Chapter Text
In the Pale City, another common occurrence, besides the occasional burning building, was the use of magic. More than half the City had the ability to touch the Source of it in some way or another, whether it was connected to the elements or enhancing their bodies. Most people were under the impression that once their powers manifested at an early age, those were set in stone and could not be tampered with in any way. New ones could always have been latent, but for the most part, magic-users knew their limits and could not go beyond them.
Unless, that is, one went to visit the Misfit.
Which is exactly what a certain young girl was doing right now, head down as she ducked into an alleyway to escape the rain. It was nearly always raining in this city, which normally she didn’t mind, but right now she wanted to look a little more presentable for where she was going.
Dusk checked around her again, then a finger tapped her shoulder. She quickly glanced back to see nothing, except a black-painted door in the wall that had almost certainly not been there before. It was already slightly open, as if to say “Come on in.”
She did, shutting it behind her quietly. All of this was as expected, from what Dusk had heard anyway. What was happening in the shadows was already sweeping the streets with rumors, but at least where the Misfit was and how to find him was consistent.
And speaking of the Misfit…
Looking around in the room, all she could see was a dimly lit chair with a figure in it. She cleared her throat, but before she could stutter out a greeting, the figure raised a single finger and light exploded in the room, illuminating everything in a warm orange glow. Glass cases were everywhere, filled with odd objects and occasionally live animals, but also knives and more twisted sharp instruments, all gleaming in the light. On the wallpaper that she could see, all kinds of creatures had been scrawled in black ink. Forcing her gaze away, she took a look at the Misfit himself, who was still strangely half-shadowed.
Despite the rustic appearance of his room, the Misfit was outfitted in a dark green suit with black gloves and hair to match underneath a fedora the same shade as his suit. His face was surprisingly young, and his eyes were closed with his finger still in the air, forcing Dusk to wait for him to speak to her. She was just beginning to wonder if she should start the conversation before he took a small breath, giving her a piercing gaze with his two different colored eyes, blue on the right and green on the left. “Ah, hello.” He offered a charming smile, standing up and moving away from the desk to pull a chair up next to it. “Please sit, I insist.”
Not taking her eyes off the man for a second, Dusk sat down. The Misfit whistled a tune and flicked his finger, and the chair she was in slowly scooted across the ground to the desk, where he sat on the opposite end. Still whistling, he gave another smile and began shuffling a deck of cards, clearly waiting for her to start the conversation.
She cleared her throat. “I’ve heard what you can do, and I wanted to ask you to help me.”
“Of course,” the Misfit responded, casually placing three cards down on the table and hesitating for a second before flipping one over, showing a drawing of a wave. “You are unaffected by water and can control it, to some extent.” It wasn’t a question. Dusk swallowed her disbelief that he had known so easily and nodded. The Misfit flipped the second card, this time the image of a frog was on the other side. He glanced up at her, drumming his fingers on the table. “You prefer the company of animals to humans, and have spent your days trying to learn their ways to leave the streets forever.”
Dusk finally got the nerve to speak up. “How do you know all that from just a card?”
The Misfit winked with his blue eye. “My secret, Dusk.” He lifted the final card, revealing a figure that strongly resembled her, with a blue water background. The Misfit grinned. “You want me to enhance your powers so that you can survive the crushing depths of the ocean, and to be able to understand the creatures of the water.”
Eyes wide, Dusk nodded, not even trying to hide that she was impressed. “Yes, that’s exactly right.”
Sweeping the cards back into his deck, the Misfit leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. “So, when people come to me for a deal, I usually ask for payment.”
Dusk felt her nervousness increase, and quickly said, “If you’re gonna trick me into giving up something like some genie, I don’t want it-”
The Misfit laughed, the sound echoing despite the small room. “Oh no, Dusk. Forgive me for all the theatrics and secrets, but that’s really not the type of payment I’m looking for. You and I both know the real power in this world isn’t magic, it’s money!” He gave a small chuckle, folding his hands together. “For this…it’ll cost you five hundred.”
A small shock went through Dusk. He knew exactly how much money she was carrying with her at the moment. Hesitantly she replied, “What are you going to do, then?”
Standing up, the Misfit grabbed a silver case off of his shelf. “I will need some of your blood, and then I will ask for you to remain calm. The process will not take long, and you will have what you desire soon enough.” He removed a syringe from the case, making Dusk shift uncomfortably in her seat. The Misfit glanced at her, eyebrows raised. “If you are the type to flinch at needles, this might not be for you-”
“No,” Dusk said, sitting up straighter. “I’ll do it, as long as it’s quick.”
The Misfit nodded. “You may want to close your eyes. Even some of the stronger ones don’t like seeing this.”
Dusk shut her eyes tightly, waiting until she felt a slight pinch, then it went away and the sound of footsteps made her open them again. The Misfit was holding a bottle of bright blue liquid, offering it to her. “Drink, and you will have what you want.” Dusk took the bottle, and yet the Misfit’s hand stayed extended. She realized what he wanted and reluctantly took the money out of her pocket, handing it over to him. He clutched it in a fist, carefully folding it and placing it in his suit pocket, then began to watch her closely.
She stared into the bottle for a little while, then drank the whole thing in one gulp. Wiping her mouth and setting the bottle down on the desk, Dusk asked, “How long is it gonna take?”
The Misfit winked. “Oh, only a few minutes.” He gave a small smile, then gestured with a finger. “While you wait, would you like to see any other options from my shop? Just in case you return.” Dusk nodded, starting to stand up, but then caught herself just before she tripped over her own feet. The room swirled just a little, but she managed to regain her balance. The Misfit gave her a questioning glance, then very slowly grinned and gave a low chuckle. “ Now we’re cooking.”
Every light in the room went out, leaving only the Misfit illuminated by an eerie green glow. Dusk took a wobbly step backwards before collapsing on the ground, staring up at the man who now seemed to be glowing himself, the inky black drawings on the wallpapers seeming to move. The Misfit grinned. “I’ll share a secret with you, Dusk. All of us have some darkness lurking in our hearts, for example, where you got that money from.”
Through her haze, Dusk felt a shiver go up her spine. “How…do you…”
The Misfit smirked down at her, his different-colored eyes seeming to glow brightly through the blackness threatening to overtake her. “I know everything you want to hide, Dusk. The same way I knew your name, despite you never telling it to me.” He leaned down a little, lowering his voice to a whisper. “But you’ll get what you want, I’m not a liar. However, humans are simply despicable through and through, and sometimes the herd of them needs to be thinned.” The Misfit stood up, backing away from her, and Dusk felt the room start to spin even faster. Her eyes closed, and the shadows finally overtook her.
***
The Misfit poked the lump of clothes and bandages with his foot, making sure everything had worked as it should have. The front of his shoe hit something small, which made his face light up. Perfect.
Carefully removing the sleeping frog from the pile of clothes, the Misfit strolled out the door, humming a tune to himself. Another customer was satisfied, and the day had barely started. Wonderful things were ahead of him.
Wonderful things indeed.
***
Ten Years Ago
The Pale City always had something lurking in the shadows of its massive buildings. Some hidden darkness was always waiting to creep up on someone unlucky enough to wander into its path. But if that someone knew the right shadows to hide in, they could escape most watchful eyes.
Which is exactly what Mono was doing at this moment, with his eyes fixed on a sleek black car that had just pulled up close to the building he was right next to. This was not a happenstance meeting, Mono had followed these people for blocks after seeing drugs and money change hands. He might have been only twelve, but he wasn’t just any kid. The powers he had were enough to help him survive longer than he probably should have, and he was about to prove his worth to everyone.
A figure got out of the car, signaling a few others to surround him. Mono glanced at the side of the building they were heading for and noticed a sign for a bakery. Interesting.
The funny thing about shadows, was that even the person hiding in them might not notice if someone else was using them as well. And that’s why, as Mono slipped out of his hiding spot to follow the group in, he didn’t notice the second figure stroll out behind him.
“You have what we bargained for?” the lead figure asked, the goons surrounding him cracking their knuckles like they were in the most stereotypical action movie ever. On the other hand, the people sitting at the table were much less standard. It was three kids about Mono’s age, one of them apparently the spokesperson even though Mono could tell who the real danger was. The kid lounging in the back with a fedora tipped over his eyes was the one to watch out for, and from the looks of things, the other group hadn’t realized that.
“Of course,” the kid at the table said, casting glances at the other occupants of the bakery, who couldn’t seem to care less about the business dealings of these people. Mono made sure to avert his eyes just in case, even though his face was mostly in shadow from the postman cap lowered over it. Just then, one of the workers bustled up to Mono, asking him quite kindly if he wanted anything to eat. Mono blinked for a moment, quietly muttering that he had no money. The woman’s face changed to pity, which he winced at and tugged the cap a little lower. A hand touched his shoulder, and he quickly glanced up to see a young man in a suit giving him a little smile. “Get something for the lad, I’ll cover it.”
Mono’s eyes widened, then he remembered why he was here. “You don’t have to-” His stomach growled in protest, which the man chuckled at.
“Don’t worry about it, you look like you need it.” Mono scrubbed at his nose a little, aware of the dirt and grime covering him compared to all the nice-looking people in here. The man’s gaze flicked over to the table Mono had been studying. “Do you know who it was you were following, kid?”
Mono sat up a little straighter. “I know they’ve been doing bad things, shipping drugs out to places. I’m not just a stupid little kid, I know things.”
The man actually laughed at that. “How old are you?”
“...twelve.” Mono muttered, his face going a little red. He tried to turn his attention back to the people at the table, but a hand waved in his face thwarted that attempt.
“Well, I’m Malloway, and I’m old enough to know that these aren’t just street thugs like you might be used to, kid.” He extended his hand for a shake. “Just act natural, and hopefully I can get you out of here before you get into something too big for you.”
Glaring at Malloway, Mono obstinately refused to shake his hand. “I can handle myself, thanks.” His gaze snapped back to the people, who had already completed their transaction and seemed to be exchanging goodbyes. He scoffed, getting up from the table. “I gotta go.”
Malloway moved almost as fast as he did, blocking his way to the door. “Not so fast, kid. If you think I’m gonna let you go chasing after someone like that, you’re mistaken.” He leaned down a little and lowered his voice. “Those guys are too dangerous, they will catch you.”
“No one’s caught me before,” Mono retorted, watching the people from the table stand up and walk the others out. “Now, I really have to-”
While he was still speaking, he moved without pausing for breath, catching Malloway off guard as Mono ducked under his arm and slipped out the door. He could hear Malloway hiss in frustration, but he was more focused on where the cars were going. In a split-second decision, he chose to follow after the younger group that had taken the payment and drugs, they looked infinitely more dangerous than the hired muscle of the other group. And Mono was always ready for more danger.
Placing his hand on the wall of the building, Mono concentrated on the wires running through it, until the electric current was humming in his ears. Mono placed a bare foot on the side, testing his weight, then ran up the wall just enough to stay out of sight. His eyes fixed on the car, Mono carefully crept along the wall, waiting for them to move.
Once the car inched forward into the flow of traffic, Mono put on as much speed as he dared, feeling out for where the wires led and waiting for them to stop. He had to make sure everyone was in the car before he made his move.
As soon as the car hit a red light, Mono slid down the wall as far down as he dared before he leapt for the roof of their vehicle, his legs buckling under him with jolts of pain going through them. Hearing the shouts of confusion, Mono forced himself up and tried to reach the car battery with his powers.
He was too slow. The light switched to green and the car lurched forward, sending Mono flying backwards and just barely able to hold onto the roof before he was launched into the street. Grimacing in pain, Mono attempted to hoist himself back up but was met with a shocked face about his own age, the kid with the fedora he had seen. The surprise quickly changed to a look of cool professionalism that he hadn’t ever seen on a kid that age before, although Mono could still see the disbelief in his eyes.
The kid shouted over to him, “Okay, what are you doing?” The car turned, and Mono’s stomach twisted as he flipped over to the opposite side where a much less unexpected sight was waiting: the barrel of a gun. Mono sighed, then forced himself to flip again as the shot whizzed past him. Hearing more shots, he frowned, then glanced behind him as quick as he dared to see Malloway in the car behind them. He had a gun as well, but seemed hesitant to fire it.
Oh, right.
Unfortunately Mono was stuck until the car stopped again, and with the very little traffic and now someone else on their tail, he didn’t think they were too keen on stopping any time soon. So he hung on for dear life, trying desperately to keep his grip and reach for the battery with his powers. His concentration was slipping too often and he couldn’t quite get to it, not in the position that he was in.
Another shot flew past him and cracked the front window of Malloway’s car, causing him to duck down and swerve a little. Mono gritted his teeth and pulled himself up with as much strength as he could, gripping the roof of the car with white knuckles. Finally in a better spot to use his powers, Mono concentrated and felt for the battery, cutting off power to it completely.
The car’s engine shut off, and Mono felt a thrill as the acceleration stopped. The next second he felt panic as the car didn’t stop completely and crashed into a telephone pole, sending his body flying into concrete.
He didn’t black out, not entirely, but his whole body felt like it was on fire. The person in the passenger seat got out of the car, a slightly older man that hadn’t been in the bakery but was carrying the case that Mono knew was filled with drugs and money. The man kicked Mono in the ribs, then turned back to the car. “Clean up this mess, and Veronica doesn’t need to know.”
The fedora-wearing kid stepped closer to him, a gun pointed directly at his head, and Mono had a moment of panic seeing death staring him in the face-
“Stop!”
Mono barely raised his head to see Malloway out of his car, waving a police badge and pointing his own weapon at the kid. “Put it down now, and walk away.”
The kid shifted his gun almost lazily towards Malloway, then looked back behind him. “We don’t want a shootout, do we?” With the shake of Malloway’s head, the kid continued. “Walk away, with this kid, and we go free. You don’t follow us, got it?”
Mono struggled to get up, to fight his way out and defy him, but Malloway put a hand on his shoulder and gave a fraction of a headshake. “I got it. Go.”
Surprisingly, the kid stayed, watching Mono get helped up by Malloway. He never holstered his pistol, but continued to stare at Mono. Finally, when Mono was standing on his own, the kid smirked a little. “You really are something. If you ever want to join up, the name’s Runaway.”
“I would prefer to fight for justice, ” Mono spat through bloodied lips.
Runaway nodded, as if he had expected that. “Well, you did lose today, but no one said you had to like it.” He took off his hat and brushed it off a little. “Maybe I’ll see you again someday.” With a small smile, he placed the fedora directly on Mono’s head and turned away, going back to his life with a little spring in his step.
All the while, Mono sat there with the hat on his head, wondering how much his life had just changed.
***
Now
With the same hat resting on his head, and the memories flooding his brain, Mono gave the man before him a grin, who promptly punched him in the face. The snap back to reality was instantaneous, and he quickly remembered just who he was dealing with. The last member of Veronica’s gang had proven quite elusive after the rise of the Felony Four, but Mono was nothing if not persistent. And now here he was, in the very school he had walked through dozens of times, as the principal of all things.
And that face would always be burned into his mind. It was even more smug and arrogant than he had remembered, the same man that had kicked him while injured and callously ordered his death like he was thinking of what to get for dinner. Mono still didn’t even know his name, and he didn’t want to. Right now he was a little busy with being tied to a chair.
“This is a good capture, seriously,” Mono said, shifting in the ropes a little. “Most guys, they just tie you to one of those cheap folding chairs, but you have the good stuff.”
The principal gave him a glare. “I don’t know how you found me, and this is the second time I’ve had to take care of you. Hopefully this time you’ll stay dead.”
Mono smirked. “Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about how I found you. My method for doing so is right there.” He gestured with his eyes, but it was already too late for the man, who had been so focused on making sure Mono was captured that he hadn’t noticed Sticks creeping up behind him. The principal whirled to face him, then felt a tap on his shoulder. Mono grinned. “One other tip. Don’t watch the mouth. Watch the hands.”
The next second, a jolt of electricity sent the man flying into the wall, where he was met with Malloway’s smiling face and a gun pointed at his head. “Small world,” Malloway said, giving Sticks a look of pride. “And good job distracting, kid.”
Mono stretched and smiled as well. With this arrest, the final loose end had been tied up. There was no more Veronica gang, not anymore. That chapter of his life had been closed.
And now he was a real detective. He didn’t know what the future held, but he was sure it would be just as exciting.