Silverheart

Ch. 1: In Which Things Do Not Go As Planned

This was the day that Cassia had been waiting for.

Today, it was her chance to not only take down a powerful villain singlehandedly, but also to prove to Master Umber that she was a worthy apprentice. No other apprentice had ever been able to take down more than one villain, and sometimes not even that. Cassia was determined to break the chain. She would defeat every villain in Solstice City if she had to, but Cassia refused to be another failed student.

She would finally be able to wear her new hero outfit today instead of the usual loose black clothes she wore to train. This new suit was much more streamlined and stylized. The main color was a deep indigo, like the night sky, with gold swirls coming up from the sleeves and legs. A golden domino mask completed the look and hid her identity from the prying eyes of the public.

Cassia tied what she could of her dark messy hair into a bun, but most of it was too short and fell around her face instead. She headed out into the training arena to await Master Umber's arrival.

Fortunately, she didn't have long to wait. Master Umber came into the arena a few minutes after she did. She jumped to her feet, eager to finally test her skills in the field.

"Good morning, Cassia," Master Umber greeted her. "I see you're eager for your first mission."

"Good morning, Master!" Cassia folded her arms behind her back and bowed, just as she'd been taught to for years. "Where will we be going today? Downtown? Urban district? Rural farming district?"

"Actually, we've found out where a specific villain has been hiding out. Your job today is to apprehend him. Do you think you can do that?"

Cassia nodded energetically.

"Good. Follow me, now. We're heading to the warehouse district."

"Is that where the villain is hiding?" She hurried to keep up.

"Yes. This will be your first field test, but I expect nothing but the best from you."

"Yes, Master! Who will I be up against?"

"They call him Vengeance. Not much is known about him, but he doesn't seem overly powerful. It should be a good trial for someone at your level. Speaking of, have you thought up an alias to use yet?"

"Um- not yet. I was thinking of using something to do with energy, because of my power, but-"

"You couldn't think of the right word?"

Cassia nodded.

"Not to worry. We'll think up a good name for you."

"Thank you, Master Umber."

At the warehouse district, Master Umber had Cassia figure out which building Vengeance was holed up in. The majority of the buildings in the area had been largely destroyed by the Woolsworth fire a few years back, and the frames that remained were rickety and charred. Many villains had chosen to take up residence in the abundance of condemned buildings the fire had left in its wake, but most of them were found and chased out within a day or two. There was no telling how long Vengeance had been there, but Cassia would make sure he didn't overstay his welcome.

She was eventually able to deduce that he was in the basement of what used to be the Woolsworth Coat Factory itself. With the approval of Master Umber, she quietly made her way down the cement steps into the cold, empty basement.

Cassia could see some kind of light coming from the corner of the basement behind a pile of rubble. She crept over and tucked herself next to an opening in the hideaway. Picking up a small chunk of debris, she threw it across the open room. It hit the opposite wall with a stony clatter.