"Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my tone gentle, while also maintaining my fighting stance. I could see his eyes glaring at me underneath his black and red mask. They were a bold shade of blue that stood out against his dark hair. He took a step back, preparing for another hit. He swung and missed. We had been fighting long enough that it seemed I had finally tired him out. 

"You punched me, and you dare to ask me if I'm okay? You're weird, Quiet Fighter. That is what they call you, isn't it? You know, you should come up with a new hero name. You're not very quiet." Shadow replied. I snapped my fingers, and the world around us went quiet. "What did you do?" He asked, looking around. 

"I can control sounds. Nobody can hear us, and we can't hear them," I replied. Shadow was stunned enough that our fighting had stopped. Shadow was breathing rapidly, and it was evident he was exhausted from our fighting. "Now that I have your attention, I want to help you. I don't think you want to be a villain, and I can help with that. Come with me, and we can clear your charges and figure out how to help you. You can trust me."

"Hah, as if I would believe that," Shadow laughed. He stepped back into a small shadow, then he was gone. He couldn't have gone far. I ran to the nearest alleyway, where the most shadows would be, to try and find him. I knew that I could help him if he would give me a chance. I called his name a few times, but I never got a reply. 

After spending time searching, I decided that I would have to wait until next time to try to convince him to join the good side. In the meantime, I needed to change into regular clothes, get a drink, and talk to my favorite bartender. 

When I got home, my daughter immediately ran up to me. My sister, Piper, called a greeting from the kitchen. Piper was much younger than I, being only twenty, while I was twenty-six, so I would give her money to watch my 5-year-old daughter, Thea. Thea jumped into my arms, and I spun her around. 

"Did you fight any bad guys today?" Thea asked. She always asked me about my work, and she thought my job was the coolest job ever. She told me about how she wanted to be a hero like me. I was waiting to see if a power would manifest in her. I was worried it wouldn't, but I was also worried that it would. I want her dreams to come true, but I also want her to be safe. I told Thea all about the bad guys I fought, even including the part about trying to help Shadow. It would be a good lesson for her that not everything is good or bad. I then told Piper I was going out to the bar for a bit, and went to get changed. 

 

When I walked into the restaurant and bar, it was quiet, and there were very few people. Jamie was trying to advertise their restaurant and bar to attract more customers. Today, it would be much easier to talk to Jamie about what had happened today without accidentally leaking my secret identity. I enjoyed the quietness of my private life. When I'm in my hero costume, people are always chasing me down. 

I walked up to the bar and laid my head on the counter. Jamie slid me a drink, and I downed it. "I see you're not here to get pasta and breadsticks with your little girl. Rough day?" They asked. I nodded. "Want to talk about it?" They continued. I nodded again, handing him my glass for a refill. They took it, but didn't fill it as much as they did the first time. 

"How do I get Shadow to trust me and join the good side?" I asked. I had been telling Jamie about how I thought that Shadow could be good, and that maybe he was just misguided. Jamie handed me my second drink, as well as a few breadsticks. I slowly started to eat one. 

"That's a tough question. Have you considered that he might not want to be good? He might like being a villain," Jamie shrugged, leaning on the counter to talk to me. They were always representing all sides of my arguments. 

"You're extremely unhelpful. Do you have any actual advice?" I sighed, continuing to drink and eat my breadsticks. Jamie shrugged, pushing a strand of their violet hair out of their face. 

"I'm providing you with drinks and food. That seems pretty helpful to me. Besides, if you really think there is some good in him, just try talking with him. He'll come around when he's ready. Give him time," Jamie shrugged. "This place usually picks up, and we start playing loud music after the sun sets. You staying until then?" Jamie continued. 

"No, I should get home to my daughter before I drink too much. Besides, you give such generic advice," I responded. 

"I'm a bartender. My job is to give generic advice. But seriously, let him come to you on his own terms. When he is ready to be helped, he will tell you," Jamie responded, starting to make a to-go box of food. 

"You say that like you know him personally," I accuse, eyeing Jamie. They know all types of people, villains, and heroes. Jamie shoots me a small smile. 

"Maybe that's because I do know him personally," Jamie smirks, picking up one of the breadsticks on my tray and taking a bite. "Here's some food for you and your daughter. I'll see you next time Shadow escapes your grip."