Chapter 8: Invisible Risks
The campus alley behind the science building trapped evening dew between narrow walls, the damp air hanging heavy with the scent of wet stone and discarded cigarettes. Landon crept through shadows, testing the limits of his Stealth Shifting—a minor upgrade he'd developed by focusing his Shape-Shifting abilities on camouflage rather than complete transformation. The technique wasn't perfect invisibility, but it allowed him to blend with darkness, to become forgettable to casual observation.
Not quite invisible, but close enough for tonight's purpose.
He'd tracked Mia Chen for three days, studying the stealth supe's patterns with careful precision. The freshman kept to herself, using her invisibility to avoid Godolkin's social hierarchy entirely—slipping unseen to classes, meals, library study sessions. Her power was categorized as mid-tier, but Landon recognized its strategic value immediately. Enhanced invisibility would complement his growing arsenal perfectly, allowing for infiltration beyond what Shape-Shifting alone could accomplish.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled him from his calculations. Mia moved through the alley with practiced quiet, her slight form nearly imperceptible in the twilight until she activated her power, vanishing completely from sight.
Landon grinned, his plan falling into place. Mia used this alley as a shortcut between the library and freshman dorms, turning invisible halfway through as practice. He'd deliberately positioned himself at that exact point, prepared to "accidentally" disrupt her routine.
He stepped forward, timing his movement perfectly to collide with where he predicted she would be. "Hello? Is someone there?"
The impact was immediate—his shoulder connecting with an invisible obstacle. Mia gasped, startled out of her concentration, flickering briefly into visibility before stabilizing her power.
"Sorry," Landon continued, turning in a confused circle. "I could have sworn I heard—"
The invisible strike caught him completely by surprise—not the defensive push he'd expected, but a knife slicing cleanly across his throat. Landon's hand flew to the wound, blood spilling warm between his fingers as he collapsed to his knees. Mia had reacted with lethal force, her fear triggering training he hadn't accounted for.
As consciousness faded, his last thought was that he'd severely underestimated her survival instincts.
Worth it... if it works...
Landon revived in a maintenance closet, the sharp chemical scent of industrial cleaners burning his restored respiratory system. Light stabbed his eyes like needles when he opened them, forcing them shut again as tears streamed down his face. The world seemed painfully bright even through closed eyelids, colors bleeding through as kaleidoscopic blurs.
[INVISIBILITY (E-RANK) ACQUIRED. BLINK AND YOU'RE GONE—BRIEFLY.]
The system's message pulsed against his oversensitive vision, the blue text seeming to burn an afterimage even after it faded. E-rank—low tier, but still useful, especially for his pranks and information gathering. Landon tested the ability cautiously, feeling it settle beneath his skin like a chameleon's camouflage, available but limited. According to the system, his invisibility would last minutes rather than hours, a significant constraint compared to Mia's sustained stealth.
Another tool in the arsenal. Better than nothing.
He forced his eyes open again, squinting against the painful brightness as he assessed his surroundings. The closet was typical maintenance storage—mops, buckets, cleaning supplies. Nothing to indicate how long he'd been dead or whether Mia had discovered his body before the system relocated it.
Moving carefully, he eased the door open and slipped into an empty hallway, keeping to shadows out of habit despite his new ability. His throat itched where the knife had sliced it open, phantom pain lingering though the wound had vanished. Each death left these traces behind—not physical scars, but sensory echoes that his body remembered.
The digital clock on the wall showed just past midnight. He'd lost nearly three hours, longer than usual for revival. The system seemed to be taking more time with each reconstruction, perhaps struggling with the accumulated trauma of multiple deaths.
Eight deaths. Eight powers. Costs mounting.
Landon made his way back to the dorms, testing his invisibility in short bursts to avoid depleting it entirely. The ability felt strange, different from Shape-Shifting's physical transformation. Rather than changing his form, invisibility bent light around him, rendering him temporarily imperceptible—a ghost drifting through Godolkin's sleeping halls.
As he rounded the corner to his dormitory wing, he spotted Emma sitting alone in the common room, a book open on her lap though her attention was clearly elsewhere. She looked tired, worry etching faint lines around her eyes as she checked her phone for what appeared to be the hundredth time.
Is she waiting for me?
The thought created an unfamiliar warmth in Landon's chest. He dismissed it quickly, focusing instead on how to explain his late return without raising suspicion. Before he could decide on a strategy, Emma looked up, her eyes somehow finding him despite the distance and dim lighting.
"There you are," she called, relief evident in her voice. "I was starting to think you'd pulled another disappearing act."
Landon stepped into the common room, allowing a self-deprecating smile. "Just lost track of time at the library. Sorry if you were worried."
"Worried? About you?" Emma's attempt at casual dismissal was undermined by the way she'd immediately closed her book, her full attention shifting to him. "I was just up finishing this paper. Pure coincidence."
The campus café's distinctive cardboard cup sat on the table beside her, the scent of lavender latte—her favorite—still faintly detectable. Emma followed his gaze and blushed slightly.
"Needed caffeine for the late night," she explained, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The new barista makes the worst lavender latte, though. Way too sweet."
"Criminal offense," Landon agreed, dropping into the chair opposite her. His eyes still stung from the light sensitivity, but he managed to maintain a neutral expression. "Next time we should try the place off campus. I hear their lavender latte is actually drinkable."
Emma's smile brightened. "Is that an actual invitation, Vale? Because the last time you suggested coffee, you ended up in the infirmary with mysterious injuries before we could make it happen."
"What can I say? I lead an exciting life." The quip came automatically, his default deflection. "But yes, it's an invitation. Tomorrow afternoon?"
"I'll believe it when I see it." Emma's tone was light, but something in her expression hinted at genuine disappointment from their previously canceled plans. "You're developing quite a reputation for vanishing when people expect to see you."
Landon leaned forward, allowing genuine interest to show. "Tell you what—I promise not to disappear tomorrow. Four o'clock, Perks Café, just off campus. I'll even arrive early to secure the good chairs by the window."
"The ones with the green cushions?" Emma asked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"Exactly those. Reserved specially for lavender latte emergencies."
Her laugh was soft but real, warming the space between them. "Alright, Vale. One more chance. But if you stand me up again, I'm accepting Andre's offer to show me the restricted section of the library."
"Andre doesn't have access to the restricted section," Landon pointed out.
"No, but he thinks he's magnetic enough to convince the librarian otherwise." Emma rolled her eyes, though affection for their mutual friend colored the gesture.
"I'll be there," Landon promised, surprising himself with how much he meant it. "Barring apocalypse or alien invasion."
"Given Godolkin, those aren't exactly reassuring exceptions." Emma gathered her books, standing with a stretch that briefly minimized her height—an unconscious use of her ability when relaxed. "Four o'clock. Don't be late."
She departed with a final smile, leaving Landon alone in the common room with the faint scent of lavender and an uncomfortable realization: he was genuinely looking forward to tomorrow. Not as a strategic alliance-building exercise, but as something dangerously close to a real date.
[FLIRT SUCCESS: EMMA'S SMITTEN. DATE NIGHT SOON?]
"You can't seriously expect us to believe Professor Brink wears superhero underwear," Luke said, laughter warming his voice as he tossed another stick into their small fire. The flame caught immediately, reflecting golden in his eyes—a hint of his powers, always closer to the surface since The Woods.
The three of them—Landon, Luke, and Andre—had claimed a corner of the quad for their late-night hangout, taking advantage of Godolkin's relaxed curfew on weekends. Stars glittered overhead, campus security lights humming at a distance that granted the illusion of privacy without actually leaving monitored grounds.
"I'm telling you," Andre insisted, magnetism dancing between his fingertips as he gestured expressively, "I had to retrieve a file from his office during my TA hours, and his gym bag was open. Captain Liberty briefs, clear as day."
"That explains his hard-on for traditional hero values," Landon added, stoking the fire with a subtle application of Enhanced Fire Control. The flames responded eagerly, perhaps too eagerly—he dialed back quickly, aware of Luke's watchful eyes.
Their laughter mingled with the crackling fire, a moment of genuine camaraderie that still surprised Landon. These gatherings had begun as strategic alliance-building but had evolved into something he looked forward to—actual friendship forming beneath the calculated exterior he maintained.
"Speaking of traditional values," Andre segued, his tone shifting to something more serious, "heard about what happened with Riley in Psych class. You okay, man?"
Landon nodded, his newly acquired Mind Control Immunity humming at the mention of the telepath. "Just a disagreement about ethics. Nothing serious."
"Nothing serious?" Luke raised an eyebrow. "Half the class said she turned your brain to mush. Brink had to carry you to the infirmary."
"Temporary setback." Landon waved dismissively, maintaining his carefully crafted narrative. "Copy ability kicked in before any permanent damage."
Andre and Luke exchanged glances, a silent communication that spoke volumes about their growing concern for Landon's "accidents." He'd need to be more careful moving forward—too many miraculous recoveries would eventually overstretch even the most flexible explanation.
"You've got more lives than a cat," Andre said finally, breaking the tension. "But maybe ease up on provoking the campus powerhouses for a while? Some of us would miss your annoying ass if you actually stayed dead."
The casual affection in the statement caught Landon off-guard, warming something in his chest that he quickly suppressed. Attachment was dangerous in Godolkin—a weakness Vought could exploit, a liability in his calculated climb to power.
"Appreciate the concern," he replied, deflecting with humor, "but I've got a talent for survival. Speaking of talents, did you guys hear about Mia Chen?"
"Invisible girl?" Luke asked, poking at the fire. "What about her?"
"Rumor has it she knifed someone in the alley behind the science building," Landon said, carefully observing their reactions. "Campus security did a sweep, but no body, no blood. Just her word that she defended herself against an attacker."
"Shit," Andre breathed. "That's hardcore for a freshman. They discipline her?"
"Can't discipline what you can't prove," Landon shrugged. "Besides, self-defense is technically allowed under Godolkin's code of conduct."
Luke's expression darkened, flames reflecting in his eyes. "This place brings out the worst in everyone. Fight or die mentality from day one."
The conversation lulled, each lost in their own thoughts. Landon tested his invisibility absently, allowing his hand to fade from view for a brief moment when the others weren't looking. The ability responded smoothly, though the familiar light sensitivity returned, making the fire's glow painfully bright until he deactivated it.
"Sometimes I think about just vanishing," Luke admitted, voice barely audible above the fire's crackle. "Taking Sam and disappearing somewhere Vought couldn't find us."
"Where would you go?" Andre asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.
"Doesn't matter. Anywhere but here." Luke's gaze fixed on the flames. "But then I think about what they'd do to the next kid if no one stops them."
Landon remained silent, recognizing the weight of Luke's words. The Golden Boy had been transformed by his time in The Woods, his former ambition replaced by something darker, more determined. His survival now tied directly to exposing Vought's experiments, to saving his brother and preventing future victims.
"You won't have to disappear alone," Andre said finally, clapping Luke's shoulder. "We've got your back, man."
"Absolutely," Landon agreed, the words coming easily despite his usual strategic calculation. "Whatever it takes."
Their conversation shifted to lighter topics as the night deepened, but something had solidified in that moment—a pact formed without formal declaration, three very different supes united by growing distrust of the institution that claimed to be preparing them for heroism.
[GROUP VIBE: SOLID. KEEP THE LAUGHS COMING.]
As the fire burned down to embers, Landon found himself wondering when exactly these alliances had stopped being purely tactical and started mattering on a personal level. The line between strategy and genuine connection had blurred, complicated by each death and revival that pulled him further from humanity while simultaneously pushing him toward human connections.
Eight deaths. Eight powers. And unexpected friends.
The contradiction wasn't lost on him as they finally parted ways, each returning to their respective dorms under the watchful eyes of Godolkin's security cameras. Power required sacrifice, but perhaps the greatest sacrifice would be the connections forming despite his calculated intentions.
MORE POWER STONES == MORE CHAPTERS
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