Chapter 1: Welcome to the New World

He slowly danced with Stella, though the way he began rubbernecking would no doubt send off some signals to her.

Chris and Amy sat together at the table, both sighing. "So," Amy said, "while we're having a good time, James is being toyed with. It's okay I fee guilty, right?" Chris gave her a coy look and said "I'd be worried if you weren't. But he seems fine now." Looking at him and Stella, she gave it some thought and said "Maybe....our next dance should be with him? The Three Brooklyneers sharing a dance." She smiled faintly, and Amy couldn't help but return it. "That....sounds like something we should do."

Bella spent most of the night hanging with a few friends. As of now she sat alone as her friends all had their dates and were dancing so while alone, Bella resided to patting her tail that had curled around her waist like a belt after someone tried pulling on it. She had seen what the one armed zombie did and had to laugh but also felt sorry for the poor girl, it was accidental and all but she would have been shaken. Bella watched the zombie with interest, mainly because he had a smell that she could remember from somewhere and saw he two girls check on him so to cure her burden of sitting though the rest of night she walked over the the two sitting girls.

As soon as she made it she leaned over a bit, her tail uncurling from the belt and curling around her leg now. "Hows your friend. The one armed zombie?" She asked them. It was something and maybe she could learn a little more about his arm. She didn't know anyone who was missing an arm.

Both girls immediately shook in surprise, the arrival of the new girl catching them off guard. "Whoa uh.....he's okay," Chris said. "Who are you?" Amy asked.

Bella slightly grinned to the shocked faces, holding back a laugh. "Sorry, I'm Bella. I'm a bit new here but wasn't aware we had a fellow student with a missing arm. It's pretty cool but must be a bit of a bother for him." Bella answered to them while looking at the zombie, her tail uncurled from her leg and moved around her waist again, Bella found this to be a little more comfortable.

"Well.....he has a prosthesis," Chris said. "It's a pretty good one too, but he chose not to use it tonight."

"Arr for the zombie effect. Thats smart. I'm sorry to bother you two, I just wanted to ask if he was okay after ripping that girls shirt by accident. Still I would watch his back because I thought that girl was like one of Cynthia the demons friends." Bella said to them as she looked around for said person, what she would give to be in a ball pit with her alone and for a whole day.

Both girls traded a brief look, wondering then if Bella was......okay. "Uh......alright then," Amy said carefully, not wanting to say anything that may set this girl off. "Well enjoy the night."

"I'm sorry, enjoy your night." Bella guess she startled them a little too much and walked away. Returning to her old spot of boredom.

Stella went slow for him.
"...sorry your dance was...messed up...wait no..." she blushed. "...are you enjoying yourself again?"

"Sorta," James said. He stopped looking around, giving Stella a guilty smile. "Sorry, I just thought that.....well, that a friend of mine would be here."

Stella danced him back to Chris.
"Hopefully your friend shows up."

"Yeah, hopefully," James said. Chris and Amy stood up, Chris giving Amy a small glance. "Amy.....mind if I.....?" she asked, her eyes flicking to James. Amy immediately got the idea and nodded. Chris then moved to James, holding out her hand. "Come on, maybe they'll play Thriller," she said, smiling. He smiled back, some confidence returning to him as he took her hand. As for Amy, she said to Stella "Care to give a girl a quick dance?"

Stella smiled happily.
"...care to let the dance be not so quick?" She asked. "Because...Its not every day a Queen asks for a dance." She grinned teasingly at Amy.

Smiling faintly, Amy nodded. She took hold of Stella, guiding her to the dance floor. The music took on a faster pace and it was reflected in those that danced. James smiled broadly as he and Chris danced, their dance much like the times they'd have fun when they were younger.

Amy twirled around during the dance, her dress spreading out at the hem as she moved in time to the music.

Stella kept up with Amy, her smile bright. She was having fun. She really was.


Then Jake stepped in dressed as Tai from Digimon, complete with an Agumon toy on his shoulder. He walked in and found a seat, watching.

"An anime character?" Kyou said from behind Jake, sneaking up on him. "Well, certainly a first for the night."

Jake looked up, then shrugged. "I don't like mainstream."

"Well, kudos for the balls," Kyou said, smirking slightly. "So far that's you and the zombie boy over there. Maybe this school isn't so bad after all...."

"Heh, I guess...I'm Jake by the way. You?"

"Kyou Ishii," she said, not sitting down as she watched everyone. "Transfer student. Nice to meet you Jake."

"Heh." Jake leaned back. Glad to have you

Shrugging, Kyou said "Don't get comfortable, I don't always stay in one space for long." Then she casually walked away, wishing she was back out stealing something.

Well, stealing something worth more than a few cellphones.

Jake grabbed her arm.
"Good thing I'm used to chasing." He grinned.

As the song came to a close, Stella hugged Amy, then kissed her cheek. "...thank you for the dance. You made my night."

Kyou moved like water, grabbing Jake at the wrist and twisting him off and holding his arm at a painful angle. "Yeah let me get this out off the way: I don't get touched unless I want to. Remember that." She let him go and walked away.

Amy blushed, but said "Hey, I can't be the only girl to have a good night. But just this once, or else Chris will probably put you through a wall." She smiled though, and went to James and Chris, who had stopped dancing as she came over. "So.....here we all are," she said, grinning a little. "Three friends," Chris said plainly. "No......no, the Three Brooklyneers," James said with a smile. The night wasn't going quite how James expected it to....but then again, looking at his two best friends, the three of them together like this, it more than made up for the crappy date.

----Nexus Industries, Governors Island New York----

"Was the agent successful?" one of the Partners asked, their shadowed form one of several spread out on the screen. "According to our.....illustrious commander," one of the other members said, "they were indeed successful. The formula for Markov's 'Beserker' compound was recovered, along with the hard-drives containing his notes. We can begin small scale production soon and distribute to the usual gangs." Waving his hand in the air, the Chairman passed over the report that was on his own screen. "What about Hercules? We can't have Draco take advantage of them if they're still operating."

"The usual," a female Partner said. "PR campaign to discredit them. Considering how little luck they've had catching these vigilantes, that won't be difficult. The real problem is ODIN." One of the Partners nodded and said "They've been getting nosier. And they seem too on the ball of where to look. I was under the impression all the leaks contained." The Chairman grunted, and said "Clearly....we missed one."

---ODIN Safehouse---

Anthony DeMarco wasn't happy about this. His job had at first sounded simple enough: guard the asset, keep them secured, and generally keep them from blowing their own cover. Sadly though the asset......was anything but compliant. Especially as she glared down her own screen, in a shouting match with his boss. "NO YOU LISTEN TO ME SHIT FOR BRAINS," she shouted, pointing her finger at the middle aged guy on the screen. "THE DEAL CHANGED WHEN I FOUND OUT MY BROTHER, HAS BEEN BONDED TO ALIEN TECH AND IS RUNNING AROUND GETTING IN FIST FIGHTS WITH ASSHOLES WORTHY OF BEING COMIC-BOOK VILLAINS. IF YOU WANT ME TO SO MUCH AS EVEN GIVE YOU DATING ADVICE, YOU ARE GONNA LET ME HAVE MY DAY OUT OF THIS HOLE....." And Katherine 'Kat' Connor, very much alive and clearly pissed off leaned forward, the screen's backlights illuminating her face. "And let me talk to my brother, James."