"I like this city."

Zared looked from the rooftop of some typical business building, staring down at the people below with a misplaced grin. They were like ants. Closing one eye, he held out his hand and pretended to squish the ringleader of a group of monkeys--a teacher to a group of Elementary school kids out on one of ghost tours. He wondered what they would do if the teacher suddenly wasn't there anymore. He thought for a moment if he would be sad if the teacher would suddenly disappear and realized he wouldn't. If he wouldn't be sad over the teacher's disappearance, then why would any of the children? It was just a teacher after all. This person was restricting them. With the teacher gone, they could do as they pleased. They should want him gone! They'd be happy! They would praise Zared for getting rid of their teacher!

He started to stand, but before he could act on this, his eyes were distracted by a couple holding hands. He sat back down and stared at them instead with more interest. The group of monkeys were completely forgotten. He watched the couple as they sat down at a restaurant for a romantic evening dinner. He placed a hand on his chin and sighed with a smile on his face. Nice nice, gooey gooey,

"Nothing looks the same. There's so much to see once you really stop and look. Of course, nobody really does that, do they? Of course not. I wish they would..." he trailed off for a moment before gasping. "I wonder if they're all blind! No wonder they all seem so lost. I would hate to be blind." He calmed down immediately and went back to his position of watching the couple. "The city is a strange place." He turned his head to a figure sitting silently next to him. "Don't you agree?"

The porcelain puppet, in response, merely fell over. Zared stood and picked the puppet up, hugging in tightly to his chest. "I'm glad we could have this talk," he said, leaving the roof through the elevator. He ended up back out on the streets, holding his puppet out in front of him as he admired her. She was modeled after that last girl he fell in love with. She was a really nice girl. But she was a popular girl and her superficialness bothered him. The bright blond hair, the evenly tanned skin... Sigh, she was so wonderful~ Too bad she didn't feel the same. Too bad she had to throw that vase at him. Too bad, too bad.

He hadn't been paying any attention to where he was going and ended up running into someone. The doll dropped to the ground and hit the cement with a crash that made his stomach sink. His breath caught in his throat and he turned to the broken doll with tears streaming down his face. "Delilah!" The girl's name had been Debby, but he liked Delilah much better. Zared reached out to pick up the doll's broken pieces, but one piece cut his hand and he pulled it back suddenly, staring with wide-eyes at the blood that trickled down his palm. "Blood! I'm bleeding! I'm gonna die and bleed out and never see light again or Delilah or love or the monkeys or life. This isn't happening!" Freaking out, he turned to the one he'd run into and flung his arms around them. "I don't wanna die!"

The city was bustling. People were going along with their daily business with ignorance to the evil around them. Everyone was doing something - everyone except Stormy. She sat on the balcony railing of her apartment, gazing out over the streets and its residents. People sickened her. The smiles on their faces, the sparkle in their eye, it all sickened her. How could they live, so satisfied with themselves, not seeing the suffering around them. The suffering. Her suffering. Her deep blue gaze swept from face to face. What selfish people. What unfortunate, blind souls. Only she could make them open their eyes, see what they were missing. Then, yes, then she wouldn't ever have to suffer alone again.

A knock at the door. Someone was yelling. Not someone - the apartment complex owner, probably wanting his money.

"No need to yell," she said, standing. Hands in her pockets, Stormy crossed the room and opened the door to reveal a stout, ugly man. He spit as he talked and his breath was revolting. She watched him with pity.

When he finished with his rant, he grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her down the hallway and into his office. His face was red with anger. It was an ugly color on him, she noted. His hold on her wrist remained as he continued to bombard her with curses and swears. He only paused when she reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand.

"What a pitiful sight," she said quietly, cocking her head to the side. "You must suffer."


Stormy left the man's office with an unmoved frown upon her lips. She could still feel the electricity dancing along her skin. She could still hear his gurgles and whimpers as he crumpled to the floor, dead. And yet she was unfazed. He had suffered as she has suffered. That was all that mattered. The dark-haired teen strolled down the street, hands in pockets and cold blue gaze staring straight ahead. Around her, the optimistic atmosphere made her stomach squirm. They were blind. She would make them see--

It was then that someone crashed into her. If she hadn't had her guard up - it was always up, anyway - she might have fallen backwards. The person, who she noted was male, was taller than her. She was small. Most everyone was taller than her. Upon closer examination she found that he couldn't have been much older, or younger, than her. But the way he held himself was like that of a child. Stormy watched him closely. He was crying. It hit her hard, almost knocked her breathless despite that it wasn't a physical thing. He was suffering. Why? A sense of confusion swarmed her. The doll?

Yes, it was a doll. He was upset over the broken doll. What was this feeling? Stormy struggled to take in the emotion. Why did she... understand his pain? She was lost in her thoughts when the boy suddenly threw himself at her, arms trapping her. Again, this emotion. Unsure how to even respond, she just stood there, blue eyes blankly watching him. It took her a few moments to even remember that she had a voice. "It's a doll," she said bluntly. "You aren't going to die." At least... Not Yet...

Alice stepped out of the store, no, scratch that, she was tossed out of the store by the manager. "Next time!" He shouted, his fat face bright red and his second chin jiggled as he yelled at her, "Next time, don't let your child pee in my store!" Alice blinked a few times and stared at him blankly, "It's irresponsible and disgusting, do you know how many customers have left because you let him do his business all over the dairy section?" She tried to interject, but the man kept shouting at her, "If you ever let him do that again, I'll make you clean it up!" He paused to take a breath, and she took that as her chance to interject.
"Sir." Alice said, bending her knees slightly so that she could look him in the bloodshot eyes. "He wasn't my son." The man was about to say something, but she stopped him, "I have no idea who that kid was, he just started following me around the store. Do I honestly look old enough to have a child?"
He squinted as he looked at her and she put on her best innocent smile. "You never know, kids these days." As he spoke, the red faced fat man began pacing back and fourth in front of her. At one point, stepping on Alice's foot. She winced and almost fell over, as she held her breath to keep from screaming. How much does that guy weigh? She wondered, he hadn't seemed to notice that he had probably just shattered every bone in her foot (Okay, that's an exaggeration, it just really hurt). He turned to her and she stood up straight and put on her best smile, though it looked more like a grimace.
"I apologize. I'm going to go find the child and his mother, I'll give you a coupon for a free rotisserie chicken?" He said.
"No no no, that's all right I don't need any chicken." Alice replied, biting the inside of her cheek. He nodded and went back into the store.
Alice hopped over to her apartment where she lived and screamed into her pillow until her foot got a little better, and then walked into the kitchen and grabbed her cell phone which had been charging, and called her mom.
"Mom, do you know any remedies for an injured -possibly broken, she added in her mind- foot?"
"Just walk it off." Her mother replied.
"Okay, thanks." Alice muttered in a sarcastic tone before hanging up. 'Just walk it off.' That's what her father used to say all the time, after he died, her mother had started using the saying, too. It was something that in her father's own little world, could remedy anything from rashes to near decapitation. Sighing, Alice grabbed a small pocket watch and limped out of her apartment, deciding for once to actually try to walk it off, not like it would help or anything.

Erik Jackson

People have described Erik as many things. Cheerful, excited, immature, and childish being the top four. There was always a method to the boy's madness, however. Well, if you could call getting up at three in the morning to get ready a special birthday breakfast for his little sister, Alison, madness. See, unlike most siblings, who did their best to kill one another, Erik always got along with his brother (Alfred, ten) and sister (Alison, now eight). It might have something to do with the fact that Erik made it his personal goal to get along with everyone else, and that you had to actively try in order to dislike him, but Erik always got along with his siblings. Despite the few times they fought (the most notable being the time when Erik stole Alison's diary, when Alfred managed to convince his older brother that they could 'find out what Alison liked the most'), they always made up and got along. Eventually. Today was no exception.

"Ah! This is so cool!" Alison shouted as she walked down the stairs, after Alfred uncovered his sister's eyes. Being eight, it was hard to describe Alison as attractive, but she certainly was cute and on her way to adorable. She had long blond hair that most girls would have loved, which often fell into little ringlets at her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes (which, it seemed, the whole family had) sparkled from happiness and joy as she looked around the transformed living room and connected kitchen. Usually your typical family room, now it was various shades of red, white, and blue. Another thing that ran in the family, really. They all loved those three colors, and the country that was usually associated with them.

"Do you like it? It took us, like, ages to get it ready! I mean, you slept like a log through it all! It was super funny, though. Erik dropped a bunch of streamers and they rolled everywhere!" Alfred shouted, running forward and jumping on the couch. Erik laughed and nodded, slightly pink. Alison just laughed and chased her older brother, landing on his lap. The two let out matching 'oofs' and giggled, though Alfred would never have admitted it. Their parents watched from the kitchen, a gleam of pride in their father's eyes. It was clear, even if you were a total stranger, that this was the ideal family.

"What are we going to do today?" Alison asked. Erik swung himself over the back of the couch, landing neatly next to his two younger siblings. He pulled a small box out of seemingly nowhere, though he really had hidden it up his long-sleeved shirt the whole time. Alison's eyes went wide. "Is this for me?" She asked, as if mystified by the idea of a magical box appearing from nowhere. Erik nodded and handed it to her, gently. He didn't say anything, and the young girl tore it open with excitement. "Oh my... It's beautiful!" She cried out. The small necklace, perfectly made for a girl like her, looked like a small fairy hung from the end. It had bright green wings, like a dragonfly, and a beautiful green dress on. It gleamed and sparkled in the room's light.

"Thank you, I knew you'd like it," Erik said as his sister tackled him. They hugged, Erik being careful not to crush the small necklace in their embrace. They pulled away after a few moments, just enjoying the feelings of family and peace that hung around them. This is what I live for, Erik thought. What I fight evil for...

"How about some cake, you three?" Their mother called from the kitchen. She already had three slices cut, and Erik was about to reply, when his watch started to beep. Suddenly, he felt very, very small. He coughed nervously, shutting off the alarm quickly.

"Erm, sure! I have to go somewhere to, erm, study, but it can wait." Erik was a terrible liar, but his parents nodded sympathetically. He was fourteen, and they figured he just needed to grow up and get some breathing room. Alison and Alfred, however, were not as convinced.

"But I want you to be here with me!" Alison cried out. Erik stood, and suddenly his two arms were being pulled in opposite directions; both of his siblings were trying to pull him to the kitchen table, but in different directions. Erik bit his lip, not liking to disappoint his two siblings. He loved them, after all. More then anyone! Well, almost more then anyone. Erik instantly felt bad, thinking about Kira at a time like this. I'm supposed to be with family now, dang it! Why in the world did I tell him I'd meet him at the park this morning? At this rate, I'm going to be late!

"I guess it can wait. We'll have lots of fun today, ok?" Erik said cheerfully, pulling himself out of Alison and Alfred's grasps. Kira could wait a while. After all, it wasn't like they were going to meet soon or anything. Only in, well, ten minutes.

The Changling

It wasn't a cheap hotel room, noticed the blonde girl, "It's good to know that there are a few Congressmen that have SOME idea of Chivalry." She was sitting, topless, under cream colored silk sheets in the master bedroom of the presidential suite at one of the ritziest hotels in this city. Her hair was long and tousled and flowed over her chest like a shimmering river. Her body, in a word, was perfect. There were, literally, no imperfections, almost as if she were sculpted out of marble by the hands of God to let the world know that he was there. The bathroom was billowing with steam and the sound of running water.
"I wish he would hurry up. I need a bath..." She looked down on her perfect form in disgust, "I'm begging to get bored of these curves." She considered what she would like to be next when the water shut off with a few short muffled screeches. A toweled form of a clean-shaven man with a strong jaw and perfect hair, even after being freshly showered stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame in an attempt to seem desirable.
"Hey, hot stuff." He flashed a fake, pearly-white smile. The girl noticed his teeth were slightly crooked. "You ready for round two?"
The girl snorted, "No, but I AM ready for you to pay me."
He scoffed, confused.
"Oh! It seems you didn't hear me," she said, getting out of bed and moving to dress herself. She moved with a grace that seemed inhuman. The movement seemed to put her on a level above the 6' tall man in the doorway. Even though her frame was a small 5'4" she seemed like she towered over him through the simple act of pulling her clothes on. "I said that you are going to pay me. Big time."
"But... Delilah, I thought we had something."
"We don't," she said, shaping her words into a knife, "But you do have two things: Money," She buttoned up her blouse in the mirror, not even dignifying the man with a glance, "and a career that I can crush with a word." The man visually crumpled in on himself, like the foundation that held him upright had just been taken away.
"I'm going to give you some choices," she continued, fully dressed and touching up her hair, "Either you pay me $1500 every month until the day you die, or $200,000 dollars now," she smacked her freshly made up lips at herself, "Or pictures and video of what happened tonight will show up on the evening news. The man was about to respond but the girl cut him off, "There is an envelope on the bedside stand to show I'm not lying. It also has a number to a bank account. Wire the money by this time tomorrow, or I will show the pictures. Do not try to contact me in the ways you have before, or I will show the pictures. Don't try to find me," she paused and smiled to herself, "You'll just be wasting your time."
At that, she stood and left, leaving the man to wallow in his own self pity.
She could care less. She had been a secretary in his office for three weeks and this had been the plan the entire time. She needed the money to fund several projects that were in the works, and now she might finally be able to make some progress, but first she had to get home and bathe.
She was never afraid to walk alone in these streets, especially with what she could do, besides, it wasn't that late. She passed a group of school children filing into a "haunted" museum, and a strange boy clinging to a stranger woman... She got a bad feeling about those two... Like they might be a threat. No. That's ridiculous. She shook those thoughts out of her head, causing her golden hair to bounce and a few heads to turn. Idiots. They're all useless people going about their pointless day. She had a purpose, though... She was going to be immortal.

When she finally got to her apartment in the "artsy" part of town, she felt dirty, but deeper than just the skin. She was dirty from the inside too... She needed a bath. She entered the door to her lavishly furnished apartment. Everything was organised and cleaned to an extreme level, just the way she liked it. She needed a bath... The bathroom looked normal, with black tile and a white silver-clawed bathtub. She stripped quickly, forgetting about grace and laid down in the tub, not bothering to turn on the water, and took the black-handled hunting knife she kept strapped to the side of the tub. The thing smiled up at her, tempting her with the possibilities. When she had a clear picture in her mind she dragged the thirsty blade across her wrist; once, twice, three times. The blood pumped out of her arm in a crimson waterfall. She rubbed it on her body, everywhere, urging the skin and muscle and bone and organs underneath to bend to her own design. Her skin drank in the blood and moved. She changed until, eventually, she disappeared completely. In her place was a boy. A thin, muscular, black haired boy with light green eyes. The blood was gone and the cuts were healed. He was perfect. He looked at his refection in the un-bloodied piece of the knife.
"My name is Toby." He smiled at himself with perfect, white teeth.

Erik Jackson

To say that the cake was good would be an understatement. Erik was quite sure that his mother's homemade cake, clearly painted at the star-spangled banner, was the most delicious thing he had ever had. It wasn't too heavy, nor was it too light. It was perfect, and Erik found himself enjoying it a lot more then he had originally thought. After all, he felt bad about ditching Kira for a few minutes, but surely it would be ok... It wasn't like he'd just leave if Erik was a few moments late, after all. Erik smiled as Alison, her new necklace dangling from her throat, asked their mother for another piece.

"Don't you think that's too much? After all, if we eat it all now we won't have any left over!" Alfred cried out, ignoring the fact that he was well through his third piece. Erik laughed as Alison pouted. Their mother, a charming woman who looked far too peaceful and calm to have three kids, quietly cut Alison a third slice. Erik was on his second, but he knew he'd have to go soon. He was down to five minutes, and while he could always run that wouldn't be very cool. After all, how unheroic would it be for him to show up late and/or panting? It sucked that the park was ten minutes away, but Erik had long since accepted the fact that he was going to be a little late.

"What are we going to do after?" Alison asked, through bites of her cake. Erik looked at his parents, knowing they had something planned. His father made a show out of thinking, tilting his head to one side and putting a finger on his chin as he looked at his wife. There was a gleam in their eyes that made Erik sure something was going on, though he had no idea what it was. He had only planned so much of Alison's party, after all. "Tell me, tell me!" Alison cried out, jumping up and down in her seat.

"Well, I was thinking we could go shopping today..." Erik's mother trailed off as Alison squealed in delight. The siblings rarely got out of the house (besides Erik, but most of the time he was on his hero duties, or seeing Kira) and every trip was an exciting adventure. After all, the world outside was dangerous, and it needed heroes like Erik to keep everyone safe.

"Erm, could I please be excused? I said I'd meet someone today..." Oh, it wasn't coming out right. While his parents let him leave the house every once in a while, they didn't know anything about his hero duties. He had long since decided that keeping them in the dark would be the best way to deal with things. He didn't need his parents to worry, after all, let alone Alfred and Alison. They'd probably want to join him, but they didn't have powers... And he couldn't put them in danger like that. It would be unheroic.

"Who?" His father asked. Oh no, this was what I was fearing... Erik couldn't exactly say 'a friend', because he didn't really have many. Being home schooled did that to you, after all. His mother then, suddenly, rested a hand on his father's arm. "Dear?" His father asked. Erik looked at them, puzzled. His mother whispered something and his father slowly nodded. "Ok, then, son. You're a big boy and we can trust you, after all."

"Do you want to bring some cake for your friend?" His mother asked. Erik was about to say no, he really needed to leave now, but thought about it. Kira would like it, right? Well, they didn't really talk about their personal lives, but everyone loved cake! Erik nodded and jumped out of his seat, ruffling Alfred's hair and kissing the top of Alison's head. His siblings both moaned about him leaving, but they'd get over it as soon as they were in the car to leave. "What part of the cake?" His mother asked, once they were in the kitchen. Erik thought as he looked over the cake, then pointed.

"That one, with the star," he said. His mother nodded and quickly cut it, putting it on a paper plate and covering it with some plastic wrap. "Thanks! I don't know when I'll be home, but I'll be back by dark, ok?" Erik said. He was about to leave when his mother stopped him by grabbing his arm. "Huh?" He asked, looking back at her, puzzled. She smiled sadly at him.

"I know what you do... And I could not be more proud of you. But please, stay safe. For me, for your father, your siblings." Erik swallowed and nodded, not able to summon up a smile. The best he could do was pretty pathetic, but at least it was something. "Be back by dark, ok?" His mother said. Erik nodded and ran off as soon as she let go. He loved his family, and they loved him... But really, how unheroic was it of him to be late to his own date?

(Roughly ten minutes later)

Erik swallowed as he ran over to Kira. Surely he was just seeing things. After all, it wasn't like Kira was cheating on him or anything... No, he was just being attacked by the girl! Nothing else, right? Erik slide to a stop a few feet from Kira, barely keeping his hold on the slice of cake. That ten minute run had taken a lot out of him, mainly since he was nearly run over by a car three times (not the same car, of course).

“You’re late,” Kira said, making Erik feel even worse. Erik saw he had flowers, which made him feel a little better. After all, you gave flowers to the person you liked, right? “What’s that?” Kira asked. Erik smiled and held out the piece of cake. It was a little squashed, and the frosting was a little smeared, but you could clearly tell what it was and it looked edible. Enough. Erik practically beamed at Kira.

"A piece of cake! I thought you'd like it," the teenager said. "I, um, didn't mean to be late. I got caught up doing heroic things. Yeah, that's it!" Erik said, thinking it sounded cool enough. After all, he couldn't tell Kira that he was at his sister's birthday party. What if Kira thought it was stupid of him, immature? Erik spent most of his time trying to convince the others he was old enough for this hero thing; he didn't need to do anything that would set that back. "So... Um... Who was the girl?" Erik asked, visibly loosing a little bit of his smile.

Indigo laid across her large bed staring up at the ceiling, her feet were dangling off the side and she was kicking them playfully. She didn’t have anything to do, she was just bored. That was when she heard a knock at the door, it open and her mother, a beautiful slender woman with black hair that was soft and gave off a slight shine in the well lit room. Her mother looked at her and said “ your father and I have a show tonight, you want to come or are you going out?” Indigo looked over at her outfit that was hanging up in her open closet. Her parents both knew about her ‘job” as she called it, she slid out of the bed and when her feet graced the floor she did a spin like a dancer and when she stopped she was facing her mother. She smiled and said “I think I want to go out tonight.”

Her mother nodded and said “well have fun, oh and don’t hurt anybody.” Indigo smiled and walked over to her closet, she pulled her outfit off the rack and looked at it. It was beautiful, her mother had made it for her when she was a part of the act her parents used to do. She tossed the suit on her bed and then walked over to her desk. Her makeup was laid all across the desk. She looked at the mirror that was handing on the wall above the desk. She began applying the makeup turning her face a pale white, she then applied the mascara and then finally the black paint. She liked to use black paint because then she could tell her parents she was putting on her war paint. It was always hard for her to paint herself, but when she was done she looked at herself. The pale white that covered her face and the black lines and diamonds on her forehead, it was beautiful a work of art.

As she slipped into her suit, the top that only covered her chest and the pants that were loose on her legs but tight on her waist. She then slipped on her white gloves and then turned to look at a stuffed penguin, which was dressed up like an admiral, that was sitting in a rocking chair on the wall and said “what do you think admiral pengy.” The penguin was motionless and then after Indigo snapped her fingers it began to move. It looked at her and said “you look great.” It hopped out of the rocking chair and began walking around. Indigo couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of the penguin pacing around. She then put on her usual serious face and then pulled out her mask from one of the drawers in the desk. She put it on and she now assumed the persona of The Jester. She nodded at admiral pengy, who just waved as she jumped out of her bed room window. She was on the second floor and to break her fall she created a trampoline. She bounced on it a few times and then when the young neighbor boy who was only seven walked by and looked at her. She waved and he waved back and she then disappeared in a puff of smoke, she was now on the roof, she began jumping from roof to roof. She loved the feeling of the wind in her hair as she sailed through the air with each jump.

She then stopped when she reached the end of the block, she jumped off the last roof and landed on the sidewalk. She watched as cars zoomed past her, she then saw the café she always liked to go to, not caring that she was wearing her outfit she walked over to the café and ordered a coffee. People looked at her weird, she stared back and said “what can’t a person order a coffee without being looked at?” they all chuckled, some scoffed. She knew she wouldn’t be taken serious when she was wear a mask of a laughing jester. She was then handed the coffee she ordered and walked out. She walked down the sidewalk sipping on the hot coffee. That was when she saw a man holding a knife to a young woman, they were in a spot that wasn’t very well lit so most people wouldn’t notice. He was shouting at her, Indigo walked over to the man and said “you know its not nice to point knives at people, someone could get hurt.” He turned around and took a swipe at her with his knife, she moved back a step and the knife just grazed the nose of the mask. She sighed and said “ see that’s why knives are bad, they aren’t very effective if you can’t use them, you should really use a gun.” She snapped her fingers and a gun appeared in her hand. She pointed it at the man and said “bang” the man jumped back and water squirted him in the face. He wiped the water off his face and said “get out of her you freak, I don’t want to hurt you.” She then looked around, then pointed at herself and said “your talking about me?” as if she didn’t know he was talking to her. He man lunged at her with the knife. Indigo snapped her finger and the man’s hand popped off, Indigo shook her head and said “see I told you someone could get hurt, look at that you cut your hand off.” The man looked at his hand there was no blood, just an empty space where his hand was. Indigo picked up the man’s hand and slapped him with it, she then said “now get out of here.” the man ran away quickly gripping his handless arm with his other hand.

She looked at the man’s hand and said “what are you still doing here, get going.” The hand fell to the ground and began using its fingers like feet and ran after the man. Indigo looked at the woman and said “are you ok?” she nodded and then said “ good, well you be safe.” She then reached behind the woman’s ear and pulled out a single red rose and handed it to her. After that she disappeared in a puff of smoke and appeared on the roof of the café. She dangled her feet over the side as she looked out on the world she lived in. She snapped her fingers and admiral pengy appeared in her lap, she hugged the animated stuffed penguin and said “well admiral pengey, how about we get something to eat.” He looked up at her and said “I’m in the mood for Italian.”

Ethan Black

Slowly Ethan shifted, so that all of his weight was in one leg. The other seemed to drift up of its own accord, moving in unison with his arms and settling down to set up a base for his next movement. Slow and steady, graceful and connected, everything in its place and nothing out of place. That is what his teacher would say. He could hear the man's voice in his head now, though he was not practicing in his teacher's basement today. His teacher was busy; he had told Ethan to find another place to practice.
Ethan had found an abandoned alley. Not the sort of place most people would think of as a good site for practicing Tai-Chi, but it worked out for him.

Breathing slowly, Ethan raised his now-freed leg off of the ground, letting his arms drift up with it, forming the position of a crane. He held still for a moment, eyes fixed on the wall directly ahead of him, thinking of nothing but himself, feeling nothing but himself.
And then he let it all out; the focused force of his Chi. Before, it would not have done much. He was not a Tai-Chi Master. He should not have been able to do the things he did.
But in the last few days, things had changed.

With a resounding crack, a dent appeared in the brick wall before him, several inches deep. He thought he heard screaming within the building. He flinched slightly. It wasn't his wish to cause destruction; he just wanted to be able to practice. But it didn't look like that was possible anymore.
He let his Chi scatter to the winds; not an entirely healthy thing to do; and took off out of the alley before anyone could spot him.

Ethan ran for a while, anxious that someone might have followed him. But that was ridiculous. To this day he had not met anyone on the streets who was faster than he was. Even if thy had seen him, they would not have been able to catch up with him. He slowed down a block or so away from the building with the dented wall, stopping to gather himself and re-form his Chi within himself. He leaned against a wall, shaky after the explosion of energy. That was the problem with being able to throw his Chi around like that... without becoming a Master, he did not know how to contain the output. It drained him to do it. His head was spinning, his legs felt like they were going to give out. He knew he was attracting attention, but he couldn't quite bring himself to move. Not yet.

He let a few minutes pass, keeping his eyes down so he would not have to see the odd looks that people gave him. He hoped no one would stop or try to talk to him. He didn't need any help; not that anyone could give. He just prayed that no one in the city would, on this day, take it into their hearts to try to help him. This was all too strange for Ethan... he didn't want anyone else walking in on it.

Alice's foot had, surprisingly started to feel a whole lot better, and she could walk normal, now. While she was out, she had decided to stop by one of her favorite hang out spots and grab a veggie burger since she hadn't had lunch, yet. She began getting the slightest bit fidgety, so she took the watch out of her pocket and cupped her hands around it, concentrating on the watch. In her minds eye, she could see all the little gears and parts inside the watch, she willed them to come apart and separate, and they did. She could feel the tiny parts of the watch floating around in her hand freely. Alice probably should have been paying more attention to everything else, because she ended up tripping over her foot and falling on her face.

"That was graceful." She muttered, pulling herself off of the sidewalk and standing up, she looked around and while no one was watching, she held her hand out above the sidewalk. All the little pieces of the watch that had scattered when she fell reassembled itself, then floated up into her hand. Alice stuffed the pocket watch back into her pocket and examined herself.

"Nothing broken... accept, uh oh." She pulled her demolished cellphone out of her front pocket and eyed it closely. Wouldn't be too hard to fix. She thought, backing into the shadows of a building. Since she wasn't in her uniform, Alice wasn't going to use her powers in the open. When she was out of the way, she held out her hand with the crushed cellphone in it and held her other hand over it. In a matter of seconds, the phone had fixed itself and looked normal again.

She looked around to make sure no one had seen anything, then slipped the phone into her back pocket and started walking again, only to run headlong into a boy looking faint and leaning up against the wall. "I'm so sorry!" Alice apologized, she tucked a strand of her purple streaked hair behind her ear and looked at him. He didn't look well, not at all. "Are you okay?" She asked, tilting her head to the side a bit, "you look sick." She couldn't help but hope that he hadn't seen anything, but judging by where he was standing, it would be hard not to. She shook that off and went back to his health, something didn't seem right, "is there anything I can help you with? And don't tell me to leave, because I won't do that, but anything else, I'd be glad to do." She said, in a stern yet sympathetic voice.

"It's a doll," Zared's head shot up to meet the face of the woman he'd latched on to. He pulled a face, narrowing his eyes at her. A doll? A doll? What did she know? "You aren't going to die." Die. Die, die, die. Of course he wasn't going to die. He slowly pulled away from the woman with his heart pounding in his ears. If she said anything more after that, he hadn't heard her, and instead stared numbly down at his hands. There was a smearing of blood across his hand and he squinted, studying it closer. It was pooling out a cut in his hand, but the cut really wasn't all that deep. He certainly wasn't going to die from it.

Zared's head cleared and he frowned, glaring at the girl as he held his bloody hand up in front of her face. "It's not my blood," he said to her in an informative tone. He used his other hand to point to the pile of porcelain and blond locks on the ground behind him. "It's hers." Sighing heavily, he walked back and stepped over the fragile pieces of the doll that used to symbolize his love and stomped down, laughing childishly as he jumped up and down on the pieces, turning them into billions of shards that could never be recovered. "She's gone. Who cares?" He hummed to himself and looked back to the girl, blinking at her as if he'd forgetting she was standing there.

Reaching out, Zared grabbed the girl's wrist and snickered, putting a finger to his lips as if to shush her. "We can't let her know," he said, turning on heel and dragging the random girl along after him with more force than he might look like he'd have. He turned a corner and stopped, cocking his head but tightening his grip around the girl's wrist. Sirens were blaring and the lights of red and blue were twirling round and round the area, illuminating the theater's old brick walls. The wooden doors were wide open and Zared watched as a group of cops came out with faces as white as ghosts. They looked like they'd seen something that just might traumatize them for the rest of their lives. He wondered if they would they would quit their jobs; but even more, he wondered what it was that they saw. "It must be scary," he mumbled to himself, grinning ear-to-ear. He loved being scared! It was probably a theater of ghosts! Or a scene from a horror movie! He wanted to see! He wanted his new friend to see. But those rude cops would punish him if he tried.

"Who cares?" he said aloud, once again to himself. He grabbed the girl's hand and yanked her forcibly along after him to a door on the side of the building that he knew would lead to the backstage area. Luckily for him, it was wide open and he happily strolled inside without the care nor worry of the cops watching him. They weren't, however, as they were more concerned with how they should go about the situation inside. When inside the dark building, Zared let go of the girl's hand and ran forward past the curtain. He stopped the second he stood on the center stage, however, gasping with awe at all he saw. Bodies were splattered across the seats and on the ground. He bounced from foot to foot, getting a tickling sensation in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't tell if it was from excitement or the nervousness he couldn't understand. "There's so many people!" he said, peering out over the crowd. "I wonder what they came to see." Of course, he had no thought in mind about who might of done this. He went back and pulled the girl along with him, pushing her forward into the spotlight. "Us! They could of been waiting for us! Right?" He frowned and shook his head. "No. But they're not as great as ghosts," he said glumly.

He was a curious guy, but Stormy had already lost her interest in him. He was like an overgrown child with a love for inanimate objects. He was upset about a doll. A doll. A. Doll. "What a freak," she murmured. Her voice was loud enough for him to hear, but he didn't even seem to recognize that she'd spoken. He was bleeding from his palm and she couldn't help but wonder if when he'd thrown his arms around her if he'd smeared it on her back. She twisted slightly and glanced at the back of her jacket: it was clean. Wonderful.

The dark-haired teen turned back to face the boy only to have his bloody hand shoved in her face. She neared fell backwards, momentarily losing her patience. But she paused before she could cause a commotion - he was jumping on his doll. His treasured doll. Hadn't he just been crying over its shattered form? Confusion wasn't the correct word to use. She was beyond confused at his behavior. Whatever. It didn't matter. He didn't matter.

A frown lining her lips, Stormy made to leave, but was stopped as he grabbed her by the wrist. She whirled back around, about to snap at him; the finger at his lips stopped her. "We can't let her know," he said with a snicker. And suddenly he was pulling her down the street, his grip stronger than she would have expected. The frown on her lips deepened. 'What the hell is wrong with this guy?' She nearly ran right into him as he halted after turning the corner. His grip was hurting her, but even before she could move to pry off his fingers, he was pressing onwards again. He dragged her into a theater, dark and foreboding.

She hadn't expected to see what she saw out in the audience. Bodies, blood, innards; everything was gruesome. Yet not surprisingly, the scene didn't bother her. Stormy gazed upon it with cold, emotionless eyes. They suffered. That was all that mattered. Perhaps the more interesting thing was the boy, who'd released her and was running around, hopping between feet, excited like a kid in a candy store. When he returned back in her direction she had the immediate urge to run off, sick of his games, but her body remained frozen to the spot. He pulled her into the spotlight - center stage. She put up a hand to block the light from her eyes.

"What the hell is with this light?" she murmured. Not bothering to think of the boy with her, Stormy pointed her index finger up towards the spotlight. A bolt of pure electricity shot forth and caused the light to explode, sending sparks across the stage and audience. The theater was now dimly lit by the windows and open doorway - otherwise, it was exceptionally dark.

She paused. She had to know why he wasn't bothered by this. It was an unbelievable urge for knowledge, one that she'd never experienced before. The girl looked over her shoulder at him, bright blue eyes flashing. "What's your name?" she asked, tilting her head.

Erik Jackson

“She’s my cousin, her boyfriend just broke up with her and she’s a little upset at the moment,” Kira said, frowning. Oh, ok. That made sense, even if Erik didn't know Kira knew his family. Erik felt a little nervous as Kira looked over him. He knew fairly well that he looked absolutely bizarre in his hero outfit, but since when did heroes have normal uniforms? Besides, it just worked, considering that Erik was all about different colors. His mask, too, was probably a little bit of overkill, considering Kira knew who he was (which Erik, admittedly, was a little uncomfortable about). Still, what kind of hero would he be if he didn't wear his mask? “Perhaps we should go and continue our meeting elsewhere.” Erik opened his mouth to agree when Kira grabbed his hand and led them forward, Erik resisting partly until he relaxed. He was always a little nervous, being led around randomly, even if he completely trusted Kira.

Kira led them to one of the supposedly haunted parts of the park, ever since a family was murdered a few years ago. Erik frowned, not liking the place just in general. It was away from everyone else, of course, but still. It made a shudder go up Erik's spine. He opened his mouth, again, to say something when Kira quickly kissed him, pulling away after a second or two passed. Erik bit his lip, fingering his lips as they tingled. Or maybe it was just him. Either way, it wasn't his first kiss with Kira, but they didn't exactly kiss often. Erik knew that it made Kira uncomfortable, though Erik didn't understand it. It just scared him, actually. After all, in all the movies and romantic books he knew about, the people in love kissed all the time. Did that mean Kira didn't like him? “Neon?” Kira suddenly asked, using his hero name. “You’d do anything for me right?” Erik was about to go on a long speech about how he was a hero, and heroes did anything and everything for the person they loved, when the trees next to the two started to rustle.

Erik backed up a little, thinking it was maybe the thing that killed the family all those years ago, when a dog leapt out of the bushes and barked at Kira, like it was trying to get someone's attention. Kira growled under his breath and kicked it, and Erik bit his lip to stop from saying anything. He liked animals, especially dogs. They were friendly. So why did Kira not like them? Erik let out a gasp as Kira opened his jacket, pulling out a bloody knife. Oh, I don't want to watch... He thought. Then, why is there blood on it? Erik wasn't a fool, after all. He knew that Kira did bad things. At the same time, Erik didn't like it. He always was trying to get Kira to see that being good was a lot more fun then being bad.

"Sorry Neon, animals annoy me." Kira said, putting his knife away. He frowned and kicked a stone over Erik's shoes. Erik looked at the dog, which was slowly getting to its feet. Well, I guess Kira doesn't like animals... But I don't want to hurt it too badly. Erik bit his lip and held a hand out, palm forward. He concentrated and a small beam of sky-blue light shot out of his palm, hitting the dog in the nose. It yelped and ran away, deciding that it had better things to do then be beaten up by two strangers. Erik gave a hesitant smile to Kira. He had always been told not to hurt animals, but he wanted to show Kira that he could be mature. That he'd do anything for him...

"It's gone now, see? I'm a hero and heroes don't let the person they love be annoyed!" Erik said cheerfully, his usual smile returning on his face. After all, it was rarely gone for long. Erik without a smile was almost unheard of. Even when he was fighting a group of bad guys, he still smiled. Usually, at least. After all, what wasn't to be happy about, putting the bad guys in prison? "I... I was thinking we could go somewhere together!" Erik said. He bounced on his feet. The idea sounded a lot better in his head, now that he thought about it. "I mean, we don't usually do couple-y things together... But if I didn't wear my mask, and you promise not to pull out any of your knives, then we could go to a restaurant or something!" Erik had been saving up his money, after all, but didn't know about one little problem.

Usually, when eighteen year olds brought fourteen year olds to eat out somewhere, they were either related or the older kid was arrested for being some kind of pedophile. It was one of those facts of life that Erik didn't know, being home schooled and supposedly away from all of those problems.

Erik Jackson

Kira was frowning, which usually meant something bad. Erik bit his lip nervously. It really was true, though. They hardly ever acted like a couple, mostly just spending time together in pretty hidden away places, occasionally going on walks together. They rarely kissed or did anything even vaguely romantic, which kind of worried Erik. After all, couples were supposed to do all kinds of things together, like eat meals or watch movies. And while Erik was pretty sure that Kira was not going to go see a movie with him, he didn't mind asking about getting a meal or two together. It didn't even have to be one of those romantic ones, just a small one nearby would be nice enough.

“You really don’t mind about showing our relationship off in public?” Erik opened his mouth, wondering if he was actually supposed to reply, when Kira continued. “Okay then.” Kira smiled now, making Erik feel better. Kira walked over to him and bent down so their eyes were on an even level. Erik mentally wondered if there was something on his face. Slowly, Kira reached behind his head and untied the ribbon on his mask, slipping it off as Kira continued to look at Erik's eyes. “You have beautiful eyes,” Kira said softly, watching his reflection in Erik's eyes. Erik swallowed, not blinking. “I never noticed with that mask on, you should show them off more often.” Kira let the mask drop to the ground and wrapped his arms around Erik's neck, pulling them into a kiss.

Erik wasn't sure how long the kiss lasted, but he was pretty sure it was forever. It felt amazing, the soft feel of Kira's lips on his own, their bodies practically touching. Erik could have sworn that he felt Kira's heart pumping with his, the two beats in perfect harmony. It was the longest kiss the two ever had, and while it was pretty caste compared to some kisses (not like Erik really knew about French kissing, since his parents controlled what he watched pretty well), it was still everything to the fourteen year-old. This, he thought, is heaven. Eventually Kira pulled away, and Erik physically stepped closer to him, turning a faint red from embarrassment. “That was your reward,” Kira said, though Erik wasn't really thinking about what he was saying. “Shall we go then?” Kira grabbed Erik's hand and pulled him forward, so the two were walking along side each other, holding hands.

They quickly came out onto the streets, and Kira stared at Erik for a moment before letting go of his hand and looking around for somewhere to eat. Kira must have found one, because he stepped forward and motioned for Erik to follow. A little confused on why he didn't want to hold hands, Erik quickly followed.

They walked into a somewhat average restaurant, the kind that was somewhat cheap but still nice, though Erik didn't really mind. Kira held the door open and Erik walked in, followed by the blond. Almost immediately they were greeted by a waiter. “Table for two?” The man asked. Kira nodded and they were led to a table by the window. Erik sat down quickly and excitedly, not noticing that Kira glanced around the room suspiciously before sitting. Erik did hear Kira sigh under his breath, though Erik didn't want to ask why and ruin the mood. After all, he was trying to prove to everyone he could read the atmosphere! Even if he wasn't totally sure what they meant by that, but whatever. “What are you having to drink? I’ll go up and order them.” Kira asked. Erik looked over at the bar and shrugged.

"Um, a coke please? And I can pay, too, 'cause I'm a hero!" Erik said the last part a little loudly, and a few people nearby turned to stare at him. Seeing his strange clothes they shook their heads and muttered something about Kira being a bad older brother. Erik was about to say how he was actually dating Kira, when he looked at Kira. The supposed bad guy looked somewhat nervous, and Erik figured he had to do his duty as a hero and make sure he was all right first and foremost. "I'm glad we came here. It's nice to, y'know, be together," he said somewhat nervously. After all, what were you supposed to do when you went on a date with someone? Erik had never watched a movie where two guys went on a date! It had to be different then when a girl and a guy went, right?

"... I, um, know you don't like to talk about it... But have you thought over what I told you?" Erik knew this was a touchy subject, Kira being technically evil and all. Erik had, when he first admitted his feelings, offered Kira a deal. If Kira promised to swear off all his illegal activities, Erik would do anything and everything in his power to keep Kira out of jail and on the good guys' side. It wasn't something they really talked about often, but Erik figured that the restaurant was as good a place as any. It certainly meant there was a lower chance of Kira just walking out... Well, kind of. Not by much, certainly.

Erik Jackson

Erik bit his lip as Kira finished his drink, leaning forward and locking his hands together. This was probably a bad idea to bring up. I should probably think more, like everyone is always telling me too, Erik thought. “I thought about it,” Kira said sharply, getting quickly to the point. Is that a good or bad thing? Erik wasn't sure. After all, at least Kira wasn't dancing around it... Like usual. “I don’t understand why you try so hard.” Kira unlocked his hands and threw them into the air, like an exaggerated shrug. “What I do, you try and stop.” Kira was speaking kind of loudly, but most of the other patrons were just ignoring the two by now. Erik bit his lip, thinking this was not going to end well. “But despite that you still love me, why?!” Kira shouted the last part, the people around them turning to look and mumble amongst themselves. Obviously they weren't taking it too seriously, since most of them went back to eating or chattering soon after.

Erik felt very small, though. After all, he didn't like getting into fights with Kira. They usually ended with something bad happening, like the two not seeing each other for weeks on end. It wasn't exactly terrible, but it certainly wasn't any fun for Erik. And really, you'd think he'd know by now that bringing up Kira's various illegal actions usually ended up in a fight. But, despite all that, Erik still came back and asked Kira for forgiveness, like it had been his fault for the fight in the first place. It really wasn't, but Erik didn't care (and really, he didn't know who started the fights most of the time). As long as they could patch things up and start anew, then Erik was fine. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, really. Asking a villain, a bad guy, to accept him. But still, love was more important, right?

"Kira..." Erik trailed off, knowing that it was doubtful that anything Erik actually said would change what Kira did. The next day Kira would still be a villain, Erik would still be a hero, and the two would still be secretly seeing each other. "You just don't understand what you have... I can see the good in you, even if you don't believe you have any left. And even if it is all just an act, and you are much different, I know I'll be able to find that sliver of goodness in you." Erik swallowed and looked around, leaning back a little, head down. His face was a slight red-ish hue. "I love you, Kira. Despite and because of everything you are. I just wish you could see that, too."

The entire conversation made Erik a little uncomfortable, in all honesty. Because while Erik would, quite often, mention various traits he liked about Kira, Kira very rarely mentioned anything about him. The comment about Erik's eyes... It was rare for Erik to hear things like that. Erik was pretty sure he could count all the occasions on one hand, come to think of it.

"Are you okay? You look sick. Is there anything I can help you with? And don't tell me to leave, because I won't do that, but anything else, I'd be glad to do."

Ethan raised his eyes slowly to focus on the girl who stood before him. He got a brief impression of dark hair and a concerned face before he had to look down again, in order to keep his balance. He didn't have much of it left.

But more than that, he didn't want her to know that he had seen her playing with that phone. She was something like him; something with powers beyond what was natural. She could do things other humans couldn't, and though that really didn't scare him, the fact that he had seen her doing it, did. What if she wasn't a person like him, who had decided to fight against crime? What if he was a villain, like one from the stories?
He didn't want to risk having to fight someone with powers. He didn't have control over his own abilities yet.

"I'm fine," he forced the words through his lips, without raising his eyes to look at her. He could feel himself sliding down the wall; better to go straight down at a controlled pace than to simply keel over in front of the girl. "Just a little dizzy."

(Sorry for the short post... school's hell.)

Zared sighed to himself as he looked out over the people sitting in the theater. They were bodies that wouldn't smile or frown or feel ever again, but to him, they were all still very much alive. They were better this way, with their faces painted in that red stuff people called blood. It made his stomach churn and he wanted to go along the rows and ask every single one of them for their names. After all, it would be rude not to, wouldn't it? "My name is--"

"What the hell is with this light?" Zared frowned when his shout was cut-off by the girl behind him. He'd momentarily forgotten her. As he turned so he could ask her something, his eyes grew wide and he ducked as sparks flew down on them, making the already dimly lit theater even darker. He had to blink a few times to adjust to the new darkness, but it wasn't completely dark, so he was able to see well enough. He was staring at the ground, trying to process what exactly just happened. That was scary. He didn't like that. But it was...that was...

"That was amazing!" he said, obviously awed as he stared at the girl with stars in his eyes. Zared put his hand in the shape of a 'gun' and started aiming around the theater at random things, making 'pew pew' sounds to see if he could make that lightning shoot out of his hand as well. This proved useless after a few seconds, though, so he eventually gave it up with a frown. "I'm not amazing?" he asked himself sadly, looking down at his hands. He started to walk back to the center of the stage where the girl was.

"What's your name?" she asked him. He cocked his head as if he were confused by this question. She...didn't know his name? How could she not know his name? Everyone should know him! But then, he wondered, what name should he give her? Well, his mask wasn't on, so he was 'normal' today. He wasn't super. He wasn't amazing, either. He was average. He didn't like the sound of that; being an average monkey like one of those he'd seen outside disturbed him. He wanted to be different. He wanted to be known because the thought of being forgotten scared him.

Shaking his head, these thoughts instantly left his head as he looked up at the girl, giving her an award-winning smile. "I'm Zared, of course," he said, as if she should have already known this. "This place isn't fun anymore..." He ran a hand along the wall, feeling each crevice and hole, as he started his way out. Before he managed to actually step one foot out the door, however, he found himself stopping. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt like he was forgetting something. Was he being rude to those people who were looking forward to his act? But he had no act to perform and he suddenly wasn't in the mood to make something up. He wanted to do something else now and that was that. He always did what he wanted anyway. But that wasn't it. He was forgetting something else. He didn't know the girl's name. Had he forgotten it? Was he losing his memory? Was he going insane?! Freaking out, Zared spun on his heel to face the girl. "What's your name? What's your name?" Your name, your name, he repeated in his head, looking the girl up and down. He couldn't remember. If only he realized he'd never actually asked.

"That was amazing!"

Stormy jumped at his response. He was... impressed? She watched him in sheer amusement as he tried to mimic her ability. After what she'd seen so far, she was very sure that he was insane, whether he knew it or not. And it was strange. It was very strange. It was strange because she almost... sort of liked it. Something about not giving a care in the world, letting childish thoughts take over your mind. He wasn't afraid of blood, death, and seemed completely captivated on the now and not the future.

The sadness that radiated from him when he realized that he couldn't use lightning either made her stomach churn, adrenaline pump. That disappointment. It was beautiful. She blinked, trying to understand him. Even when she asked his name he looked confused. Should she have known him? It was absolutely intriguing. It felt stupid to be so interested in him after just meeting him, but in this world full of people who didn't understand, he was someone who appealed to her; how odd.

"I'm Zared, of course," he replied matter-of-factly.

And then he was heading out without another thought. She watched him, again amused. Suddenly he spun back around and faced her, eyes flashing in what appeared to be alarm. She was almost a little caught off guard when he asked her name. Should she be truthful? After seeing her ability, she didn't feel as though it would be safe. But what did she have to lose? Him. This one person. This different person. "I'm Stormy," she replied, bright blue eyes studying his face. Her next words felt foreign on her tongue. Foreign on so many different levels. But she said them anyway: "Would you like to be my friend?"

Erik Jackson

Erik could feel Kira's hot breath on his face, and they were so close their noses almost touched. Then Kira pulled back, leaning against his chair and smiling casually. Erik swallowed nervously. He had a bad feeling... “You’re amusing Erik,” Kira said, still smiling. Erik didn't look under the table (why would he?) or he would have seen the dagger. “Someone like me could never be good,” Kira muttered under his breath, though Erik barely heard he. For a split second, though, Erik saw the frown. It left, his face returning to the same smile. “So Naïve and stubborn,” Kira spoke, Erik shaking his head and opening his mouth to complain. I'm not I'm not naïve or anything, he wanted to say. “But that’s what I like about you.” Kira slowly stood, holding a knife in his hand. Erik stood up, eyes narrowing, confused.

"What are you doing?" He asked. “I’ll show you why someone like me cannot ever turn to good.” People were noticing the two, seeing the knife in Kira's hand. They tried to leave, not wanting to get into a fight, but Kira wasn't going to let them escape. He bolted towards the door and stood in front of it, obviously not going to let anyone through. "Stop it!" Erik shouted, stepping forward. Kira glanced over at him and another Erik appeared, grabbing the real Erik and holding him back. "Don't do this!" Erik shouted, struggling as his arms were pined behind him. The other Erik might as well have been a giant, though, strong enough to hold the real Erik back. Erik was forced to watch as Kira pulled out his second knife, dashing towards the nearest table, where a couple were sitting.

They were clearly enjoying each other's company, not having seen Kira... When the villain cut at their throats, killing both of them, leaving their bodies to bleed on the tiled floor. Screams filled the air- Erik wasn't sure if he was screaming or not- and everyone started running, trying to get out. The innocents just ran, not caring about anyone but themselves. As much as Erik wanted to deny it, he knew what was going on. Kira was killing all these people to prove to Erik that he wasn't going to change. Erik let out another scream (from fear or protest? He wasn't sure) as Kira picked up a smaller knife and threw it at the closest person. It hit a young blond girl in the back. She let out a yelp of pain and Erik found himself feeling sick as she fell over, only to be trampled to death in the chaos. Kira jumped up on the table behind him, pulling the knife from his teeth and pointing it towards the group. A copy was made of every member, holding the same knife as Kira, pointing their weapons at the group.

Kira sheathed both of his knives and left the copies to do their work. Erik found himself gagging from disgust when his eyes were covered by Kira's bloody hands. The copy of Erik left to join the killing, but Erik was in no condition to protest. He fell to the floor and threw up, his body shuddering and spasming from disgust and fear and hate and protest. All the emotions were being expressed in the only way he could do; physically growing sick. Once it was done, when the screams were replaced with the sound of blood slowly pooling on the floor, Kira uncovered Erik's eyes and bent over him, though Erik wouldn't meet his gaze. “You still believe that I am good? That there is hope for someone like me?” Kira smiled and forced Erik to look at him by yanking his shoulder. Erik knew he looked like a mess, and his beautiful blue eyes were wide in fear and pain.

“We need to go, police will be here soon no doubt.” Kira looked away towards the streets, but no one was coming. No one had been able to call for help, no heroes had come to save them. Erik had stood there, unable to do anything, completely useless. “You’re welcome to stay but I think you’ll have a hard time explaining to the police.” Kira turned on his heels and walked towards the doors, slowly, almost taunting Erik. Erik looked around the room, the pile of bodies unrecognizable. He thought he saw the head of one of the ladies who spoke earlier, and he saw a hand that could have belonged to the blond girl from earlier. Feeling sick, Erik threw up again, the vile substance burning his throat. He looked up at Kira, eyes burning with tears from pain and sorrow.

"W-Why?" He asked, his voice hoarse. Erik staggered to his feet, shakily walking forward and grabbing onto Kira's arm. "Why...?" He fell to the ground, his body refusing to work after seeing the chaos, his mind in shambles. His shoes were now soaked in blood, from having walked through the blood pool. Erik looked up at Kira with tear-filled eyes. "I love you... But you do this... Why?" At this point, it was hard to tell if he was asking Kira why he killed all those people, or if Erik was asking himself why he loved Kira. Erik wasn't sure.

"A little dizzy?" Alice asked, sarcasm lining her voice as she rolled her purple eyes at the boy. "Come on, I think there's a bench over there." She tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ear and looked around at what she could work with, she knew she couldn't carry him, and that he wouldn't be able to walk, so, she'd need to improvise. Her eyes landed on a wrecked pink moped on the sidewalk a few paces away and smiled. "Okay, I have an idea, I'll be right back, don't die and don't leave." She ordered before jogging over to the moped and wheeling it into an alley.
She put her hand on the headlight and concentrated. She heared the parts creak and bend until she opened her eyes and it was sitting there all fixed with the lights on and the motor running. She sat on the seat, and drove it over to the boy.
"Here, sit on this and I'll wheel you over." Alice instructed, pointing to the vehicle, "and don't worry, I'll return it."
She helped him onto it, and dragged it across the street to a bench outside of a book store. She helped him off and onto the bench, then sat down next to him.
"Do you want me to get you anything? Are you dehydrated? Do you need food? I think there's a resturaunt over there, I can buy you something. By the way, my name is Alice."