The Masked Virtuoso

The morning air was crisp as Ethan and Mia stepped out onto the quiet streets of Arclight. The city's usual hum seemed distant, muted by the tension radiating from the two of them. Ethan adjusted his jacket and glanced at Mia, who was already focused on her tablet, her expression set like stone.

"You know, it's way too early to be this serious," Ethan quipped, trying to break the silence.

"Focus," Mia said without looking up.

"Right, because we're heading into a high-security Council facility," Ethan replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Totally not the kind of thing I need to mentally prepare for or anything."

"You'll manage," Mia said, finally glancing at him with the faintest hint of a smirk.

Ethan sighed. "I feel so reassured."

---

They reached a nondescript van parked near a run-down factory—Mia's choice of transportation for the mission. Ethan stopped short, eyeing the rusty vehicle.

"Seriously?" he asked. "We're storming a secret base in that?"

"It's discreet," Mia replied, opening the door.

"It's an eyesore," Ethan muttered as he climbed in.

The inside of the van was surprisingly high-tech, outfitted with monitors, control panels, and a setup that looked straight out of a spy movie. Ethan whistled. "Okay, this is impressive. Do I get to press any buttons?"

Mia didn't answer, instead gesturing for him to sit. As the van rolled into motion, she began going over the plan.

---

The drive was uneventful, but the tension between them grew as they neared their destination. Ethan leaned back, watching the cityscape blur into the industrial outskirts. His mind wandered to the shard in his jacket pocket, its faint hum almost soothing against the chaos ahead.

"So," Ethan said suddenly, breaking the silence. "What's your favorite way to relax? You know, when you're not planning missions or running from dangerous people?"

Mia glanced at him, clearly caught off guard. "I don't think that's relevant."

"Come on," Ethan pressed, grinning. "You have to do something for fun. Yoga? Knitting? Watching cat videos?"

Mia rolled her eyes but couldn't entirely hide her amusement. "I read."

"Of course you do," Ethan said, leaning his head back. "Bet it's something serious, too. Like 'Advanced Tactics of Espionage' or 'How to Lose Friends and Intimidate People.'"

"Do you ever stop talking?" Mia shot back, though there was a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Not when I'm nervous," Ethan admitted.

---

They finally arrived at the outskirts of the Council's facility, a sprawling compound surrounded by tall fences and patrolling guards. The sight wiped away Ethan's grin, replacing it with a sharp focus.

"Here's the plan," Mia said, pulling up the schematics on her tablet. "We sneak in through the south entrance. Security cameras rotate every 30 seconds—your shadows should be able to handle them."

"And then?" Ethan asked, scanning the facility with narrowed eyes.

"We head to the main server room," Mia continued. "I'll handle the data extraction. You keep us from getting caught."

Ethan nodded. "Got it. Distractions, shadows, and cool one-liners. That's my department."

Mia rolled her eyes again. "Just don't get us killed."

---

Inside the facility, the air was colder, sterile, and quiet except for the hum of machinery. Ethan moved like a shadow, his powers wrapping around the cameras and shorting them out one by one.

"This is almost too easy," he whispered.

"Don't jinx it," Mia replied, her voice sharp.

They reached the server room without incident. Mia immediately got to work, plugging her tablet into the mainframe. Ethan stood by the door, his shadows coiled and ready.

"Do you even know what you're looking for?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Profiles on artifact hosts," Mia replied, her fingers flying across the screen. "And anything on Dr. Harrow."

"Harrow, huh?" Ethan said, leaning against the wall. "You sure this isn't personal?"

Mia didn't answer, her focus entirely on the screen.

---

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall. Ethan straightened, his shadows flickering in anticipation.

"Company," he said.

"Stall them," Mia said, not looking up.

"Great," Ethan muttered. "My favorite."

The door burst open, and three guards stepped inside, their weapons aimed. Ethan reacted instantly, his shadows lashing out and knocking their rifles aside. He lunged forward, disarming one guard with a swift kick and dodging a punch from another.

The room erupted into chaos. Ethan's shadows moved like living things, tripping one guard while he used his fists to take down another. He grinned as adrenaline surged through him.

"You guys really need to work on your hand-to-hand combat," he quipped, slamming a guard into the wall.

---

Mia's voice cut through the commotion. "Ethan, I've got the files. Let's go!"

Ethan threw one last punch, knocking out the final guard. He turned to Mia, shadows still swirling around him. "You're welcome."

"No time for a victory lap," Mia said, already heading for the exit.

They sprinted down the hallway, alarms blaring around them. Guards appeared at every turn, but Ethan's powers made quick work of them.

As they burst through the south entrance and back into the open air, Ethan let out a breathless laugh. "I can't believe that worked."

Mia shot him a look. "Don't celebrate yet."

They climbed back into the van, the sound of sirens fading into the distance as they sped away. Ethan slumped into his seat, grinning despite himself.

"Not bad," he said, glancing at Mia. "Admit it—you're impressed."

Mia shook her head, though her lips twitched in a faint smile. "Let's just get back and go over what I found."

As the van disappeared i

nto the city streets, neither of them noticed the dark figure hovering silently in the sky, watching their every move.