He sent her a sideways glance. “How does giving me a migraine that brings me to the floor mean you want to talk to me?”

“Safe.” Shade repeated, as softly as he could. “No one will hurt you anymore.”

What more could they have put her through? He didn’t want to think about it.

“You’ll be treated for anything that hurts and you’re going to be taken home, okay?”

Police were already swarming the area, but giving the two of them a wide space.

“Th-thank you...”

Shade walked up to the ‘creature’, his dress shoes stopping their clicking when he stopped in front of her. He crouched gently, ever so gently putting a hand on the jacket.

“You’re safe now.” He said quietly. “They wont hurt you anymore. I’m here. You’re safe now.” He said as gently as he could.

Lily flinched at his touch, shaking violently. It took a moment for her to process what he said, and when she did she wasn’t sure what to think. But... he had done this because he hated what had been done to her, right? So maybe he actually wasn’t going to hurt her.

She tried to reach out to feel his emotions- but again, nothing. Like he was a figment of her scarred imagination. How could she know if he was safe to be around if she couldn’t feel what he was feeling?

Knowing she couldn’t hide under that jacket forever, she carefully sat up- wincing at the pain wracking throughout her body- and looked at the man with fear.

“Oh I know.” Shade said calmly. “But your Nerumberg defense has no weight here. After all. I’m only doing my job in keeping this city clean and safe for everyone.” Shadows grabbed the man and dragged him towards Shade. “Money makes people do all kinds of things. I can’t blame you for that one. No. No all I blame you for is bringing your mess into my city.”

The man was torn apart just as the other was. Shade turned his attention to the crowd. “Let this be a lesson for you. I don’t keep this city free of mobs and supercriminals so you can go around discriminating against metas. Do I make myself clear?”

The crowd was silent-

“Do I make myself clear?”

A chorus of “Yes Sir!” and “Yes Shade!” erupted from the crowd.

“Let it be known, if I ever catch something like this again the present parties will be slaughtered.” Shade snarled, the walls of the dome disappearing. “Now leave.”

Lily heard the man’s scream quickly cut off, and she knew what had happened. She curled up under the jacket, shivering and crying. She didn’t know that the crowd had left, nor that the dome had dispersed. All she knew is that a man had been there and then was in gooey, messy pieces and it had happened right in front of her and oh god what’s going to happen to her now?

She wanted to run, but what was the point? She could barely move with the pain she was in, and there didn’t seem to be any running from this man. Whatever he was.

“Oh I indeed saw them roar.” Shade started, slowly. “I saw it roar like how Killer Croc roars before he fights the Batman. Like how The Cheetah roars before fighting Wonder Woman. And like so many others before and after then. Do you know what they all had in common?” Shade asked.

Shadows slipped into the truck before tearing the side of it off and throwing it, Sahde sending a glare to the man.

“Oh no. And you should know what kind of atmosphere I like to keep in Opal. How hard I try to keep the peace. I can’t have you going around making the metas in my city feel unsafe-” He head snapped towards the crowd. “Now can I?”

He turned his attention back to Lily, his eyes on her for only a moment before he took off his jacket and rested it over her.

“I think-” he said, slowly once again. “-You all need an example. On why that kind of behavior isn’t tolerated here.”

Shadows grabbed the ring leader and without warning or mercy ripped the man to shreds.

“And you-“ he snarled, pointing at the man in the truck. “Front and center. Now.”

A cold terror fell over Lily when the man met her eyes with his own. She held up her arms in front of her face, expecting the worse. Only instead she felt warmth- she opened her eyes to see him covering her body with his jacket. She looked at him in confusion, holding the jacket closer to herself.

For a moment she began to feel calm- this man was helping her. For whatever reason this man was going out of his way to save her.

And then she watched the shadows grab onto the ringleader and rip him apart like wet paper. Blood and god-knows-what-else landed by her feet, and a scream stuck in her throat as she scrambled back from it.

The man in the truck was screaming in horror at what he had seen. He shook his head, looking desperately at the dark figure. “W-wait- no, I’m sorry! I was just doing my job, I swear!” The man leaped down from the truck and headed towards Lily. “Please- please tell him to let me go! Please!”

Words failed her, and she clung to her new jacket as she stared at the bloody remains that had once been the ringleader.

“Please,” the man begged once more, tears in his eyes.

Lily looked at the man, crawling away from him. She felt his fear- but also could tell he felt no remorse. Still, she had to say something- but-

She covered her head with the jacket as if to shield herself from everything that had just happened.

Shade watched from the shadows, the shadow on his face darkening with earn moment that went by.

They were only humans after all, but he was oh so disappointed in the people of Opal. Oh so disappointed.

“I thought you all knew better.” He snarled and the cold atmosphere that came with it. He forced his way through the crowd and roughly grabbed onto the hand of a lady and yanked it back wards, giving her a hard shove.

“I am.” He started, the people around him backing away in fear. “Severely. Dissapointed.”

The wall went up, a wall of inky impenetrable blackness surrounding the whole group. “I would think by now you would know that there are more dangerous thing than some creatures that have snake skin.” He snarled, fire in his eyes. Shadows wrapped around the arm of the initial volunteer, dragging him towards The Shade.

“Tell me, what so so special about it? What was so fascinating you had to subjugate this poor thing to humiliation?”

The person stuttered, trying to pull away.

“Oh? Are we scared now?” He asked.

the shadows threw the person against the shadowy wall before Shade turned his attention to the ring master.

“You’ll find.” He said coldly. “That I do not roar. That I walk and talk like a human. But I am the most dangerous thing in this city.” He was silent for a moment. “You’re so willing to parade this poor thing around, will you not dare take a step towards me?”

Lily shakily sat up, her body wracked with pain. She was vaguely aware of another voice- one that caused all else to be silent. Looking around, she laid eyes on a man dressed darkly, with a tall hat and a cane. He pulled a woman away from her, shoving her away.

People began backing away- who was this man, that could inspire so much silent terror in what had been a ravenous mob a second before? Her answer was given in the form of shadows- twisting and reaching out from the ground like they were alive. Forming into a dome shape that trapped everyone within.

The man who had first grabbed Lily was confronted by this dark figure, and then thrown harshly against the shadow wall. She couldn’t tell if he was still breathing or not.

She watched as the dark figure approached the ringleader, who for the first time since Lily’s known him looked absolutely helpless. The ringleader took a step back, holding his hands palms-open in front of him. “Now, now- c’mon, there’s no need for this! Look, I’m s-sorry,” the ringleader’s legs were shaking, and the other man had long since ducked back inside the truck that had brought them here. “B-but it’s- it’s just a beast! Y-you saw it roar at the crowd!”

Lily looked back and forth between the ringleader and the dark figure, unsure of what was about to happen. She tried to read the dark figure’s emotions- but nothing. Absolutely nothing. Like he wasn’t even there. How was that possible?

@darksideoftheshadows

It was dark. Always so dark. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen the sun, felt the warmth of it on her back as she layed stretched out upon a rock. Her hair, once a luscious green color, was now dull and yellowing.

She scratched at her arms and legs, her scales irritated and burning from an incomplete shedding. Flakes stuck to her and she wanted to scream in frustration, but did not want go anger him. If he heard so much as a sigh from her, pain would surely follow.

At least she wouldn't have to worry about an audience. They always left her alone during this time.

Or at least that had been this case up until this point.

The vehicle stopped, and she heard footsteps outside, followed by the door being opened up. Was it time for food already? No, this wasn't the man with the food- this was the man with the awful stick. The one that attached to her collar. But that meant- an audience? Why now-?

As the man unlocked her cage, she found herself backing away. Something wasn't right, and more than usual she did not want to go out there. She heard the crowd outside, whispering in anticipation.

Wanting to see the monster a man in a ringmasters costume was telling them about.

The man with the stick held up a small device threateningly, holding his thumb over the button. She shivered and reluctantly stood up, walking towards the man and allowing the stick to hook onto her collar.

The man forcefully pulled her towards the trucks exit, causing her to cough violently as the collar roughly pulled against her neck.

"Here it is, ladies and gentleman," announced the ringleader as she was brought to the stage. They were in a grassy area, with buildings that could be seen towering beyond the trees. "The dreaded swamp creature!" The ringleader put a hand in his pocket and suddenly a violent shock brought her to her knees, screaming in pain.

The audience gasped, looking at her in terror. "Don't worry, I have it under control. It can roar all it likes, but as you can see with my friend here- this thing is very much prevented from escaping." There was a violent tug of the collar, and she let out a choking noise.

"See? You're all very much safe. In fact, you can even touch it!"

She looked up in confusion- what had he just said? Before she could react he pulled at her arm, causing her to nearly fall forward. The ringleader glared at her, and the man with the stick dragged her closer to the edge of the stage. "Look at this! Shedding it's own skin like some kind if snake! Disgusting, I know. Who here is brave enough to feel the slimy scales of this beast?"

She didn't like this, not at all. As an audience member reached for her, she tried to pull back only to receive an especially powerful electric shock that caused her to scream- she could practically smell the burnt flesh around her neck. Shaking in pain, she was helpless to stop the crowd from grabbing at her, making disgusted noises as they felt her shedding scales.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the ringleader whisper something into the other man's ear. He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged before approaching her and releasing the stick from her collar.