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Burning was the first thing that Zoe registered. It hurt, agonisingly, like someone was branding her across the mark. Searing, sudden pain. A cry before she gritted her teeth, air hissing through in sharp breaths as her breathing got under control and the pain started to subside. Oh, that hurt. That really, really hurt. Perhaps it would have felt worse to someone else, but then, she never minded pain so much. But what was that?

Her throat, her mark, it had been her mark. What the hell did that mean? Didn't make sense. Something was wrong, something was really really wrong.

Zoe didn't know what was about to happen as the feeling subsided, but she knew it wasn't going to be good. The siren was loud as it started, too loud for her to want to deal with, hammers pounding in her head. Monsters. An attack of some kind. The ice giant wasn't something she could fight, that was for sure. And it was [i]huge[/i]. A blob... thing, that was equally gigantic, but seemed more natural. At least it had veins and a heart. As for the other, it was--

They were falling. A complete loss of control, and somehow this was a whole lot less relaxing than in the dreams. Maybe because it was only a matter of time before they stopped, and wires tangled tight around her limbs. Painfully, certainly tight enough to bruise, but nothing was about to be amputated.

She groaned, dazed and confused, trying to figure out what was going on. They were being attacked, she knew that much. Normal monsters were bad enough, but now it was [b]giant[/b] monsters. Of course it was giant monsters. And she was stuck on a fancy light instead of doing something about it. Well, she'd made plenty of bad decisions, but at least she was right about one thing yesterday. [i]Fuck[/i] chandeliers.

Still, she doubted her classmates were going to up and leave without fighting the damn things, despite the fact that everyone in this city could charitably be described as a collection of gaping assholes where Unit B were concerned. Nope, it would be all about the 'greater good' or some other crap. Stupid virtuous morons. But they wouldn't listen to her, and they'd think she was a coward for saying anything, instead of just someone that realised this was a thankless task.

Zoe didn't want anyone else to die. So that meant she had lead the charge, take the most dangerous job she could do. And also that she couldn't be lying stuck under a goddamn chandelier while they ran off and got themselves killed. She glanced at the others, trapped in the same situation. Gregory was no use, but--

[color=palevioletred]"Allison, cut this thing!"[/color]

Of course, it had probably already occurred to her classmate, but it made Zoe feel like she had some control here to be yelling. Even if she sounded like she was being a bit of a bitch, arguably that wasn't an inaccurate assessment.

Either way, the girl cut them free, and Zoe stood, slightly shaky and hurting in more than a few places as she pulled the cut wires off of her arms and legs, tossing them aside. As for her powers... Zoe wasn't placed to be rescuing anyone here, even if she wanted to. And being surrounded by so many classmates in various states of injury was putting ideas into her head that she preferred not to have. So long without properly sating anything. Really, some of them were a mess anyway, so why not--

This wasn't good, and Zoe looked suddenly half-rabid, especially with the hungry, desperate bloodlust that left her eyes shining as she looked at the carnage. She had to leave, and quickly. Raising her voice a little, but still speaking quieter than she would have liked, couldn't be sure how many would hear.

[color=palevioletred]"I'm sorry. Can't stay here, not safe."[/color]

No, it was getting very difficult to hold it back. Because they were so weak, and she'd let herself start to get closer, and... Oh god, she wanted to so badly. It probably looked bad when mixed with her expression. But then, it was better than the alternative. Because making it go away meant, well...

[color=palevioletred][i]Not me.[/i][/color]

Monsters. There were monsters. She could kill them. The blob, the creature, she could kill that. It had a heart. If it had a heart, she could kill it. And it wasn't someone else. That was good. Better. Better, yeah. She wasn't out of control, not yet, but she would [b]need[/b] to hurt soon if she stayed. So weak, so vulnerable.

[color=palevioletred]"Transmit."[/color] Smiling so wide, even as her words faltered. A laugh, borderline manic as something dark twisted her expression. It'd be so easy to make them all scream. [color=palevioletred][i][b]Stop that[/b][/i][/color]. [color=palevioletred]"I'm going after the blob, you guys can catch up. Over."[/color]

At least they'd know she was alive, too.

And with that, she ran, ignoring the pain in her legs and the scrapes left on her body, the aching lines of bruising where the wires had wrapped around her. Ignoring the injured classmates behind her. It always came back around to that now. Pain. She didn't want to let it be theirs. Past the blood, past the carnage. Past everything and out onto the streets alone. It was safer this way.