The Shadowverse

by Francesca Gallo

  She realized she wasn’t alone after al , that superpowers could be legitimately real and she was not the odd one out. “What do you have?”

  He scratched his head as his eyes landed on the unconscious man slumped against the wal . “I’ve got superspeed.”

  The girl gulped. “H-How did you get them?”

  “I don’t know yet.” He still found it very difficult to accept. “So, uh, you have this power too? How? And how did these events line up? It’s too coincidental.”

  She did not respond.

  “I’m sorry, but who are you?” he asked. “You have a name?”

  “It’s Jane,” she answered. “What’s yours?”

  This is going better than I expected. “My name’s Johnny,” he greeted, stuffing his hands in his jacket and smirking faintly. He believed the smirk had landed in the minute gray area that it wasn’t considered a blatant flirt or a kind gesture. “Nice to meet you, Jane. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

  “L-Likewise,” she responded. “Look, Johnny, you nee—”

  “I hate to interrupt the tension, but you need to leave. Now.” Johnny turned his head and Jane reciprocated. There was another man in the shadows, walking out of the deeper parts of the smel y alley. As he did, the mists rising from the adjacent buildings complemented the arrival of this mysterious stranger.

  He came into an iota of golden lamp-light and Johnny immediately recognized him. It was the Hispanic man who asked them for a lighter. He narrowed his eyes.

  “Or what?” he retorted, facing him in the dimly lit alleyway. “What are you going to do? Ask for another lighter?”

  The man laughed. “You can never comprehend.”

  “Comprehend what?” Johnny countered.

  Mystified as to what boiled between the two, Jane eyebal ed the stranger and then Johnny. “Wait, you know each other?”

  “It’s a long story,” Johnny replied, unafraid. He did not skewer his gaze away from the figure.

  “Don’t worry Johnny! You’re a speedster now! You can make any long story short!”

  Johnny went expressionless. “How do you know my name?” he questioned, furrowing his brow. The steady chants of cars and taxis in this part of the Bronx were the music to this altercation.

  “I know everything about you. But that isn’t important.”

  “Then what is?” Jane piped.

  “The future,” he answered. With this, he placed his fingers on his Hispanic face and tore at an illuminated dot near his ear. As if a serial kil er, he detached… no, disconnected, the once Hispanic identity. Horrified, Johnny took a few steps back.

  Where the false visage had lain gave way to a white mask with black scribbles—not to mention white hair seeping out the edges. In a strange way, the mask conformed to the true features underneath.

  Johnny and Jane glanced at each other in horror and then at the man. But Johnny connected the dots. “It was you… you did this to me.” It all made sense. The lighter.

  Why he disappeared without a scent.

  “Excellent deduction, Sparks.” The man, now wearing a total face mask, laughed.

  “Yes, I know your last name too.”

  “What do you want?” Jane asked.

  He gazed at her. “For you to save everyone.”

  “What did you say?” Johnny questioned. Johnny took slow steps toward the man, who only stood there in the darkness. Jane tried to stop him, but he did not, would not.

  This unexpected encounter and conversation proceeded while people bustled through the streets of downtown Bronx a short distance away.

  “You heard me,” replied the man. They were face to face now. “Just do what you do best,” he instructed as he stared at Johnny through his mask. Taking a few steps, he passed Johnny and walked toward the street.

  “And what’s that?” Johnny retorted in an atypical, serious tone.

  The man turned around, the eyes behind the mask boring into his own. “Be the hero.”

  Dumbfounded, Jane scowled at the man. “Where are you going?”

  “Must I tel you?”

  “You probably should,” retorted Johnny.

  He dismissed the remark in a chuckle. “See you around, Sparks.”

  As he prepared to leave, Johnny stopped him with a question. “Did you affect the others? Do they have…abilities?”

  The masked man looked at him with intensity, the city lights gleaming through his outline. Johnny could feel his heart beating through his chest. “I guess you’l just have to find out.”

  “What does that mean?” he asked.

  “It means whatever you want it to mean.”

  “Will I ever see you again?”

  “Possibly.”

  What the hel is happening right now? Johnny narrowed his eyes again and asked,

  “W-Who are you really?”

  “I am the future.”

  “Of what? What does that even mean?”

  At this, the stranger did not answer.

  “Do you have any abilities? Like me? And her?” he gestured to Jane, who was intrigued yet alarmed.

  Again, the masked man did not clarify. Instead, he paced forward through the al ey, littered with trash and a wel -nigh skunk stench. His figure popped out in contrast to the scenery outside the al ey, ful of cars, some pedestrians, and the rest of the Bronx.

  Head high as if king over the city, he said, “Look at these people. How distracted and always uneasy.” A few actual y looked in while passing, made out the figures of Johnny, Jane, and the stranger, but thought none of it. In fact, the man’s mask did not bother them, either. “In time, we will bring the future.”

  In a moment’s notice, he zoomed out of the alley. All he left was dust blown in the air. Both Johnny and Jane’s hair blew backward. “I guess that answers your question,”

  she said.

  Johnny was left there, puzzled, afraid, motivated. Turning his head to the end of the al eyway, the unconscious assailant, and in the opposite direction at the semi-active nightlife, he contemplated this encounter. Maybe his life finally had real meaning. Then he turned to Jane. “Wil you come with me?”

  CHAPTER 3

  UNDERSTANDING

  Barely ten minutes had passed since the Encounter. Johnny and the newly found Jane sat in a corner of the McDonald’s, talking.

  “So, what’s your story?” Johnny asked, a slightly-flirtatious smirk pasted on his face.

  His razor-sharp chin was raised toward her.

  She eyed him in amusement yet definitely not reservation. “My parents were taken away from me in a car accident,” she started. His smirk dropped like a rock. “I was left to live with my grandparents since 15. They recently passed. Two of the finest people ever.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he interrupted. “Who did it? The accident, I mean.”

  “I never found out. But they once worked for the local government. They knew stuff about the leaders here and in a place in Montauk. I think it had something to do with that.” She leaned in just a tad, elbow resting on the table. “But don’t feel bad for me. I’ve gotten along.”

  “Don’t say that. I do. I would not be human if I did not feel.”

  She smiled yet glanced towards the floor. “Thank you, by the way, for saving me.”

  In return, he smiled wide. Maybe a bit too much. But hey, this hero gig had its perks.

  “Sorry for screwing it up though.”

  “What matters is you acted. That’s courageous. And you stood up to that man. I don’t know if he is evil but he gave off this…vibe.”

  “Remember what he said?” Johnny replied. “’I am the future,’” he said, making fake quotations with his fingers.

  She nodded two times. “There’s something going on. He started something.”

  “How do you know?” Her words tingled his spine. He internally questioned why that would be so.

  “Since I was young, around 16, I could almost sense an outcome.”

  “What do you mean?
”

  “It’s hard to explain. But, you ever heard of a sixth sense?”

  “Yeah. Like spider sense, you mean. From comics.” She nodded to indicate his assumption was spot-on.

  Johnny was not sure, but something had transpired and he promised himself he would devote as much time as necessary to figure out what. “My biggest concern is the others,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Your friends?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Tel me more.”

  Johnny chuckled lightly to himself. How should he even start? “Wel , for one thing, there’s Ryan. He is a bit of a goof, but the good kind. Shyness is one of his problems, ironical y. Ironic, because, wel , he’s…a pretty big guy—his dad was a wrestler.”

  “A wrestler? Wow, nice.”

  “Yeah, he doesn’t really do it though. He’s a martial artist instead. His size is amplified by his crew-cut hair.” She giggled, but he brushed it off and continued. “Sam and Dustin—they’re brothers—met me at the karate school we attended. They had already been friendly with Ryan, which allowed me to meet them all at the same time.

  Both of them have brown hair, Sam has blue eyes while Dustin had light brown, and are a bit smaller than me.” Johnny pointed to his own figure and chuckled.

  The door opened swiftly, and a nearly bald, stout man matching the appearance Johnny described strode in. “Johnny!” Ryan shouted.

  The symphony of voices throughout the McDonald’s cut itself out. Ryan frowned.

  “Back to whatever you guys were doing,” he told the crowd of people in the place.

  “Nothing to see here.”

  Dustin, Sam, and the newly met Rose entered as well. Ryan sat down next to Jane.

  “Holy shit bro! Listen you can’t do that!” he exclaimed. Sooner than later, he felt Jane’s stare. “Excuse me, who are you?” Ryan said as he turned his head to Jane. Dustin and Sam’s eyebrows both rose.

  “Oh, this is, uh, this is Jane. It’s a long story.”

  “Yeah, you usually are not the one to hang with girls,” Sam chuckled. “Wel , not anymore.”

  “It had better be long enough,” Dustin added.

  Ryan extended his hand in greeting and flashed a quick smile. “I’m Ryan Slade.”

  She shook it. “Like he said, I’m Jane…Cooper.”

  “It’s good to meet you.”

  “So, uh, Jane, you comfortable with us getting in here?” Johnny asked. “We just met, so I understand.”

  “Same goes for Rose,” Ryan said. “You good?” he asked her.

  “I’m fine, please continue. I want to hear more about this.”

  The six piled into the semicircle seating surrounding the roundtable. Johnny began to recount what had occurred. He told them about how he met Jane, her powers, the cigarette man, and his new ability. She also explained a sliver of her own backstory.

  “This guy was not Hispanic. He was wearing a mask. But it wasn’t a typical mask. It was somehow electronic.”

  “I knew something was up with that guy!” Sam said. “He was acting all weird.”

  “Real y?” Johnny asked. “If so, then you called it.”

  “I take it you saw his real face?” questioned Ryan.

  “No, we didn’t,” replied Jane. “It was covered by some sort of other helmet or mask.”

  “What did he say to you?” Sam inquired.

  Johnny shook his head slowly, recollecting the words the stranger had spoken. “I don’t know. He made these comments…that he ‘was the future,’” Johnny said, making quotation marks with his fingers. “And apparently we have to work together now.”

  “What do you mean?” Ryan interjected.

  “I don’t know. But he said we have to save everyone.”

  The table fell into silence. “What does that even mean?” Sam wondered.

  “I don’t know,” Johnny responded.

  “And then he just sped away?” Dustin asked.

  “Yep.”

  “Great. A supervil ain who is hiding in wait. Just what we need.”

  “Well, he insinuated you guys wil acquire powers.”

  Now this was interesting. “Whoa, what?”

  “Wait, so you’re tel ing me we might have powers too?” whispered Sam. “How?

  When?”

  “I swear to God if I get anything stupid, I’m going to sue that guy,” Ryan moaned.

  “Like, if it’s the ability to control flowers or something then I’m just going to stay home.”

  Dustin chuckled. “Don’t worry, it suits you.” Ryan returned him a glare. “Oh, sorry.

  Save it for the mat—got it.”

  Johnny shook his head. “I don’t think it works that way. I’ve concluded that you have to sleep in order to gain your powers, kind of like how I did.”

  “What about you?” Dustin asked, motioning to Jane. “How did you get powers? And what are they?”

  “I can’t believe we’re literally saying powers,” replied Sam, “As if they actually exist.”

  “Well, I’m proof that statement is now false,” Johnny retorted.

  “Telekinesis,” Jane started, “and I don’t know. One day I just found out, I guess. But you can’t ever say that to anyone.” She gave him a serious look. “Promise?”

  “We promise,” Johnny insisted. “Right guys?”

  “Sure, but can you give us a demonstration?” asked Rose—at last. She had not spoken much, if at all. “I would love to see this. I’m Rose, by the way.”

  “Hi, I’m Jane, if you haven’t heard already,” she replied, slightly laughing.

  “Yeah, that would be sick,” Sam added. “Move the cup right here, maybe?”

  Jane nodded. “Can you just check around?”

  “Oh yeah, sure,” Ryan replied.

  “I got you covered,” Sam added. They both checked to make sure most people were either glued to phones or eating.

  “All clear,” Ryan notified. “Now, let’s see this.”

  Reaching out her hand, she telekinetical y gripped Ryan’s cup. It slowly inched her direction as she drew it towards her open hand and clutched it.

  “Whoa,” Sam marveled.

  “I’m speechless,” Dustin added. “That was awesome!”

  “Astounding,” Rose complimented. “That was real y cool.”

  “What she said,” Ryan muttered, amazed.

  “I know, right?” Johnny said. “I was totally freaked out when she did it on the thug.

  Thumped him right out.”

  “I would literally pay to see that,” Dustin replied.

  “Ya, pay-per-view, huh?” Sam added.

  “Can you do it again?” Ryan asked, large elbows seated on the table.

  “OK, but only one more.”

  This time, she dragged her own cup into her hand—it slid a short distance but at a much faster rate.

  “Cool!” Sam exclaimed.

  “Wow, that was absolutely incredible,” Ryan exclaimed as well.

  “What Ryan said, times ten million,” Dustin added.

  At that moment, Dustin and Sam let out an uneasy laugh. “Shit,” Dustin blurted. “So, the mil ion-dol ar question is, are you a Jedi or a Sith?” he jested.

  Jane smiled, tilting her head back to think. “Oh, definitely a Jedi. The Sith are cool though.”

  Dustin and Sam glanced at each other, smiles drenched in all kinds of mischief. “Hey Johnny,” Sam started, “Are you total y sure you don’t know her?”

  Johnny frowned at the remark. “What are you even trying to say?”

  The brothers both glanced at each other again, but did not answer.

  Rose said nothing during the chatter.

  “Anyway, yeah, we won’t say squat,” Ryan cut in. “But you real y think”—at this point, he whispered— “that the Feds had something to do with it?”

  “My parents, I’ve concluded, knew too much. They were always into those sorts of things. Who else but the government to have someone kil ed?”


  Rose cut in. “I know a guy,” she said as everyone turned to glance at her. “Kevin.

  Kevin Moon. Father’s a bil ionaire, and his mom works for the government.”

  “I’m sorry,” Sam replied, “But how do you happen to know a billionaire’s son?”

  “I’ll explain later.”

  “Explain what?” asked Ryan.

  She shot a glance. “What did I just say?”

  “OK OK, you’ll explain it later,” Ryan said. He held his hands up in defense as if at gunpoint. “Geez.”

  “I think we should go to his place. He knows a lot about me and other stuff. And, he could help Jane discover some things about Montauk Laboratory and Camp Hero. You have all heard of the Montauk Boys, right?”

  “Yeah…of course. They were…I’m sorry who were they again?” replied Dustin with a shrinking amount of knowledge.

  Rose exhaled a hushed breath. “OK, well basically, some people were taken and experimented on. Others were used as slaves. They say they had used telekinetic and telepathic abilities, but that’s probably bul . But anyway, UFO’s and encounters with strange beings had been reported. But hey, it’s a conspiracy. Take it or leave it.”

  Dustin scanned the people around him, including the ones who piled in from the street. Some were dressed casual y, some in dress suits, some in rags, yet most usually were attached to their phones, the blue glow gleaming onto their faces.

  “OK…that was weird,” Sam replied.

  “How come I’ve lived here for years yet haven’t heard of that?” Ryan asked.

  “Who knows.”

  Once again, the table fel into silence. They watched the customers filing in and out of the doors. An aura of awkwardness permeated, since, besides the boys, they al basically just connected. The competition began to see who would be the first to open their mouth.

  It was ironic. Tons of craziness and action beforehand, but now the group sat there, fiddling with their thumbs.

  For you to save everyone, Johnny recollected. Well, if the stranger meant they would join forces, this proved to be a hilariously mediocre start.

  Finally, Sam broke the ice. “So, what else? The tension is strong with this one.”

  Jane glanced at him, confused. But she did not speak a word.