[center][b]10 Months Ago[/b][/center]

Moonlight shone on the wet city streets as midnight crept over Lost Haven, her eerie glow overpowering the streetlamps and headlights. Passersby couldn’t help but gaze up into the sky at the splendid mother of night, the first full moon of the month, a powerful event that was celebrated by some circles. Few dared venture out into the darkness past the witching hour and for good reason; there was a madman on the loose, not to mention criminals from all meta, magical, and mundane walks of life, but there were those few daredevils who braved the unknown on this night, walking or driving back from the club after a few too many drinks, heading home from a late night at the office, or maybe strolling down the streets, soaking up the moonlight. Among their ranks was Marie, rather, a version of herself that Lost Haven had yet to see, one that make herself known. 

Marie was awakened by the sounds of sirens rushing past her apartment. This wasn’t new, in fact in the first two months of her stay she was often startled by ambulances and police units blaring their sirens and horns at all hours of the day. It’s not that criminal activity was particularly heavy in Lost Haven, but when metahumans are ever involved in any situation, and they tended to find themselves at the center of many, it pays to be prepared. That evening, however, something felt wrong. Perhaps it was the ring around the moon that foretold of misfortune, perhaps it was the sheer number of cars and lights all rushing towards Chinatown, whatever it was, Marie couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Since coming to Lost Haven, she had been nothing but a normal citizen. Grocery shopping on the weekends, going to and from work during weekdays, having lunch with Madalena a few days a week, it was all very mundane, and escaping the overly mundane was Marie’s reason for moving to Lost Haven. She decided that tonight would be the night that she made her appearance alongside the other heroes of Lost Haven. Tonight, she would become the White Witch, although at the time, she hadn’t decided on the name. She ran over to her closet and removed the costume she had prepared from an unpacked box. She then anointed her broomstick with the transvection oils, opened her apartment window, making sure no cameras or bystanders were around, and flew out into the night, another spectacle dancing in the air alongside the silver moon.

Marie hadn’t flown in what felt like ages. She first tried physical flight at the age of 15 after reading a recipe for flying ointment in an old grimoire she’d managed to get on eBay for a fraction of what it was worth. She was a natural! Nothing felt more right, more liberating, but flight wasn’t a practical method of travel, so she’d held off until such an occasion. Her hair, dress, and cloak all flowed gracefully in the wind as she sped through the sky, over the tallest of buildings and through the narrowest alleyways. Marie waved away the enjoyment she felt, remembering that this was likely a highly serious and dangerous situation she was about to enter. 

The streets of Chinatown were normally crowded, even at night they were brightly painted by the neon lights of novelty shops and restaurants, but that night the only colors were the flashing blue and red of police cars. Marie flew closer to the scene, and a scene it was. Behind a long strip of police tape lie what Marie assumed to be a body, covered by a sheet and awaiting transport in an ambulance. A few feet behind were several police officers speaking to a man in Mandarin or some other dialect. He seemed panicked and uncomfortable, screaming and pointing into a shop behind him. [i]What happened here?[/i] Marie thought to herself as she moved around the scene, trying to escape the notice of the officers present. 

Suddenly, a loud shrieking erupted from the shop, followed by the sound of smashing glass. The police moved into position around the shop ready to enter and deal with the person whom Marie assumed to be responsible for the murder. Just as they made their way through the doors, shelves and furniture were launched at them, sending them flying back into the street. A figure emerged from the shop. As it walked into the light, Marie was shocked by what she saw. There, in the streets of Chinatown stood a tall, brute of a man with scaly green skin, large, jagged teeth that erupted from his mouth, and eyes as black as night. [i]What is he, a meta, a monster?[/i] Marie wondered as she began speeding down to the street. The police began shooting, but to no avail. The enraged creature charged through their gunfire and, with incredible strength, knocked them back into their vehicles, denting the cars and smashing the windows. 

“Hey!” Marie shouted from the air, only a few feet behind the creature. He turned at looked at her with such murderous intent it made her go numb for a few seconds. She didn’t know what she intended to do now that she had his attention. She stared at him in fear for a few moments, then, as he started charging towards her, Marie waved her arm and sent the flying into a streetlamp, the sheer force of the impact causing it to break. All in attendance looked momentarily stunned, even Marie, but her trick hadn’t bested the creature, only made him angrier. 

Once again the beast charged towards Marie, faster this time. She increased her altitude to evade him, then re-positioned herself behind the him. She threw out her arm, sparks leaping from her fingertips and spouting flames as they hit the street. Marie had only conjured fire small scale when lighting candles and was surprised to see how effectively she was using her powers in combat. The flames grew and formed a line, separating her from the beast. He looked stunned, This is it! Marie thought triumphantly. With another swift arm motion the flames gathered in a circle around the beast, seeming to force him into submission. Marie closed her eyes and began chanting in a chthonic tongue, each repetition aimed directly at the beast. “Now sleep,” Marie said aloud in a whisper. At first the beast fought the enchantment, but slowly he began to fade into a deep sleep. The flames receded, and there lie the sleeping beast. 

A large, armored vehicle arrived at the scene, darkly clad men spilling from inside with large shackles in hand. They placed them on the creature and carried him inside, locking the back of the vehicle and leaving promptly. A few police officers and a passenger of the other vehicle called Marie over to them, but she didn’t listen. A news van had found itself closer to the scene and Marie, despite being in costume, couldn’t handle the thought of being in front of a camera or asked questions from a field reporter. She gave an awkward wave as she flew off into the night, a silhouette against the moon.

The following day, the local newspaper and a few networks ran the story of the previous night’s murder, releasing images of the creature being loaded into the armored vehicle, and Marie’s outline against the moon. A few papers called her the “White Witch of Chinatown,” which made Marie smile. “White Witch, huh?” She said aloud with an approving tone. “Guess that’s what I’ll start going by.”