The Eminence of Not-Shadow

Chapter 16 - John Smith Appears! Phase III

[Alpha POV]

The change in voice...

"Who...are you?"

[Why are you...?]

I stare directly at him within this white space.

"Are you really... Shadow?"

[...Shadow...]

John Smith's eyes within his mask flicker briefly, before nodding his head side to side, disagreeing with that statement. He moves his arm to then remove the mask off his face.

"...It's all or nothing now, Alpha."

And his face... is the same face I would easily recognize every day, the one that saved us long ago. Even prior to this, even without him removing his mask at all from our previous encounters, his movements, reactions, and words now all screamed his name.

But why is this all feel familiar to back then? He doesn't appear to be a memory anymore. He can longer be identified as the fake John Smith when we first fought.

"What-"

"Stop right there Alpha. I am not Shadow. I am just John Smith, another NPC to this... 'Shadow'. A 'Shadow' of memories."

NPC?

"Then why do you continue to fight alongside him... why fight against us and yourself all this time?"

His expression does not change to my question and just continues to stare at me. It slightly frustrates me, because it feels like I am always missing a piece of information he knows.

"If you refuse to answer the obvious question... then explain it to me! Even if you're not him... what do you stand to gain from going against the people you've once helped in this world!?"

[Why are you John Smith...?]

The emotion I once felt back then resurfaced.

Shad-John Smith tilts his head slightly, as if it was an obvious reason.

"To see... if... you have improved since the last time. To see... another possibility."

[Because it was the best option...]

His answer to my question was brief and too broad. It felt as if I was still missing something. Even so, he spoke no further regarding it.

"And now... since 'Shadow' gave the signal, my last stand here will demonstrate some of the true powers of John Smith."

And with those words he places his mask back on, but it appears to be placed differently than usual.

"May the best Super Elite Agent win."

I still look at him, trying to understand his answer to my question... as he snapped his fingers and slowly changed the white room using a multitude of wires that continues to surround me.

---

The wires twisted and turned, molded into shapes that could not be easily recognized, at first. More wires ran beneath me, but it was not to trap me. Wires ran up the walls, forming into a colorful...

Colorful stage of a concert.

The walls were somehow made into a dark, vibrant color of wood while the floor contrasted the dark colors and used lighter colors. In front of me, there was a view of seats that had no living person seated. slightly below and closer to my view, was a black piano that was in pristine condition. Nearby the piano, John Smith was there and looked at me, as if waiting for something.