[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/KDaLzr2.png[/img][/center] Ever since Slipstream and Arachne took down the Hounds of Humanity’s secret base just outside of Pacific Point, the speedster hadn’t been able to sit still. The things that she had seen inside of that hellish place were forever burned into her brain. The meta humans locked in cages, resigned to their fates, awaiting their executions. The looks renewed hope on their faces when the two super powered women came to their rescue, and the bodies of those that they weren’t in time to save haunted her every waking moment, as well as her dreams. So she ran. She ran up and down the California coast. By her count, she had stopped three bank robberies, seven muggings, two gas station robberies, and even a suicide attempt at the Golden Gate Bridge. And while it helped keep her mind off of the horrors that she had witnessed. However, she kept at it, looking for people to save, looking for criminals to stop. To Slipstream, each victim wore the face of one of the metas who had been locked away in that pit, and each criminal wore the black body armor that had become synonymous with the terror organization. However, nothing seemed to ease her mind. [i]So she kept running[/i] She ran from Mexicali to Portland, then back. Yet, the images that had been burned into her brain refused to fade. So she ran faster. She ran so fast and so far that she had completely lost track of where she was. The cityscapes merged with woodland forests, which suddenly transformed into the vast sand dunes of the desert in less than a blink of an eye. The entire world stood still as she raced up and down the Pacific Coast, trying to outrun the ghosts of what she had seen. People and cars faded from view as she zipped along the streets and freeways, her focus not in the here and now, but on the ifs and could have beens. Then something caught her attention in the distance. Hovering in the air just a dozen of so feet off the ground was what looked to be a man. At first she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her, but as she got closer to the blue and silver clad man, as her eyes were drawn to this impressive figure who’s billowing cape somehow made him more imposing, she realized that it was no trick of the light, it was no mirage…It was him. However, why he was hovering just feet off of the ground in her direct path was a mystery. So she did what anyone would do in this situation… She stopped running. “Hi.” She said sheepishly as she looked up to meet his gaze. She figured that given her chosen career path, she’d eventually cross paths with him, but she never thought that in a million years he’d be the one to search her out. She had seen him on TV, she’d read about his exploits over the last several years, hell…everyone had. But standing here with him floating over her gave her a whole new perspective. Even as he hovered over her silently, she realized that all those stories and the news footage didn’t do him justice. Even without saying a word he had a commanding presence that was in all honesty, awe inspiring. [b] “I’ve been meaning to swing by sooner, but things have been a bit hectic.” [/b] Icon said nonchalantly. [b] “When I head about a speedster in Pacific Point, I wondered if you were one of the twins.”[/b] he explained. “Sorry to disappoint.” Slipstream said apologetically. [b] “Don’t be ridiculous. I heard about what you and Arachne did with the Hounds. You saved a lot of people. You’ve been doing good work from what I’ve seen. Keep it up.”[/b] Slipstream perked up for a moment as she listened to Icon’s praise, but then she remembered the victims that she couldn’t save at the Hounds’ secret base, and she lowered her head. “I’m sure that there are a bunch of people who would say the opposite.” She said meekly. [b] “Sorry?”[/b] Icon asked, not sure what she meant. “We were too late. I was too late. They had already killed a lot of the hostages. We weren’t in time.” Slipstream told him. [b] “That isn’t on you, that’s on the Hounds.”[/b] Icon said sternly. [b] “I’ll tell you something that someone told me once. It wasn’t something that I wanted to hear, and it didn’t make me feel any better at the time, but after thinking about it for awhile, I realized that he was right.”[/b] Icon paused for a moment before continuing. [b] “It doesn’t matter how fast or powerful you are, or how good you are at what you do. You can’t save everyone. But that should never stop you from trying.”[/b] “…” Slipstream was about to say something, but instead remained silent. [b] “You mourn the ones you couldn’t save, you honor them. But you have to move forward and do the best you can to save as many as possible.”[/b] Icon finished. Slipstream thought for a moment, and while he was right about it not making her feel any better, he was also right in the overall sentiment. She decided there that she would take his advice. She couldn’t change the past, but she would do whatever she could to save as many as she could going forward. “Thanks.” She said, and for the first time in days a smile began to form on her lips. [b] “Anytime. See you around….?”[/b] He paused, realizing that he had never gotten her name. “Slipstream.” She said. [b] “Alright. See you around Slipstream, I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing each other again soon.”[/b] He said before rocketing off into the skies. “See you around.” Slipstream said before taking leave herself. She couldn’t wait to get back to the apartment and tell Gemma and Izzy about what had just happened.