[h1]Seraphine Campbell[/h1]

Seraphine relaxed in the sun, allowing the golden rays to caress her skin. She was nonetheless grateful for the cooling breeze that blew from the bay, robbing the glare of some of its punishing heat. She tapped her pen atop the heavy book before her. It was nice to get out in the sun, even if she still had to study while she did so. It was tempting to simply relax, the Society kept her well, and would likely have provided her with accommodation here in Spain, as long as she worked for them here as well. She had other plans however, Seraphine was not going to remain working as an escort until her beauty faded, she wanted more, and she intended to exploit her ability in order to get there. She was already part fluent in Spanish, and had nearly completed two years of her course here. At the same time she was currently enrolled in another two universities on the other side of the world, studying Medicine and Law in America. Achieving the grades needed for scholarships had been child’s play when she could revise for twelve different exams simultaneously. The work was tiring, and irksome, but it was a means to an end. Seraphine would not be a whore forever, one day she would have power and influence. She wanted to be someone, and this was what it took.

She was alone here, so to speak, Only the Prime could reabsorb a clone, and each clone needed food, and somewhere to stay. Sending yourself halfway around the world was expensive, and even with scholarships, maintaining three people in University was expensive, the Society paid extremely well, especially for those who were valuable to them, but even those funds were strained by the depths of her ambition.

She nodded and waved towards a classmate, he turned and made his way over to her as she closed the book. Ambition was all very well, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy herself along the way…

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[h1]Alice Barrett[/h1]

Alice was much more at home in Baybridge now than she had been some months ago. She’d already acquired a dozen boltholes in the city, places that she knew she would be able to teleport to in a fraction of a second if she was in danger. It had been a practice she’d maintained in New York as well, on the advice of an erstwhile colleague. They didn’t talk anymore, but it had been good advice. Loathe as she was to keep it.

Her phone rang, and she stared at the handsets screen for six full rings before denying the call. She’d been meaning to change her number, but somehow had never quite gotten around to it. The calls were getting less frequent however. It was getting even harder to simply ignore them. Especially considering everything else that had happened in Baybridge since. The riots, the Eco-natura attack, the death of Old Man Winter. Fortunately the cure for both was the same.

She rapped the bar, and her glass was swiftly refilled by the man behind it. This wasn’t a good bar, it was a dive, the kind of place you didn’t find until you’d already had a few too many. Alice was past caring about the quality of the alcohol she imbibed, as long as it meant that she couldn’t remember what happened at the end of it.

He drained the cup already, and tattooed the bar once more, the barman didn’t care, he knew she could pay her bill. He didn’t know she was a metahuman at least, she’d heard the conversations of some of the bar’s other patrons. Metahumans were becoming less and less popular, not that people had ever really been thrilled to see them. She stood, glancing at her watch, it was blurred, and swayed. She realised that in fact the room behind it was swaying, that then lead to another realisation, she was swaying. She blew it off, moving uncertainly to the door before making her cautious way outside. The street was spinning as well, but she began to walk home.

It took her two hours.

It was midday…

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[h1]Ellen Nile[/h1]

Academy 61, Roseview, was well equipped, every Academy was. They had expensive labs, complete computer suites, hi-tech classrooms and most importantly, in this case, a brand new, fully equipped gym. Ellen was there now, it was a recent interest of hers, a sudden recent interest. Since the Eco-natura attack she had spent a great deal of her spare time in the gym and the simulation room. It was already beginning to have an effect, her stomach had lost the paunch she had acquired on Academy food. Her limbs were becoming toned and strong.

She dropped the weights back into their rack, wiping sweat from her brow. She was exhausted, her limbs felt weak, and she walked on shaking legs towards the door, pausing only to retrieve her water bottle. It was like an elixir of life, quenching her parched throat. She sat down for a moment to regain some strength, and rested her head against the wall.

She could almost feel the case in her lap, though it rested hidden some distance away. She couldn’t risk bringing it into the Academy itself. After all, it was the property of Mannequin, and he was now imprisoned by RAVEN. She couldn’t imagine what they might do with the vials that he had given to her. They meant to much to her now. She’d used them twice, and each time they had worked. There hadn’t seemed to be any ill effects. He had given her a solution, it was imperfect, but it was the closest to an answer that she’d yet received.

She would have to use it tonight, because tomorrow she was going to engage in an activity she had yet to try in her time at the academy, thanks in part to the limitations of her abilities. Tomorrow she was going to fight someone…