My Dear Supervillain

Ron couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Wailing Wonder either kissing Leo or screaming at Valerie. She tossed and turned, hugged the stuffed animals Leo gave her, and tried to drive the images away. I don't even know what happened! All I have is suspicion! It was too easy to envision Wailing Wonder ruining lives, whether intentionally or not. She knew how unlikely it was that he would have anything to do with Leo, or Valerie's illness… but if there was no connection, why did Valerie have it in for him? Was she an enraged fan of Green Sparkle-chan? That would explain a lot.

Even as the images of Wailing Wonder stopped coming, Ron couldn't quiet her restless mind. She was thinking of Leo, how he refused to open up to her or talk about his ex. One of them must've really hurt the other, and she had a feeling Leo had been hurt most. Ron pulled her blanket around her tighter and closed her eyes. She recalled her first impression of Leo. She had thought for a moment that he was painfully boring, but she'd felt a cold darkness all around him, a darkness that attracted her shadows. They followed Leo from time to time since then. Maybe he had shadow powers too? Her shadows had never followed other people before — except, of course, to kill them. Yet Leo lived on. Something about him drove the shadows wild.

Ron waved up a hand to form the shadows into a solid shape. She wanted to take a closer look at them. After all, the lady at the fair said they weren't a superpower… And if they weren't a superpower, that meant she had a supernatural stalker to get rid of; a stalker that could be blamed for all her murders. If her shadow wasn't really under her control, did that mean it was a danger to her? Despite her concern, she wanted to know the truth… and a large part of her wished the shadows were alive, so there might be a way to get rid of them.

Ron opened her eyes to look at the shadows.

They weren't there.

Leo couldn't sleep. He refused to show it, but he was scared. The way Ron pressed him about Wailing Wonder… She suspects me. Leo did like her, and she was kinda hot for a chick, but he wasn't sure he could entrust her with his secret. He knew she wasn't afraid of powers, but how would she feel about living with a superhero? Would she freak out because a villain might learn where he lived? More importantly, could she keep a secret? If she didn't already know he was the Wailing Wonder, she was clearly watching him for clues about the superhero. I've gotta be extra careful.

Leo fluffed up his pillow and lay back down with a groan. He really needed to wash his super suit, since he'd recently stuffed it in a trash can. He couldn't clean it with Ron present, and he certainly couldn't take it to a laundromat… He had no idea when he'd need it next. I should wash it while Ron's asleep.

Leo rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sat up… and screamed. “NIGHTSHADE!”

She was standing right there in his doorway! Leo grabbed the gun from under his pillow and aimed it at the mass of swirling shadows. The door swung open— right through Nightshade? The shadows were gone. “What's going on?!” asked the wide-eyed Ron in the doorway. She was shaking and clinging to her stuffed rabbit even before she saw Leo was armed. “Leo, put the gun down,” Ron whispered. “It's just me. Put it down.”

“I just saw Nightshade standing right there!” Leo sputtered. Ron's pale complexion suddenly became green. “She vanished when you opened the door. M-maybe she can teleport or walk through walls! She's here! I saw her!” Leo jumped out of bed, gun in hand.

Ron squished her rabbit and fell against the wall. “What was she doing in your room?”

Leo flung open the closet and checked for any suspicious shadows. “Watching me!” Leo suddenly paused and stared off at nothing. “I… I couldn't see her eyes. I know for a fact that she's got bright glowing eyes.”

“Weird,” Ron squeaked. Leo was pointing his gun everywhere his eyes flickered. Ron remembered his prowess at shooting games and resolved to make no sudden movements.

“Stay in here,” Leo commanded her quietly. “I'm gonna search the house. If you see Nightshade, scream. Do not try to fight her.” Ron nodded. Leo grimaced at her. She looks how I feel. She was green, shaking from head to toe, with dark lines beneath her wide-open eyes that tried to watch all corners of the room at the same time. “Hey. Don't be afraid. I'll protect you. Nobody's gonna get you while I'm here.” Ron nodded again and tried to swallow past the lump in her throat. Leo took the safety off his gun and cautiously dodged out of his bedroom.

Ron let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. “Come out, shadows,” Ron whispered. Nothing happened. She tried to form the shadows by force of will. It worked. “The jig's up, you evil shadow monster thingy. Real super powers don't sneak away and spy on people while their human is sleeping.” The shadows did nothing. Nothing at all. Ron willed them to form into a ball. They did it. Fly swatter. Mallet. Giant hand. Dog.

The shadows obeyed her will. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Ron enshrouded herself in the shadows of Nightshade, then made the shadows vanish. She willed them to do something creative on their own, but they only formed the first shape she saw— a lamp. The shadows behaved like a superpower, not an intelligent entity. Ron shook herself and felt her heart rate going back down to normal. I must've subconsciously commanded the shadows to go to Leo when I thought about him. She made sure the shadows compacted themselves into her natural shadow and waited for Leo to come back.

Leo presently peered in the doorway. “All clear?” he asked hoarsely. Ron nodded briskly. Leo rubbed his aching head and put the safety back on his gun. “Gah, that scared the crap out of me.”

“Me too,” Ron said honestly. “Are you sure you saw Nightshade? She's got no reason to spy on you, does she?” Leo ran his hands nervously through his hair and wandered back to bed, tucking his gun under the pillow. “Seriously, Leo. Even if she were targeting you for some reason, she's the type that would murder you in your sleep, not stand around staring at you. Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?”

“I'm not sure at all,” Leo groaned. “Ugh. How am I ever gonna get any sleep now? I'm gonna be jumping at little noises and dodging dark areas when I get my breakfast.”

Ron held out her rabbit to him. “Would a snuggle bunny help?”

Leo rubbed his tired eyes. “Bring it to life and give it a laser defense system. That'd do the trick.”

“… Sorry.” Ron sighed and pulled her shirt tightly around her. Leo blinked and admired the way the thin fabric hugged her curves. “I'm going back to bed. Don't shoot me if I get up to use the bathroom, okay?” She wandered out. Leo fell onto his bed, flopping like a dead fish.

“Well,” he told himself, “I'm not doing any laundry tonight…”

Ron couldn't sleep. She curled up in her blankets. Why does my pillow feel so cold? Oh, right. It's soaked with tears. It was all wishful thinking. That Sandra Gohn lady at the fair had gotten her hopes up that the shadows weren't a superpower, and it had only been logical to assume they were alive. If the shadows acted on their own accord, it would mean Ron was innocent. It would mean Ron had a chance to avenge her loved ones, a chance to redeem herself in the eyes of the powers above.

I wish…

The shadows were a superpower. Ron was the only one controlling them. There was no clever enigma sabotaging everything she held dear, no malign entity to blame for all her sins. The only 'evil shadow monster thingy' here was Ladrona Mallow.

Ron buried her head in her pillow. She had always told herself that every murder was an accident. Was that really true? It couldn't just be a strong self preservation instinct. She must've been angry at them, angry enough to kill, for the second or two it took to do so.

Ron clung to her rabbit and choked on her tears. “I don't want to be a bad person, Mr. Bunny,” she whispered. Leo would surely suspect her after this. Ron hoped he'd never have to find out what she was. She hoped she'd never have to hurt him. We have so much in common… and he was so brave tonight! If he wasn't gay, she'd consider asking him out… But it would be like dating John all over again. As soon as he knew she was Nightshade, he'd have his gun in her face, and he might even pull the trigger. And she would kill him. “I won't let that happen,” Ron told herself. “It's only people I love that end up dead. So, no falling in love for me! Thank you, Leo, for being a flaming faggot!”

Ron looked at the clock. It was 3:13 in the morning, and she was awake from adrenaline. There was no way she'd be able to get any proper sleep by six thirty, when she had to get up for class. “Guess I'll just watch movies until dawn.” She dried her eyes, put on some underwear, and made her way out.

Leo couldn't sleep. His horror at seeing Nightshade in his room didn't fade; in fact, it got worse every minute. Every time he shifted a toe or wiggled a finger, the noise would startle him into grabbing his gun. He was loathe to admit it, but Ron's 'Snuggle Bunny' might've helped. His rational mind contradicted his intuition. He knew that if Nightshade were really here, she wouldn't be hiding in the shadows and watching him sleep. That just wasn't her style. Of course, she might like pulling a good mindfuck on her victims before she kills them. He couldn't shake the feeling that there were still shadows watching his every move.

Leo turned the lights on. Maybe with the lights on, it'll be easier to relax? Dang, now I'm scared of the dark, just like Ronnie… It occurred to Leo that Ron might be more afraid of Nightshade than other villains for that very reason. I can't calm down… A little voice in his head kept saying that if he went to sleep, he'd never wake up again.

After a little while, Leo could take it no more. He obviously wasn't going to get any sleep like this. He glanced at the clock. “3:13 AM… Screw this. I'm gonna watch movies until dawn.” He crawled out of bed and out the door, and he bumped into Ron.

“Oh!” Ron squealed. “Wha— um, good morning, Leo!” Leo blinked tiredly at her. What was she so nervous about? It took a moment for him to realize that they were both wearing only their underwear. Ron had already established that she didn't mind him wandering around the house in naught but his boxers, but he hadn't seen her in only her skivvies before. She tried to cover up with her hands.

“G'mornin,” Leo yawned. “You know I wouldn't give a damn even if you were a nudist, right? I'm not much into females…” Still, his eyes lingered on her. “Not even the buxom, leggy type.” Still blushing, Ron let herself relax. “Midnight snack?”

“Monster movie,” Ron muttered. “Can't sleep.”

“That makes two of us.” They wandered into the living room, dark from lack of use. Leo found himself shivering as the darkness loomed before him. “Can you see anything?”

Ron flapped her arm into the room, activating the lights. They sighed in unanimous relief as the darkness dissipated. Leo gave Ron a sheepish smile. She smiled right back. “You're a nervous wreck,” she pointed out. “What happened to the brave guy that promised to protect me earlier?” Leo shrugged. “Adrenaline rush? Heroism complex?”

“A bit of both,” Leo admitted. “But come on, I wasn't being brave. I thought I saw a serial killer in my bedroom. I was this close to wetting myself.”

“Ah, but you conquered your fear and secured the perimeter. To quote Aristotle, 'the hardest victory is the victory over self. ' Nightshade's lucky she wasn't really here, because you would've blown her brains out.”

Leo shook his tousled hair and flopped onto the couch. “If it was that easy, how come Wailing Wonder and the Sparkle-chan girls couldn't take her down?”

Ron pondered her answer as she scanned over the vidcube archives. “Probably because they were too busy fighting each other.”

“Or maybe Nightshade's got awesome powers that nobody stands a chance against…” Leo was depressing himself again. “Even Mystic couldn't stop her, and he was the best hero in the city. What if she's like that Martian villain, the one that walked free in public for years because nobody could stop him?”

“She's not like him. He had a natural forcefield.”

“Nightshade's practically got a forcefield…” Ron knew Leo was right, but she didn't want to appear too knowledgeable about Nightshade's powers.

Ron spotted a good title in the movie archive. “Hey, why don't we watch Battle for the Tenth Sea? The one with the giant squid and the robot plesiosaur, with the main characters trapped in a life raft above the dueling duo?”

Leo smiled fakely. “Sounds cheesy. Let's go for it.”

As the movie started, Ron and Leo tried to fit themselves comfortably on the couch, which was made a lot smaller by the stuffed gorilla inhabiting the end of it. “Should I just throw George off the couch?”

“Naaaaaahhh,” Ron insisted. “We'll all fit. See?”

“You're sitting on my foot.”

“Stop griping. Your foot is going up my nose.” After a couple more minutes of shifting themselves around and missing the start of the movie, Ron ended up sitting upright while Leo tucked his legs behind her and used George as a pillow. The floor felt cold on Ron's bare toes. “I'll be right back,” she informed Leo.

Ron headed back to her room to grab her blanket, but her mind was elsewhere. It had been way too much fun to try and squeeze onto the couch with Leo, too satisfying to tangle her legs with his. She shook her head. No getting attracted to him! No endangering him with petty affections! She seized a blanket and headed back into the living room.

Leo had fallen asleep. He snored with his head jammed in George's armpit.

Ron would've laughed, but that might've woken him up. Instead, she draped her blanket over him and set his alarm clock on the coffee table beside him. “G'night,” she chuckled. Leaving the movie running, Ron retired to her bedroom, finally in the right state of mind for a nap. As she tucked herself in, she promised herself, “I will never hurt Leo.”

“OH GOD, THE PAIN! MAKE IT STOP!” Leo wailed.

“If you don't like pain, don't stick your face so close while you chop onions,” Ron advised him. “Don't you have to be back at work in fifteen minutes?”

The clock chimed two. “Yeah, but I gotta rinse out my eyeballs first… Ugh, I don't even have time to grab lunch.” He fled to the bathroom, leaving Ron to finish chopping the onions.

“Are you gonna be here to eat it tonight, or do I need to put your dinner in stasis?” Ron called out to him. Leo emerged from the bathroom with a towel jammed into his eyes.

“I dunno. Jeez, that stings… Anyway, I have plans, but it might not take all night.”

Ron quirked an eyebrow at him. “Plans? Leo, the reclusive slob, has plans?”

“Er, yeah. My old mate's gonna be in the area for a couple days, and we were gonna meet up.” That was a lie. He was going to don his blue suit and patrol the streets.

“Really? I've got plans too. Charities and protests. Maybe I'll save a few whales and trees today. But first, I'll have to stop by the bank and make a withdrawal…” It was technically true, if you considered robbery a withdrawal. “But the stew will be ready by eight. Seeya then, hopefully?”

Leo gave her a smile on his way out. “You might even see me sooner. Catch you later!”

This was a really bad idea.

The Wailing Wonder already regretted his decision to go on patrol, and he'd only been outside for five minutes. He still hadn't washed his super suit, which bore a conspicuous ketchup stain and a distinct 'au de toilet'. That wasn't very professional. He hadn't eaten lunch, so his stomach was trying to eat its way out of his gut. It was raining again, and his suit wasn't waterproof, nor did his yellow boots have very good grips.

Wailing Wonder kicked a piece of litter out of his way and cursed his rumbling stomach. If it got any louder, his voice might have competition. People gave him odd looks as he walked past. Some kid tugged on his mom's pants. “Mom, it's Wailing Wonder!” he squeaked at her. “Can I throw something at him, can I, huh?” The woman clamped her son's mouth shut, glanced at Wailing Wonder with wide eyes, and dragged the kid away. Wailing Wonder grit his teeth and pretended he hadn't heard. Who's that kid think he is? Throwing stuff at superheroes!

“Mr. Hero?”

Wailing Wonder turned to see a little old lady with massive glasses hobbling towards him. “Can I help you?” he asked stiffly.

The old woman pointed a knobbly finger down the block. “My cat's stuck in a tree on Arbor Street.”

The request caught Wailing Wonder by surprise. When trees were common, it had been the most basic task for the active superhero, getting cats out of trees… and he wasn't capable of it. “Er, ma'am, I don't think I can help you with that,” he confessed. “Have you contacted the fire department? They've got nice big ladders…”

“You can't do it?” the old woman snorted. “You are a superhero, RIGHT?”

Wailing Wonder stammered. “Yes, well, I don't have the right powers for the situation…”

The old lady harrumphed at him, sounding very much like an enraged cow. “Can't you fly?” Wailing Wonder shook his head. “Telekinesis? Super strength? Can't you uproot the tree or hypnotize my cat into coming down, or anything?”

“… Sorry.”

The lady coughed something obscene and hobbled away. “Useless modern heroes, calling themselves super if they can't even rescue a cat from a tree…” Wailing Wonder bristled. I am SO sick of people challenging my abilities! Without thinking, he jogged up to the woman and caught her by the shoulder. She blinked up at him. “Yes?”

“I will get your cat out of that tree, ma'am,” Wailing Wonder announced. “Just lead the way.”

“That, boy, is the answer I wanted to hear.” With a huff, she kept walking, in her wobbly, pained way. Wailing Wonder followed her with growing apprehension. He hadn't a clue how to get a cat out of a tree. Climbing up the tree, perhaps, but how could you climb down while carrying a cat? Maybe he could scare the cat out of the tree by barking like a dog? No, that might've been the reason the cat went into the tree in the first place.

In the crowd before him, there came the flash of a green skirt and a purple body suit. Wailing Wonder froze in his tracks. “Green Sparkle-chan?” he gasped. “No way. She's dead!” She had vanished into the crowd. Stare as he might, Wailing Wonder could see no more sign of her. How can she be alive? Did Pink Sparkle-chan's Healing Kiss work after all?

Wailing Wonder was brought out of his shock by a sharp cane jabbing into his foot. He gave a quiet yelp of surprise, only knocking over three people, and he jumped back up with a hammering heart. “You doofus! Help me up!” the old lady squawked. Wailing Wonder awkwardly gave her a hand and tried to look away as she shook her cane at him. “You careless boob! Are you coming or not? And don't you knock me down again! These joints aren't as flexible as they used to be!”

“Sorry. I'm coming,” Wailing Wonder squeaked.

“What's your problem? You look like you've seen a ghost!”

Still recovering from his moment of heart-stopping horror, Wailing Wonder whispered, “Maybe I have.”

“Eh?”

“Never mind. It's nothing. Let's go save your precious kitty.” They trekked on towards Arbor Street. Except for the Green Dome, it was the only place in Antiopolis where trees still stood. The light rain sloshed noisily in Wailing Wonder's boots. The old woman didn't cease her grumblings. Wailing Wonder kept his mouth shut. Screaming a senior citizen's head off would be really bad for public relations. They turned around the corner of 84756^th and Arbor.

Green skirts. Purple body suits.

Wailing Wonder stumbled back, gawking. There were Green Sparkle-chans EVERYWHERE. Hundreds of women dressed as Green Sparkle-chan, mostly young girls, lined the streets. There were even a few men in skirts among the crowd. They were all headed towards one building, chattering loudly at each other, shivering from exposing so much skin to the rain and showing off their baton twirls along the way. “Wha— what IS this?!” Wailing Wonder asked the air.

“Shoot,” the old woman muttered. “Knew I was forgetting something. I wanted to audition.”

“Audition?” Wailing Wonder whispered hoarsely. His eyes drifted to a gigantic banner hung between light posts.

GREEN SPARKLE-CHAN FIRST AUDITIONS TODAY AT 5 PM

14351021 Arbor Street ~ Must be in good health ~ Super powers welcome!

“I can't believe I left my costume at home,” the elderly woman continued to gripe.

Wailing Wonder felt panic twisting in his gut. He'd just walked up to a small army of people that would probably lynch him if they recognized him, and the other Sparkle-chans were bound to be somewhere nearby. I have to get out of here! He turned to flee just as a little girl pointed a pudgy finger at him and squealed loudly. “Look, everybody! It's Wailing Wonder!” Heads turned. The nearby Sparkle-chan wannabes suddenly began to talk a lot louder and many fingers were pointing his direction.

Wailing Wonder was petrified. His mind was chanting run, run, run! but his legs didn't respond. When he finally got a limb to move, it was his arm. He waved nervously at the crowd. “Er… hello,” he croaked.

The little old lady whacked him in the knee with her cane. “You're that murderer! You're that fiend that killed Green Sparkle-chan! I don't believe this! How dare you show your face here?!” She swung at his face; slowly, lucky for him.

Word of his presence was spreading quickly. The buzz of hundreds of voices rose to a dull roar. Wailing Wonder could see that some people were shoving their way towards him through the crowd, which seemed to get closer and closer to him. A very fat man with a very large beard jumped out of the crowd, green skirt twirling, purple wig swirling around him, eyes blazing. He pointed his toy Sparkle-chan wand at Wailing Wonder and howled, “You MURDERER!”

Wailing Wonder ran like a stag before the hounds.

Ron whistled a cheery tune as she approached the bank. The rain shield kept her dry as her hoverdisk whirred through the streets. There's no way Wailing Wonder will catch me this time. Another hero might, though. She'd never robbed a bank in broad daylight before. She'd done all other forms of robbery, but not a bank job when there were actually people there. How should I make my entrance? Should I just walk in and ask for the money, or should I rough everybody up a little first? She I knock everybody out before I go in? Ah, choices! It was so much easier to steal stuff when you didn't have to worry about people getting in the way.

She parked her hoverdisk several blocks away, only daring to become Nightshade in the seclusion of a dark alley. She found herself tingling with apprehension. This was going to be different, she knew. And she wasn't only going to take enough for a month's bare necessities. Her goal for today was ten thousand credits. Nightshade giggled to herself as she closed in on her wealthy target. Would Robin Hood approve if he knew most of it was going to charity? Probably not.

Her target loomed ahead of her. It wasn't Triumph Bank (she was giving them a break) but the Bank of Sector6 at the corner of Arbor and 84757^th. Nightshade shivered, even though the shadows kept her dry from the light rain. What do I do first? Should I make a big scene like other villains, or sneak in and ninja the money out from under their noses? Somebody looked out the window, saw her, and screamed. Guess I'll go in with a bang!

Nightshade smashed open the glass doors and leered at everyone in the lobby. The tellers had already pressed the alarms and ducked behind the counters. People backed away from Nightshade with wide eyes, some dropping to the floor in immediate surrender. “Heehee! I would announce that this is a stickup, but you guys caught on fast.” A handsome man in a neatly tailored suit caught her eye, but it was the sparkle of his watch that really got her attention. Without a word, she snapped out at a shadow and engulfed the man's arm. When she let go, his watch was on her wrist.

“D-don't hurt me,” someone whispered. Nightshade didn't see (or care) who it was. She strolled up to a teller and pulled the cowering man to his feet.

“Ten thousand credits. Now.”

At that precise moment, Wailing Wonder dashed through the broken door and hid behind one of the green lobby chairs. One of the tellers cried out, “A superhero! Thank God!” Nightshade was doing anything but praying. Valerie's words of hatred had been etched into Nightshade's mind, and murder filled every synapse of her brain. She didn't even consider trying to turn him over to the dark side.

“You. You're dead,” Nightshade hissed. She formed a spike and sent it through the chair Wailing Wonder hid behind. It missed his skinny form.

Wailing Wonder stared through the hole in the chair and seemed to notice Nightshade for the first time. “What're you doing here?!”

Nightshade snorted in annoyance. “What's it look like, dumbass?! I'm robbing the bank and killing you!”

A sound similar to that of a roaring crowd at a football game suddenly filled the air. Wailing Wonder sprang up from the chair and dashed right past Nightshade into the bathroom. The moment the restroom lock clicked, a horde of people dressed like Green Sparkle-chan charged past the bank, chanting “Down with Wailing Wonder!” and waving glittery plastic wands. Everyone in the bank stared as the last of the crowd went past; a very fat man in a wig and an old woman in a wheelchair.

“… Huh,” Nightshade mumbled. “Looks like I'll have to wait in line if I want to kill him.” At least she knew what had his fancy yellow panties in a bunch. I'll deal with him when he gets out of the bathroom. He can't hide in there forever. Nightshade turned back to the teller. “What're you waiting for? Hand over the cash.” The teller glanced furtively at the bathroom door. “That sad excuse for a hero's not gonna come out and save you. Just do what I say.”

The teller coughed politely. “My apologies, ma'am, but all the money is teleported to storage when the silent alarms are triggered.” Nightshade swore. I knew I was forgetting something! That's why I usually do bank robberies at night! “However, you can still get ten thousand credits from us, in due time. All you need is fifty credits to open a CD with a handsome interest rate. Shall we set up an account?”

Nightshade threw him out the window.

Somebody screamed. Everyone in the bank stared at her in petrified horror. Nightshade turned her disdainful eyes to them. “Get out! All of you!” Most of the bank-goers jumped to their feet and sprinted out the nearest exist, but one glassy-eyed pregnant women seemed frozen in place. “NOW!” Nightshade tugged the woman to her feet, ignored her shrieking, and shoved her out the door a bit more gently than she had with the teller. Nightshade knew she was being irrational. There was nothing here to steal! I should just leave! But a voice in her head told her that it wasn't time yet. Distant sirens wailed.

Nightshade turned to the restroom door. It hung partially open. Hadn't Wailing Wonder locked himself in?

There was a touch of cold metal against Nightshade's back. “Don't move,” Wailing Wonder hissed in her ear.

Nightshade turned around and punched Wailing Wonder in the nose. He made a funny squawk and dropped his gun, which Nightshade kicked into the corner. “Bitch!” Wailing Wonder grunted. “I'll —”

Nightshade seized him by the throat and pressed him into the sharp edge of the counter. “You were really going to shoot me, weren't you?” she demanded coldly. “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to be my judge, jury and executioner?”

“You're— a supervillain,” Wailing Wonder coughed. He tried to kick her, but shadows pinned him in place. He tried to pry her fingers off his throat, but she only reinforced her grip with those infinitely strong tendrils of pure darkness.

“Yes, but what are you? A hero? I think not. You've got a crowd of hero worshipers out to kill you, a little girl who wants you dead, and a hero that ran away and left you behind…” Nightshade loosened her grip, but didn't let Wailing Wonder go. She could feel his sweat under her fingers as she studied his face. There was something awfully familiar about his brown eyes… “You're a murderer too,” Nightshade whispered. “Green Sparkle-chan wasn't your first, was she? I can see it in your eyes. You've taken lives before, and you'll do it again if I give you the chance.”

“You don't know what you're talking about,” Wailing Wonder choked.

“Does Valerie Peller know what she's talking about?”

For nearly ten seconds, those words were the only sound that echoed through the bank. Nightshade watched Wailing Wonder's face contort from pain to horror… and then rage. Nightshade knew what was coming. She let go of him to plug her ears, but she wasn't fast enough.

Wailing Wonder roared in her face.

Nightshade was launched straight up through the roof, so forcefully that her shadows were knocked right off her flailing body. Wailing Wonder squinted up at her, but the sun was at her back and he couldn't make out any features before the shadows caught up with her. She tilted mid-air, caught the roof with shadow claws, landed with a 'thunk' and a groan. Wailing Wonder stood tense, watching little chunks of roof fall, waiting for a shadow hand to reach through the hole and grab him. Nothing happened. Only the lazy drip of rain came through the busted roof.

Nightshade was down.

Wailing Wonder felt a moment of grim satisfaction, but his mind was on Valerie. “That backstabbing little…” he cursed. Just what did she tell Nightshade? When? Why? If something happened to her, the doctors would've called me! The sirens were getting louder. Wailing Wonder grimaced to himself. They're gonna be pissed about the roof. I'd better get out of here. He hastily retrieved his gun from the corner and headed for the back entrance of Sector 6 Bank.

Up on the roof, Nightshade stirred with a moan of pain. I'm gonna feel this tomorrow. The rain felt unpleasantly cold against her skin, only partially masked by tattering shadows. There was something large sticking out of her back. When her fingers brushed against it, a horrible sensation traveled up her spine, a pain so strong she could only gasp and sink limply to the roof. I've been impaled by something… She forced herself back up. Vague memories of first aid training came back to her. I have to leave whatever it is in there and get to a doctor. Removing it could cause further injury. The cops were coming, possibly with an ambulance behind them. I'll pretend to be an innocent victim. They'll cart me off to the hospital and never know better. Her head throbbed painfully as she blinked rain out of her eyes. Why don't I hear the sirens? Why don't I hear anything? She touched her hand to her ear and let the shadows fade away. Her ear was bleeding. “He broke my eardrums!” she hissed. Her voice didn't sound right to her, but there was nothing she could do about that. There was only one thing she had to do before going to the hospital…

Wailing Wonder set a foot outside the bank and was instantly hauled off his feet. He wasn't given a chance to cry out before shadows gagged him and dragged him up to the roof. Nightshade held him above the roof, not caring that he was being squished. “Look what you did to me,” she commanded. Wailing Wonder's eyes flashed in her direction. He noted that her voice sounded somewhat slurred. “You impaled me and I can't hear a thing. What if I never hear again? What if you broke a blood vessel somewhere in my brain and I die in five minutes? What then?”

The shadows released Wailing Wonder's mouth. “You deserve it,” he spat.

“What?”

“You deserve to die!” Wailing Wonder boomed. The building quaked beneath them.

“Huh?” Nightshade gestured at her ruptured ear and shook her head. I kinda want to know what he's saying…

Wailing Wonder was in no mood to play charades. He wriggled his gun back into his grip and tilted it towards Nightshade.

She gripped Wailing Wonder by the shoulders, swung him in a wide circle, and threw him as far she could. His scream knocked her off the roof as he sailed out of sight.

Everything was moving too fast. Nightshade saw the pavement approaching her as if in slow motion, and she remembered that something long and sharp was sticking out of her back. If I land wrong, I'm dead! She tried to form a sort of pillow out of the shadows to ease her way down. It felt as if the rain were forming a mattress in the air beneath her. She fell through several feet of shadows before coming to a stop. She felt dizzy and disoriented by the time she came to rest on the ground. The world isn't supposed to spin that fast, is it?

The shadows faded away to nothing. Ladrona Mallow stumbled onto her feet. She felt a trickle of some warm liquid moving down the small of her back, into her dress. Rain is cold. That feels warm. I'm bleeding. She couldn't hear anything, but she could see red and blue lights flashing on the wall across the alley. The cops are just around the corner. It was in a trance-like state that Ron shuffled around the building, into the crowd that had gathered around the seriously mangled Bank of Sector6. The air around her was buzzing, she could feel it. Somebody looked at her and immediately dashed towards one of the arriving officers. Hands gripped Ron by the shoulders. Somebody draped a thin jacket over her. “Thanks,” she whispered. She glanced up and saw the a muscular, four-armed cop. “I need help,” Ron told her as clearly as possible.

She got it.

Wailing Wonder had flown many times, many ways. He'd flown in planes and spacecrafts, he'd been carried across clouds in Ranvir's arms, and he'd even taken anti-gravity dance lessons.

Being thrown by a supervillain was a different experience entirely. There was no safety in this weightless state. The wind roared in his ears and he could tell that landing wasn't going to be fun. He tried to open his eyes despite the wind and rain blasting him in the face.

Something green came between Wailing Wonder and the ground. A tree! He hopefully spread his arms, trying to slow down a little before impact and maybe even catch the tree.

There was a flurry of leafs slapping him the face, a few stinging punches from branches, a kick on the knee from a limb, and a painful THWACK as he collided chest-first with the trunk. The breath was knocked out of him in a whoosh that blew off part of the tree. Stunned, he fell onto a sturdy limb and tried to pull air back into his agonized lungs. Everything hurt. He wheezed in a shallow breath and found that it hurt to exhale. His leg throbbed from hitting a branch, but he still used his legs to hang onto the limb while he caught his breath.

“Mrowr.”

Wailing Wonder sucked in another breath and tilted his head back. There, sharing his branch with him, was a very frightened-looking cat, dripping with rain and spitting menacingly. Somewhere below him, the crotchety old woman bellowed, “You lying swank! You said you couldn't fly! You get away from my kitty, you villain!” She shook her cane at him.

Wailing Wonder sat up with a tortured groan and adjusted his mask. The cat hissed at him. The woman below was hollering something offensive; Wailing Wonder tuned her out and turned to the cat. “Okay, kitty, listen up,” he coughed. “I've had a really bad day— no, make that a bad month. I've been working my arse off trying to get something right, anything at all, but everything keeps going wrong. I'm not giving up yet.” The cat mrowr'd again as Wailing Wonder seized it by the belly. “Kitty, you're going DOWN.” The feline bushed up and seemed to double in size within Wailing Wonder's grasp. He petted it reassuringly and began his wobbly descent down the tree.

“Let go of Mr. Snugglepuss right now!” the little old lady screeched.

Wailing Wonder's foot slipped on a wet branch. He yelped as his grip on the cat failed and he began to fall again. The cat howled and dug its claws into his arms and face as they tumbled. Wailing Wonder's rump said hello to the pavement, which tore right through the thin fabric of his blue and yellow suit. With an agonized groan, Wailing Wonder pulled himself off the wet pavement. He forcefully extracted the cat from his face and held the flailing ball of fur and claws to the old woman. “I have rescued Mr. Snugglepuss,” he announced with a professional Gwendy's smile.

The old woman snatched her cat out of his arms and stroked it into submission. She turned her bespectacled gaze to Wailing Wonder, who just stood there looking very bruised and damp. “I didn't think you'd pull it off,” she muttered. Wailing Wonder smiled awkwardly. “Really, I didn't. I had absolutely zero faith in you. I thought you were just a blundering buffoon in a clown costume.”

“You're welcome,” Wailing Wonder said through a very strained smile.

“And once I found out you were that awful Wailing Wonder, I thought you were gonna murder my poor Snugglepuss.”

“I wouldn't do that,” he growled. The woman nodded, apparently oblivious to his rage.

“And when you ran way, I thought you wouldn't dare come back,” she continued.

“Well, I DID!” Wailing Wonder snapped. “I said I'd get your cat out of the tree, and I did! I learned how to fly, fought off Nightshade and braved hordes of angry Sparkle-chan fans, just so I could come back and rescue your nasty old cat! Why? Because I'm NOT A BAD GUY, no matter what they say about me!” The old lady clutched Mr. Snugglepuss and fell back a step. She clearly expected a banshee wail. The Wailing Wonder rubbed the rain off his face with a groan. That wasn't very professional. “… I'm sorry. I'm not going to yell at you, ma'am. Have a nice day.” Trying to ignore her magnified glare, he turned around and jogged away. He felt very heavy.

“Mr. Wailing Wonder?” the old woman called.

Wailing Wonder flinched, but turned to face her again. “Yes, ma'am?”

“Mr. Snugglepuss says thank you.” She took her cat's paw and waved it at him.

Wailing Wonder made a noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob. “Welcome,” he croaked before running away and losing himself in the crowd.

There was a certain comfort in being just one more sheep in the flock, but it wasn't enough to ease Wailing Wonder. The rain stung the cuts he'd gotten from the tree and the cat. The simple act of moving hurt his battered muscles. He blinked rain and tears out of his eyes. I finally did something right, so why do I feel so sick? There was a bitter taste in his mouth; not from the tongue he'd bitten when he hit the tree, but from Nightshade. So he'd successfully rescued a cat today. So what? He'd been chased by an angry mob, he'd been insulted, the Sparkle-chans were gaining power, Nightshade had kicked his arse once again, and Valerie… Nightshade knew about Valerie. How? How much did she know? Wailing Wonder pondered this and felt sudden dread fill his mind.

If Nightshade knows about Valerie, she might know my secret identity! He had to get to the bottom of this.

Wailing Wonder sprinted to the place where he'd hidden his clothes. This was a job for Leonardo Peller, not Wailing Wonder.

Valerie traced shapes in the dots on the hospital ceiling. She could see a rabbit, a spoon, a face, and most letters of the alphabet. Noticing that her breath made her sound like Darth Vader, she tried to find the shape of his helmet on the ceiling, but all she saw was the same old shapes. She'd gotten to know this ceiling too well.

The door creaked open. “Hello, room 217!” a nurse called loudly and slowly.

Valerie winced. She hated it when nurses referred to her by room number rather than her name, and that they always spoke loudly and slowly to her, always using small words. I'm not retarded and I'm NOT a number! The nurse wheeled in a plate of pancakes, eggs, and medication. “Feeling spunky today?” the nurse sang with unnatural cheer.

“Feeling like throwing myself out the window,” Valerie rasped. The nurse laughed and gave her a pat on the head before wheeling back out.

Val had barely turned her gaze back to the ceiling before another nurse poked her head in the door. “Visitor!” she announced shortly before wandering down the hall.

Valerie didn't have to look away from the ceiling. She knew who it was. “Leo,” she muttered. It wasn't like him to visit her so often. He must know about what I told Nightshade.

“Hey, Val,” Leo replied, taking his usual seat by her side. “Listen, about the other day—”

“It wasn't an accident. I punched you on purpose because you can't take a hint,” Val told him waspishly. Leo fell silent. “I'm getting desperate. Know what, dear brother? If I die, I'm taking you with me. I can't keep the virus dormant forever, but I can still seal your fate!”

Leo evaded her burning gaze and poured some water into the little flower pot on the table beside her. He remembered the day he planted that seed for her, but the damned plant never grew. He suspected that Valerie herself was to blame, but he watered the thing anyway. “I was hoping they hadn't pumped out your lungs yet so you wouldn't be able to bitch at me.”

“Too bad.” Val went back to searching the ceiling for Darth Vader.

“That's not what I wanted to ask you about,” Leo said slowly.

“I don't care! Let me go back to staring at the ceiling. I'm trying to find Darth Vader.” Leo glared up at the ceiling. Is that how she passes time these days? Drawing constellations in the ceiling? There was something disappointing about that… She had a television, so she shouldn't be that bored.

“Found him yet?”

“No, I just started looking.”

“Speaking of villains, have you seen Nightshade?”

Valerie closed her eyes and drew a rattling breath. It begins. “I've never looked for her.”

“Has she looked for you?”

“… No.” They met by coincidence.

“Then why does she blame ME for your disease?!” Leo tugged Val's chin to make her look at him. “What did you tell her, Val? My name and social security number?”

“I haven't seen her!”

“Don't lie, Val. You're bad at it!” Leo seized her plate of breakfast and medicine. “You don't get any of this until you tell the truth!”

“You're a horrible person,” Valerie spat.

Leo held her plate over a trash can. “I'll do it,” he warned her.

Valerie tensed, then fell back with a groan. “Nightshade knows everything,” she lied. “I even told her your underwear size and favorite band, and the fact that you like long walks in the park at sunset.” Leo cut a chunk off a pancake and flung it into the trash. “Argh! You asshole! That's what I told her, I told her that you're an asshole!”

“Is that all?”

“I told her that you're a prick and it's your fault I'm stuck in here. I asked her to corrupt you or kill you, whichever works… And she agreed!” Leo stole a bite of pancake. “That's the truth! She doesn't know who you are. She just has another reason to destroy you!” Leo searched her face. She seemed earnest. Whenever she lied, she tended to blink faster and her eyes would get wider. He saw neither sign.

Leo dropped the plate onto Val's lap. She immediately took her pills and began scarfing down her pancakes, giving Leo a dirty look the whole time. He let her eat while he considered the situation. Finally, he asked, “How did Nightshade find you in the first place?”

Val choked down a big bite. “Funny story. She was trapped here in the hospital, and she tried to make her getaway out my window.”

“And you decided to have a friendly chat with a serial killer?” Leo scoffed.

“Yes,” Val sniffed. “She'd make a nice means to my ends, you see; having her trying to kill you and stuff. Fearing for my life isn't enough to make you steal money for my operations, so maybe fear for YOUR life will do the trick.”

Leo bit his lip. That only proves that my kid sister is pure evil. “Why would Nightshade do anything you tell her? What would she possibly gain from helping you achieve your nefarious goals?”

“There's nothing nefarious about wanting to live!” Val hissed. “Nightshade's just a big softy. She fell for the puppy eyes and cute cough.”

“What a load of bull,” Leo growled. “What did you promise her?”

“Nothing!”

Leo stole her blanket. Val immediately erupted in goosebumps and curled into fetal position. “This isn't a game, Val,” he informed her. “It was bad enough when you were trying to talk me into robbing banks. Hiring supervillains to kill me? That's not just low, it's evil! So, again: what did you promise her? How could a poor, bedridden kid possibly afford an assassination? What's stopping her from coming back and torturing you for information about me?”

Val shivered and glared sourly at Leo. “You've got it backwards. She's the one that owes me.”

“Explain.” Val turned away from him. “Tell me what she owes you!”

“She owes me freedom!”

Ron thrashed restlessly in her sheets. She couldn't get the faces out of her head. John, May, Wailing Wonder, the parents she never knew… Long ago, she had genetically reconstructed them, so she knew what they must've looked like before being splattered on the walls. Their imaginary smiles had haunted her for years. Why did she kill them? What did they do to her that was so horrible she had to tear them apart? Could it have been something as stupid and petty as wanting her diaper changed? Even if they were alive, would her parents have anything to be proud of in Ladrona? She would never know.

Ron's hand bumped into the bunny Leo gave her, and she promptly squished it to her chest. Why haven't I been caught yet? Tears soaked the plush rabbit. It was no coincidence that someone named Ladrona Mallow lived with almost all of Nightshade's victims, and that she suddenly vanished after a homicide. Any five year old could connect those dots. Was there some sort of conspiracy going on? Were the cops neglecting to arrest her so some superhero could take the credit for her capture? The idea didn't seem too far-fetched, since Officer Simon had released her from the hospital. Perhaps Wailing Wonder was the chosen hero to bring her down? It was downright uncanny, how quickly he seemed to catch her in the act…

The bunny silently suffered Ron's anguish. She wished her other boyfriends had been nice enough to give her plushies, like Leo had… But even the nicest of her ex-boyfriends suffered horrible fates. She remembered Derek; oh, handsome Derek with his sweet voice and his unfortunate decision to press Ron's face against a hot skillet when she burned his food. That had been his undoing. And Juan, rich and paranoid Juan, who called the cops every time something went bump in the night. He met his maker after mistaking Ron for a burglar in the night and attempting to drive her off with a baseball bat.

Leo wasn't like Derek or Juan or John, but Ron could feel it in the air.

Leo's doomed. I'm going to kill him, too. Wailing Wonder isn't going to come and save him.

Nobody ever came to save any of my victims.

Nobody ever came to save me…

Wait, that wasn't true. “When we first met, Mystic was worried about me,” Ron whispered to herself. Something akin to guilt filled her. How could she forget something like that? Someone had come to save her once, and she thanked him by breaking his sword and chasing him out of town. Mystic had been so nice to her, even knowing she was a villain. Mystic was different. Not even Wailing Wonder could compare to him. “I should call him again…” This time, I'll do it when I'm sober.

Ron opened her eyes.

She wasn't holding a plush bunny; she was holding a sterile pillow. Her sheets were blue, like everything else in the hospital. The ceiling over her head was unfamiliar. All manner of menacing machines were lined up beside her. Ron looked down and noticed a little bandage at the bend in her arm where they'd injected her with powerful painkillers. Nurses milled about in a cheerful yet purposeful manner.

I'm at the hospital? Ron shook her head. That's right. Those painkillers must've knocked me for a loop. Wailing Wonder beat me for once. When I get out of here, I'll make him suffer.

Ron shifted in place. Her back felt fine where there had recently been a piece of rubble poking through. Everything around her sounded as if it came from underwater, but she could hear again. I'm healing already. Ron groaned as she realized the bill for this hospital visit would be atrocious. They'd probably already checked her ID, so she wouldn't be able to just walk out of the hospital and pretend it was somebody else. After today's failed robbery, her spirits had been somewhat dampened; she wasn't going to try robbing a bank during broad daylight again any day soon. I'll find a way to get through this. I won't sink down to Leo's level. Maybe I should hit up a pharmacy or a jewelry store…

A nurse swung a little cup of orange juice towards her and smiled brightly. “Good morning, sunshine! Feeling better?”

“Much better,” Ron replied, accepting her orange juice. “My hearing's still a bit off, though.”

“It usually takes about a week to adjust to replacement eardrums,” the nurse stated serenely. “That Wailing Wonder really damaged you, didn't he? Shame that Nightshade escaped again.” Ron nodded idly. Awesome, nobody suspects me! The nurse looked around furtively and sidled her way up to Ron's side. “What did he sound like?” she whispered, as if the question itself could explode.

“He sounded like…” Ron paused. What DOES he sound like? “Like a high pitched scream that grinds down into a low, crunching roar. I guess it sounded like Godzilla or Lavos. But it was just so loud, it felt like I was the one screaming. I could feel it in my lungs. Even my teeth were rattling. When my eardrums broke, I could still hear it, but I heard it in my own rattling bones… I thought I was going to be vibrated into pieces.” Ron couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through her body. “I've never heard anything like it, and I hope I never hear it again.”

The nurse seemed somewhat put off by this answer. “He didn't sing like one of those opera guys?”

Ron gave the woman a skeptical glare. “He wasn't trying to serenade me. He didn't even know I was there. He was trying to kill Nightshade.” The nurse nodded to herself, but she still looked rather disappointed. “What, were you hoping to hear about his angelic voice? I bet he could be a great singer if he tried, but he'd rather do banshee wails at Nightshade. Why are you asking these funny questions?”

“I think he's cute,” the nurse bubbled.

“I think you're crazy,” Ron popped. “I can't believe that THING has a fangirl.”

The nurse's lips pursed shut. She turned around with a flip of the ponytail and strutted off. “Doctor, the Mallow woman is awake and well! She can go home!” she called out rudely to the passing doctor. Ron childishly stuck out her tongue at the retreating nurse. Fangirls! For Wailing Wonder?! What is this world coming to? I'm gonna knock that little punk off his pedestal!

“What am I gonna do with you?” Leo groaned. “I'm gonna get you transferred to a different room, for starters, just in case Nightshade comes back for you…”

“She won't,” Valerie yawned.

A quiet knock came at the door. A nurse poked his head in. “Another visitor for you, room 217. I haven't seen this one before.”

Val sat straight up. Leo went rigid. Their eyes met. “Val,” Leo whispered, “If it's her…”

Val shook her scruffy blond head. “It can't be,” she whispered.

The door creaked open. Ladrona stood in the doorway, looking sheepish. She gasped when she saw Leo in the room as well. “Oh! Hello, Leo!” she said brightly. “I should've known you'd be here.”

“Ronnie,” Leo breathed. His tension released like a balloon popping. “C'mon in. Have you met my sister Valerie?”

“Not yet,” Ron lied. She pulled up another chair and took a seat beside the Pellers. “Since I was already here, I checked to see if this was your hospital. Lucky me.” She smiled at Valerie, who hadn't relaxed and stared at Ron with wide eyes. “Nice to meet you, Valerie. I'm Leo's new housemate.” She held out her hand. Valerie didn't shake it; in fact, she drew away from Ron. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing,” Val said quickly. “I'm just cold. Can you turn up the heat?” Ron turned to the wall panel by the door and raised the heat a few degrees. She smiled at the 'open window' button. When she returned to her seat, Valerie had relaxed, but she still watched Ron intently. Ron smiled. She knows I'm Nightshade. This kid is unusually perceptive.

“So,” Ron said conversationally, “How's it going?”

“What brings you to the hospital?” Valerie immediately fired back. Leo shot a warning glare at her, but she didn't even look at him.

Ron lost her smile. “I got caught up in a brawl today,” she informed them. Valerie's eyes widened and almost seemed to glow. Leo scowled. “No, I didn't pick a fight with anyone! I stopped by the bank and Nightshade decided to rob it.”

Leo spun his chair to face Ron instead of Valerie. “You were there?!”

“Well, yes,” Ron blinked. “Was it on the news or something?”

“Yes,” Valerie and Leo lied in unison.

Ron sighed. “The moment I saw Nightshade, I hid under a desk. I didn't want to get involved, of course, but I didn't have a choice in the matter. Nightshade didn't even notice me, so I kept hidden even when she told everybody to get out…” Both Valerie and Leo listened intently. Ron felt pinned by their gaze. “Um. Wailing Wonder showed up to try and catch her or whatever it is he does with villains. I guess he didn't see me either, because he screamed loud enough to knock Nightshade onto the roof and break my eardrums. That's why I'm here… They had to replace my eardrums.”

Leo stared at his feet. I hadn't even noticed her. I wouldn't have screamed if I knew she was there! “That's awful,” he muttered. “Do your new eardrums work as well as your old ones?”

“Things sound somewhat muffled, but it's better than being deaf,” Ron stated optimistically. “Anyway, it was just my ears that got messed up. There are much worse ways to get injured in a super battle, aren't there?”

Leo tried to stop his hands from shaking. “You could've been impaled like Nightshade was,” Leo whispered. She could've been killed! Why wasn't I more vigilant? I should've noticed her!

Ron noticed his panic. “Hey, I'm perfectly alright!” she pointed out. “I don't know how I'll pay the hospital bills, but I'm alright…” As she said it, she noticed that Leo had a strange red mark on his neck…

Leo clearly had a hickey. Ron bristled. “Enough about me. What happened to you, Leo?”

“Huh? Nothing happened to me!”

“You were necking your old friend, weren't you?” Ron demanded with a sneer. Leo clapped a hand over the mark. Ron couldn't suppress the hot yellow jealousy creeping through her veins. Somebody got to him before me! She had to remind herself that she wasn't going to get attached to him, for his own safety. It doesn't matter if he's seeing someone else! She could feel her shadows creeping out of hiding. It doesn't matter! I have no claim on him. He can do whatever he wants with whoever he wants!

“I wasn't necking anybody,” Leo protested, keeping the mark well hidden. Ron seized his arm and tugged it away to take a better look.

That was no hickey. It was a harsh cut, like those left by a whip. Ron's eyes migrated down Leo's arm. There were small scratches all over it. There was also a nasty bruise forming at his forearm. How did I not notice that sooner? “What's your friend's name? The friend you said you were going to visit?”

“Er…”

“I can't hunt him down and kill him if you don't give me his name. You've been beaten up.”

Leo rose to his feet and glared down at Ron. His shadow fell over her. “Drop it,” he commanded her. He was trying to intimidate her; he failed miserably.

Ron rose to her feet as well. She towered over Leo; even without her stiletto heels, she was easily half a foot taller than him, and probably forty pounds heavier. Her shadows discreetly enveloped his feet. “Never,” she hissed. “You're not allowed to get hurt. Whoever did this has got to taste the flaming sword of justice.” Valerie stared in horrified awe at the shadows, but she said not a word. Ron turned to her. “Valerie, do you know who hurt Leo?” She shook her head fervently. “I see. You keep interesting secrets… Leo, you have to tell me who did this. I won't let this happen again. It's my turn to protect you.” Her shadows crept up Leo's legs, but he didn't notice.

Leo grimaced. How can I explain this without giving away my super identity?

Ron touched his chin. Leo flinched. There was another bruise forming there. Ron noticed that his nose was slightly crooked. “You got a knuckle sandwich,” Ron growled. “You can't pretend a friend did this.”

“It — it wasn't a friend,” Leo admitted.

“Do you owe somebody money?” Leo sighed. She'd just offered him a plausible excuse. He nodded sheepishly. Ron's shadows subtly pulled the two closer. Valerie clung to her pillow and watched anxiously. The shadows were up to Leo's waist, and he still noticed nothing! “You can't let people beat you up like this. I'm going to enroll you in ninjutsu training. It'd be good for you.”

“That would be awesome,” Leo said numbly. He found himself being drawn into Ron's black eyes. Something was pulling him closer to her. Something was making his heart and mind race. Adrenaline? Ron wasn't even touching him, but somewhere in his mind, he knew just how strong she was. His skin prickled as he erupted in full-body goosebumps. What's wrong with me? Ron's just being protective! She isn't gonna hurt me! Why can't I look away from her?

The feeling of being pushed towards Ron suddenly vanished. They both gasped in a breath of air and fell back into their chairs. Leo held a hand to his hammering heart. “You felt it too, didn't you?” he choked. “We were being drawn together.” Ron blushed and turned away. Leo only just realized the implications of his words. “Not like that! Well… maybe like that…”

“I felt it too,” Ron whispered. She couldn't stop herself from trembling. I hadn't even meant to do that. That was a dumb thing to do! She silently cursed the shadows for obeying her emotions rather than her will. “But I meant what I said. I won't let anybody hurt you ever again.”

Leo's stomach lurched. She's really worried about me. She'd blow a fuse if she knew I was Wailing Wonder! “I'll be fine,” Leo promised. “Hug?”

Ron threw herself into Leo's arms.

Valerie stared at them silently. They don't get it at all. Am I the only one who sees the bigger picture? Seeing them clinging to each other like that was very odd indeed, knowing just who they were. She loves him, Val realized. They're both gonna be hurt when they find out the truth. If I'd known that, maybe I wouldn't have pitted her against him… Nah, I still would've done it. I might be able to use this to my advantage. Val put on her cutest face and giggled childishly. “You guys are just too cute!”

Ron blushed, but she still withdrew from Leo. “We're not a couple,” she told Val. Not yet! “I'm still getting over my last boyfriend.”

Leo turned away. “And I'm still gay.”

Ron winced. That's a high hurdle to jump over… She got back to her feet. “Well,” she said quietly. “It was nice meeting you, Valerie… And it was nice bumping into you, Leo. But I have other things to do today, so I'll just head home now…” Without waiting for a reply, she dashed out the door.

Valerie nudged Leo's arm. “You should go after her.”

Leo blinked. “Why?”

“You don't understand females at all, do you?”

“There's a reason I like guys better,” Leo defended himself. “You women are all cryptic and mysterious, or evil, or both!”

Ranvir scrolled down a page on his reading tablet. He was only half paying attention to the television. He kept it tuned to Antiopolis news, partially because nothing interesting ever happened on Ganymede. News anchor Cassie smiled brightly for the camera while talking about the increase in criminal activity in Antiopolis. “Statistics show a thirty-one percent increase in violent crimes over the last three weeks. Criminal theorist Jeffrey Jefferson attributes these climbing crime rates to the loss of two notable Antiopolian superheroes, Graviteer and Mystic.”

The male anchor shuffled his notes and smiled a most charming smile. “Speaking of criminal activity, Sandra Gohn has been reported missing, possibly kidnapped.” A blurry photo of a woman with huge glasses and loose clothes appeared in the corner of the screen. “Sandra Gohn was last seen at the fairgrounds on Saturday, where she ran a super-power consultation booth. If you have any information regarding her whereabouts, please call 911 or the Herd of Heroes Hotline, 1-800-HRD-HERO.” More pictures were displayed; various superheroes and magical girls. “As a reminder, if you see any of these missing persons, please call your local law enforcement agencies.”

Cassie, the female anchor, smiled morosely. “It looks like our super-powered protectors are dropping like flies. NASA is still seeking a capable superhero to divert the Hallas asteroid, which is on a collision course with Earth and is due to hit late November. If you or anyone you know is capable—”

The screen went black. The house terminal sang, “Ring, ring, phone call, ring, ring, phone call!”

“Answer it,” Ranvir commanded the terminal. I'm not expecting any calls right now… He set down his reading tablet and turned his eyes to the screen.

The caller was Nightshade. She was in a phone booth somewhere, wearing nice clothes and looking quite sober. Her long black hair had been pulled back into a bun. “Good afternoon, Mr. Radovan,” she said politely.

Ranvir frowned and picked up his reading tablet. “I hope you haven't called for another therapy session. I'm at a very interesting chapter in this book. You see, there are three goats and they're trying to cross a bridge, but the troll beneath it won't let them pass.”

Ron recognized the joke and smiled. “Oh, I'm not calling to vent. I just wanted to gloat. I killed Wailing Wonder this morning!”

Ranvir's fingers tightened on the writing tablet so strongly that the the plastic cracked. Still, he met her smile with his own grin. “You have an interesting sense of humor. I saw your skirmish on the news, and there were no fatalities.”

“I'm glad that you can take a joke,” Ron replied. She mimicked his calm demeanor. “To tell the truth, I called because I owe you a lot. I owe you a sword, a sidekick, and a home. More than anything, I owe you an apology.” She stood and bowed. After a moment's hesitation, Ranvir nodded to acknowledge her show of respect. “I never meant to drive you out of Antiopolis. This place was a lot better while you were here.”

Ranvir set down his cracked tablet. “Miss Nightshade, I would've had to leave soon enough even if you hadn't learned my name. My face has become famous. Even some locals here on Ganymede recognize me to be Mystic.”

“But you left in a hurry because of me,” Ron insisted. “I think it hurt Wailing Wonder more than it hurt you. Still, I kept your name secret. You're not like the other superheroes, Ranvir. As soon as I can afford it, I'll buy you a new sword to replace the one I broke. If there's any other way I can make things right, please tell me.”

Ranvir stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “I won't accept any gift bought with stolen money,” he informed her. “The closest you can come to making it right is turning yourself in. I've been following Antiopolian news. You've killed once more since we last spoke. I believe the victim was May Flora, a student at the university where I first encountered you. Why would you kill your classmate?”

Ron suddenly found it hard to breath part the lump in her throat. He knows about May? Ron saw her classmate's face in her mind, her blue face after being crushed… Her eyes immediately became blurry with tears. She tried to hide it by batting her eyelashes and turning away. “Well, I… Accidents happen,” she whispered. If he sees these tears, he'll turn this into another therapy session, Ron realized.

“You're crying ,” Ranvir observed. “You're sorry, aren't you?” Ron nodded briskly. “You are human, after all. You do know the difference between right and wrong, and your conscience is restless…” Ranvir turned off the tablet. “Computer, record this conversation. Now… Ronnie.”

Ron tensed. He doesn't know my name. He can't know my name! There's no way he'd know my name!

Ranvir smiled. “That's what your boyfriend called you, isn't, it? And your classmate called you Ronnie when you fled the university. Ronnie. It's short for Veronica, right?” Ron was happy that he guessed wrong, but she flinched anyway to make him think he was right. Ranvir smiled. “Alright, Veronica. That is a lovely name. It may not be your real name, but you probably don't feel comfortable being called Nightshade.”

“I feel fine being called Nightshade,” Ron sniffed.

“Really? That's interesting. You know, most supervillains don't lead double lives the way heroes do. They're villains all the time, not just when it's convenient.” His smile was scrutinizing. Ron turned away; Ranvir chose a different tactic. “We met outside the library at a law school. Are you studying to become a lawyer? Do you hate injustice, or are you just looking for legal loopholes to get through?”

Ron choked on her own words. “I hate injustice…”

“You must hate yourself.”

Ron took out her pocket fan and blasted her face with it. She didn't want him to see her crying again. Shameful! He knows just the right words to upset me! “I don't want to talk about it,” Ron said thickly.

“So, you DO hate yourself, just as you hate other supervillains. You know that by walking free, you offend the legal system you hope to become a part of, and yet you're too scared to turn yourself in.” Ranvir made himself comfortable on the couch. This conversation might be a long one. “If you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen.”

“What are you, a psychiatric counselor?” Ron spat angrily. She dried a tear that escaped her narrow eyes. Ranvir smiled brightly. “Ugh! That explains a lot. I didn't call you for therapy, I just wanted to apologize!”

Ranvir shook his head. “No, Veronica, you called because you desperately need to confide in someone.”

Ron closed her eyes and wept. I can hang up any time I want! Why am I not hanging up? “You're right. I think I'm scared,” Ron heard herself say. “But it's not the law I'm scared of, it's myself.”

Ranvir frowned. “You are a threat to yourself and the people around you. Is it your lack of control over your powers?”

Ron nodded. “It's like my shadows are alive. Every time I think I've got them under control, something breaks… How can I describe it? It's like writing a note, then looking back at it and seeing someone else's handwriting or different words. I'm not crazy! But it's like there's an extra limb on my body that someone else is controlling. Until the incident with May— ” Ron choked. “Until then, everybody I killed was someone I dearly loved. Something's changed, something's making my powers go wild.”

Ranvir held up a hand to silence her and pondered her words. “How did you get your powers, Veronica?”

“I don't know. I guess I was born with them,” Ron muttered.

“What if they have a will of their own?” Ron bit her lip. “What if the shadows really are alive? Your powers might be a symbiotic relationship gone wrong.”

Ron shook her head. “It— it can't be. If there was a species of shadow creatures that read people's thoughts and obeyed them, wouldn't the general public know about it? I don't have to tell my shadows what to do, they just do it as I think. The shadows don't eat or drink. Unless I'm distressed, they vanish without a trace. That must mean they're a superpower.”

Ranvir nodded, but he wasn't entirely convinced. “Alright, we'll assume they're a superpower, but you need to consider the possibility of it being something else.” Ron nodded glumly. “When did you notice this change in your powers?”

Ron gazed out of the walls of the phone booth. When did I change? What was the first example of the shadows behaving strangely? “Him. Ever since I saw HIM, things have been weird.” Ron looked back at Ranvir. “My shadows follow him around. They've never followed anyone else. And sometimes,” Ron gulped, “I'll have dreams about him and wake up to find my shadow gone. He even saw the shadows following him once, and it scared the hell out of him…”

Ranvir's goatee twisted between his fingers. “Stay away from him,” he commanded her. “He might have a superpower that adversely affects yours.”

“I… I can't avoid him.”

“Why not?”

“Because I live with him… and I think I love him.”