Light & Shadow

Chapter 2

I take one last check in the mirror, making sure the vibrant red extensions and fake nose ring are in place and look convincing. It's a simple disguise, but it's also ridiculously effective. One thing I've learned is the more attention you draw to yourself, the less people look.

All it takes is a bold look, and suddenly, you're pretty much faceless. People will pick out and recall the broad strokes and forget the details. "We good to go?" I ask ARTI as he does one last scan of the room.

"No traces of DNA or fingerprints left behind. Everything is exactly as it was when we arrived." He replies, showing me the overlay over what's in front of us.

"Perfect. Onward and upward—or plummeting downward, in my case." I mumble to myself and hold on to the straps of my bag. The street is quiet as I slip out like—well, like a Phantom. No one ever saw me come in or out, and now no one will ever know I was here at all.

I quickly make my way to the train station, slipping through security with ease despite the small armory I always have with me. Another perk of having lived with some of the world's top spies and being able to manipulate what people see. All it takes is a box with fake 'important documents' and a false bottom. Once you add in a little manipulation to what someone sees, they forget to ask questions and assume their senses are right.

Mine seem to be permanently stuck on high alert. I keep my sunglasses on, because of the light and to help hide where I'm looking. It's a trick that I inadvertently learned from Dad—or maybe he learned it from me. I like to think the latter, because it means I was able to pass something on to him.

I keep watching anyone around me, fists constantly at the ready, and shadows primed for a fight. ARTI scans the faces and bags of the other passengers as I move through the car. Each one is run through the international databases and stored for later. It helps ease my mind when we're fighting and be chased by a faceless and nameless group.

My head is pounding from the light pouring in through the open window, but the most I can do is adjust my glasses. ARTI takes note and dims the lenses. "No repeat encounters and no one here as any sort of record."

I open up my tablet and insert a command to ARTI, "Good. Keep an eye out for strange activity." He pulls up the feed of every angle of the train and a video game? I stare at it in confusion. I never downloaded a video game on here. "What the—?"

"Play it." ARTI tells me, "It will help pass the time and distract you. I'll keep watch and alert you the instant anything happens."

It's hard to argue. He's right, even if he is annoying about it. This is going to be a four and a half hour train ride, which will is already starting to feel like an eternity. So, as much as I don't want to let my guard down, I give in and start playing the silly game.

The hours still drag by, but they don't weigh as heavily as they usually do. I have to admit, despite the idea of being stuck in metal car with strangers that could also be one of the many people after me or that could recognize me, this wasn't a horrible trip.

I grab my bag, adjusting the strap over my shoulder as I head out of the station. "Directing you to nearest motel that fits parameters." ARTI immediately displays a bright blue line on the ground leading me through the city. "You'll have to take the ferry to get to the main island."

Luckily, the ferry is just across from the train platforms, and I hop on the next ferry to the main island. I can't help but admire the city as the boat drives through the larger canals. It makes my chest ache a little more than usual. Being here brings back memories of my summer's with Dad—in the time between moving to New York and Thanos. We used to play darts with a map of Europe and spend the whole summer traveling to all the places we 'picked.'