Danielle was reluctant to leave after the Bernie incident. After much begging and pleasding, Danielle had convinced her doctor to look in on the boy later. Now, she looked upon the smiling faces of her friends with apprehension.

"Don't look so happy that I'm leaving, guys."

"Don't look at it that way. Me and Dave are just glad to know that you are getting our of this wholly depressing little prison."

"Thanks, but I still don't feel right leaving you two."

"Just go on. We'll be fine." Keith opened his arms for a welcome hug. Danielle gladly took it.

"I'll check on up on you once you get out, okay?"

Keith shifted nervously, "Actually, I'm heading up to MSY once I get out of here." Noticing Danielle's disappointment, he quickly added, "But I'll keep in touch. We'll talk online everyday."

Danielle smiled lightly, "Okay, I'm gonna hold you to that."

"Hello people, I'm still here and in need of a hug." Dave smirked as he opened his arms. Danielle all but jumped into the embrace.

In that second, Danielle was brought back to Bernie's words. She lightly tightened her hold, and smiled into Dave's shoulder as the act was reciprocated. 'Someday, Dave. Someday. It'll all work out.' Dave eventually slackened and Danielle sadly let go. It was time.

Danielle smiled sardonically, "Well, I'll be seeing you." And as simply as that, she joined her awaiting family, and swept through the doorway. It took a relatively short time to sign out and proceed to the family minivan, and finally to home, sweet home.

* * * * *

The days pass rather slowly when you are constantly being watched and prodded by every single person around you. One accident and everyone treats you like some fragile doll, as if you'll break with a wrong word. Or worse, that you'll get hurt again the minute they stop watching. And so Danielle had spent the first two days of her "freedom" from the hospital room. Her mother had taken off work those two days just so she could have someone home at all times to keep an on her. Her mom had even gone far enough to forbid her to go out and see people for the next couple days.

Thanks to some higher power, Danielle's mother had decided to return to work on the third day. Even if she didn't break the rules and go out, at least she could have some time just to herself. She had even woken up (not that she slept much anymore) early to enjoy every moment.

'Man, I need a smoke.' Danielle looked around the empty house with slight annoyance. 'First order of business: find cigarettes. Second step: smoke a cigarette. Third step: repeat step two.' After an hour of finding her best stashes raided, the case of the missing cigarettes was solved. 'Of all places, mom didn't even think to takes the pack out of my purse.'

Detouring casually outside, Danielle quickly lit up smiled with utter content. She paced to the middle of the yard and took a breath of that sweet ambrosia. Cloud nine was crap compared to this feeling. It felt better than any other high she had ever had.

It is a well known fact that once you are doing something incredibly fun, it is inevitable that life comes and smacks you in the head. In Danielle's case, it was literal. She was broken out of her trance by a twig smacking her on top of the head, and sticking in her hair. 'Great, just great. Stupid trees.' It wasn't until Danielle realized that it was an entire branch stuck in her hair that she opened her eyes, only to find her body suspended 20 feet in the air, head touching the bottom of a tree branch.

"OH SHIT!!!" The sudden shock was only made more vivid as she suddenly plummeted back to the ground. Screaming the way down, Danielle threw her hands forward on instinct, even more shocked when her descent suddenly stopped, leaving her staring at the ground from five feet above it.

Danielle tentatively reached her hand forward, giving a slight push on the nothingness. Her body again rose into the air. The smile that lighted her face could have brightened the Mariana Trench. Immediately, her body shot into the air, faster than the human eye could detect. Loops, flips, twist, and twirls: Danielle gracefully dipped into the clouds, seeing the world from a bird's eye view. Smart enough to stay out of sight, Danielle spent the rest of her "alone time" dancing through the clouds.

Finally, after checking the nearest clock, Danielle decided that there had been enough flying for one day. 'This....is...sooooo.....GREAT!!! Let's do the checklist, shall we? I can fly, I can go faster than a car on a highway, and I get it all from SMOKING!! I'm....I'm a superhero! Oh man is Keith gonna be jealous.' So wrapped up in her thoughts, Danielle didn't notice the drop in her elevation, nor the light post that was looming in front of her. With a loud clang, the light post was ripped from it concrete foundation, and bent around the petit form of our newest heroine.

After a panicked extraction from the post, and a super speed back home, Danielle finally calmed down to a normal adrenaline level. 'Ok, so maybe I'm invincible too. Ha, now we'll see who fights like a girl!' Danielle ran inside, and grabbed the phone. 'Hmm, how to break this to Keithy-boy? Hey, guess what, I have super powers, take that! No, not believable. I could just show up. Yeah! That's it. Umm, I don't really know where he lives though. There, I'll call him, tell him I have something to show him, find where he lives, and bam! I'll be outside his window in a flash, in the flesh.'

The phone was off the hook and in hand in less than a second. However, things never work out as planned. It would seem that when you are super-strong (not to mention hurried and excited), the buttons on a telephone are much more fragile than they would be to a regular person. It helps things less when you are still mad at the old phone when you pick up the new one.

After realizing the potential disaster she brought to household objects, Danielle had to spend the rest of the day covertly learning to harness and control her powers. It is surprisingly tiring to spend all of one's energy trying to be careful. Danielle actually slept that night, even though her body no longer needed it. The rest felt good, readying her for the next day, when she would finally be ahead in life once again.

* * * * *

Stretching in delight, Danielle didn't even care when she put a hole through her wall with her little finger. The day had never seemed so bright and full of possibility. Lazily, she rolled out of bed and headed downstairs for her morning coffee. For the first time in years, Danielle felt up to reading all the terrible things in the newspaper. All would have gone well, had there been any other cover story.

Danielle's mother looked at her shocked face. "I know, isn't it amazing. A real superhero."

"I can't believe he beat me again. That BASTARD!!" Danielle threw down the paper and stormed back up to her room. 'I'm not letting you win this time Keith; two can play at that game.'

Danielle's mother watched as she stormed upstairs and looked back at the paper. "Mysterious 'Running Man', A Real Superhero?" She just didn't understand why her daughter would hate someone who was only trying to do good and help people. 'Probably just some weird vegetarian thing.'

* * * * *

Beth cursed her luck as she walked home fuming. Work was never all too fun itself, but today was just perfect. Why get there on time when traffic can make you thrity minutes late? Why eat lunch when you can forget your wallet? Why drive home when your car can stall? Things couldn't get worse.

Beth tried to keep her thoughts light as the sky darkened. 'Great, now not only do I have to walk, but now I have to find my way in the dark.' She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the large leather clad man in front of her.

"Hey lady! Where you goin on such a nice night like this?"

Beth looked up briefly. 'Stupid question, not worth my time.' She proceeded to walk around the side of the man as she roller her eyes. The man became irritated quickly and grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey lady, I asked you a question!"

"Look sir, I'm just going home, I don't want any trouble."

"Funny, cuz I'm sure that exactly what me and the boys are lookin for." The man sneered an ugly snaggle-toothed smile.

It was only then that Beth noticed the five other men lurking in the shadows. Adrenaline can make a person do extraordinary things. As if of it's own accord, her arm threw all the weight a one hundred fifteen pound woman could muster into the man's face. The gorilla hand around her arm slackened slightly, enough for her feet to take over and hurl her headlong down the street. The man looked up seeing a few stars and smiled again. 'It's always more satisfying when they run.' The men looked to their leader and without hesitation, ran with him after the feeling woman.

A lone figure stood atop the city, watching the scene unfold. 'You'd think these idots would have better things to do than pick on a little girl.' The figure dove off it's high rise and into a darkened alley.

Beth no longer had any idea where she was going. Her feet had minds of their own. She tried to keep a handle on where she was at least, but all the streets looked the same. Suddenly she turned between two buildings and kept running. She saw the dead end looming in front of her. She finally stopped, gasping, feeling as if her lungs were about to explode. She turned to see six men already blocking her escape. The leader had a predatory grin on, and stepped forward.

"Please, don't...I...I... don't want any trouble."

"Me and the boys just wanna have a little fun, girlie." The man reached out a grimy hand to the shaking woman.

"I wouldn't if I were you." The Bear of a man turned to the voice emanating from the alley entrance. There stood a petite girl, dressed in jeans and a long sleeve black shirt, complete with a Zorro Halloween mask.

"Oh yeah? Why don't you play with us too?"

"You're not going to like my game, boys. I'd advise you to get out of here and turn yourselves in."

"Ha, turn ourselves in? Why would we do that?"

"Either way, you're going to the police station, your choice is to do it on your own, or after I send you to the hospital."

"And who the hell do you think you are, girlie?"

'Damn, I knew I should have though of that before I came out. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to use bubble-boy's endearing little nickname.' "The name's Cancerwoman!"

None of the thugs had time to ponder that thought as immediately a fist or foot connected with each of their faces. In the blink of an eye, all the men were unconscious, sporting various shdes of blue and black on their faces. Cancerwoman approached the now shivering ball of a person at the end of the alley.

"Are you okay, miss?"

The woman's head shot up, tear stained and bloodshot. She surveyed the girl in fron t of her. The outfit looked rather crude, but that wasn't the main thought at the time. "I..you... what...?"

Cancerwoman looked down sympathetically, "Here tell me where you live and I'll take you home, k?" She almost asked again, as no response came quickly.

"Uh..Beauville Apartments...on fifth and...."

"I know the place. We'll be there in a flash."

Beth looked around at the six men on the ground. "What about them?"

Cancerwoman all but giggled, "They're going to be sleeping for a while. I'll come take them to the station after I drop you off."

"Oh....ok.." And in a moment, Beth was swept up in the girl's arms and taken into the air. At first she was shocked, but almost not after seeing the girl take out those thugs. In the air, and in such a close proximity, Beth was able to get a better look at her savoir. She couldn't be more than twenty. 'My god, a girl this young, and out saving people.'

They pair touched down outside of Beth's building, and with a simple smile and nod, Cancerwoman was ready to take to the air again. "Wait... you saved me. Is there any way I can repay you?"

"Don't worry about it."

"No, please, there must be something I can do."

Cancerwoman stood in the air and thought for a moment. "You have a second chance at life now. If you really want to repay me, make that chance count for something." And hardly had the last word reached Beth's ear that Cancerwoman was gone.

Beth stood in awe. 'Make something of it? She gave me a second chance. I'm not going to let her down.'