could call them on it without being suspicious, and wasn't it natural for a new roommate to scrutinize the person moving in? It was likey a safety mechanism.

Then why did it feel so...off? It was as if there were something bigger under the surface.

She unlocked the vehicle again and stacked two large boxes in her arms, holding them up to her body and allowing them to rest against her. As she walked away, both men in tow once more, however, Bryce spoke up. She glanced over to him, taking note of how he was struggling with the chair, and fell back a bit so she was walking beside him rather than in front.

"Call me Az, if you want," she shrugged, addressing that first. It wasn't like she minded- in fact, she thought the nickname was kind of cute, and it was the first time she'd been nicknamed in a civilized manner. "My old landlord went bankrupt and a new guy bought out the place. He ended up doubling the price of living there, and I already didn't have enough to pay the old fee. Just circumstances, really."

A few seconds passed before she paused and looked at him again, steps slowing. "Anyway, uh...you need help with that chair?" Her hands were full of boxes at the moment, but she would be able to put them down easily if he needed assistance.
 
Darren was lucky that it seemed like Azra didn’t have too many things, and they seemed like they wouldn’t be too different from his own personal style. The amount of things, he could handle that, but if they were too heavy? Well, Bryce was the one with the super strength but it wasn’t like he could stay all day. It seemed like the two of them would get along though, furniture style wise at least. It seemed that both Darren and Bryce seemed happy with the idea of calling her Az instead of Azra all the time. “Alright, Az it is.” Darren smiled as he and Bryce looked over the couch.

The two of them listened as they got a grip on the chair, with Bryce being the first to interject. “Ah damn, that sucks”, he shrugged as he and Darren pretended to struggle with the chair. They got it up in their hands eventually, and it seemed like they were doing a good job pretending. Then again, it wasn’t too bulky of a couch, a perfectly reasonable job for two healthy guys. “Wait, is that even legal?” He asked, closing the trunk with his chin. It went down a bit too easily, and both of them hoped that their new acquaintance didn’t notice.

“Not without a lease expiring, no.” Darren answered, immediately trying to take the focus away from the trunk door closing. He was able to answer that because of experiences Krista told him, and the control that landlords could have over their properties. If her lease had been up, then the landlord could’ve changed it no problem. But from the sound of it, it sounded like she didn’t have a lease expired or even close to it in order for the landlord to make that change. “You know, I know a lawyer who could probably help you out with that, get some money back from the difference if you weren’t given due time or this happened before your lease was up.” Darren offered.

The easier thing would have been to find out everything he knew about this landlord and to extort the money out of him but what was he? A crook? Nah. If anything, this didn’t need heroic intervention just yet. Darren smiled when Azra offered to help with the chair. “We got this. You got your hands full anyway.” He waved off as the three of them started making their way back to the apartment. “Anyway I don’t know if you found the parking lot but I could show you later if you haven’t.” Darren offered again on their way up.

Darren couldn’t help but be impressed by Bryce – it was harder in his opinion to act like something didn’t hurt to pretend that it hurt, over exaggeration and whatnot. But even now, if he didn’t know better and didn’t feel the weight of practically nothing in his hands as they moved the couch around, he would’ve believed Bryce needed the help. Eventually, the couch replaced the old one and the rest of the boxes made it. “Well Az, good to meet you but my girlfriend’s having her sister over for dinner and yeah I’m not gonna risk missing that.” Bryce excused himself.

And with that, the two of them were alone. As much as Darren enjoyed being with his cute new roommate, it couldn’t stay this awkward for long. “So looks like we gotta unpack all this,” He said, bringing a box up to the couch. “Shouldn’t take too long.”
 
There was something wrong here. Or, at least, that's what Azra would have liked to believe. After all, everything couldn't be this....good. Could it? Maybe she was just freaking herself out. She probably was. In fact, she was so distracted by her own thoughts- and the chatter of the boys- that she barely noticed that the trunk had been closed a bit hard.

Azra chalked it up to her imagination and moved on, casting a glance back at them as they walked back up the stairs to the apartment door. "Yeah, I thought about it, but..." She shrugged one shoulder. "I mean, there's no way I can afford a lawyer if I couldn't even pay for rent. Besides, I figured some company might be good for me."

She dropped it at that, and a few trips later, all the boxes had been moved into the apartment, stacked in the living room. Bryce left after Az wished him a good dinner and offered him a smile. The door clicked closed, and, finally, she was left alone with her new roommate. She let out a small sigh and rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her hand, suddenly feeling the exhaustion from her all-nighter taking over. It wasn't like it was the first time she'd been this tired, and she'd be able to work through it easily, but....the anxiety of this whole thing was starting to get to her. It was eleven AM, after all...no naps yet.

Either way, she couldn't let that show, so she simply rolled her shoulders back a bit and gave him a small smile at his words. "You don't have to help if you don't want to," she remarked with a shrug, starting to gather boxes in her arms to move them to her room. "But, you know, I would appreciate the company."

All she would have to do was make sure he didn't find her suit, which would be easy enough. That was the box she gathered first- the smallest one- and she kept it next to her discreetly, not allowing it within his reach. All she'd need to do was keep it out of his hands until she managed to drop it somewhere unnoticeable in her room. "So, uh..." Azra grabbed a box, kneeled, and opened it, revealing a collection of various hardcover books, all in good condition. "...you like reading?"

It definitely wasn't because the books were the first thing she saw that she used that as an icebreaker. Definitely not.

The box Darren had grabbed was filled with various video games for various consoles, some that seemed well-used and others that hadn't been opened yet.
 
Now that the two of them were alone, Darren finally had the chance to get a good feel for his new roommate again. She was pretty that was sure. But she still seemed like she had her guard up. He winced slightly, rubbing his eye to take away any suspicion. Her aura was nowhere near relaxed, and even when they sat on her couch, the couch didn’t give her any comfort either. He wondered how much of this tension was because of normal fears. After all, new part of town, new roommate? They were stressful. But something told Darren there was more to her. Like he should have known what it was by now, but didn’t.

Darren knew that this was going to bug him for a while if he didn’t find out. Noticing the shift in her posture, he noticed her sighs and the way she yawned. She didn’t seem nearly as awake as she did walking in the door. This must have been her way of starting to let her guard down. “You know, it’s been a pretty big day for you,” he said, looking at how she was physically trying to bat away tiredness from her angle. “Maybe after we get these taken care of, a nap wouldn’t be too bad of an idea.” He suggested, leaning into the couch.

Maybe he was just too used to Old Snatch by now, but Darren noticed how he was having a little bit of trouble getting used to the couch at first. It was good, and had good bones, but seemed a little cold right now. There was a metaphor or some symbolism that could have gone here, but yeah not right now. Especially with Azra getting more comfortable, stretching out and explaining why she didn’t take legal action with her landlord. Darren tensed slightly. It might have been really just wanting a change of pace, but again, there was something strange about not even wanting some compensation.

Especially for a girl who would take whatever roommates she could get. Then again, price was a pretty common thing, and Darren could believe that. “Well if you ever do,” he said, “Like I said earlier, I know some people who’d be able to work with whatever budget you have.” He offered. This was technically true, even if they were connected through his sister and not necessarily him. But she owed him anyway, and anything he could do to help the public with our without his gear, he would do. Darren raised a brow when Azra said she iddn’t need the help with her stuff.

“After we got it up for you, then you say we don’t need to do this together?” Darren asked, feigning insult before smiling back at her. “Really, I can help. With the boxes, and the company” He reiterated before suppressing a smirk. Of course she liked his company so far. Most girls liked his company in his normal life, and he had a surprising fanbase online of girls who … compared him to Batman. Of course they compared him to goddamn Batman, but you didn’t see Bryce get compared to superman, or the Hulk, or the Thing or whatever.

But Darren could at least appreciate the online fan base, much like actually seeing Azra start to move around and unpack gave him appreciation of her form. Huh. Darren smirked, figuring she had a lot more going on for her than she let on. Mentally too, but there was probably something good underneath that jacket. “Heard it was going to stay nice today,” he remarked before seeing the box of books opened. “Yeah, I do.” Again, another technicality. “I read a lot for work, and some fiction can be good to cut through all that.” He nodded before opening the box in his lap.

Darren grinned: this kind of stuff was more of what he could get around. “Big gamer I see,” he said, looking up and picking up a Switch. “What’re you currently on right now?” he asked, something starting to itch at the back of his mind. Some of this stuff wasn’t cheap, and some could be really worth something on the market. But she couldn’t afford a lawyer?
 
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He mentioned a nap, and halfway through her yawn she cracked an eye open and attempted a smile. "Yeah. Maybe."

A few moments passed, and he brought up the subject of the lawyer again, seeming almost confused that she hadn't accepted the offer. In reality, she was afraid of what someone might find if they dug deep enough. She'd been careful to keep her identity clean, unaffiliated with any criminal activity, but when they got far enough back...there were some records that couldn't be erased. Mostly to do with her home life, but they could give rise to more questions than she really wanted to answer. So, she just shrugged. "I'll keep it in mind. Honestly, it's too much of a hassle to bother with, too, and....I guess I used it as a sort of push to actually make some friends, instead of hiding in my living room all day."

She began to unpack the books, sorting them into their respective series and then pushing them into her room so she could shelf them later. The next box she opened was clothes, and she simply settled into a crosslegged position and began to fold, occasionally glancing at the dresser to plan what would go where. His next question caught her off guard, and she let out a small 'hm?' before realizing what he'd asked and grinning. "Just finished Master Mode for Breath of the Wild last week," she remarked proudly. "So now I'm working on the completionist ending for Mario Oddessy."

She actually started laughing a bit when he set the beat up Xbox console on the coffee table. "I fished that out of a dumpster, you know," she said fondly. "Watched some lady take it away from her spoiled brat of a kid and just hurl it from their fire escape on my way home from work. Still works great."

She was careful with her funds, and spent money wisely so it didn't seem like she had more than she was earning. Besides, most of that cash went to a greater cause, anyway...

"So you like games too, huh? Any favorites?"
 
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Darren shrugged, figuring that Azra was like a lot of people that Kris worked with. The kind that couldn’t be bothered with the idea of investing in something like that when they were too far away from it now. He himself had seen it in people who didn’t want to face their pasts, or people who abused them. He knew he couldn’t really push them, and it was the same thing with Azra. Besides, he literally just met the girl. This was not the time to be pushing a legal or moral agenda on the girl. Not to mention, a moving box didn’t exactly make the best soap box. So he decided to drop it for now, even if he wanted to do much more. As long as she had the resources for it, he did his job.

It also made Darren wonder why she simply didn’t put out an ad for the roommate if things were so much trouble price wise. And as much as he wanted to fully believe Azra’s explanation, he could only shrug and let her go with the story for now. Making friends, getting out of the same place – they were things that made sense. And so far, even if a little guarded and probably hiding more, Azra hadn’t done anything too bad to make Darren worried. So he smiled and nodded, continuing to unpack items in his current box. “So far? I think you’re doing a fantastic job.” He complimented, honestly not initially taking her for someone more introverted.

Darren continued examining the old X-Box he pulled out before catching Azra actually laugh. It was the first time she seemed even a little amused since she got here. The smile looked pretty decent on her, but he knew better than to tell her that right now. But at least it seemed like she was letting a little more of her guard down. “Give it a little TLC on the surface and you’d probably get a good deal on it.” He suggested, “Unless you’re a collector.” He figured as he set the X-box down gently. Yeah he knew about ten kids who would have killed with something like this, even if it was a little beat up. He blinked, hearing the progress she made on her current game. He wasn’t into that game itself, but he knew enough to know that was a pretty good state of progress, and he knew enough about Legend of Zelda.

“Probably the Red Dead Redemption series,” Darren answered, “I’ve only gotten to the surface of the second one though. Also, there’s nothing wrong with a good fighting game. MK11 is definitely on my wish list.” He said. “We got all the set up for anything you wanna hook up. Bryce’s cousin was an electrician and hooked us up.” Okay, well Electrician? Electrical powered superhero? Eh, she didn’t need to know the technicalities. “Plus? My friend makes his own gaming laptops, and makes me test them out. He’s a perfectionist and always thinks he can do better, so I get all the ones he doesn’t like. Still better than most things you find on the market.” He offered with a slight grin.

The two of them continued to unpack. Darren swore that there was at least one little box that hadn’t been accounted for before remembering that she already took it in and unpacked it before. He wasn’t going to blame her for having secrets – it would be downright hypocritical if he did. “So, Az. I don’t know how well you know this part of town, but Bryce and his girlfriend are having a party tomorrow night if you’re interested.” He offered. Hey, she was the one who said she wanted to make more friends or whatever.
 
He seemed to be a bit less suspicious now...sort of. There was no point in pushing it further, though, so Azra simply dropped the topic of lawyers and gave him a small smile at the compliment.

So far, he seemed nice enough, but it seemed like there was something he was hiding. Despite being curious about it, she didn't mention this. After all, it would be suspicious to say anything, as well as hypocritical and just rude in general. The last thing she needed was for Darren to think she was some kind of freak....despite how true that might be in reality.

"I dunno," she shrugged a bit, pushing away the now-folded piles of clothes and ripping into the box that held her bedding. It was clean and folded neatly already, and so she shoved the box into her room so she could make her new bed later. "I wouldn't say I'm really a collector, but I think it's cool enough to keep."

They quickly moved from that subject and back to games, which Azra was grateful for. No point straying into the real reasons she liked keeping things. "Red Dead is pretty good," she agreed. "I actually haven't gotten around to the second one yet." Her new roommate then mentioned the setup offer, as well as the gaming laptops, and her face lit up in a genuine grin. "Aw, sweet. I'll definitely take you up on that one."

A few minutes passed as she moved into her room, shoved the small box into her closet, and started putting her books on the shelves before Darren mentioned the party. She hesitated a moment before shrugging one shoulder. "I've never really been around here, but sure, sounds fun enough." A party wasn't her favorite idea in the world, but she didn't want to seem even more suspicious, especially since she'd just told him she wanted to make more friends. "But only if Bryce is alright with it, you know? Are you going?"
 
So it seemed like the two of them at least had some gaming in common, and she was starting to relax a little more. Even better for both of them, because it seemed like the less on guard she was, the hotter she got. Bryce was his boy, but right now, his roommate was getting hotter and hotter, and yeah Bryce probably would’ve ruined it somehow. Instead, Darren kept his focus on Azra’s gaming and collecting hobbies – the collecting something that kind of threw him off for a second but hey, people made good bank off of old consoles all the time. Who was he to judge for wanting to make more money, and they weren’t like, hamsters being bred or something.

What Darren failed to mention about the laptops and gaming set ups, was that his friend was actually one of the various super geniuses at headquarters. He saved his best stuff for them, but the gaming laptops really was just something that he did out of a hobby. The irony is that he hated being in front of screens for too long, and had started training for a marathon. Also, he was smart enough to do the laptops on his own time, with a civilian name; the only way that anyone could trace anything remotely super involved, was if they broke the thing apart and went inside the hard drive itself.

And hey, the offer seemed to make Azra genuinely happy, so he wasn’t going to worry too much about what she was going to do with the laptop or not. “Sweet, they’re in the other room.” Darren said as the two of them continued to relax in her room, and Azra seemed nervous about the idea of attending the party. “I’m sure Bryce will be fine with it. It’s a rooftop party anyway.” Was it risky inviting a girl they barely knew to a party full of civilians and supers? Maybe, but he was just trying to do something nice for his new roommate. “And yeah, I’ll be there. I might be on call that night but yeah, I’ll definitely at least start the night with you.” He promised.

Again, a truth that Darren hoped wouldn’t have to come to fruition. Especially if his newest subject was involved. It seemed like Shockwave had been more active for some reason, and the criminal did more harm than good. However, like he thought earlier, the one positive would be looking at that body in her suit. Goddamn when this project was over, there probably wouldn’t be a single picture of her left untouched; socks would be filled with thinking about that hot piece of evil ass. Darren could drool just thinking about it, but yeah he was trying not to get a stiffy in front of his new roommate.

Hell, he almost got to beating it before Bryce got here. Darren wondered if he could get away with it while Azra was asleep as they finished up unpacking. His special office was on the other side of the apartment after all. “So, yeah, should I let you get your nap on?” he asked, setting some of the empty boxes on top of each other.
 
His reassurance that he'd at least start the night out was good enough for her- it wasn't like she was actually afraid. After all, she could easily handle a room full of civilians. But it would be good for her to have a companion at such a foreign event.

Azra finished filling her bookcase and had moved on to shoving clothes in the dresser, saving the closet stuff for once Darren left. No use in letting him see the box she'd hidden. She couldn't help but let out a small sigh, which she quickly disguised with another large, actually genuine yawn.

Damn- pulling all-nighters really wasn't good for her, was it? Especially not for what she had planned for tonight.

She started making her bed, stretching white sheets over the mattress as he asked about her proposed nap. Azra just shrugged in response, glancing over to him. "Yeah, sure. If you wanna hang out, though, that's cool too. Not like I have anything better to do." A short bark of a laugh escaped her.

"Anyway, uh...what kind of music you like? Play any instruments?" She gave him a curious look, and even the woman herself was surprised at the questions she was asking. The villainess had never really tried to connect with anyone, at least not since she'd been homeless- stranger danger was an ever-present problem out on the streets for a young girl, even one with the power to knock a car over with a flick. But now that she had a roommate, she didn't really feel like staying distant was an option.

Sure, she could be a little introverted, but full-on hermit? Nah, wouldn't work. Besides, if she knew him well enough, keeping her secret would be even easier.

Azra finished making the bed and plopped back down on the floor cross-legged, left idle with nothing else to do but hang up the two dresses she owned and shove her sleeping bag and emergency bag in the closet.
 
Darren kept his eye out – she certainly seemed to be more tired than she let on. Hopefully she was feeling okay, and if she weren’t, it wasn’t something too bad. Sure he didn’t need his roommate to be a party animal but he seemed to like her just fine now, and anyone being sick just sucked. Then again, she could’ve just used a day in the apartment. Unless she was one of those girls who hated being by herself. Which wouldn’t have made sense because she seemed just fine living alone before. He probably shouldn’t have just left her there, especially because they seemed to have a good amount in common.

Then again, it wouldn’t have been a good thing to force her to do more than she could have, even if she was offering to hang out. “I mean, if you’re up to it but it’s been a long day and you seem like you could get some rest first. I have a meeting today but that’s not for a while.” He said, thinking about his secret source for all things Shockwave. He’d gotten Darren things like files and some backstory, but nothing too deep and current. And that was fine with him for now – he didn’t need to know where she lived in order to stop her. “It’s pretty short too, maybe an hour.” He explained, raising a brow.

Music. Now that was something. “Me? I tried piano once. I got paid to stop.” Darren joked, seeing just how awkward things were starting to become for the two of them. “And I’m kind of a hermit crab sometimes like, I was at my part time and someone started talking flossing and I almost took’m to the dentist.” He chuckled, slowly dwindling down for the fear that he was the only one laughing at his joke. “Anyway yeah I mean, the location’s not bad. Totally near some good restaurants, bars and stuff if you’re into that kind of thing.” He offered.

Okay, now it was even starting to bug Darren that maybe he was coming on a bit strong. “Well whatever you end up doing, I’ll be down the hall. And well, welcome to the neighborhood.” He smiled, “I’ll let you finish up in here.”
 
"Thanks." She smiled at him, having actually been enjoying the conversation before he excused himself. For all intents and purposes, he seemed like a nice guy. She was quiet for a few minutes as she finished packing and making her new bed by herself, then set to work making her room a bit more...well, roomy. She hung pictures, shoved her reading chair into a corner, and, most importantly, hid the box that held her suit.

It was a quick and easy thing to do- the mattress she'd had delivered was a good hiding place, and she carefully ripped open the bottom and stashed the little black case into the soft innards of the thing. Then, finally, she collapsed into the bed, her brain too tired to even think about being anxious.

She fully planned on it being a brief nap- an hour at most- but what was supposed to be a light snooze turned into a full sleep, and when she opened her eyes again it was dark and the house was quiet. Azra scrubbed her hands down her face before rolling over slightly and glancing at the alarm clock on the bedside table. Midnight.

Shit, how long had she slept?

The villainess shoved herself out of bed and got ready for her nightly activities- after all, now that she'd caught up on sleep, there was no way she was getting back to it, and she had a lot more important things to do besides just sitting in bed waiting for morning. The tight black suit and helmet was not the ideal thing to roll into straight after a long, eight-hour sleep, but it was necessary.

Now, she was even more thankful that her window was directly above the alley.

Azra, now Shockwave, slid the window open just enough to slip through and landed lightly on the fire escape before vaulting down to the street below. Then she took off, darting through the streets to her next target- the bank on Main. She traveled quickly and discreetly, sprinting through alleyways and taking less-traveled paths until she reached it.

The bank was a huge marble-looking building, older than most buildings were allowed to get before they were turned into museums or knocked down. Fortunately, Shockwave didn't care about history. She circled to the back with stealth unknown to her, knowing that her style of entry was sure to draw attention, and savoring those precious moments alone and in peace.

Then, she rested her hand on the back wall, closed her eyes...and punched it. A rumbling sound tore through the sounds of traffic as the solid rock of the wall cracked and frayed under her force, years of erosion and other attempted break-ins clicking together with her fist at that moment. The stones crumbled down and she ducked through the hole into the vault, noting with satisfaction the twisted metal that adorned her newest doorway.

Good. She'd missed this.
 
Darren left Azra to her own devices as it seemed like she didn’t need much help unpacking. Besides, he figured she needed the space to take her room in. Walking away he wondered what she honestly thought about this place. She wasn’t willing to say much, even if he thought that the two of them had gotten along well enough both through emails, and with the furniture now. He let it aside for now. Besides, there were much more pressing civilian matters to think about. Like just how much nicer she turned out to be than he thought.

Like hot damn once he got an actual look at what was under the jacket or whatever? Darren could’ve easily smashed. Hell, he’d be fine smashing himself to the floor. Girl was fine. Even though he respected her as a person, goddamn was he attracted to her and excited about the fact that he had a better chance of having a normal attraction to her than he did pretty much anywhere else. Of course there were others in the field but they could and definitely would kick his ass any given day. Even the single ones.

It made Darren curious though, why he was suddenly interested in his seemingly normal roommate. All of his attraction was normally focused on women who could kick his ass – no matter what side of justice they were on. As he sat back in his office, his focus briefly went back to Shockwave. He had work to do while Azra was taking a nap, and he thought the hour he had wouldn’t have been enough time to do it at a normal pace. However, the one hour became two, and five. It was enough to concern him, and they would have if the sensors in the room hadn’t let him know of anything unusual.

“So much for lunch,” Darren shrugged before going back to work. His sensors would let him know if Azra woke up; he had all the time he needed until tonight. His information prepared lead him to half an hour before he wanted to launch the mission. “Tracking her patterns, she’s planning on hitting the Main bank.” Shade said over the headset, pulling a map off the laptop and letting it project over him. He spread pieces out, including a visual of the bank itself. Old, marble, and more than likely high on security. But that hadn’t stopped the criminal before.

“Her style’s involved nice banks with easier collateral damage. The longer it needs to be in repair, the longer she has time to hit multiple times.” Shade hypothesized, scanning some measurements on the laptop. Shockwave often put on grandeur, but one she got in, she was efficient. The team had no time to waste. “Anacondor, Tombfist, stay near the bank in case I get into any trouble.” He said, suiting up and letting the earphone fit into his headgear.

“And why aren’t we just going in?” Tombfist asked. Shade could already feel the tension in his well, fists.

“She’s my responsibility. My target. I’ll give credit where credit’s due but it’s a matter of unfinished business with us.” Shade answered. He might have had other reasons too, but those weren’t a matter of them to know. After all, his spank bank had nothing to do with her criminal activities. At least, he hoped they didn’t. “Just track her, get what you can out of her. She’s a lot more use alive than dead.” Shade reiterated before checking the scanner one more time. 11:45 and somehow Azra was still asleep.

“Also, remind me to check for my roommate’s pulse or any signs of sleep apnea when I get back.” Shade said more to himself as he moved out of the apartment, melding with shadows in various areas of the city. Eventually, he positioned himself, slipping in the shadows and creaks of the walls and waited in well, the shadows. Sure enough, with a bang and scattering of marble, Shockwave was right where he thought he’d be. Shade, against his character in this ego, was low on patience. “You’d think that getting into the marble business would be something more lucrative for you. This is really getting old.” Shade said, coming out of the shadows, shadow hooks ready.
 
Cash settled to the ground in the wake of her destruction, the busted vault boxes thrown open and readily available for her to just pick up. But, as usual, the thorn in her side revealed itself in the form of her nemesis. "You're still here," she pointed out casually, smirking under the tinted visor of her helmet. She picked up and slung a sack of cash over her shoulder and cocked her head to one side. "Stalker."

She'd already hidden some bags around outside, fully planning on returning and picking them up later- she was good at hiding things, and even if some were found, most times the rest were not. That ensured that she would at least get some profit for her trouble.

Her style wasn't exactly filled with finesse like his was- the two of them were practically polar opposites, power-wise, and perhaps that was why they went so well together. The news ate them up like a child with candy, and though the publicity wasn't exactly great for either of them (far too many opportunities to get your true identity exposed), it was kind of fun, at the same time.

Shockwave didn't waste any more time with theatrics or thought, though- now was not the time for such things. Instead, she snatched a knife from her hip and lobbed it his way, charging it with some of her energy so that if it hit, it would slide through cartilage and even bone with minimal effort. At the same time, she was charging forward, right hand balled into a fist and fully prepared to swing toward his face.

He was tricky, though, so even as she did so, she was watching keenly for his next move. Really, she would only fight him until an opportunity to run presented itself- getting thrown in prison wasn't exactly an option.
 
“Yes, I’m still here.” Shade said with the roll of his eyes. Exactly who was she to talk in this? “And so are you. Normally you would’ve run by now.” He pointed out, watching for what she was planning on doing next. “And given the time, that’ll change soon.” He said. Was it completely out of character for Shockwave to stay for the occasional banter between them? No, but especially with being caught as it was, why was she even bothering with entertaining him right now? From the sounds of it, it seemed that she knew he was there. Almost like she was expecting him…


“You’re not planning on even keeping all, if any of this. When have you ever?” Shade asked himself, keeping his eyes on her. It would’ve been too easy to track bank accounts for high deposits, or even deposits that happen too closely, with just the most particular amount of money in them. There was the high possibility that Shockwave was good at hiding it, or knew just where to invest it. But if she had the funds for that kind of protection, she wouldn’t be here, would she? “I’ll just make this short. Where’s the rest of the money?” He asked, the shadows around him slowly starting to sink to the floor, and him starting to sink with them.


“You’re not helping either of us, or the rest of the city by playing these games,” Shade warned as he got closer without tipping her off too much. The shadows started to creep around the two of them. Shade didn’t want to let her get away, and was sick of not having the information he needed. Plus, the inappropriate idea of her body against her suit was enough fodder for anyone in his league to want to keep her for questioning. But for now, he wanted to keep still enough so she wouldn’t have time to react. He knew he‘d already been too late when she began to charge.


Shade was lucky that he hadn’t made contact with that blade; the steel was enough to cut through the door if she wanted. It was something he had to make sure didn’t happen. He kept up part of the shadows as a shield, trying to see which exits he could cover as he kept on the defense.