Darren "Shade" Walsh

Darren "Shade" Walsh

Portrayed By	David Giuntoli
Gender	Male
Date of Birth	February 16, 1980
Date of Death	March 20, 2008
Age	Age at Death - 28
Zodiac Sign	Aquarius
Aliases	Shade
Place of Birth	Brooklyn, New York
Current Location	Hells Kitchen, New York
Occupation	Trall(?) of Persephone
Known Relatives	Mother - JoAnn, Younger Sister - Catherine
Significant Other	n/a
Legal Status	Deceased
Known Abilities	Phasing, Enchanted Weapon, Undead
First Appearance	n/a

Table of Contents

History

Darren’s Tale (March 20, 2008 7:42pm)

Officer Darren Walsh got out of his squad car and quietly shut the door behind him. His partner had called out sick at the last minute leaving him by himself for the night. He looked around the shipping docks along the East River in Brooklyn, they were run down, old and barely in use but someone called in some suspicious activity and Darren was the officer closest. He figured it was probably some kids trespassing and that by just showing up he’d be able to frighten them off. Slipping his flashlight from his belt he slipped through the gates and started to look around.

After several minutes of patrolling the area, Darren spotted one warehouse with the lights on. A few workers were outside loading boxes from the warehouse into trucks. Seeing that the only activity he saw was in that one warehouse he started to head over there to check it out. About fifty feet from the warehouse, Darren got the feeling he was being watched. He turned to look around the area when he felt something press into his back then heard the click of what sounded like a pistol being cocked. “Walk Forward. Hands behind your head.” Was all the raspy feminine voice said as she prodded the gun deeper into his back to push him along.

Darren, figuring the best thing to do in this situation was to comply, slowly placed his hands behind his head, interlocking his fingers, and walked where he was directed. He didn’t say anything but his mind wandered as he walked along, a nervous fear started to creep inside him but he kept telling himself that as long as he did what she said he’d be okay, he’d find the right moment to get out of this situation. He didn’t know why he didn’t see the woman at first but Darren was irritated with himself for being taken unawares, he should have been more alert.

Walking towards the warehouse, Darren started to notice more and more people rushing about to get boxes made of various materials in different shapes and sizes into the trucks. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted someone on the roof of an adjacent warehouse with a rifle trained on him. Any thoughts he had of overpowering the woman behind him and taking her gun were driven from his mind as he could tell that he was outnumbered and would probably be shot the moment he fought back.

The warehouse was almost empty by the time Darren stepped inside, most of the boxes having been cleared out. There was an office overlooking the floor and through the blinds he could see a pacing silhouette. “Turn Around.” The voice instructed and he felt the pressure of the gun barrel removed from his back. He did as instructed and at first he saw nothing, a few moments later a woman came into view. It made sense why he didn’t see her at first; she was invisible.

“Take off your belt, shoes, shirt and any other equipment you have with you. Slowly.” Darren followed the instructions until he was wearing just his undershirt, pants and socks. He felt exposed but risked talking while undressing. “So….what’s going on here?” He tried to sound casual but couldn’t help but notice the fear was noticeable in his voice.

“Get your handcuffs and put them on, hands behind your back.” The only the answer Darren received from the woman. He hesitated until he saw a second person enter the warehouse, the man with the rifle he spotted before. Darren hated that he was complying, with ever fiber of his being, but he didn’t see a way out of the situation. “Make sure they’re tight.” She says as he clicked the metal around both wrists, leaving him angry and feeling helpless. Darren just glared as the woman walked behind him and with a gloved hand tightened the metal so that it dug painfully into his skin. “Keep an eye on him while I get the boss.”

Darren and his captor silently stared at one another while waiting; occasionally he glanced around the room but didn’t want to stop looking at the other man with the rifle for too long. He was a cop, he was supposed to be stopping the criminals not being at the mercy of them. Darren wished his partner was here with him, maybe then he wouldn’t be in this predicament.

Only five minutes passed, but it felt longer to Darren, before the woman returned with her boss. Darren was shocked and speechless to see that he recognized the man with her; his wish was granted. There was his partner, Tom Spanos, in front of him with a grin on his face. He started at him with a look of surprise on his face as he searched for the words to say. “Wha…what are you doing here? This is why you called out?!” The surprise quickly turned to anger.

“Hello Darren, I’d say I’m sorry to see you here but…. I’m really not. Being your partner was so tiresome. You’re such a good cop; it sickens me. You know how hard it’s been trying to manage my little side business with you as my partner? I couldn’t get away with anything unless I called out sick. This is the reason I became a police officer, so I could run my business without any trouble. At first it was great but then you had to join the force and I was stuck with you. For five fucking years I was stuck with you! Other officers at the precinct were easy to bribe, they don’t mind being on my payroll as well, but you, oh no, I knew you’d never agree to be bought. Even right now, I could easily kill you or let you live but I know you’d never let me just walk from this. You’ll have to go tell the Captain but I guess I’ll give you a choice, since we’re partners. Keep your silence and I’ll give you a nice cash payoff for it or I can kill you. Either way, I’ll make sure you keep your silence about what you saw here.”

Darren glared at Tom, the anger seething through him. “Tom, this is against the law, against the oaths we swore when we became protectors of the law. It might not mean anything to you but to me, it means something. I’d rather die than go against everything I believe.” He knew with those words he was condemning himself but he meant it, he’d rather die than do what he knew was wrong. There was a reason he became a Police Officer and it wasn’t to take bribes from a crooked partner. Tom pulled a pair of leather gloves from his pocket and put them on before going to Darren’s belongings and pulling out his gun. “Any bullets they pull from you are going to be from your own gun.” Tom grinned and aimed the gun at Darren and was about to pull the trigger when one of his men ran into the warehouse and whispered something to him. He let out a sigh and placed the gun carefully back with Darren’s clothes. “I have to go take care of getting the last of the shipment out. Mara, come with me. Seth…” Tom began before fishing a pill container out of his pocket and tossing it over. “Warm Officer Walsh up for me, I want to hear his screams while I’m outside.”

Seth downed one of the M.G.H. pills as Mara followed Tom out of the warehouse. The drug worked quickly and soon tiny sparks of electricity were noisily coming off of his fingertips. Darren screamed as the first bolt of lightning hit him, his legs gave out on him and he sunk to his knees. “Electricity is great, it leaves a few burns, and is hard to trace.” Seth taunted began in between shocking Darren. “They might be able to tell it was from a person, but not way to trace back to who. Very little evidence.” The next strike of lighting caused him to scream again and fall to the floor on his side. “And I get to torture a cop.”

By the time Tom and Mara returned, Darren was on the ground gasping in pain. “That’s enough Seth, the last of the trucks just left once us three leave all that will be left for the NYPD to find is a body. Isn’t that right Darren?” BANG! The first gun shot went off and a fire of pain went through Darren’s thigh as the bullet hit – he didn’t notice Tom pick up his gun again. “Now, I don’t want you to be forgotten out here so I’m going to give our friends in blue a chance to find your body.” He went over to Darren’s belongings and with his still gloved hands he pulled out Darren’s radio. Tom had a sadistic tone to his voice as he said; “I’ll be nice, I’ll let you call for help.”

Darren felt the edge of the speaker press up against the side of his mouth and after a few second he began to speak in a pained voice. “Officer down, I….I repeat. Of-fficer down.” After giving his location Darren let out a painful scream into the receiver as Tom pressed his gloved thumb down over the bullet wound on his leg. Once done with the radio he placed it back where he got it, making sure to wipe the radio clean from any possible marks from his gloves with Darren’s clothing then cleaning the blood off of his gloves. Tom didn’t care if any of Darren’s blood got on his own clothing, after all they couldn’t trace it back to him.

“Now I bid you adieu Darren. Rest knowing you died a good Cop.” Tom said mockingly. Five more shots were fired into the chest of Darren Walsh and then he placed the pistol among Darren’s belongings. Like with the radio he made sure to wipe the gun clean using some clothing that wasn’t bloodied. Tom left the lights on in the warehouse and left with Seth and Mara, making sure to put his gloves in a plastic bag so that he could burn them later. He made sure to leave little to no evidence behind showing his involvement.

Darren found it hard to stay conscious and he knew he was dying. He couldn’t do anything by lie there with his hands behind him. He was terrified; he didn’t want to die.

Darren was barely holding on when Officer Mike McAuley discovered him lying there less than twenty minutes after he’d been shot. Mike lowered his gun, rushing to his side to check to see if he was still alive. Darren opened his eyes for seconds before closing them. “Uncle….Mike…” He said recognizing the officer as the man who was once his father’s partner. “Mom….Cate….take care….of them..” He said coughing up blood between words. Mike nodded and promised to take care of Darren’s family before asking him who did this. Darren tried to hold on and fight through the pain and fatigue. Words were becoming harder and harder to say, after much stuttering over the word Partner he managed to get out an easier word – “Him.” Darren’s body went limp in Mike’s arms as his life faded from him.

Mike’s Tale (March 21, 2008 1:02am)

Officer Michael McAuley was in his early fifties and two years from retirement with the New York City Police Department. He’d seen a lot of things in his days of being an officer but having his old partner’s kid die in his arms was going to stick with him the rest of his life. He felt sick. Still he volunteered to be the one to tell Darren’s family what happened. Mike didn’t argue when one of the other cops who Darren was close to wanted to come with him, he was grateful for the company.

“I knew Darren since he was little, his father was a police officer, and we were partners for years.” Mike began to talk, he didn’t care what his passenger knew about Darren or not, he just needed something to fill the silence. “We joined the police force around the same time, back in ‘84, his father Colin and I, and we worked well together. Became real good friends, kinda like you and Dare. We were two Brooklyn kids with Irish roots, hard not to get along ya know? Colin had a wife, JoAnn, and a son, bthey couldn’t have been nicer to me. I never settled down and never got married. Felt being a cop and being a family man weren’t really a good match, Colin, he felt different. He was a good father and Darren looked up to him. That’s why he joined the force, he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and I gotta say, he was as good of a man as his father was.

Colin and Darren were real close, like a father and son should be. They used to go to all the sporting events together, hard to live in New York and not be a sports fan, ya know? Giants, Mets, Knicks, Islanders, true New York fans. As a kid anytime Dare was asked who his hero was, he’d always say ‘My Dad because he fights the bad guys’. He was proud of his father, wanted to be just like him. Can’t blame the kid, Colin was a good guy. He was always there for his son, and his wife. A real close family, ya know?

Anyway when Darren was around twelve his Mom got pregnant. They couldn’t have been happier to add another member to their family. A little girl, Catherine, Cate. Dare was such a help, when Colin worked long hours at the precinct. He was always there to help. So happy to be a big brother, proud even. You’d think they’d had the perfect life, and maybe in some ways they did. I was just happy to be included, get invited to Sunday Dinner or included on Holidays. Jo was a real good cook, some of it rubbed off on Dare. I think he just liked to be a help, he always wanted to help out others. It’s what added to him being a good cop.

In school Darren was always a good student, I don’t remember him having many friends but he always said he didn’t care about being popular; he just wanted to do well. He knew exactly what he wanted to be in life, to be a New York Police Officer, like his father. Don’t get me wrong, he did have a handful of close friends but he didn’t go out to parties on weekends that often. Maybe he was kinda a nerd, ya know? Anyway he had a few girlfriends in High School, his prom date, I can’t remember her name but she was pretty. He still went to his Senior Prom despite losing his father a month before hand.

Though you’d think their family had the worst of it back in ’97. It was a real shock to all of us when Colin had a stroke and died. It was out of the blue. Jo had trouble coming to terms with it, Cate was only seven but Darren…. I remember it so well. He didn’t want to trouble Jo, he knew his Mom was dealing with enough so he came to me, Uncle Mike. I was the only person he could talk to about his Dad. I don’t want to say I was a replacement for Colin, I wasn’t, not even close but Darren needed someone and I was there. We were close but when he finished High School he came to me, wanted to know everything he could so he could get into the police force. What sort of courses he had to take in college, that sorta thing. I guess ya could say I was kinda a mentor to him.

Darren could have gone to college and been a cop by nineteen but he chose to get his Associates in Criminal Justice in four years instead of two. He worked full time all throughout college just so he could help support his mother and sister. Granted they had Colin’s pension since he been an officer for twenty five years but college tuition combined with the costs of just living in New York, forget about it. I was there for his graduation from CUNY and then I was there for his graduation once he’d gone through the Police Academy. I couldn’t be prouder. Twenty-One years old and Dare had landed his dream job.

Throughout the years Darren always came to me with any questions he had or help he needed. Hell, he even trusted me with talking about girl problems. He never could hold down a girlfriend for too long. The force was too important to him, so was his sister. Darren never understood why women couldn’t understand that his job and family were just as important but then girls are tricky. He wanted to find a girl, get married and have kids but Dare just didn’t have much time to date, but you know that. The number of times he went on and on about it at the bars.

It’s a damn shame he only served for seven years. The force lost a good officer today. The kid was too young, twenty eight is too young to die. I swear, if I find out who did it….” He didn’t understand Darren’s last words of ‘Him’, he promised himself then and there that he’d do his best to find out who was responsible. Who this ‘Him’ was.

Mike realized they had reached the Walsh’s apartment building in Borough Park, Brooklyn. He took a deep breath and walked into the building, not exactly sure how to break the news to JoAnn and Catherine Walsh at one thirty in the morning no less.

Catherine’s Tale (March 24, 2008 11:42am)

The last few days were a fog for sixteen year old Catherine, she had woken up in Darren’s room this morning. She’d fallen asleep lying on his bed, being surrounded by all his stuff was a comfort, it made her forget that he was never coming home for a few moments. She couldn’t focus on the funeral, couldn’t bring herself to believe that it was her older brother in the box surrounded by flowers. The Catholic Church was packed, even though her family hadn’t been to church in ages, they still decided to have his funeral here. The voices were a monotone buzz to her ears and she had to be called up twice so she could say what she had written about her brother. It was hard and she shook as she walked up to the pulpit to speak, but Cate felt it was something she needed to do. She looked over the crowd, saw Uncle Mike supporting her crying mother, took a deep breath and read what she wrote off of the paper in her hands.

“My brother Darren wasn’t just a brother to me, he was more. I was young when our father passed away so it was my Mom and Darren who raised me.” Cate’s voice quivered as she spoke. “If there was a father daughter event, it was Darren who made sure we always went together, he didn’t want me missing out on anything. He helped me with my homework on a regular basis, cooked dinner for us when our Mother was working late, made sure I had my lunch in the mornings, he looked out for me.

On weekends he had off, Darren would give up going out with his friends to take me out in the city, to the museums, zoos, gardens, wherever, he just wanted to make sure we had our one day a week together. Darren always said that he and Dad did a lot of this stuff together and he didn’t want me missing out. He even was chaperone on a few of my class trips, Darren always made sure to be a part of my life.

Darren loved life, he was very passionate about what he believed in. He wanted to be with those that he cared about. He genuinely believed in people, even with some of the awful things he’d seen as an Officer. He believed that you should look out for your fellow man, do what you could to make this world a better place. He loved helping people. Darren got those ideals from our father, who was also a Police Officer with the New York Police Department.

Anyone who knew my brother knew that he wasn’t the most talkative at first, but that was because he was always paying attention to what was going on around him. He would really listen to what you had to say, no matter how trival. He was the type of person who’d stop and point out something you might not have noticed, if it was someone just helping a stranger, an interesting cloud, or even a funny billboard, he just liked to smile with the people around him. He was a watcher, always looking at the world from the people to the sky to the streets and beyond. Darren believed the world was beautiful. He smiled often, was very caring and even though he always seemed very serious, once you got to know him, he let you see the funny side of him.

I’ll always love my brother….I’ll never stop missing you.”

Cate rushed back to her seat next to her Mom and the two hugged each other tight. Many people had tears in that Church that day but none as much at Catherine and JoAnn Walsh.

Shade’s Tale (March 20, 2013 12:01am)

Shade gasped for air, his lungs hurt and the air foreign to him. The breaths were coming in sharp and quick and a panic started to build in him until he heard the soft ‘shhhhh’ in a woman’s voice. A gentle hand stroked the side of his face and hair as Shade’s eyes started to focus and see what was around him. He was lying on a bed, in a room he’d never seen before. He tried to remember how he got here but couldn’t, he couldn’t even remember what he was doing last night, or last week. Shade couldn’t even remember who he was and fear started to take over, tightening in his chest.

He tried to move but found his body didn’t want to respond, he tried to talk but not much came out but a raspy moan. Shade’s breathing became quick until he saw her face, the face of a Goddess. Blond wavy hair surrounded the most beautiful face he’d ever seen and he couldn’t help but feel a deep love for the woman, it calmed him. “Be still my Shade, you’re still recovering from the trip from the Underworld. It’s been five years since you walked this Earth, your mind, spirit and body are adjusting, give it time, rest.” The words were muffled and he could barely understand them. She leaned down and kissed Shade on the forehead. A warmth spread through his body and he closed his eyes, falling into a sleep.

The next month wasn’t easy for Shade. He had to learn how to walk, talk, eat, hear, breath and other basic motor functions all over again. The blond woman was always there at his side, helping him recovery. He couldn’t remember who he was or how he came here but the woman was a comfort. She constantly called him ‘my Shade’. He didn’t know her name but he knew he loved her and trusted her.

When the first month went by and Shade was finally able to manage the basics of taking care of oneself, things were explained to him. “My name is Persephone, and yes, that Persephone, the wife of Hades. I watched your soul for five years in the Underworld, you interested me. It’s been several hundred years since I had someone on this Earth to assist me, since I live in Hades for half of the year and on Mount Olympus the other half of the year. I’ve already been absent for a month from Olympus and I must return tonight. Which is why I must explain to you what’s happened quickly.

You’ve been deceased for five years, unfortunately in bringing you back to the land of the living your memories were lost. Maybe in time they will return but I cannot be certain. It might be best if they never return since you are no longer that person, you are now my Shade. I chose to bring you back to this land so that you can assist me when I need it. When I’m not around you are free to do as you will. I choose you my Shade because I found you to be a good person, and for that reason I chose to let you retain your free will. That means that anything I ask of you, you can refuse but I may not be happy if you refuse. Sometimes morality can escape us Gods.”

Shade chose to chime in at this point, his voice was still hoarse but at least he was able to talk. “I’d rather die again then do anything immoral or wrong for you.” He glared at her, he didn’t know where these feelings of anger at the suggestion he’d have to do something he didn’t feel was right were coming from but they were very strong. In response, Persephone just laughed.

“My Shade, you see that is exactly why I chose you. As I was saying, morality can sometimes escape us Gods. You are not just someone to do my bidding, you are also free to choose. I selected you because I knew, by watching your soul, that you would say no if what I asked was too immoral. Now I have three very important things to tell you before I go away for a short while, I promise I’ll be back.” Persephone assured him once she saw the look on Shade’s face, a fear of being left alone in this state.

“First, this apartment was purchased by me, it is now your home. There is a bank account in your name that will received a monthly stipend from me so that you may life comfortably. All that information is on the table over there. Second, your body is your original body though altered due to the magics it took to bring you back and the travel back to this world. You are my Shade for a reason. You can fade out like a ghost, walk through walls. Your body is better than it was before as well. When I return I will work with you on how to control your new abilities. Third and last, this is the most important. One the first of every month, such as today, you must drink the water and eat the side in one of these vials.”

Persephone displayed an elaborately elegant chest, decorated with gilded plantlife over the sides and top. She undid the latch and nestled inside were twelve vials, each in their own space. The water was cloudy and he could see the red pomegranate seed at the bottom. “It won’t be pleasant my Shade but it will keep you alive, it will keep you sane and it will keep you whole. Now drink.” Shade took the vial from Persephone and drank the contents in one gulp. Instantly he felt like his stomach was being twisted and stabbed with ice daggers. The sensation quickly spread throughout his torso, limbs and head. Persephone grabbed him and clasped her hand over his mouth so that he wouldn’t scream, alerting the neighbors. “I’m sorry my Shade, but it’s necessary. The sensation will pass and you will feel fine. Stay strong my Shade, stay strong.” Her words helped and even though it felt like agony for a long time the pain eventually subsided and Shade felt better than he did before he drank the water.

“I must leave you now my Shade, practise being among the living again, go out for a meal, walk the streets, smell the flowers. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Persephone gave him a kiss on the cheek before she left Shade alone in his apartment.

Over the next few months, Persephone visited Shade regularly. He was getting stronger and more independant. She taught him how to use his powers and warned him of his vulnerability to fire, that it was the one thing that could permanently kill him. The two even took walks around Central Park together, enjoying the beauty of nature. Every day they spent together he fell more and more in love with the Goddess. If it was because he was bonded to her, he never knew but Shade never questioned it.

On Saturday, September 21 of 2013, Persephone came to Shade’s apartment. She looked sad and after Shade asked her what was wrong, she answered. “My Shade, you are well enough so that I can leave you. Tomorrow is the first day of Autumn and I must go back to the underworld to be with my husband Hades. Before I depart, I have a gift to you.” She handed him a wooden case with silver wheat inlaid on the top. Once Shade opened it up he saw a 9mm pistol - a Glock 19. There was something familiar about the weapon and upon picking it up it felt comfortable in his hand, like an extension of himself. He knew how to use it, how to clean it, all the safety procedures but Shade couldn’t remember learning them.

“This is something from your past life, I cannot tell you more than that, I’m sorry, but I know you will use it well. I enchanted it so it will never run out of bullets and when it does fire they will be magically enchanted. I know you will use it for good my Shade. I do not want to leave you but I know I must.” Persephone gave him a gentle kiss on his lips before she departed. “Remember to drink one vial at the beginning of each month, you have six extra incase you get hurt beyond healing, I will see you again on the first of spring my Shade.”

For the first week Shade didn’t leave the apartment, ordering food when he wanted to eat. It took him a while to get over the loneliness of not having Persephone around but he realized that he has to make it on his own again, knowing that until spring he will have no sign of Persephone. He knows he has to go out and meet people, make contacts and maybe friends. Find people besides the Goddess that he can trust.

Bond with Persephone

Shade is connected to Persephone, she brought him back to life and he is hers. He feels an unconditional love for her, due to the magics used to bring him back to life. She is the reason he’s allowed to walk among the living again, keep his own consciousness and why he’s not a rotting corpse since his body is the same body. Persephone’s allowed him to keep his free will due to choosing his soul amongst the millions of others because she could sense that he was a ‘good person’. She knows that Shade has a strong sense of right and wrong, that he has this desire in him to assist those in need and a strong sense of Justice. Persephone allows him free will just in case she goes too far and asks him to do something morally wrong, it’s almost like a safeguard. This also may be because she feels an attraction to Shade in return, but with Goddesses one can never be sure.

With this bond Shade bears the mark of Persephone. Circling his wrist are several strands of grain, almost like a tattoo, but the mark changes as the seasons change.

Powers

Phasing – Shade can make himself intangible at will. He can pass through solid objects, walk on air and even make other people and objects intangible as well. He can stay intangible for a total of twenty minutes at a time, since he doesn’t need to breath while intangible. Once he goes from being intangible to tangible he only needs to wait a few minutes before he can phase again. Shade cannot touch anyone/anything while phased. If he phases someone/something/himself back to being tangible while merged a solid object they/it/him they will merge with the solid object. It would be painful and potentially deadly for most people.
If Shade phases through electronics they will short out. It has to be something that he can phase through at least half of the electronic object before it will phase. The smaller the electronics (computers, cellphones, televisions) the more damage he does, causing it to become less repairable.
Shade can phase out others people or objects if he’s touching them or if they’re touching something he’s touching. (IE If Shade touches the floor, he can also phase all the objects touching the floor, like a chair or table, ect) He can phase up to 2000 cubic feet at the maximum, but that’s pushing it. (For reference it’s a bit larger than a 747 UPS cargo plane)