A Flick of Steel

The quiet room ticked with subtle shadows. I stood stiff beside a towering caped figure, waiting. Then, a spark ran through my right hand. Slowly, deliberately, I tested the joints—one bladed finger bent inward, then tapped softly against the black remote sitting right next to me. Click. A clean, sharp ring in the dim light. I let out a dry, raspy chuckle beneath my hat; the stage was quiet, but I was finally ready to move.