Darius hid behind the shelves and scanned the scene. No police in sight. He recently escaped arrest after he was caught in a robbery gone wrong. There were no casualties, just his stupidity of bringing a gun without bullets.
"Are you looking for something, mister?" A voice came from behind him.
"Holy shit balls! You startled me," Darius exclaimed. It's a child, probably lost since his parents aren't nearby. The store is big - which is the reason why he chose this place to hide in. This kid's parents might be nearby and he can't risk getting seen by them. It'd be best if he made the kid go away as fast as possible. "I think it's better if you go find your parents, kid. I think I can find what I'm looking for on my own."
"There are two things I hate, mister." With those simple words, the air surrounding them changed. Darius can't believe it. He's being suffocated by the words of a child. "Those that belittle me and those that lie. We know you're not here to buy, Darius."
"Wha- how did you know my name?"
"That is not important. What's important is I'm here to bestow you with a gift." The kid plucked something from the shelves. It's a finger, sort of. It's wrapped in bandages but underneath that, Darius could see rotting flesh and a sharp nail. And somehow, he could feel a strange warmth from it.
"A gift?"
"Give me your hand,"
Darius is reluctant to lay open his hand to a stranger, to a child no less. But the way he spoke carried authority. And it felt like he would anger the heavens and the earth if he failed to follow his instructions. Darius can't believe it. He's shit afraid of a child who is several times smaller than him. Wait… no. Despite the facade of a child, it feels like this being is far from one. This creature is something old, something evil. He opened his palm and gifted it to the child.
The child neared the rotting finger on top of Darius's index, and somehow, the finger disappeared into thin air. And yet, the warmth Darius felt earlier remained.
"I bestow you with a power no others shall have. The knowledge of its use will appear in your mind. In return, I will have your soul when you die." The child smiled, and in doing so, he briefly revealed the rows of teeth inside his mouth. Each tooth is sharpened to a peak. He had no tongue yet he spoke as if he had one silver tongue.
And with that, a throbbing headache came over Darius. The store disappeared into a swirl while new knowledge poured into his mind.
They call it by different names. The finger of Loki, the nail of disguises, Tenshin's technique of deceit, but Darius would simply call it the skinsuit nail. If he willed it, an enveloping warmth would surround the index of his right hand. If he poked a person or an animal with the aforementioned finger, their body would diminish into a pile of a latex-like suit. The hole can be stretched to a sufficient size fit for a living being to enter. Once entered, the wearer will assume the appearance of the suit. He will retain the suit's memories, mannerisms, and even dreams. And the power of the finger is retained even if Darius is wearing a suit. To return a suit to normal, simply leave a suit unworn for several minutes.
And the clarity of the finger's use disappeared, and so did the store before Darius's eyes. He was back outside, and it seems the siren of the police is closing in. There's a crowd of people up ahead, and his finger is itching to be used. Who did Darius turn into a suit?