Shadowgirl

Chapter 5

I proceeded to the new address Raven sent me after our brief conversation. As I trudged to the warehouse district where he was apparently now located, I wondered idly how many safe houses he had around town.

Deciding to put my longer, stronger legs to the test, I ran all the way there. My speed was such that wind whipped at my cheeks, but the usual chill I would have felt was not there, my invulnerability protecting me from its bite. With a grin, I added super speed to my growing list of powers. When I neared the location, I slowed to take in the surroundings, then shivered. The last time I was in this part of town, I'd met Xymon... and promptly fainted.

I had arrived at the address in seconds, far faster than Raven probably expected me, so I decided to remain invisible and sneak inside to see what exactly Raven was up to in here. He was always so secretive that it just seemed a good way of getting some insight as to his activities—especially after he had hinted at some sort of knowledge that involved me back in the last safe house. Maybe if I snooped a little, I would find out what he was actually up to.

Slipping into the door, leaving a mangled deadbolt in my wake, I never tripped the motion detectors. They failed to detect my invisible body. I also evaded the top-of-the-line laser security system by walking straight through it. The beams passed right through me, undisturbed, to their receptors on the other side. Yay, invisibility! I guess that my original power did have its uses from time to time.

I looked around to find a spotless, stainless-steel interior with blue LED lighting and what looked like very high-tech and extremely heavy-duty gym equipment. The place was pretty rad. Way cooler than the other safe house. This must be Raven's gym or something. This stuff certainly looked like it was heavy enough to give him a heck of a workout.

At the far side of the vast room, at one of the machines, sat Sapphire Valkyrie, pumping out bench presses with solid metal weights the size of cars on each side of the bar. She looked as gorgeous and healthy as ever, clearly having fully recovered from her beating at the hands of the aliens the day prior. Raven stood next to her, looking on as she worked out.

As I neared, I moved with absolute silence, knowing that Raven's super-hearing would detect even the slightest sound. I began to hear their conversation.

"I don't understand it, Lisa," said Raven. "She seemed to be weakened just as you were by the alien's presence, but I've tested your DNA, and you don't show the alien sequences that she does."

"Yeah, well I'm probably made of tougher stuff than she is," Valkyrie smirked. "I'm glad not to have anything in common with those filthy alien bastards."

"Well, I don't know that it's such a bad thing! She seemed to be affected by the proximity to the alien in other ways as well. Denser musculature, increased strength and speed, enhanced invulnerability. The proximity of the alien to you didn't seem to have the same effect at all. Your powers are the same as before."

Valkyrie gave an annoyed grunt. "Well goodie for her. Maybe she'll manage to actually take a hit next time before she collapses like a wet noodle."

I felt a frown form on my lips. Sapphire Valkyrie was kind of a jerk when out of the public eye. Wet noodle?! Was that really what she thought of me? I set aside the sting from her comment, however, to listen to Raven's reply.

"Her new powers are still nowhere near yours, but they probably rival mine," he continued, nodding his head toward the LED display on the machine.

"I'm actually beginning to wonder if Shadowgirl was somehow infected by them. She may be becoming one of them," he finished.