Chapter 2: Chapter 2: A Fateful Beginning
I stand frozen in place, unable to tear my eyes away from the golden-haired beauty before me. The blonde woman’s skin may be pale, but her entire being radiates intensity. Her platinum hair flows down in waves just past her chest, which sits on display in a burgundy V-neck jumpsuit. Her slender fingers wrap tightly around the man’s neck as her sapphire blue eyes stare straight back at me. I couldn’t look away from this woman if I wanted to, and I’m not quite sure that I do.
It’s only after a moment that I finally realize the woman was speaking to me. F*ck! I struggle to fight against the drunken fog to remember what was said, but all I wind up saying is, “Huh?”
“Are you alright? Has this brute hurt you in any way?”
“Uhm, no. I uh, I don’t think so?” I glance down at my wrist, rubbing it gently.
The woman leans into the man’s ear, whispering menacingly, “If I ever catch you treating a woman like that again, I’ll make sure your blood paints this entire club red. Do you understand?”
He frantically nods, desperate to do anything that will allow him to make his escape. She studies him for a moment before loosening the grip on his neck. The man slips out from under her grasp and bolts out the door, not daring to look back.
The woman’s gaze then turns to me. I stare back at her, brown eyes meeting blue. Like a doll on a shelf, I watch her step closer, gently picking up my wounded wrist and holding it out between us. My heart rate speeds faster than a sports car as the blonde’s thumb runs across a vein, silently inspecting the damages.
“Does it hurt?” she asks, now speaking in a quieter, more velvety tone.
My eyes briefly glance to the wrist before landing back on the mysterious woman, “Only a little.”
“It might swell a bit, so you’ll probably want to put some ice on it.”
“Okay.”
“If you can’t move it properly in the morning, be sure to get it looked at by a doctor as well.”
“Wouldn’t want to lose my fingering skills,” I retort playfully, then immediately pale. Did I…Did I really just say that? Why on Earth would I say that?! I know I’m drunk as sh*t right now, but that’s so out of character!
Edging embarrassment, I give a meek glance over to the woman, and find her face relaxing, easing into a soft smile. “You’re right. That’s a very important skill we don’t want to lose.”
Immediately, I scream internally. How in the world is any single person so freaking smooth!
I try to step away, but nearly fall right on my face. The woman swiftly reaches out her arms, holding me in a gentle, yet strong embrace. I feel like I’m swimming in a sea of gold as I stare up. Sliding a strand of hair away from her face, the woman grins down at me, “Careful there. Don’t need to fall for me yet.”
I force myself to snap back to reality, righting myself as I let those words sink in. Was she…was this woman flirting with me?!
“Did you need me to call you a Lyft? I’m not sure you’re entirely capable of making it home on your own.”
“I, uh, came with some friends. We live together, so they’ll get me home.”
The woman nods, carefully pulling her hair to one side, revealing the slightest hint of collarbone, “Good. Where are they?”
I search out across the club, scanning the crowd for my friends. I spot Kirby and River on the dance floor, clearly also looking for me. The woman follows my gaze and leads me back over to the dance floor, a gentle hand resting softly yet firmly on the small of my back. Is it possible for such a small touch to send such sparks straight through me? Maybe Kirby was right; maybe I really did overdo it on the liquor tonight.
River is the first to look up, her nervous expression immediately relaxing as she sets her sights on me. She rushes over and wraps me in a traditional bone-crushing hug. Exhausted, I lean some of my weight against my oldest friend, letting the stress of the night wash away with River’s support. She flags down Kirby, who fights his way back through the crowd to make it over to us.
“Where the hell did you go? We look away for two freaking seconds, and you’re halfway to North Dakota!”
“There was this guy, and he was-”
River frowns, “Oh, no. Sweetie, you didn’t like…hook up with him, did you?”
“No! No, he was trying to though. And pulling me and yelling at me. Forcing me out of here.”
Kirby smacks his fist against his open palm, already fuming at just those few words. “Someone’s lookin’ for a fight, huh? I can give him a freaking fight.”
“Kirbs, it’s fine. He was trying to drag me out, but then she-” I look to my left, but nobody is there. I pry myself from River and quickly turn around. Where the hell did she go? She was right here just a second ago! I squint my eyes, pacing the club as I search for her.
“Lily! Lily, what are you doing?”
“I’ve got to find her!”
“Find who?”
“That woman! The one who…she pinned the dude and scared him off and f*cking made me lose my head.”
“A woman? I didn’t see you walk over here with a woman,” Kirby replies, brows scrunched tightly in confusion.
“She was right here! Right…f*ck!” I do a final spin, regretfully accepting that she slipped right out of my sight. “I didn’t even catch her name.”
“Maybe that’s for the best,” Kirby states, and River smacks his arm, making him wince. “Ow! F*cker! I’m just sayin’. You still got douche canoe to get over. It’s not exactly the best time to be making superhero buddies, you know?”
“But…but she was so pretty,” I whisper, my voice completely drowned out by the noise of the club.
“Let’s just get you home, alright? Some water and a good sleep might help clear your head of all this.”
Defeated, I nod, letting River take my hand and lead me out of the club. I take one final glance around the space, still unable to spot the mysterious woman. Damn. Sighing to myself, I step out of the club into the crisp Wisconsin air. As I follow my friends to their car, the cloud of drunken haze finally dissipates, leaving only a sense of curiosity in its wake.
Kirby drives the two of us back to our shared two-bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of a rundown complex. I shuffle into my room, still mumbling and grumbling about the woman. I really wanted to talk to her more…
Sleep taking over, I flop face first onto the bed, passing out almost instantly. I can vaguely hear River slipping in, setting some water on the nearby nightstand, and taking off my shoes.
As River takes her leave, a vibrant dream takes over my mind, already turning unique shades of rage, sadness, and curiosity into vivid imagery.
I wander aimlessly through a park as flashes of blonde race through my mind. But no matter how fast I run, I just can’t seem to catch up. The mysterious woman turns to look back at me, that soft smile and gentle playfulness on full display.
I continue the chase, seeking out only one thing as I run: a name.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone