9 Chapter 9 - Silas

I crossed the four remaining blocks in less than a minute, entering the theater that had been marked on Emma's GPS. The entrance was like any normal theatre you might see. Overly extravagant decorations with little to no actual purpose other than looking nice.

I strolled through the doors to see nobody there. The only damage to the building or even the things inside seemed to be the doors that had been forced open.

I scanned the place for any further sign of a crime, when I noticed the door to the audience seating area had been forced open in a similar manner to the front door. I stalked towards the door and slipped inside.

The stage was dark except for one spotlight on center stage and I couldn't see anyone in the audience. I could see clearly into each of the seats with the night-vision the helmet automatically had installed.

"Oh, that can't be all the audience I get!" a voice seemed to echo from everywhere. "I guess we'll just wait for more of you to arrive." I stomped my way down the center aisle when the spotlight shifted in front of the curtain. I glanced toward the balcony and looked for the spotlight. I saw one light on the ceiling was on. Right, light manipulator.

Emerging from the stage left wing was a shadowy figure. Despite the spotlight, I couldn't make out anything more than a silhouette of the man.

"It would seem the rest of the audience has arrived!" the voice echoed. I turned to see another shape in the door. At first, I thought Emma had arrived, since she should have only been a minute or so behind me. I stopped myself before I called out to her, finally noting that she was not in fact Emma. It was her sister.

"So, the fangirl arrives," I called out, "come to see me take care of a villain since I don't do autographs?" This one must have pushed buttons I didn't know she had, because she charged. A metal staff formed in her hands as she drew nearer, but something seemed off. At the last moment, a figure stepped out of my peripheral vision where I hadn't even noticed him. He landed a blow right across her chest, forcing the breath out of her lungs and knocking her to the ground.

"Oh Metallette, huh? I honestly didn't expect such a well-known hero to take on poor little me. You're famous, darling." I would have helped, but the figure melted back into the shadows. I listened as he continued to monologue.

"You know, heroes really are something else. The greater the hero, the more people they must cast into unpopularity. You know, the bigger the hero…" he rambled before fading off. Then I heard a whisper right next to my helmet. "The bigger the shadow they cast."

I flicked my wrists and formed a shield to protect my back, then turned and faced the shadow. The Silhouette stood before me, as I had decided to nickname him. I simply pushed my shield forward, but the black velvety figure dispersed.

I ran to Metallette, whose actual name I didn't know yet and hero title I had only just learned, and checked that she wasn't too badly hurt.

"Hey, you good?" I casually asked through my helmet. She nodded and I offered a hand. "Truce till we deal with Silhouette over here?" She rolled her eyes, though I could only see it as a change of glare in my night-vision visor.

"Fine, but after this I'm taking you down too."

"Have fun trying," I laughed. I could tell she was peeved, but simply glanced back around the audience, looking for the enemy. It wasn't time for me to be making friends with the sister of one of my few allies. I couldn't make out a definite shape, but I threw a long-ranged punch at everything that seemed to move.

Without warning, a blinding light filled the room. In the flash of brightness, my night-vision clicked off, and my visor quickly shaded my eyes. The light illuminated the shadowy figure that I could now make out skulking in the main aisle. I immediately flung a wall of solid energy at him while Metallette was still rubbing her eyes, blinded. He stumbled back and I followed up with another punch, then a third.

I couldn't explain where the light had come from until I realized who was no longer absent from the theater. I would have to thank Emma for the assistance later. When Metallette's vision finally adjusted to the light, I had already knocked Silhouette out and was held in my energy cuffs. They were only a temporary measure.

"This is why you should never give a theatre fanatic superpowers..."

"Theatre kids aren't all that bad," Emma replied as she walked up.

"Well, I think I deserve a thank you. Though you might want to put those special cuffs you heroes use on him." I had no clue how the special cuffs all heroes were issued, but they seemed to temporarily stop an evolved from using their powers.

"I think you both owe me a thank you," Emma piped in at my remark.

"Yes, you're right on that point. Thank you for the assist, Flare. We couldn't have done it without you," her sister praised, smiling at her little sister. Emma was beaming from the praise as they both turned to me.

"I think this is my cue to leave." Perhaps the theatre joke was unnecessary, but it felt right with the character I put on when I was Basic. "Before I leave, I don't think I got your name, Metallette."

"Well, I'm Hannah Railon. You want to tell me who you are, since we're doing introductions?" It was a good plan, but I shrugged off the question with my farewell.

"I'm pretty sure you already know that one! I'm Basic. I'll see you around, Hannah," I said as I headed for the door.

"Wait!" She called. I stopped but didn't turn around before she continued. "I gave you a chance to tell me why you are in our system as a villain. If you don't want to tell me who you are, I won't give you another chance. You will be a villain." I had to think of something cool to say back.

"Well," I started dramatically, "If I'm a villain to the lackeys of High Solis, then I am a hero in my book." I stepped through the door with my reputation set in stone as a villain to the heroes but a hero to the people that actually cared to look into what I did. It was just where I wanted to be.