THE SHADOWVERSE

The Trap

Two weeks, filled to the brim with training, excitement, laughs, complaints, and craziness, had passed by. Like everything nowadays, it seemed like a day to Johnny.

He woke up to a knock on his apartment door. He sped to the door and peeked through the hole. No one. On opening the door, he found a gray case at his feet. His eyes scanned the hallway in both directions, but he could not spot a soul.

As he examined the case, the top popped open and Johnny gaped. "Whoa," he marveled, well-nigh drooling. Inside was a partially armored outfit. A supersuit. The suit design was a dark blue color, with white serrated edges, resembling a knife. The zig-zag design intersected on his chest and wrapped around the suit in a diagonal arrangement, tracing down to his feet.

To complete the look, someone had equipped the suit with blue-tinted, shaded goggles with sharp edges, which attached to his face through a connector on each side. It exposed the top of his head, allowing his dirty-blonde hair to flow free. The case included a navy-blue face mask, which covered his features up to the blue-tinted shades.

A small note attached to the read, "You'll need it." He closed the case and rushed back inside. Placing it on the bed, he undressed with childish excitement.

As he reopened it, he spotted something he hadn't noticed—a note taped on the side. It read: "Figured you would need this too." Someone signed it with "-Z."

"Z?" Johnny said to himself.

In a flash, Johnny donned the thick suit, and was a little disappointed to find it extremely loose-fitting. Examining the outfit more carefully, he identified a minuscule yellow button placed on his left shoulder. Once pressed, the entire apparatus sucked every iota of air out, permitting the thick suit to envelop the wearer like a glove.

"Oh yeah, I could get used to this," Johnny admired the effect in the mirror. Despite the hour, he picked up his phone and dialed Ryan's number.

The ring sounded for two seconds before Ryan answered. "Johnny, do you happen to have a sick outfit at your door?"

Johnny hesitated. "You too?"

"And did you happen to have it signed by a guy who calls himself 'Z'?"

"I'm coming over," Johnny said.

"We thought you were still asleep! Dustin and Sam are already here!"

"Here?" Johnny questioned. "Where?"

"At Kevin's place."

"You're all the way over there? Seriously? I've got to call Jane."

"Hear that guys? He's got to—"

Johnny hung up the phone before he could finish.

Blasting off like a missile, Johnny speedily slipped through several miles of urban terrain before arriving at Jane's apartment door and knocking. The suit felt incredible. The air slipped past its aerodynamic construction beautifully.

"Come in Johnny!" called Jane from somewhere in the apartment. He deduced that she had heard him race up to the door.

He opened it. "Jane! Did you get a box with a s . . . holy crap that looks amazing."

She grinned. "I will take that as a compliment."

"I mean, that's, uh, that's great!" he stammered.

"Thanks," Jane replied.

Johnny scratched the back of his neck. "Uh . . ."

"I can see you received a little gift as well!" Jane exclaimed, pointing.