Chapter 17

Author's Note:

Hello There, Author-san here.

The poll for the length of chapters posted is concluded, I'll be posting normal length chapters as I regularly do then. And yeah BTW it's not short just normal amount, it's just that some people are used to speed reading instead of taking their time to enjoy the journey.

No wonder some of y'all be asking questions, that is already shown in the chapters. Anyway I love you all and do hope that each and everyone will have a good day(Or night I ain't omniscient)

Anyway Back to the story Enjoy 😉

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(Mallory's POV)

Mallory sat in her small, neatly organized apartment, the quiet of the morning shattered by the ongoing news broadcast.

Chaotic images of destruction flashed on the screen, accompanied by bold headlines accusing A-Train of a horrific attack that left dozens dead.

Her gut twisted in discomfort, a familiar sensation she had come to trust over the years. Something was off.

She had monitored him just like she did all supes, Reggie also known as A-Train, she saw his transformation over the past year. From a reckless speedster who initially chased fame and glory, into an actual more careful and considerate hero.

She had seen him save civilians, go out of his way to minimize collateral damage. So It didn't make any sense. The person the news was describing couldn't be the man something screaming at her that it was a set-up.

"This doesn't add up," she muttered, her eyes narrowing at the screen. 'He wouldn't actually do this.'

Her instincts, sharpened by years of government service, screamed at her that this was no ordinary scandal. She had witnessed enough orchestrated events and false flags during her career to recognize the clear signs of a setup.

The A-Train she knew had been different lately—more cautious, as if he had something to prove. 'Could it be that someone was trying to ruin him?'

Determined to uncover the truth, Mallory set her coffee aside and reached for her phone. Her fingers moved swiftly, dialing the number of an old contact in the intelligence department. "Jack, it's Mallory," she said when he picked up.

~Grace, it's been a while,~ Jack replied, a hint of surprise and warmth in his voice.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Yes, it has," she acknowledged, feeling a pang of nostalgia. "Listen, I need a favor."

~Figured as much,~ Jack chuckled. ~What do you need?~

Mallory took a deep breath, steeling herself. "I need you to pull all the intel you can on the A-Train incident. Something's not right, and I need to know what we're missing."

Jack was reliable, someone she trusted without any doubts. He had connections and knew how to sift through the noise to sniff out the truth. As she hung up, Mallory's mind raced with possibilities.

She began making a list of people she could reach out to for more insight—former colleagues, old informants, anyone who might have caught something in the wind.

Hours went by as she dug deeper, her frustration mounting with each dead end. The more she uncovered, the more inconsistencies she found. Eyewitness accounts were conflicting, security footage seemed tampered with, and the timing of the attack was suspiciously convenient for certain parties.

It all pointed to a larger conspiracy, one that went beyond the usual Vought antics.

'This is bigger than I thought,' she thought, rubbing her temples. ' Just who the hell could be behind this?'

Mallory's suspicions gradually focused on file on hand, a familiar name: Shockwave. The speedster had been a rival of A-Train, known for his obsession with surpassing him.

'But framing Reggie for such a monstrous act?' The thought chilled her. If Shockwave was truly involved, then it meant the stakes were much higher than a mere rivalry. It suggested a willingness to sacrifice innocent lives just to achieve a hidden agenda.

"Dear, God." she sighed exhausted after hours spent on the investigation, but she was determined to get to the bottom of this, Mallory continued her work, piecing together the puzzle with every call she made and every piece of information she gathered on her investigation board.

She knew she was getting close to the truth. It was only a matter of time before she exposed the real puppet master behind this unnecessary tragic loss of life—its the responsibility she felt deeply, as someone who had dedicated her life spent in the service of protecting her country.

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(Back with Reggie)

Sitting alone in his advanced lab, Reggie was hunched over a workbench, his mind busy with plans for a new outfit.

He knew that even if he managed to clear his name of A-Train's supposed crimes, the stigma associated with him would linger.

A fresh start was going to be necessary. He would no longer try to be the goody two-shoes hero anymore—it just wasn't him. This time, he would embrace his past instead of trying denying it.

He paused, looking at the rough sketches scattered across the table. "I've been trying to be someone I'm not," he murmured, "Not anymore though."

Completing the schematics for his different suit, before looking at it for a while he then nodded in satisfaction.

Calling up SPADE to start ordering the necessary materials for his costume, he once again drew up his own investigation board.

Now knowing who and how they commited that despicable act behind his back, he headed to his lab not bothering to run.

Getting there he took out a scalpel and took a deep breath before stabbing his thigh, gritting his teeth as he dug around his wound for the chip. Before he got it, pulling it out he brought it up to his eyes before crushing it.

"If I come across someone redeemable, I might just spare them—after breaking them, of course," he muttered, his voice growing cold. "As for the irredeemable ones? They better pray, that they don't cross my path."

His eyes started to glow blue slowly turning purple as he continued, the anger simmering beneath the surface. "Because this time, I won't just kill them—that would be too merciful. Oh No, No, No.....I'll be sure to take my time with them. Not until they will beg for release, but I won't just stop there. Not until I fully destroy them, mind, body, and soul, and once no semblance of them remain, then and Only then will I grant it."

Reggie clenched his fists, the rage was felt as the barely contained lightning flashed between purple and blue around his vibrating body. The name A-Train, the puppet of Vought, was dead.

From now on, he would be known as Riftshade, a name that would strike the fear of God into the hearts of those who would end up as his targets. He would bring his own version of justice to the world, 'May God have mercy on them..... Because RIFTSHADE IS JUST ALL OUT OF MERCY'.

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