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The young girl swayed back and forth as she danced in a solitary celebration of her own little world; shut out from the world by the ear bud headphones that connected her to the iPod in her strap pocket of the lime green courier bag she toted diagonally across her body in place of a purse. She didn't really do purses yet. They were too small to carry all her stuff and too easy to set down and forget about. Humming to herself, blond pigtails swung freely about her shoulders as the child bobbed her head in time to the beat of Joan Osborne asking the question of what if God was one of us? The fingers of a small hand tapping against the metal railing she held to as she rode the train into New York.

Her mother had been a little freaked out at the notion of her baby riding the train by herself, but Katie had been adamant. After all, she wasn't little anymore. What her mother didn't know was that Katie had traveled the galaxy and even across dimensions by herself. It made sense, to her, at least, that if [b]Energizer[/b] could manage to go from Earth to Kymellia okay... the trip to New York City shouldn't be hard at all.

Still, Katie would have to admit that she was a little scared. She'd faced the Snarks, the demon Boogeyman, and even drug gangs... and it was still a little intimidating to be eight years old and riding the train on her own. It was odd not to have Alex and Julie around, though Katie welcomed the opportunity to put some distance between herself and Jack. She hoped that Carter was happy about her coming to his school, because Katie couldn't have been happier with the idea of doing more than hiding her power and trying to practice in secret. To learn [i]control[/i], real control, and to live openly as both Katie and Energizer... It was a dream.

Shuffling about, the girl raised her sky blue eyes at last to look around the interior of the car she was in; realizing only now how empty the train was. A fact which only compounded the loneliness she felt at walking out on her own, even if just temporarily. Maybe... maybe she didn't need to be in such a hurry to be like her big sister Julie after all, the child thought to herself. Her brooding interrupted as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass windows of the train car. Standing there in pink corduroy pants with a white hoodie that had pink trim and a image of Minnie Mouse embroidered on the chest. The sight brought a carefree smile to her face. She thought she looked cute.

As the train lumbered its way to a shuddering halt beside the platform underneath New York City, Katie let go of the metal rail and made her way to the doors. As they popped open, she peeked her head out to glance back along the tracks. Adjusting the way her bag hung on her body, the young heroine clung tightly to her sweatshirt as she stepped out onto the platform proper, her eyes scanning upward among the crowd for any sign of the Ghazikhanians. As she walked, Katie's hand dipped into her pants pocket for a piece of gum. Unwrapping the watermelon-flavored candy, the girl popped the chewy confectionary into her mouth. Returning her hand to her pocket, the youth went through the motions of tucking her trash away there; though a faint hue of golden light reflected the candy wrappers demise, disintegrated at the fingertips of the child as she absorbed the energy from its broken atomic bonds. Cracking a bubble, Katie kept her eyes forward as she strode into New York City. Just an eight year old girl alone.

An eight year old who'd saved the Earth. A few times. Not that she was keeping count. They didn't award ponies for saving the planet after all. [i]It'd be nice if they did though[/i], the small girl throught to herself with a private little smile as she skipped across the platform and started up the steps to the station proper, her eyes still looking for any sign of her brother when she caught sight of an elderly woman gingerly creeping up to the steps. The matriachial, grandmotherly figure was obviously impaired by some form of arthritis in her stalted, fragile gait. Pigtails bouncing, Katie hoped back down the steps to drop beside the stranger. "Do you need some help, ma'am?" the child asked sweetly.

The wisened, gray-haired woman seemed startled; as much by the gesture as being addressed so politely by a stranger in New York. "Aren't you a dear. Would it be a bother?" the matronly figure begged in reply, extending an arm even as the old woman leaned against the wall of the stairwell to help balance herself as she began ascending the steps.

"No, ma'am," Katie answered simply, gingerly taking the woman's arm and helping guide her along the steps to the top of the terminal platform, where she finally let go as the woman seemed to get her bearings. "'Kay?"

"I'm fine, child. Your parents raised you right. And I thank you," the stranger stated with a wearied smile, as the woman glanced up as though expecting to see someone there waiting for the girl. "Are you by yourself, dear?"

"I'm meetin' my friend here, ma'am," Katie offering, skipping a step back as she gave a large wave farewell to the woman. "Bye!" the child stated cheerfully, dashing off across the terminal. As she did, Katie swung the courier tote around to pull out the small, frog-shaped cellphone she carried. It didn't have all the functionality of a regular cellphone. Hers only allowed her to contact numbers pre-programmed into the phone, such as that of her Carter or his mom. Tapping away with her thumb, the girl dialed out a quick text asking him where he was.