Flashing Shadows

by Big Dolphin

Rating: mature
Tags: Other, Adventure, Flash Sentry, Sunset Shimmer, Crossover, Dark, Zecora, Human, Sad, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5260

As the night of the Fall Formal descends upon Canterlot High, a corruptive magic possesses Sunset Shimmer and reveals a plot to end the world. Now Flash Sentry must walk between the worlds as the next Shadowman, to save both the living and the dead.

As the night of the Fall Formal descends upon Canterlot High, a corruptive magic possesses Sunset Shimmer and reveals a plot to end the world. Now Flash Sentry must walk between the worlds as the next Shadowman, to save both the living and the dead.

Published 2014-02-18 23:30:05 UTC
Last updated 2014-02-18 23:30:05 UTC

The Beginning Of The End

Flash had never wanted a particularly exciting life. He was a simple man, always rooted in logic and common sense, who reserved his passion for the things he truly loved in his life. His family, his baseball hopes, and his mischievous girlfriend, Sunset Shimmer. But as Flash cowered under the bleachers of the football field on the night of the Fall Formal, a primal, base instinct told him that the very core of his life was about to be further from normal than he thought possible.

She hung over the football field, her body having taken upon a strange, fiery form, her back turned to Flash, as her outlandish, transformed body doubled over in pain, a soundless scream issuing from her full lips. The underside of her skin rippled and tumbled, until a dark magic began to rip through, spouting from her at various angles. This time, Sunset’s scream was audible, and Flash, despite his fear at the increasingly ominous surroundings, felt a sharp spear of shame and pain as he listened to her suffer.

‘Sunset…’ he thought, her name conveying all the turmoiled emotions of his heart to his brain. He rolled out from underneath the bleachers as more magic tore itself free of Sunset’s body. Flash visibly shuddered at the sensation of being so close to it as he stepped within an arm’s reach of his girlfriend. He reached a hand out, attempting to provide some form of relief to her, when Sunset’s neck abruptly twisted a full 180 degrees, and an earsplitting shriek of pain came forth from her.

Flash winced hard at this, but still maintained his footing, his concern for his girlfriend outweighing his fear.

“Sunset!” he shouted, trying to catch her attention.

Sunset’s head violently warped itself around to face him, and Flash saw what else the magic had done to her. Her eyes, once full of cyan brightness and vigor, now lay fused to the sides of her face, dried, free of their sockets. Her left cheek was infested with a horrible corrosion that ate away at the smooth skin. Seemingly random gashes had opened up across her face, bleeding heavily. As Flash visibly recoiled from the grievous sight of this, the magic inside Sunset full tore forth from her in a vicious separation that caused her to thrash in the air, her screams muffled by the corona of corrupt energy that had completely enveloped her.

‘’SUNSET!” Flash screamed out as he thrust an arm towards the magical presence, only to be swiftly knocked across the field, skipping across the grass like a stone before coming to rest, dazed and bruised. Through his haze of consciousness, Flash could barely make out the magic as he slowly raised his head from the dirt. Struggling, the boy finally succeeded in standing after several long minutes of effort, leaning on his left leg to avoid exacerbating the sprain in his right ankle.

The magic that had seemingly swallowed Sunset Shimmer whole had separated itself from her, and now hung several meters in the sky over the football field, pulsing with an energy that made Flash’s hair stand up. Sunset’s body fell to the ground limply, and Flash forgot about his own wellbeing as he hobbled over the field to her, a visible pain on his face intensifying each time his right foot made contact with the manicured grass below.

Finally reaching her body, Flash knelt down to her still form, running a hand across her ruined face, his head cocked to one side in an expression of confusion. He failed to notice the fluctuations of the magical essence high overhead. He was blindsided when a second pulse blasted forth from it, sending him flat against the ground. He only maintained consciousness for a few moments, reaching for Sunset with one hand, before finally slumping down into the grass.

Flash’s head spun in circles as he slowly came to, the world a muddled mess of colors and merged sounds. A wretched pain shot through his head as he struggled to sit up. A gentle pressure on his back startled him, but he gratefully leaned into it as the force gradually sat him up. A hard lip pressed against his lips, and he recognized it as a cup, and drank greedily, for his throat burned. The liquid inside traveled smoothly down his throat, and his senses sharpened, his surroundings coming into sudden focus.

The football field lay in ruins, the bleachers smashed against the ground as if a titan had sat upon them, metal bent at seemingly impossible angles. Powerful currents had gouged destructive tracts in the ground several meters long. The dreadful sorcery that had caused this now swirled in a tight ball several hundred feet in the air, shudders of power traveling across its surface.

Flash’s head turned to the apparent source of his aid. A tall, lanky woman with chocolate-brown skin knelt next to him, her face ornamented with exotic makeup. Her face was further framed by an elaborate pair of gold-leaf earrings and a gold headband. Her full lips pursed with worry, a concerned look in her eye.

“Easy child, easy,” she spoke as he took in his surroundings, putting a firm hand on his shoulder to stop him from trying to stand.

“You’ve gone through a lot you don’t understand. And, sadly, it’s not over.”

“Who are you?” Flash said, confused. “Where’s Sunset?”

“I’m sorry child, but I must do this,” she spoke to his confused ears, as she looked at him intensely.
The woman said nothing more, standing up and walking around him, kneeling down behind him and pulling up his shirt. She placed a hand to his upper back, and Flash screamed as a furious pain erupted in his chest, a boiling-hot sensation that sent him into a thrashing fit on the ground, his voice straining and cracking as he mindlessly shrieked.

‘What is this!?’ he thought through his horror. It was the only thought he could manage, for everything else crumbled in his mind as visions flooded his consciousness. Wars, romances, empires and speeches, contracts and voices – all of it ran through, lifetime upon lifetime, era upon era, swirling and shaking about in his brain. His eyes rolled up into his head as his body went rigid, his breastbone peaking upward and busting through the skin, the sparse covering of hair on his torso burning as a torrent of magic surged forth from his chest, the breastbone splitting open fully to expose his heart to the air. The woman watched silently as his breastbone regenerated and refastened itself seamlessly, a new addition to his skeleton fitting near-naturally as Flash’s body levitated into the air, before shaking as a thunderclap scream issued forth from his mouth, his vocal cords straining to the point of snapping.

Flash’s limp form fell from its suspended place into the arms of the woman, who hefted his weight like nothing. Glancing at the boy, she frowned.

“I’m so sorry, child…”

XxXxX

Flash shot straight up with a gasp, panicking and flailing about mindlessly, hollering wildly. His blind protests were quickly ended as a pair of strong arms pinned his shoulders to the mattress he laid on, his voice silencing in fear of what awaited him.
Slowly, the blanket over his head was pulled off, and Flash’s vision was freed to behold the sight of the woman from before, softly smiling at him. Flash tensed up, but the woman’s hand softly caressed his shoulder in a maternal way, and he gradually relaxed as he found his eyes drawn to the woman. No longer ridden with panic, he began to look at her fully. She was pretty, no doubt; her makeup was light, but accentuated her eyes and lips perfectly, dark, soft blues and reds that invoked calming thoughts. Her jewelry was absent, and Flash noticed the black-white pattern of her hair, which traveled down to her mid-back, currently bound in a ponytail. She currently wore a long black dress with ruffles around the hem, and her rather generous bust was plainly exposed by the navel-deep neckline. Flash tightened his neck and averted his eyes from her cleavage, focusing on the woman.

“Hello child,” she spoke in a soft tone, rich and laden with an African-Cajun accent that Flash found endearing. “Welcome back to the world of the living. I know you have many questions, but right now, I need you to listen. This all may come at a shock to you.”
Flash steadied himself, breathing evenly, bracing himself for whatever this exotic woman was about to throw at him.
“Look down.”

Flash turned his head downwards, and his eyes snapped open completely.

In the center of his chest, glowing cyan and vibrating, was a growth of bone that reminded Flash of the Carnivale masks that he had seen in his History textbook. Narrow, with two ovular holes, it held a slightly avian shape to it, with a dip in the top and a beaklike point at the bottom. The mask was held there, fused to his skin, with six lines of bone fusing back into the breastbone. Skin around the mask clung to the edge of the mask, sinewy and tough.

Flash’s scream was silenced by the woman’s hand rapidly slapping over his mouth.

“Listen, child!” she rapped out, her brow narrowing in annoyance briefly.

“My legal name is Agnetta Du Bois. You may call me Zecora.” she said. “I put that onto you.”

“Wha… What is it?” Flash sputtered out, poking at the bone.

“It is the Mask of Shadows.” she replied. “An ancient voodoo artifact. Child, I am sorry for this, but the mask has chosen you to bear this burden."

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Flash held his head in his palms. Nothing that Zecora said made any sense to him. For all the good it was doing, she might as well have been speaking in another language.

“Please… explain. I can’t understand what you’re going on about.” he replied, his thoughts swimming.

Sighing, Zecora sat down on the bed with him, nestling up in front of him with her legs cross.

“I will start small.” she said. “Child, the girl you were found with; I assume she is special to you?”

Flash perked his head up. “Sunset? Do you know what that was about? I mean, she was acting so weird the last few days and-“

Zecora’s mouth drew into a line. “Child, I will not sugarcoat it for you. She is dead. The evil magic inside of her took her life. It was the work of an evil one, an enemy that we both now share.” Hearing no response, she looked up at Flash. Her tight-lipped expression melded into a frown as she saw him tremble in place, a few stray tears falling from his face.

“So I couldn’t save her…” Zecora heard him mutter as he shook.

“Child, I am sorry for you, but she is still in danger,” she spoke.

The wall inside Flash’s head held up barely at this. “What do you mean?”

“The magic that took her life is not gone, child. This magic is after her soul, and you need to stop it. Follow me.”

Zecora stood up and grabbed Flash by the arm, pulling him off the bed and dragging him out of the room into a simple wooden hallway, passing through it quickly and turning left into what Flash recognized as a church foyer. However, no elaborate art or stained glass adorned the area; the plain wooden planks that had composed the hallway were present here as well, in seemingly everything: the pews, the altar, the window struts – all of it was the same birch coloration.

Flash’s eyes narrowed in on the altar, upon which he saw Sunset’s body. Turning towards Zecora to ask what was going on, he was pulled along at greater intensity, with a slight yelp. Walking up the aisle, the two ascended to the altar and stood by the table, Flash looking somberly at Sunset.

”Now child, what I am about to ask of you is a great burden, but you, must save her.”

“What are you going on about this time?” Flash snapped at her, tired of her drivel. Zecora gave him a piercing look and turned back to Sunset’s corpse.

“Child, the magic inside of her is stopping her soul from passing to the Deadside. If it takes hold of her, it will consume her entirely, and you two will never see each other again.”

“I already won’t ever see her again! What difference would it-“

Zecora grabbed onto the sides of Flash’s head and forcibly pulled his head to face hers.

“LISTEN TO ME, CHILD!” she spoke with an intensity that genuinely intimidated Flash. “I know that the world seems confusing and bleak to you, but you must trust me. For your sake, her sake, and for the sake of us all! Now reach out to the mask!”

“H-How?” Flash stammered out, bewildered by Zecora’s sudden burst of anger.

He needed no answer, however, as the mask on his chest suddenly gave off a massive amount of energy, and Flash flew into the air, screaming as the flesh around the chest began to burn violently. Twisting and writhing in the air, Flash continued to wail as the mask began emanating pulses of light in rhythmic fashion, a low, warped humming burst of sound accompanying each emanation, until his body shot out a brilliant cyan light from his eyes and mouth, the skin of his body sliding off and landing in a heap on the floor, revealing a new, ash gray skin beneath it. Zecora ducked down, her fingers clutching to the wood in an effort to keep her body grounded.

Flash dropped to the floor with a reverberating THUD as Zecora rushed over to him, kneeling next to him and propping his back up as he coughed and sputtered, black gunk exiting his mouth. She was unmindful of her exposed breast that had fallen out of her dress during Flash’s little lightshow, and Flash blindly grabbed onto it as he looked for an anchor to push himself up with, eliciting a surprised squeal from Zecora. She promptly stood him up , hooking her arms underneath his shoulders, then slapped him, sending him spinning into a wall.

“What was that for!?” Flash yelled, unappreciative of the sharp stinging sensation in his left cheek.
Zecora said nothing, but gestured to the corpse on the altar. Flash stepped up to the body of Sunset, looking down at her still form. A sudden push in the back of his mind surged forth, and his vision suddenly took upon a slight cyan hue, startling him. He said nothing, however, as a corona of light became visible to him, a brighter shade of cyan that Flash’s eyes followed down to Sunset’s body, where it lay tethered in her chest.

“Are you beginning to understand, child?”

Flash looked over to Zecora, who held a small smile on her face. Through the strange filter of his sight, Flash could see another corona of energy, this one a deep vermillion, coming from her chest.

“I think so,” Flash spoke softly, still unsure of exactly what this new development entailed.

“I think it’s time I offered further explanation,” Zecora said as she slipped behind Flash, grasping his shoulders.

“What you are currently seeing is what your predecessors have named Soul Vision. All Shadowmen possess this ability to see the spiritual energy of everything,” Zecora glided one supple hand across Flash’s torso, tracing her fingers delicately over the contours of the Mask. “This is only the beginning of what you can do.” Flash began to sweat, as Zecora’s endearing scent wrapped around his olfactory senses, and her breasts pressed into his shoulder blades. Zecora, well aware of what she was doing, giggled slightly, a devious look in her catlike eyes.

“But,” she exclaimed, releasing Flash, who thrust his hands into his jean pockets to cover his erection, “Right now we have a more urgent problem on that altar.”

Oh, right!” Flash sputtered out as he turned back to Sunset, his concern outweighing his intrigue over the "Shadowmen" comment. Reaching out and placing a hand on her cold forehead, Flash pondered as to what to do next. Zecora cocked her head and sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Think of her, child,” she simply stated, tapping a heeled foot against the wooden floor.
Flash closed his eyes, drawing up memories of days long past in his mind, focusing on the sensation of Sunset’s dead skin against his palm. The inner plane of his mind was flooded with cyan brilliance, and Flash found himself pulled out of the realm of consciousness and into his memories…

(3 years ago)

Flash Sentry, the nervous high-school freshman, stepped into his homeroom class quietly, melding into the crowd of chatting students as he surveyed the area for his seat. Spotting the number written on a piece of paper slapped onto a desk, he quickly walked over and planted himself in the seat, only to recoil and jump out of it with a yelp at the unpleasant sensation of something poking his rear.

Next to him, a melodic voice giggled at his pain, and Flash looked over in irritation, irritation that melted away at the sight of the girl.
Her hair was a radiant display of reds, oranges and yellows, swept back in a beautifully framing set of bangs that parted away from her sculpted face. It fell in a wavy, curling curtain to the middle of her back, resting upon her slender shoulders. Her body was well-developed for a freshman, and Flash found himself staring at her features. Her smooth, supple neck, the shapely columns of her legs, and the fullness of her hips all entranced him. It wasn’t until she snapped her fingers in front of her face that he snapped out of it. He blushed and swatted the tack off his chair, before prudently sitting. He heard her giggle again, and he put his head down, embarrassed.

It wasn’t until the end of class that he bothered to look over at her desk again, and found an arrow-shaped note pointing at him. Picking it up and unfolding it, he blushed as he read the words scribbled down.

‘You look like a fun guy. Call me!’

356-294-9451

(2 years ago)

Flash dabbed his forehead with a handkerchief as he stood at the front door of Sunset’s home. The Fall Formal was the biggest dance of the year, and tonight he would finally meet her father. He’d dressed semi-casually, opting for a buttoned cerulean polo and black undershirt, with a simple pair of black slacks to contrast against his skin tone. Nervously raising a hand, he pressed the doorbell reluctantly.

The door swung open not two seconds later, and a short, built man stood in front of Flash, his scarlet skin covering powerful muscles that looked ready to crush something. His face was extremely line-set, as if it had been carved from stone with an axe. Two burning green eyes stared into his as the man crossed his arms.

“Who are you?” he spoke gruffly, as his eyebrows furrowed.

Flash, after making a mental note to ask Sunset why her father was on steroids, shook the errant thoughts from his psyche and focused on the formidable man in front of him. “I’m Flash Sentry.”

The man’s face immediately softened, and he let out a booming laugh that caught Flash and all the stray animals on that street off guard. “So YOU’RE the man after my daughter! Well, I might as well get this over with – come in COME IN!” Grabbing – or rather, mangling – Flash by the shoulders, the man abruptly pulled him into the house.

After he had righted himself, Flash took a small moment to look around the living area, approving of the surprisingly calm and warm burgundy and mahogany hues. Seating himself on a chair, he waved cordially to Sunset’s mother as she walked through, having met her at his baseball games. The man plopped down on the sofa with a slight rumble, his stocky build sending a vibration through the floor that Flash felt underneath his shoe.

“The name’s Steel Bender, kid. Proud steel mill foreman for the past twenty years.” Steel puffed out his chest slightly at this last remark, a satisfied expression on his face. Flash nervously smiled and shifted in his seat, genuinely terrified at this man’s bludgeon-sized biceps and name.

“Flash!”

Flash turned his head to see Sunset walking into the room with a pleasant smile of surprise on her face as she sauntered over, exaggerating the swagger of her hips. He opened his mouth, but Sunset quickly occupied it with hers as she unashamedly frenched him on the spot. Moaning into his mouth, she grabbed the seat of his crotch with her hand, sending jolts of terror and arousal through Flash simultaneously. Pulling away with a wink and a giggle, she stooped in to whisper into Flash’s ear, while unbuttoning her shirt to expose her generous chest and black bra.

“Welcome to the family.”

She stood back up, putting a sultry look on her face as she turned halfway from him, catching the livid face of her father and suppressing a laugh. “You were amazing last night,” she rolled off, her voice dripping with lewdness, before sashaying out of the room, her ass turned to him, accentuated by the swishing of her skirt.

Turning back to Steel Bender, Flash bit down a scream as he saw Steel’s face harden into a grimace.

“Boy, you and me gonna have a talk.”

(One year ago)

"And over here is the waterfall."

Flash kept a constant smile on his face as he held Sunset's hand and guided her throughout the clearing. It was one of his personal places; he'd found the space several years ago in the forests around Canterlot, and had often come here to think when challenged. Sunset's awed expression was amusing, and he understood her fascination. He had also been dumbstruck with the scenery of the area when he first discovered it.

"So this is where you go when we argue," Sunset idly commented.

"Yeah, this little nook of the woods has been a sanctuary for me for a long time. Oh, here's a good spot!"

Flash briskly scaled a pile of stones several meters tall to the flat plateau on top, Sunset climbing carefully behind him. Jumping on the last few rocks, the boy sat down on the warm stone and removed the picnic basket from his forearm, and took out a small blanket, seeing no need for a large one due to the absence of grass. He laughed as Sunset's exhausted face came into view as she ungracefully flopped onto the rock, breathing laboriously.

"Tired?" Flash teased, holding back a laugh that he knew would get him slapped as she huffed and sat up, her eyebrows furrowed at him. She moved over to him and leaned on his shoulder, admiring the trees around them.

"Nice view, huh?"

"Yeah... i guess it is. Still doesn't excuse you making me climb."

Flash chuckled.

"You know, maybe one day I'll marry you here..."

Flash gulped as he realized he had just thought out loud, and looked at Sunset. She looked back with her trademarked mischievous grin, and Flash felt a drop of sweat run down his face.

"Oh, how romantic! You gonna get your dress fitted and everything?" she mockingly said. "I can see it now - the bridesmaids will wear lavender, and there'll be roses on every table-"

Flash shut her up with a searing kiss, pleasantly surprising her. She giggled against his lips, glad that she'd pulled his more aggressive side out. Pulling away, Flash grinned. "You talk too much sometimes."

"Says the guy who spent four hours explaining baseball to me," she shot back. "Anyways, let's eat. Your climbing expedition left me hungry."

The two of them spent that afternoon casually grazing on sandwiches, commenting on the glade's scenery, and playfully grabbing at one another. As the sun set, they laid out flat on the rock, Sunset's head on his chest as she slept. Flash looked out at the myriad of colors that the sunset splayed across the sky, and held his Sunset a little more tightly as he dozed off as well.

XxXxX

Flash hit an invisible surface softly and grunted slightly. Pushing against this unseen ground, he stood up and looked around into the blackness surrounding him. Taking a step forward, he walked a circle, expanding over the course of several minutes, his eyes watching the void underneath him with extreme caution.

A rift in the blackness suddenly tore open with a deafening rumble, and Flash whirled around to see a man in the shadows. Dressed in bright yellow and purple formal attire, with a mouth that bled vigorously, the man hung in the vacuum limply. Flash unconsciously took a slight step back, and the man heaved, before dropping to the surface and standing. Cocking his head back, the man began to laugh slowly, his warped tenor timbre gradually growing louder and louder, until his voice seemed to fill the void around the two entirely. Flash felt a pressure in his chest, and the panic inside him started creeping up from his subconscious.

“So YOU’RE Agnetta’s new plaything, hmm?” the man spoke, his undulating voice carrying a hint of high-pitched laughter. Flash felt a drop of sweat roll down his face as the man continued to look at him, his eyes taunting him, as if he were a mere ant that could be crushed by this specter at his whim.

“Who are you?” Flash stuttered out, intimidated by this newcomer.

“My God, you are new!” the man exuberantly chortled out. “Listen here, kid; I’m gonna be nice and not kill you right now. Ya follow?”
Flash nervously nodded.

“Good! You catch on quick for a Shadowman – if you can even be called a man!” he exclaimed. Rising up into the air, he gave a dramatic wave of his hand.

“I… am Legion. Or, perhaps a better term would be “we.” Legion said, his checkered sleeve hanging loosely. “Now, you run on back to Agnetta and tell her that I said hi, and to not get in my way.”

Flash stood stock, terrified of this creature, as his mere presence had pushed the pressure in his chest up to crushing levels. Breathing harshly, he sweated furiously as his eyes began to bug out. Legion smiled sadistically, laughing at the boy’s inability to even tap into the Mask.

‘What a cakewalk! THIS is what Agnetta’s brought against me? Looks like the old bat’s finally going senile. Oh well, had to happen some century or later.’ Legion thought.

This little game was interrupted by a wailing scream as a bright corona of energy shot out of the void, swirling and coiling into a shape. Flash’s eyes widened as Sunset Shimmer’s form came from this energy, the gaseous form coalescing into her nude shape. The spectral form of Sunset looked over to Flash, and her eyes widened in tandem with his.

Before Flash could move to her, Legion swooped down and grabbed ahold of her, paying no mind to her shouts and struggling as he effortlessly ascended. Flash gasped and ran forward, only to drop to one knee as the pressure became near-unbearable. He could feel the Mask beginning to burn against his skin, and Legion let out another laugh.

“Oh, you Shadowmen are always so entertaining! Did you really think you would save the day, get the girl, and live happily ever after?”

Flash growled at Legion’s abrasive words, frustrated and pissed and scared and worried all at once. The Mask began to glow with a cyan light as he forced himself to his feet. Glaring at Legion, the tinge came over his vision once again, his eyes glowing cyan.
“Put. Her. Down.” he said.

Legion scoffed melodramatically at the boy’s bravery. “Oh, dear, whatever shall I do? The big bad Shadowman is angry! HAHAHAHA! Kid, you couldn’t even singe my leg hair. What makes you think you’ll win this?”

Flash said nothing, his growling growing louder, his hands balling into fists as they produced a glow of their own.

“You’re a riot, kid!” Legion continued. “A prepubescent halfwit with a voodoo mask he can’t even use, standing up to me? This is comedy gold! Maybe I should just eat little Miss Bacon Hair right here and now to see what you’ll do next.” He hefted Sunset’s spirit in one hand casually, her frightened look pleasing him. Pulling her close to him, he let out his tongue and ran it across her cheek, reveling in her disgusted shivers.

Legion had no time to react as a bolt of cyan energy slammed him in the stomach and sent him reeling back in the air. A second bolt checked him solidly across the face, and he grunted loudly as he corrected his flight path.

Flash stood defiantly with two smoking hands, his eyes radiating light in twin rays. Sunset scrambled away from her landing point towards Flash, utter terror in her eyes. Legion snarled and narrowed his eyes at the two, straightening his ruffled suit.

“Fine then! I’ll kill the both of you and devour your souls!” he screamed, lashing out his arm, which detached with a loud SQUELCH and a spray of blood from his sleeve and whirled towards the pair. Flash threw his hand out again, and a burst of energy flew forth to meet the dismembered appendage, knocking it clean out of the air. The hand landed, and sprouted flesh from its insides, the rapidly expanding mass of meat shaping itself into a large hand.

Flash grimaced, and took hold of Sunset.

“Well, this looks bad. Wonder how I’m gonna get out of this one,” Flash muttered under his breath, as Sunset’s soul hid behind him, grasping his back and shivering in understandable fright. Flash shared her sentiment; the pressure was making it hard to breathe at this point.

“Child!”

Flash looked up and around in search of the voice that had interjected the atmosphere of the void.

“Child, hold on! You’re coming out!”

Flash tightened his hold on Sunset as he felt his body begin to break apart, grimacing and grunting as his legs seemingly dissolved. Sunset let out a gasp as she was disassembled by this presence, her body’s particles fading out of the blackness along with his. Flash counted his lucky stars as the large hand rushed towards him, flying through the vacuum at high speed just as he felt his brain begin to dissolve.

The hand slammed down upon him, passing through harmlessly. When the hand lifted, the boy had vanished. Legion growled, before fading out of the blackness as it began to crack.

Author's Note

This is a beginner fic and crossover with the long-standing Shadowman series from Valiant Comics. This story will be incorporating aspects of both Jack Boniface and Mike LeRoi's stories during their time as a Shadowman, but will mostly stick to the plot of the Shadowman game, which is heavily based upon Mike LeRoi's story.

Thanks for reading. This is my first time publishing anything, so criticism and reviews are appreciated.

If you like the work, feel free to like and follow. I look forward to getting feedback from all of you.