p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The day had been far too long and far too short at the same time. Too long because Annie's classes had no point, but too short since she did not wish to leave. Annie had many reasons for not wanting to move to New York City. Namely because of how much she had already done in and for Seattle./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, Ann, you gonna do a last check?" Harper asked, putting their hood on over their red hair./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, some black hair getting in her face, "No, last night was the last time I run around here, my parents said we're leaving asap."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Damn, that sucks. I'm heading home with you then," Harper replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both of them walked along the rainy Seattle streets. The sky was cloudy and the water drizzled down. Annie had taken off her hoodie that day, wanting to feel the rain for the last time for what would probably be awhile. Maybe people would be relieved to go somewhere with less rain, but the drops that varied from ice cold to a humid warm had been something so familiar to the dark haired girl./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Two years of Annie's life had been spent attempting to use her powers to keep Seattle somewhat safe. It had taken what felt like forever for her to realize that she could use her powers. Better yet, that she could use her powers in order to become loved. After a few years of haphazardly keeping energy and electricity manipulation under wraps, Annie felt like she was just wasting her time. What was the point of having any kind of ability if she wasn't going out and using it?/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"On top of the normal horrors of puberty, the seemingly normal girl found out that she wasn't as normal as anyone could have originally thought. The powers essentially making her turn into a literal physics problem and that was putting it lightly. Physics was the one subject that simply didn't make any sense. Hence the reason as to why Annie hadn't exactly hit the national headlines. Then again, it just felt like crime was heavily packed over in New York City, but maybe that was just because of the Avengers./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Harper had been there as Annie first figured out her powers. The whole ordeal was a complete accident, of course no one purposely attempts to electrocute their friends. She just let herself absorb the electricity of a street lamp, but put no thought into it. If it hadn't been for Harper pointing it out and quickly moving to the side when Annie went to poke them. Both teens knew that something was wrong and quickly discovered just how abnormal Annie actually was./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"It was also the same ginger who helped Annie come up with a hero identity. Which incidentally was Annie's favorite restaurant in the whole city. What more could she say other than that she completely panicked when asked for her name? It wasn't like she could afford to use her real name. If Annie had learned anything from other heroes around the country, it was to try and keep who she was a secret at almost all costs./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, at least you'll have Broadway, and tall buildings, ooooh, and the Tony Stark. Maybe you could talk to him about becoming an Avenger," said Harper, giving Annie a playful nudge as their shoes splashed through a shallow puddle./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie laughed, rolling her dark brown eyes, "Oh, please, I really doubt that Iron Man has time to cater to a teenager."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They continued to talk about what could happen in New York. Both did their best to sound excited, though they fell into silence rather quickly. Life just wouldn't be the same without Harper there to give some makeshift advice and Annie gliding from buildings in the rain. Not to mention her performance school that had taught her so much about being in musicals. The same school that Annie had managed to practically take over when it came to the sopranos in the theater and choir departments./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"Being the White Swan wouldn't happen again until Annie moved. Even then, how could she do anything without knowing the area? It would probably be weeks before she could be any form of use. Maybe talking to Iron Man would be her best bet. Though that felt more like she was giving up too soon. New York could be easier to navigate than she thought, but that was probably wishful thinking. Either way she would be damned if she didn't attempt to navigate the Queens area on her own./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"The rain continued to drizzle, unconsciously mirroring the feelings both Annie and Harper seemed to hold back for each other's sake. Crying wouldn't keep Annie in Seattle and it wouldn't let her take Harper to New York either. They had to stop in front of a rather tall apartment building, and Annie's feet felt stuck to the cement. Although going inside would have been a good idea seeing her now drenched shirt and soaked hair. It looked as black as night and was probably a tangled rats nest. Still, she wasn't in a rush to go inside and get her suitcase./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So… I guess it'll be awhile before I see you," Harper murmured, shattering the silence./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, hugging her damp friend, "Yeah, but I'll call when I land…"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And just about every day after," Harper finished./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Right," Annie said just before a car horn honked, "Ah crap, it looks like I gotta go. I'll miss you, Harper," she added, waving at her ginger friend before rushing to the apartment to grab her remaining things./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting to New York was rather uneventful. Normally, Annie would be energized with all the travel in the air. The particular smell that airports had ended up intoxicating her. This time, she just wanted to be left alone. Still, airports and parents were never known for giving privacy./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ordinarily shoving headphones into Annie's ears made it clear that she wasn't about to start talking to anyone, but this time it felt like all her parents wanted to do was talk to her. As if talking about it would make them understand why she didn't want to leave. Sure, she was going to miss Harper, but that was bearable. Leaving the city she had been protecting , however, made it feel like she was just walking out on a job without a two weeks' notice./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You know that school has a theater program," her father said, purposely being loud enough to speak over her music./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie paused her music, "But it's a science school, the theater program is gonna be mediocre at best."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And maybe it's better you focused on science instead of acting, Annika, you know it's impractical," the balding man replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She shook her head, "I'm not interested in that though, I want to act or write. Is having impractical goals such a terrible thing?"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now, Ann, that's not what your father said. What he means is that this change will be good for you," her mother explained, attempting to stop an argument from ensuing in the middle of the SEATAC airport./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a sigh, tucking her dark, tangly hair behind her ear, "It might be good for you, but that doesn't mean it is for me."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now you're just being overdramatic. You'll have friends in no time, and you'll be just fine in the drama department," her father concluded./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The conversation was finished, Annie couldn't argue anything. All of her points were about theater and being White Swan. One of them her father believed to be impractical and the other would start far too much drama for it being early evening in an airport terminal./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After what felt like forever, which was actually halfway through the first act of RENT and twenty pages of a beaten up copy of The Phantom of the Opera, Annie had finally been boarded onto a nonstop flight to JFK. Flight attendants walked up and down the airplane's aisle, telling people to keep their trays up or for them to store carry-ons into the overhead bin. They were giving some kind of rundown about emergency exits on the off chance the airplane decided to drop out of the sky./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Before she knew it, the plane was circling Seattle, going higher and higher. Raindrops raced down the window as Annie looked at the Space Needle, seeing the sun start to set. The landmark got farther and farther from her until Annie could no longer tell what building was what./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The flight felt longer than anything else. Jumping up three time zones didn't help her either. It was well past dark when the plane landed. Nevertheless, JFK airport had her feeling like she was packed in a can of sardines. All Annie wanted was to get into the new apartment and crash on the floor./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" A taxi picked up Annie and her parents. It was true, the city really never slept. That was evident with the amount of traffic in the middle of the night. While it wasn't backed up, it was enough for her to wonder what everyone was doing. So many questions circulated around Annie's mind as her dad opened the door to the new apartment./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Since her parents went straight to bed, Annie didn't have much time to memorize the details of the place. Instead she went into the bathroom to call Harper. There wasn't much to say aside from the fact that she was alive. If nothing else, it would be Saturday, meaning Annie wouldn't have to worry about getting to school on time. Not that she looked forward to going to a school that she doubted would ever take fine arts seriously. Still, none of those concerns stopped Annie from passing out on the ground of what was meant to be her room at four in the morning./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After getting a whopping four hours of sleep, Annie woke up to sounds of traffic. It was simply blaring in the streets to the point it drove her crazy. Can't we save the honking for later? she wondered. Sluggishly, the girl walked around the new apartment, finding a place different from what she noticed in the middle of the night./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Though the setup of the apartment wasn't exactly what Annie worried about. Instead she could hear and feel a grumbling in her stomach. It was a reminder that the last time she had eaten was lunch the day before. Then she realized that the fridge was completely empty, meaning either she waited for her parents to do something about it or she was going to run off and do some exploring for food./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Looking at the clock, she decided that going out to find food was her best option. Her parents probably would've just told her to go out and find food anyhow. So she dug through her suitcase and threw on jeans and a hoodie. If she was going to go out and explore, she was at least going to try to not look like some sort of hobo. At least, that was what she claimed as she brushed through her wavy hair and stared at her tanned reflection in the mirror. It was time to forage for food in a completely different city which she knew nothing about./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, mom, I'm gonna go out and get some breakfast," Annie said quietly, not wanting to wake either of her parents./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Her mother groaned in response as Annie left the apartment. The streets were louder than they were inside and the buildings seemed to crowd around her. How anyone could find this much overcrowding normal, she had no clue. Sure, traffic happened in Seattle, but the place wasn't nearly so claustrophobic. There was a completely different energy about the city and she could practically feel it. Her powers felt like they had been turned up, energy almost everywhere she moved to. It was practically insanity. Annie had no clue what to make of the situation./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It took walking a few blocks before Annie found a small bakery. She got some coffee and a muffin. As she waited, she messaged Harper, a mischievous grin on her face, knowing that it was around five or six in the morning back home. After around five minutes, she got what she ordered and left the bakery. The only problem was she couldn't remember where to go. Hell, she didn't even remember what her address was. All the tall buildings looked so similar and she'd forgotten to look at the street signs. The morning was clearly going splendidly./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" How was she supposed to go about asking for help? As if anyone could help Annie in the first place. She was looking for an apartment building in a city that she knew nothing about. It didn't help that both of her parents were ignoring her texts. Maybe they weren't awake, but that didn't make the sudden ghosting any less inconvenient./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Resigning herself to defeat, Annie went back to the bakery and sat at one of the tables. If nothing else, it beat waiting out on the sidewalk where there appeared to be a few shady-looking people. Not even one day and she was already clueless. Being the White Swan would have to wait. At least until she figured out where she was going./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang as the door opened, and Annie heard someone walk in. She couldn't help but listen in on the exchange that was going on behind her. Though she didn't look behind her, she didn't want to seem like a stalker./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Good to see you, Ned, your usual I assume?" asked the lady at the counter./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, that and some green tea," responded who she could only assume was Ned./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie looked over to see who Ned was, faking that she needed to pop ber back. He looked about her age. If she grew a pair, she could ask him for help. Oh, but I'll probably just end up bothering the guy. she thought to herself, running a hand through her hair. That was when the one thing she hadn't expected to happen happened, Ned started to talk to her. Had she done something wrong? Was he some kind of mind reader and just knew that she was hopeless./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, do you mind if I sit here? My friend'll be here soon. Sorry, there's not much space," Ned said, nodding to the chairs./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, "Um, yeah, that's cool," she replied, checking her phone again, hoping to all the powers that she could pray to that her parents would just send an address./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Have you been here before?" asked Ned, sitting across from her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, "Can't say that I have."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang again and Annie jumped a little. She looked over, seeing another guy and he walked over. As the guy approached her and Ned, she assumed this guy was probably the friend Ned had mentioned. He was kind of cute in a geeky type of way. If the situation had been just a bit less humiliating then she may have taken more time to stare./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, Ned you won't believe what happened last night-" the guy got cut off by Ned as he pulled out a chair and quickly sat down./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Look at the person I met!" exclaimed Ned, gesturing to Annie./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie smiled a bit and gave a small wave, "Um… hi, I'm Annie."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was a long, awkward pause between the three teens. It was clear that was when Annie was supposed to leave, and it was painfully obvious that what the other guy wanted to talk about was private. Looking at both of the guys, it was either about video games or getting laid, she was positive, maybe even both. That was what most guys talked about, or that was what she had noticed whenever she was around guys for a little bit too long./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, right, I'm Peter by the way," the guy added, giving Annie another chance to leave./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie still didn't get up to leave, though she knew she should have. At the same time, she wasn't about to make herself even more lost. Maybe if she said something they could help her. Still, she didn't want to bother them more than she already was. Though the time for her to leave without it being weird had passed approximately fifteen seconds before./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Are you new?" Ned asked./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, actually, I moved in last night, well, this morning actually," Annie replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She finally saw a chance open up for her, "Um… about that whole being new thing, I don't know where my apartment is."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both guys looked as if they were concerned, but also as though they were trying to not laugh at the same time. She couldn't blame them, it was easily the dumbest thing she had admitted to. Who didn't at least know the address to their home? A part of her just wished she could wake up and find out the whole experience had been some sort of crazy cautionary dream./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, that's not too terrible, do you have the address?" Peter asked, looking a bit worried for her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, shaking her head "Nope, I have no clue where I live."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned grinned, "You came to the right people."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, then what do I do? I mean, do we walk around until I see something familiar? All these buildings look the same," she said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How far did you walk?" Peter questioned./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged in response, "Like… a few blocks. I turned a few times, but that's all I remember."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So you could be on four or five different streets, that's not terrible," Peter replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned pouted a bit, "Yeah it is, all that walking, dude!"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I agree, that's super extra, I was just gonna chill until one of my parents text me back," Annie said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hmm… well, we can't just leave the new girl all alone. Where'd you come from anyways?" Ned asked, looking at her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie took a drink from her coffee, "I'm from Seattle, so far, I like the west coast way better."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, come on, where's your Queen's pride?" Ned teased./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "In a box that's in a moving van that's never getting unpacked. West coast best coast, end of story," Annie retorted./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter laughed, "I'm sure you'll change your mind, but do you know what school you're going to?"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, jeez, I don't even know where I live, let alone my school. I think it's town-something…" she trailed off in thought./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Midtown?!" Ned exclaimed./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "I think so? I'm not totally sure."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh boy, I think you're going to school with us!" Ned responded, beaming./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Nice! But the real question is if you guys gonna chill with me until I find out where I live," Annie commented./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned shook his head, "No, you're hanging out with us and I say you get a small tour."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You sure? I mean, I don't wanna bother you guys if there was something else you needed to do," Annie said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's really nothing, we were just gonna hang out and maybe study," Peter replied, taking another drink of green tea./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie grinned, "Well, if you both insist, I guess I don't have a good enough excuse to say no."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" So the three teens left the bakery with their drinks. The air was chilly as the autumn air became wintery. Annie shoved her right hand into her hoodie pocket, holding onto her coffee with her left one. Looking around, all she could see was how crammed together everything was./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "There's basically no sky, what the hell?" Annie commented as they walked./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned gave a small shrug, "That's what rooftops are for."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Or you could get in trouble and have a superhero save you and ask them to fly you around," Peter suggested./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, like Spider-Man?" asked Annie./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Wait, you know Spider-Man?" Ned replied giddily./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "Not personally, but he's on the news sometimes. Especially after that whole weapons deal about a month ago. I mean, the guy's daughter isn't too far from where I lived."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, Peter actually knows Sp-" Ned was cut off./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I have an internship at Stark Industries, I've seen Spider-Man a couple of times," Peter quickly explained./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Woah! That's super neat! Maybe I could get in on that," Annie said as the guys led her into a library./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They walked into a library where the shelves were far taller than her. Not to mention how many books there seemed to be. Maybe New York wasn't the absolute worst. It had to have an infinite number of books. She could have probably asked for anything and it would have been there. A part of her just wanted to suggest they just do nothing other than grab a random book and read. Something told her that it wouldn't have been so difficult to convince them/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'm not sure it works that way," Peter responded./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The three teens wandered around the library. They even went a round a few other places too, attempting to show Annie where the best places to go were for different things. She fit in just fine with Peter and Ned. It was working out great and Annie felt like she understood enough to even be White Swan that evening. All she needed was her home address. Some of the buildings started to look different from each other. Maybe she just hadn't been looking close enough to notice the differences beforehand./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Not that she would ever explain her abilities to those guys. They seemed nice enough ,but she had only known them for a few hours. The only person who had known back in Seattle was Harper, and that was only because they watched Annie as she discovered her powers in the first place. It was also Harper who had helped her to become a hero, she owed her friend so much./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Eventually, Peter had to run off to his internship and Annie finally got a text with her address. Ned and Annie agreed that all three of them should hang out again on Sunday. It would be Annie's last moments of freedom before going back to the normalcy of the week. Granted, there was no way that going to a new school could ever be normal. At least she wouldn't be going in with no friends. Her odds of finding some reason to like the move were starting to increase the more she realized she had made friends./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned helped Annie get back to her apartment, and they both parted ways as well. She walked into the apartment, telling her mom about the people she just met. It made her feel oddly normal for having just moved in. Hanging out with people was the type of thing that Annie was supposed to be doing. For the first time that day, she felt like she didn't have to argue with her dad about the move. It was still stressful to think about Seattle being unsafe, but it would be fine. That city had gone decades without her, and she wasn't giving up on using her powers. Not when it left her feeling a certain type of rush that she doubted anyone could understand./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When Annie made the excuse of wanting to watch Star Wars with her new friends that night, her mom bought it. She had her suit folded up in a purse and felt so grateful that she actually met people that day. It was the perfect excuse for her to be out late. Better yet, for being out as White Swan for the first time. Was it an impulsive and rash decision, most likely, but that was not about to stop Annie from going out and attempting to kick some ass. It wasn't like she was defenceless and it wasn't like she was new to being a superhero. She hadn't been trying to protect Seattle only to be stopped because of a city that was larger. Sure, Queens on its own was exponentially larger than Seattle, but what would the difference really be?/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, Ann, you gonna do a last check?" Harper asked, putting their hood on over their red hair./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, some black hair getting in her face, "No, last night was the last time I run around here, my parents said we're leaving asap."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Damn, that sucks. I'm heading home with you then," Harper replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both of them walked along the rainy Seattle streets. The sky was cloudy and the water drizzled down. Annie had taken off her hoodie that day, wanting to feel the rain for the last time for what would probably be awhile. Maybe people would be relieved to go somewhere with less rain, but the drops that varied from ice cold to a humid warm had been something so familiar to the dark haired girl./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Two years of Annie's life had been spent attempting to use her powers to keep Seattle somewhat safe. It had taken what felt like forever for her to realize that she could use her powers. Better yet, that she could use her powers in order to become loved. After a few years of haphazardly keeping energy and electricity manipulation under wraps, Annie felt like she was just wasting her time. What was the point of having any kind of ability if she wasn't going out and using it?/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"On top of the normal horrors of puberty, the seemingly normal girl found out that she wasn't as normal as anyone could have originally thought. The powers essentially making her turn into a literal physics problem and that was putting it lightly. Physics was the one subject that simply didn't make any sense. Hence the reason as to why Annie hadn't exactly hit the national headlines. Then again, it just felt like crime was heavily packed over in New York City, but maybe that was just because of the Avengers./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Harper had been there as Annie first figured out her powers. The whole ordeal was a complete accident, of course no one purposely attempts to electrocute their friends. She just let herself absorb the electricity of a street lamp, but put no thought into it. If it hadn't been for Harper pointing it out and quickly moving to the side when Annie went to poke them. Both teens knew that something was wrong and quickly discovered just how abnormal Annie actually was./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"It was also the same ginger who helped Annie come up with a hero identity. Which incidentally was Annie's favorite restaurant in the whole city. What more could she say other than that she completely panicked when asked for her name? It wasn't like she could afford to use her real name. If Annie had learned anything from other heroes around the country, it was to try and keep who she was a secret at almost all costs./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, at least you'll have Broadway, and tall buildings, ooooh, and the Tony Stark. Maybe you could talk to him about becoming an Avenger," said Harper, giving Annie a playful nudge as their shoes splashed through a shallow puddle./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie laughed, rolling her dark brown eyes, "Oh, please, I really doubt that Iron Man has time to cater to a teenager."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They continued to talk about what could happen in New York. Both did their best to sound excited, though they fell into silence rather quickly. Life just wouldn't be the same without Harper there to give some makeshift advice and Annie gliding from buildings in the rain. Not to mention her performance school that had taught her so much about being in musicals. The same school that Annie had managed to practically take over when it came to the sopranos in the theater and choir departments./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"Being the White Swan wouldn't happen again until Annie moved. Even then, how could she do anything without knowing the area? It would probably be weeks before she could be any form of use. Maybe talking to Iron Man would be her best bet. Though that felt more like she was giving up too soon. New York could be easier to navigate than she thought, but that was probably wishful thinking. Either way she would be damned if she didn't attempt to navigate the Queens area on her own./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;"The rain continued to drizzle, unconsciously mirroring the feelings both Annie and Harper seemed to hold back for each other's sake. Crying wouldn't keep Annie in Seattle and it wouldn't let her take Harper to New York either. They had to stop in front of a rather tall apartment building, and Annie's feet felt stuck to the cement. Although going inside would have been a good idea seeing her now drenched shirt and soaked hair. It looked as black as night and was probably a tangled rats nest. Still, she wasn't in a rush to go inside and get her suitcase./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So… I guess it'll be awhile before I see you," Harper murmured, shattering the silence./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, hugging her damp friend, "Yeah, but I'll call when I land…"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And just about every day after," Harper finished./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Right," Annie said just before a car horn honked, "Ah crap, it looks like I gotta go. I'll miss you, Harper," she added, waving at her ginger friend before rushing to the apartment to grab her remaining things./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Getting to New York was rather uneventful. Normally, Annie would be energized with all the travel in the air. The particular smell that airports had ended up intoxicating her. This time, she just wanted to be left alone. Still, airports and parents were never known for giving privacy./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ordinarily shoving headphones into Annie's ears made it clear that she wasn't about to start talking to anyone, but this time it felt like all her parents wanted to do was talk to her. As if talking about it would make them understand why she didn't want to leave. Sure, she was going to miss Harper, but that was bearable. Leaving the city she had been protecting , however, made it feel like she was just walking out on a job without a two weeks' notice./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You know that school has a theater program," her father said, purposely being loud enough to speak over her music./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie paused her music, "But it's a science school, the theater program is gonna be mediocre at best."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "And maybe it's better you focused on science instead of acting, Annika, you know it's impractical," the balding man replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She shook her head, "I'm not interested in that though, I want to act or write. Is having impractical goals such a terrible thing?"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now, Ann, that's not what your father said. What he means is that this change will be good for you," her mother explained, attempting to stop an argument from ensuing in the middle of the SEATAC airport./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie gave a sigh, tucking her dark, tangly hair behind her ear, "It might be good for you, but that doesn't mean it is for me."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Now you're just being overdramatic. You'll have friends in no time, and you'll be just fine in the drama department," her father concluded./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The conversation was finished, Annie couldn't argue anything. All of her points were about theater and being White Swan. One of them her father believed to be impractical and the other would start far too much drama for it being early evening in an airport terminal./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After what felt like forever, which was actually halfway through the first act of RENT and twenty pages of a beaten up copy of The Phantom of the Opera, Annie had finally been boarded onto a nonstop flight to JFK. Flight attendants walked up and down the airplane's aisle, telling people to keep their trays up or for them to store carry-ons into the overhead bin. They were giving some kind of rundown about emergency exits on the off chance the airplane decided to drop out of the sky./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Before she knew it, the plane was circling Seattle, going higher and higher. Raindrops raced down the window as Annie looked at the Space Needle, seeing the sun start to set. The landmark got farther and farther from her until Annie could no longer tell what building was what./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The flight felt longer than anything else. Jumping up three time zones didn't help her either. It was well past dark when the plane landed. Nevertheless, JFK airport had her feeling like she was packed in a can of sardines. All Annie wanted was to get into the new apartment and crash on the floor./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" A taxi picked up Annie and her parents. It was true, the city really never slept. That was evident with the amount of traffic in the middle of the night. While it wasn't backed up, it was enough for her to wonder what everyone was doing. So many questions circulated around Annie's mind as her dad opened the door to the new apartment./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Since her parents went straight to bed, Annie didn't have much time to memorize the details of the place. Instead she went into the bathroom to call Harper. There wasn't much to say aside from the fact that she was alive. If nothing else, it would be Saturday, meaning Annie wouldn't have to worry about getting to school on time. Not that she looked forward to going to a school that she doubted would ever take fine arts seriously. Still, none of those concerns stopped Annie from passing out on the ground of what was meant to be her room at four in the morning./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" After getting a whopping four hours of sleep, Annie woke up to sounds of traffic. It was simply blaring in the streets to the point it drove her crazy. Can't we save the honking for later? she wondered. Sluggishly, the girl walked around the new apartment, finding a place different from what she noticed in the middle of the night./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Though the setup of the apartment wasn't exactly what Annie worried about. Instead she could hear and feel a grumbling in her stomach. It was a reminder that the last time she had eaten was lunch the day before. Then she realized that the fridge was completely empty, meaning either she waited for her parents to do something about it or she was going to run off and do some exploring for food./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Looking at the clock, she decided that going out to find food was her best option. Her parents probably would've just told her to go out and find food anyhow. So she dug through her suitcase and threw on jeans and a hoodie. If she was going to go out and explore, she was at least going to try to not look like some sort of hobo. At least, that was what she claimed as she brushed through her wavy hair and stared at her tanned reflection in the mirror. It was time to forage for food in a completely different city which she knew nothing about./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, mom, I'm gonna go out and get some breakfast," Annie said quietly, not wanting to wake either of her parents./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Her mother groaned in response as Annie left the apartment. The streets were louder than they were inside and the buildings seemed to crowd around her. How anyone could find this much overcrowding normal, she had no clue. Sure, traffic happened in Seattle, but the place wasn't nearly so claustrophobic. There was a completely different energy about the city and she could practically feel it. Her powers felt like they had been turned up, energy almost everywhere she moved to. It was practically insanity. Annie had no clue what to make of the situation./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" It took walking a few blocks before Annie found a small bakery. She got some coffee and a muffin. As she waited, she messaged Harper, a mischievous grin on her face, knowing that it was around five or six in the morning back home. After around five minutes, she got what she ordered and left the bakery. The only problem was she couldn't remember where to go. Hell, she didn't even remember what her address was. All the tall buildings looked so similar and she'd forgotten to look at the street signs. The morning was clearly going splendidly./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" How was she supposed to go about asking for help? As if anyone could help Annie in the first place. She was looking for an apartment building in a city that she knew nothing about. It didn't help that both of her parents were ignoring her texts. Maybe they weren't awake, but that didn't make the sudden ghosting any less inconvenient./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Resigning herself to defeat, Annie went back to the bakery and sat at one of the tables. If nothing else, it beat waiting out on the sidewalk where there appeared to be a few shady-looking people. Not even one day and she was already clueless. Being the White Swan would have to wait. At least until she figured out where she was going./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang as the door opened, and Annie heard someone walk in. She couldn't help but listen in on the exchange that was going on behind her. Though she didn't look behind her, she didn't want to seem like a stalker./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Good to see you, Ned, your usual I assume?" asked the lady at the counter./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, that and some green tea," responded who she could only assume was Ned./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie looked over to see who Ned was, faking that she needed to pop ber back. He looked about her age. If she grew a pair, she could ask him for help. Oh, but I'll probably just end up bothering the guy. she thought to herself, running a hand through her hair. That was when the one thing she hadn't expected to happen happened, Ned started to talk to her. Had she done something wrong? Was he some kind of mind reader and just knew that she was hopeless./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hey, do you mind if I sit here? My friend'll be here soon. Sorry, there's not much space," Ned said, nodding to the chairs./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie nodded, "Um, yeah, that's cool," she replied, checking her phone again, hoping to all the powers that she could pray to that her parents would just send an address./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Have you been here before?" asked Ned, sitting across from her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shook her head, "Can't say that I have."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The bell rang again and Annie jumped a little. She looked over, seeing another guy and he walked over. As the guy approached her and Ned, she assumed this guy was probably the friend Ned had mentioned. He was kind of cute in a geeky type of way. If the situation had been just a bit less humiliating then she may have taken more time to stare./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, Ned you won't believe what happened last night-" the guy got cut off by Ned as he pulled out a chair and quickly sat down./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Look at the person I met!" exclaimed Ned, gesturing to Annie./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie smiled a bit and gave a small wave, "Um… hi, I'm Annie."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" There was a long, awkward pause between the three teens. It was clear that was when Annie was supposed to leave, and it was painfully obvious that what the other guy wanted to talk about was private. Looking at both of the guys, it was either about video games or getting laid, she was positive, maybe even both. That was what most guys talked about, or that was what she had noticed whenever she was around guys for a little bit too long./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, right, I'm Peter by the way," the guy added, giving Annie another chance to leave./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie still didn't get up to leave, though she knew she should have. At the same time, she wasn't about to make herself even more lost. Maybe if she said something they could help her. Still, she didn't want to bother them more than she already was. Though the time for her to leave without it being weird had passed approximately fifteen seconds before./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Are you new?" Ned asked./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Uh, yeah, actually, I moved in last night, well, this morning actually," Annie replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" She finally saw a chance open up for her, "Um… about that whole being new thing, I don't know where my apartment is."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Both guys looked as if they were concerned, but also as though they were trying to not laugh at the same time. She couldn't blame them, it was easily the dumbest thing she had admitted to. Who didn't at least know the address to their home? A part of her just wished she could wake up and find out the whole experience had been some sort of crazy cautionary dream./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, that's not too terrible, do you have the address?" Peter asked, looking a bit worried for her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie sighed, shaking her head "Nope, I have no clue where I live."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned grinned, "You came to the right people."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Okay, then what do I do? I mean, do we walk around until I see something familiar? All these buildings look the same," she said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "How far did you walk?" Peter questioned./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged in response, "Like… a few blocks. I turned a few times, but that's all I remember."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So you could be on four or five different streets, that's not terrible," Peter replied./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned pouted a bit, "Yeah it is, all that walking, dude!"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I agree, that's super extra, I was just gonna chill until one of my parents text me back," Annie said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Hmm… well, we can't just leave the new girl all alone. Where'd you come from anyways?" Ned asked, looking at her./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie took a drink from her coffee, "I'm from Seattle, so far, I like the west coast way better."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, come on, where's your Queen's pride?" Ned teased./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "In a box that's in a moving van that's never getting unpacked. West coast best coast, end of story," Annie retorted./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Peter laughed, "I'm sure you'll change your mind, but do you know what school you're going to?"/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh, jeez, I don't even know where I live, let alone my school. I think it's town-something…" she trailed off in thought./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Midtown?!" Ned exclaimed./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie shrugged, "I think so? I'm not totally sure."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Oh boy, I think you're going to school with us!" Ned responded, beaming./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Nice! But the real question is if you guys gonna chill with me until I find out where I live," Annie commented./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned shook his head, "No, you're hanging out with us and I say you get a small tour."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "You sure? I mean, I don't wanna bother you guys if there was something else you needed to do," Annie said./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "It's really nothing, we were just gonna hang out and maybe study," Peter replied, taking another drink of green tea./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie grinned, "Well, if you both insist, I guess I don't have a good enough excuse to say no."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" So the three teens left the bakery with their drinks. The air was chilly as the autumn air became wintery. Annie shoved her right hand into her hoodie pocket, holding onto her coffee with her left one. Looking around, all she could see was how crammed together everything was./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "There's basically no sky, what the hell?" Annie commented as they walked./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned gave a small shrug, "That's what rooftops are for."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Or you could get in trouble and have a superhero save you and ask them to fly you around," Peter suggested./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "So, like Spider-Man?" asked Annie./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Wait, you know Spider-Man?" Ned replied giddily./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Annie frowned, "Not personally, but he's on the news sometimes. Especially after that whole weapons deal about a month ago. I mean, the guy's daughter isn't too far from where I lived."/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Well, Peter actually knows Sp-" Ned was cut off./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I have an internship at Stark Industries, I've seen Spider-Man a couple of times," Peter quickly explained./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "Woah! That's super neat! Maybe I could get in on that," Annie said as the guys led her into a library./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" They walked into a library where the shelves were far taller than her. Not to mention how many books there seemed to be. Maybe New York wasn't the absolute worst. It had to have an infinite number of books. She could have probably asked for anything and it would have been there. A part of her just wanted to suggest they just do nothing other than grab a random book and read. Something told her that it wouldn't have been so difficult to convince them/p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" "I'm not sure it works that way," Peter responded./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" The three teens wandered around the library. They even went a round a few other places too, attempting to show Annie where the best places to go were for different things. She fit in just fine with Peter and Ned. It was working out great and Annie felt like she understood enough to even be White Swan that evening. All she needed was her home address. Some of the buildings started to look different from each other. Maybe she just hadn't been looking close enough to notice the differences beforehand./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Not that she would ever explain her abilities to those guys. They seemed nice enough ,but she had only known them for a few hours. The only person who had known back in Seattle was Harper, and that was only because they watched Annie as she discovered her powers in the first place. It was also Harper who had helped her to become a hero, she owed her friend so much./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Eventually, Peter had to run off to his internship and Annie finally got a text with her address. Ned and Annie agreed that all three of them should hang out again on Sunday. It would be Annie's last moments of freedom before going back to the normalcy of the week. Granted, there was no way that going to a new school could ever be normal. At least she wouldn't be going in with no friends. Her odds of finding some reason to like the move were starting to increase the more she realized she had made friends./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" Ned helped Annie get back to her apartment, and they both parted ways as well. She walked into the apartment, telling her mom about the people she just met. It made her feel oddly normal for having just moved in. Hanging out with people was the type of thing that Annie was supposed to be doing. For the first time that day, she felt like she didn't have to argue with her dad about the move. It was still stressful to think about Seattle being unsafe, but it would be fine. That city had gone decades without her, and she wasn't giving up on using her powers. Not when it left her feeling a certain type of rush that she doubted anyone could understand./p
p style="color: #888888; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.2px;" When Annie made the excuse of wanting to watch Star Wars with her new friends that night, her mom bought it. She had her suit folded up in a purse and felt so grateful that she actually met people that day. It was the perfect excuse for her to be out late. Better yet, for being out as White Swan for the first time. Was it an impulsive and rash decision, most likely, but that was not about to stop Annie from going out and attempting to kick some ass. It wasn't like she was defenceless and it wasn't like she was new to being a superhero. She hadn't been trying to protect Seattle only to be stopped because of a city that was larger. Sure, Queens on its own was exponentially larger than Seattle, but what would the difference really be?/p