S.H.A.D.E. [{ Completed }]✔ (#Wattys2018)

Unison

17.

I walk to the door, a lump of anticipation stuck in my throat.

Meeting these people makes what is happening -- what will happen -- all the more real. That I may kill... that I may die. 

I slowly open the door, and there they are, crowding the narrow hallway. My Swatch.

There is four of them, and they are all dressed in black. 

"Hey buddy," a guy says to me enthusiastically, waltzing right on in to my apartment past me. His hair is buzzed so short I cannot tell whether it's red or blonde and he stands a whole foot taller than me. "Nice place you got here.  Very brown."

"Looks like a place you shove your granny to die or something," says the slender girl with dyed pink hair. She gives me a once over, a look of judgement passing over her features, but she strolls in, so I think I passed whatever examination she preformed.

"So, you guys are my Swatch?"

"For however long we all live, yeah," the tall boy says, plopping himself down on the couch carelessly.

The other two file in, each looking me in the eye. I feel uncomfortable. 

The other girl has a smattering of freckles over her nose and a mess of chestnut hair restrained into a ponytail and the other guy appears to be hefty in muscle. His ears stick out some, but not unpleasantly so.

"She looks like the best one so far. The last one was too skinny," Muscles grumbles to Freckles.

"I can hear you," I mutter, closing the door.

They all look around, the pink haired girl even going through my fridge in search of food.

I feel as if I am the imposing guest instead of them.

The tall one raises his brows at me. "You gonna stand there, or are you gonna come sit with us?"

I make my way over to where they are all gathering around the furniture, but opt to stand with my back leaning against the wall where I left my axe. I fold my arms. If they do anything, I can be prepared.

"They won't do anything. They need you, genius." 

I ignore Copper's words, taking in my new teammates. "So what are your names?" I demand.

Tall guy seems amused by my behavior, and leans forward, folding his hands. "Well, we're the disposable Shades, don't you know? I'm Alabaster, but fuck that stupid name, so call me Al. Got it?"

I nod, trying not to laugh.

"I'm Fuisha," the pink girl says to me lazily, biting into an apple she found.

"I'm Violet," the freckled one speaks quietly, looking at her hands instead of me.

"And I'm Beige," Muscles pipes in, throwing his feet up on my coffee table, dirty boots and all.

"Well, I'm Ebony, as you know."

"Oh, we know," Al smirks. "All week, we've heard how awesome 21448 is, how the next Ebony will help us go further than ever before." He narrows his eyes at me, "I was skeptical, but you look the part."

Beige nods to Bellona at my side. "Chose an axe. Who does that?"

Al leans back on the sofa, chuckling.  "Copper's Black, that's who. Man, I'm pumped up for this."

Fuisha bites into her apple, the crunch deafening. She swallows loudly as well, reveling in the attention we give to her.  "Looks like we got a bad ass on our hands? I like it."

A bad ass? I feel like throwing up, not like taking someone down. But I should act the part if I want Gold to notice me.

I rest my hand on the throat of my axe handle, looking as nonchalant as possible. "So, what's our mission tonight? Copper says it should be quick."

They all trade a look, and I immediately feel as though I am the butt of some joke.

Fuisha tosses the apple up and catches it swiftly, her lips turning up slowly into a grin.  "You like parties?"