Armani suits always had a fit that Lucky admired, stitching that wove the silken fabric together seamlessly - tailored to perfection. Manicured fingers ran along his broad shoulders, pointed nails dragging across fabric. His hand wrapped around her mock silken tresses, the platinum locks tangled in his grip as he pulled twisting her chin to tilt her gaze up. Amber eyes masked by lenses that made them the color of stormy skies. Her back pressed against a wall, legs wrapped around someone’s waist with diamonds around her neck - best kind of position she could wish for.
“I like when you play dress up,” he moaned in her ear. She smiled, better to let him think that’s all it was, some part of meticulously planned foreplay she cooked up just for him. He loosened his grip, strands slipping through his fingers as one the other hand reached along her neck and jawline the other roughly gripped the meat of her thigh. Taut skin pulsated shades of vermilion and porcelain underneath the forceful pressure that tore at her flesh with carnal barbarity.
“Come on,” She said with a breathy whisper, “I want to go out. That’s part of the fun of dressing up, you get to show me off.”
His groan rumbled from his gut, then burying himself into the curve of her neck. “Camcam, how can I go out in this state? I can’t possibly keep my hands off you long enough for us to do anything…..well, almost anything.”
Lucky laughed as he pulled himself closer, “I’m sure you’ll manage just fine. Come on Nico, you had me all to yourself for the last three weeks in the Maldives - I’m a social butterfly I need to be around people, life, humdrum and such.”
“Hmm...humdrum you say?” He took a moment to pretend to ponder, Lucky smirking at him with amusement. He had charm, maybe that’s why they had lasted longer than she’d ever given them credit for. Her eyes twinkled through her tinted lenses, lips pouted. His expression cracked, his shoulders slumping into hers. “Alright, let’s go!”
Lucky squealed with excitement, showering him in kisses as he helped her upright. Her hands snaked around his neck, his pulling her hips into his. She could feel him throbbing with desire, lowering his satin lips leaving them to linger above hers. He slid her legs down from around his waist, setting her down with only mild reluctance.
“I don’t understand why of all places you choose a casino in Shanghai to holiday, you do know I’m rich? We don’t need to gamble.” His jest followed her down the hall, stilettos already clipping across the hall towards the lift.
“Gambling isn’t about winning money, it’s about the thrill.” Lucky’s face filled with wonder, fingers smoothing his lapels as his arms wrapped around her once more. “Plus, I’ve got luck like you wouldn’t believe.”
The casino floor was thick with smoke, that was the best part about Chinese casinos - they still let you smoke inside. A lit cigarette hung from overdrawn lips in a pout that was usually reserved for the femme fatales you’d see in comicbooks. Her fingers were adorned in gold and precious jewels, one rested on his shoulder as he led them onto the main floor. She could sense him drifting towards the blackjack tables, leaning forward to whisper through the chaos that surrounded them. “Let’s shoot craps, babe. That’s where all the fun people usually are.”
A line she’d used many times, practiced over and over until the words didn’t make any more sense. Her voice dripped with honey, masking the sulfuric odour of the passive manipulation. If there was one thing that Lucky had learned from her father, it was to plan for every conceivable outcome - and then some. She smiled as he looked back to her, her hair draped so that it slightly obscured her face. Made it harder for anyone to get too good a look.
“I’m more of a card man myself,” He spoke over his shoulder, his handsome features pulled into a smug expression. Lucky’s eyes narrowed, recognizing the signs of the alpha male beginning the ritual to assert his dominance. Hips out, shoulders back with a look in their eyes that said begged to be challenged. It was so cute when they acted like they were so tough. Lucky never even had to lift a finger to make them putty.
“Oh, baby - please! I promise just let’s do one and if we lose we can leave right away, swear.” Lucky pleaded, rotating to wrap her arms around him and pressing herself into him. He was powerless, with lips so close he was at whim. She knew how to pick em - arrogant, rich and easy to control.
Maybe that’s because it’s easier to walk away, if you know it’s doomed from the start. A voice spoke from the back of her mind, the same one that always reminded her of the same thing.
This is all just a distraction, one thing after another to try to ignore reality.
Yeah, well fuck you too.
Lucky blinked at Nico, lips upturned in the same picture perfect smile she had mastered as a kid. Had to look camera ready, after all. She ignored the inner dialogue, batting her lashes at Nico. “What do you say? Come on, it’s a more than fair wager!”
“Yeah, yeah - okay. Let’s do it.” His reluctance was evident, eyes drifting back to the poker tables as she dragged him across the floor. “One roll, Camcam. Don’t try to turn it into some best two out of three after the fact.”
The table only had a few players, mostly older men in town on business - she could always spot those types. Needless to say the tall drink of French with the sultry tart on his side drew stares as they approached the table. Lucky kept her gaze low, standing beside Nico as he took his place at the table. Tonight she only had eyes for Nico, or at least that’s what the cameras would show.
The croupier was wielding a long hooked stick to push around the dice, gesturing to them to bet. Nico slid the chips into Lucky’s hand, leaning in to whisper. “Go on, make your wager.”
Lucky felt electricity crack between them, she loved when he spoke French to her. Sliding the chips across the table, Lucky shifted her hips pushing them into Nico. The eyes on the table were on her, her dress clinging to the right places.
“Seven.” She said in Chinese to the croupier, Nico watching as the dealer moved the chip into place.
“Ahh, lucky number seven. Very well, go on then - blow.” He jested, scooping up the dice and presenting them to Lucky. She bit her lip, smirking mischievously. Lucky leaned, pursed her lips and blew - breathing life into the dice’s shadows. Stormy eyes looking up at him longingly. She could feel him inwardly groaning, vibrating against her.
Lucky purred, wrapping herself around him to turn him towards the table. She nibbled at his ear playfully, her breath hot when she whispered. “Take your shot, Nicolas.”
Nico gave her a dubious expression, certain they’d take one roll and leave. The odds were in his favor. It was hard for Lucky to disguise her amusement. Nico shook the dice in his hand loosely, Lucky could feel the shadows curving around the divots of the dice on either side. She patted his back reassuringly, cheering him on. “Allez Nico, vas-y.”
He threw the dice across the table, those around watching intently. Lucky felt their moment them hit against the back of the table, ricocheting the dice back to the center. Holding her breath, hiding behind Nico’s shoulder felt the shadows warp around as they twisted back and forth. The shadows were slowing, and she could feel one landing on five as the other rolled a little further out. The table tensed, watching the die as it seemed to surpass the two and slow on the four. Lucky squeezed her grip around Nico’s arm, flickering the shadow around the die just enough to turn it one more time - the two dots staring back up at them with a wink.
The table cheered, Lucky jumping with excitement. Nico glanced over, with a look of half amusement half begrudgement. Lucky shrugged her shoulders, eyes glittering with excitement. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, lips colliding with passion. Her lips smiled beneath his. It was too easy.
Roll after roll, seven seven seven. The table was in disbelief, Nico was rolling hot. Each time those two die looked up at them the onlookers cheered. A crowd had begun to gather, watching the man who couldn’t stop winning. Lucky hid herself behind him, careful to keep her face hidden.
“I’ve got to go powder my nose, excuse me babe.” Lucky whispered into Nico’s ear, leaving him surrounded by those who had flocked to him - trying to piggyback on his luck. She could hear their collective groan of disappointment when the die didn't land in his favor for the first time that night.
The cacophony of the casino was suddenly overwhelming, her defenses weakened from the prolonged focus. She kept her gaze low, avoiding the cameras as she maneuvered across the floors. There weren’t many casinos where she could go without a disguise anymore, but she’d grown to like it. Lucky and the rest of them had spent most of their lives locked away like trophies in a case set out for display. If anyone deserved to fuck around for a while it was them.
She ran the tap, focusing on the sound of the water rushing letting her mind settle. Imagine a ballerina remaining en pointe for several hours while they also having to fool a bunch of mafiaso casino owners that they’re just some dumb tourist and not the woman who’s taken tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars from them by cheating. Her hands gripped the sink, leaning across slowly to rest her forehead against the cool glass of the mirror. For a moment she let her mind drift, but the sound of the door opening jolted her upright.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!” The woman said inoffensively, offering a weak smile as she slid past Lucky to go into the stalls.
“No, you’re alright. I’m just an irrationally jumpy person.” Lucky laughed, staring at herself in the mirror as she spoke, pinching at her cheeks to flush them with color. It was time to get back out there before Nico lost too much of their money. She swiped her lipstick across her pout, seeking across the shadows for Nico in case he had already left the craps table.
Looking from the shadows, Lucky froze with the realization that they had been made. Nico was being led away by two figures, she could sense them reaching the edge of her shadow barrier. Nico talked big but she doubted he would be the type to handle being worked over by a couple of goons that well. She should have known better than to try to drag some guy into some fucked up thrill seeking self-destructive excuse of a holiday.
She glided through the darkness, hovering just within their world watching from the shadows. Nico’s face was twisted in unease and confusion, flanked by two security guards in suits - both dwarfing him in stature. They led him past a set of double doors that read “NO ENTRY”, somewhere where the light was bright enough to create a blind spot.
“Fuck.” Her inner dialogue echoed. Just what she needed, another mess to clean up. Maybe she over-played her hand, she let the pot get too big and got their attention. She had placed too much confidence that his sheer density would keep him safe from suspicion, instead she had just drawn a target on his back. There was a part of Lucky that wished she could just say fuck it and leave, but she knew better than to waste her time pretending that was an option.
The room was impenetrable by simple shadow stepping, which meant the room was probably engineered to keep people like her too. Lucky had an inkling if Rina tried ripping off the doors with her magic she’d face a similar obstacle. That left only one way in - the front doors. A man stood on either side, she could sense the automatic either had tucked under their suit jacket. She needed one of them to scan their cards to unlock the door while also figuring out a way to walk into the room.
Sure, sounds simple enough. The voice in the head quipped, Lucky couldn’t help but grin. Who knew all those years of pops training would end up being used to give casino thugs a hard time. Her shadow beneath the fabric of the man’s suit creating an exoskeleton. She watched the man carefully, watching as her shadow adhered itself to his skin. He let out a grunt of shock and discomfort, turning to his partner wide eyed.
“Something’s got me!” He shouted out, doing his best to resist the shadow skeleton as it forced his hand to reach for his key card. The other guard drew his gun, waving it into the hallway searching wildly for their attacker. As the man under Lucky’s control reached to scan the key card, he called out to his colleague. “They’re tryna get me to open the door, I can’t stop ‘em.”
Much to Lucky’s display, the man’s coworker didn’t hesitate to stop the guard from opening the door. He swung the butt of his gun to hit the other’s head, their body going limp in Lucky’s hold. The man began shooting at the shadows that pooled around their feet. When the shadow slunk out from beneath his suit, the remaining guard began shooting at the moving shadows. Lucky smiled to herself, hovering in the shadows from above as one of the inken tentacles reached over the man’s shoulder to grip the barrel and pull it back. The man managed to kick off the ground, projecting himself to run up the wall flipping off as he shed his suit jacket and gun. Lucky huffed, he had to play things the hard way didn’t he?
“See, this is the problem with toxic masculinity.” Lucky called out, her shadows cloaking her like a second skin as she rose. If the man was surprised to see a shadowed figure he did well disguising it. “Just can’t stand getting beat by a woman.”
His eyes traced her outline, sizing her up and raising his fists. Lucky tilted her head, wishing he could see her smile. She walked forward slowly, speaking to no one in particular. “I guess this one doesn’t mind it one bit, in fact I think he might even like it.”
Lucky kicked her leg out, a shadowy whip extending from her foot lurching towards the man. He dodged it’s attacks, dexterously maneuvering just out of it’s reach. Propelling his body forward he closed the distance between them with his fists raised. Lucky slinked into her shadow just as he closed the distance between them, reappearing across the room still in shadow form just. “All you had to do was let your friend unlock the door, now you’ve made it difficult.”
He charged towards her, jumping expertly from point to point to avoid the inken tentacles that reached for him from the shadows. He was too fast for a ranged attack, Lucky would have to use other methods against him. She wasn’t strong enough to take him in one on one combat, but maybe she used it as a distraction while her shadows struck from a blind spot Lucky could knock him out. The shadows that clung to her forearms shifted forming blades that extended past her finger tips. Lucky raised her arms preparing for the man’s attack, bracing herself.
He landed just beside her, light as a feather and rounding his elbow to deliver a blow. Reflexively the shadows attempted to absorb the shock, dematerializing under the pressure and leaving Lucky vulnerable to rest of his force. She gritted her teeth through the pain, reacting without hesitation and crossing her arm over to slash behind her forcing the Guard to leap back a yard. Lucky used her spiraled momentum to push off, propelling toward the man like a bullet.
He evaded her flawlessly, had been since they’d started. His footwork was impeccable, the type of thing people had to be bred for to attain. It was hard not to admire his skill, even in these circumstances. Blow after blow they went, blocking and dodging one anothers attacks with delicate precision. Every time one of them thought they’d found a blind spot, the other would some manage to leap or disappear out the way at the very last second.
Lucky slunk through the shadows, rematerializing at the end of the hall panting with exhaustion. She was out of practice, she did enough cardio - but cardio just hit different when you have adrenaline pumping through your system. The man straightened himself up, pausing to stare down the hall to Lucky. She could sense his shadow, his chest heaving. Dark green eyes cut through the space between them, searching her shadow masked expression trying to suss out her next move.
Lucky began to walk forward, slowly and deliberately. Her breathing was steadied, every respire filling her with a sense of euphoria. Lucky had forgotten how good it felt to meet your match, someone who kept you on your toes. She tilted her head to the side, giving him a good look for the first time. Besides the cheap suit he wasn’t half bad Lucky thought, smiling to herself in amusement. Lucky extended a finger, coyly beckoning him over.
His shadow tensed as his muscles prepared to pounce. She could feel the pressure he placed on the shadow beneath his feet ready to bound towards her, Lucky prepared to slip into her shadow at any moment watching him intently. Just as he began to push off from the ground, an electronic beep cut through the room followed by the mechanical sounds of a door unlocking. The Guard immediately turned back towards the door, opening his mouth to shout out a warning - leaving himself open to Lucky’s shadows. They swarmed him like netting, wrapping around his mouth to silence his cries. A pair of shadowed tentacles lunged toward the doors, one wedging itself between the doors as it opened before expanding itself to force the door open the rest of the way while. The other tentacle reached for the closest body in range behind the door. Lucky pulled them back sharply, quickly tossing them to the other end of the hell bound by shadow ropes when she saw they weren’t Nico.
Before looking to see who else stood beyond the light barrier Lucky stepped through the shadows to teleport to the doors. Emerging from the darkness Lucky expanded the shadows around her, spilling them into the room in waves as she rose from them. The shadows she had been wearing like a cat suit retracted, only two coils that wrapped around either arms like sentient whips remaining. The remaining guard stood behind Nico who had been strapped to the chair with a gun pointed at the back of his head. Behind her the door slammed shut, the guard behind Nico laughing.
“Stupid girl, this room isn’t just made to keep people like you out. It’s to keep you trapped as well.” He sneered, gripping Nico’s hair as he pressed the muzzled deeper into his scalp. Nico’s eyes were wide with horror and confusion, staring at the sentient shadows that surrounded Lucky.
“Who says I’m trying to get out?” Lucky asked, clucking her tongue as she gave the gunman a smug grin. She pulled off her wig, throwing it to the side as she shook out her lock dark natural locks. “Your little cage might have been made for people like me….but if you knew about people like me you’d know nothing short of an act of G O D could keep us. Plus, you should know - even a caged animal still has their bite.”
One of the whips around her forearm swung above, shattering the lights showering them with sparks and glass. The man raised an arm to protect himself, his gun moving from Nico’s head. A shadow gripped the man’s forearm, wrapping itself around his gun as he fired it into the space in front of him. Lucky’s arm crossed over, throwing the shadow that bound itself to the man’s arm and throwing him across the chamber. The sound of his head hitting the wall followed by his body going slack.
Lucky exhaled sharply, her shadows receding and the room steadying around them. A sinking sensation in her stomach cut through the adrenaline, suddenly aware of the man tied up in the middle of the room staring at her terror in his eyes. It didn’t matter that she could have very well just saved his life, to him she was still dangerous. Lucky avoided eye contact as she untied him, glancing at the man unconscious on the floor watching for movement.
He sputtered as she pulled the gag from his mouth, the cloth wet with his saliva. Lucky had barely finished untrying him before he was pulling himself from the chair, trying to create as much distance between himself and Lucky as quickly as possible. Biting the inside of her lip, Lucky crossed her arms to give Nico an annoyed expression.
“You know, most people say thank you when I save their lives.” She sneered, circling around the chair towards him. He scrambled to his feet to maintain his distance, hands trembling as he tried to use them to push himself back up. Her patience was wearing thin, the last thing she needed was her damsel in distress to start bucking against his one-woman rescue team. “Jesus Christ, pull yourself together. We still need to get out of here.”
“Wh-w-who-wh-what are you?” He stammered. His words came out like a pot boiling over, bits bubbling over his quivering lip. Lucky had to bite back laughter, there was a time when people might have actually willingly put themselves in the line of danger just for the possibility of being rescued by her. Lucky glanced to the door, moving carefully to sit in the chair Nico had been bound to. He pressed himself further into the wall behind him, watching her with wide eyes.
“Nico you deserve an explanation, I’m not denying you of that ...but not right now.” She spoke gently, sighing with a sense of exhaustion.
“These people are not fucking playing. Do you see those cameras?” Lucky pointed to the cameras above, shattered from her shadows but remnants of them still hanging in either corner. Nico glanced at them, careful to keep an eye on Lucky. “That’s face tracing tech, they know who you are and more importantly - now, they know who I am. That means we have less than ninety seconds before they come through that door and this time they will be ready, and I can’t promise that I’ll be able to get you out if it comes to that. What I need for you is just to remember the girl you have been spending the last several weeks with. I just need you to trust that girl for just a few moments longer until we get out safe and then if you never want to see me again, I promise I will honor that.”
She rolled out her hand as an invitation, eyes pleading with him. All he could see was the delight in her expression as she had stormed in, bathed in darkness and tearing through the men like they were gnats to swat at. He recognized her face but it was no longer familiar, her beauty hardened into sharp lines. Still, her voice sounded the same. The voice that had been both the devil and the angel whispering in his ear the last couple weeks. Nico had always known she was too good to be true, too perfect to not come with a catch. He reached out a cautious hand, eyes wary but knowing. There was no other way out.
“We want them to have eyes on us as long as possible, there’s probably another camera here we can’t even see. It’s going to feel strange but no matter what you can’t let go - get it?” Lucky searched his eyes for comprehension, discouraged by his look of bewilderment.
“Don’t let go.” She reinforced sternly. His nails had begun to dig into her flesh, his grip tightening. Flexing her fingers to weaken his hold, Lucky gave his palm a reassuring squeeze. For a moment she felt the familiar sinking sensation of guilt, roping someone else into her fucked up games. She put other people at risk just by being around her. It was like having a gun in the house, it only made you more vulnerable no matter how careful you think you are.
I’m sorry. The words failed on her lips.
The mechanical sounds of locks snapped their attention to the door, Lucky’s brow furrowed as she focused on the border of her shadows along the entryway. Undoubtedly they came prepared, likely with the strongest wattage they could find on the other side. She would have to wait to enter the shadows at the precise moment before the door split open, when the two sides merged. There would be no room for error.
Her father always called her lucky, or rather just lucky. Her powers came at an ease none of her siblings possesed. She had been a changeling, powers manifesting from the moment of birth. When Hargreeves came to purchase her from her mother, Lucky was swaddled in the shadows rocking herself back and forth in her sleep. It was as natural as breathing, and there was no way some casino thugs were going to be the ones to best her.
Watching the shadows with bated breath, she gave Nico’s hand another squeeze as a warning before pulling him into the darkness with her. The initial resistance was expected, the dimension could have a disorienting effect on others. Lucky tugged his hand gently, pulling him closer. They just had to get to the end of the shadows. She could feel their lights on the other side, they’d have to jump right out at them. Lucky looked back to Nico, sure to make eye contact as she mouthed. “Follow my lead. Don’t let go.”
Five men with rifles and two yielding lights waited on the other side, watching the door intently. None of them so much as dared to breathe. They thought the man had been the gifted one, they had no idea who they were really up against. If they got out of this unscathed, that would be a miracle, but their employers had too much pride to let her walk out without a fight. The men with lights kept them pointed at the door, frozen with anticipation. Just as they began to brace themselves, the door just about to open - two shadowy figures emerged hand in hand.
Lucky let her shadows coat her and Nico like a second skin, doubling as a way to bind their hands together. The lights were strong enough to keep her from expanding her shadows, but not strong enough to disintegrate their own. She propelled herself and Nico over the group, the spotlight following along with a string of bullets. So long as the spotlight was on her she couldn’t use her power to slip away. She’d have to fight them….or distract them.
She stood in between Nico and the armed men, the shadow that wrapped around her arm materializing into a whip. The hallways were filled with smoke from the gunfire, her whip consuming the bullets before they reached her. Lucky threw her arm around her head, the whip spraying back the bullets. The men dodged the bullets, the spotlights lost their place, allowing Lucky to leap into the shadows again with Nico in tow. They had to step in and out of them once or twice to make it out, the casino in disarray around them as an alarm rang to signify the casino going into lock down. As soon as they stepped out of one shadow they stepped into another, working to the garage. She got them into the fastest car in the lot she could find, Nico slumping against the door with exhaustion. Her shadows manifested into the keyhole, the engine purring with contentment when she turned the shadow key.
Foot on the gas, hands on the wheel whipping around like they were in an action movie. She couldn’t put enough distance between them, zipping through cars in the road expertly. Nico settled into a silent shock, processing what he had seen. He barely seemed to notice when she pulled into a quiet neighborhood to switch cars, someone who wouldn’t notice there car was missing for another few hours. It wasn’t until sun break when he finally spoke, voice cracking. “Where are you taking me?”
Lucky felt that sinking feeling again, guilt. Sometimes she forgot how something that was once every day life for her was a trauma to others. For all he knew she was just another person who was going to tie him up. Amber irises refracted gold specks in the sunlight, glancing at Nico with concern. “I can take you wherever you want, right now I am just trying to make sure it’s somewhere you are safe.”
After a few moments of silence, Lucky spoke again. “How about the boat, I could take you there? Would you feel safe ther-”
“Who the fuck are you.”
Lucky sighed, fingers drumming on the wheel. “Ever heard of The Umbrella Academy?”
She heard his sharp gasp of recognition, putting together her powers with her identity. Not only was she a super, she was one of the most famous ones of all time. He had been spending the last several weeks on a boat with a living breathing lethal weapon, completely oblivious. There was an anger bubbling within, suffocated by the humiliation. He spoke through a clenched jaw, “You’re her…. Shade?”
Lucky exhaled roughly, just the sound of the name made her gut sink. That wasn’t her, never was. It was just someone she used to dress up as. She steadied her breath, suddenly aware that she had been gripping the wheel so tightly her nails began to dig into the palms of her hands. Lucky leaned back, “Haven’t heard that name in a while.
“It’s just Camila now,” but I was once Camcam to you. It didn’t feel right to let him call her Lucky, not after tonight.
They rode in silence a while longer. Nico drifting in and out of sleep until they slowed as she led them off the highway, the ramp winding and spitting them back onto the street facing the ocean. The marina was just in sight, the baron masts of docked bobbing up and down in the water in the distance. Lucky could sense his tension began to ease, the end of this nightmare finally in sight. She glanced in the rearview checking that no one was following them as she turned. “I’ll watch and make sure you get to your boat okay.”
The sound of the door unlocking made him flinch, but he made no motion to leave. Lucky could see the gears in his mind grinding, like there was a lag in his processing. “I thought you were supposed to be a superhero?”
“Yeah, well that’s exactly what he wanted you to think. Truth is we were a bunch of fucked up kids who were told it was up to us to save the world.” Lucky couldn’t bite back the venom, her reaction a visceral response. She felt the blood rushing to her face, her cheeks reddening. The air was heavy, suffocating. Nico’s eyes felt like knives piercing her, trying to cut out the answers she couldn’t give him. “I’m not a superhero, I never was.”
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. SLAM!
Bon Voyage.