[i]Carter was dead.[/i]

The thought rang through her head as collapsed on the bed of the lavish hotel room. Sure they hadn't been together for just over two years, but somewhere inside she still held on to a shred of hope that somehow they could live a normal life away from all of this. It's as if all the events in her life were leading up to this. Normalcy will never be an option now. Not with Carter, not with anybody. In fact, Lydia wasn't even sure if that's what she wanted anymore.

[i]Carter was dead.[/i]

Who was Lydia? She didn't know. Since she had started work as Shade she lost sight of everything she once knew. And now, here she was. A super-something, because hero just wasn't the right word. She wasn't here because of a need for doing good, or a innate passion for the greater good. She didn't care. Or at least she didn't use to. Now, seeing what messes these people can make... They have to be stopped. They have to have organization, common sense. They can't just get off with this... all of this. 

The images of the wreckage and the victims shattered through her mind. She hadn't seen something so devastating and concentrated since she watched a documentary on the September 11th attacks. But this... this was caused by the people attempting to protect us. This was a mistake of poor planning. Of childishness. Of recklessness.

[i]Carter was dead. [/i]

That's why she came to Nagoya in the first place.  He left with those group of too-good-to-be-true-idealists and died in their darkest moment. Now there was another group of super-people surfacing. And this group she wanted to be a part of, especially if it meant giving those god-damned champions a hard time. To think that her life had led up to this. The abuse, the system, Carter, Powers, Nagoya. Now, she was something. She was something that a past version of herself would be terrified of. 

[i]Carter was -[/i]

Jacks voice rang over her new comm device. Breaking the loop of memories and constant reminders of pain.

"Well it looks like we are headed down under, old friend. " she replied and promptly got up and shoved her gear and clothing into her suitcase haphazardly. Two thoughts pierced her when she left for the airport.

[i]Carter was dead.[/i]

[b][i]Shade is very much alive.[/i][/b]