A Tale of Two Masks

Before he could meet her as Shadow Phoenix, he needed a plan. That is when he saw her text. She had discovered her ability to control wavelengths. Perfect. He could use Shadow Phoenix to push her to be stronger. After that, he would make sure the villain never made another appearance.

As soon as he made the resolve, Ashton faltered. No. He should just help her find closure. But how could he do that without revealing the truth she so desperately wanted to know? Not only that, he had more than SI to worry about now. Before making any plans as Shadow Phoenix, he should consult with Mr. Aster first.

The perfect stable life he had sacrificed so much for was in ruins, but his relationship with the Aster family had given him the strength he needed to remain calm. That was why he couldn’t risk it over a halfhearted or faulty plan.

The buzzing of his phone, eternally on vibrate, distracted him from his thoughts. It wasn’t a text this time, but a phone call. The number wasn’t one he recognized.

“Hello?” Ashton answered.

“Ashton?” a familiar voice asked back, “I got your number from my wife. I need some advice. The business with SI and that kid who died has really affected Summer.”

Mrs. Aster had his number? No, that wasn’t important. Summer was undoubtedly scared for her life. Perhaps what she needed now was a distraction?

“I do one idea, Mr. Aster,” Ashton replied, “but I would need your help and permission to set it up. Perhaps now is a good time to let her meet Shadow Phoenix.”

Before Mr. Aster could object, and Ashton was sure he would, he explained the full situation and his plan. He would make it seem as if Shadow Phoenix had tracked her down to get her to stop looking for him. She would get the meeting she wanted, and he would be able to put Shadow Phoenix to rest forever.

It took some convincing, but Mr. Aster eventually agreed. “Summer always gets a snack in the middle of the night. If you are willing to wait, I will let you in the house. If I find out you did anything suspicious during that time, I will make sure you can never see my daughter again.”

“Understood,” Ashton promised. What exactly would an overprotective father qualify as suspicious? He would have to think that over while he waited.

It was difficult to get into the Shadow Phoenix costume without the usual stylists and makeup artists pushing him along. It gave him even more time to think about how ridiculous the whole thing was. This supposed piece of clothing was the opposite of practical in every way. Once he had donned the outfit, he met with Mr. Aster, who promised to make sure his wife would not awaken and intervene.

After that, all he had to do was wait. Sitting alone in someone else’s dark living room was only creepy at first. Soon it was nothing but boring, and it was difficult for Ashton to stay awake. He stood up and began to pace to distract himself. Not good enough. Would it be too strange for an intruder to rearrange the cushions on the couch to be symmetrical? Would they even notice?

Ashton forced himself to sit back down before he did anything strange, and that is when he caught sight of Summer peeking around the corner. She hadn’t even changed into pajamas this late at night. At least, Ashton assumed Summer wore pajamas. Ah right, it was time to play his part as Shadow Phoenix.

Shadow Phoenix smiled at what little of Summer he could see and stood up. Before he could say or do anything else, she raised her hand in a familiar motion, forcing Ashton to dodge just in time as a beam of sunlight shot past him. That was close. He needed to be careful not to damage anything while he was here. Or make any suspicious noises. It was going to be hard to do most anything.

Luckily, Summer seemed one step ahead of him, as she bolted for the door. She kept glancing back at him, as if her purpose was to lure him outside. A bit obvious, but that would make things easier for him too. He had to keep himself from smiling at how proud of herself she seemed when he followed.

As soon as the two of them were outside, she turned on him and started demanding answers. “Why are you here?”

“Why am I here?” he asked back. He made sure to release all of his pent up frustration into his tone like he used to. “That’s an interesting question from the girl who has been relentlessly hunting me down. You didn’t even bother to cover your tracks.”

She flinched a bit, but held her ground. “There were other ways to meet me than breaking into my house,” Summer countered.

“Were there?” he questioned, “I waited for quite some time, but you wouldn’t leave.” Her room. How long had he been sitting in that living room for? There hadn’t been a clock in the room, so he wasn’t sure.

“That doesn’t explain why you came,” Summer pressed. Her eyes were filled with a fiery determination he knew well.

Was that a hairbrush she was trying to threaten him with? The wooden paddle side looked quite solid, but it still didn’t have much of a threatening presence. Shadow Phoenix shook off his momentary distraction and returned to his plan.

“I came to tell you to stop. Shadow Phoenix should have ceased to exist that day. There is nothing to find. No reason for you to care.”

“I have every reason to care! I spent my entire career as a hero fighting you. At least tell me why!” She was glowering at him now, and the hairbrush had lowered to point at his throat. Was it a subconscious action? More importantly, how should he answer this question?

A beam of sunlight shot straight for his abdomen the moment he was distracted. Since when had she been so ruthless? He hadn’t had time to dodge, and he wasn’t sure how to pretend it had wounded him. She had always aimed for his limbs, unless that flashy cage counted.

“Heroes are supposed to avoid attacking areas that may leave critical injuries,” he mumbled.

“I’m not a hero anymore,” Summer told him with a gleeful tone. She seemed confident that she had caught him. “And I’m pretty sure you were never a villain either. That’s why you want to disappear forever, right?”

“If that is what you want to think,” he replied with a sigh, “I can’t give you the answers you want, but I can tell you this. I never held a grudge against you.”

It was time to end this charade before she found out anything else. He should be fine as long as he made sure not to confirm any of her suspicions. However, just as he had been watching her for two years, she had been watching him as well. She caught on to his attempted escape before he could break off and grabbed his arm.

He couldn’t get caught here, but he also couldn’t hurt her. Ashton carefully, gently, but quickly broke his arm free with a twist and bolted down the street. Now he just needed to make sure to avoid the areas with security cameras on his way out. It had taken him a while to memorize their locations, but the last thing he needed was proof of Shadow Phoenix in the residential districts now.

Ashton changed out of the majority of his costume in an empty phone booth that had been forgotten by time and slid into his car. Safe. Now he just needed to destroy this costume and his night would be over. Ashton grabbed the coat portion and froze. One of the lighters had broken off the sleeve. It must have happened when Summer grabbed it. Hopefully she didn’t notice. He would have to check on his next visit.