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Post by DornKoon on Aug 20, 2024 20:23:35 GMT
"To think I'd be back here," Richard Swift muttered to himself; tucking away the tourist guide he'd happened to find on a park bench earlier in the evening, he pulled out an antique pocketwatch and checked the time... letting out a small hmm, before closing it with a click. "Never mind, no use reminiscing on old times. If you'll excuse me..." The Shade stepped over one of the unconscious goons. He'd have expected the criminals to put up more of a fight. The Shade glanced at the rest of the goones, a few making pained groans while others lay knocked out among what remained of their weapons. "No hard feelings, boys..." He said with a dry smile before going further into the warehouse, his elongated shadow swirling among the floor and walls. He'd never been one to ask many questions when taking on a mission, and if he had to take out a few criminals and smugglers simultaneously, who was he to say no? After all, he was an old man; he needed to exercise to stay in the game.  The warehouse was stocked with containers of varying sizes and colours, some stacked, others standing alone. Most were filled with whatever these people planned to smuggle into or out of Central City—mostly antiques, electronics, and furniture. Riched glanced at a few of them as he walked past. "MGPA 3464740", He muttered, knocking at one container with his cane as he passed it. "You'd think they could find a better system than this. How is anyone supposed to find anything?" He let out a sigh. It was only a matter of time before the local law would show up, and Riched did not fancy sticking around. Sure, he might be able to take out the city's finest without much trouble, but why waste the effort?
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Post by Nomz on Aug 21, 2024 2:53:46 GMT
There is so much to be said about Wally's restraint. No, really. He has gone a month and two weeks without stopping crime or fighting crime. In fact, he had even committed a crime, technically. A federal crime at that.
So, really, Wally is only tipping the scales back into neutral territory as he steps over an unconscious man and snoops around the warehouse. He stops for a moment, doubling back to look at the man in surprise. "Damn, Frankie. Involved in crime even here, huh?"
The Speedster shakes his head in something akin to disappointment, readjusting his 'Welcome to Star City' baseball cap as he sneaks along. Thanks to his knocking on a container with his cane, lovely voice, and terribly long shadow, it does not take long for Wally to locate....a very old and familiar face.
"Say it ain't so," Wally calls out cheerily as if greeting a very, very old friend. He stands just within earshot of The Shade in the most Plain-Jane civilians possible. "Is that the original Mr. Tall, dark, and mysterious? Whatcha up to, pal?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 21, 2024 15:36:27 GMT
Richard came to an abrupt halt at the cheery greeting, he slowly turned his head towards the source of the sound. Who was that? The tone of voice seemed to imply they knew each other, but with those plain clothes. The Shade turned all the way around, causing his coat to swirl slighty as the shadows around him shifted and moved.
"Who--" He began, but stopped, behind his sunglasses his eyes narrowed slightly. "How odd..." Richard took off his glasses, using a black handkerchief to polish them for a few seconds before putting them back on. "Do we-- know each other?" He asked, and there was the faintest bit of uncertainty in his voice. There was something about this young man that made him feel weird, and looking at him Richard had a sense of deja vu, like he knew that voice, but could not for the life of him remember from where or when.
No, it would not do him any good to get out of balance over something like this. The Shade looked to one of the containers, he did not know if the kid was here to be a problem, or if he was just an idiot. As long as he did not start any beef, Richard did not plan to waste precious time and energy on him. "Hero business, if you could believe it..." From the tone of voice, he did not sound like he found that notion very entertaining.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 22, 2024 0:11:52 GMT
"Know each other? I'm hurt. You must not remember taking me to prom in '09." The lad shrugs his shoulders as he walks up closer to The Shade, mindful not to get too close or inside his personal bubble. Wally tucks his hands into his front pockets, glancing at the container that Richard is looking at with something more than casual interest.
"Hero business can still mean alotta things, Mister." Despite being a full-grown man himself, he seems to be playing up the role of a young man. It helps that he knows for a fact that The Shade is older than he is. "What kind of hero business? You saving someone or are you the one stopping some type of wrongful shipping of stolen CDs?"
Maybe, if he can keep Richard talking long enough, Central City PD can show up to stop whatever is actually happening here. While Wally is never one to doubt the sincerity in someone's actions, even he has to admit that this whole situation looks very suspicious for Good Ol' Shadow Man.
"Who hired you?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 22, 2024 10:18:07 GMT
"I see," Richard gave the young man a deadpan expression. "A comedian, just what I needed. If you plan to stall for time, I should advise against it, my young friend. The city finest showing up might be enough to frighten off those goons out there, but if you know me, you know that would not be enough". It was not said as a threat, more as a fact. Shade might not like the idea of wasting energy on the local law, but that did not mean he would not do it if they came in guns blazing.
Still-- Richard could not shake this weird feeling, the deja vu, the way he acted; it poked something. The kid was more than he appeared to be, that much The Shade knew, and for the moment, it felt best not to take any chances until he knew more. There was much to be gained from a conversation, and for the moment, he had the upper hand in knowing what he was looking for.
"Who knows," he replied to both questions simultaneously, continuing his stroll along the row of containers. "I'd be a pretty bad professional if I sold out my sources, but if it helps alleviate some of the... heroics bubbling under your red hair, I'm not working for any criminal, supervillain, or evil mastermind."
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Post by Nomz on Aug 23, 2024 0:49:58 GMT
"Aw, shucks, Mister. I ain't no comedian," Wally says with a shy little smile, however, that melts a bit when Richard mentions the local PD. "Yeah, no. I know they may not be able to stop you, but like, there's supers out there who might? Who knows, maybe they'll know Superman."
He nods along as Richard talks, looking for all the world like a guy who just wandered into the wrong area. Honestly? Wally is really, terribly, truly curious as to what is going on here. Hero work?
"I don't got no heroics, sir. My uncle always told me 'A race doesn't end... until someone crosses the finish line!'" He pauses for a moment, watching Richard closely. "I have no idea what he meant by that, but he always seemed really bubbly when he said it. You got people like that, Mister? Family or a reason to do hero work?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 23, 2024 17:15:03 GMT
"Yes, suppose you're right, or you would have been funnier," Richard retorted dryly, not smiling as he did not even look at the youth. "Such as yourself? Let's be realistic; no regular young man would barge in on a scene with such confidence and... energy if he did not have a way to back it up." The Shade paused, and his black eyes returned to the red-haired stranger. "Are you one of the Flash's new sidekicks? You're as infuriatingly chipper..."
"I'm not sure what that saying has to do with anything here." Richard examined a few more containers as he passed them. "Boredom, mostly-- when you are immortal, things like family become less important once they are all gone. I did have a sister. Her name was Emily." There was a pause as Richard cleared his throat. He was not sure why he told this to a person who for all intents was a stranger, and yet-- no he could not shake the feeling. "Not sure why I am telling YOU this, not that it matters; she's been dead for well over 100 years now."
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Post by Nomz on Aug 25, 2024 0:29:03 GMT
The look he sends The Shade's way all but screams 'Who, me?' He even stops to press a hand to his chest before letting it fall to his side again. "I solely swear on my red hair that I am not one of Flash's new sidekicks. In fact, he doesn't even know me."
That too-cheery smile finally slips and, with it, goes that nearly boyish attitude. His lips purse as his gaze falls to the floor in thought, brows pinched and suddenly looking every minute of his 29 years. Secondhand sneakers scoff at the concrete as he follows Richard.
"Does it ever get easier? Surviving without your family? Or... continuing in a world where no one really knows you anymore?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 25, 2024 10:19:11 GMT
The Shade gave him a hard stare, calling bullshit with his eyes before he let out a sigh. He might not be a sidekick of Flash, but he was no regular person either. "Mores the pity for that. He's a useful person to know, and as far as heroes go, he's a more decent one." While his voice remained compassionate, there was a hint of something else, for one perceptive enough. Richard had always respected Flash more than any other hero. He was annoying, but he cared, which was more than could be said for much of the world these days.
Richard examined another container and froze at the unexpected question, but more from how it was said. This was the voice of... experience? The comedy and bravado were gone, only replaced by this... loss? "Of course, that makes sense..." He said to himself. "Let me ask you this question, my red-haired friend. Did we know each other?" Richard turned, and this time, he took off his glasses, looking at Wally with his black eyes.
"To answer your question, it depends on you; you can let yourself be swallowed by the pain, fall to self-loathing and become victim to the past. Or you can let go of the illusion that things matter, accept the world for what it is now, and make the best of it." Richard furrowed his brow, twirling his cane as he spoke. "Make yourself known..."
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Post by Nomz on Aug 25, 2024 22:53:24 GMT
"I know you," Wally answers as if those three words answer everything, and maybe they do. His comfort and damn near familiarity with Richard would make sense. His lack of fear or panic at being alone with someone as powerful as he is. "You knew me in the way that the Flash knows all his people. Well, a version of you did."
A hand raises to push his hat off his head while the other ruffles through his red hair. Wally exhales before putting the hat back on, backwards.
"I was considering just trying to live it day by day, but, maybe I'm just supposed to do more than that? I used to do so much. I could do it again. I could be someone again." A small, genuine smile tugs at his lips. "You and I have had so many talks, it's interesting to be on the receiving end. Thanks, Richard."
"So, need a helping hand Mr. Do-Good?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 26, 2024 9:26:17 GMT
Richard's eyes focused on the boy—no, the man in front of him. His words were not lies, and yet they did not make sense. Not that things making sense were daily in his life; he had turned from a human to a shadow demon, so he was as far from mind as one could make. Richard changed his steps and walked over to where the red-haired man stood. He kept enough distance to avoid invading private space, but he was close enough to get a good look at him.
He did not know, he could not remember, and yet, this man before him was lost.
The best he could do in this situation was accept it, and he did have a weakness for young heroes... and this one might not be a child, but then again... most heroes were young in Richard's eyes.
"I don't know if it's worth anything, my new old friend," Richard said. "I know not about this version of me you knew, but looking at you." He paused, raising the cane to adjust his tophat. "I don't remember, yet something inside me tells me you're telling the truth."
"You're welcome," Richard straightened himself, uncomfortable with the sentimentality of it all. " And of course, you can be someone, so why don't you make yourself useful and use your quick feet to check for container MGPA 3464740? I trust your speed has not been stunted from disuse?" The last was mild teasing but also a challenge.
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Post by Nomz on Aug 27, 2024 5:02:02 GMT
If Richard's approach alarms Wally, he does not wear it in his expression or body language. No, if anything, he seems almost comfortable. There is nothing quite like the gratitude shining through his smile when the much older man refers to him as his new old friend. It is more than Wally had dared to hope for and far more than he could have expected.
"No one knows me. You'll get used to it," he replies with a short shrug even as he stuffs his hands into his pockets. That little bit of natural boyishness starts to slip into place again when Richard straightens himself.
Those green eyes lit up at the challenge and the vote of confidence. Wally glances at the nearest container, taking note of how the serial numbers are written out. Then, there is a breeze and suddenly he is calling from further up ahead, leaning around the side of a container.
"It's just up here, though you never did tell me what was in it." Now, he lets that natural curiosity out. "Should I open it or wait for you?"
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Post by DornKoon on Aug 27, 2024 9:29:24 GMT
"Odd to hear you say such things," said Shade, slightly amused. "You've gotten to know people once; I'm sure you can use your... charm to do it again." It was good that some confidence had returned; Richard could not imagine being in a world with people you knew, with them not knowing you in return. Most people would have difficulty believing, let alone accepting, such a thing. Thankfully, he was not like most people... maybe it was due to his more nihilistic view of the world.
He turned slightly as the young man vanished in a gust of wind, so he was the Flash or another version of him. Richard had not pictured Flash with red hair, but maybe that was just this one. As expected, the right container was found mere moments later, making Richard wish he had revealed himself a little earlier.
"I think we can have a look," Richard said as he stepped out from the shadows next to the container. He might not be as fast as Flash, but he was not slow when going from place to place. He examined the container for a moment before nodding. "Some weeks ago, a group working for, or at least with connection to, the Maggia were digging around where they should not, and they found something interesting." He paused, looking at Wally with a slight smile, putting the sunglasses back on. "Since it looks like we're partners on this now, why don't you do us the honour and look for yourself?"
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Post by Nomz on Aug 27, 2024 15:55:06 GMT
"Maggia," he frowns as he tastes the unfamiliar name, his mind racing to try and find anything that could match up with it. After a second, he deems it as knowledge that he'll have to search up when he has time and access to a computer later today.
He glances at Richard, unbothered by his ability to just meld out of the shadows like a very dapper Batman. The shipping container stands tall and still before the both of them. Wally can't help but double-check that the label does declare that this is MGPA 3464740. The Speedster pushes his sleeves up to his elbows, takes a deep breath, and reaches for the latch of the container.
The hindges groan in protest.
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Post by Bixir on Aug 28, 2024 4:32:13 GMT
Now that the Shade was before his target, there was something particular about it. Familiar, even. Though he was long-lived, memories were easy things to resurface. It did not take much to place one thing or another, especially when it evoked something - someone - so vividly as this. It was a dark thing, one that ought not to be taken lightly. A man of his talents arcane would be able to handle whatever was lying in wait for him with this container. It was not the Shade who was opening the door. It had been an easy arrangement. Dreadfully easy, really. He was so predictable, even after all these years. To think that he would let his guard down so readily. It would not be so surprising if it wasn't so amusing. This was what he lived for... metaphorically speaking. It was a simple hex, though charmingly effective: A chilling spell, not on the body, but the soul. It did not matter how fast the Speed Force boasted to be. Nothing was faster than instantaneous. A classic trick that would stop most mortals' hearts. For the Flash? He might just have to stop to catch his breath. Once the hinges of the container swung open, the hex expounded in a cloud of silver aether, completely smothering the Flash in its magic power. Deeper within the shipping container was more of that aether, now pouring outside. Within that dispersing mist was an immaculate three-piece suit, a flowing cape, a silver standing cane, a top hat and monocle... and no body. It raised a gloved, armless hand, moving just short of grazing the Flash's cheek. It spoke with a chilling, gentlemanly timbre. "Oh, dear, I don't think I know you. Has the Flash gone off and made progeny? Again?"He turned to look at the man that had been with this... curious speedster. Though this specter was incapable of human expression, his voice belied surprise, though more importantly, familiarity. "Shade, my good man! Had I known you were back to your old ways, I would have sent you a missive! You bloody scoundrel!~" |
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