Chapter Text
Crossroads never really slept.
Even at its quietest, there was always something—distant metal clashing, muffled laughter from late-night spectators, and the hum of the Flipside tower's lighting bleeding into alleyways that weren’t meant to be seen.
And above all of it, a pitter-patter of constant footsteps. A sharp gaze sweeps across the city.
Soft. Fast. Precise.
Shuriken moved like he didn’t belong on the ground. A blur across rooftops, barely touching tile, barely disturbing air. No wasted motion. No hesitation. Just instinct. Just a gut feeling that something interesting will happen.
Tonight wasn’t about a phight.
It was work, well, his work to be exact. If it could be classified as one, but still. It's all the same in his eyes. It's his duty by now, after all he couldn't just stop, he had to keep moving.
A shadow slipped between buildings below, fast and erratic.
Running.
Shuriken adjusted course instantly.
Target acquired.
He dropped from the rooftop without a sound.
A blur of green chases after Cannon, running rapidly through the alleyways in hopes of losing after his chaser. He couldn't even see what was chasing him; all he knew was that something was after him. He saw it earlier, a masked inphernal then just a blur of green and black.
He can hear the footsteps after him, he doesn't know where the masked inphernal is, but his gut says one thing 'run'. His mind scampers for clues as to whom it may be... All information leads to one thing. The most dreaded conclusion hits him like a truck.
A masked inphernal in green, footsteps as quiet as the flight of an owl. For every step Cannon takes, it is doubled or tripled by his pursuer. It must be the vigilante! The one whose eyes survey through crossroads tirelessly and doesn't let a slip of crime exist under his gaze.
The very same one that, once he comes out at night immediately beats the warden banhammer in efficiency of capturing crimes. Cannon knew it he shouldn't have decided to try and sell illegal weaponry in Crossroads; he should've stayed in Lost Temple!
His greed and blindness swallowed him whole and doomed him.
All he wanted was more opportunities for his business, not a lifetime behind bars!
He hears footsteps behind him, but he bumps into something... no, rather someone. His gaze lands in front of him. There are no footsteps from behind anymore, right in front stands Silver Shadow in the flash, peering right down at him.
The alley smelled like rust and something worse.
The man barely had time to turn before something cold pressed against his throat.
“Don’t,” Shuriken said flatly.
Gone was the lazy tone. Gone was the half-lidded boredom.
This voice was sharp. Empty.
The man froze.
“P-please— I didn’t—”
“You did,” Shuriken cut in, his form menacingly hovering over the criminal under the moonlight. Casting a suffocating shadow.
A pause.
Then, quieter he said “I saw it.”
That was enough.
A quick movement. Clean and efficient.
The criminal saw black, their body hit the ground.
Silence returned as it had never left.
Shuriken yawns as he knocks out another criminal. God, he is so damn tired. He definitely should sleep! Silver Shadow pulls out his phone and tips the police on the criminal before tying him up with ropes.
Then he leaves the criminal all alone. There goes another prisoner in the badlands, hopefully banhammer doesn't get too pissed this time.
Grappling to the rooftops, he watches his clone disperse as he checks the time. Hopefully it's not too late, or he'll get a nasty scolding from Slingshot because of sleeping in, or even his sister Vine staff nagging him.
Shuriken stood there for a moment longer than necessary.
Not looking at the unconscious body.
Just… still. Someone was here. Someone just arrived. Someone familiar...?
Then suddenly there was a faint crackle.
Electric. Cold.
He stiffened.
“…Oh? This is interesting. Didn't expect this for my late-night run.” A voice echoed from the alley entrance, casual, almost amused.
Shuriken didn’t turn around
“…”
Well, he didn't respond either. That voice is familiar.
Leaning against the wall as he’d always been there, Coil rolled his shoulder, faint static dancing along the coils wrapped around him.
“Was in the area,” he shrugged. “Heard something interesting."
Shuriken knew who this guy was. It's the guy Slingshot has been complaining bitching about! Always causing trouble at the counter. Being a total bother to sling. Its coil, the same guy who's known to be called the crystal criminal publicly
Coil goes closer to inspect, having a hand on his hip. "Are you the Silver Shadow I've heard so much about. Damn, you look hella edgy.”
Shuriken finally glanced back. Just a flick of his eyes. “Leave.”
Hell nah, he doesn't wanna interact with this guy right now. He's fucking tired out of his mind. But ah, looks like something is actually up.
Coil grinned. “Wow. No ‘good evening’? No ‘thanks for the assist’?”
“You didn’t assist.”
“Well, not yet.”
Silence. The kind that wasn’t empty.
Shuriken turned fully now, stepping away from the criminal like it didn’t matter. Police would be here soon. Probably in thirty minutes, they don't respond that quickly.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Shuriken said.
Coil pushed off the wall.
“Neither should you.”
A beat.
Then shrugging
“…you already know what's going on in this area. I think” his grin widened, sharper now, “Well, just in case you don't know we're—”
"—getting followed by biografts. I know." Silver Shadow cut Coil off. Without missing a beat, he added, "That's your fault, you know? They were spying on you."
Coil didn't hesitate, "Well, ain't helping ppl out kinda your thing? I kinda need help. Won't you help a civilian?"
"You brought that on you, Crystal criminal." Silver Shadow says coldly
Coil’s grin didn’t falter. If anything, it sharpened. "Whoa, looks like I'm that famous even Silver Shadow knows me."
Shuriken didn’t react. Didn’t blink. Didn’t shift. Didn’t give him anything.
“…You’re loud, pipe down,” he said instead, voice flat.
A faint mechanical whirr answered him.
Not from Coil. From above.
A soft click. Then another.
Then suddenly a low, synchronized hum was heard.
Shuriken’s gaze flicked upward for half a second.
That was all it took.
Three figures clung to the walls and ceiling like insects, metal limbs embedded into brick, optics glowing faintly through the dark. Well, just surrounding the alleyways in general
Biografts.
With different builds, different models.
All locked onto one target.
Coil.
“…You really pissed him off this time. I'm guessing since you're Crystal criminal, you probably stole from Subspace again.” Shuriken muttered, just stating what the title holder of the Crystal Criminal is known for.
Coil rolled his neck, unfazed. “Please. He’s always pissed.”
One of the Biografts dropped.
Fast. Too fast for most.
Shuriken moved before it landed.
A flash of green. Steel met metal with a sharp crack, deflecting the strike mid-air. The Biograft slammed into the ground instead, skidding across the alley floor.
The other two didn’t hesitate.
They lunged following the rhythm of the first attacker
Coil grinned. Finally. “Now this is more like it.”
Static burst from his coils as he dashed forward, not away, but into the fight.
Reckless.
Shuriken clicked his tongue.
“…what an Idiot.”
But he followed anyway, yet he didn't know why. This entire situation is plain stupid. Sling is right coil is just a bastard with rabies.
With a sigh the alley erupted.
One Biograft launched forward, arm splitting into segmented blades. Coil ducked under it, sliding across the ground as electricity crackled violently around him.
“Too slow!”
The second one dropped behind him.
He twisted— Welp too late.
A blade grazed his shoulder, sparks flying as it tore through fabric drawing a bit of blood. Well looks like Coil's already tattered hoodie is getting more tattered.
“...tch.”
Before it could follow up
A blur cut between them. A strike with a kunai—
—followed with a Shuriken.
A clean strike.
Precise.
The Biograft’s arm severed instantly, clattering to the ground.
No wasted movement. No hesitation.
Just instinct.
Coil whistled. “Damn. You are good. No wonder why the rumors about you are nothing but obscured praises and frightened criminals.”
Shuriken didn’t answer because he was already moving. Why was Coil being such a distraction? It's annoying when someone is talking when you're trying to concentrate. What's more, when it's a phight?
The first Biograft recovered, recalibrating instantly. Its optics flickered, then all three units shifted.
Together.
Not attacking randomly anymore. Coordinating and adapting. It's annoying as fuck.
“…Great,” Coil muttered. “He sent the smarter ones.”
“Stop talking,” Shuriken said.
“Make me.”
One rushed Shuriken.
Another circled wide.
The third—
—Went for Coil again.
Pattern recognition. Target prioritization.
Shuriken noticed immediately.
Of course they would. Coil was the objective; it was clear as day. These robots were stupid at covering intent. After all, at the end of the day, these things only act on orders. No autonomy whatsoever.
Shuriken just adjusted.
The moment the Biograft lunged, Shuriken intercepted again.
But this time, the other one struck from the side.
Faster and more calculated.
A blade skimmed across his arm.
Shallow, but enough.
Coil blinked. “…Oh?”
That.. That was new.
Silver shadow didn’t get hit...?
No, it wasn't that; it's just that Silver Shadow didn’t react to it. The bastard didn’t even look at the cut.
But something shifted just slightly.
“Tch. You’re slowing down,” Coil said, tone lighter—but his eyes sharper now. Observing.
Shuriken ignored him.
“Focus.”
“Oh, I am,” Coil replied.
A beat.
“…On you.”
Shuriken moved again faster this time and decided to ignore Coil. He's a distraction to him anyway. Better to ignore.
One strike straight through the first unit’s core.
It dropped instantly. Ending it.
He goes for the second one. A spin, a slash, then gone. Its body clattered to the ground in a loud thud.
Only one left.
The last Biograft hesitated..?
No. It recalibrated. Just for a fraction of a second, probably weighing its choices. Most likely the smart one amongst them, probably having explicit orders from Subspace.
Then—
It retreated.
Launching itself back up the wall and disappearing into the night. Looks like that thing was actually valued. If it wasn't, then Subspace would have probably already abandoned it. Well looks like it's AI is already improving. That's pesky.
Now it's gone.
Silence fell again. Heavier this time.
Coil exhaled, stretching his arm like that was just a warm-up.
“Well. That was fun.”
Shuriken didn’t respond.
He turned away immediately, as if it was already over. Like Coil didn’t exist. SFOTH he just wanna leave! Desiring nothing more than to flop down in bed its almost the ass crack of dawn after all. He's gotta salvage those itty-bitty winks of sleep!
“Hey,” Coil said
No response.
“Hey, Edgy guy.”
Nothing.
“Hey, Silver Shadow!”
Still no response. Coil clicked his tongue, then stepped forward and grabbed Shuriken’s wrist.
That did it, Shuriken froze
Just being still. Dangerously still in fact. Kinda panicking, did Coil know who he was? No, that didn't make sense. They barely interacted at the shop. Surely Coil didn't know?
“…Let go,” he said quietly.
Coil didn’t. Instead, his gaze dropped slightly.
To Shuriken’s arm.
To the cut.
“…You’re bleeding.”
A pause.“So?”
Shuriken tried to pull away. Coil’s grip tightened, just enough. Not aggressive nor forceful.
Just.. Persistent and annoying. Why the hell was this bastard doing this?
“Relax,” Coil said. “I’m not gonna expose your little edgy vigilante act.”
Silence. “…Then let go.” Shuriken shot a harsh glare. He isn't against summoning his gear to threaten the other. All for the sake of his sleep and peace of mind.
“Not yet,” Coil responded, another pause longer than the last.
Then “…You’re actually hurt,” Coil added, quieter this time.
Not mocking nor teasing.
Just stating it.
Shuriken’s eyes narrowed slightly. “…It’s nothing.” he really didn't care about the wound. To him its just a scratch. Another consequence of his vigilante act it's nothing out of the ordinary. It's practically a daily thing
“Yeah?” Coil tilted his head. “Then why didn’t you dodge?”
No answer.
Coil’s grin faded, not completely. It's still there, barely... But definitely enough. “I think…You’re tired.”
That..That hit closer than anything else he’d said, and its fucking pity of all things. He doesn't need pity. Shuriken finally yanked his hand free. Not violently. Just enough to break contact.
“…You talk too much.” His voice was much colder now but thinner, more subtle.
Hard to notice unless you were looking for it.
But for some reason unknown to Shuriken, Coil was. Of course he was. The bastard was picking the most optimal way to piss him off
“Yeah,” Coil said. Then, softer “…and you don’t take care of yourself enough.”
Silence, yet again. But it's different now. Less sharp and more… stretched. Shuriken looked away, already planning to disappear like usual. Letting the silence be awkward.
Coil took his silence as a response for some reason.
"What? I'm just stating an observation. Plus, you saved a friend of mine the other day. It'll be bad if you croaked out early," Coil said in response to the silence
From somewhere in the distance, the noise of Crossroads carried on. Another phight. Another crowd. Another night that didn’t care
Shuriken turned away.“…This doesn’t concern you.”
Coil shrugged. "Didn’t say it did.”
A beat.
“…Still annoying though.”
Shuriken paused, just for a second. Then “…Go back to Playground, Coil.”
Flat and dismissive.
Then he added “…Before the next batch finds you.”
Coil smirked again, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes this time. “Aw, the vigilante is worried about me? Ha makes you look like you actually care...Wait a damn minute, when did you know about my name?”
No response. Shuriken had already disappeared, just like that. Gone from the alley and gone from sight like he was never there to begin with.
Not a trace left, well, except the criminal from earlier and the bodies of biografts
Coil stood alone for a moment. Then he glanced down at the faint drop of blood left behind.
“…Huh.” A small pause, then a quiet chuckle. “…You’re interesting.”