The cylinder hissed softly as Tyrone keyed in the release command.
Panels of reinforced glass slid apart in smooth, silent segments, and the light inside spilled outward, soft at first, then blooming into something warm and radiant that painted the concrete walls in pearly hues.
Tandy froze.
For a moment, she didn't breathe as she looked at what was inside. Inside the containment chamber stood the suit.
It wasn't bulky. It wasn't armored in the way she'd expected when she'd imagined a "super suit." There were no plates, no rigid segments, no heavy mechanical parts.
Instead, it looked like something alive.
A form-fitting, sleek combat suit hung suspended in the air, its surface catching and bending the light around it.
Pearly white with faint, iridescent undertones, the fabric seemed to ripple subtly, like silk reacting to a breeze that didn't exist. Thin luminous seams traced along the lines of muscle and joint, elegant rather than aggressive.
It was beautiful.
"Tyrone…" she whispered.
He stepped closer, standing beside the chamber, his expression serious—but there was pride there too. Care. Intention.
"Project: LUMEN VEIL," he said. "Designation LVC-01. Built for you."
Her eyes flicked to him, stunned, "You named it."
"I named it because I designed it," he replied quietly. "From the ground up."
She moved closer, pressing her palm lightly against the transparent field. The suit responded instantly, seams glowing brighter in recognition, light pulsing in a slow, steady rhythm, as if it knew her.
"What… is it made of?" she asked.
Tyrone exhaled, the engineer in him surfacing fully now.
"The base layer is a graphene-weave mesh," he began. "Ultra-thin. Skin-tight. Stronger than most body armor without the weight. You won't feel it restricting you at all, parkour, acrobatics, aerial combat, all of it stays fluid."
He gestured, and a holographic projection bloomed beside the chamber, peeling the suit apart layer by layer.
"Graphene distributes force incredibly well," he continued. "It regulates heat, breathes naturally, resists bacteria, and, most importantly, it conducts energy."
Her fingers flexed unconsciously. "My Light."
"Exactly. Your LightForce is infused into its fabric so it continuously repairs the Suit at the molecular level. Cuts, tears, stress fractures, they close almost instantly."
Another layer highlighted itself, shimmering between white and shadow.
"The lattice is infused with synthetic particles stabilized by both our energies," Tyrone said. "Your LightForce provides small amounts healing, purification, and reinforcement. My Darkforce handles kinetic and magical absorption, damping impacts and masking signatures."
Tandy's breath hitched, "So… it won't fight your darkness."
"No," he said softly. "It's designed to coexist with it. Safely."
The suit rotated slowly in the chamber, revealing its full silhouette.
It looked like a high-end combat tracksuit, long sleeves, full legs, no exposed skin—but every seam followed her anatomy perfectly, accentuating her dancer's build without ever feeling exploitative. It was elegant, lethal, and unmistakably hers.
"And the mask?" she asked, spotting the collar.
Tyrone tapped a control.
The lower face covering unfolded seamlessly from the neckline, nanofibers contracting into place like flowing fabric hardening mid-motion.
"Integrated mask," he explained. "Lower-face by default. Eye cover is LightForce-polarized, modeled after camera shutters. Gives you depth control, infrared vision, LightForce vision to reduce strain and improve precision."
The eye lenses shifted colors subtly as he spoke.
"And if you ever need it," he added, "the mask can deploy into a full helmet. Sealed. Underwater-capable. The Suit is also water-proof, so and has swimming assistance,"
Tandy let out a soft, breathless laugh. "You didn't miss anything."
"I couldn't afford to."
He moved on, the hologram shifting again.
"Mobility systems," Tyrone said. "Kinetic assist fibers run along your calves, thighs, spine, shoulders. They store energy from movement and release it back into explosive actions, jumps, spins, strikes."
Her eyes lit up as she heard that, but Tyrone continued, tapping the sole projection. "Lightstep adhesion soles. Graphene base with Lightforce nodes. Silent landings, even from extreme heights."
She pictured it instantly, dropping from rooftops, landing without a sound.
"And defense?" she asked quietly.
Tyrone's expression grew serious again.
"Adaptive impact damping," he said. "Blunt force gets absorbed and dispersed. No whiplash. No shattered bones. Organ shock reduced to near zero."
Another overlay flared.
"LightForce regeneration field. Passive healing. Cuts, burns, muscle tears. It won't resurrect you, but it'll keep you in the fight."
"And the environment?" she asked.
"Sealed," he said. "Toxins. Chemicals. Smoke. Extreme cold or heat. Waterproof."
She swallowed.
Then he brought up the final interface.
"Stealth and signature control."
The suit dimmed, its glow receding until it was barely visible.
"Lumen Suppression Mode," Tyrone said. "Your Light circulates internally. No glow. Near-invisible."
Then, with another gesture, the suit flared brilliantly, radiance spilling outward like a rising sun.
"Radiance Bloom Mode. Intimidation. Crowd control. Rescue signaling."
Tandy stared, heart pounding.
"This… this is insane," she whispered. "It's perfect."
She turned to him, eyes shining, not with Lightforce this time, but emotion.
"You built this for me."
Tyrone met her gaze steadily. "You deserve to survive. And to move freely. And to never be afraid of your own power."
A long silence followed.
Then Tandy smiled.
"Okay," she said softly. "When do I get to try it on?"
A shadow curled faintly at Tyrone's feet as he allowed himself a small smile.
"Whenever you're ready, Dagger."
The containment field dissolved with a soft chime. The suit lowered itself from suspension, drifting toward Tandy like it was being carried on an invisible current. As it neared her, the luminous seams brightened in quiet anticipation.
Tyrone stepped back, giving her space, "Just… touch it. It'll do the rest."
Tandy hesitated for half a heartbeat—then reached out. The moment her fingers brushed the fabric, the suit responded.
Light rippled outward in a smooth wave, and the graphene-weave unfurled, flowing over her skin like liquid silk. It didn't pull or cling aggressively. It settled, conforming perfectly, every contour aligning with dancer-trained precision.
In seconds, it was on her. Fully Sealed and perfectly fitted to her frame.
Tandy inhaled sharply.
"Oh my, "
The suit felt like a second skin in the truest sense. Weightless and Responsive. When she flexed her fingers, the fabric moved with her as if it were part of her nervous system. No resistance or drag. No seams biting into joints.
She rolled her shoulders experimentally, twisted at the waist, lifted one leg into a slow, controlled extension.
Nothing caught or restricted. If anything, she felt lighter.
She looked down at herself. The pearly white surface hugged her form flawlessly, accentuating long lines of muscle and curve without ever feeling gaudy or exposed. The luminous seams traced her movement subtly, glowing faintly with every breath she took.
"I feel…" she searched for the word, "…right."
Tyrone watched quietly, shadows steady at his feet, "Your LightForce is syncing. Heart rate's stable. No energy rejection."
She took a step. Then another. Then, unable to help herself, she spun, fast, fluid, a dancer's pirouette amplified by instinct.
The kinetic fibers answered immediately, storing the motion, smoothing it, enhancing it without throwing her off balance. She stopped effortlessly, laughing in disbelief.
"This is, Tyrone, this is incredible." She turned to him, eyes bright. "It doesn't even feel like armor. It feels like… confidence."
"That was the goal," he said simply.
She reached for the collar. "The mask?"
He nodded.
Tandy tapped the activation node.
The lower-face mask flowed upward in a seamless motion, nanofibers contracting and locking into place with a soft whisper. At the same time, the eye cover bloomed into existence, layered LightForce lenses sliding over her eyes like a camera shutter opening and closing.
Her reflection stared back from a nearby monitor.
She was Unrecognizable. The mask softened her features just enough, the eye lenses reflecting light in a way that obscured her gaze while still letting emotion show through posture alone. Elegant and Mysterious.
She tilted her head, switching modes experimentally. Infrared flickered on, the room painting itself in gradients of heat. Then LightForce vision, everything sharpened, luminous flows suddenly visible like veins beneath reality.
"Oh wow," she breathed, "I can see my Light."
"And control it better," Tyrone added. "Less strain for you,"
She lowered the mask with another thought, the fabric retreating smoothly back into the collar. Tandy walked up to him, hands resting lightly on her hips, still half in awe.
"You really outdid yourself," she said softly. "So… what about you?"
He raised an eyebrow, "What about me?"
"Your suit," she pressed, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "You can't tell me you put all this work into mine and didn't build something ridiculous for yourself."
Tyrone snorted quietly, "I don't need one."
She blinked. "You don't, oh yeah your Cloak. Your powers really are cooler, my suit is basically useless for you,"
Tyrone nodded, "Yep," and Darkness peeled upward around him, swallowing his body in a fluid, impossible motion. His physical form dissolved into a silhouette of living void, edges indistinct, eyes glowing faintly from within the black.
Cloak stood where Tyrone had been.
The room temperature dropped slightly as the DarkForce settled, "My body's intangible when I'm like this remember," his voice echoed, layered and distant, "Armor wouldn't do much. Most attacks pass through me, and anything that doesn't… gets absorbed."
The shadows receded just as smoothly, reforming Tyrone in place. He gestured down at himself.
"I'll wear a reinforced tracksuit under the cloak. Basic environmental sealing, comms, maybe some kinetic damping. Nothing fancy."
He smirked, "You're the one who actually gets hit."
Tandy laughed, shaking her head, "Unbelievable."
Then she paused, "Wait. So… what happens if I'm not wearing this?"
Tyrone stepped to the console and picked up something small, almost unassuming.
A ring.
Slim and Elegant. White metal with a faint, pearlescent inlay that pulsed softly, "The suit compacts," he said, holding it out to her. "Full molecular compression. Wear this."
She slid it onto her finger.
The moment it settled, she felt it, like a quiet hum under her skin.
"Whenever you infuse LightForce into the ring," Tyrone continued, "the suit deploys instantly. Direct skin contact. No delay. No external trigger."
Her eyes widened, "So I'll always have it."
"You'll never be without it," he corrected.
Tandy looked down at the ring, then back at him.
A slow, reverent smile spread across her face.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I think I'm ready."
Shadows stirred gently at Tyrone's feet as he nodded once.
"Good," he said. "Because the city won't be."