Shadows Lingering//A Glaze AU//Sequel to 'A Superhero's Heart'

20

That night, Blaze was on patrol. After the day with Garroth, he was a little stressed out leaving him there. Part of him wanted to bring him home to make sure he was away from the hectic environment but, Lucinda assured him that Garroth would be fine. Still, he feared that he might reach a breaking point. Seeing how worried he was for everyone made Blaze realize that at any moment, he might have a panic attack and snap. He trust Garroth, yes. If anyone was strong enough to fight Shadow off, it was him. Yet, the redhead remembered that Protector needed Howler...at least that's what Protector told him. What kind of partner was he if he couldn't be by his side? 

"Amina, what do I do? Shadow is chipping away at him and no one can flipping translate morse code apparently,", Blaze groaned, pacing a rooftop. 

"Just be patient Blaze. They'll figure it out and Garroth will remain strong,", Amina repeated for the fifth time that evening. 

"I know...it just hurts. He's alone again and no one is there  to-" 

"Your friends are there. If something happens, they'll be able to help him get through it. As Howler, your job is not only to protect the people you care for but, Scaleswind. You need to find a way to balance those emotions." 

"Y-You're right." 

The powers held by Blaze's earrings were something that he struggled to explain. He was strong yet, agile and his senses were brought up to a hundred. If he tried hard enough, he could hear and smell things from a mile away. Sure, the city prohibited him to use it to it's full potential but, Amina said that it could be even better if he were out in the wild. Speed was also another perk and as the years went by with Protector, Howler found himself not struggling too much without his partner like he first assumed. Pair that with the advance tech at S.T.F and Blaze found his night job far easier than expected. 
So, when he heard a distant conversation, he knew he wasn't just hearing things. 

"How much longer do you think it's going to take for him to break again?", A man asked in a gruff voice. "You promised that after that fundraiser it would be only a matter of a few days." 

"Don't worry,", Another voice spoke out. "Garroth Ro'Meave is nothing without Shadow. Soon, he'll grow weak enough to let Shadow take control." 

Blaze immediately rushed to where the conversation was. He jumped rooftop to rooftop, the conversation becoming a little more clear he got closer. He discovered this small group that was only two blocks away. There were about five people walking down the street, keeping their volume to a minimum. He took note of their appearances. There were three men. The one who seemed to be the dominant one in the group was pale and had silver hair. His smile was devious and didn't sit well with Blaze. The others were much younger than him. The two other males were a bit more built compared to him. One had pitch black hair with a blue streak in the front with tan skin, contrasting greatly with the orange haired and pale man walking on the other side. The other two were females. Both of which had high-pitched voices. They both had brightly colored hair, lilac and neon pink to be exact. All in all, Blaze was shocked that they weren't really trying to hide appearance wise. If anyone saw them, some double-takes may be in order. 

"Michael, do you remember how long it took Doc to break him?", The one with orange hair hissed out, obviously annoyed about the situation. "He now has support to make sure he doesn't. We might be waiting for months till Shadow makes his return." 

"Shh!", Michael said. "Let's take this conversation inside. Howler patrols at night, remember?" 

They all walked up to an apartment building and made their way inside. Blaze waited until they began their conversation again. Once they did, he was able to locate their room. It was near the fire escape on the side of the building where he could poke his head up to take a peek. He silently climbed down and made sure his mask was secured. He hunched down and kept low as he honed in on the little meeting they were having.