[color=f6989d][h1][center]Vicki Victory[/center][/h1][/color] Vicki jerked up in her bed, breathing heavily and covered in a layer of sweat, ready to fight. Her eyes darted about her room, trying to pinpoint an assailant against the brick walls. There was no one to be spotted though, just the ghost of her nightmare and her reflection in the large mirror opposite the foot of her bed. Vicki’s snowy hair was unnaturally well-done still, but her eyes were wide and shaking with fear. [color=f6989d][i]Just...it was just a dream.[/i][/color] From the single, large window to her right, ghastly blue-grey light shone into the room, casting a muted veil over everything. Vicki looked at the clock on the white nightstand sitting to the right of her bed: 5:03am. Almost an hour before she usually woke up. She inhaled the cold, early morning air and calmed herself, wiping the beads of sweat from her brow. Vicki disrobed the wine-colored sheets wrapped around her body and scooted to the edge of her queen-sized bed, resting her head on her hands. [color=f6989d][i]Might as well get started now.[/i][/color] Vicki slipped on a pair of light-grey sweatpants and a matching hoodie, all stained with sweat and the musk of perspiration. She quietly headed downstairs to the gym and started on the sandbag, her go-to choice of exercise. As she practiced her jabs and strikes, she pondered over the events of yesterday, and what they meant for her future. Sooner or later, Vicki would have to tell her father about her powers. Unless she could get a hold on her powers quickly, another incident was bound to happen, likely at someone else’s expense again. [i][color=f6989d]Hopefully not dad’s[/color][/i]. At this last thought, Vicki immediately stopped striking at the sandbag, afraid of punching a hole through its hard exterior, or breaking the chain it hung from. [color=f6989d][i]Maybe a jog will do alright today.[/i][/color] Vicki stepped outside the gym and was greeted with a wall of chilly, morning air. Shivering slightly, she pulled her hood up and started her jog. [color=f6989d][i]So...do I join Matt in his hunt for the Noxians, or do I go on with my life? I’ve got the rest of my life lined up in front of me, just the way I want. I can still go pro...and if I can learn to control this strength, maybe it could even help me out with that.[/i][/color] A sickening sensation formed in the back of her throat and traveled down to her gut. The familiar burgeoning of disgust and shame. [color=f6989d][i]I would never be satisfied with my wins. I’ll have won, knowing it wasn’t because I was better or faster or stronger. I’ll have won because I have super strength, because of an unfair advantage. Victory gained, humanity lost.[/i][/color] The shame she felt immediately subsided and made room for anger and frustration to flood into her being. It permeated her whole body, every muscle tensing up in response. Vicki began to grit her teeth and ran even harder. [color=f6989d][i]I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want this, and I still don’t want this.[/i] WHY DO I HAVE THIS?[/color] She let out a muffled grunt to vent her anger, but what she really wanted was to scream. She ran to one of her favorite spots to just sit and think: an old oak tree, nestled amongst a group of buildings. This early in the morning, no one else was around. Vicki sat underneath the shade of its arms and punched the dirt beneath her, sinking a deep hole into the earth. [color=f6989d][i]I don’t want any of this.[/i][/color] She leaned her back into a groove, tailor-made for strangers and visitors to rest their weary souls against. And she just sat there, wallowing in her situation. [hr] Vicki woke suddenly to a familiar vibrating on her right thigh. She hadn’t even noticed that she fell asleep. As she reached into her pocket, she noticed that she was surrounded by the cawing of a thousand crows. Vicki looked up into the countless branches of the oak and saw equally countless black birds. Against the colorless feathers, the speckled green leaves of the tree were almost invisible. There was more black than anything else on the great oak now. [color=f6989d][i]What the hell?[/i][/color] Vicki peered down at her phone’s lock screen and a small gush of excitement filled her. There was a text from Sam, the attractive purple-haired girl from yesterday. [color=a0410d][b]Hey! This is Sam. Just dropping a little hint. Anyone who's anyone with abilities goes to the Wi-Hi cafe on 7th. See you there?[/b][/color] Vicki stared at the message for a while, unsure of how to respond. The more she involved herself with other powered people, the more she was afraid of being dragged into Matt’s holy war against Noxus. [color=f6989d][i]Talking to someone else might help me figure this out…[/i][/color] [color=f6989d][b]Wouldn’t want to miss the party, I’ll meet you in a bit ;)[/b][/color] She left her crow-infested sanctuary, not noticing that a small group of the birds had gathered around a patch of dirt a few feet away. They were pecking at it, as if trying to get at something hidden underneath. [hr] Still wearing her workout clothes, Vicki walked into WiHi Cafe, another one of her favorite spots. [color=f6989d][i]Thank God it’s open now.[/i][/color] The first thing she noticed upon walking in was a purple-haired guy on his hands and knees...licking the floor. A pang of disgust rang in her skull, but Darkwell had its fair share of odd folk. Strewn about the cafe, Vicki noticed the blue-haired girl she now knew as Claire by the cash register, ordering something from a violet-eyed worker wearing a lion hat. Near the counter, Vicki spotted Sam facing away from Vicki, talking to a spectacled woman with her hair up. Vicki took a deep breath, put on one of her famous grins, and walked over. She put a hand on her shoulder blade to grab her attention, and let out a breathy, [color=f6989d]”Hey.”[/color] [@Kiroue] [hr] [color=a2d39c][h1][center]Raze Colter[/center][/h1][/color] Raze’s stomach grumbled. He’d completely forgotten to eat breakfast that morning. [color=a2d39c][i]I’ll just grab a coffee and get back to this.[/i][/color] Raze walked back into the city and took a bus to one of his favorite watering holes: WiHi Cafe. It was here that he first saw League of Legends, a game that he still enjoyed playing to this day. A game that seemed to literally be his life now. Also, they made a pretty smooth cup o’ joe. The first thing he saw was a purple-haired lad licking the floor. [color=a2d39c][i]Eugh. Unsanitary. Maybe I should offer my card.[/i][/color] Aside from that, Raze noticed a few familiar faces from the night before. He could see Sam ([color=a2d39c][i]Wearing actual clothes now, good for her.[/i][/color]), Claire ([color=a2d39c][i]Still haven’t actually spoken to her…[/i][/color]), and...Artemis ([color=a2d39c][i]Oh geez, this might be awkward.[/i][/color]). Raze shuffled through the cafe in his black sweatpants and hoodie, lazily waving hello at anyone he met eyes with, and got into line. Claire was in front of him, ordering from the cashier. As Raze was examining the cashier’s ridiculous lion hat, he realized something: he’d seen this cashier before. [color=a2d39c][i]Where...oh. Oh, seriously? He works here?[/i][/color] The boy’s skin was pallid and putrid yesterday, but Raze recognized him in his normal appearance. This was the one who chased him down. Every hair on Raze’s body stood on end. His mind fired into fight-or-flight mode, everything seeming to slow down around him. The edges of his vision began to blur as Raze focused his attention squarely on the violet-eyed boy. He clenched his fists tightly, and stood his ground behind Claire. [@DFA][@Eklispe][@Kiroue][@Cubix] [hr] [h1][color=f26522][center]Garrett Fishman[/center][/color][/h1] Garrett stood outside the hostel he spent the night in, watching the murder of crows fly by with his arms crossed. [color=f26522][i]Swain or Fiddlesticks. Or both.[/i][/color] He almost jumped up as his new phone finally buzzed to life. The number was blocked. Garrett carefully put the phone to his face, as if it might bite his skull off. [color=f26522]”So what're we doing.”[/color] [@Leolycan]