Oops, I've been seeing everyone else do this, so DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! Except Doodle. Doodle is my baby. =3
Kaia never did like water.
She stared at the rushing river sourly. The closest bridge was at least ten miles up the road, and this was the narrowest part of the river. It was supposedly only ten feet across and about a foot deep, but from where she was standing she had a better chance of jumping across the Grand Canyon than trying to cross this chasm of rushing water.
Looking back, she could just make out the black of the lone highway that cut through the forest. She didn't want to run away, but she had no choice. Remembering when they threw her brother out, she shuddered and turned back to the river. Crossing could mean drowning, and using the bridge could mean getting caught.
After what she had done at school, she seriously considered drowning the better option.
Taking a deep breath, she dipped one foot into the water, and then the other. She could feel the tug of the current around her knees, but it wasn't going to sweep her away. One step at a time, she managed her way across the river. Her pants were soaked, but she was safe. For now, at least.
Checking her bag of supplies, she adjusted the strap on her shoulder and trudged off into the trees. She had a good sense of direction, not to mention a map and a compass socked away in her bag. Pulling out a granola bar, she nibbled on it as she stepped over a log, and found herself on worn hiking path. Following it, she soon wound up at a camp ground.
Glancing furtively around, she peeked in one or two tents, and grabbed a few more survival supplies that hadn't been available in her home. Sneaking out of the camp as quietly as she had entered, she was soon in the middle of the forest.
She kept this up for a few days, passing through towns and farms, eventually winding up in New York. She had read books, but they couldn't convey anything about the sheer size of everything. Gawking like the tourist she was, it was no wonder that she was soon targeted by any conman within five feet of her. One tried getting her to buy passes to something, but looking at the ink, she smirked and shook her head.
Ignoring most of them, one of them caught her attention, or rather, his eyes caught her attention. The pupils were slits, hidden behind sunglasses, and she could've sworn his tongue slithered behind his lips. Nearing him, he slipped into the alley, and she foolishly followed. Though she could've sworn he wanted her to follow, since there was a door, and he knocked the password. Loudly.
Timidly, she stepped up, and repeated the knock. A slat snapped open, startling her, revealing the same slits for eyes she had seen earlier. "Heh, so you followed me. Well, come on in." The door swung in, and he offered her a hand. "Welcome. Psycha told me she thought you'd like it."
Glancing around, Kaia instantly knew she would.
There was someone who appeared to have claws, and a tail peeking out from under her dress. Another seemed to be levitating a glass that he occasionally sipped from. It was like the most posh club on New York streets, but exclusive to mutants. There was even a giant square which she assumed was for dancing.
Until the guy who let her in grabbed her by the shoulders.
Shoving her into the square, he slipped her bag off before she even realized what was happening. There was someone else in the square with her, on the opposite, who leered at her, laughing with all his buddies. Whirling around, Kaia tried to run, but was held back by something. Apparently there was some mutant projecting a force field around the square, which she realized with startling clarity was actually a fight ring.
A shadow loomed over her, causing her to quiver with fear. "Hey kid, what's yer name?" a guy on the outside asked, and held up a hand. Ink from the tattoo on her back slithered under skin to form words on her hand. 'Doodle,' it said, and quickly changed into, 'Get me out of here!'. The guy shook his head, and began bellowing to the crowd, without a microphone, "In one corner, tonight's favorite, 'The Bludgeon'! And in the other, a new comer who's power is unknown, 'Doodle'! Place any bets now, as this fight is going to start in a moment's notice!"
Kaia, or rather, 'Doodle', paled as she turned to face her opponent. He was huge, hulking over her; or maybe that was just because she was so small. Either way, she felt utterly powerless to do anything. Then something clicked. Powerless? Hell, she was a mutant, she could get out of this. Spotting the guy who had her bag, she motioned to him. He smirked at her, and sidled over. 'MARKER' her palm seemed to scream at him. "No can do, little lady. No weapons allowed."
Gritting her teeth, Doodle tried to concentrate, and think of what she could do. That's when her eardrums felt like they exploded as the announcer shouted, "Bets are in, let's begin!" The room swam in a nauseating motion, until her balance steadied. That's when she saw the fist heading right for her. Then her entire head exploded.
Leaning against the wall, she tried to get her bearings, just enough to dodge the next blow. Now she knew why they called that guy The Bludgeon. Trying to think of an idea, she was forced to roll to the side, crouched and ready to strike. All those years of scuffling in the school yard were certainly paying off right now. That's when she saw the drawings she had all over her jeans.
Her aimless school doodling was about to save her life.
Placing her hands over the drawings, she concentrated, pulling the pigments out of her jeans. The ink shimmered, before she clenched her fist, and it solidified into a sleek looking multicolored blade. She rose from her crouch, and held it at the ready in front of her. The Bludgeon sneered at her, and his gravelly voice reverberated throughout the square, "I'm gonna crush you, and use that toothpick to clean my teeth."
She merely gripped it harder, and charged. Sliding under one of his fists, she slashed at his shoulder. It wasn't deep, but she must've knicked a tendon, because his arm seemed to go slack. He bellowed an animalistic roar, and swung around, catching her in her gut. Knocked into the force field wall, she slid down, gasping for breath. The ink writhed in her hand; it dripped off her fingertips into needles.
She was unable to defend her position, that much she knew. So she was forced to attack. Swinging her arm in a furious motion, the needles flung off in his general direction. She didn't have to worry too much about aim, since the needles were still attached to her fingers by thin tendrils, allowing her to control their direction. His enormous size made him clumsy; he was unable to dodge all of them, or even most of them.
They didn't hit anything vital, but it certainly slowed him. Staggering her way to her feet, she curled her fingers, not quite a fist. He gritted his teeth, howling in pain. The ink she had pierced him with was curling and barbing. She wasn't normally cruel, but this guy had been pummeling her; it was only fair.
He tried taking a step towards her, and clenched her fist. Hissing, he took another step. Doodle glowered at him, giving a silent snarl. And then she yanked her fist back. The barbed hooks were ripped from his skin. They weren't fatal, but he was certainly gushing a whole lot of blood.
After a moment, he paled, and collapsed to the ground with a thundering crash
Her eyelids fluttered, as her body finally realized the pounding she had received. She leaned back, expecting to have the wall, but it had been put down. Fortunately someone caught, but she shuddered when she realized it was the guy who had shoved her in the square in the first place. "I knew you'd do great, well, Psycha did at least." The announcer guy came over, and handed her captor a wad of bills. "Here's your winnings, better keep a handle on this one, she's a keeper."
Doodle didn't listen to any more, mostly because she slumped into unconsciousness.
In case you didn't quite understand Doodle's power, she controls pigments, like inks and such. However, they have to be attached to her in some way, or else they just collapse into a puddle of ink. So, uh, yeah. More on this later. Oh, and she can't talk. Thus the tattoo she uses to talk. Stay tuned! =D