After drinking the blood of three Black Star members, Miranda left them restrained by shadowy shackles, calmly walking towards the centre of the Residential Isle, black tendrils dancing around her arm.
"Hey Miranda, I was looking around the internet, and found that some people in your area may need help. Help that only someone with powers can offer, seeing as the police are too busy," Michael called, the sound of typing clearly heard over the phone.
"Look, I have enough problems of my own to deal with. My powers are still an enigma to me, so what help can I be if I can't keep them under control, or know their limits?" Miranda sighed, continuing her walk as people cast her strange looks.
"Speaking of powers, I just finished reading this guy's blog. Turns out, his last entry was a few months ago, telling how he would be in New Marais. I'm doing whatever research I can, just in case it can help you with your powers," Michael stated.
"Yeah, sure. See how controlling lightning can help me control shadows. Great idea," Miranda retorted, hanging up before climbing a building. As she neared the top, she barely glimpsed the bomb on the roof before it detonated, sending her crashing into the next building before she slammed into the alley below, falling unconscious on impact.
"Damn, Black Stars are getting smarter," she mentally groaned, trying to wake up, only for what looked like a film play out. She watched as a man she'd never met or seen before jumped from a building, blue electricity building at his fingertips as he slammed into the ground, a wave of electricity circling out, knocking people flying.
The next image she saw was of herself this time, watching as she created a tendril of shadows, using it to swing high into the air before doing something similar to the man, black mist surrounding her hands and feet as she slammed into the ground, black mist forming a cloud around her.
As she pushed herself off the pavement, she felt an ache in her limbs, slowly stretching to rid herself of the pain. As she got her bearings, she realised her phone had gone off, Michael practically yelling her name.
"Relax Michael, no need to get a search party. I'm fine, just a little sore."
"What happened, I've been yelling your name for three damn hours. Don't try and say you fell asleep."
"Black Stars are getting smarter. They booby trapped the top of a building. Got to the top and barely see the thing before it blows up in my face. Doubt I'd have survived without powers. Speaking of which, I think I had a vision of some kind."
"Really? What off?"
"I saw this guy with lightning powers jump off a building and create this shockwave at them bottom, then saw myself do something similar."
"Don't know how, but maybe you develop your powers through psychic visions. Since we don't know exactly how you got your powers, it could be some side effect that helps you awaken dormant abilities."
"Right. Look, I'm going to see if anyone needs help before heading to the bandstand. I'll send you a message once I get there to let you know," Miranda finished, hanging up before glancing up at a rooftop. Seeing a flag pole hanging over the street, she fired up a tendril, letting it hook onto the pole before swinging, using her limited acrobatics to land on the roof.
"Okay, so I can do that," she mumbled, running across the rooftops while keeping an eye out for anyone in need. After a few minutes, she saw someone hiding in a doorway, constantly glancing out into the street. Jumping down, she rolled as she landed in front of the man, scaring him half to death.
"You're that girl with the powers? You have to help them," the man stuttered.
"What's the problem? Ticked off Black Stars?" she asked, dusting herself off.
"One of their earth conduits is tearing up the street. The police are getting slaughtered, and innocent people are getting caught in the crossfire," the man said, pointing in the direction of the violence just as a chunk of road landed in front of them.
"I've got it," Miranda muttered, charging onto the street, black tendrils around her lower left arm as another chunk of earth flew at her. She threw her arms forward, the black claw catching the boulder before she spun a three sixty, returning the rock back to its thrower, dazing him long enough to throw a tendril onto a nearby flag pole, swinging around it before landing a kick to the back of his neck, jumping into the air before crashing into the ground, a black cloud surrounding both herself and the earth conduit.
As he tried to recover from whatever the mist was doing to him, Miranda kicked him in the side of the leg, knocking him off balance before her palm slammed into his forehead, knocking him to the ground, before she slammed her booted foot onto his stomach, winding him before she let black tendrils wrap around his wrists and ankles, restraining him.
"Try breaking out of that," she gasped, trying to regain her breath before police officers moved in, lifting him up and handcuffing him.
"Thank you. Couldn't have done it without you," one man thanked, leading the officers off with their prisoner.
"Nice to see I'm being appreciated for once in my life," Miranda mumbled, slowly walking towards the park as people started to gather at the fight zone, no-one paying her any notice.
"I heard the police had help from the Shadow of Blackwater. Seems your building a reputation for yourself," Michael's voice stated.
"As long as I don't get hounded by fan boys or anything, I don't care. Is there anything new I should know about the Black Stars or the First Sons?"
"Only that the First Sons apparently had a base in New Marais. I'm still looking, but they're a secret society, so don't expect much. Also, got an e-mail from some woman called Nix, claiming to know conduits that can help you."
"How did people find out about me outside Blackwater? Didn't think any news station would report there's someone with powers stuck in the Quarantine."
"I'll try and find out. Look, she sent me a number that you should try. I've sent you a message with the number. Get back to me soon."
"Fine," Miranda sighed as Michael hung up, her phone chiming to show she had mail. She also had a low battery. "Alright, most TVs have a USB port these days, so if I just get onto the roof, I can charge it," she thought, black tendrils dancing around her hand.
Like earlier, she aimed it at a building, letting it pull her up like a grapple line. Keeping an eye open for booby traps, she ran and leapt from rooftop to rooftop until she found a TV with a couch in front of it. Taking a USB cable out of her pocket, she connected up her phone before lying down on the couch, staring up at the stars for an hour.
"Guess I should try that number," she sighed to herself, opening the message before entering the number into her phone, listening as it rang four times before someone picked up.
"You have just reached Lucy Kuo. I know you have powers, and I have a lot to tell you."
Lucy Kuo. I listened to her as she told me a story. A story about how Cole McGrath, the lightning man from Empire City who went on to become the Patron Saint of New Marais. He's fought the Beast, an unbelievably powerful Conduit who would have killed humanity to give rise to Conduits.
Making the ultimate sacrifice, Cole used a device that killed the Conduits, saving the millions of humans who would have been killed by the Plague. But that wasn't the end. Oh no, the inventor of the device had wanted both humans and Conduits to survive, so instead of killing them, the device simply left them in a death like coma before it released the energy it had absorbed, making it harmless to humans, but meaning that all Conduits had their powers unlocked.
She explained to me that somehow, I had the Conduit gene, yet it was a different strain, one that was unaffected by the device or Ray Field Radiation. She said she was sending help, but it would be a while before back up got here. She also said she'd be sending in something to make me stronger, letting me build up my powers slowly, in a way that I could quickly master new abilities before learning a new one.
As unbelievable as it sounds, it was nice to know there were people out there like me who were on my side. For one of the few times in my life, I didn't feel completely alone.