You're gonna go far, kid

5

"He's young, that's for sure." Techno stated as he peeled off his armour. Wilbur looked up from his hologram pad quickly.

"You saw him?"

"Saw him, spoke to him, fought a gang with him-"

"You what??" Wilbur almost screeched. "We're supposed to be bringing him in, not helping him break the law!" Techno shrugged.

"Considering he's so slippery so far, I thought it would be easier to bring him in if he, you know, came willingly." Wilbur looked at him like he was mad. Techno continued anyway.

"And for him to do that, we need to gain his trust so we can tell him about the program." I piped up from the doorway, startling both boys. "Sounds like a better idea than fighting him, especially if he's a child like you said."

"I said he was young, not a child, Phil."

"Well, is he?

"... Yeah it seems so, I'd say he'd barely have his tusks if he was from my planet." Wilbur was looking at both of us with mild horror now, but I was too caught up about SHADOW's age to care.

"It doesn't matter how old he is, he's dangerous!" I fixed him with a stare at his outburst.

"He's probably only dangerous when you scare him, after all Tech's come out of the encounter with him without a scratch meanwhile you immediately attacked him and he defended himself." Wilbur sighed at my logic.

"Fine, but we still need to be careful."

"He can definitely hold his own in a fight, I think he took down more gang members than I did tonight." I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, he also isn't alone, he had a comms device that he was talking to someone with- I think he called them FRAGMENT." Both Wilbur and I frowned, searching our memories.

"Never heard of 'em." I finally decided. "That's a bit worrying."

"Maybe they're more of a support guy?" Wilbur offered, and Techno shrugged.

"Either way" I hummed, "If SHADOW really is just a kid then we need to change tactics. I'm not gonna attack a child."

"But what about the mission??" Wilbur spluttered.

"We can still get him to join the program, we just need to do it in a... more gentle way."

"Like the way I was doing." Techno chimed in. "And not the way you were."

"Fine." Wilbur huffed.

"I say we start by doing more talking than fighting." I decided. "If he attacks us then we can fight, but I think it will go better that way."

Both boys nodded, Techno heading up to bed and Wilbur huffing and going back to his hologram pad. I left the room, thoughts heavy on my mind.

I sat down on the couch with a sigh, processing all the new information they had on SHADOW.

A kid. SHADOW was a kid, and a vigilante. The thought didn't sit well with me. It still seemed like yesterday when I picked up a very scared Techno from the streets, knuckles bloody and eyes wild.

I reviewed our mission in my head. Get the vigilantes, take them to Dream, and he will put them into the vigilante program. So simple, yet so hard to execute now that I knew the vigilante was a kid.

I ran his claws through my wings, thoroughly preening them as I thought.

I'd have to check with Dream if the program was age appropriate- now that I thought about it, it might be good to start scanning databases for Agantians who fit SHADOW's age and description.

"Phil, we've run out of coffee!" Wilbur called from the kitchen, and I sighed again.

"Not yet mate, check on the bottom shelf, it's labelled!" I called back, and heard rummaging before an affirmative yell.

They'd have to scout the streets for a shop that sold it at some point, and I added it to my mental list of jobs. It was going to be a long night.

---

I span on my chair, pulling my long arms and legs in to gain speed.

I was feeling quite bored, to put it bluntly. I had 3 hours before my next class, and I'm already so far ahead on the work there's really no point to doing any right now. So, like any normal person, I start hacking into the dark web. As you do.

I pull up my research into SBI from a week ago, looking into THE BLADE's history for any hidden weaknesses. I frowned, leaning closer to the screen. Someone had drawn a connection between an old vigilante and THE BLADE.

It was pretty convincing, putting how easy it was to bypass the paywall aside.

"Vigilante known as THE BLOOD GOD... Active roughly from 3199-3200 in Traver (starting 3 years before the appearance of Dream Tech).... Activity ceases 3 months before the appearance of the now popular hero THE BLADE.... Both Suidae-Ursi.... Similar technique...." I skimmed through the information, eyes slowly widening.

No way. I leaned back in my chair, letting out a breath which I didn't even realise I had been holding. THE BLADE used to be a vigilante. Back in the golden era, no less. Back when Dream Tech was only just coming to power.

This could be catastrophic to his career. Everyone knew Dream's opinions on vigilantes, if it got out that THE BLADE used to be one...

I turned back the computer, fingers tapping rapidly on the keys as I sent the server it was posted from an email. When the email was opened the virus should take down the site for me.

I probably shouldn't tell Tommy, knowing him he'll be making banter and spill. SBI is already after us, we don't need another reason for them to want us behind bars.

I heard a ping from my computer, notifying me that the email had been opened and that the virus was currently wreaking havoc on the site. I smiled grimly. Dream wouldn't be ruining another life with his prejudices, not while I was here to stop him.