SHADOW REBORN

Kane walked through the street, content with how his day has gone. Kane carried a goofy grin on his face, if the shade could it would gag from the sickly sweet thoughts in the brat's brain. Can a shadow vomit, that is a musing for another time. For now though, Sombra could no longer deny it, the inky fiend was bored. The brat had gotten a handled on the voice in his head, but then the smoky mass of feral power had gotten an idea. Kane on the other hand had completely missed the stray thought of his inky passenger. No, Kane was far more interested in thinking about the time he had with Twilight.

Sombra, ‘Okay brat it's time to tell you what we need to do to get stronger.’ Kane skeptical of the shades' motives humor the shadow by listening.

‘Okay.’, responded Kane as he kept walking. The shadow on the other hand tried not grin inside the boy's head.

Sombra, ‘I am aware that you humans had advanced your technology, so we are gonna need some equipment. You have some?’

Kane curiously asked, "Like what, weights and exercise equipment?"

The shade huffed, "Yes, yes, that is what I was referring to." Kane with a shrug brushed off Sombra's sudden attitude.

Kane, ‘Yes, I have stuff at home in the garage.’

Sombra with a smirk, ‘Then let’s go home, to this garage.’ Or so the shade thought. Grumbling all the shadow could do was watch as the brat 'wasted valuable time' with this sickeningly sweet display of family bonding. After Kane briefly talked to his parents about how his day was going, Kane walked towards the garage. It did wonders for Kane to know that they are happy that he has a friend. That they are always happy for him, and never doubting their love. Kane’s happy thoughts were interrupted by the grumblings of his shadow, “Now that you’re finished with your little talk we got work to do.”

Kane grumbled to himself as he walked towards the garage and went in. Entering the garage Kane was greeted by a familiar collection of workout equipment. Kane, though a lonely boy, was not the kind that enjoyed sitting around doing nothing. So he spent many days in the past burning all his pent up energy. Now with a new purpose, for the next several weeks Kane dedicates any time he could spare in the garage. It had been a month since Kane started this routine. As he grabs the ever growing dumbbells in his hands, Kane thought to himself, ‘Okay I can do this.’

Kane started to lift the weights one after the other, over and over again for several hours. Countless reps filled the space. When he was done lifting weights Kane went to a different area where a punching bag was hanging. It connected to the ceiling with chains. Grabbing a pair of boxing gloves he starts punching the bag. After several more hours of him giving the bag a good beating, after ungloving, Kane’s hands were all red. It seems the gloves did little to dissipate his strength, and while it hurt, Kane magically shakes it off. From here he goes to another area where a bench press sat. He lays down as he grabs the metal bar to lift the weight that he left the last time he worked out. Kane lifted it up and down repeating never ending rhythm. Continuing after that he does sit-ups and push-ups with little resistance. The motions lasted until 11:55p.m.

Kane slowly roamed up the stairs, trying to avoid waking up his parents and add further worry for them. Ever since he had met or rather injected the sarcastic shadow, not only has his strength changed but also Kane doesn't need to sleep as often. What ever the inky menace was made out of had improved all his physical traits. Though you wouldn't catch Kane praising all the positives of the prideful shadow, somehow he knew that Sombra was aware at how awesome Kane thinks the shadow is.

Sombra, "Damn straight I am." Kane pointedly ignore the inflated ego of the voice in his head. the shade just smiled more.

Once safely in his room, Kane slouch in relief. Kane, “Holy shit! I can’t believe I had a seven hour workout for weeks like its as easy as walking. I feel stronger than before.” Even stranger he hardly felt tired, even though the weights he used were at the max he can handle. Musing to himself, 'I even benched closed to half a ton and still I barely feel winded.' Sombra snorted at that thought.

Sombra with mild pride said, “Don’t get ahead of yourself kid, we need one last thing.” The symbiote pleased that the kid was at least no weakling, being stuck in such a person would drive the mass of wrath insane. Still, the shadow was itching for something to pour his power onto. And now Kane was ready to fully take advantage of Sombra's power.

Kane sighed, “Okay what is the thing we need?”

Sombra, “A suit.”

Kane surprised, “Suit? What kind of suit.” Kane was no slouch with dressing up, but what's a tuxedo got to do with what ever the shadow was up to.

Sombra with a chuckle, “Any type of suit...but not the dancing kind, more of kick ass kind of suit.”

Kane with relief, "Thank God," ignoring the shade, “Hmm, I got an idea for that.” Kane slowly went back downstairs, rummaging through the hall closet. After a moment of picking out an assortment of clothes Kane gingerly carries everything back to his room. Kane thinks to himself, 'Maybe I can use this as a prototype for now. I could also ask some of the LAIRE people how they make some of their costumes.'

He was still thinking as he walked up the stairs. Kane went to his room and went to look in his closet for additional things to use. He rambled to himself, "Okay I had grabbed my black hoodie, black snow goggles, black ski mask," The googles and ski mask being the only survivors of his first and only attempt at winter sports, "black shirt, black pants, and black shoes." Kane asked, ‘What do you think of this?’

Sombra replied, ‘It's good.' Kane grabbed his stuff and formed his first suit. Afterwards, Kane walks to a mirror that is hung on his closet door.

Kane said, “I don’t know about this, wearing this makes me look like the bad guy.”

The Shade chuckled, “I know, that’s why I like it.”

Kane flatly said, “Dude really.”

Sombra pouted, “Ok ok, but I do like the suit though, it helps with blending into the shadows.”

Kane said, “That sounds okay, since we got all that we need, what now?”

The Grinning smoke said, “Now we go to the streets.”

Kane asked, “But how are we gonna do that?”

Sombra smiled, “By sneaking out.”

Kane quickly shot that down, “No, we can’t do that.”

Sombra huffed, “Come on! it’s just one time.” Kane thought about it.

Kane gave in, “Fine. Just this once.” Kane walks towards the window and opens it. The bottom of the window was close to the roof. Seeing this as a possible exit, Kane passes through the window, as he slides quietly and slowly over the roof. Reaching the edge Kane jumps off, with a huff of relief Kane is finally out of the house. As he lands on the ground, he puts his hoodie up as Kane starts to walk towards downtown.

While Kane is walking through the streets, the shade sees an alley on the left. 'Perfect' Sombra thinks to himself. Cover was just what was needed for an experiment. Sombra, “Hey kid, I need to show something to you.”

Kane, “Okay, where?" The shade feeling a bit of pride in the kid for not totally shutting the shadow down and was willing to listen, grew to like Kane just a bit more.

Sombra with an imaginary finger points, “In the alley over there.” Kane goes to the alley. The shade, “Okay stop.” Kane was put off by the abrupt stop. The shade continued, “Now put your right hand on the wall.”

Kane, “Okay?” Though confused Kane put his right hand on the wall without complaining.

Sombra, “And now put your other hand on it.” Kane puts his hands on the wall. Sombra, “Okay now climb the wall by moving your hand up along the wall for both your right and left hand.” Kane for a moment takes a hard look at the situation. He finds himself facing a wall with both his hands resting on the bricks in the middle of the alley late into the night. He felt weird, but weird is all he felt since meeting the shadow that lives in his head, so it's par for the course.

Kane thought this was dumb but figured Sombra was trying to prove something so Kane did what Sombra instructed. Steading his hands Kane subconsciously placed him right foot on the wall. With deep breaths Kane raised his left hand, right after he did an internal panic overwhelm him when he saw himself climbing the wall. So lost in denial when Kane turns around to see where he is, Kane realizes quickly that the building is a skyscraper. Kane thinks to himself, 'I must have climbed several stories for me to be this far up.'

Kane, “Holy shit.” The shade sees a building to the right of them that has a metal pole sticking out of it.

Sombra, “Hey kid you see that metal pole over there use your right hand to swing it.”

Kane with disbelief, “But how am I gonna do that.” Mildly annoyed at how his darker half glosses over the fact that he can climb walls like some sort of animal.

Sombra ignoring Kane's mental hang-ups continues, “Palm up your right hand," pauses before self-correcting, "wait, wait, wait. Wrong instructions." If Kane could see the shadow he would look at the shadow as it was crazy, "I want you to aim at the metal pole with your hand in a fist.” Kane aimed at the metal pole. Sombra, “Then you will shoot yourself through your hand.”

Kane flabbergasted, "What does that mean!"

The shade with a groan, "What I mean brat is visualize yourself being launched to the pole. Imagine being at the pole, once you got that in your head I want you to give your hand a thrust, like pulling a trigger."

Kane pushes his right hand forward like Sombra said. Slowly for only a second, what appeared from his clench hand looked like inky shadow blobs, before the tendrils quickly rushed forward. With the thrust of his fist black masses of tendrils shot out causing his hand to be coated in shadow along with the mass of darkness sticking to the metal pole.

the shadow continues to guide, “Good, now make sure to maintain your grip in your right hand. With a kick off the wall jump into a swing before landing on a nearby building's roof.”

Kane's face grew white, “What, that's dangerous and insane.”

Sombra with a roll of his eyes, “Trust me, you are gonna be okay.” Kane thought about it. He grabbed these manifested shadows, took a deep breath before he squeezed it tight.

Kane, “Okay, let's do this.” With a skip of his heart, Kane launches himself towards the other building. As he swung, The shade failed to mention that in order to reach the other building Kane likely would end up letting go to his only lifeline keeping him from kissing asphalt. When he did let go, Kane felt himself flying towards the other building. Kane, “Oh shit! oh shit! oh shit!” Running on autopilot, as Kane got closer to the building roof, he landed in a crouch to disperse his momentum. Shakily standing up Kane wiggles out his legs as a pin-needles sensation ran across his legs.

Kane, “Holy shit.”

Sombra, “You see, what did I tell you.” grumbling to himself Kane kept his annoyance to himself, still the shade puffed up with pride.

Kane, “Okay since we have done that, what now.” A sudden loud crash erupted from the street below. Rushing to the edge of the roof Kane observed the cause. From what he can see it was coming from inside a nearby bank.”

The sinister smoke's mouth stretched into a wide smile, “Now we're gonna kick some asshole.”

Kane rushed to the bank to see what was going on over there, taking advantage of his newly acquired skill he climbed on to the ceiling to not be spotted. While Kane was on the ceiling he heard a group of four robbers talking.

Robber one spoke, “Come on man, lets go hurry up.”

A second robber, “I am trying don’t rush me man.”

The third robber, “Did you get the loot?”

The last robber, “yes we got the loot now we need to figure out how to get out of here.”

Kane slowly and quietly uses a shadow tendril to land on the floor. He then moves to stand over the window panels near the entrance. Kane, “Hello guys!” The robbers look at Kane in shock. Kane, “If you are tricks-and-treaters, you guys are early.”

the first robber, “Who are you?”

Kane, “I’m the guy who's gonna call the police.”

The robber, “Stop him!” The second robber ran towards Kane, but before the robber got close, Kane did a double backflip away from them to the surprise of the robbers. Kane easily escaped the second robber from catching him, when the robber turned around Kane punched the robber in the stomach with such force that it caused the robber to get knocked out. After Kane did that Sombra could sense danger towards Kane.

Sombra, “Duck!” Not wasting time the shade stretched to a wall to pull Kane out of the path of the bullets fired from an AK47 being used by the third robber.

Kane hesitated but quickly hid behind a desk. Kane, ‘Woah you just saved me.’

Sombra pleased with Kane’s gratitude, ‘Your welcome.’

Kane, ‘But how did you do that?’

Sombra, ‘I have an ability to detect danger.’

Kane, ‘I didn't know you can do that.’

The robber with the AK, “where did he go?”

The last robber, “I don't know, go search.”

The robber walked slowly, nervous to be caught off guard, when Kane quickly leaned out from the desk to shoot a shadow web at the robber quickly disarming the man. With the gun pulled out of his hands the robber stood stunned. Enough time for Kant to shoot a web at the robber’s face causing him to not see. In a panic the last robber quickly pulls his pistol out shooting at Kane. Kane’s enhanced body easily dodges the hail of bullets as the robber quickly ran out of bullets. Panicking, the robber fumbles as he reloads his gun. But Kane shoots a web at a nearby chair, and with a pull of his hands throws it towards the robber who ends knocked out on the floor. Only one robber remained with his eyes still covered with webs. Kane wrapped him around with webs and pushed the robber to the ground. Where Kane went to work on shooting webs to stick the man to the ground. The lead robber saw how Kane took down his crew and was scared shitless. Kane looked at him after he finished his game, the robber foolishly put on a pair of brass knuckles.

‘As if that could hurt Kane’ Sombra mused to himself.

In a fit of panic the robber charged at Kane and threw a punch at Kane. But as the shade guessed Kane dodged the punch as he countered with shots to the robber’s face and chest. The robber throws one last punch before being completely knocked out. The punch was thrown so weakly that Kane grabbed and pulled the robber’s fist down to fall onto the ground.

Kane grabbed all the robbers as he put them in a pile cover with the web-like shadows, and Kane left the building by 3:00 a.m. He gets off a building and lands on the streets at a leisurely pace to go home. When Kane got home he slowly and quietly claiming on roof and open the window to get to his room.

Kane thought, ‘I can’t believe I stopped those guys, it was awesome.’

Sombra, ‘You see, I knew it wasn't a bad idea.’

Kane, ‘Yeah but I’m tired after such a night I'm going to sleep.”

The shade, ‘Okay kid get some rest now.’ Kane lay down on the bed and went to sleep without a care in the world, failing to hear the warm tone coming from the voice in his head.