Night had begun to blanket the city, but for William, this was the beginning of his serious training.
Standing on the rooftop of his apartment, he gazed at the night sky. His hand formed a black claw made from shadows, which then transformed into a spear, then into a sword, and finally vanished.
"These shadows feel like an extension of my body..." he thought.
He closed his eyes, recalling the theories he had studied and channeled his intent. The surrounding shadows began to move according to his will, though still unstable.
William then created a black mask from the shadows, covering his face, leaving only two narrow slits for his eyes.
"I need a real training target," he muttered.
Without a sound, he leapt from the rooftop, blending into the night.
In a dark alley near downtown...
A woman was cornered, being robbed by three masked men. One of them yanked her bag roughly, while another pointed a knife at her.
"Hand over everything! Now!" one of the robbers barked.
Then, a voice came from the darkness.
"I think... you guys should surrender. Unless you want to get hurt."
The robbers turned and laughed at the silhouette of a masked young man cloaked in shadow.
"Who the hell are you?! Playing superhero, kid? Get lost before I stab you!" one threatened.
William shrugged. "Go ahead, try."
In an instant, a shadow whip lashed out and knocked the knife from the robber's hand. William then leapt in and took them down one by one using a combination of shadows and the martial arts he had learned.
Seconds later, all three were sprawled on the ground. William turned to the victim.
"Call the police. And... just a tip, don't walk around alone this late."
He vanished into the darkness.
The next morning...
On the morning news, CCTV footage showed a blurry recording of a masked youth rescuing a woman from a robbery.
"This mysterious figure appeared out of nowhere, using shadow powers to defeat three armed criminals. Locals have dubbed him... Shadow."
William watched the TV screen while munching on toast. He smirked. "Shadow, huh? Not bad."
At school...
Gwen ran up to William. "Hey! Did you see the news this morning? A hero showed up in our city! They say he can control shadows!"
William feigned surprise. "Seriously? That's crazy…"
Gwen laughed. "Finally, someone's making this city safer."
William nodded. "Let's hope he keeps showing up."
As they walked to the cafeteria together, they noticed a crowd.
There, Peter Parker was being shoved around by Flash Thompson.
"Freaking loser! Nerdy little bookworm! Hahaha!" Flash mocked, his friends laughing along.
Flash raised his hand, about to punch Peter again—when suddenly, it was stopped.
William stood between them, blocking the punch without hesitation.
The crowd fell silent.
Flash glared at William. "What the hell, man?! Why are you butting in?!"
William stared back sharply. "You only pick on the weak? Try me instead."
Tension filled the air.
Flash swung a punch at William, but he dodged easily, then countered with a clean hit to Flash's stomach, knocking him down.
The crowd erupted. "WOOO!!!"
William turned to Peter and offered his hand. "You okay?"
Peter took it. "Yeah... thanks. You were awesome back there."
William smiled. "If Flash bothers you again, just call me."
Peter nodded. "Okay... but I'll handle it myself next time."
Moments later, a teacher shouted, "Hey! What's going on here?!"
The crowd quickly scattered.
In the school hallway, after the incident with Flash...
Gwen walked beside William, holding her books and glancing at him.
"You were pretty amazing back there," Gwen said with a smile. "Peter's been getting picked on by Flash for years."
William raised an eyebrow. "No one's ever helped him?"
Gwen sighed. "Some teachers know, but Flash has connections. His dad donates a lot to the school. So, they usually just stay quiet."
William scoffed. "Cowards."
They walked slowly in silence for a moment, until Gwen looked at William again, her expression slightly nervous.
"By the way… I was thinking... How about dinner at my place tonight?" she asked quickly.
William turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Dinner?"
Gwen nodded. "Yeah. My dad might be home, or maybe not. But… it's just dinner. Casual talk."
William gave a small smile. "Alright. I'll come. But don't ask me to wash the dishes."
Gwen chuckled softly. "We'll see about that."
Later that night… on a rooftop above the city
William, wearing his shadow mask, moved swiftly across the rooftops. Shadows around him shifted actively—grabbing, clinging, even striking down thugs from a distance.
Three muggers lay groaning in a narrow alley after being efficiently taken down.
William stood atop a lamppost, enjoying the night breeze. But something made him pause.
Soft footsteps. A breath so quiet it barely existed.
Someone was following him.
Without turning, he spoke flatly, "If you're here for an autograph, wait in line. I'm busy."
From within the shadows, a woman emerged with quiet grace—dressed in tight black, fiery red hair, and a sharp, confident gaze.
Black Widow.
William turned and gave a low whistle. "Didn't expect my stalker to be a gorgeous woman."
Black Widow gave a faint smile. "I'll take that as a compliment."
William jumped down and faced her. "So... why are you following me? If it's just for a chat, we could've gone for coffee."
Black Widow crossed her arms at her waist. "My superior wants to meet you."
William's expression changed instantly. His gaze turned cold and unwelcoming.
"If your boss wants to meet me," he said, "he can come himself. Not send someone to tail me like I'm some rookie."
Black Widow watched his reaction carefully, then spoke softly, "We just want to talk. No pressure."
William let out a slow breath and said, "Then tell your boss this—Shadow doesn't respond to summons like some lapdog. If he's important, he should know how to approach someone with respect."
He turned around, letting the shadows engulf him before vanishing without a trace.
Black Widow remained where she stood, smiling faintly before speaking into her comms.
"He declined. But he's curious. Shadow... isn't your average target."