Quite the crowd had amassed for the event of the day. A shop's opening day wouldn't usually be this popular. Even if a good ad campaign could bring in the same numbers, people wouldn't be this invested in it as they were now. No, the reason why quite a substantial part of those gathered were journalists wielding mics and cameras was the identity of the man in charge: Silhouette. These past few weeks had seen the complete unknown become the talk of the town. Though his rise to fame had begun with his killing of the Nightsnatcher, the mysterious creature that had been plaguing the city for months now, more information had trickled down to the masses and fuelled the rumors.

Silhouette killed the Nightsnatcher.

Silhouette caught the eye of the Hero Union.

Silhouette is a friend of Blake Black.

Silhouette hired Ivan Decanov.

Silhouette took down a crime lord in the slums.

Silhouette got in a fight with Abrakaboom and survived.

Silhouette is an ally of the mysterious Duskenfer hermit.

Silhouette threatened a known con artist.

Silhouette pays his employees well.

Silhouette is surrounded by strange armored people.

Silhouette has an expanding influence on the slums.

The inhabitants of Zalcien weren't the brightest in the world. It wasn't a secret. Their city was ultimately just another member of the Alliance of City States, likely one of the most forgettable ones at that. They weren't even bad enough to be worth remembering. They were just perfectly below average at everything. Yet, for all their flaws, the people of Zalcien were still people. They weren't blind. They had a history. And they were familiar with this turn of events.

They had seen their share of incredible stories. Of Heroes. Of Villains. Of Vigilantes. Of monsters.

A myth was brewing. A legend was beginning. If Silhouette's ascension wasn't cut early, he would likely grow to become one of the important persons in the city. One of those whose decisions affected all of their lives.

The question then, was what kind of legend would he become?

Maybe not the next Sunburn. Maybe not the next Mecha Man. Especially not the next Natrashka. But the next Mister Marley? The next Firefighter? The next Decanov?

Silhouette didn't need to dethrone one of those at the apex of their little world to change their life. Something as simple as granting every citizen the means to defend themselves the lowest of ruffians would be enough to save lives, to prevent events that would ultimately result in great tragedies. They all knew this. If Silhouette chose to only continue the plans they had shared with the public, this would be enough to change the city, no matter how minor the difference felt.

But already the rumors whispered in the dark, even now in the crowd, told of greater plans. Why was Silhouette in the slums? Why bother with such a good reputation? Could it be he was trying to reform the parts of Zalcien that all others had given up on?

Among those gathered today was a familiar duo. A toned man in a dapper dark green suit accompanied by a woman in blue overalls with a large camera on her shoulder, a halo of golden light floating above her curly ginger hair. He watched the front door of the shop impatiently, an excited smile on his face. The deadpan expression of his colleague showed she wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the situation as he was.

"This is a big scoop in the making, Vicky! I can feel it!"

She sighed as her cousin repeated his usual catchphrase.

"I know, Victor. That's why the boss sent us here. Because we were already familiar with the guy."

"I told you I had a good feeling about him! We got the exclusive post-Abrakaboom interview by following my guts!"

"Yes. And I have a feeling if you hadn't behaved, he'd have spilled your guts."

"Nonsense! Silhouette is a law-abiding citizen, he would never attack a journalist!"

She wasn't convinced. If Victor had what she had to admit were good journalistic instincts, she got the sixth sense required to keep the idiot alive. His gut may have been telling him Silhouette was a juicy scoop, something she couldn't deny, but hers was screaming to stay away. The silent guards in black armor carrying impressive weaponry didn't help feel her at ease either.

She'd done her research, too. She had looked into the rumors surrounding the mysterious shadow man. He appeared in a small bar in the area known to be home to plenty of dubious individuals to threaten a scammer who supposedly tried to pull one over him multiple times. The horned bartender she interrogated about the event shared with her that Silhouette had dropped by a second time. Neither had been pleasant, according to him. What he shared about the events sent chills down her spine. She had no desire to get on the bad side of something that could turn someone's own shadow into a weapon or who could effortlessly play with crooks like that.

"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"Of course I won't! When have I ever led us astray?"

That wasn't anywhere close to reassuring as he thought it was.

"Don't ask anything too stupid. Be nice. Take any threat of violence as a sign to end the conversation."

"Vicky, please. This isn't my first rodeo."

"Alright. What do you plan on saying if he picks you out of the crowd?"

"I will ask him how he feels..."

"Yes..."

"If he's happy with the crowd gathered here today..."

"Continue..."

"If he could give us a summary of his products..."

"Yes..."

"What his plans for the future of his business are..."

"Yes..."

"And if he'd like to comment on the various rumors surrounding him and his group!"

She took in a deep breath, her halo rising higher along with the act.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Alright. Okay. That's fine. Just be sure to be very diplomatic with that last one, otherwise it'd sound like a taunt."

Victor rolled his eyes.

"Come on, I know how to do my job. You don't hear me telling you how to use a camera."

"Vic, if I let you touch my baby, it'd likely fall to pieces."

"Exactly! Similarly, you're not a reporter. So trust me to play my part like I trust you to do yours."

She had a few choice words she was ready to share. Fortunately for the sake of their relationship, a new development arose before she could let her tongue run wild.

The door of the shop opened with a loud bang, a flood of dark mist billowing out to fill the street up to the crowd's knees. Many among the gathered shivered as panic found a foothold in their heart, even the few police officers in uniforms here to monitor the event couldn't help but put their hands on their weapons. A noteworthy exception was a pair in the back, a human officer accompanying a tall humanoid reptile wearing a coat over her uniform. She calmly drank from the cup of coffee in her taloned grasp, though her gaze never left the shop's entrance.

There, the darkness began to shift. It began to rotate. To turn. To spiral. Second by second a small tornado of shadows grew before shifting into something more comprehensible. An oval featureless head framed by two wide shoulders ending in impressive spikes broke through the dark as all movement stilled, the black winds winding back down, their host's body slimming as a result.

Silhouette had just made his appearance.

The shadows hadn't twisted just to introduce their master. The mist flowed and rearranged itself, leaving the crowd behind to coalesce into a podium for Silhouette to address them all. Suddenly some among the journalistic crowd shouted in surprise. They found themselves missing some mics, and it only took a few seconds for them to realize they had been taken and incorporated into the newly-made stage, their equipment popping out against the solid black mass.

A tendril rose from the podium as Silhouette took position behind the lectern, the limb gently adjusting the mics a final time before the man spoke.

"Have no worries, all items will be returned to their rightful owners at the end of this little conference. I simply wished to save us all some time."

Technicians grumbled but at this point, there was nothing they could do.

"Now, with this detail out of the way, let me properly welcome you all here today. I am Silhouette, and I am delighted to welcome you to my Penumbral Palace. Here you will find products destined to help you protect yourself and your family from many of the potential threats that roam Zalcien."

Tentacles split off from the podium to gesture to the building in question.

"While this wonderful city we all call home has quite a wonderful repertoire of Heroes and brave guardians of the law, they are not guaranteed to always arrive on time. This is where our catalog will help you. I would like to note that while any item meant for self-defense poses some degree of inherent potential danger that made this facility require numerous permits, we have toiled to ensure all products on our shelves can be used without the need for any permit of any sort. For this, I have to thank a special someone who took it upon themself to help us to the best of their ability. Allow me to introduce, Blake Black."

In a burst of blue light, the banker in a black suit and his loyal Celestial Nanyet appeared to the side of Silhouette's podium. The human smiled and waved at the crowd while his accompanier stayed still, preferring to stick to the background despite their impressive height.

"Blake Black has been a wonderful help in setting up this facility. I do wish to emphasize though to all present that his assistance has been exactly and only that, nothing more. I am in no way officially affiliated with the Black Bank, I am merely one of their users. Shades Of Penumbra is a fully independent company."

Blake spoke out from his side, a scroll held high in his hand.

"I have my official signed statement on paper, copies will be freely distributed to all interested parties."

Silhouette nodded before continuing.

"While Blake Black has helped Shades Of Penumbra be ready for this day, there is one man I must thank above all. Without him, none of this would be possible. He is the one who allowed this abandoned factory to return to glory, better than it ever was. I am also glad to announce that he has recently signed a long-term contract to continue working for our company and help develop our future. Inhabitants of Zalcien, you likely know him well. Doctor Ivan Decanov."

The mechanical scientist and engineer entrance wasn't quite as dramatic as the previous two arrivals, though that isn't to say it was quiet either. As he casually walked out of the shop's dark interior, various previously hidden pieces of machinery revealed themselves across the walls and rooftops of the facility. Turrets of all shapes and sizes sprouted like mushrooms, with muzzles as diverse as the rest of their frame. The defenses twirled on themselves and aimed at nothing in the air, performing a salute of sorts to their creator as he took place at Silhouette's side, opposite of the bank duo. Once more a hint of a wave of panic spread throughout the crowd, though at this point it was heavily diluted. You could only make so many dramatic entrances, no matter how different from one another, before the surprise ran out.

The Draskian robot looked at the people. It felt like a glare, but given the fact that the only parts of his face that could move were his eyebrows and his square pupils, it was hard to be certain. The only certainty was that his impressive eyebrows were perfectly flat as he watched over them all.

"While Doctor Decanov isn't the lead designer of our line of products, he is the one who outfitted this facility with all the necessary equipment for defense and production. Now that he has fully become a member of the team, I can assure you his genius mind will be involved in future creations to help improve your lives. Sadly said original designer couldn't attend, but he was more than happy to let his brilliant colleague represent him today."

The doctor rolled his eyes. An incredibly unprofessional gesture, but knowing his reputation, the fact he didn't audibly scoff or interrupt the speech to insult this so-called colleague was already a miracle, something many among the gathered recognized.

"While our dear doctor has made his disinterest in gadgets clear, his designs can still be put to use to be shared with the citizens of Zalcien. While the project is far from finished, he has allowed to share that he is currently working on a portable emergency generator, one that can easily be attached to any existing electrical system and just as easily removed."

A few hands rose in the crowd.

"Ah, I can see you're already bursting with questions. I must ask you however to refrain for now. You will have your time soon, I simply wish to finish this introduction first so shoppers uninterested in those topics may go make their purchases sooner. I do have to make a profit at some point."

Some chuckled at the joke. Only some.

"Ah, I can see impatience gaining on you, so I will make the rest of this short. Without further ado, let me introduce the last of the most important people in a store: the vendors! Larry and Barry Harrison!"

This time, the only noteworthy thing about their entrance was how normal it was. The brothers simply stepped out of the shop, much like the scientist had done, but this time there was no accompanying dance of weapons to make the casual actions any more impressive than it truly was. The men were somewhat eye-catching thanks to their opposite black and white suits and physiques, one tall and lanky while the other was short and stout. Even their pilosity was inverted aside from its black coloration, the shorter one being bald aside from a pair of impressive mutton chops whereas the taller one had long hair and a small goatee.

Sadly for them, they simply couldn't match the sheer presence that all of those who came before them shared. Particularly perceptive members of the crowds noted that the pair appeared to both be hybrids of elf and dwarf, with each taking more after a part of their ancestry than the other, but that particular genetic oddity while rare couldn't equal the infamy of a Draskian robot or of a historical rich manipulative family or the mystery of a living shadow.

Though they looked calm and collected, the few beads of sweat on their heads showed they weren't quite as confident as the other participants of the event, or at the very least not quite as adept at masking their nervousness. The duo took place at Silhouette's side as well, placing themselves between their leader and Blake Black. The most attentive in the crowd realized the true meaning of the gesture: while Blake was Silhouette's ally, he wasn't truly part of the group. He was a guest of honor, but a guest nonetheless.

"Now, normally I would go on and describe each of the products available. Given your impatience, however, I believe it would be best to skip this step. As such, allow me to officially announce the opening of Shades of Penumbra's Penumbral Palace!"

Cheers and claps rose, though mostly more out of politeness than genuine adoration.

"Now, this conference will take a short break. Journalists and all interested in continuing this event, I invite you to follow me to the facility's inner court. Shoppers, I leave you in the trustworthy hands of the Harrison brothers and their hired help. To all others, I wish you a good day. Now, before you rush inside and empty our shelves, just give our managers a moment to reunite with our staff. To celebrate this opening event, all purchases will come with a ten percent discount and every client will receive a commemoratory pin."

This time there were more genuine cheers.

There was also someone with a knife.