[quote=@TerribleName]
A gunshot rang out in the ghettos of Mercer City. It was the part of town where gangs reigned supreme and thugs prowled the street, where people could just barely scrape by and had little hope of escaping this life. Though, one woman had escaped this wretched place, utilizing raw willpower alone to climb the ranks of the underworld. And now she was a traveling mercenary, and a top-tier one, in fact. When a member of Congress or some Governor needed some dirty deeds done, they called Kaitlyn Watson. Of course, her services weren't done dirt cheap. Her ascension to an affluent woman served as a shining example of the power of man, but also its cold cruelty.

But it was good to return to your roots every now and again, or so thought Kaitlyn. She had put her life of crime briefly on hold after her latest job, determined to find out more about the craziness happening in her home town. Clearly, these loons had something to do with the strange white-and-purple woman that manifested from her shadows recently. And the dead man laying before her, and in his own back yard, was one of those loons. And to test her control over this "Shade," she had it shoot the crazy man in the head after he grew irritating.

Her right arm ached just a tad after it shot him, leading her to believe whatever damage done to the shade was done to her, as well. A light grimace crossed her face. That was no good; this thing was likely physically weaker than her. Hell, it was like a child! Who got hurt after shooting a revolver? Well, unless it was shot in an elevator. That was hell for the ears.
[color=ed1c24]
"At least I got a bit of a lead..."[/color] Kait murmured, looking at the notes she scribbled on her notepad. A shadowy figure appeared to this man in his dreams, telling him that his ascension was nigh, brought on by chaos. And the time this thing started appearing to him correlated suspiciously with that "darkness explosion" she had heard so much about recently, which apparently came from that new exhibit at the museum. With these new revelations, it couldn't be a coincidence.

So, her next mark was the museum. [color=ed1c24]"Give me that gun back,"[/color] she commanded the strange feminine figure, and it complied without question. She holstered the firearm and stood from the lawn chair she had sat in, stretching a bit. This thing was apparently a manifestation of her psyche; she needed to have something to call it, though. Just calling it a Shade was boring. So, the woman asked, [color=ed1c24]"What's your name?"[/color] Not that she expected it to respond.
[color=9e005d]
"The animal you have become,"[/color] it murmured, its voice static-y and flat. Which surprised Kaitlyn quite a bit, of course.

[color=ed1c24]"The animal I have become..."[/color] That was the name of a song, wasn't it? Some alternative or punk song, or something. Though, if it was a manifestation of her psyche, it was surprisingly accurate. A fitting name. Why not? [color=ed1c24]"Let's shorten it. Animal I Have Become. How's that sound?"[/color]

[color=9e005d]"The animal you have become."[/color] Kaitlyn frowned just a tad. Hopefully this thing didn't say its name over and over again, like one of those Pokemon characters. 

[color=ed1c24]"Well, you better pick up the pace,"[/color] the woman huffed, and turned to exit the backyard.
[/quote]

	Just a few feet from the ending altercation, obscured by a large wooden fence, was a scared man in his early 40s. With a receding hairline, tacky pop culture shirt and slacks and a stubble of a beard, Reggie Wilkins was trying not to draw attention to himself or he'll end up like his neighbor, Barry. To be honest, Reggie didn't even know what was wrong with Barry. He always thought he was one of the best neighbors to live by, and that's saying a lot. Now, he is lying dead because he just went a bit mad, and it is all because of this woman. Who was she? Why is she here? And who the hell is she talking to? As the questions ran through his mind, he remember he had to keep quiet, or else he'll be seeing Barry real soon. But he also needed to get inside and call the police, so he needed to be careful as well. With beads of sweat dripping down his face, Reggie slowly crept from the fence and towards his back door, making sure that each step he takes was as low as possible. "Just a few more steps.." he thought as he maneuvered towards his goal, and just as he made it to the back porch, one of his steps were a bit loud and made a thud against the wood stair. He grimaced and turned back to the fence, hoping that the woman didn't hear him. He nervously waited, wondering if she is just idling, waiting to strike. After a few moments of silence, he finished climbing the stairs, slowly opening the back door and easing his way inside his house. He quietly sneaked over to his phone, dialed 911 and started to described what happened. After making the call, he rushed to his doors and locked both of them and headed into his room to hide. He has been having a hell of a day, and something tells him that it is not over yet......