Warning ⚠️: This book contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

"So, as you know.... Tonight is the big night. No, not Prom..." Killian grinned excitedly before he pushed open a large wardrobe, revealing a spandex suit within.

"Is that the costume I designed for a character in my old novels?" Joelee deadpanned as her cheeks flared a bright pink at the realization that even after seven years he still remembered her design.

"Yes it is. You don't like it?" Killian's smile fell as he began to close the wardrobe, pausing when Joelee placed a hand on his forearm with a wide smile on her face.

"I love it! Although I don't think I have the shape to look good in that. The character I designed was thicc and slim at the same time. I have normal person proportions.... So..." Joelee's face darkened as she removed her hand from his arm before rubbing the back of her neck shyly, admiring the pitch black suit and knee high boots out of the corner of her eye as she spoke.

"Oh, honey. Shut your mouth. You definitely have the body for that suit. It's literally made for you." Killian winked as Joelee gave a scoff of disbelief but walked towards the wardrobe nevertheless.

"I'll try it on. But you're biased because you're my best friend." Joelee stuck out her tongue at Killian who grinned but gave no reply as he watched her gently take the costume from its hanger, admiring it with a dazzling look in her eyes.

He knew how important her old comics were to her. Nobody had really supported them as she was always supported in her medical studies rather than her media skills, but he loved it when she would send him her mini comics.

The way her eyes were alight with happy memories as she studied the costume that he had painstakingly made to perfection... That was the reaction he had been hoping for.

"I love it. Thank you, Killian." Joelee turned to smile at her friend who swallowed heavily at the beautiful sparkle to her eyes. He hadn't seen that look of genuine happinesses in a very long time.

Joelee turned to make her way up the stairs, pausing when Killian cleared his throat rather nervously.

"My room is right through that door. You can change in there if you want to." Killian said rather awkwardly, lifting his dark eyes to Joelee who grinned as she nodded her thanks before hurrying to change.

Killian released a breath after she was gone, pulling a black sketchbook with a small smile on his face, gently tracing his fingers over Joelee's messy handwriting from when she was younger.

A sigh escaped his lips as he flipped through the rough sketches of her old superhero comic, having sent the rough draft to Killian years ago to have him review. He had kept it ever since and had it shipped to him from his hometown when they settled into their new apartment complex.

His dad had been less than thrilled to hear from him after so long only for him to ask for a small amount of supplies from his room to be sent to a post office in New York. He had gotten quite an earful during his call on a pay phone to his father but his dad had pulled through in sending everything he requested nevertheless.

All of the sketches were so detailed for her only being thirteen at the time, he had always admired that about her art. How much time she actually put into each character and the background.

He wondered if she still like to draw.... He would love to see how her art had improved over the years as she had eventually stopped drawing entirely right before they got kidnapped. He'd never really known why, though he had asked before... She wouldn't tell him.

He assumed it had something to do with her triplet sister, Juleea. Juleea had always been jealous of Joelee's storytelling skills and art so she was always cruel and spiteful whenever Joelee tried to share her ideas with her sister.

He remembered one night she had called him to talk and had broken down about her sister's hateful attitude towards her. All she'd ever wanted was a good relationship with her sister like she had with Jerry and the rest of her siblings but unfortunately Juleea was spoiled. Very spoiled.

The door creaked behind him, turning his attention over to where Joelee had peeked her head out of the door, face completely red in embarrassment as she concealed her form behind the door.

"Not to be ungrateful at all, I promise that's not my intention... But... I don't think this will work. It's comfortable... But... I can't go out wearing this. I'm used to my clothes that are a size too big... Not form fitting." Joelee's voice was incredibly soft as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck, revealing the black, skintight sleeve of her suit.

"Just come out. You used to swim all the time so a costume shouldn't bother you." Killian tried to reassure her but immediately regretted it as he saw her face fall at his words.

"Things change." Joelee muttered but stepped from behind her door shield nevertheless, causing Killian's jaw to immediately drop as he stared at her in shock.

The suit she had designed was made for stealth, being a solid black turtleneck with sleeves that covered the tops of her hands. Her boots were black and knee high, but surprisingly more comfortable than she was expecting as though they were sneakers instead.

He hadn't realized due to how big her clothes were that she was now slimmer and more muscular than she had previously been. When they were younger she was always on the chunky side which still showed in her hips, chest, and thighs, but yet her legs were incredibly muscular in comparison. Her figure was more hourglass than he had realized, she had always been so self conscious about her figure but even now he still didn't understand why.

"I told you. I feel like Celeste or Stella could use this though. They'd look fantastic in this. They fit my character's design too.... Super muscular but slim and thick in certain places. I love it though, Killian. It's awesome." Joelee's face and ears were beet red at this point, the woman self consciously crossing her arms over her chest as she kept her gaze on the floor to avoid seeing his reaction.

"Nope. It fits you perfectly. You have to put on the rest too." Killian ran over to his desk and quickly pulled out a pair of black, fingerless, leather gloves, and a black mask that appeared as though it would cover her eyes only.

Joelee walked closer, gently taking the items away from him before she slipped on the gloves, making sure the ends were tucked under her sleeves before she secured the mask onto her face, making sure to tie it securely before allowing her hair to hide the lace that held it together.

"How do I look?" Joelee questioned as she gave a dramatic twirl before grinning as she stood in place, patiently awaiting his answer as he looked her up and down with a slight blush.

"Honestly, I would still recognize you. Do the eye thing real quick." Killian sat on his desk, leaning back on his palms as he eyed Joelee closely, trying to figure out how she could disguise her identity better.

Joelee allowed her eyes to flash to gold beneath her mask, the glow illuminating around the eye sockets of the mask, creating an almost eerie appearance.

"Mmmm.... Still not enough. Kinda defeats the purpose of a "secret identity ", if everyone can recognize you." Killian rubbed at his ever thickening beard thoughtfully, biting his lower lip as he focused his gaze on the sketchbook with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"I got it!" Killian's voice startled her slightly as he hurried behind his desk, tossing his desk chair aside which hurt Joelee's ears a bit but she ignored the uncomfortable twinge as she watched him dig through his desk drawers.

"Found it!" Killian pulled a black mask from his drawer, handing it to Joelee who instantly tied it securely around the lower half of her face.

"I would still recognize you but that's just because I could pick you out of a crowd if I had to." Killian paused as his face flared red at the smile he saw in her eyes at his words, heart thudding loudly in his ears as she turned to look in the mirror.

Killian cleared his throat awkwardly before he picked up his overturned chair, sitting behind his desk before he gazed at her thoughtfully.

"Since you can do the eyes, can you turn your hair the color of your wolf's fur? It'd be a lot harder to recognize you with white hair." Killian popped his knuckles nervously as Joelee made a soft hum in the back of her throat to signify she didn't know.

"I've never tried." Joelee admitted after a moment before she stared intently at her reflection, allowing her mind to wander and releasing the hold she constantly had to keep on her instincts.

Killian watched with baited breath, his scientific fascination outweighing the risk he kept in his mind at allowing this much of her wolf to rise to the surface.

Slowly but surely her hair began to spread with a deep ebony much to Killian's surprise, her now black hair turning into a beautiful blood red ombré, the ends being a bit lighter of a red.

"Woah. Didn't know you could do that. Secret missions will be a lot easier if you can change your hair to any color you want." Killian commented as Joelee stared at her reflection in shock, her mind wandering from his words as she wondered just what she could change about herself if she could already fully transform into a wolf.

"You better get going, though, bae. It's already getting late enough for it to be dark." Killian glanced at the clock on his desk, causing Joelee to straighten her stance as she gave a quick nod.

"Thank you for the help." Joelee said quickly before she turned and hurried from the room, not noticing Killian was watching her go the whole time with a small smile on his face.

"You should tell her how you feel." Connor commented after he was sure Joelee was up the stairs, causing Killian to jump in surprise as Connor had poked his head in the doorway.

"Get in here and keep your voice down!" Killian hissed out as he grabbed Connor by the front of his shirt before dragging him into the room, shutting the door behind him rather harshly.

"She has super hearing, you know?" Killian snapped as he pushed Connor against the door, glaring at the male who smirked a bit as he looked down at where his shirt was bunched up in Killian's fist.

"I must admit, I almost like where this is going." Connor teased which caused Killian to roll his eyes as he snapped before pointing at his eyes.

"My eyes are up here, Days." Connor visibly flinched at Killian's use of his last name, not knowing why his own last name caused a twinge of mixed emotions but he brushed it off as he lifted his dark brown gaze to Killian's.

"She has made it clear in the past that should her and Nathan break up that she wouldn't date amongst the original friend group again. She doesn't want to cause turmoil by her ex creating sides or something like that. If I were to tell her how I feel that'd just be putting more pressure on her emotionally and I really don't want to mess with her feelings. Especially considering how much inner turmoil she's already going through with everything that's happening. I know she won't talk about it yet, but I can tell whatever it is that she's going through can't be good. So I'm going to be a good friend and be there for her when she needs me but nothing more. Which means helping her when she needs me to. And that right now means helping you. Understand?" Killian released Connor's shirt as the male swallowed heavily before giving a nod as he realized what exactly the darker male meant by helping him.

"Understood. Memory searching starts when?" Connor questioned in a much softer voice as he avoided Killian's gaze now, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he took a deep breath to control his now racing heart.

"The sooner the better. Have you eaten? We're going back to the beginning of your mind control. The sooner you remember the beginning, the easier it'll flow once you start getting closer to now. Make sense?" Killian turned to make his way over to the Memory Microwave, pausing to look back at Connor as he impatiently awaited a reply.

"Kind of... But... Why do you need to know if I've eaten?" Connor questioned as he shuffled slowly towards Killian, hesitantly taking a seat in the refurbished barber chair as Killian leaned the chair back before placing the football helmet over Connor's head.

"Proper nutrition is important, Connor." Killian deadpanned before he turned to switch on the TV, entering a passcode into the microwave before he waited to see if Connor would actually answer his question this time.

"Yeah. I ate... But-." Connor began to say before Killian grinned, immediately pressing the start button when Connor answered.

"Good. Just don't throw up on my floor. I will make you clean it up." Killian said though he knew Connor couldn't answer, the male grabbing a bag of popcorn from the popcorn machine he had placed in the corner behind his desk.

The light began to dim enough for Killian to tolerate as he took a seat in his comfy chair, propping his feet up on the desk as he watched the hazy memory intently.

"Vitals are normal. He's responding rather well." Doctor Banner said as Connor began to open his eyes, turning his attention to where The Boss and Doctor Banner stood.

_-*-_

Joelee stood at the top of a large building, gazing at the busy streets down below.

The sun had set about ten minutes ago, allowing her the dark cover of night to watch over the city as the pedestrians headed home for the night.

She had tied her long, black hair into a braid, allowing it to flow loosely around her waist but her bangs brushed against her eyelashes on occasion, the dark locks concealing her identity further from any prying eyes.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" A voice from below caught her attention as her sensitive ears picked up the sound of a muffled scream, her golden vision flicked to an alley concealed well in a thrice shroud of darkness due to the broken street lamp overhead.

Joelee tensed and gritted her teeth as she watched the woman struggle in the male's right hold, blood pumping in her ears as she began to make her way along the edge of the roof, climbing down the fire escape quickly and silently as she continued to watch the scene closely.

She had realized that she felt... Different, when she allowed her instincts to rise to the surface. It was almost as if she was a completely different person but yet the same and that scared her.

Her movements were eerily fast, making it down the rather tall fire escape in a matter of seconds before slipping up behind the male easily.

She studied him for weapons, nostrils flaring at the scent of metal and gunpowder which drew her attention to the gun that the male had pressed against the woman's back.

A growl rumbled quietly in her throat as the male forced the woman to turn, shoving her against the wall before he held the gun to her stomach now.

She honestly didn't have time to even notice her own movements, one moment she was watching... The next... She held the gun in her hand as she shoved the man away from the raven haired woman that he had been holding at gunpoint.

"Thank you!" The woman gasped, her deep brown eyes widening as she immediately stiffened, staring into Joelee's glowing eyes with a look of shock.

"Who the hell are you, then? Her girlfriend? You think that gun makes you so tough, girly? I'll take both of you." The male snapped as he climbed to his feet, hesitating as Joelee's predatory gaze focused back on him.

"Nice contacts, freak. Now give me back my gun before I someone gets hurt. Can't have a trigger happy little girl shooting someone in the foot, now can we?" The male gave a crooked smirk, revealing a the missing tooth in the front of his mouth. He was younger than Joelee had originally thought, seeming to be around sixteen or possibly even younger, while the woman he was intending to rob looked a bit older than her, perhaps even around the same age as Killian.

A quick glance at the way the woman was dressed in her formal business suit immediately made her realize that the male was after money or even the woman's expensive jewelry.

"Stealing to fix that tooth of yours?" Joelee smirked as she turned her gaze back to the blonde male who looked taken aback by her tone, she could smell the fear on him and realized that even before she had made an appearance... He was definitely terrified. This must've been the first time he had tried to do something like this.

"Y-You don't know what you're talking about, little girl! Put the gun down!" The man yelled but Joelee released a loud, animalistic growl which instantly silenced him as he realized that maybe her contacts weren't contacts after all.

Joelee flicked open the barrel of the gun with surprising skill and ease, letting the two bullets fall uselessly onto the ground before she raised it once more.

"You mean this gun?" Joelee crushed the gun easily, the male's brown eyes widening as he swallowed heavily, the pieces of the gun crumpling uselessly onto the ground as she let them fall from her hands.

"What are you?" The male whispered as he turned his gaze back to hers, trembling under her gaze as he began to slowly realize he was doomed to whatever agenda she had now.

"Me? I'm a superhero. They call me...." Joelee paused as she realized despite all of her planning she had yet to come up with a name for her alter ego. Obsidian had... Well... Obsidian... But she hadn't thought about that part of the equation.

She contemplated names in her head quickly, noticing that both the boy and the woman were waiting for her answer breathlessly.

Wolf girl?

No. That's stupid.

Werewolf chick?

No. That's worse.

The abominable wolf man?

What the heck? No.

"Get her fresh clothes and run more tests. Let's see what else this little Skinwalker can do." The Boss Lady smirked before exiting the laboratory, her black pumps clicking loudly as she walked.

"Skinwalker. The name is Skinwalker. And you should go, miss. It's getting late and you should get home and get some rest. You deserve it after the night you've had." Joelee winked which caused the woman's tan cheeks to flare red but she quickly nodded before turning to hurry away, deciding it would be best to hail a taxi rather than walk the rest of the way.

"What are you going to do to me?" Joelee could now realize that the male was actually probably younger than she had previously realized, possibly even around Willow's age.

He had stood tall before but now as he was shrinking away from her in fear, she realized that he was just a scared kid.

"That depends. Why were you trying to rob her?" The boy immediately straightened his stance as he crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his deep brown eyes at the woman as his demeanor immediately changed.

"That's not of your business." He immediately replied which basically told Joelee all she needed to know. He was doing this for someone, whether that meant of his own volition or because he had to, she still didn't know.

"Is someone forcing you to do this?" Her question immediately struck a nerve as the male visibly faltered, his gaze dropping as he cleared his throat as if to work up the courage to lie.

"I can help you, you know? You just have to tell the truth." Joelee's voice was softer now as she stepped closer, noticing how he visibly flinched as she did but she hesitated just in front of him as she raised her hands to show she meant no harm.

"I can't. You don't understand. Just let me go." The boy suddenly seemed a lot smaller now as he kept his eyes focused down on the ground, still trembling beneath her softening gaze.

"Sean..." The boy's head shot up as he stared at her in shock, not expecting his name to pop up within the conversation... Let alone not before he had even told her his name in the first place.

"How do you know my name? Who are you?" Sean stuttered out as he looked around rather nervously, as if expecting someone to emerge from the shadows.

"A friend. If you'll let me help you. He's not the only one who has powers, Sean. Just because you feel like you owe him doesn't mean you have to help. Blood means nothing if they're using it to take advantage of you. I can help you." Sean looked completely and utterly terrified now, breathing coming out heavy and short as though he were hyperventilating.

"You're like him. Are you a monster too?" Joelee flinched at the younger boy's question, her head swirling from her last argument with Nathan before she shook her head to clear it of the painful memories.

"No. I'm different. And I can save you from him. I'll take you somewhere safe if you let me. He'll never hurt you again." Joelee assured as her eyes seeming to glow purple for a moment before they flicked back to golden, the woman deciding to ignore the random change as she instead focused her full attention on Sean.

Sean seemed to visibly relax as he stood a bit straighter, his own eyes flashing purple for a moment but Joelee couldn't figure out why as she sensed no trace of metahuman DNA within the boy.

"It's my brother. He went missing a few years ago when we were put into foster care after our grandfather died. He came back about... I'm not sure how long ago. A few weeks maybe? But... He's different. He's so angry... He scares me... And..." Sean paused as he shuddered, crossing his arms over his chest before he met her gaze rather intently.

"He's a monster. He walks in the shadows... He himself is a shadow..." The boy's voice was hoarse and so quiet that any normal person would have trouble hearing him, but Joelee heard him clearly as she nodded slowly to show she understood.

"I'll call a friend to come get you. You can stay with us until I find a more permanent solution... Okay? You don't have to be afraid anymore." Joelee placed a hand on his shoulder but this time he didn't flinch away, something about her telling him that he could trust her for now.

"Okay. Just please... Don't let him catch me. He can walk in nightmares. Shadows and nightmares... He's the boogeyman... Please..." Joelee hesitated for a moment as she read his memories, seeing flashes of a pale boy with eyes completely void of any color, his face covered in scars that his back length, black hair did little to conceal.

"I own you, Sean. You'll never escape me. Nobody will ever take you from me again. Not even you, Skinwalker." The male's gaze lifted to Joelee who immediately backed out of the memory, realizing the male had looked directly at her despite it being just a memory.

Fear traveled up Joelee's spine as she realized that she had possibly gotten herself into more trouble than she had previously realized. The sheer amount of power she sensed from the older male was startling... It was more than she had sensed from anyone thus far aside from Obsidian.

Sean's brother was definitely dangerous... She'd have to keep an eye out for him in the future.

"You sure you'll be okay going with one of my friends? I can accompany you home if you'd feel safer." Joelee assured but Sean shook his head before giving a small sigh, rubbing the back of his neck before he gave his reply.

"I'm already way past the point of the whole stranger danger thing... I mean you know my name and obviously you've seen what I look like... Plus seeing the way you completely crushed that gun, I'm assuming if you wanted me hurt I'd definitely be hurt... So... What else do I have to lose?" His reply made Joelee frown as she placed a hand on his shoulder, knowing he wouldn't be able to see her reassuring smile, she gave his shoulder a gentle, manly, squeeze instead.

"It's okay. You won't have to go back to those foster parents and your brother won't be able to harm you in our care. You're in good hands." Joelee paused to press the button on the earpiece that Killian had given her right before she left, sending out a distress signal but the sound of tires screeching caught her attention which caused both her and Sean to look up as a black van messily pulled up next to them.

"I was listening to the whole thing while Connor was memory diving. He's resting with some popcorn until I get back so we mustn't dawdle. He may start playing with my limited edition action figures and I can NOT be held accountable for what I'll do if he smudges any of their visors." Killian's words caused a laugh to escape Joelee's throat as she motioned to Killian who grinned at Sean.

"The man illegally parked on the sidewalk is Killian. He'll help you find a room and get you something to eat. Don't be afraid. He's all bark and no bite... Unless you break one of his 3D action models." Sean turned his attention to Killian who smirked at Joelee's words, sliding open the automatic door on the black minivan he sat in.

"Hey, I built them, J- Skinwalker. They are quite literally my babies. I would die for them. Just kidding. Maybe. I'm not actually completely sure if I would as it's never come to that. But we'll see someday I guess. Get in, kiddo. There's soup on the stove and I know that nobody would turn it off if it started to boil over." Sean hesitated as he looked at Joelee before he turned to make his way into the van, giving a wave before the door began to slide shut.

"Please drive carefully. You have precious cargo so I don't want you driving like... Well... You normally do." Joelee said rather awkwardly which caused Killian to laugh before he gave a cheeky wink and rolled up the window, driving off before she could protest.

"What am I going to do with him." Joelee mumbled before she turned to begin scaling up the fire escape again, making it to the roof rather quickly before she began to make her way from building to building, seeking out more trouble as it came.