In a secluded corner of New Seoul, a city that rose from the ashes of Earth’s Third Solar War, the blue-clad woman stood motionless as the flickering holographic neon lights painted undulating patterns across her figure. She appeared almost like a living statue, her skin an unbroken canvas of cobalt, a hue so vivid it seemed to consume the color of everything around her. She wore a suit that mirrored the distinct texture of scales, blending flawlessly into her skin. From a distance, one could mistake her for a fantastical being rather than a woman. The faint hum of mechanized drones filled the air, patrolling the streets overhead, unnoticed by her sharp golden eyes that pierced the darkness.
Tonight, the Azure Enigma, as she was known in whispers throughout the underworld, was on a mission. She adjusted the bold indigo belt strapped around her slender waist, its metallic buckle engraved with a sigil emitting a faint cyan glow. This sigil was her only known calling card—a mark tied to both fear and hope, depending on whom you asked. Her form-fitting suit hugged every contour of her body, its intricate stitching resembling some alien needlework. Her fiery red hair flowed down her shoulders like a cascade of molten copper, an ethereal contrast to the blue. Her every step, though light on the metal-plated floors, carried the weight of purpose.
Her target: the Vault Core of Far Horizons Inc. This monolithic corporation thrived on exploiting post-war humanity’s desperation, hoarding ancient technologies to sell to the highest bidder. Beneath their skyscraper headquarters lay a priceless artifact—the Quantum Nexus—a device said to bridge dimensions. If someone like Far Horizons unlocked its potential, the balance of power on Earth would irrevocably shift. The Artifact Council, a secretive global collective that sought to keep such relics out of corporate greed, had hired her. Or rather… persuaded her by threatening to reveal her darkest secrets.
The Infiltration
Scaling the glass wall of the skyscraper, her hands shifted effortlessly, transforming into hooked talons. Her mutations weren’t just cosmetic; they were her greatest assets, allowing her to adapt her physical form as needed. She reached the 75th floor in a matter of minutes, her movements agile as a panther’s. She perched on a narrow ledge high above the bustling streets below, looking through the shimmering glass. Inside, a sterile white hallway sprawled before her. Security drones drifted lazily, their sensors scanning for vulnerabilities.
Closing her eyes, she exhaled slowly, and her body seemed to ripple, shimmer, and shift. In a blink, the blue-scaled woman disappeared, and in her place stood a corporate scientist, draped in a crisp white lab coat. Her clothing didn’t transform—her body did. The lab coat appeared as flawless as if stitched from the air itself, her formerly red locks now a sandy blonde, her searing eyes now a dull green. Down to her ID badge hanging from her coat pocket, every detail was copied with mimetic perfection.
She slipped inside, her every step calculated. Others walked past her, nodding absently to what they assumed was a colleague rushing toward her lab. She replied with curt nods and murmured greetings, her voice shifting to match the scientist’s tone. Soon, she reached the biometric scanner. Placing her palm against the scanner, her flesh molded itself into the exact ridges and grooves of the stolen identity.
The door hissed open.
The Vault Core
Inside, the air felt heavy and sterile, reeking of ozone and machinery. Housed in the center of the room was the Vault Core. Its walls pulsed with electric veins of cerulean energy, faint vibrations thrumming in the air. The artifact rested within—a crystalline sphere suspended in stasis, spinning in slow, hypnotic orbits.
She approached cautiously, her simulated credentials keeping the automated sentries at bay. However, just as she reached out to disable the stasis field, the room dimmed. The momentary silence was shattered by a voice. Smooth yet venomous, it came from the shadows.
“You took the bait after all,” the voice purred. From behind an invisible panel, a tall man emerged, dressed in black tactical armor embedded with neon red lines. His eyes glowed faintly, augmented with military tech. He carried a shock rifle, though it hung loosely at his side.
She turned around slowly, her expression blank—a perfect facade.
“Did you really think we wouldn’t plan for you, Myst?” he asked, using her old code name. “Oh, I’m sorry. You prefer ‘Azure Enigma’ now, don’t you? So dramatic. It’s almost pathetic.”
She replied in a voice so calm it was unnerving. “And you must be Brax. Still insecure enough to talk instead of shoot.”
A flicker of irritation crossed Brax’s face, and she smirked.
The Double Cross
The tension between them thickened, the atmosphere crackling like the charged air before a thunderstorm. But she had already anticipated this. This wasn’t her first job for Far Horizons, nor her first time in their crosshairs. The truth was, she had let herself be seen—the Artifact Council wasn’t her employer at all. They had simply played into her broader plans.
“You still owe me a debt,” Brax said, stepping closer. But before he could react further, Mystique’s—no, the Azure Enigma’s—form rippled once more. Her duplicate dissolved into a blur of distorted light, revealing that the real her was already behind him. She moved in a flash, disarming him with a swipe of her talons that sent the rifle tumbling to the floor.
“You never were that smart.” Her tone was sharp, cutting to his core.
Brax dropped to his knees in pain, clutching at the now-useless cybernetic arm she had severed. Before he could beg or bargain, she activated the stasis field’s override, claiming the Quantum Nexus orb as her own.
Freedom in the Unknown
Minutes later, she stood on the edge of the skyscraper’s rooftop, the Nexus orb tucked safely into her reinforced satchel. Below, the city roared with life, oblivious to the chaos that had just unfolded. She stared at the horizon, where the sun’s faint glow rose over the metallic sprawl.
She still bore the crystalline sigil on her belt, but tonight, she felt lighter, freer. No more Artifact Council, no more corporate overlords, no more debts to pay. Just her and the unfathomable power held within the Nexus. And maybe… just maybe, for once, a chance to use it for herself.
The Azure Enigma leapt into the dark, her cobalt form swallowed by the city’s shadows, leaving behind only whispers and legends.
The Source…check out the great article that inspired this amazing short story: The Power of Blue: Mystique-Inspired Cosplay Done Right
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