Hey guys! Hope you all are doing well! I'm going to be writing this new story for two reasons.

1: I've had to cut ties with the story I'd adopted, due to personal reasons. This is to help me cope with the loss.

2: This is an idea I've had buzzing around in my head for a while. This is a completely separate story from Brick Walls with a completely different character; if you like, you can imagine that this happened before Marshall's arrival.

Hope you all enjoy this new story!

I rushed through the streets of Seattle, rain pelting down onto me from above. My hoodie was doing very little to keep me dry, but that was the least of my worries.

What was really worrying me was the battalion of DUP behind me.

I continued to run as the APCs advanced, each of them full of soldiers who would happily beat me down in the name of 'public safety'.

"Bio-Terrorist! You are to cease and desist immediately!" A soldier in the lead APC ordered.

"Not likely!" I yelled back, ducking into an alley too narrow for them to follow. The APCs ground to a halt in front of the alley as I continued to run, the armed men inside now pouring out and giving chase on foot. I glanced back as several used their concrete powers to try and follow me from the rooftops.

I knew they were attempting to corner me; unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do as I came face-to-wall with a dead end. The DUP quickly formed a perimeter around me as I turned back and looked at them.

I closed my eyes for a moment as I pictured everyone who'd sacrificed everything to protect me - my father, locked up tight in the DUP's hands. My best friend, comatose in the hospital from protecting me from an angry mob. And my little sister... dead by the hands of the DUP, killed as she tried to stop my arrest.

I screamed in rage, my element swirling around me. I wasn't going to run anymore, I decided as I stared them down. I was going to fight to my last breath for what they'd done to me.

I leapt forward, attacking the closest soldier. The blow sent him staggering back as his visor cracked, his gun dropping as he lashed out at me. I sidestepped, then leapt onto him, knocking him onto his back and beginning to throttle him.

Seconds later, my world was full of pain as the rest riddled me with bullets, then filled with numb darkness as I fell to the ground.

I jerked upright, glancing around. The alley was completely empty, aside from a bunch of trash cans and dumpsters. I glanced down at myself, taking note of my undamaged body; wasn't I dying just a second ago?

Something else caught my eye; raising my hand, I stared in shock at the black fur covering my hand - which now looked more like a paw than a hand.

Scrambling over to a nearby puddle, I stared at my reflection in disbelief.

My eyes were a bright shade of green now, surrounded by more black fur. My mouth and nose had lengthened into a muzzle; my teeth had sharpened into those of a predator.

I sat back and stared up at the sky; what in the hell happened to me?

A sudden wave of energy washed over me, forcing me onto my back. Out on the street, just down the alley, people began to scream.

Okay guys, that's it for now! This was mostly to set up the story to follow.

And now, a way for you guys to get involved! I'm having a hard time deciding what sort of element our Conduit friend will have; so, if you like, you can post a possible element in the reviews! I will pick either the element with the most votes, or an original element I find extremely compelling!

Here's the list of potential powers:

Fire

Water

Ice

Heat

Metal

Stone

Other (create your own!)