Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World

"You know why." Came the reply she released him from her hug. "Don't suppose you know anything about window repair? Or a story that is better than I was kidnapped by a super villain?"

"Because we're friends?" James asked. He had a suspicion he knew what she was getting at....but he didn't want to ruin anything between them by saying it. "Well uh....maybe you invited a friend over and things got out of hand?" he suggested.

"Yeah... I don't know if they will buy that." She replied sadly.

"Well then.....what do you think they will buy?" James asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, they'll go mad, Lauren how could you! This is all your fault! You've been running wild blah blah blah." She sighed exasperated. "Should buy and consume a box of suicide pills but knowing them they would still find a way to ground me for this."

"Yeah. And I'd be right behind them to wring your neck screaming 'How could you do this?' They'd probably kick me out of the wake," James said. "Obsessed fan? I mean come on, you've gotta have at least one that takes the fandom too far. Maybe hears messages in your songs about how you want them to take you away?"

"Why don't you come out, I can introduce you to them personally." Marcus called out and heard some more giggling. It seemed she listened and he heard footsteps, light and quick. He turned to the direction they came from and in his view was an young girl maybe nine, younger or older.

"Can I meet them now?" She asked, her face going a blue tint as the alleyway felt warmer.

James helped Lauren clean the house up a bit, making sure she was okay. Before he left, he made her promise to call her hourly for the rest of the night, just to make sure she was still okay. Now out of her house, James decided to head home. The carnival was over and more than likely Chris and Amy were done cleaning up........which he was supposed to help out on. Awww fuck me, Chris and Amy are gonna skin me alive! he thought.

Price of being a hero? Gestalt suggested.

No shit......and I'm still gonna be hunted by the cops, he thought again. Still walking on the street, he wondered about the dance tomorrow night and what life would throw at him to ruin that night.

Marcus stood their, his cloths were burnt and one of his snakes was a molten mess. "I thought you would be a little more fun." The girl said, herself she was stabbed a few times and missing an eye.

"Well, you had the advantage of being a little girl." He replied back, his mask was half broken and his face burnt as well. She smiled, her form had done well against the human but Dark.. She stopped thinking and aimed to end this now. With enhanced speed, she moved quickly towards Marcus a fireball lightened in her hand and a smile that should have fitted well with a psychopath. She connected her palm to his stomach, burning him but Marcus retaliated quickly by grabbing her arm and lifting it upwards, the fire traveling from his stomach, up his chest and passed his face made him scream in pain but as soon as her stream of fire was being sent into the sky he formed another tendril and sent it though her stomach.

James had moved to the rooftops, shifting on the way up and running home as he kept thinking about Lauren and how close he came to losing his friend. He got distracted though when he spotted a freaking geyser of fire two blocks to the right. Jesus! We need to check it out, he said, diverting to the fire. Arriving then at the edge of a rooftop, James gazed down into an alley to see two figures engaged in a fight....or at least locked together. "Shadow?" he called, thinking he recognized one of them.

Marcus focused on the tendril which soon wrapped around the girls body flung her against a wall. He then heard a familiar voice. He looked upwards to Rev, fire was spread around the alleyway and anyone could clearly see the burn marks, ripped clothes and that half his face was a scarred red all which would heal in time or at least as soon as Marcus found a very dark place. "Hey their. Rev meet What I could have become." As he said this the young girl who had many puncture wounds and a missing eye came forward with fireballs on each hand.

"Well, two against one is a little unfair." She said as she looked at the new arrival.

"What the fuck?" Revenant said, recoiling a little in shock. "Where do they keep coming from?"

The girl looked up at Rev. "We are like parasitic spirits made by the oldest Horseman of the apocalypse, Death. You could say we are reapers of the living." She explained to the new arrival and then turned to Marcus. "Well I would stay and finish the job but I can't go on against the two of you." And with that the girl screamed, releasing another stream of fire that took the appearance of a woman, it looked at the two before diving into the ground.

Marcus collapsed against the wall adjacent to the building that Rev stood on. "Thanks for coming, I guess you scared her off." Marcus said to him with a still demonic voice.

"Somehow, I doubt that," Revenant said before jumping down. Demons? Seriously, demons?

They say demons, I say interdimensional beings with minor reality and physic warping powers.

"Yea, Imagine me if Dark was in control, I think there's a chance you could be dead back then." He decided to say as Rev came down. "Got any questions." He said with a small crooked laugh.

"Aside from do you need any help?" Revenant suggested. "And as for killing me, good luck. I survived a freaking explosion, top that."

Marcus tried laughing again but instead a crooked sound came out. "I have survived many things, an explosion sounds like apples." Marcus tried to stand but didn't get far. "I.. could use some help to a dark area. Those Military bastards might come."

"Hercules? Don't count on it, they're busy with the Chemist right now," Revenant said, though he did help Shadow up. Firing a cable, he got them both to the roof of an apartment building, the scarce amount of light no doubt helpful.

"Thanks. Thats the second one they've sent. First one was much weaker." Marcus decided not to add that Dark was in control at the time, his wounds were starting to heal up a little bit. "Hey Rev. If something happens at a school dance tomorrow. Look after shifter. I should get going." Marcus started to babble his words, his eyes were closed and his voice was soft and soon he slept or rather he fell unconscious making his mask crack with nothing to control it.

"Wait what?" Revenant asked. "Oh.....fucking hell," he breathed. What do we do, leave him?

I wasn't aware we knew where he lived. So yes, we leave him.

Whoa, bit snippy there aren't we? James asked, before leaping off the roof and heading home.

You asked. Besides, you've been out long enough and I'd rather not have your guardian ask questions.

Bella had waited outside their place for a bit and once She felt it had been long enough she lifted off from her perch to fly back to where she left Shadow. Once she made it she looked at the alleyway where fire and blood stoked the ground and a girls body laid their. She lifted off and looked around the building tops until she saw him dozing off. Oh god, what happened here. She thought to herself as she landed next to him. He was badly burnt and Bella couldn't carry him. So she did the next best thing and fell asleep next to him to wait until he woke.

--October 31st, 6:30 pm--

"Really," Chris said, a stunned look on her face. "You're gonna go to the dance as that?" she asked, looking at James. He grinned beneath the makeup, the fake blood trailing from his lips and chin. "What?" he asked, still grinning. "Aren't zombies still cool?" For he was indeed dressed as a zombie, even going so far as to take full advantage of his missing limb to dress up the stump with some nice effects. Sighing, Chris said "Cool, maybe. But suitable for taking a girl to a dance? Not so much....."

For her part, Chris was dressed up as, surprisingly, Catwoman from the Nolan Batman films. She had her arms crossed disapprovingly, and said "James, just remember that whatever happens, you brought it on yourself." Nodding, he said "I know. But honestly, it's a costume dance party, and I've had one hell of a month. I need to unwind and have fun. I promise though, I'll make sure she has a good time."

Marcus was still on his bed back at Zeru's. Bella had dragged him here and now he lay with the lights turned off and the darkness dancing around him. His burns were healing slowly and he was sure to make a full recovery in a few days.

Bella had spent the day planning until she finally thought of something to wear. She opened the door and quickly closed it as the dancing shadows hid from the light. walking towards Marcus, her eyes adjusting to the darkness quite fast thanks to the mutation, she moved to his side. "How do I look?" She wore a black tank top and a matching skirt and leggings. The costume was her ability, atop her head were two cat like ears and a tail which it's starting point was hidden under the skirt. She had small whiskers and her eyes  that were a violet color and a few canines that were longer and sharper. If anyone asked she had a few excuses such as makeup and other things. Marcus looked at her and sighed, his sight also clear thanks to the demon or entity within.

"You know that your ears and tail could give you away right?" He said to her, his voice a little clearer.

"I know the risk but I feel  the need to release. It's like when I see a mouse, a part of me wants to chase it while the other wants to eat it and the small part called humanity says leave it." She said back to him as her tail moved side to side. She enjoyed the freedom of her animal charistics.

Michael came down the stairs, holding a camera, grinning a little as he said "Alright you two, I know your not going as each-other's dates but still, let me get a picture." Groaning, James said "Really man? Come on." Chris though grabbed James' other arm and dragged him over to a decent spot as Michael said "Hey I'm a father and my little girl is going to her first dance, along with her best friend who I think of as my own blood. So please, give me this." Sighing, James nodded andd stood still, smiling a little as Michael readied the camera. "Personally I'll be more excited when it's a regular dance and not a costume party. This is just like your sixth Halloween together," he muttered, to which both teenagers blushed. He took the pictures and, satisfied, waited for their third guest.

"Anyway," James said. "I still have no idea who your date is. When are thy coming?" Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Chris grinned and said "That's her now." James blinked and said "Her?" Deciding to let the next few minutes speak for her, Chris opened the door and there stood......Amy. Amy, their best friend of nearly six years. She stood there looking like that Disney princess from Frozen, the ice queen in her light blue gown and braided hair held in a tail. Despite looking like an ice queen though, the nervous but sincere smile on her face was war enough to thaw even the coldest winter ice. Both James and Michael stood there, stunned and (in James' case) on the verge of fainting. "A-Amy?" James sputtered. "You're.....wait, Chris is your......you and Chris.......uh, when did this happen?"

Chris blushed so intensely her cheeks could have lit a room, but despite her sudden nervousness, she was in no way embarrassed or ashamed. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you both but....Amy and I are dating," she said, standing next to Amy as she walked in. "Oh," Michael said. "Well....not entirely what I was expecting Chris but.....you won't see me complaining about it." That seemed to relax Chris a little, but her real worries were with James, her gaze now cast to him. Yes, he had always been supportive and accepting of Amy, but she was still nervous on how her best friend would see her now. Silence was between them for a few moments, before James shrugged and said "If you were expecting me to turn my back on my best friend, you're gonna be disappointed." They both smiled at eachother, and Chris hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she murmured.

Breaking off from the hug, James then said "So, Amy, I've never been one for fashion but I gotta say you really look amazing in that. Is that even a store bought costume?" Grinning, Amy did a small twirl and said "Nope, home made. So, we should probably get going to pick up your date.....provided you still have one."

"I guess I should go." Bella finally said as she moved to the door. Her hands on the handle when Marcus called out.

"If your date treats you wrong. I will kill him." Bella only laughed to that as she opened the door and walked out before closing it again. She made her way outside the blast doors and onto the street and made it a few more streets to wait. They weren't far from the school but her date said he would pick her up. Her plan was to find some friends and maybe ditch her date once they made it. If he asked she would just say she got lost in the abundance of people.

The trio left, all piling into the large minivan Amy's parents had rented. Everything seemed to be going well until they picked up James' date. Her name was Emilia, cute girl though as James quickly found out her appearance did not at all reflect the girl beneath. "Oh my god, what the hell?" she demanded of James as she opened the door. She was dressed as.....well, a princess. A vanilla princess, and somehow the look of disgust on her face seemed most appropriate. It was the kind James attributed to pompous royalty. "Why aren't you dressed like my prince charming?" she said as she looked over his zombie costume. "Oh my god, you're missing your arm!" she pointed out. James had to fight the urge to say 'Duh.' "It's part of the costume," he explained. "Come on, it's clever isn't it?"

"No," she stated as if she stated the obvious. Still, she walked out and seemed willing to bear the costume he wore. Then came the mini-van. "Where's the limo?" she asked. He scowled, thankful it was hidden beneath the makeup as he said "It's a Halloween costume party, not the prom. Emilia, this is all about having some fun." Fun though, did not seem to be on her mind. More like making an impression and having this be a night of romance. They got to the school in one piece (James under the impression Emilia was going to blow a gasket in the mini-van) and as they got out he helped the girls out......if only because he could do that at least for his date.

Bella waited for a bit, the guy that asked her was this jock fellow that got her new friends in the jealous mood and maybe the only reason she said yes. He arrived and was dressed as the predator from the aliens vs predator movie only worse looking. The trip itself was silent and as soon as they arrived Bella slipped away from the sports star and hunted for her friends.

Stella was already at the Halloween dance. Tucked in a corner, dressed as Lara Croft (2013 edition, complete with a real bow and not so real arrows with plunger tips) and armed with a fake toy gun, she was playing on her tablet, not really paying attention. She was waiting for people she knew...mostly Chris, Amy, and James.
She sighed softly, playing her game.

As the four of them walked to the gymnasium where the dance was being held, Chris and Amy drew a lot of stares, Amy holding Chris' arm as the latter guided them both to the double doors. James did his best to look happy, but Emilia, who clung to his left arm rather gingerly, must have been putting off some contagious 'pissed off' particles or something because while he wasn't angry, he was certainly feeling....sour. "Emilia, can we please just try and have a good time?" he asked, trying to save the night before she sank it. "Hmph," she said, though she managed to put on a smile so fake, James wondered how the botox was injected without anyone's knowledge.

Walking through the doors and into the spacious gym, James had to adjust his eyes to the room, lights mounted here and there flashing bright colors into his eyes. Immediately, before even asking, Emilia pulled him into the dance floor, obviously to dance and obviously much to his displeasure. The music wasn't really to Chris and Amy's tastes, so they decided to hang back. Chris spotted someone familiar, and walked the two of them over. "Hey Stella!" Chris shouted over the music.

Stella looked up. She smiled happily, standing. "Hey!" She moved to hug, then immediately drew back and stopped, and settled for a wave. "Nice to see you two...two..." she feigned surprise. "...so...I think I found a new crackship." The girl joked, then looked at Amy. "After you've danced this theif around...think the Queen of Arrendale could spare me a dance?"

"I don't know Stella," Amy said, blushing intensely as she clung to Chris. "We were kinda thinking of....well, keeping any dancing between ourselves for the night. It's our first dance and all."

James wasn't one of those people who had no idea how to dance. On the contrary, Kat and even Chris taught him how to dance a few times. The problem though, was that none of the styles dealt in any way with this music. This was just lyricless, club music meant for people to simply jump around in and move without any rhyme or reason. And it left him feeling.....self-conscious about looking silly. So he did his best to dance with Emilia but the sad truth was, he wasn't doing so well.

Stella held up her hands. "I don't want the first one...but okay." She smiled. "Make them jealous."

The music finally changed to something slower paced and Amy and Chris moved to dance. Both girls were visibly nervous, so many pairs of eyes upon them. But they looked into their partners' eyes instead, slowly moving in time to the music.

It wasn't looking so well for James though, since in his stupidity......he forgot his prosthetic arm, and he wasn't desperate enough to have Gestalt reform it for him. So he and Emilia had to dance, and in his case he had to slow dance one handed.

Stella watched with a smile, and started recording the dance.

Kyou Ishii, reluctantly there at the dance per her mom's instructions, walked over to the filming Stella, politely coughing as she said "So, is this how you get your rocks off?" It was a harmless joke really.

Eventually though, James and Emilia's dance took a turn for the worse. It appeared that she was the one, who couldn't dance and as she stepped on his foot, tripping him over he accidentally fell backward, his hand flailing out. That had the domino effect of the century, as his hand accidentally grabbed the dress of one of the other girls there, dressed like an anime character. As he went down, hand clenching in instinctive desperation, the dress was accidentally torn off.....revealing the girl's naked chest, save for the bra she wore. She screamed in shock and humiliation, while James lay on the floor in a stunned daze.

"It's their first dance. I want them to always remember it." Stella replied...then looked at the horrible domino effect. "Oh god."

Chris and Amy immediately turned their heads in the direction of the scream and when they saw James.....both girls immediately said "Well......shit."

"I'm sorry, it was an accident!" James blurted, standing up though closing his eyes, cheeks blushing so badly they could have burned off the makeup he wore. He held up the dress, still clutched in his hand before the girl yanked it away, red in the face and sobbing before she ran away to the bathrooms.

"Well then," Kyou said, "talk about a show stopper."

Stella ran after the girl, sliding in behind her.
"Hey! Are you okay?"

The girl sobbed a little as she got her dress back on. Thankfully, it hadn't been torn to the point she couldn't still wear it, though her hands gripped the side of the sink as she said "I'll be fine. It was.....was just an accident."

Chris and Amy immediately went over to James, who had all but fled and moved to one of the tables off to the side of the dance floor. "James," Chris said. "Come on, it wasn't that ba......okay who am I kidding, that was bad." Amy glared at her and said "Way to mitigate the damage..."

Stella put an arm on the girl's shoulder. "Hey. He meant nothing." She pats. "Need someone to keep you company?"

"No....no, I'll be fine. My boyfriend's here, I should be with him." She nodded her thanks to Stella, before leaving her in the bathroom.

James sat slumped at the table, clearly humiliated. Amy and Chris sat on either side of him, Amy saying "Okay, so it was bad but it wasn't your fault really. You tripped and fell down, grabbing her shirt was an accident right?" She hadn't seen what happened, so she was relying on James to fill in the gaps.

"Yeah," he said. "Doesn't make it any better."

Stella exited, and headed for James. "So...you guys okay?"

"As okay as can be expected," James muttered. As Chris rubbed his shoulder, someone walked over to the table, another girl that Amy recognized. "Hey Hayley," she said as the freckled redhead walked over. "Hey Amy, you look great," Hayley said, before looking at James and saying "Hey James, there's something you need to know." She sat down by Chris, and James looked at her, waiting. "Well.....uh, Emilia.....was sorta using you. You were her rebound guy, after she broke up with her boyfriend Marcus. I heard her talking about it in the bathroom last week, she said she wanted someone who was gonna make Marcus jealous."

Chris was about to stand up, but James held onto her. "Oh no Chris, her time will come. But first we must be patient."

Stella held her tablet up. "...want me to?"

"No no, not yet," Amy said, her eyes glinting. "She did this to our friend, so it's up to the three of us to do this."

Stella didn't budge.
"Well." She walked over, and held her hand out. "Since your date is a bitch and I'm alone, mind accompanying Lara Croft around?" She smiled.

James blinked.....then nodded, and took Stella's hand. Chris and Amy watched, glad actually, that their best friend's night wasn't entirely ruined.

Stella glanced at them with a smile. "Want to dance?" she asked James.

"I would love to," he said, holding her hand as he walked to the dance floor.

Lucy sat at the table by herself, a book open in front of her. She hadn't particularly wanted to come, but her home had made a big deal about it and sent her. There was a boy from the home that'd come with her, but she'd told him to leave her on her own. She'd dressed up, but she'd enjoyed that part. She'd painted her own face like a skeleton, picked out a black dress, and even found some tights and armwarmers to complete the look.