She debated telling him who she really was. He deserved to know before... She stood and turned away from the crowd that had formed below. Shadowbird knelt and set him down on the rooftop. After which she pulled off her mask, looking into his eyes with tears in her own. His hair was turning back to black and she knew for sure it was her crush Austin, dying in her arms. "I've always had feelings for you... I should've known it was you all along... should've known... I'm so sorry."

"Close your eyes." Ari whispered, she took his hands in hers and closed her eyes. "Imagine you're some where else..." Her voice trailed off before she spoke again. "I'm sorry. It's just me, Ari. I hope you're not disappointed." Ari leaned over and did what she had always wanted to do, she kissed him and kissed him for at least a minute. "I'll be strong for you. I promise. I won't stop fighting, ever." She bit her lip and held back tears. "I'm so sorry. So sorry..."

The revelation of Ari's identity fell on deaf ears. Austin had gone numb, he could hardly string a thought together as his breathing began to hurt and the pain in his arm started getting unbearable. Function after function began shutting down as the muffled sounds of Ari's voice grew more similar to rain on a window than actual words.

A grin slowly and painfully stretched on his mouth for the last time as his pulse finally stopped.

He was dead.

Her eyes welled up with tears and she couldn't control herself anymore. His breathing had stopped. She balled her eyes out onto his chest as she held him in her arms. "No. You can't do this to me Whiplash... Please. You can't be dead." Ari cried onto his bare chest. Then she remembered what he had said to her about his uncle. "I've got one request. I live with my uncle on 21st Chamberlain street, if I don't survive this, tell him who I was." He was a gone now, his uncle had to know. She replaced her mask onto her face and lifted him into her arms.

"Don't worry I won't let you down." She teleported from rooftop to rooftop with him in her arms. It wasn't like teleporting herself, teleporting more than one person was slightly difficult but not too much for her to handle. When she arrived at 21st Chamberlain street she knew which house was his. Knocking on the door she held his body close with tears still in her eyes. "Hello... anyone home..." She spoke quietly.

Austin woke up to blinding light, breathing like he had just resurfaced after almost drowning. He looked around frantically, trying to come up with some logical explanation as to why he was awaken from his infinite sleep.

His right arm felt strange, as if it wasn't his own. He tried to sit up, but couldn't, something was chafing his wrist as he attempted to wriggle off of the cold, metallic table he was being restrained to. He was panicing that was for sure. He attempted to scream but all that came out was a dry rasp.

The sounds of formal shoes on linoleum floor echoed throughout the dark room as a door opened and a tall figure in a long white labcoat stepped in. A shark toothed crossed her face as she leaned in over Austin.
"Finally he wakes up" She said acting like he wasn't even in the room. Her hard Russian accent echoing and confusing Austin. How long had he actually been here? He let out another raspy cough, to the amusement of the woman who gave a wry laugh. "Don't even try to speak, it's been about 3 months since you died. Don't worry though, we patched you up well enough." She moved around to his other side, grabbing a scalpel off of a tray as she walked. "Now. Shadowbird, your partner, she was involved in a series of experiments conducted on infants, the very experiments that gave her her powers. We want you to tell us her name and everything you know about her, if you do you'll be set free and this will all be forgotten. If you don't, things will get a bit more bloody."

---

Months of torture and surgery had molded Austin into a new man. He had been brainwashed into someone completely different, forgetting his old life, his old powers, even his old hair colour. He stood, as stiff as a robot while scientists looked him up and down as if he was some sort of new invention. The same old woman from before, identifying herself as Dr. Artyom began asking questions.
"What is your name?"
"Brett Glukhovsky."
"What is your mission?"
"Eliminate Ari Gray."

---

His uncle had opened the door and after that everything was a bit of a blur. All that his uncle had said was spoken to a mostly numb Shadowbird. Her heart felt like it was broken in two. The funeral was an beautiful one. Ari Gray and the rest of Austin's class, most of the school even showed up, including Mr. Drake. No one knew the truth of how he died. They all were told he had gotten crushed by fallen debris in the Berserker rampage. But she and his uncle knew the truth. Ari stood in front of the grave site, icy blue eyes full of tears. It had been a closed casket funeral, she didn't really get to say goodbye to him, to see him one last time. But his uncle didn't want anyone to see what had happened to him. Even after they cleaned him up, his wounds were evident. And so, they lowered him into the ground. Almost no one knowing that he wasn't really in the casket the whole time...

---

Shadowbird stood tall on the rooftop, looking down on the streets. She was waiting for something, anything to happen. Months had passed since her partner's death and it just wasn't the same without him. Shadow remembered when they had fought Envy together one of the last times they fought side by side. He was there for her... "See the thing about partnerships is that they're based on mutual respect." He had said. Whiplash... Austin, he had really cared about her, he even died for her and she had to live with the guilt of that. "You just keep on doing what we always did, you gotta be strong now, stronger than ever now that you're on your own. Scum like Berserker won't stop just cause I'm gone." Her heard raced thinking about him and she almost didn't notice as someone down below cried for help.

"HELP! He's been stabbed!" A woman cried out. Shadowbird stood a moment, unmoving until her eyes picked up on the man who was running with the woman's purse in hand. A short distance away the woman was on her knees, holding her significant other close to her chest. He had most likely been stabbed trying to protect his girl from the thief. Catch the thief or save the man. "Why not both?" Whiplash would have asked with that beautiful smile he had. With narrowed eyes, Shadowbird dove down to tackle to the man and snatch up the purse. Then she teleported over to the man and the woman, returning the woman's purse to her. "Please, can't you help him, he'll die!" The woman begged.

Shadow stared down at the man on the ground. His blood was pooling slowly beneath him. It was just like Whiplash. Her eye twitched beneath her mask and she turned to face the man who had stolen the purse, he was still recovering from getting tackled and was slowly rising to his feet. Shadowbird teleported to him and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear the flesh from your face." She said quietly as she lifted him off of the ground.

"E-ey Shadowbird... You don't kill, do ya???" The thief's eyes were wide with fear.

"I could kill you for what you've done."

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone, I just wanted what she had on her."

"Shadowbird!" The woman called out to her, fear and panic in her voice.

Shadow didn't release the man, didn't move. Kill the man, or save the other man. Why not both? This man deserved to die. Deserved to suffer. But for what... It wasn't going to bring Whiplash back. With a heavy sigh, the hero dropped the man and teleported back to the man and woman. She scooped the man into her arms and grabbed the woman's arm. Teleporting rapidly through the city streets with them in order to get to the hospital. Once they had arrived Shadowbird disappeared back to the rooftops of the city, ashamed of what she had almost done and slightly exhausted from teleporting 2 people.

Brett had been tracking her for weeks. The memories he'd been retold, of who Ari Gray was and how he had to eliminate her were all he knew now. 'Tying up loose ends' was what Dr. Artyom had told him, that it was essential if the organisation that so 'graciously' brought him back to life were to excel.

He watched as she saved the couple and all he could think about was why she didn't just kill the mugger. A far cry from the old Whiplash, so opposed to killing even with a blade in hand. He loaded his own guns, preparing for the combat that was to come. He was to attempt to bring her in alive first, but he was informed that this was unlikely to happen, and that violence was very likely to be necessary.

He vaulted up to a higher vantage point from the building he was on. Scanning the rooftops until he finally saw Shadowbird teleport onto it. He was stone faced, his eyes maintain their dead stare, he unsheathed his knife, holding it with the blade pointing away from him as he leaped down and stealthily made his way over to the alley next to the building.

He grabbed a dumpster and pulled it next to a fire escape, his newfound strength enabling him to do it with ease. He hopped up from the dumpster onto the fire escape and made his way up, barely making a sound as he slowly crept onto each step. Finally he was behind her, pushing his glasses up and readying himself.
"Ari Gray." He droned, emotion not present in his voice. "Please come with me, or face extinction." His words were ominous, he truly meant what he was saying.

Someone crept up behind her and her eyes grew wide. Shadowbird lept away from the newcomer and turned to face him, panting slightly from the tiresome act of teleporting others. The young man looked interestingly familiar, but not, at the same time. He had blonde hair cut in a similar way to Whiplash's, and glasses. Half of his upper body was as sickly green color which made her grimace. The scars on his chest and good arm were unbelievable. Someone had hacked at him badly. Who was this and what had happened to him? Most importantly... how did he know who she was? "Who are you? What is it that you want from me, stranger?"

In the back of her mind she could feel Whiplash with her, she spoke for him, "Yea and what good would it do me to go with a creep like you, huh?" Shadowbird smirked a bit, he was with her, in her heart. The hero drew her pistols and aimed them at the young man. "Please do threaten me with a good time."

He raised his eyes, staring at her like a lion stares at its prey. He took off his glasses, folding them and sliding them into his pocket. He began stretching his arms and legs, as if the threat of death wasn't upon him and what was about to occur was just a friendly spar. He sniggered as she spoke, standing in a relaxed manner and balancing his knife on his palm before replying.
"I'm not authorized to give out my name." He stated bluntly. "The good it would do would be you keeping your life. I would appreciate if you put away those pea shooters, if we are to fight I'd rather see the whites of your eyes before I suppress you" His tone was sadistic and robotic, they'd brainwashed him to be the perfect killing machine, no mercy even to those he had no reason to kill past being told to.

Shadowbird furrowed her brow and tightened her grip on her guns. She stared at his face for a moment, why the hell did he seem so familiar? It wasn't like her to attack so irrationally and recklessly but this man was threatening her life and she wasn't about to let him take it from her. Not after what happened to Whiplash, she had to live for him now, she wasn't going to let some stranger take her life. In any case, Shadow dashed toward the stranger, shooting her paintballs at him. When she got close enough she flipped over him and pressed her guns against his back.

"Don't mess with me. I'm not some backwater hero. I'm Shadowbird. I could destroy you."

A grimace crossed Brett's face as she refused to put her guns down and charged him. He stood, taking the paint balls and hardly even flinching as they flew towards him. He allowed them to hit him, storing the kinetic energy they caused after hitting him within his arm as Shadowbird landed behind him. He let out a shallow laugh.
"You're going to destroy me with a paintball gun? Cute." He mocked, feeling the cold steel against his back. He put out his arms, slowly tilting and moving down until he placed his knife in the ground, as if to surrender. A sly smirk crossed his face as he held his arm out towards the ground at his side.

A neon green boomerang of energy flew out, causing a miniature explosion where it landed next to the two, sending them flying to the other end of the building from the force of said explosion. After landing on his back, Brett quickly rolled to his feet and unholstered his revolver, pointing it at Shadowbird.
"Last chance, Ari Gray." He spoke, vastly underestimating the skill of his former partner.

Her face was nothing but serious as he got down seeming to surrender to her. Suddenly there was an explosion and she wasn't sure where it had come from. Regardless, it threw her back but she was able to land on her feet, skidding back slightly. Last chance? Who does he think I am?? Shadowbird holstered her pistols and removed the bo staff from her back, extending it so it was her height. "No, sir, this is your last chance. Consider me like an officer of the law, attack me and you go to jail. It's a little late now but I could let you go this once if you just stop this silly fight."

Ari teleported behind him and attempted to leg sweep him. "I've already told you, I'm not some run of the mill hero. If you truly know who I am, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS!"

Brett anticipated the teleport, he hopped, the unexpected sweep catching his toe as he jumped and tripping him ever so slightly. Still, it was enough to make him fumble and drop his gun. He contemplated rolling and picking it up, but something within him was telling him not to kill this girl, he couldn't exactly put his finger on it.
"I already know who you are, Ari Gray. I've been briefed on everything you can do - as far as we know anyway." He took a relaxed posture once more. "This fight can be over as soon as you agree to come with me, I don't care how you get there, whether it be conscious, unconscious or in a bodybag." He raised his fists, preparing for any attacks to come.

"Why are you so set on bringing me in to, wherever you want me to go?" Shadowbird smirked at him, moving forward to swing her bo staff in his direction. Once and then twice she swung her bo staff at his head. By this point she was almost frustrated. He seemed to know her moves, her tricks, everything. ""C'mon just tell me who you are! I won't tell anyone! Shadowbird joked as she continued to swing her bo staff at him then she went in for a jab.

Whoever this guy was he was well trained, it irritated her how much he reminded her of her partner. "Why don't you surrender and I take you in. Nobody gets hurt. Alright?

Brett managed to dodge the first swing, but the second caught him square on the side of his head, sending him to his knees, holding his head in his hand. His skull rattled like an engine, echoes of voices and images flashed within his mind as he got to his feet. A name came to mind. Whiplash. He dodged the swings and anticipated the jab, grabbing the end of the bo staff and holding it in place.
"My name is Brett Glukhovsky. I feel you may know me better by the name 'Whiplash' though" He said, taking a somewhat obvious chance. He had no idea who or what Whiplash was, but he felt some sort of strange connection to the title, something relating to his forgotten past possibly.

Her teeth gritted as he grabbed on to her bo staff. She had successfully hit him but he seemed only slightly effected by the attack. He said something about Whiplash. About her knowing him by Whiplash. It was impossible. A complete and utter ploy to get her to trust him. Shadowbird felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach. How could this man be so cold. To bring up her deceased partner, pretend to be him even. He could even have been a clone.

"How dare you claim to be Whiplash or know anything about him you asshole!" She yanked her bo staff from his grip and attempted to peg him in the stomach with it. "Whiplash was a hero, an angel even, unlike yourself you cowardly slimeball"

Brett's face flashed an expression of confusion at her response. His quest to discover who he was before he died overtook his drive to complete his mission. He practically allowed her to hit him in the stomach doubling him over, before he regaining his composure and stared at her, his cold, almost mechanical eyes almost analyzing her emotion as she spoke.
"I admit, I don't know who he is. But I know I am him." A flash of sadness crossed his face as he got into a more intimidating, confident stance and pointed in her direction. "You will tell me who he is and then you will come with me." He demanded.

"I'm NOT going with you!" She raised her hand and gestured for him to bring it on. Before he could attack she bolted forward once more, teleporting from place to place as she did so. Shadowbird spoke as she was at his side and swung her weapon at him. "You really wanna know? You could just ask instead of demanding. But I'm sure whoever you're working for has already told you everything about Whip... since you know so much about me. you must know everything about him."

A sudden realization struck her. What if whoever he was working for were the ones who had powered up Berserker, the ones who helped him break free, the ones who killed Whiplash instead of killing her... Shadowbird's head spun, she backflipped away, placing one hand on her head as if she had been struck. "First off. He had beautiful blue hair... and tattoos. He wore the coolest sunglasses and pretty much was shirtless all the time. I never knew a guy like him before. Confident, kind, caring, brave, selfless... amazing. As if you did't know... or do they not teach these things where zombies like you come from, Brett?"

Brett's eyes traced her as she teleported from place to place. He wasn't in the mood to fight anymore, he wanted information and he wanted it now. He tensed his body, taking the hit from the staff like a rock, not even putting a foot out of place as he stared her down. The information he was processing brought back glimmers of memories that ran through his head like bullet trains, hardly being able to focus on one before another ran through.
"Don't you think they would have made sure not to tell me about, Whiplash if I was him? Already memories are coming back to me" He spoke, almost nostalgically. His expression returned to one of anger as he stared at her. "The time I've spent talking to you has already warranted enough punishment from my handlers. You either come with me or we expose you to the public as, Ari Gray, if you have any love for your family you'll come with us, unless you want villains to come running to get them." The small fragment of Whiplash had vanished in a sentence. It was obvious he was terrified of the consequences if he didn't complete his mission.

Shadowbird stopped, her eyes narrowed at her adversary and her brows knitted together in stress. If she didn't go with him, it'd put her mom and her dad at risk. It would put Cali at risk. It could possibly even put Austin's uncle at risk. She couldn't allow anyone to get hurt because of the life she chose to live. The hero hung her head and responded to the angered one who seemed for a second like he could be Whip, only to grow upset at her. There was no way it was Austin. Austin was dead, there was no way to bring back the dead...

"Okay, okay. I'll go with you..." Her heart skipped a beat. What did they want with her. What would they do to her? Questions swirled around in her head like a washing machine. It was overwhelming.

Brett smiled, not the kind Austin would, one more wry and snooty, as if he was looking down on her. He moved over to her, taking a mobile phone from his back pocket, sliding it open and browsing through it as he put his glasses back on.
"I'm glad you've seen sense, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes for them to pick us up after I make this call." He raised the phone to his ear, but something seemed to be wrong. His face went blank and pale as if he had seen a ghost. His hand shot up like a bullet, clutching his head as he grit his teeth. He fell to the ground gasping, his head felt like it was being split open. He suddenly turned to Shadowbird, his expression, demeanor and voice clearly changed as he shouted to her.
"Ari, don't go with them, they'll turn you into something that will do way more damage to your family than they ever could do!" It seemed that Austin had broken through somehow, after months of being trapped inside the husk of his body his encounter with his former partner seemed to trigger something within him. "And what'd I tell you about keeping doing what we always did? You think I'd ever let you go through with this?

In a gruesome turn of events Brett practically slammed his head on the ground, cracking his glasses over the very same eye Austin lost on the day. He held his palm over his face, staring down at the now broken phone.
"This complicates things. We'll need to get to the facility on foot now." He spoke, seemingly unphased by the last few events, as if he had not even noticed them. He took a pair of handcuffs from the back of his belt, locked one end around his wrist and held the other out for Shadowbird.