Salazar Residence - 6 AM

The house was empty, the only sound echoing through the vacant halls of the large apartment was the snoring of it's resident. Luke Salazar groaned and sat up, looked out the window and sighed, slamming on his alarm clock right as it sounded off. He stretched before jumping off his bed and landing on his feet, the cold wooden floor sending goosebumps up his body after being so nice, warm and snug in his bed. Luke walked over to the bathroom and did the usual morning rituals, take a leak, brush his teeth, wash his face and hair then combed it.

He combed his hair a bit but it slowly stuck up in a spiky mess as he got dressed in his school uniform, dark blue pants, white button up shirt and a black tie. He groaned as he also put on the black jacket that went with the uniform then put on his black converse, all the while looking through his phone, just the same crap he was used to, spam and notification. Luke grabbed his bag and walked out his room and down the hall towards the kitchen.

He put his bag on the counter as he pulled out a loaf of bread from the breadbox, smoked ham, lettuce, mayo, tomato and some bacon from the fridge. He toasted the ham while cooking the bacon and cutting up the tomatoes, all the while reading his parents message.

"Hey sweetie, your father and I are gonna be gone for a couple of days, don't go causing trouble again Luke.

- Mom"

"That's the same thing you said last week... And the one before that..." Luke muttered as he prepared two BLT's, finishing by wrapping them in aluminum foil then putting them in a brown paper bag. He put the bag inside his backpack, then headed to the front door where he had his skate board laying against the wall next to the door.

Luke grabbed the board then stepped out the apartment, locking it before leaving the apartment complex and skating down the early morning streets of jump city, grabbing the bumpers of cars to keep optimal speed. Luke kept his eyes peeled as he let go of the car then crossed the intersections with haste before getting on the sidewalks of downtown Jump City, grinding on any ledge or rail on his way.

He eventually jumped over a police car and got the attention of the men in blue, getting the police patrol to chase him. Luke groaned and quickly stopped, took a right into some alleys and lost the pigs before they reached him, he looked at his phone and noticed he was gonna arrive late. He hurried out of the back streets and into the principal ones, hurrying to Jump City High before the first bell sounded off, or worse, the gates closed.


Jump City High - 7:10 AM

Luke was already seated in his first class, and possibly his least favorite, Calculus. He was just atrocious with numbers, but even then he was surviving the class. He took his notes as the class dragged on, taking occasional glances at he others every moment of silence that was presented. However while it was quiet for the entire classroom, for Luke there was one voice bothering him.

"C'mon, don't tell me she isn't smoking hot my friend." Said the voice only Luke could hear, Luke thought to the voice in a annoyed manner "It's too early for this Shadow, the day barley started."

Shadow, the voice, chuckled, he could see around Luke and was ravishing the amount of both eye candy and sins in the present vicinity. Some of the big tough guys in the back reeked of bloodshed, the goth looking boy in the front had a really bad "itch" for self inflicted pain, then the pretty girl of the class reeked of sex, for being teens they all indulged in really fucked up things.

Then there was the teacher, a light blonde woman in her early 30's wearing a black pencil skirt white button up and black suit jacket. Her hair was pulled back to a bun and her general "stare" made her look like she had a stick up her ass all the time, always so serious. However Shadow could smell something else, but before he could say anything Luke thought "Enough, everything you see and smell i can see and smell too, Shadow."

Shadow groaned and went silent for the rest of the class, allowing Luke to continue with his first class. He could tell today was gonna be one of those days, Shadow bothering him over everything it could find and try to tempt him to do horrible things. But after a solid two years of listening to Shadow's constant temptations, and unnecessarily detailed descriptions, did Luke grow benumbed to this.

As the bell rang and allowed students to go to their next class did one one Luke's most hated moments of the day start. A tall student with blonde hair and wearing a school baseball jacket walked by Luke's desk and knocked down his things, making Luke groan and demand "Really? Don't you have anything better to do Jackson?" Jack smirked then only replied in a insulting tone "Oops, maybe you should put your junk somewhere else freak."

Shadow growled and took over for a moment, only chuckling and quipping "I am truly jaded by you Jackson, always trying to impress someone. Did mommy never give you teat or was your dad some alcoholic?" At that moment the class went silent and watched as both teens stood up to the other, Jackson being a head taller than Luke.

Before anything happened, one student got in the way and told both of them in a cold and stern tone "Enough guys, no need to start beef where there is none, right?" They both looked at each other for a moment before Jackson turned his back to Luke and muttered "At least i didn't hear voices in my head."

Luke finally regained control and blinked, he remembered the day two years ago. The day after he got Shadow his senses were bombarded with things he couldn't comprehend, he could see the bad things people had done, hear them from afar, and all that led to him having a mental breakdown in school. From that day he was "The Freak." of the school, that odd kid no one, not even the losers and rejects, wanted to talk to or be seen with.

But in all honesty the people who judged him had done worse, he could see it, he had shadow for that. Luke simply picked up his things and headed to the next class, hoping the day couldn't get any worse, but knowing it would, somehow. As Luke entered his next class he noticed something was... Off. He looked at his seat and found a blonde girl there, wearing the common school uniform for the girls, white button up with short sleeves, black tie, blue skirt that reached her knees, knee high white socks and black shoes. Luke walked up to her and spoke up in a dry tone "Ahem, Blondie..?"

The blonde looked up at him with her sky blue eyes and studied the image before her, slightly tanned skin, messy and short dark hair, slightly bothered look, he wanted something. Luke spoke again "I said, can i have my seat? There are many others by the window." The blonde looked at the desk, lifted her books and saw a name tag on it reading "Luke Salazar" then quickly got up and spoke in a low and apologetic tone "Sorry, didn't know." Luke sighed and reassured "Don't worry, same happened to me when i arrived."

The teacher arrived and quickly made all the students take their seat. After role call the teacher spoke up and told them "Alright, before we start i would like to announce our new members to our class, miss, if you may?" Luke watched as the blonde walked up to the front of the class and gave a small smile. Shadow on the other hand growled and told Luke "I don't like this chick, i can't get a reading on her sins.." Luke quickly shot back at Shadow with "You know, not everyone is a sinner."

Luke now listened to the blonde's introduction, her voice was smooth yet somewhat low "Umm Hi, my name is Terra Markov, it's nice to meet you all." Shadow was groaning and gnawing at Luke's head, trying harder to get something off the strange blonde, giving Luke a nasty headache in the process. After the basic introduction Terra was seated next to Luke, making her smile that it was someone who wasn't eyeing her up and down or giving her a death stare. The rest of the day went by rather quietly, or as quiet as it could get with a demon constantly nagging at you that something wasn't right.


Jump City High Parking Lot - 4 PM

Terra was exiting the school as she avoided most if not all guys that tried to hit on her throughout the entire day, eventually ending up having to cut through the parking lot to avoid them. She sighed and the relative silence of the lot gave her a moment of peace that she was desperately looking forward to all day. However the silence was broken when she heard the sound of a group of guys all yelling at the back streets of the school.

Terra peeked and found three guys beating up Luke while two held him in place. The sight of an unfair fight made Terra's blood boil, Luke on the other hand spat blood out at Jackson, the leader of the group and asked in a defiant tone "That all you got bitch-boy?" Jackson punched Luke's face until his knuckles hurt, but as the others dropped Luke and left him did they hear him chuckle and get back up. Luke popped his neck and raised his fists, only asking "Round two?" Jackson quickly lunged at him but was stopped when Luke ducked his attack and delivered and uppercut to his jaw.

The guys watched as Jackson fell flat on his ass then back, he was out cold and they were next. Luke popped uis knuckles and asked in a tone that broke to a low and almost distorted voice at the end "So, which of you fuckers is next?" They all turned and ran away, but not before Terra made the asphalt raise a bit so they could trip, adding to their humiliation. Luke chuckled then picked his backpack and skateboard up, then checked Jackson's wallet, taking any money he had to pay the trip to the hospital.

Terra however frowned and yelled "Hey! You already knocked him out, no need to give him fuel for another fight!" Luke looked at her and explained "I'm not gonna pay with my money for injuries that HE inflicted on me, think of it like a way of me giving them the blind eye." Terra sighed and watched him wince when he stood up straight, he obviously was sore all over and possibly broke something. Luke started to slowly walk with his skateboard in one hand and backpack in the other down the street, making Terra run after him and yell "Wait up!"


Salazar Residence - 6 PM

Terra opened the front door to Luke's apartment and helped him towards the living room, a large, and practically clean room with a black wooden floor, white walls and decorated with abstract paintings his mother bought on her many trips, black leather couches, and a black coffee table slab dab in the middle.

"Are you sure you don't need help? The doctor said you shouldn't be forcing yourself until-" Terra said in a worried tone until Luke cut in and nonchalantly informed her "Blondie, I've been going through this crap from two years, i know my limits."

Terra frowned and corrected "My name is not "Blondie" it's Terra, got it?" Luke sighed and nodded as he stood up and headed to his room, only saying dryly "Gonna change, if you hear me fall, scream, or anything along those lines, go in and kick my ass for whatever stupid thing i did." Terra didn't even reply, she just heard him close his door then began to look around the apartment.

The hall connecting all the rooms was long, revealing both the kitchen and dining room after a couple of steps. After that was the main bathroom and the guest's room, it was a simple room, a bed with black sheets, a table, a mirror two drawers and a walk-in closet.

"Damn, wouldn't mind a room like this." Thought Terra as she finished looking around the room before heading back to the living room. She couldn't help but examine some of the paintings, many were simple abstract designs while others were of cyclopean vistas of almost other worldly nature. Terra smiled a bit at the artistic workmanship in display and took a seat on the couch, and waited for Luke to return.

It took roughly five minutes, but Luke exited his room, wearing a baggy black shirt with a white hand holding a red heart shaped grenade, baggy windbreakers and his converse. Terra watched him stride casually to her, his gaze reflecting his sore state as he took his seat and asked "So why did you help me?" Terra looked at him and shrugged, and responded "Not sure, it just seemed like the right thing to do."

Shadow chuckled in Luke's head, then asked Luke "She is helpless, isn't she?" Luke simply ignored the voice and told Terra "Well, thanks."


Jump City - Downtown Rooftops - 8 PM

Luke stood atop the highest building in Jump City, his gaze down on the streets as the sunset over the beautiful city skyline. He had just dropped Terra off at her home and was waiting for dusk to turn into night, all the while taking his shirt off and stuffing it into a duffel bag.

On his chest lay a scar, a mortal wound, a symbol. His chest had a bone like object jutting out of it as night drew closer, it's shape was of a mask. The sternum and a few true ribs were fused and were slowly glowing a bright turquoise.

Luke panted as he felt the last of the sunlight fade, then heard Shadow warn him "It's time Luke... We must unite.." Luke fell to his knees as he panted harder and felt his skin crawl, the sun was gone now. Luke was gritting his teeth as he felt his body change, his pants felt tighter, his muscles tensed and ached, his face felt like it was on fire.

He couldn't hold it in anymore and screamed in pain as the transformation continued, his skin went from tanned olive to a mottled grey, then tightened on his body, making his muscles very prominent.

He glared at the sky and let one last scream as his eyes and chest burned with a turquoise blue glow. He growled for a moment before standing up and looking to the city and popping nearly every bone in his body.

Luke looked at his hands and muttered "There has to be a better way of transforming... But... I got work to do." He pulled an M1911 pistol from his duffel bag, watched the metal twist and turn into a nightmare fueled version of it, then hid the bag in a garbage can before walking to the ledge of the rooftop.

Luke felt the cold night air caress his body as he closed his eyes, then jumped off the building. Around midway down he kicked the side of the building and rolled onto another rooftop and started running, his eyes following a mist like trail over the rooftops of jump city.

He could smell the scent of something evil and followed it until he heard a scream coming from the same direction he was going. He hurried and found a woman with her neck snapped and blood drained from her main arteries. He tool another whiff and walked into the back alleys, the dim lights and filthy, graffiti riddled walls being the only thing in his sight.

He stopped when he heard movements in the shadows, then stared into the deep, near abyss like darkness. Alan cocked his pistol and spoke in a somber tone "Show yourself..."

A scrawny looking bald man limped forward, all he had on were a pair of old torn up pants, and his mouth and hands were covered in blood. Alan aimed at him and muttered "Deadsider..."

At the mentioning of it's identity did the Deadsider screech and lunge at Alan, arms wide open and ready to grab it's prey then suck the life of of it.

Alan however knew it's main tactics, and side stepped out of the way, aimed at the Deadsider and fired a loud blast of dark spirit energy at the monster, causing it to scream like a banshee. Alan kept firing until it started to spasm and scream desperately for it's life before it popped into itty-bitty jibs all over the place.

Alan put his gun away then turned around, feeling a bad sense of danger coming his way. He quickly hurried out of sight and watched to more Deadsiders come to the remains of their brother.

Alan watched as they fought over the pink cloud like object floating where the Deadsider used to be, it's soul. He backed away when he saw more of them come, then climbed a fire escape to watch them from the rooftops, disgusted by their sadistic cannibalism.

Luke pulled his gun out and charged up some of his spiritual energy into his gun, took aim and muttered to the Deadsider "The horror... The horror..." He cocked his gun "I... Embrace it..." then fired away, killing each one of them.


A/N:Well, here we go, the shadow man in DC universe, god knows how this might go. Not much i can say for chapter 1, except i hope you all enjoyed it.

P.S. Feedback would be appreciated.