The Shadow
Hero
Hey there. I've been posting a log of the Mutants & Masterminds game I play in at the "Atomic Think Tank" - Green Ronin's official M&M forum site. Several people there have urged me to cross-post here, so I thought I'd give it a try.
This is a solo game, usually played weekly over the phone. The GM goes by "SuentisPo" online, so I usually refer to him as "SP". He is, as you will see, quite evil.
Character sheets are posted in the Rogues' Gallery, under "LA Under Shadow".
Gaming session posts will be marked with the M&M icon, campaign backgrounds with the News icon. (If this is inappropriate, somebody please let me know.)
This first post is actually a short-short story I was inspired to write before the game actually started. It introduces the Shadow and his sidekick/associate, Carlos.
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A Night Off
Alex took a calm deep breath as he quietly entered the run-down building, his mind-sight showing its interior to him as clear as day despite the hour. None had seen him - of course. He paused at the top of the lobby stairwell, taking a moment to finish "getting into character." By the time he went down the stairs and swept his trademark floppy black hat off the ornate banister knob to place it on his head, it was the Shadow who did so.
But where was Carlos? He should be sitting at the computer with the headset on, turning to him with a sunnily sarcastic, "'Morning, sir!" and offering him a fresh cup of coffee. Strange how quickly I've gotten used to him, he mused, closing his eyes and letting his mind rove outward. There he was - dim with rhythmic sleep patterns. Sacked out in the next room, no doubt on one of the weight machines. That's the second time this month, he thought with a trace of annoyance.
It vanished when he went into the room and took in the boy's ludicrous position - draped over the leg-curl bench, legs askew in the machine, knuckles of one hand resting lightly on the floor while the other forearm inadequately pillowed his face. He'd thought experience with his son David had inured him to the contortions of teenage sleepers, but this was a bit much - exhaustion was written in every line of the young man's body.
Carlos stirred and mumbled a little as the Shadow carefully worked his legs out of the machine, but did not wake. He did manage to half-sleepwalk over to his cot when the Shadow lifted him easily onto his feet and supported most of his weight - noticing as he did so that Carlos' tank top was still sodden with sweat. He worked the boy's shoes off carefully and covered him with a blanket. I suppose I should go home, take the night off, he thought. No, wait... David's on a date tonight, and there's no work tomorrow. What's to go home to?
He sank into a chair by the cot, lazily looking around, taking in the textbooks and papers scattered over the nearby desk. That boy drives himself too hard, he thought. But the inner rejoinder, "As hard as you?" was a difficult one to answer.
Moved by an obscure impulse, he took off his hat and studied it for a moment, hesitating. Then he tossed it (unerringly) onto the banister knob from across the room.
He looked back at the sleeping youth at his side, thinking. He looks so young this way, so vulnerable... you'd never guess the hard life he's led when he sleeps. Alex sat for a timeless time, thinking nameless tumbling thoughts. After a while, he hesitated again, then reached out and ever so gently brushed an errant lock off of Carlos' forehead. The boy's eyelids started twitching then as he entered into REM sleep. Oh, oh, Alex thought glumly - that'll teach you. But Carlos relaxed back into deep sleep, smiling slightly.
The next REM cycle was not so gentle. Alex started when Carlos abruptly sat bolt upright, gasping for air. The young man hunched over and hugged himself, the very picture of misery, then nearly jumped out of his skin when Alex touched his shoulder and asked, "Are you OK?"
"OH! Uh, fine, sir. I..." Carlos gulped. "I had a bad dream." Alex nodded. "Was it one of the 'special' ones?" "NO. I, uh, don't think so."
Alex got up and started rubbing his shoulders, which were still bunched and hard. "Want to talk about it?" Carlos sighed gratefully as he started to relax. "Thanks, sir. Not yet... if that's okay." "No pressure."
Carlos yawned and asked, "What time is it...?", then he gasped and his eyes went round in horror when they found the clock. "Caramba! I'm sorry, sir!" He flushed and looked away. "I didn't mean to, it won't happen again." Alex said firmly, "Don't bother about that, I've decided to take the weekend off. And in any case, I have something for you to do tonight, so you won't be able to man the place for me." Carlos nodded eagerly, "Sure, what is it?" Alex snorted. "Go and shower and get dressed, get some food in you, Mr. Castaneda. Then we'll discuss it."
He made a king-sized omelet while Carlos showered, smiling ever so slightly as he deliberatedly added some mushrooms. Carlos grinned and took the inevitable ribbing on that subject while he inhaled the thing with typical teenage gusto, giving as good as he got. Then he sat up and asked, "What have you got for me, sir?"
"Carlos, when was the last time you went out and had some fun?" The boy's face betrayed surprise. "But I have fun all the time, sir. I like being here!" "Perhaps so, but I asked when was the last time you went out and had some fun." "Er... I grabbed some pizza last Thursday after classes." He grinned wolfishly. "There were some hot chicas there too!"
Alex nodded, letting that pass. "Well, your assignment tonight is to go out and do something thoroughly enjoyable." He rummaged in the petty cash drawer (his wallet safely at home, after all) and passed over a few bills. "On the house." "Wow, uh, thanks, sir!" But Carlos' expression at this remarkable change of routine was something closer to wary uneasiness than gratitude.
Alex permitted a trace of the Shadow's cold, no-nonsense tones to enter his voice. "Carlos, you are using yourself up before my eyes, and I won't have it. If you can't sleep, that's one thing - you're still getting used to your powers. But you spend every waking minute taking care of everything but yourself. Since you won't, it falls to me to do so." Taking in Carlos' stricken expression, he softened the blow by adding, "Do we have a meeting of the minds, Mr. Castaneda?" (The joking nickname taking some of the sting from his words.)
Carlos essayed a weak smile. "Of course, Chief. Mind like a steel trap." (In cheesy Maxwell Smart tones.) Alex snorted. "I shall have to tell Garrity to add a Dome of Silence to his plans." Then, shaking his head, "Then again, he probably would." When Carlos laughed with relief, he added, "Now run along and have some fun, see a late movie or something." The boy nodded and started to go, when something prompted Alex to say, to his own surprise, "Wait, I'll join you."
Alex doffed his all-too-characteristic black cloak and gloves, then cloaked them both in invisibility until they were well away from the base. Then they found a late-night movie worthy of MST3K, dissecting it mercilessly on the way back - Alex's humor dry and sardonic as always, Carlos' laughter merry. Then they played cards for a while, until Carlos started to yawn contagiously. "Time for bed, Carlos. If I docked your pay a dime each time you yawned, I'd soon be arrested for using slave labor!" The boy yawned again and nodded, "Yessir. And sir... thanks." Ducking his head shyly, he added, "I had a good night."
Alex yawned himself and stretched, then walked amiably over to the stairwell. There he was brought up short by the sight of the Shadow's hat on the banister knob. He stared at it for a time, troubled. It wasn't until he left the building and started walking home that he tried to put the thought into words:
"Wasn't I doing this all by myself just a few short months ago? When did I start to..." he let the words trail off, not quite daring even to think the remainder of the sentence.
This is a solo game, usually played weekly over the phone. The GM goes by "SuentisPo" online, so I usually refer to him as "SP". He is, as you will see, quite evil.

Character sheets are posted in the Rogues' Gallery, under "LA Under Shadow".
Gaming session posts will be marked with the M&M icon, campaign backgrounds with the News icon. (If this is inappropriate, somebody please let me know.)
This first post is actually a short-short story I was inspired to write before the game actually started. It introduces the Shadow and his sidekick/associate, Carlos.
----------------
A Night Off
Alex took a calm deep breath as he quietly entered the run-down building, his mind-sight showing its interior to him as clear as day despite the hour. None had seen him - of course. He paused at the top of the lobby stairwell, taking a moment to finish "getting into character." By the time he went down the stairs and swept his trademark floppy black hat off the ornate banister knob to place it on his head, it was the Shadow who did so.
But where was Carlos? He should be sitting at the computer with the headset on, turning to him with a sunnily sarcastic, "'Morning, sir!" and offering him a fresh cup of coffee. Strange how quickly I've gotten used to him, he mused, closing his eyes and letting his mind rove outward. There he was - dim with rhythmic sleep patterns. Sacked out in the next room, no doubt on one of the weight machines. That's the second time this month, he thought with a trace of annoyance.
It vanished when he went into the room and took in the boy's ludicrous position - draped over the leg-curl bench, legs askew in the machine, knuckles of one hand resting lightly on the floor while the other forearm inadequately pillowed his face. He'd thought experience with his son David had inured him to the contortions of teenage sleepers, but this was a bit much - exhaustion was written in every line of the young man's body.
Carlos stirred and mumbled a little as the Shadow carefully worked his legs out of the machine, but did not wake. He did manage to half-sleepwalk over to his cot when the Shadow lifted him easily onto his feet and supported most of his weight - noticing as he did so that Carlos' tank top was still sodden with sweat. He worked the boy's shoes off carefully and covered him with a blanket. I suppose I should go home, take the night off, he thought. No, wait... David's on a date tonight, and there's no work tomorrow. What's to go home to?
He sank into a chair by the cot, lazily looking around, taking in the textbooks and papers scattered over the nearby desk. That boy drives himself too hard, he thought. But the inner rejoinder, "As hard as you?" was a difficult one to answer.
Moved by an obscure impulse, he took off his hat and studied it for a moment, hesitating. Then he tossed it (unerringly) onto the banister knob from across the room.
He looked back at the sleeping youth at his side, thinking. He looks so young this way, so vulnerable... you'd never guess the hard life he's led when he sleeps. Alex sat for a timeless time, thinking nameless tumbling thoughts. After a while, he hesitated again, then reached out and ever so gently brushed an errant lock off of Carlos' forehead. The boy's eyelids started twitching then as he entered into REM sleep. Oh, oh, Alex thought glumly - that'll teach you. But Carlos relaxed back into deep sleep, smiling slightly.
The next REM cycle was not so gentle. Alex started when Carlos abruptly sat bolt upright, gasping for air. The young man hunched over and hugged himself, the very picture of misery, then nearly jumped out of his skin when Alex touched his shoulder and asked, "Are you OK?"
"OH! Uh, fine, sir. I..." Carlos gulped. "I had a bad dream." Alex nodded. "Was it one of the 'special' ones?" "NO. I, uh, don't think so."
Alex got up and started rubbing his shoulders, which were still bunched and hard. "Want to talk about it?" Carlos sighed gratefully as he started to relax. "Thanks, sir. Not yet... if that's okay." "No pressure."
Carlos yawned and asked, "What time is it...?", then he gasped and his eyes went round in horror when they found the clock. "Caramba! I'm sorry, sir!" He flushed and looked away. "I didn't mean to, it won't happen again." Alex said firmly, "Don't bother about that, I've decided to take the weekend off. And in any case, I have something for you to do tonight, so you won't be able to man the place for me." Carlos nodded eagerly, "Sure, what is it?" Alex snorted. "Go and shower and get dressed, get some food in you, Mr. Castaneda. Then we'll discuss it."
He made a king-sized omelet while Carlos showered, smiling ever so slightly as he deliberatedly added some mushrooms. Carlos grinned and took the inevitable ribbing on that subject while he inhaled the thing with typical teenage gusto, giving as good as he got. Then he sat up and asked, "What have you got for me, sir?"
"Carlos, when was the last time you went out and had some fun?" The boy's face betrayed surprise. "But I have fun all the time, sir. I like being here!" "Perhaps so, but I asked when was the last time you went out and had some fun." "Er... I grabbed some pizza last Thursday after classes." He grinned wolfishly. "There were some hot chicas there too!"
Alex nodded, letting that pass. "Well, your assignment tonight is to go out and do something thoroughly enjoyable." He rummaged in the petty cash drawer (his wallet safely at home, after all) and passed over a few bills. "On the house." "Wow, uh, thanks, sir!" But Carlos' expression at this remarkable change of routine was something closer to wary uneasiness than gratitude.
Alex permitted a trace of the Shadow's cold, no-nonsense tones to enter his voice. "Carlos, you are using yourself up before my eyes, and I won't have it. If you can't sleep, that's one thing - you're still getting used to your powers. But you spend every waking minute taking care of everything but yourself. Since you won't, it falls to me to do so." Taking in Carlos' stricken expression, he softened the blow by adding, "Do we have a meeting of the minds, Mr. Castaneda?" (The joking nickname taking some of the sting from his words.)
Carlos essayed a weak smile. "Of course, Chief. Mind like a steel trap." (In cheesy Maxwell Smart tones.) Alex snorted. "I shall have to tell Garrity to add a Dome of Silence to his plans." Then, shaking his head, "Then again, he probably would." When Carlos laughed with relief, he added, "Now run along and have some fun, see a late movie or something." The boy nodded and started to go, when something prompted Alex to say, to his own surprise, "Wait, I'll join you."
Alex doffed his all-too-characteristic black cloak and gloves, then cloaked them both in invisibility until they were well away from the base. Then they found a late-night movie worthy of MST3K, dissecting it mercilessly on the way back - Alex's humor dry and sardonic as always, Carlos' laughter merry. Then they played cards for a while, until Carlos started to yawn contagiously. "Time for bed, Carlos. If I docked your pay a dime each time you yawned, I'd soon be arrested for using slave labor!" The boy yawned again and nodded, "Yessir. And sir... thanks." Ducking his head shyly, he added, "I had a good night."
Alex yawned himself and stretched, then walked amiably over to the stairwell. There he was brought up short by the sight of the Shadow's hat on the banister knob. He stared at it for a time, troubled. It wasn't until he left the building and started walking home that he tried to put the thought into words:
"Wasn't I doing this all by myself just a few short months ago? When did I start to..." he let the words trail off, not quite daring even to think the remainder of the sentence.
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