Shade and Feint were walking down the sidewalk together, for the most part in comfortable clothes. It was another grey day though the sun tried to come out. As they walked a cold breeze rushed over them both and it made Shade shiver. Feint didn’t feel it quite as acutely.
“You guys really aren’t normal.” Shade said and Feint glanced up at him.
“Not really.” She said and frowned. Though she didn’t know why she was frowning. It was something she was very much used to.
“What was it like growing up for you guys? Like,” he waved his hands slowly trying to find his words. “You get the idea.”
Feint offered him a smile and nodded. “Yeah I get it. We’ve never had a chance to talk about this stuff before. Cause. Well we were raised together.”
“I figured. Me and Yumi talked about it a little but,” He shrugged. “I feel like Yumi was being Yumi about it.”
“What’d she say?” Feint asked turning toward him.
“Just that you guys were created. You were taught to fight, survive, etcetera. Nothing too in depth.” He repeated trying to remember what they talked about.
“That’s pretty much it. Just endless memories of that.” Her voice petered out for a moment and remembered her upbringing. The endurance training. The times that she almost drowned just to increase the amount of time she could hold her breath. She shivered and shut her eyes. She still wasn’t a fan of water. “It wasn’t a fun time to grow up.”
“I can imagine.” Shade said and then shook his head. “Actually I can’t. Makes it kinda worse.” The worst thing he’d seen growing up were kids abused by their parents. People strung out on drugs, crippled and killed by them. Since joining up with the Vanguard he’d seen some of the darker things people could do. Killing didn’t faze him anymore because of it. Compared to them though he was sheltered.
As they walked Feint reached into her pocket and pulled out a few bills. She went up to a homeless man and put them into the cup along with a small chip.
“Thank you, young lady.” He glanced into his cup with shaking hands.
She went down slightly and pointed into the cup. “That chip is worth easily a couple hundred dollars. There’s an address attached to it. Go there and the fence will make sure you’re paid.”
His eyes were wide as she walked back to Shade’s side. “B-bless you.” He almost shouted and Feint smirked.
“Well wasn’t that nice of you.” Shade said simply as they resumed their walking.
“Yumi’s idea. Besides it’s not like I could use that chip anymore. Outdated for us.” She shrugged.
They walked off the street and toward the stairs toward the train as it came forward on the tracks. They could feel it rumbling and neither of them wanted to pay for the ride. After a few minutes it slowed to a stop in front of them.
“Follow my lead.” Shade said quickly.
The pair dashed forward and hopped over the railing. Dashing onto the platform they came to the edge and then jumped. Landing on top of the train as it jolted forward they crouched down to remain on the back before getting into the groove.
They stood up slowly and kept low crouching and looking for balance. The wind whipping around them and the blur of the cityscape, a view that you couldn’t even pay to get in this city. The first time Shade had done it, he had nearly fallen off. Now though he was good at it. He knew what to expect and leaning with the turns and keeping his knees bent.
Feint on the other hand was crouched low to the train. This was a new kind of rush and she shivered. Moving as fast as they were without much control over things. She shivered, unsettled for a second and shut her eye tightly.
Shade leaned forward and then took a step forward, and then another. Taking a deep breath he continued down this path until he was next to her. Pressing his hand against her back he caught her eye. Making sure that she knew he was there he felt her take his forearm. She squeezed it in almost deathlike grip. Shade smiled lightly as they rode the train to the other side of the city.
As the train came to a halt Shade looked at her and laughed, “You okay?”
Feint got to her feet slowly, and her legs felt like rubber. She looked at Shade, took another deep breath before nodding slowly. He nodded back and they jumped from the top of the train to the overhang and then to a rooftop nearby.
“Alright where’s the possible new digs at?” he asked as she got her bearings together.
Feint walked forward pulling out her phone and opened up her map. A few finger presses and she pulled out the dynamic maps down to the fact that they were on the rooftops and then set their destination speed to their form of movement.
“We’re about ten minutes away.” She updated.
Nodding Shade walked toward her and looked over her shoulder at the phone. “Close. Think Darren found a good one?”
“I’m hoping they did.” She looked at her phone again and shook her head. “Looks like we got on the wrong train. There’s one that passes right by the place.”
She walked forward and then got to the edge of the building. She threw herself over the side and fell down before landing lightly and jumping forward. She jumped again and grabbed the edge of the nearest rooftop. Scaling the sides, she continued to move and Shade ran along the sides following behind her. They moved in tandem for the remainder of the journey and it was easy to just shut their minds off and relax.
Feint was still thinking in the past. They had come far. At least farther than she had imagined she could. Meeting Darren had been a surprise for her. Phase got them in contact with Darren. And through Darren they had met Shade and here they were helping scout out their new home.
“Slow down Shade.” she said quickly. Landing she went forward and then jumped again before landing on the open balcony. It was more than that. It was like a porch. You could get a chair and tables out here and still have space to walk around. Definitely bigger than their old penthouse.
As they walked forward they came to a pair of sliding doors. She tried them and they were locked. But she snapped her fingers and held out her hand to take Shade’s. Shade took it and after a few moments of heavy concentrating Feint pulled herself and Shade through it.
Shade shuddered as they stepped into the huge open space. “That’s still weird as hell.” Shade mumbled.
They looked at the large open space in front of them. A giant open area, a connected kitchen with a small arch separating the two rooms. Above them was a pocket den with a banister and another rooftop window, that had a small staircase hidden away to get up to it. There were two hallways, one going to a group of empty rooms and the other that had another pair of rooms but also led to the door to the place.
Feint looked away and whistled almost hearing her own echo, “Holy.”
“This is fucking huge.” Shade said wandering forward slowly.
Feint walked around and noted most of the rooms had large windows that faced the sun as it hit its peak. At least it would if the clouds weren’t in the way. It would be pretty in the summer. As she continued her walking she charted out the rooms that would be good for her work, which ones would be bedrooms and which would just be extra space.
Feint came back to the center of apartment and Shade was above in the den. “So what’s the verdict?” Shade asked gripping the banister.
“I think we’re going to like this place.” She did one more turn around and nodded again. “Yes, this place is for us. Yumi and Phase are gonna need to check it out too but I like it.”
Shade nodded and then jumped back down. They unlocked the sliding door this time and walked back onto the balcony. Greeted by a sudden gust of very cold air slammed into both of their faces, causing them to frown together. “Winter is going to suck isn’t it?”
Feint nodded and took a chilling breath that served to steady her. “Let’s get going.” She said and started running.
Once she hit the edge she leaped forward and started falling. Stumbling as she landed she started running again and she pulled out her phone.
“Darren?” She laughed as she heard the sound of the train coming closer. “I think we got ourselves a good one!”
Phase folded his arms and craned his neck back. He leaned against the aisle of the store and checked his phone. He looked toward Yumi and sighed. “Alright Yumi, what are you doing?”
“I’m looking at sweets. Shut up.” She said pressing her hands against the shelf and stared at the rows upon rows of colorfully wrapped candies.
“Just pick a few and let’s buy them.” He said.
“Don’t be a stick in the mud.”
“You’re the one who dragged me out.”
“And what would you do if I hadn’t?”
“Sleep. Pleasantly. Maybe plan.”
She laughed at his words and rolled her eyes. “You can sleep in the morning. It’s afternoon now.”
As she continued to look she couldn’t decide. Just from descriptions and pictures everything looked really good. Though she went toward the Junior Mints. Picking up a few packs and then also getting a Peppermint York she shoved them into the pockets of her hoodie and then nodded toward him.
“Alright let’s go.” She said happily.
Phase looked at her and arched his eyebrow. “Really?”
“We are thieves, aren’t we?” She shrugged and he laughed.
“This is what we choose to steal but not the shoes. If you get caught it’s your fault.”
He walked off and she started made it so far as they edge of the aisle but couldn’t find a whole lot more that she wanted to take with her. Though with her pockets as full as they were she looked at the assorted candies and after agonizing she put back the Yorks.
Bored she decided to make her great exit and wait to find Phase outside. He was actually in the aisle with books right near the exit. He had a few in hand before glancing back at her.
“What took you so long?”
“Oh, you know. Just biding my time. Life or death choices. Nothing major. You done being a nerd?”
With an eye roll he held up his two books, then slipped it back into his pocket. “Yeah yeah. Come on. Feint texted me. Said she and Shade are on their way back.”
“Then let’s meet them back to the hotel.” She suppressed a yawn as they made their way to the front of the store. However, as they walked past the self-check out she arched her eyebrow and whispered, “Oh? Is someone shop lifting?”
“No, I’m shop lifting properly.” He said simply as held the books up. His free hand fizzled slightly and he passed it through the books and then took them out again.
As they passed the scanners they remained silent and Yumi scoffed. Once they were outside and the wind hit them.
“Fuck you by the way.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Get good.”
They shared a grin before they started moving again. They walked, then they ran and then the climbing started. They couldn’t not be running along the rooftops. It felt wrong.
As Yumi got to the rooftop she tore open the pack of Junior Mints and popped them into her mouth. It was sweet and like a fresh blast of air in her mouth. It was like the dipping dots but not cold. Just good. She which which got Phase’s attention.
“You really like mint.”
“Sure do.” She popped another and smiled. Glancing up at the sky it was getting dark. Early darkness in the later months, something else that she was still getting used to. Pulling up her hood she glanced at Phase as he climbed a nearby rooftop.
He yawned before pulling his own hood up. “Come on then.” He leaned forward before he started running, more of a sprint than anything leisurely. He leaped forward and jumped to a nearby rooftop. Crouching and bracing himself in the landing he continued his run and the feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins was fantastic.
He didn’t let it end at just that. He pushed himself past his normal restraints and felt the super human in him kick in. He moved almost like a blur and having to think extra hard to make sure he didn’t trip or face plant into a wall.
He came to the edge of a roof and jumped, his enhanced senses going crazy. In that instant he was in the air suspended above the world. He floated above everything else as if he could fly. Definitely like drugs were running through his system.
But gravity had to reassert its control eventually as he plummeted to the ground. He kicked his legs out as he steadied himself to try and catch the fall. He hit the roof top hard and stumbled forward almost losing his balance. He stumbled and flipped over the edge. Whipping his arm out he grabbed ahold and squeezed tightly his arm almost yanking out of it’s socket but he was steady
Phase looked at it surprised as he felt an arm on his wrist and he was dragged up. With a sharp breath he climbed up the rest of the way. Rolling onto his back he laughed lightly and then shook his head. “You know I could survive the fall.”
Yumi snorted, “Sure but then you’d have something broken. How do I explain that to Feint?”
Phase tried to shrug and failed considering he was on his back. Staring up at the night sky was relaxing. “I’m sure you would have thought of something.”
“Well I am amazing.” She kneeled down in front of him and then put a Junior Mint against his lips. “Now eat.”
He opened his mouth taking one and then laughed. “Mint. Not my thing.”
“Well you have no real taste then.” She told her and ate another one.
Phase got to his feet slowly when the pair of them heard several quick pops. On instinct they moved, covering each other and putting distance between it. Once they were safe then started running to the edge of the building. A purple car was speeding off around the corner. Everyone else on the street, which was about three other people, had ducked down covering their heads.
“Shit!” Yumi jumped forward climbing down as fast as she could to get to ground level. Running to the corner she crouched low. A boy, not even their age was lying on the ground from three bleeding holes in his chest.
Phase checked his pulse and his eyes widened slightly. “He’s alive.”
“Call 911!” Yumi shouted her hands shaking slightly. She didn’t know this kid. Not even a little and yet she felt almost rage at this. Gritting her teeth, she turned her head toward where that car had driven off and then glanced at Phase.
“Yumi no!”
She was already gone sprinting well past the human speeds. The streets weren’t fast enough and she could hear the car turning another corner. Letting out a sound of frustration she jumped and grabbed a hold of the ledge. She climbed to the top in seconds and started running. A purple car pulled around the corners and three guys got out, two in the front and one from the back.
“Man you sure you got the right kid?”
“Yeah I got the right fuckin kid.”
“What’d he even do?”
“Sending a message.” The one who spoke shook his head. “Gotta let everyone know this is our turf one way or another.”
The sound of a huge weight slamming into the hood of the car echoed around the alley. All three of them jumped and whipped their heads around. The hood of the car had been crushed under a fan exhaust pipe.
It was smoking and glass was littering the ground much to their confusion. One of them stepped forward and shook his head.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“You killed that kid. You killed that guy just to send a message!” Yumi came forward from behind them and then jumped forward. She slammed her knee into the chest of one of them and heard the satisfying sound of bones breaking. Reaching forward she grabbed the front of their shirt and turned throwing him into the ground.
She swiveled around and dashed forward. Throwing a punch she caught a guy in mid swing slamming him into one of the walls. Launching her fist forward she slammed it into his face. Blood gushed forward soaking her fist but she punched him again and again.
She heard the meaty sound of her fist hitting his face followed by snapping of bone again. Her face didn’t change as she punched him again and again before turning and throwing him onto the ground. That left one more. She clenched her first and turned to face him before freezing.
The last guy had his gun out and pointed at her. “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but you’re fucking dead.” The gun cocked and she tensed again as she glared at him.
“If you you’re going to shoot me then fucking shoot me.” She growled. “Because if you don’t I’m going to fucking rip your head off.”
“You’re crazy bitch.” She was ready to move when a hand went through the guys chest. However, it wasn’t an explosion of blood. More like a ghost hand went through them. It was a surprise to the guy and the guy freaked out. The hand was holding the man’s heart removed from his chest and still beating. Phase smashed it into his face and dragged him into the ground.
Phase stepped over him and glared at Yumi pointing a bloody finger at her. “What the fuck are you doing?!”
“You didn’t hear them! These guys just offed some kid to send a message. Not for any reason other than that.” She stepped forward. “They don’t deserve to fucking breathe!”
“And you think you’re the person to punish them?”
“Why not? Not like the police are going to do it. They’re too busy killing innocent people that just happen to be too fucking dark.”
“We’re not some street guardians. We don’t protect the weak.”
“And who says that we can’t?” Yumi almost shouted as she looked at him.
“I do!” he shouted.
He shut his eyes and let out an almost exasperated breath almost shouting. She glared at him her arms shaking and lips folded. He met her eyes and she forced herself to look away and at the ground. “What happened to the kid?”
Shaking his head he looked at the ground, “Died before the ambulance got there.”
“Fuck,” she tilted her head back and screamed. “Fuck!”
He walked over to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his shoulder and in this moment hated being shorter than him. She closed her fist together tightly and then shook. She mumbled something against his chest that he couldn’t figure out.
Pulling back slowly he looked at her and frowned. “What was that?”
“I’m not gonna let this go. I’m not gonna let this keep happening.” She said slowly. “I’m going to do something.”
He looked at her incredulous, “Like what?”
“I don’t know yet. But something.”
Phase looked at her and then nodded. “You won’t let this go.”
“No. I know we can’t save everyone. But I can save some. I won’t do nothing.”
“We won’t do nothing. But let’s get back home first.”
“What about these guys?” She looked at her handiwork. Only one of them was even still moving but conscious. One guys face was a bloody mess and the other was very much dead. “I guess guy.”
“Leave him.” He said and went toward the wall. With one good jump he was on the fire escape and then with another he got to the roof. Yumi went forward stepping off the car, the vent and then a hard jump to get to the rooftop.
They started running again in the silence. Not even the wind was blowing. Just a soft whisper against their faces. She was lagging behind, her mind not in it. She even stumbled. She slowed to a halt at the edge of the building and then looked at Phase. Shaking her head, she caught back up to him then passed him. She didn’t slow down until they were back at the hotel room.
Once they were back Shade and Feint greeted them. Yumi went to the bed first laying back. Phase nodded to them each before going to the desk.
“How was the trip?” Phase asked leaning forward.
“Good,” Feint moved from the edge of the bed to face them and smiled. “I think we have a new home.”
“That’s good. I’m getting tired of this hotel.” Yumi said and stretched her arms over her head. She reached into her pocket and started eating junior mints again.
Shade was scrolling through his phone slowly frowning at a few things. “What about you guys?” Shade asked setting down his phone.
Both of them were silent for a moment and Phase asked, “Shade, how much do you still know about the Vanguard?”
“A bit,” His gaze went directly toward him and he frowned. “Why?”
Yumi sat up quickly looking at him, “Do you know their dealers and where shit usually goes down.”
“Some of them. You’re not telling me why.”
“Because I need to start doing some hunting.” She said. “I’m. I. They pissed me the fuck off tonight. And I’m done waiting around. I’m taking it to them and making their lives hell.”
“What about the Enhance fights?” Feint asked.
“We’re still doing that. It’ll just be another way for me to get at them.”
“You know if you want information call Darren.” Feint said as she looked at her.
Yumi was surprised because it should have been very obvious. “I’ll call them now.”
Reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone she dialed up their tech person. It rang for a few seconds before the soft whine of a monitor reached her ears. “Hello Yumi.”
“Sup Wiz Kid.”
“Can we please get to a first name bases?” they asked knowing the answer.
”No can do. Gotta be professional. Besides I’m not fond of my number name.”
They made another sound akin to a sigh. “What do you need?”
“I need information.”
“Oh wow. I never pegged you for someone who wanted to know things.”
“Haha.” She shook her head slowly. “I need information on the Vanguard.”
“Anything specific or should I give an extended history?”
“Dealers. Suppliers. Clubs. Enforcers. Locations. That type of shit. Think you can handle that Wiz Kid?” She asked and it was almost like a challenge. A challenge they were more than up for.
“Give me 24 hours and you’ll be able to write a book about the Vanguard.”
“You’re the best.” She hung up and then looked toward Shade. “The try outs are soon aren’t they?”
“Tomorrow night.” Shade nodded. “You good?”
“I better have to be.” She sighed softly.
“What about the house?” Phase asked.
Feint smiled. “We’ll show it to you guys soon.”
“Soon as in tomorrow?” Yumi laid down on the bed and glanced at her. “I need some good news.”
“Could be.” Shade shrugged and yawned. “I’ll tell you this, I’m tired of these damn hotel beds.”
“Same here.” Phase said and slid down to the chair. “I’d rather sleep in this chair again.”
“More bed for us.” Feint said teasingly. She laid down and fought a yawn. “Tomorrow. We get up early and start things.”
“Fine by me.” Phase replied from the chair already as comfortable as he was going to get.
Shade went to the free bed as Yumi and Feint shared one. “Night guys.”
“Night.”
“Night.”
“Night.”
The Harlequin Library 