The Secrets Out
Disclaimer- I don't own anything related to Young Justice or DC Comics. Only own OC's and plot changes.
Italics- telepathic communication
David's POV
Most teenagers look forward to Saturday's for multiple different reasons. Some because there's no school, others because they get to sleep in late, and most because they get the whole day to relax, hang out with friends, or do whatever the heck they feel like doing.
When football season end and there are no more Friday night games Saturday becomes my favorite day of the week for all of the above reasons.
Ironically, it was on a Saturday that my life changed in a way I never thought possible.
Last night Alex and I went to the movies to see the latest action movie before deciding to grab a bite to eat from our favorite burger restaurant down the street. My phone started buzzing in my back pocket as we walked through the restaurant doors. I answered it after the third ring and was surprised to hear my father on the other end. He told me he was calling because he had something important he wanted to tell me and ordered me to meet him at his office early tomorrow morning. From his sharp and curt tone I could tell that whatever he wanted to say was serious, and thinking that it was some type of family emergency I asked if he wanted me to come home sooner so we could talk.
He quickly shut down that suggestion before saying it would be better if I just came in tomorrow morning at 7. I agreed to be there on time before ending the call, and even though I tried to return to my night of fun I couldn't focus on enjoying myself like before.
That is how I ended up waking up super early this Saturday morning to ride to my dad's large office building on my skateboard. One of my dad's personal drivers offered to drive me when he saw me walking for the door with my skateboard in hand, but I kindly refused.
I've been scolded countless times about going out in Gotham by myself early in the morning or late at night when its dark since it's technically dangerous, but I tend to do it anyway. I've lived in Gotham my entire life so I know the city like the back of my hand, and yes that includes the narrows.
When I was younger my dad would take me to what my friends call the "scary" part of town quite often. In order to avoid any unwanted attention we wouldn't drive or wear fancy clothes; instead we'd walk through the streets and in bummy clothes to blend in. Over the years I became familiar with the area and even made friends with some of the local kids.
Because of this I always tended to discreetly roll my eyes and scoff when one of my Gotham Academy friends talked about how they drove along the outskirts of the narrows and said it was one of the scariest things they've ever done. Or when someone starts to complain about their struggles in life like how their on call hair stylist got sick on the night of a big gala and couldn't do their hair so they had to go to another celebrity hairstylist in order to get it done. Those people don't know the first thing about real struggle nor will they ever if their parents continue to keep them sheltered and hidden from the ugliness of the real world.
I shook the thoughts out of my head as I navigated through the familiar streets before my mind shifted back to thinking about what my father wanted to talk about.
My dad and I aren't particularly close so the fact that he called me to his office to talk one on one was a more than a little strange. I never knew my mother and my father's never around due to large amount of work he drowns himself in. I try to grab his attention and make him proud by being the best athlete on the team, the smartest kid in the class, or the most popular student the student, but most of the time he doesn't even notice. And on the rare occasions that he does pay attention he never gives me the recognition I hoped for
Even when we're hanging out and manage to spend some time together I can always tell that his mind is somewhere far away. It also feels like he's constantly keeping something from me. I hate to say it, but it seems like every time we speak he's only doing it out of…obligation rather than love.
I wasn't naive in thinking my father fully cared for me, but at the same time a small part of me wished he'd act more like a father then a mentor and businessmen.
I forced those distasteful thoughts out of my head as I rolled to a stop and propped my board up by stomping my foot on the end causing it to lift into my arms. I slid the board under my arm before pulling on the office and walked in.
The lady at the front desk, who I didn't know the name of, greeted me with a bright smile and I politely nodded before making a beeline for the elevator. Everyone in the building knows who I am so no one tried to stop me as I stepped inside the elevator and pressed the 40th floor. I slipped a small black key out of my pocket and slid it into the designated slot before pressing the button to the highest level as the elevator doors closed shut.
You couldn't reach my dad's office level without inserting the specific key into the slot while pressing the button to his floor. The one people who have a key are my father, Danielle, a few of my dad's closest business friends, and me.
As the elevator shot up, beeping every time it reached a new level, I casually leaned against the back railing and sipped on the small cup of coffee I bought on the way here. Since I went to bed late and wasn't exactly expecting an early wake up call this morning I was still a little sleepy. I don't usually drink coffee, but this morning it was necessary to keep me awake.
The elevator stopped when it reached level 40 and I took another sip of my drink before stepping out when the doors opened. My attention was immediately drawn to Danielle who was sitting at her desk outside of my dad's office. She looked up from her computer when she heard the elevator and smiled when she saw me.
"Morning David, your father told me you were stopping by early this morning" she greeted as I walked up to her desk and she swiveled in her chair to face me.
"Well it wasn't really voluntary I 'll tell you that," I murmured as I placed my board on the ground underneath her desk. She doesn't mind me keeping it there and I know my dad doesn't like me bringing it into his office so I tend to leave it with her when I board here.
After placing the board on the floor I stood and stretched before leaned my back against the edge of the desk with my elbows propped up against the hard surface. I glanced at my dad's office and as usual it was closed off so no one could see in or out.
"You happen to know what he wants to talk about?" I asked Danielle curiously as I continued to stare at the office before taking another sip of my warm coffee.
Since I wasn't looking at her I missed the enthusiastic look that crossed her face before she quickly recomposed herself.
"Absolutely no idea" she effortlessly lied.
"But from what I can tell it seems big" she added before turning back to her computer.
I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back so I could see her once again.
"Thanks for telling me things I already know Danielle, it was super helpful" I joked before turning back to the office when the doors swung open.
I watched as my father opened the door and nodded to Danielle before using his right hand to usher me inside without uttering a single word.
I gave Danielle's desk on last pat before pushing off and walking into the office. I closed the doors behind me before making my way over to one of the chairs in front of the large desk.
My father was waiting for me in his large office chair behind his desk. His feet were crossed and propped up on the edge of his desk as he leaned back in the chair. His elbows were resting on the chair's armrest while his hands hovered by his lips fingers intertwined together. Like every time he comes into the office he's wearing a crazy expensive black suit with a dark red tie wrapped around his neck. His hair is perfectly combed back making him look like the professional that he is.
For about the millionth time I glanced around the office and noticed how much black or dark colors permeated throughout the room. I always wondered where my dad's obsession with the colors red and blacks stemmed from because it seems that his décor is always black or prominently dark colors.
We stared at each other for a few tense seconds before I finally broke the silence wanting to get this conversation over with as fast as possible so I could crawl back to bed.
"So want did you wanna talk about pops. It seemed pretty urgent on the phone," I said starting off the conversation.
However, even after I tried to start the conversation my dad continued to stare at me for another minute or so before finally speaking "did I ever tell you how your mother and I met?" he suddenly asked and the question caught me off guard.
If there's one thing I know my father hates more than anything it's talking about my mother. When I was younger I used to ask him about her all the time, but he'd always shut me down before I could ask more than two questions. One time I got a small explanation out of him on a night he felt like sharing more than usual, but even then the only thing I learned was that she left us a long time ago when I was very young. He never said it, but I could tell her actions made him into the bitter and angry man I know he wasn't always right. Her disappearance affected him more than he let on, but I've learned to never push the subject very far unless I wanted to get yelled at.
After being shut down and rejected time after time I eventually stopped asking questions and accepted the fact that I was never going to know much about my mother.
Internally I think this is why I desperately wanted to gain my fathers approval, to make up for my mothers absence. If I couldn't have both parents around I might as well try to make the only one I have as proud and happy as possible.
So you could understand why I sat there stunned like a fish out of water when he suddenly brought up my mother without being prompted or pestered about it.
It took me a few seconds to regain my wits and return to the real world, but when I recovered I snapped my mouth shut knowing my father was giving me a disapproving look and loudly cleared my throat.
"Well I know you don't like to talk about her soooo no you haven't told me much about her" I answered while looking into his eyes to make sure he hadn't been replaced by aliens or something.
I placed the now forgotten coffee cup on a coaster in the corner of the desk and pushed it aside as my dad unclasped his hands. A small smile tugged on his lips as he leaned further into his chair and focused back on me.
If I knew to look for it I would've noticed that his smile was slightly sinister and completely fake, only there to keep up the façade of this being a happy and reminiscing moment. If only I knew how wrong I was.
He turned to me and suddenly started spewing out new information that I've never heard before. I couldn't help myself from leaning forward with eagerness at finally getting to know more about my mother.
"I remember the two of us were in our first semester of college when we met. Our football team had just won a the championship game against our rivals and the whole school threw a massive party to celebrate the win. I was partying with my friends when I suddenly laid eyes on the most beautiful women I've ever seen in my entire life. She was surrounded by a group of her friends as well laughing and dancing to the beat blasting through the speakers.
Ironically, at the same time I looked over at her she turned in my direction a few seconds later and we locked eyes. It was in that moment that I knew I had to speak to her because not only was she beautiful but she also she had the most mesmerizing eyes I've ever seen. They were a unique blend of blue and purple, something I've never seen in anyone before, and even to this day I still haven't seen anyone with a pair of eyes as beautiful as hers.
Eventually she split from her friends and I took the opportunity to introduce myself. Ever since then we became great friends and over the years that friendship turned into a relationship. I proposed a few years later after we'd gotten to know each other and finished college. We had you a little over a year into our marriage, and for the first time in my life I felt complete and utter happiness.
My company had just started to gain some success and was slowly becoming the large enterprise that it is today, and I was excited to have a son to carry on my legacy when I passed. Your mother was just happy to actually have a kid of her own like we'd been planning for a while."
My dad paused for a second and I couldn't help but ask the question that's been swirling around my mind ever since he brought up the subject.
"What was her name?" I hesitantly asked, slightly afraid that the question would cause him to clam up once again and stop the story before he finished.
He paused and looked me in the eyes before finally answering.
"Her name was Priscilla."
"Priscilla" I thought trying the name on my tongue while relishing in the fact that after all these years I finally learned the name of the women who gave birth to me.
I grinned and repeated the name in my head multiple times to make sure I didn't forget it as my dad continued the story and I listened intently; my earlier sleepiness fully forgotten.
Although when he started talking his mood dampened as he suddenly grew dark and cold.
"Even though things were going perfectly I couldn't shake the feeling that she was always hiding something from me" he confessed and I held back the scoff that almost slipped passed my lips.
"Kind of like the feeling I'm always getting from you" I thought before tuning back in to the man's words.
"One day I found out why I had this feeling. You were out with the nanny when your mother and I were at home and I learned that she had powers" he revealed casually like that wasn't life changing news.
I could just imagine the bewildered expression on my face as my eyes went wide and my mouth hung open like a gapping black hole.
"Wait did you just say powers? As in I can fly and lift things with my mind type superhuman powers?" I blurted not totally believing what he was saying.
"More like shooting beams out of her hands type powers, but you've got the right idea," he corrected while returning his feet to the floor and turning his chair so his body was facing mine.
"Are you high or something because that's not possible?" I stated while gripping the handles of my chair so hard I thought they were going to break.
"I assure you everything I'm saying is the full and honest truth. Your mother was special in more ways then you can imagine," he continued and my breathing became haggard as I felt like all the air escaped from my lungs.
He didn't say anything about my mother for about 14 years of my life and now all of a sudden he decides to tell me that she's some type of superhuman!
This is so not how I expected my Saturday morning to go.
Seeing the confused and disbelieving look on my face I guess my dad thought it was better to continue explaining then trying to reassure me.
"A few years before we met she was infused with an ancient power against her will, and over the years the powers influence over her grew more and more powerful. The power originated from a power crystal created around the same time the universe was formed. As time passed it came to be known as the power of the crystal. when I found out her secret I tried to help her fight its influence, but in the end she couldn't resist the crystal's power.
She was chosen to be the crystal's guardian, and because of this she was forever bound to it. It forced her to follow wherever it took her and unfortunately for us that wasn't staying at home with her husband and child. I remember waking up one morning and discovered that in the middle of the night my wife had left without so much as a goodbye or a worded letter in order to help the crystal find its next owner."
My hands clenched into fists as the story continued and my emotions took over my body. From the small amount of info my father disclosed before today it had always seemed like my mother chose to leave us behind, and over the years I started to hate her for that decision. But now I've come to find that she didn't choose to leave but rather ripped away against her will.
For the first time in a long while I felt anger, hurt, sadness, and hate bubble up to the surface and eat away at my usually composed and rational persona. Then, as if founding out my mother had powers wasn't enough, my father said something that made my head snap up.
"And the crystal did find a new owner. When the crystal found its new owner it merged with them and as a side effect of being the crystal's current guardian Priscilla was sucked into the crystal as well. This resulted in her essence being trapped inside the new hosts body. Priscilla didn't want to go, but the crystal wouldn't let her stay because she had to find a new host for the crystal and help them keep the crystal safe. Most people see the crystal as a source of goodness and purity, but I know its true nature and underneath all that cover it's really just a force for destruction and heartbreak" he finished and as he ended I was caught off guard by the raw amount of hate and disgust lacing his voice.
In all my life I've never heard my father sound so pissed off before. Sure I've seen him upset, irritated, and mad but I've never actually seen him genuinely pissed before, and trust me it wasn't a pleasant sight.
Now if I knew how pissed he could really get and that this was only a mild episode compared to what he could really do I wouldn't have been as afraid of him as I am now. He was angry, but he wasn't pissed because when he's pissed he tends to kill people after torturing them so much that they end up begging for death.
Refusing to cry in front of my father I forced back the tears that started to flood. He didn't believe in showing weakness to anyone, even family, which is why I've never seen him cry before.
"Who became the crystal's new host?" I suddenly asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"I'm glad you asked. The crystal chose Shade to be its host. She's the reason you grew up without a mother, why I lost my wife, and why the world lost an amazing and kind woman. Everything our family's had to endure is because of her and that stupid crystal" my father hissed spitefully, and I guess his emotions transferred to me because I felt something snap inside myself when the words left his mouth.
All the anger, hate, and hurt I felt suddenly had someone I could channel those emotions on. It might be a little ridiculous to blame one person for all of my problems, but at the moment I don't care if it is rational or not. It's like all the hate my father harbored for the girl transferred to me causing me to blame Shade just as much as he did.
If it wasn't for her I would've had a mom to help me grow up, to attend the school's honorary mother breakfasts with instead of staying home alone, to hug on and shower with presents on mothers day while telling her how much I love her, and help me deal with my girl problems when I started dating.
Instead I got a distant dad who drowned himself in work and never seemed to be around. A father whose mind is always somewhere far away or focusing on something else on the few times he is home. All of that misery is because of Shade and her stupid crystal.
I paused and titled my head to the side as a lightbulb went off in my head and I suddenly recognized the name, "Wait, you mean Batman's sidekick Shade? The hero Shade?"
"Yes that would be the one" dad confirmed and my shoulders slumped slightly.
"But she's only a kid, probably around my age. At the time she couldn't have been more than 2 or so when she merged with the crystal. I can't blame her for that, she's as much of a victim as mom was" I muttered under my breath.
"She's a kid who took your mother away from you. Don't pretend like she's some innocent little girl that hasn't done some despicable things in her life because trust me when I say she has. That's why I started an organization to help find your mom and bring her back to us" dad suddenly sprang on me and my eyebrows scrunched up.
"What are you talking about?" I asked highly perturbed by his words.
"When your mother left I was devastated and thought my world was going to end. I understood why she left, but at the time I didn't know how to help her get out of it. I couldn't help her then, but later on after years or researching I finally discovered a way to separate her from the crystal forever. Ever since then I've worked my butt off and dedicated my life to making that possibility a reality. I created a group made up of the world's greatest fighters, hackers, engineers, scientists, doctors, technicians, and a whole bunch of other specialists you probably cant even hope to pronounce called the BlackKnights" he elucidated as he leaned forward in his chair and placed his elbows on the desk.
I looked up and stared at him skeptically "why are you telling me this now?"
"Because it's about time you knew the truth. I would've told you sooner, but I wanted to wait until you were old enough to understand. We're almost ready to go through with our plans to get you mother back and I wanted you to be there when that happened. Its about time you joined the ranks and took your rightful place as the BlackKnights' future leader" he proclaimed and I stared at him like he'd grown three heads overnight before slowly standing from my chair.
"That's absolutely ridiculous you know that! First you tell me that not only have you been keeping the truth about why my mother left from me, but also that you're the leader of some undercover G.I Joe type organization! Not to mention the fact that my mother's a superhuman with powers! Second, in order to possibly separate mom from the host you'll need the host and I'm pretty sure Shade isn't going to be particularly thrilled with the idea of going with you to test out your theory; not to mention Batman, or Robin, and the entire League!" I yelled as I paced back and forth in front of his desk.
I'll admit I'm thrilled at the idea of reuniting with my mom, but I have to look at this from a logical perspective.
First of all we didn't even know if the plan will work. It could end up going badly and then everything we did would've been for nothing. Second I doubt that Shade, Batman's sidekick for heaven's sack, is going to willingly go with a band of strangers to try and extract someone from her body that she might not even know is inside her.
And if she does end up resisting then what? You can't kidnap her without unleashing the full fledged fury of not only the Bats but the League as well since Batman is one of their founding members. That alone makes this whole thing crazy, impossible, and highly illogical…but yet in the back of my mind far away from all rational thought I had the urge to go through with it anyway.
I've always dreamed of meeting my mother in person since she left when I was too young to remember her. There are no pictures of her around the house so I never knew what she looked like or her name until now. Despite how crazy this whole plan sounds I'd do anything to get my mother back, even if it meant temporarily getting on the wrong side of the League.
I just wanted to put my family back together, and if there's a way to do that, then I'm all in.
Coming to grips with this new mindset I stopped pacing and stared at the floor for a few seconds not believing I was about to agree to this craziness before slowly turning towards my father who'd been silently waiting for my response.
My eyes steeled with determination and I straightened up as I said, "show me."
For the first time today my dad smiled a genuine smile and stood from his chair before walking in my direction. He slung an arm around my shoulder and guided me back to the door as he said "son you don't know how long I've waited to hear you say those words."
As we walked out of the room I couldn't see the dark look that crossed my dad's face or the scheming glint behind his now cold eyes. His friendly fatherly smile turned into a sinister grin as he realized he was getting exactly what he wanted.
Danielle looked up when we walked out and her eyes immediately found his.
He nodded at her and in that silent movement he basically said the following words without speaking "We've got him right where we want him."
I wasn't surprised when I found out Danielle was a part of the BlackKnights as well. It only made sense that the closest person to him on a regular basis knew about his other life or they'd start to ask too many questions that couldn't be answered which would lead to later problems.
I was surprised however when the two changed into what I assume are their uniforms before going down to the private sector of the buildings garage reserved for the CEO only. I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw them emerge from the bathroom full clad in their uniforms.
I never knew my dad could fight, let alone wield a blade or any other type of weapon.
Danielle's costume was badass, and exactly what I would've imagined she'd look like if she were a secret butt kicking ninja girl. My dad's uniform on the other hand sent a few shivers creeping down my spine. When he put on that mask it was like he became a totally different person, and this person scared me a lot more than my father did. This person had a cold and dark aura around him, but I pushed the thought aside reassuring myself that underneath that mask he's still my father.
As we slipped into the black lambo I felt extremely lame wearing only a pair of baggy grey sweats, a tight blue under armor long-sleeved shirt, and a pair of old beat up sneakers.
The ride was completely silent so I decided to stare out of the window to see where we were going instead of awkwardly staring at the two in the front seat. I tried to keep a mental map in my mind of where we were going but when we left the city behind and ventured into the middle of a barren landscape I lost track of where we were.
I raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, as we disappeared under ground and into a dark winding tunnel. The tunnel was empty except for the lights lining the bottom of the walls so the driver could see where they were going.
Eventually we reached the end of the tunnel and the door blocking the exit lifted up allowing us to drive into a massive garage that made my eyes fall out of their sockets. Danielle, or Red Blade as I was told to call her when people are around, parked the car before turning off the engine. The door on my dad's side, or Shadow Strike, was opened for him a second after the car stopped moving. He swiftly moved out of the car and waited for me to join him. Unlike my father I didn't have someone to personally open my door for me so I opened my own door and slowly stepped out of the car before doing a full 360 turn taking everything in.
If the garage is any indication of what the rest of the base is going to look like I can already imagine it's going to be massive. I couldn't help myself from gapping at all the amazing cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, planes, and tanks occupying the space.
Wait… did I just say tanks!
I did a double take and indeed there were a cluster of tanks off in the corner of the room. At least I didn't imagine them
A low appreciative whistle slipped past my lips as I saw everything "I'm impressed, very impressed. I'll admit it's a lot more than I expected."
"Follow me" Shadow Strike curtly ordered ignoring my compliment and it occurred to me that while he's in uniform he seemed less like my dad and more like a fearless leader who didn't have any patience for foolishness. In my head I was going back and forth between calling him Shadow Strike and dad like I was debating on which name suited him better.
Regardless of this realization I followed after the man and Danielle accompanied me. As we walked Danielle leaned down and whispered in my ear so no one would hear.
"I'm glad you finally know everything David. I've been eagerly waiting for the day you finally join us," she whispered before winking since she knew her mask was preventing me from seeing her small grin. I flashed her a small smile before turning back to the front.
"So am I," I answered truthfully and I was surprised to see that I actually was. I didn't know much about the BlackKnights, but I was excited to learn more.
As we walked through the base I kept my head on a swivel taking in every detail. I saw what seemed to be hundreds of people walking around or doing work at their various designated stations. Everyone had on a different outfit depending on what their jobs were. A lot of the scientists had on the usual white lab coats over their clothes while a majority of the mechanical workers had on large gloves and red hardhats on their heads.
The ones who grabbed my attention the most are the people I assume are the fighters of the group. About 85% of them had on the same red and black bodysuits, which I guess is the BlackKnights issued uniform while others had on unique suits that matched their abilities and styles. They all had some time of weapon strapped to their bodies in plain sight or hidden under their clothes. A few had masks covering parts or all of their faces like Shadow Strike and Red Blade while others left their faces uncovered. Some of the weirdest things I saw in the halls was a man about three times my size with muscles as large as tanks and another was a man with a large almost medieval looking sword strapped to his back.
Again among all of these advanced and cool looking suits my attire made me feel extremely out of place. Seeing everyone in their uniforms made me want one of my own, although I don't know if I'd like to carry all of those weapons around, but I guess it's necessary for their jobs.
I did start to get a little suspicious though when I saw all the weapons around the place and the unlimited amount of people who looked like they wouldn't hesitate to beat you senseless or have an ounce of regret afterwards for doing it. My suspicion and weariness peaked to new heights when we got to what I assume is the weapon's and training room.
All of the walls were filled from head to toe with different types of weapons on deep shelves carved into the wall, and the room was massive so there was probably more than a few hundred weapons in here. I'm pretty sure this room has more weapons then the army, and I say that because not only were there weapons in walls, but when someone walked out of the large door in the back I caught a glimpse of what looked like another weapons vault that went on for many hallways and rows. All in all there were probably a few thousand weapons in the place and that doesn't even count all the weapons already strapped to people's bodies.
I didn't even know some of these weapons existed let alone how to use them or what they did.
I didn't admit it out loud, but I was completely mesmerized by the room. I know I might not seem like it, but I've always been interested in weapons. Not in a weird way where I like to harm people with them or anything like that, but I've always been fascinated by all the different type of knives and swords there were. I'm much more of a knife person then a gun person. I've never particularly liked guns and I felt like a nice dagger or knife was much more reliable then a gun.
The three of us stood on a platform overlooking the training room allowing us to see everything going on while still having our own privacy, because of this I didn't feel weird asking a question that popped into y head.
"What do you need all the weapons for? I thought this was about getting Priscilla back?" I asked casting Shadow Strike a suspicious glance and he peered at me out of the corner of his eye though I couldn't see it because of his mask.
"That is our main mission, but we also do other things to keep ourselves afloat. We do private jobs to help people recollect things that have been stolen from them that most people can't help them get back. We do the hard jobs that the normal police and other authorities can't even hope to accomplish, and some of those missions require us to have a large arsenal of weapons to cover all the different type of people we have."
I nodded turning back to the training room and glanced down with new interest when I saw a training session going on. In the middle of the room was a man who was even bigger than the man I saw before in the hall, and I didn't think that was possible. This man had very little hair and the biggest muscles I've ever seen in my life. He stood on the outskirts of a large training circle intently watching the two people sparring in the circle with critical eyes. As they fought he barked out orders or correct their mistakes.
A girl and a guy around the same age were the ones fighting against each other in the circle. Lying outside of the circle is a large black bow and a quiver full of arrows, so I knew one of them was an archer and by looking at the uniforms I assume it's the guy. Both of them were in uniforms and had masks covering their eyes. The boys uniform looked like most of the people I've seen around base so far, light clothing that's easy to move around in and dark in color to blend in with the shadows, but the girl's uniform was unique and different. Unlike everyone else her uniform wasn't bland and black, but rather a refreshing mix of black and dark purple. She even had red hair which was pulled back into a high ponytail and again that's another factor that set her apart from everyone else since she's one of the few red heads I've seen since I came here.
As they fought I could tell they were both extremely skilled in hand to hand combat. They were so good that I couldn't even imagine what they'd be like if they had their weapons.
"Ghost keep your right arm up and bring your left foot back a little bit more when you go for the punch" the large man yelled at the guy before moving on to the girl.
"Lady Smoke your reaction time is a few seconds too slow, pick it up!" he barked as the fight continued.
I watched with interest as the two engaged once again. Ghost managed to kick Lady Smoke in the side, but instead of stumbling back she used the momentum of the kick to spin herself around instead of falling on her back. Because of this she managed to spin around and kick him in the back making him fall to the floor. I thought the fight was about to be over, but before he could face plant on the floor Ghost brought his hands up and placed his palms on the floor successfully doing a perfect front flip and spin in the air. He landed on his feet facing his opponent with his hands up and ready to protect himself.
The two grinned at each other before running forward and exchanging a flurry of punches, kicks, and jabs. The two twirled in and out of each others reach as one would make a move only to be thwarted by the other ultimately continuing the match. It was like the two were dancing with each other, but a deadly dance that would result in a broken bone or two if one miss stepped.
After a few more minutes of even fighting the large man in the corner stopped the fight without declaring a clear winner. He walked forward and the two stopped fighting as he told them what they did right, what they did wrong, and what they needed to improve on.
"They're good, really good," I acknowledged in awe after seeing the fight.
"They're good, but I could do better" Danielle added while folding her hands across her chest.
"You're kidding right?" I questioned and Danielle turned to me with a scoff thinking I doubted her abilities.
"Are you saying you doubt my skills?" she asked and I lifted my hands while shaking my head no.
"No, not doubting just surprised. I've never actually seen you fight before nor thought you actually could" I mentioned softly and before Danielle could continue Shadow Strike started to walk down the steps towards the training room floor.
When he was halfway down the steps Danielle and I finally followed after him. He'd just reached the last step when the three others in the room noticed his presence and the two who were sparring only a minute ago straightened up and faced my dad with respect. The large man just remained where he was and gave my dad a greeting nod. From the body language I inferred that the two were close friends.
"Morning Shadow Strike, Red Blade, and… well would you look at that, young David's finally made an appearance. I was starting to wonder when you'd finally get your butt down here" the trainer said and I raised an eyebrow when the man said my name like he knew me.
I could tell the two other fighters leaned over slightly to see past Shadow Strike and get a good look at me. They've heard of Shadow Strike and Red Blade of course, but the name David was completely new to them. I could tell they were surprised to see a young boy dressed in sweats and a tight under armor shirt walking beside one of the most fearless fighters/ leaders they've ever met.
"Morning Roman, glad to see you're making progress on our new recruits here. Good job Ghost and Lady Smoke." Shadow Strike praised and Ghost and Lady Smoke nodded in thanks.
"Thank you sir" the two said simultaneously.
When I reached my father's side I kept my face composed and hard not wanting to look like a weak kid in front of these two recruits who were discretely sizing me up.
"You two are dismissed" the tank of a man told the two and they nodded before walking out of the room. Ghost grabbed his bow and quiver from the floor before leaving the room with Lady Smoke, the two softly chatting with each other as they departed.
"When they left Shadow Strike clasped a hand on my shoulder and introduced me to his comrade.
"David this is Roman, our weapon's specialist and trainer" he introduced and I shook the man's hand while saying "nice to meet you."
"Likewise. I'm glad to finally meet the young man I've heard so much about you" Roman grinned before turning back to Shadow Strike and suddenly getting serious.
"I'll head over to the machine and make sure everyone's ready" he said before leaving the room.
"What does he mean by that?" I asked as the large man left the room. I didn't talk to him very long, but I liked him. He seemed nice in a rough around the edges type of way.
"What if I told you that our plan to free your mother wouldn't work without you, and that I know Shade's secret identity" Shadow Strike asked and I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion. I'm pretty sure by the end of the day they're going to be stuck there from how much they've scrunched up today.
"I'd say how so and who is she" I answered swiftly not missing a beat.
Shadow Strike turned to me and looked me in the eyes as if he knew the next four words out of his mouth would cause my entire body to freeze.
"Shade is Dawn Parker."
I gave him a look then burst into a fit of laughter as the words left his mouth. I couldn't control my chuckles and I had to hold my stomach as my laughter started to hurt my ribs.
"Haha ok that was a good one, I'll give you that. Now who is she really?" I asked finally getting a lid on my chuckles.
Shadow Strike stared at me stock still not showing any signs of humor and his clipped voice told me that he was dead serious "I wouldn't joke about something like this David."
My mouth instantly went dry and I took a step back not expecting him to actually stick with it.
Dawn, sweet, innocent, kind Dawn couldn't be the person who took my mother away from me. She doesn't have powers and she definitely doesn't know how to fight some of the deadliest criminals that ever walked the earth.
She's my friend and she couldn't have kept something that big from me without me noticing…could she.
I glared at my dad and growled at him "You know I thought you were only a little crazy before, but now I know you're absolutely insane. Dawn isn't some criminal butt kicking superhero! Sure she has a little spunk and sass, but she doesn't have it in her to go out every night and fight crime!"
If Dawn was Shade then that would change everything. Before when the crystal's host was just a random stranger I was ok with channeling all my anger on them, but I couldn't do that to Dawn. I know Dawn, I talked to her, laughed with her, studied with her, she's one of my few true friends and if what my dad said is true then that friendship is about to crash and burn in a matter of seconds.
I don't want to believe that Dawn is Shade. I couldn't believe she's Shade.
"Trust me David. I've seen her use her powers and I can assure you it's Dawn behind that mask" Shadow Strike tried to assure me, but when he tried to place his hand on my shoulder I stepped back and angrily swatted his hand away.
"I don't believe you" I hissed bitterly before attempting to leave the room and the two crazy adults behind, but my path was blocked when Shadow Strike unsheathed one of his swords and brought it up to my chest.
I stared down at his sword before pushing the blade away from my chest. I slowly turned around and was about to chew him out for pulling a weapon out on me when the room's lights dimmed and a projection appeared out of no where. The sword moved away from my chest as I looked at the video being projected in front of me like I was inside of a movie.
To my surprise the video was of a young girl in a field surrounded by a group of armed men who all had on the same red and black uniforms I saw earlier. The girl was floating in the air high above the ground in civilian clothing. Her eyes were glowing a bright blazing blue and her hair whipped around her like whips as the wind picked up speed. I watched as the girl used her powers to take down the men around her in a ferocious manner. Her face was curled up in an intense snarl and the way her eyes glowed made her seem scary and ferocious. Especially when she started encasing the men in ice or throwing them into the air so high they couldn't have possibly survived the fall back down.
But in actuality it wasn't the act of furiousness that caught my attention, it was the girl's face. I stared at the girl in disbelief as I walked forward until I was directly in front of where the projection was putting the girl. Despite the fact that she's a few years younger and her eyes were covered by glowing lights there's no mistaking that this girl was in fact Dawn. I tried to tell myself that this was a trick and it wasn't actually true. I tried to tell myself that there was more to the story about why she was attacking people, but at the same time it didn't matter why she was attacking them. What mattered was that she could attack them in the first place. I just sworn up and down that Dawn didn't have powers and couldn't possibly be Shade and yet here was video evidence proving me wrong.
She had the same long silky dark brown hair and her blemish free skin was the same though she's gotten slightly tanner over the years. Her eyes were glowing, but there was no mistaking her other facial features. I've looked at the girl enough times over the years to know what she looked like.
"That's not possible. She can't…there's no way…Dawn doesn't have powers" I stuttered shaking my head slightly not wanting to believe the truth. I lifted my hand to touch the projections face and just as I was about to touch the hologram the projection disappeared and the lights returned back to normal.
I swallowed thickly before lowering my hand back to my side dejected.
"Where did you get that?" I asked still not facing my father.
"Does it really matter?" he asked and in the back of my mind I answered with a swift no, but didn't voice it.
"Now are you finally ready to listen" he suddenly asked and as he waited for my answer I looked up from my position of staring at the floor. If someone had been watching the conversation they would've seen my face undergo a drastic change over the course of the day. In the beginning it was weary, disbelieving, and distrusting, but with everything that's come to light my emotions and expression changed.
My face now had a look of determination and no longer had a look of hesitance. My eyes flashed with resolve, determination, and anger.
I spun on my heels and faced my father looking him straight in the eyes as I answered "absolutely."
He grinned in satisfaction behind his mask "good, then let us begin. We have a lot of work to do."