[h1][b][i][color=A2797E][center]Sabine Bassard[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h1][center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/78a234eb0678e0555274d0ee1dc545f2/56a3e97ae35aa196-fe/s540x810/68beb5c8bf4eb487e7e396ed3aa8ef4ccf8709cd.gifv[/img][/center][center][/center][hr][center][color=A2797E][b]Location[/b][/color]: Contest of Champions -> Medbay
[color=A2797E][b]Gear[/b][/color]: N/A
[color=A2797E][b]Skills[/b][/color]: N/A
[/center]
[hr][hr]

What makes a hero?

This had been a question Sabine asked when she started attending Avengers Academy. When she first got here, she was unsure if she even met the basic criteria of a hero. She had been shown by others that her powers made her inherently untrustworthy. She had been accused and blamed for a multitude of things outside of her control and generally kept at arm's length, even before her powers manifested. So when she came, she intended to be the villain everyone painted her as.

And then she met some good people. People who showed her that she could be more than what society deems her as. More than the struggles she faces every day she wakes up. More than the depression, the anxiety, the trauma, all of it combined. 

Perhaps a hero is someone who helps others. Or it is someone who knows the difference between right and wrong. Someone who will stand up and say "this is wrong" even when everyone else around them is encouraging them to do it anyway. Wasn't history filled with people who spoke up, who walked against the grain, who ran back into the fire while everyone else ran away?

She wasn't a hero. Not yet, anyway. But she wanted to be. And that meant she needed to take a stand.

The Entity was still in front of them, her at the ready when there was a moment, however briefly, the Entity intended to do Danni harm. The Young Avengers seemed equally taken aback. [color=A2797E][i]"They don't know what's happening either,"[/i][/color] she thought to herself. There was no ill will. They were their opponents, not their enemies. And they were reeling from this just as much. She noted Hulkling was especially worried. Her anger subsided. 

Danni had gone to help Dorian and Wiccan, and she needed to let him. As much as she wanted to rush forth to help, she needed to wait, to see how this played out. 

And then she felt movement beside her. Leah walked up, speaking to her and April in a low voice. Convenient? No, this was more. It didn't take a midn reader to see this situation was beyond anyone's scope. The competition was over as far as Sabine was concerned. Both sides had done some significant damage, significantly. 

But then Leah attacked. Sabine couldn't stop her as she saw the chunk of rock fly towards America, who, upon impact, looked shocked. [color=A2797E]"Leah, no! What the fuck are you doing?!?"[/color] And then she wanted things to continue. For the fight to resume as if there wasn't some cosmic being that took over two of their friends, with another locked in some ethereal battle within. Even Vicky was getting in on it, sending her a thought about getting back into the battle.

Now was not the time.

Sabine shook her head in utter disbelief. She hadn't even seen the Entity move, flying towards the sky as it spoke and shattered. Danni looked worse for wear, and  Dorian and Wiccan both backed. But the others wanted to continue.

The Young Avengers didn't seem like they wanted to fight anymore, but they resumed despite this. Sabine was winded a bit from being sucker-punched by America before as well as whatever distortion happened with Hulkling, as she was sent flying back from Cassie's pull on the battlefield. She stood up, feeling broken and battered. She was upset, but more than that.

She was pissed.

[color=A2797E]"What is wrong with you all? The competition does not matter this much. Look around you? Everyone is at varying stages of trauma or despair. Some cosmic being formed by the two of them just exploded, and who knows how they are handling it, and you want to continue? Nothing is worth this. This is not how heroes act. If you all want to keep battering people at their lowest, be my guest. I won't do it."[/color]

She stepped forward. She thought of her friends, her teachers, Vision, and Max. How would they react to what she was about to do?

[color=A2797E]"I abstain."[/color]

[hr]

After the words left her, she felt herself being transported, and she wound up in the medbay. She felt a little woozy, but gentle hands helped her to a nearby bed. The same people who took care of her last time started working on her. She looked around and saw Kate and Tommy nestled together, watching the fight. She saw Percy on the other side with a medical professional performing breathing exercises with him. Danni was there too, being worked on. 

She rested finally, allowing herself to be healed. Whatever happens next, she was proud of herself, at least. She hoped someone else would be too.