Denouement

THREE

With the wind whipping in her face, Shade emerged from the shadows observing the gaggle of prodigies below her perch. She could easily spot Fission in her bright red spandex, animatedly explaining something. Then there was also The Prophet who could see vague glimpses of the future, not a great power in Shade's opinion, but she could acknowledge the usefulness of it. Sparrow also seemed to be there in all her feathered glory. Next to Sparrow was Granite, who like the name suggested could turn his body into the stone. The only one missing was Falcon, and Shade felt immense pride in picking him off already.

She shifted to get a better look as to what Fission was explaining, the movement had cost her. She now cast an ominous shadow on the opposite wall, directly above Sparrow's head. The Prophet pointed to Shade's shadow. Then, in unison, all four heads swiveled up to her perch.

Shade shrugged, it was now or never.

She dispersed into smoke and reappeared in the center of the small group. She cast out smoke and shadows around her, enveloping everyone in darkness. The only thing visible of the villainess was her golden eyes, sharp and formidable.

She spun towards Sparrow and sent a punch to her jaw. Sparrow stumbled back a step, dazed as to where the punch came from. Searching for the culprit, Sparrow caught a quick glance of a dark figure moving amongst the heroes. Gaining her senses, Sparrow flew above the smoke and spotted Shade.

Shade, believing she had taken care of Sparrow, sent a tendril of inky shadows snaking towards Granite. When it wrapped around his ankle, she pulled it tight and he went crashing to the ground.

She had to admit, even to herself, taking on four prodigies at once was ambitious, but nothing she couldn't handle. Ideally, she had been observing them for any useful information they had on Falcon. He was the one she was after. She didn't know how, but he played some part in everything that made her who she was. It had been something he said during their fight that sent her over the edge, a fury and rage that sent her veins ablaze with her dark power.

Just then Sparrow dove towards Shade, having spotted her from above, as Granite was in a heap on the ground. The Prophet was nowhere to be seen, he never was one for fights anyway, more of a pacifist. Shade looked up briefly at Sparrow, as the heel of Sparrow's foot slammed into her jaw. And coming from above, at a downward angle, it hurt like a bitch. Shade grunted roughly before grabbing Sparrow's ankle and yanking down over her shoulder, sending her face first against the brick wall. That would keep the little bird down for a while.

Shade now cleared the shadows away in search of Fission. She was closest to Falcon, they were dating and all the civilians went crazy over any minute tidbit or rumor about them. She would have the answers about Falcon that Shade needed. And threatening her never hurt anyone either. Well, maybe it hurt the heroes, but that was the objective.

Finally, after searching desperately in the alley for Fission, she saw her bright red spandex before rounding the corner, and equally, red hair swinging behind her. Shade sent her shadows Fission's way, and then they cinched around her arms dragging her back into the alley with Shade. Fission began to kick, and phase out of the shadows wrapped around her, but Shade's power was strong enough and specific enough that even Fission could not phase out of the shadows.

Shade's fist tightened in control of the shadows, as Fission's hazel eyes went wide. Shade knelt in front of Fission, menace, and hate-filled her eyes. The look made Fission shudder, in revulsion or fear Shade couldn't tell. "How's your boyfriend?" She asked casually.

Fission blinked, "what?"

"How's your boyfriend?" she repeated.

Fission managed a laugh, "you come down here, beat the crap out of my friends and then ask me how my boyfriend is?"