Hello again from Perrinia! Here's the second chapter of Shadows and Sparks! After what I know is a slow first chapter that introduced Olivia, hopefully this one is more exciting with the introduction of Delsin. I still haven't decided whether I want to update weekly or at my own pace, but it is likely better to keep a schedule. Special thanks to author foolycoolie for helping me with reviews and advice. Anyway, here's chapter two and I hope you enjoy it! Don't forget to fave or leave a review if you enjoy it or have any advice for me!
The gentle morning light against the blinds and curtains didn't wake Olivia up. Instead she was woken by the alarm on her phone beeping persistently at 9 AM. She groaned and rolled off the couch to stand up. Eyes still heavy with sleep, she trudged to the bathroom and tugged a brush through her cerulean colored waves of hair. One of the luxuries she allowed herself was hair dye, since she didn't quite feel like herself without it. Her natural hair was an unpleasant shade of dishwater blonde that no nice color of clothing seemed to match.
After a quick shower and a new change of clothes, Olivia turned off all the lights in the apartment and, after blending into the shadows, exited via the window onto the fire escape. The difference in the shadows' location due to the different time of day was an annoyance, but it just lessened the amount her shadow-self blended in. It was hardest to move around and stay hidden at midday, when the sun shone down from above. Usually she just loitered or ducked into a store or coffee shop. When it was cloudy, which was most of the time, it was much easier, since she was moving under one big shadow.
Olivia materialized out of the shadows once she reached the ground from the fire escape. She pulled up the hood of her jacket and began walking on her usual trek to a district across town. It wasn't a long trip, but she had to weave her way around all of the DUP checkpoints that had been set up. Most irritating was this one point where the DUP patrolled a specific street heavily that she needed to cross. Most of the time she would blend in with the people heading toward the scanning station at the end of the street, then she'd duck into an alley to go around the checkpoint. She told herself that as long as she didn't draw attention to herself, she'd be left alone by the heavily armed DUP agents.
Everything was normal as she approached the checkpoint. The armored men in black, white, and yellow clung to their guns as they patrolled along the metal structures above. She walked at a comfortable pace along the other pedestrians, eyes ahead but not focused on anything.
As she neared the alley she normally took to avoid the checkpoint, she noticed it was now barricaded, with two DUP agents guarding it. Olivia halted, questioning internally what to do. If she turned back, she might get noticed. If she kept going, she'd be caught for sure.
Just as she was about to turn to go back, she heard shouting ahead. The guards at the checkpoint all rushed the opposite direction from her toward a disturbance. The civilians started running away, and that helped clear the way for her to see what was going on.
It was a Conduit, a young man, fighting the DUP. He dashed about, turning into smoke and firing cinders from his hands. She stood there, watching as he knocked out the agents one by one. When they all lay unconscious or subdued, he freed the DUP suspects and destroyed the scanning station. After absorbing some kind of power from it, he relaxed and looked around, locking eyes with Olivia. She turned on her heel immediately, breaking eye contact. Hesitating after walking ten yards or so, she looked back, but he was gone by then.
She arrived in the Market district twenty minutes later and picked a street corner to loiter on. Luckily there had been no more trouble on her way. People milled back and forth, distracted with the shops and their own worlds. She eyed a woman hovering a few yards away, talking on the phone. She was dressed elegantly, in a casual dress and a gaudy coat. Her purse was a large one with a small strap that wasn't quite big enough to go over the shoulder. Instead she held it in her phone-less hand, which presented a nice opportunity for Olivia. She waited until the woman hung up the phone and went on her way to start walking behind her. Just as she crossed an alley, Olivia sped up and lightly plucked the purse from the woman's hand before she knew what was happening. At the same time, she disintegrated into the shadows, becoming but a shadow in a dim alleyway that was nigh impossible to see from the sunny sidewalk.
The woman was left dumbfounded looking around for whoever might have stolen her purse. Olivia had already ducked around a corner and out of sight. She worked her way through alleys until she was far enough to not have to worry about being found. The purse had a phone, keys, makeup, and a wallet, along with a few other odds and ends. The fancy leather wallet had credit cards, an ATM card, several identification cards, and about a hundred dollars in cash. She took out the cash and pocketed it, putting everything else back in the purse.
"So that's all you're taking, huh?" said a voice behind her. She whipped around to see the same Conduit from before leaning against the wall on the other side of the alleyway. He wore jeans, a denim vest over a hoodie, and a red beanie.
Olivia straightened up, leaving the purse on the ground. She didn't have any reason to run from him. "Yep. Gotta eat to live. Plus cash leaves little to no trail, unlike cards. You're that Conduit, huh? The one that didn't escape from the military transport."
He put his hands in his pockets and smiled. "Yep, that's me. You don't seem worried or even uneasy. Heck, I'd even take some senseless adoration."
"Yeah, well, it's not like I'd be all that frightened of a Conduit that actively fights the DUP." Olivia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What's your name?"
"Delsin Rowe, you?" He raised an eyebrow with his question.
She hesitated a bit, but figured it'd be fair to tell him, since he'd answered her. "Olivia Blue. I know it's a weird thing, with my hair and all, but I promise it's only a coincidence." She waved her hand dismissively before tucking a cobalt colored lock behind her ear. "Anyway, what're you doing here?"
Delsin shrugged. "I was interested in you. You don't act like other people who witness a fight between the DUP and a Conduit. When everyone else was running, you just watched. Why?"
From this Olivia was able to deduce that he hadn't actually seen her use her powers, and therefore did not know that she was a Conduit. "Well, I didn't have much to worry about. I can take care of myself pretty well, thank you."
"Really? And how is that exactly?" He asked with a good-natured smirk. "You're like, what, at most two-thirds the size of each of those guys."
Olivia chuckled softly. "Oh, I don't know. I'm stronger than I look." After making sure it was clear, she raised her hand with her palm facing up. With little effort, shadows swirled in a corkscrew pattern up her forearm.
Delsin's eyes widened, and he leaned forward with interest. "Woah, so you're a Conduit too?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I've had my powers since I was fourteen."
Delsin looked around at the alley. To Olivia, it wasn't that conspicuous, but it could potentially draw attention if they stayed too long.
"Would you prefer to go somewhere a little less exposed than this alley?" He asked.
"Hmmm…how about coffee? There's certainly no shortage of places to choose from." Olivia pulled out a twenty dollar bill, one of the ones she'd taken out of the woman's purse. "I'll pay."