[center][h2]Nicole[/h2][/center]


[h3]LHPD[/h3]

[i]Of course he had to go. He doesn't have time to take care of one stupid teenager when he saves the world on a weekly basis, dumbass.[/i] Nicky sighed as she waited for [i]paperwork[/i] to be finalised. She had finally relented, after deflating following Icon's departure, and given the police her real name, but refusing to give any details beyond that and her age. She had no doubt they would force her to become a ward of the state, but she was hoping that this Weird Ward or whatever it was would be less...Did she even know what orphanages were like? Not really, but they weren't gonna find a foster family for her anyway.

As time ticked by, she began to realise exactly how screwed up her head was. She was staring at the clock, and she couldn't actually keep track of how many seconds had gone by [i]between seconds[/i]. It was as if the entire concept of time was gone from her head, vanished along with her old life. [i]God, stop being morbid.[/i]

She carefully marked down, on the little piece of paper and pencil stub they gave her, what time things were happening. By her own mental reckoning, interminable decades, or maybe just seconds, had passed between them telling her they were going to release her and them actually doing so, though it had in actuality been something like three hours. When they led her out, though, it was directly to a squad car, where the officer driving explained that, because of the late hour and her age, they couldn't just let her wander off, so she was being taken directly to the Center.
[hr]
[h3]The Wayward Center, Lost Haven[/h3]

Hours of driving later, they pulled up to an old brownstone building, two stories tall with an iron-gated entry. There was a short, plump woman standing just behind the gate as they parked, and Nicky could see from the car that she had just been roused from bed, probably by a phone call. She idly wondered who had called in this visit from the station. Her hair was only in a loose bun, and she held a robe tight around her despite the warm summer night's air. She smiled at the officer as the woman walked Nicky up to the gate. 

“Sorry we're coming here so late, Alice, but this is definitely in your field, not ours.” The blonde grinned sheepishly and winced at the cavernous yawn the older woman had as her first response, but calmed as she waved her hand in a dismissing motion.

“No...ah, excuse me. No, it's alright, Patricia, I understand. Let's see what we've got, hmm?” Alice swung the gate open to admit them, but the officer shook hr head and held out a slim manilla envelope.

“Sorry, can't stay. The whole city's going nuts the past few days. I'll stop by for tea some time this week if I can manage it, okay?”

“Absolutely, dear!” Alice turned to Nicole. “So. You're probably wondering why here, and why I am being so friendly, judging by the look on your face. But as it is almost four, I think your questions and mine can wait until we get some breakfast in us, yes?”

Nicole followed the woman sullenly into the building. The front entrance was home-y, with several older sofas and a coffee table, but also felt slightly clinical. There were several telephones at a conference table in an adjoining room, and the whole place had a warm yellow paint on the walls. Several doors led away, but they turned up a hall and into a dining room that more resembled a mess hall, and a kitchen divided only by a partition wall.

Alice gestured to a seat and whisked herself into the kitchen, clearly more awake than she was just moments ago. Nicole sat down heavily and propped her head in her hands, elbows on the table. She wished she had something to listen to, but her bag has disappeared in the bombing and she hadn't felt like fighting with the police to try and find it. Alice glanced at her over the divider and started in with the inquisition.

“So, young lady, what brings you to the Wayward Center?” 

Nicole narrowed her eyes, but she couldn't really hear any condescension in the woman's voice. [color=azure]“Stupid police who can't tell a Chinese bomber from a teenager tangled up in a bike rack.”[/color]

Alice smiled at her, brown hair somehow now put into a neat ponytail. “I'm sure they were just investigating all the possibilities, but that's not what I was referring to.”

[color=azure]“Yeah? Okay, so I'm homeless.”[/color] Nicky was not liking where this was going.

“Oh, dear, I knew that already, without even opening the envelope. But they only bring metahumans here.”

[i][color=azure]God damn it, everyone and their dog already knows![/color][/i] Nicole scowled. “I don't wanna talk about it.”

The woman nodded, like she had already seen that coming, and went back to her cooking. There was the sound of eggs being cracked. Nicole could see the envelope sitting on the table not five feet from her. She was almost curious enough to investigate, but she felt like this was some sort of stupid test, and if this whole place was full of metahumans, then this Alice lady would be [i]really[/i] powerful to keep them in line. Instead, she listened as the woman started talking, this time describing the place.

Apparently, the second floor was all bedrooms, including the one she'd be assigned to. There was a small garden out back for relaxation and food, and the first floor held the conference room she first saw, two class rooms, a sort of doctor's office, and several offices for running the place. The basement held their storage and also a practise room where people who didn't know how their powers might work could explore them. Nicky perked up at the mention of the practise room, almost without realising it.

“Ah,” said the motherly woman, coming around the corner with two plates, sliding one if front of her. “So you don't know what you can do, either. That's no issue, we'll figure it out together.” 

[color=azure]“No, it's not-”[/color] The teenager froze as she looked at the plate. A perfect omelette, with green onions and diced tomato over the top, exactly how her mother used to make them.

[i]”Nicole, come downstairs,” her mother's voice drifted down from the lower floor of the duplex. “Breakfast is up, girl, and I'll not have you lazing about all day!” Nicky moved her short limbs underneath her bed, moving as fast as her ten year old body would allow. She would not miss out on Saturday breakfast! She tossed off her pajamas and slid into a little summer dress from her closet hurriedly, then nearly flew down the rickety stairs and slid into her seat at the table almost as soon as the plate was in front of her spot. Her siblings were quick to follow. They all knew that today was the free day at the zoo, and while Dad couldn't come because of work, Mom had promised for a month now that they could go.[/i]

“Hey, come on, it's okay. Come back now.” Alice's voice was in a gentle whisper. Nicky came up out of her memory with the older woman's arms wrapped around her tightly. Tears ran freely down her cheeks, dripping off of her nose and on to the woman's robe. It was soft, and fluffy, and above all, smelled like a [i]mom[/i]. Three months of grief and pain and anger came flooding back from wherever she had been holding it. She broke down, screaming and sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe, but since she didn't need to, it didn't stop. She could hear Alice say something to someone else in the room, but it was quick, and the woman immediately turned back to her newest ward. She was being [i]rocked[/i], but she couldn't be angry. Emotions ran through her like a river.