[center][h2][color=skyblue]Sonika[/color] - High in the Sky[/h2][/center]

As Sonika flew higher and higher into the sky she could only feel relief that fate was in her favor. There were few parahumans who could so effectively defy her powers and Denver had Furnace to do so. Had he been a vengeful criminal she would've been unable to get away. Morality was a great defense if you didn't have it, after all. The whole encounter was an important lesson that would not be lost on Sonika. She felt she had a decent understanding of Furnace's power, at the cost of him gaining a decent understanding of her own. He wasn't a PRT hero so hopefully he wouldn't share his notes but it would be futile to hedge her bets on that. Rather she would focus on being prepared for future encounters against him. She would need to keep a weapon and hostages, at the least. But perhaps further analysis could find a weak point for guaranteeing a decisive attack...

Her thoughts were interrupted as she felt something approaching her from below. It was something large and unfamiliar, so much so that she couldn't hold her curiosity and turned to face the disturbance. Her eyes widened, a mixture of confusion and shock. A large, alien-like monster was soaring through the sky after her. It was far larger than any human so surely it couldn't be the result of a Shifter power. It couldn't be an illusion either, as it occupied space and a lot of it. A new Endbringer was Sonika's immediate conclusion, but if that were true it surely wouldn't be coming to chase her and ignore the collection of parahumans on the ground below. Endbringers had a pension for destruction, after all. The most likely possibility returned to the creature being of parahuman origin, but the mechanics of it were surely far too complex to dwell upon. Not when it was gaining on Sonika at her current speed.

An executive decision was made. The Russian supervillain turned her gaze forward again and tensed up, holding her breath as she removed the air around her to create a pocket vacuum. Then she began moving this pocket with her inside it, flying in a different manner than before and to much greater effect. Sure, if she went too fast she would be more likely to pop up on radar with the guaranteed detection at the moment she breaks the sound barrier. But right now she was going pretty slow so she had a bit of wiggle room. Any gain that Outsider was making was quickly made futile as Sonika rocketed forward at a far greater acceleration than before. It was always difficult for her to ascertain her exact speed but once she ceased accelerating and kept a steady speed she figured she was going somewhere a bit over three hundred miles-per-hour. This would be pushing the limit on her detection, though she hoped that by flying straight up it would somewhat combat the likelihood of air traffic control noticing. She had to relent on giving away another detail of her powers, that she was capable of speeds beyond land vehicles, but it was a small price to avoid potentially being eaten.

She made sure to continue her ascent at a slight angle, aiming for a nearby cloud. If the monster thing was either persistent or capable of accelerating further, she figured it would be a good opportunity to attempt to lose it. It would also serve to break the line of sight with any potential spectators with advanced optics capable of seeing her at range. After flying through the cloud all she would have to do is loop around to the farthest side of it and then decelerate for a slower descent. Already she was calculating the route she would have to take to get back to her warehouse while avoiding unwanted attention. The conclusion was to fly directly over the warehouse from far above and then descend from there. Her costume, while bright and noticeable on the ground, served as a perfect camouflage in the air. Any ground-level pedestrians looking up would have a hard time spotting her and this would work to her advantage of her stealthy getaway. Ideally there would be no pedestrians near the warehouse, if her goons were doing their job, so Sonika gave them the benefit of the doubt and decided to avoid any precautions on that front in the interest of time.

After all there was a dangerous escaped product to recover.

[center][h2][color=orangered]Cassidy Hendricks[/color] - Macavity's Bunker[/h2][/center]

Up until this point Macavity had been quite friendly and accommodating of Cassidy, but it seemed that there was a caveat to their present relationship that Cassidy had yet to realize. His rant didn't exactly come across as angry or aggressive, but instead seemed as if he was letting off stress. It didn't occur to the girl that his efforts so far had come at great personal risk. If what he said was true about the people who kidnapped her, the Bratva, then he really would be in danger just for staying near her long enough. Hell, anyone would be in danger. He said that she knew something important about this Bratva but Cassidy could only really remember what the warehouse looked like and what they did. She had a guess at its location but she wasn't really sure if she could track it down on her own. Was she really that much of a threat to these people just for escaping their clutches?

She had been selfish so far, thinking only of herself. Not that she was wrong to do so but it only now dawned on her the true consequences of her actions. These people truly were bad guys. It wasn't some Hollywood movie kind of gangsters but real criminals with real influence and a real agenda. It was a fight they started with her but she has gone and pissed them off. Going to the PRT didn't sit well with her, though she could understand why it would sit even less well with Macavity yet he seemed to believe it was the safest bet. Cassidy kept her silence as she took one of the packaged food things that he held, briefly examining it as she pondered on the choices presented to her. If the cops couldn't be trusted and she'd be a serious liability to anyone else, going to the PRT truly was the only feasible choice.

[color=orangered][b]"Cassidy,"[/b][/color] she finally spoke up, answering his earlier question about her name. [color=orangered][b]"That's my name. Cassidy Hendricks. I don't have any superhero nicknames or anything..."[/b][/color] She popped open the food pouch, finding no surprise in the contents not appearing to be particularly appealing. But food was food. The sandwich and muffin earlier were just good holdovers and she wasn't about to be picky now. [color=orangered][b]"Sorry..."[/b][/color] To avoid further awkward conversation she began eating the MRE with haste. She hardly registered the flavors, whether it was from hunger or the food itself having none would be worthy of debate. But after she finished scarfing down her meal she let out a long, exasperated sigh. [color=orangered][b]"Okay, I guess I should go to the PRT..."[/b][/color] The girl got up off the bed, standing up on her feet next to it.

[color=orangered][b]"I don't like it, but maybe I can ask them about giving me an-... anon-... anonymity or something. Then I can..."[/b][/color] His words about her life having been over immediately came to mind. She could plead all she wanted but she couldn't get her family back, she wouldn't be able to shake the knowledge of her parahuman powers, nor would she be able to follow her dreams of playing in the Olympics. She would have to make some decisions on what to do with her life after going to the PRT and there weren't any she could think of that would be ideal. Even if they agreed to keep her anonymous from the public, she'd still be put in a government database to be kept track of as a superhuman. Cassidy frowned, grumbled, and crossed her arms. [color=orangered][i]If only I could just make these Bratva people go away without going to the PRT. Then I could maybe start a new life. A new school. Another shot at running. Nobody would know who I am or what I can do...[/i][/color] she thought to herself.

Then an idea struck her. Not a great idea or a particularly enticing one, but a potential solution to all her problems. [color=orangered][b]"No,"[/b][/color] she said aloud, her tone deadly serious. It wouldn't take Macavity much effort to guess that she had rescinded her opinion on going to the PRT. The girl turned to face him, her arms still crossed and a frown still on her face. [color=orangered][b]"You said that you took advantage of your powers to get what you wanted, right? Well I think I'm going to do the same."[/b][/color] She uncrossed her arms to point at herself with her right thumb. [color=orangered][b]"My old life is over. I can't get what I want any other way. I'm going to fight these bad guys and I won't be going to anyone so they can keep track of me. It'll be a bit underhanded but I've already lost enough. I want to keep something and I'm gonna keep my dreams. I'm gonna go to a new school and get a new life and pretend none of this ever happened. But first I'm going to beat these assholes who ruined my life in the first place!"[/b][/color]

She progressively grew more heated and loud as she gave her speech, practically yelling by the end of it. Thankfully she realized her own volume and toned down, for the sake of Macavity's hearing in a fairly enclosed area. Evidently she had enough energy now. [color=orangered][b]"I get it, you want me out of your hair so you don't get killed. But I'm gonna have to ask a favor of you before I go, Macavity."[/b][/color] She closed her eyes and thought about something for a brief moment. When she opened her eyes again she continued. [color=orangered][b]"I'm gonna need you to get me a costume. I never wanted to use my powers for anything but if this is the only way then I'm going to do it right. Nobody will know about Cassidy Hendricks or that she's a parahuman freak. From this moment forward, Cassidy has no powers or anything wrong with her. No Bratva chasing her, no bounty on her head, none of it. Instead, I'm now gonna be..."

[h3]"Chrona."[/h3][/b][/color]

Cassidy paused, mainly to catch her breath but also to let Macavity take in what she was ranting on about. [color=orangered][b]"I'm gonna trust you to keep your lips sealed about my name,"[/b][/color] she spoke up again, in a much calmer manner than before. [color=orangered][b]"But..."[/b][/color] The young girl fell backwards onto the bed, making no effort to return to her feet. [color=orangered][b]"I'll start tomorrow..."[/b][/color]