[center][color=darkgreen][i]...stay cool. stay cool stay cool keep it together please not now keep it together keep it together keepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogether no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO NO [b]NONONONONONONONONONOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGH[/b][/i][/color] [img]https://media0.giphy.com/media/iF3M9gPPCdulq/giphy.gif[/img][/center] [hr] [h2][u]September 9th, 20XX[/u][/h2] Nee York City Hall [hr] The soft, staccato sound of hardened italian leather on particle board heralded the movement of a man in a sharply cut three piece suit. His hair showed signs of being routinely and meticulously cut, but whatever serious edge it had once held was greatly diminished by a rapidly receding hairline. A clean shaven jaw nearly bumped the microphone, causing it to release a discordant cry into the speakers for a moment. With that sound, the crowd fell silent. “Ladies and gentlemen, friends, citizens of New York,” Norman Osborn began, his voice lacking its usual gusto, “We… ” His fist curled to his throat, holding there a moment as he steeled himself. Beneath the podium, Norman’s left hand clenched tightly. “We have suffered a grave blow- a blow that… even I am unable to comprehend, here today. A tragic loss of so many of the people of [i]our city[/i]. Some of our best and brightest, cut down by this heinous act.” A short, sputtering cough forced its way past Mayor Osborn’s lips, who turned his head to avoid sending it into the microphone. As he attempted to regain his train of thought, those near the stage could see a glassy look come to his eye. The clicking of heels echoed against the stage before a gentle hand placed itself on his shoulder, a woman’s voice whispering softly in his ear, “Sir, are you alright? Perhaps I should take over from here?” Miss Lin Choi looked to her employer, concern etched lightly on her features as almond shaped chestnut eyes gazed into Osborn’s glassy ones from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses sitting at the bridge of her nose. She was trying her best to keep her composure, there was no need to cause a panic but the worry for her boss was winning out over her usual stoic expression. She had been worried of this exact situation happening which is why she had pleaded with him earlier to simply attended the event and that would be enough but he had insisted that a speech had to be made and he would be the one to do so, that it was his duty to the people. “Yes, that would be prudent,” Norman replied quietly, away from the microphone, allowing himself to be helped off the stage. Lin stepped up to the podium, adjusting her glasses into place and tucked a small strand of ebony hair behind her ear that had come loose from the neat bun on her head. She took a moment to straighten out the gray suit jacket she wore and brushed the matching pencil skirt before addressing the crowd. “As Mr.Osborn has stated, a horrible travesty has befallen our great city and effected so many lives, from those that have been lost and to those that stand here with us today. We honor the memories of each individual that has passed and will make sure they are never forgotten by engraving each name into a monument that will be erected in due time. For now, the police force who are diligently working to find those responsible for this heinous crime wish to do more then leave you with the promise of justice. Each amazing officer has relinquished a portion of their pensions to fund a luncheon this afternoon for all individuals who have suffered and been affected by these recent events. “Many of us may feel lost, wondering what we can do and if there is anyone that truly understands, but remember this....we stand together today, which shows we are not alone. We stand together today to prove that we will not be afraid. We stand together to show what we believe in. We stand together as one people and this city will continue to stand strong in the face of danger, no matter the cause.” It was a good enough speech, for some. Wholly inadequate for others. While it was appreciated that something was being done to find out the cause of the attacks, many in the crowd were not pleased at the lack of progress. Marcus shuffles in the crowd, wondering if he could find a way to extricate himself from the event, when suddenly, a massive weight seemed to crash down on him. Something in his heart, his mind, a presence that couldn’t be ignored. Unbeknownst to him, others in the crowd would start feeling the same thing- an inexorable feeling of dread, a warning klaxon in their heads screaming [color=red][h2]D A N G E R[/h2][/color] Then… it started small. A rumble beneath the feet of the assembled crowd. Then another, larger than before. Then they started to hear it- a boom. The screech of twisted metal. A roar of flame. An inhuman bellow of [i]rage.[/i] Coming from just out of sight. An explosion of smoke and flame erupted, now close enough to see, and the damage was done- the crowd began to panic, dispersing frantically, trying to escape this new threat before something else started to hurt or kill them. All except for a few. Thirteen, to be specific, who held their ground; not out of any particular duty, but out of the remnant of the feeling of dread that had floored them before. And should they look around, they’d see it. Feel it. A connection had been made, between strangers whose only previous commonality was survival. They knew something was starting, from this moment on. Something big. What they did from there, though… that was up to them. For Marcus, the choice was simpler than he’d expected. He didn’t know what, if anything, he’d be capable of against… whatever this was. But he did know he was sick of being just a bystander while his city seemed to burn down around him. With surprisingly little hesitation, he charged toward the source of the explosions. He’d come up with something to do when he got there. [hr] [color=gray][i]what will you do now? what story will you tell?[/i][/color]