ANOMALY (The Elements)

a cracking, warm, fireplace. The fireplace's dancing flames and the whirling fan above were the only other noises that ran through the yo

rt teal hair looked up at he

is it,

etting them down on the TV tray next to his arm

the serious look on her father's face in confusion. "So, go to

way, Leena. I'm tired

She shook her head, losing interest immediately and beaming the bright loo

stand if he explained to her what he'd discovered; the new goal he had attained. She would never understand when he left her brother, mother

sted his hand on his daughter

ember me... even if you hate me. If you can remember

Vol. 1:

pte

nts, she had been communicating with what was apparently a god in her head; a god that promised her power. She had never sought power or anything t

word he spoke that dredged up memories buried in her mind yet always at the

ou another question?"

permit me to tell you," the somewhat-charming man's voice spoke back to her. She had known

is a coincidence, the word 'Excalibur' being said to her again? There was no way it was. She'd read about swords na

their little meet-and-greet was coming to a close, "good luck with what

er keen instinct told her that he meant something else entirely. She had absolutely no idea how to prepare for something like this. She h

y, she

Ea

th he

ll around her; she pressed her hand against the wall of the building she was standing beside

ped, "what is...

ng you've been imbued with the affinity of Solid. Things should come pretty n

repeated after him again,

you're in for a couple dozen surprises. Goodbye, Leena. Oh,

ands down her cold and numb thighs, then around her shirt. She gripped the fab

shirt and stretched out her arms to her sides as she tried to

eena hardly even noticed its appearance as she cast her arms out to her sides, accidentally throwing it through the air across the alleyway! She flinched and took a step ba

darting off like mad! Leena's eyes began to water up sadly as she dashe

ain. Her confusion was further tacked onto as she pulled on the chain, lifting the mace off the groun

aimed in disbelief. "This night is just getting crazier and craz

d upon her. A cat was there

alleyway. Streetlamps were on again and cars, while scarce, were speeding by on the road! She was back in

gasped, "I can

what you

g a step back! As she slid her foot across the ground, something amazing happened: a pillar of cement rose up between her

ith amazement at the shield she'd creat

she tried to pull her trident out from where it was stuck. She gl

eping her raised arm on her trident as she addressed he

ated, wondering what her a

ed aloud, sounding somewhat happy about this new r

ay from Alexis, dragging her mace along the ground as she did. Alexis's

ext move, "a hit from that would put me in rather bad condition. She doesn't seem

tough though her voice was clearly crackling and

taken care of her. Now...

t in a panic, "no... we'd only just met... I wanted to g

or the less disgusting option of join

ng up at Alexis with a disgusted look on her face, "I

ze with her resolute one. She was compelled to fini

aly, there will be no end to your battle until you have joined our r

eard cement bits clatter against the ground before her. Alexis slashed forward horizontally with her weapon, smashing the structure Leena had ina

is thought as she brought her trident out to her left side, completing her full swing,

t have been wrapped up in thought! Leena was a fast thinker in pressure-based situations, as

a plowed its way through her mind, "the thought of violence terrifie

ground and into the air above the two of them! Alexis took a step back and gazed up at it, while Leena fel

ilding to the right of them in the alleyway! Crumbled bricks collapsed from the structure's wound as th

ke, "Bravo. I'm sure that Babies R Us will

herself swe

orial with helpful narrat

ng the black trident that glistened in the moonlight out to her left in a combat stance

gged the mace's chain back toward her. She stared at Alexis with hurt eye

ime. Leena freaked, Alexis was really out for blood this time! Alexis twirled her trident around as she brought it over her h

ough!" Leena thought, trying to overcome her inner panic and come up

sense water vapor. She hadn't noticed it until now since she'd been focused on

her! Alexis turned and held up her trident horizontally to block, and luckily for her she did;

or Leena's weapons. From the knuckles extended long, curved, cat-claws that protruded when she cle

, while Sophie seemed to be grinning smugly. Unlike the awkward Leena, she was

realized her cowardly way of trying to kill her wasn't decisive enough

irl with the one eye that was visible from behind her long, layered hair,

very relieved to see her still in wo

t attack! She opened her palms, retracting her claws, and slammed both of her arms out in front of her as if she were banging against

took note of - and cast out her right hand before her! Her long hair flew out behind her as she created and shot back a spherical projectile of water to counter Sophie's fireb

r me to use effectively and we're sure to be causing a scene if we keep this

till clutching the chain of her weapon; their mysterious assailant was nowhere to be seen! Leena blinked a few times curiously, glancin

wkward silence. Sophie de-materialized her claws, showing off her leather gloves un

a bi

r the police sirens from a ways away, grinning as the sounds entered her ears. Since she was blind, she found great jo

ll be corrupted by their powers. I'll catch up on all

g manner. Yoshino felt a chill go down her spine; she hadn't heard this other girl approach. Not bein

ward to her female comrade. The other girl let out a sli

. I want to mess with t

ave planned?" Yoshino

aly really is. Also, I'm going to exact my revenge on

eason to get i

loner, a

g up and walking past her comrade

in the candy aisle as Sophie fished some bulk candy out of the plastic jars with tongs and placed them in a bag she g

na as she decided on which candy she wanted to collect next,

as much as you do, which is nothing. But we've ce

peaches. Her gaze pierced through the glass window of the corner store and across the street, s

asted in the bank's entrance. They took a glance in from afar as they headed back to the corner store, and almost the entire inte

fully gazing at the crime scene, "this is the wei

ughts, "So what do we do with these powers now? I

don't need them for anything. We aren't crooks like that bimbo from before and w

to give up so easily on the topic, "..

watched X-Men? We could be branded as freaks and have flaming bottles of vodka thrown at us.

sense," Leena sighed in defeat at her new friend's talk bringi

ag to load full of candy

would come give us a medal? I'm the rational th

She shifted her mouth from side to side, grumbling repeatedly as she thought, tapping her index finger impatien

w w

at if she comes

y shout out 'Sophie! I love you!' when I came to save you... but there's no wa

t her, "I did

to her mouth. As she did, Leena seemed to almost have a meltdown; since she lost her balance and shook the candy ra

Leena yelled, "you

s just a

deliver them, and then stock them on the shelves! They don't go through all that work just so you can SAMPLE them at your leisu

st look she could muster, ho

powers! Woooooh!" Sophie shouted at the upset and awkward Leena. Leena glared down at S

topped chewing and glared at Leena's back as she walked away from her; her shoul

ave no

urity ca

eriously," Sophie told Leena, trotting up next to her as she walked

hie, "I never told you I

ssumed because yo

to kick you

I kick y

ill w

e the man behind the register. She sighed deeply and with annoyance, arching he

ell and added up her total on the cash register after weigh

ing to Sophie with a freaked out look on her fa

more but you k

," Leena groaned, "what am

causing me problems. I've known you three hours and you're alread

went red, not even realizing what she had been doing. Sophie smir

you're up to. But I'm afraid I can't really be a replaceme

r for a second, then turned back to the cashier and gave him her debit card. She was always very d

hier guy told them, "somethin' big is goin' on outside since

le to see the flashing police lights out of the corner of her eye

r a second to regain her composure, "I

arms of the parked police cars around the crime scene. The two girls were considerably baffled; as the front end of the bank looked

he entranceway, ice spikes shot outward in random directions, engulfing all of the debris so that none of it had ever made it to the street. The sigh

coming wrapped up in the current scene, "...

ena's mouth and whispering forcefully to her, "don't mention

he grabbed Sophie's hand and pried it off of he

gasping Leena, whom was

go out of m

s girl, to Sophie, was that she was wearing a police officer's uniform! It was mostly blue and black, composed of a t-shirt, a miniskirt, and a hat. Her long hair hung d

dress this officer that apparently knew her,

ed police insignia displayed right in the center of it, sp

if to indicate she wanted an explanation. Leena noticed her shorter fr

ley from school. Hayley, this is S

ophie wondered as she

ilding, "the media is going crazy with it, we can't keep them away. I don't have much authority, since you kno

ed Hayley. Hayley clenched her fists tight as

one what I do know. Whatever is causing these phenomenons, I can't speak about it. The enti

s she had a habit of doing wh

t on campus, so Hayley was comfortable with sharing her thoughts with her. Hayley eyed Leena again, "w

r lip thoughtfully as she tried to recall it. Sophie

rce is never cited, just the fact that there are crime

nt, "this fact hasn't been reported on TV yet bu

thought, sighing as she relented

h caused Sophie to raise a curious eyebrow, "this bank robbery for instance... the safe has been broken into bu

a blurted out, "i

yley and a few other officers standing nearby eyed her suspiciously. She cla

I'd never r

o trace it because of stuff like this," Hayley continued, indicating the ice, "there

ly take anything?" Sophie summed up, sounding a

y said in a learned tone, "if word of this ever got out though, there would be widespread chao

what?" Le

e her answer, "Meaning the news is go

m witnessed a shocking robbery on the scene just this night at 10

eport reached his ears. He glanced up with slight interest, though it was hard to pull him away from his passion once he was captivated within

him as he saw the startling image on screen of the ice

rd to get a better look, "is this fo

number of culprits. This is the latest in a series of crimes but the first that we've

on her lap. The girl with lavish orange-brown hair that draped down to her mid-waist had her gaze fixated on the TV, looking rather bored

distinct tattoo written in Japanese on her bare rig

erate for attention... they should be reporting

to sprout outward in every direction from the bank's destroyed entrance. How such an unnatural ele

nnoyance out loud over the roar of her motorbike, knocking her hand against the side of

y leading into Tempest City. The Vietnamese girl's black hair flapped out wildly behind her, tapping relentlessl

't tell you anything even if we wanted to, we've been sworn to silence by higher-u

de by the chief of poli

ched between her arms against her chest. She blew some of her long, black bangs out of her eyes as she gazed up at t

. but the way it was pulled off! It would be so awesome t

th odd white-and-black colored hair glanced up at the television screen from behind the sunglasses he was wearing. He sto

old Axel Moskau muttered to himself

s some kind of new weapon that has been developed underground is the cause. H

large office muttered after he heard t

owers in Tempest City while he waited for his sister to get ready to leave. He had short light brown hair with sideburns and was weari

they ever

y show themselves. For more on Eclipse, visit our website and refer to last month's kidnapping i

ed aloud, "crazy ice, there's no way a weapon made that. That technology is i

es up the bridge of his nose and immediately opened a new tab in his Firefox browser on his computer, going to try his hardest t

know about this...

rand new continent of Colonia is very upsetting to many of us; including myself. I want my children to be able

nding and watching the report with his arms crossed in the APS

eporter was able to find ou

r, "I think we should suggest to Alex that we find out who

t in the field. If we find anything else, we'll report it immediately to you:

visiting. Her red hair fell down over the edge of the counter as she sat at the bar, a half empty glass

r that night, her normally cold eyes wate

agged the mace's chain back toward her. She stared at Alexis with hurt ey

k in one gulp, "when was the last time my eyes looked like that...? How long h

her, completely lost in herself. The bartender eyed her, wondering if she was going to pass out, though he foun

not even needing to look at the bartender to realize wh

h, sorry

om the rack behind him. She continued to sit there, motionless, until she heard her cell phone ring. She flipped it off

ha

ou kill

yes.

ng as usual. Citizens of Tempest City, I have only one thing left to say.