Making a name

Miguel shuddered against the sudden breeze that blew through the dank alley he was currently in, his brown eyes darting here and there, keeping a look out for any would-be assailants or the person he was waiting for. He berated himself for not bringing better suited clothes for this godforsaken city.

"Chicago" He mused, this is where men could become villains in a instant, and the only stemming force was the "great" superheroes, as the news reporters liked to blather on about. That was nothing interesting, just the glorification of something other than him, what piqued his interest in this city was the way one could disappear so quickly, as long as he didn't do anything "big".

A small grin wormed it's way onto Miguel's face, it seemed out of place on the young man, just as he seemed in the alley he was currently standing in; twisted and brimming with potential malice. The thought of pulling off something big in this city, was what he hoped to do one day. Hero killing? Entire city ransom? Any of the myriad ideas would suit him, as long as it ended with him stroking his ego or lining his pocket.

There was one reason for being here now though, someone wanted to work with Eldritch, his alter ego . At first he had scoffed when he received the message, both sides of his identity had better things to do, the offer of payment was brought up however, and that snapped his attention immediately. Buying the first ticket to Chicago he could, and making sure to leave his family with a made up story of a potential internship, he had made his way to proposed location the moment his plane landed, the very alley in which he was freezing in, waiting for this supposed benefactor.

Another chill ran up Miguel's arms, breaking him out of his reverie , as another gust of wind blew past. Annoyance swelled up in him, how dare someone leave him waiting in such a state. Dark thoughts of what to do to this procrastinating, mystery benefactor began to cloud his mind.

"Five more minutes" He mentally agreed, he would wait five more minutes for this person to make themselves known, if it was a no show, he would still be in Chicago for a few days, could be a good to stake out some places, maybe even start some noise. He did have name to make after all.

It had been a small span of time that he had stayed within Chicago, but already the ethereal being was making quite the splash within the Criminal Underworld. A certain hang had already been taken over by the enigmatic male, their former leader reduced to nothing but a corpse before his very feet, sputtering and dying. Cut off the head of the serpent, and you kill the body, but he did not allow it to end there, when Michael had a much larger idea than what had been laid down before his arrival. This windy had opened up more possibilities ahead of him than he even expected, though this was perhaps the beginning of a greater plan that had struck him only recently, when everything had begun to pull itself together.

These Metahumans all had power that made them deadly against the average human gang members and that made them useful in enforcing his will, as long as the average hero did not jump in anyway. The one known as Andrew especially captured Michael’s interest more than anything, and his strange healing abilities made him stay close to the dark haired Ethereal Being. The younger sibling was something else interesting, a female with avian qualities that made her an interesting scout, seeing as how she could easily fly through the night and watch over rival dealings, and inform Michael of what they were doing ahead of time. There was then the pyrokinetic younger brother, one that could summon blue fire that burned extremely hot.  

Something within him wished that he could turn them into imperfects at least, to raise them from their stations as pathetic Metahumans. With the assimilation of the group itself, he even had more Metahumans to help him, and that only made everything easier in the long run. This cold night however he was supposed to meet someone, a powerful criminal that had called themselves Eldritch and their umbrakinetic prowess was something that Michael could make great use of. In fact he was slated to meet this individual within one of the many dark alleyways and slate him for a job, so that was what he would do, though with great chagrin at having to go about in the cold weather.

So here he was walking around the entrance of the alleyway alone, dressed in a simple dark blue hoodie, fading blue jeans and sneakers. His black hair was in a semi messy state and some black stubble clung to his face, as silver eyes would fall upon the male that he was to meet. ”Sorry if I’m a little late.” He said in a even tone, one that was confident without seeming arrogant.

The sudden voice startled Miguel out of his mental countdown. He quickly began visually scouring the alley for the source of this distraction, only for his eyes to lock with those of a young man. Only one thought crossed his mind: This kid couldn't even be older than him! If this had been some kind of prank or mix up, someone was going to be hurt tonight. Yet, something about this young man unnerved Miguel, his eyes didn't exactly scream "human" to him.

Whatever it was, it made Miguel focus his thoughts on other things, specifically the clothing the young man was wearing, he once again began to berate himself for not bringing a jacket of some sort, mentally scoffing at his own t-shirt and jeans combo he was so fond of. He was cut out of his thoughts when he remembered he wasn't alone anymore, once again bringing his focus to the young man.

"It's fine" He finally manages to croak out , when really a few minutes ago, he was ready to gut this kid for making him wait in the cold. Taking a deep breath, he began to focus on the darkness of the alley, molding it with his mind. The inky blackness creeping towards him, slowly catching onto his body. If this kid really was his potential benefactor, he was gonna give him a demonstration of his power, if not, well; he found someone to take his annoyance out on at the very least.

The darkness feels cold to the touch, not like icy wind or a drop in temperature, but a numbing cold. The feeling, at first brought fear to him, he was scared of losing himself to the numbness in the darkness , but now as he skillfully recreates his costume onto himself, molding each fiber and  strand to fit his body perfectly, he muses that there was nothing really to fear. He commanded where the darkness went and what it became, he was in control of it.

Taking a moment to look at himself, Miguel would always be impressed with how well he had become with his gift. The whole process taking only the barest of seconds, yet always slowed down in memory. Affixing his now masked gaze at the young man, Eldritch gave him a crooked grin before speaking in a low, guttural tone.

"Now, I believe you and I had some business to discuss."

The male standing within the alleyway that they were to meet was Hispanic in appearance, though one could tell that was not the only thing that comprised his ethnic background. Their eyes would lock, silver orbs looking into his brown eyes as they searched for something, and at the same time they would show that he was not exactly human himself. He was as casually dressed as Michael, though something about it also screamed that he did not really prepare for the cold that graced Chicago tonight.

His first words that Michael heard were croaked out, and something about them set his skin on edge, and at the same time only made him want to learn more about the male that stood before him. While he did know about his lucrative career as a criminal,that did nothing to tell about who the man behind the criminal was. He was Metahuman, that was sure enough, and those that were deemed Metahuman would have a place within his little organization, and within its payroll.

His eyes would follow the shadow of the alleyway, as they would wriggle and writhe, moving about upon the beckon of the male that stood amongst them. It seemed that he was doing something with his own ability, but what was that exactly? In the end he seemed to be creating the costume that he had seen very blurry, and unreliable images of before, or at least an hour or two ago through a dirty, and crumpled folder Andrew had supplied him. He knew that his own personal Metahuman bodyguards were not too far away, but they would only appear if he truly was in danger.

Part of him wondered what it felt like to take shadows unto one’s self like that, but he would liken it to being held by Sean when he was within his Full Titan form, and that made Michael shiver even more. Death and darkness seemed to have cold of their own, and both were something that he would have preferred to avoid if at all possible. While he found it a shame that the male had to mar his comely face with the shadows, he also saw the use within such a disguise; as not all could change their physical form like he could. He would make sure that his face was still within a neutral expression as he prepared to answer the question proposed to him.

”Yes, we do have some business to discuss. I run one of the local….crime groups within the city, and we have been falling upon some hard times. I have heard of your exceptional skill when it comes to the work that you do as Eldritch, and I was hoping that I could hire you to help me out.” His fingers would intertwine as he considered what to say, and what would motivate this Metahuman to help him out. ”Me and a few of my associates were hoping to make a surprise withdrawal from one of the local banks, and I was hoping that you could aid this. You will of course be compensated with an upfront fee of two thousand dollars and receive forty five percent of all that is taken. Do these terms sound agreeable?”

Eldritch gauged the young man's reaction to his "transformation", searching his face for any hint of fear. Anything. He needed to see if this kid was even human. To his surprise and small disappointment, nothing of the sort crossed the kid's face, instead Eldritch saw curiosity in the his eyes. He made a mental note to play up his entrances from now on, if he couldn't get some kid to wet themselves upon first meeting, he was losing his touch. Eldritch lost himself in his thoughts and musings, that he barely noticed the young man in front of him was speaking.

Quickly tuning in to what was being said, Eldritch focused intently to ward off any time consuming thoughts. However hard he tried though, the proposition being made drew him right back into his mind. This kid was in charge of his own crew? How did that happen? The young man really wasn't human, he spoke too confidently and offered rewards too steep for some bored mob kid to offer. He didn't seem meta either, or at the very least nothing he had encountered before. Keeping his defenses up just in case, Eldritch took a couple steps toward the young man.

"Sounds like this could keep my pockets lined for a while, so yeah it sounds agreeable." Eldritch flashed the kid a smirk, hopefully deluding the curiosity that plagued his mind towards the young man. "You got a crew, a plan and some disposable liquid to pull it off. You also have me at a disadvantage here, you seem to know my name, yet with the power you say you pack, I have no clue as to who you are."

Eldritch commanded the swirling shadows that made up his costume to creep up his arm, revealing his naked hand. Holding it out to the young man, in a sign for a handshake. Eldritch spoke up again, curious to how this kid would react.

"So tell me, who is it that I have the privilege of calling boss?"

If it wasn’t obvious before, there would be no doubt now that Michael was not human in any meaning of the word. He would have taken it as an insult if one thought him to be human, but then again that was his Titan half revolting against the very idea that he would be mistaken for something as weak as a human. Examining ones expression was a practice that he had taken up, but it was hard when the male opposite of him was covered by the shadows that coated his flesh.

After a small moment of what appeared like thought on the part of his potential partner, he would then seem to agree with what was placed before him. That meant he had another powerful player within his little plan, and the major target would be one of the largest banks within the city, and they would be running a really tight operation. Yet it seemed that he wanted a name, and for now Michael would give him something to call the male, but not his proper name; not until he proved that he could handle himself.

When it came down to everything, names had power and giving someone that power would do no good in the end. He watched the hand protrude from the dark shell, reaching forward in a human gesture of trust, and for a moment he considered not accepting it, as it held little value it seemed. ”You may call me Masquerade.” Michael said with a wide smirk as he accepted the handshake, firmly shaking the man’s hand in return.

”It will be a pleasure to work with you.” being pleasant to get ones trust was something that he had mastered, or atleast turned into an art all his own. With the small gesture of shaking hands out of the way, he was sure they could get on to more important matters. He knew the name of his target after a quick once over of the location, and his crew had even scouted the place a day before the heist would take place.

Now all they needed to do was get in their places, and then the real fun could begin, or at least something like that. ”Well since we have that out of the way, I assume you will want your upfront payment before we get down to business.” He would clap his hands together before holding them there. With that he would motion for the male to follow him, and then they could move on to the specifics and his money.

Masquerade, the name itself left a bad taste in Eldritch's mouth. It conveyed of a sense of cliche, and was probably thought up on the spot. The very notion offended him, not even enough trust for a sensible name, or maybe the now named Masquerade was simply  protecting someone other then himself. It would be hypocritical of Eldritch to fault him for that, he himself had other people to worry about, hence the mask. Without the duality that split his life, he would have been running things now, for the moment however, he will would just have to deal with it.

Smirking as the young man led him to god knows where, Eldritch felt something missing from this scene, as if he forgot to do something important. Stopping for a few seconds, he gathered his stray thoughts to focus on what this feeling was. Immediately looking at his right hand, he noticed he never put it back in darkness. Quickly remedying that, he commanded the swirling darkness back down his hand, revealing in the numbness once again. Noticing that his companion was ahead of him already, he quickly made his way back up to him, finding that his missing presence had not been noticed, or Masquerade simply didn't care.

Clearing his throat to get his attention, Eldritch spoke up. "Not to sound impatient or anything." He was though, waiting for something was just not his style."But, where are we going exactly?"

It was then that it occurred to him that his name was within poor taste, but considering that it was thought up on the spot; Michael knew that he could have not thought of anything better. ”All in due time.” He would say in response to the male’s question, not really caring one way or the other for if he was truly impatient. They would only need to walk a block or two to meet more members of his little…gang, and they would have his money all ready.

In fact it only took them a minute at this pace to reach their destination, which involved treading through another alleyway and into a small and mostly empty looking shop of some kind. The only people that were there at the moment was a male that looked in his early twenties, a red haired female with dark hazel eyes in her late thirties and a male around two years older than Michael in appearance.

It was the red haired female that seemed to hold a small bag jostling with what one could see was money, all two thousand in various bills. ”Well we’re here.” Michael noted with a subdued sigh, crossing arms over his chest as he looked among the others in his midst. He wrenched the bag from her arms and tossed it to the male that was to be working with them, aware that he would catch it, and not dwelling on if he did. ”This will be our partner in this crime. Everyone, I’m sure you’ve already heard of Eldritch.”They would nod as expected, because all of them had done the researched for him in the first place.

”Though I suppose I haven’t really taken on a costume of my own.” With a snap his very features would begin to change, hair warping as it grew longer, and changed into a bright blonde. His male features would begin to soften, and round into something more feminine, clothes also changing along with it. Eyes were now a dull water blue, and he was now one inch taller, as his hair now swept down to the small of his back in a ponytail. His shoes were still the same sneakers, comfortable and whatnot. All of this was accompanied by what looked like hissing purple steam issuing from his body. The others would lean against the dusty looking counter that dominated one side of the interior, smirking at their bosses…special talent. ”Much better.” He said getting used to the new voice, and body.

Catching the bag out of the air, Eldritch was surprised to feel the heft and weight of two thousand dollars. He briefly romanticized the idea of taking off with just this amount, he could make it out fast enough. However, this group did hold their part of the bargain up, he wouldn't be the one to break the honor of thieves, or whatever convoluted honor villains shared.  He would have compared it more to a territorial-pack dynamic. Looking over this assembled group now, he really would call them a pack.

He was more than aware that they were all meta, but nothing other than that. From what he took of Masquerade's short word with them, they knew him from "research", being at any disadvantage always displeased Eldritch, he decided to shrug it off, for now. He still sized them up for good measure though, taking a quick look at each one, he only briefly paused when he looked at the only female in the room, she seemed a bit too old for his taste, though the red hair was a plus. Still, best not to get caught up in something at the moment.

Realizing that someone was speaking, he turned his head to that of the young man who brought him here, only to see Masquerade change before his very eyes. Now this, this was interesting, a shapeshifter. He had never ran into one of those before; or maybe he had and just didn't know? That was too abstract to think about at the moment, shifting his focus to the now completely changed Masquerade, eyes roaming for a bit, he was gonna have to come up with a new pronoun for his employer. He snapped back into focus immediately to address the changeling.

"Well, that was interesting" Eldritch looked around the room to see if anyone else showed the slightest degree of agreeing, finding that the others seemed accustomed to such a display already. "We do have business to conduct though."

He could have wasted time on the question of whether the man would take the money and run, but then again Michael would not have allowed him to get far if he were to do such a thing. For now  he was getting used to this sudden aching within his back, perhaps the added weight on the front proving more annoying that initially expected, but then again it was what he got for basing the female figure off of a mixture of swimsuit ads and a comic book he read. ”Interesting does not even begin to describe it.” The red-haired female would say with a slight roll of the eyes, perhaps not really ever used to the fact of his shape shifting.

While it was partially something that he did to allow himself to walk about freely within normal society, Michael also found it fun to take forms other than his own. Plus, robbing banks felt rather easy to do, as long as another Metahuman did not jump into the mix and make everything difficult, though he had heard enough of the heroic types to know how to stop them. All it took was a hostage and one was all golden, though if it went according to plan, he would not even have to resort to such methods to get what he wanted.

”Yes, business.” He/she would muse looking over their left hand for a moment, before the pale blue orbs returned to looking upon the dark Metahuman. Something about taking a new form always seemed to fill Michael with slight interest, if only because something about being someone else felt refreshing. ”Now that you have your payment, I think we can get down to the robbery in question. Michael would note with a smirk, keeping that air of confidence about him even now. ”If everyone is ready that is.” The other metas seemed ready enough, and that meant that all they needed was Eldritch before they could begin this “high profile” heist.

Robbery was always a simple gig, usually it just involved a simple smash and grab. If things got complicated, the threat of excessive violence usually worked to his advantage. Looking at the assembled group once again, Eldritch quickly realized this was going to be more than a smash and grab. As the young changeling in front of him, waited for what seemed like a confirmation, his more rational side began to speak up.

"This could go bad in so many ways"  He was more than aware of that fact, but this is what he wanted. He couldn't back out now. He was already too far gone, why stop now? Flashing a sharp grin at Masquerade, hopefully conveying his readiness and freaking out his employer. Just in case though, he spoke up.

"Ready when you are..." He was too, nothing was going to stop him now. If things went bad, he always had these new peons to take the fall, looking at the people in question, his grin grew wider. If this changeling thought he had just bought a partner he was wrong. Screw the honor among thieves act, there was only him, and if anyone managed to keep up, they'll get their share. Keeping himself controlled, he patiently waited for the plan to be explained.