Invisibility, as it turned out, was quite possibly the best power to have when the world was in chaos. The sun was setting, and as the alleyways darkened, Simon moved as quietly as he could. There was an abandoned drug store two blocks away, filled with plastic waters, dried fruit, and toothbrushes. He visited it often, never straying too from the oasis.
He almost didn't notice her. Had he passed the corner a few seconds earlier, or glanced at the ground a little bit longer, they'd have never met. But, as he crossed the torn-up street, he saw a face, eyes darting around. Surprised, he flinched. And felt his control fade for a split second, turning him visible, something he quickly fixed. If he was lucky, she wouldn't have seen him.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" she asked. She stepped around the corner to get a better look. She was short, looked younger than Simon, and wore a dark blue hoodie with the strings tied so only her face could be seen. "If you're a prodigy, I promise I won't hurt you."
Simon stood completely still, afraid even a single footstep would give him away.
"Please? I have shelter." She stayed a moment longer, waiting for a reply. Simon didn't give one. Done wasting her time, she started down the road. And Simon saw how her feet weren't quite touching the ground. How she wasn't walking, instead gliding on the air as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Wait," Simon whispered. She turned. He faded into existence, allowing her to see him.
"There you are!" She sounded cheerful, but how, Simon didn't know. She glided over to him. "I wasn't lying about the shelter, you know. But there's also a catch. You have to be willing to fight."
"Fight… what?"
"Ace Anarchy," she responded, matter-of-fact. As though teenage girls regularly announced plans to take down the greatest villain to ever exist. She continued on her way, and Simon followed her, tripping over the rubble of what had once been his city. She didn't seem to notice he didn't have the same ability to float over the mess.
"You don't talk much, do you?" she said, after a few minutes of silence.
Simon shook his head.
"That's okay. How long have you been on your own? I'm assuming you would've mentioned by now if you have a friend."
"Three months, twenty-seven days."
"How do you- oh." She saw the tally marks covering his arm, the earliest ones fading. "There are three others besides me. I'll let them introduce themselves once we get back to base, but I'm Georgie."
Simon smiled awkwardly. Base? She must be insane. She thought she was going to fight Ace Anarchy, and do so out of a base? With three other people? He was beginning to question his decision to follow her. But it was a little late to back down. And crazy or not, if she had shelter, it would be worth it.
"My name's Simon."
She turned off the street, and into a narrow alley. Her feet landed back on the ground, and she knelt down in front of a pile of wood scraps, moving them aside in a purposeful manner. Simon watched as she swung her legs into the hole she'd created, ready to crawl under the ground.
"Come on!" she said, gesturing.
Simon peered around her, where crumbling cement stairs were just barely visible, descending into the shadows. It seemed like what she'd said about the shelter was true.
The stairs were dirty and wet, and he had to slide on his butt most of the way because the ground above was too low. But at the end was a way into the basement of an old house, completely dark so Simon couldn't see who - or what - was there. Perhaps he would be murdered.
"Evvy!" Georgie yelled. "A little bit of light!"
"That's not my name," someone said from the corner. But a moment later, light filled the room, revealing a tall boy with messy red hair sitting in a cushioned chair. A wood table stood in the middle of the room, two couches sitting on either side. A second chair was pushed against the wall.
"Oh, who's this?" the boy asked.
"Simon," she said, pulling off her sweatshirt. Her hair looked like it had finally escaped the confines of a torture device, an afro that had been flattened by her hood. She messed with it, fluffing it back up. "Where's Kasumi?"
"Sleeping, I think."
"And Hugh's still out?" Georgie collapsed onto a green couch that seemed to be disintegrating. "If he's not back soon, I'm going to die of boredom. I swear, he and I are the only exciting ones ever in this room."
The boy ignored her, watching Simon.
"My name's Evander," he said. "Despite whatever Georgie calls me. Obviously, I control light." He brightened the room to demonstrate. "What can you do?"
"Turn invisible."
"Cool. I can see why Georgie went after you. No pun intended." Georgie gave a half-hearted snort, unamused. Simon shifted his feet, unsure of what to do.
"You can sit down, you know." Evander nodded toward the empty couch. It was a faded brown, with about a million stains. Hoping none of it was blood, Simon sat down.
"So… it's you two and two more?" he asked.
"Yeah," Evander confirmed.
Georgie sat up, smiling. "And we call ourselves… the Renegades."
Wow. That was fun to write. Idk how long this will be, and when (or if) it'll get updated, but I'm super excited. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I
As always, don't forget to review (and feel free to check out my TLC stuff),
Rosebud :)