Hunted

Riley - powered

"I'm a shapeshifter," she said proudly. She could feel Travis' voice gear up for an angry speech, but ignored it all together. She was done worrying about what he would have thought.

"So you're like a werewolf?" Michael asked.

Riley shook her head. "No, I can only alter my human appearance."

"Wait, you're not a..." Michael started.

Riley knew what he was thinking, and laughed. "I'm definitely a girl, Michael." she said. "Let's just put it this way, I'm definitely not a blonde."

Before the conversation could continue any further, they reached their destination. Riley pushed up the sewer cover and peered out. When she saw the coast was clear she opened it up all the way. Luckily, she had been right and they were right beside the old community center she had set up camp in.

"Home sweet home," she said as she started towards the back entrance she used.

Sorry guys that I havent posted. A few things has been going on, I will post later

Michael

Breathing a noticeable sigh of relief, Michael shook his head a little. He'd actually been worried for a second there. He gave the community centre a quick look over. Not too shabby - a little dilapidated, but that seemed only to serve in giving an uninhabited appearance. A good place to live if you were on the run. Much better than the sewer, in any case.

He followed her towards the back entrance. "So, not blonde, huh? Well, that's not much of a worry. It's not like I just talked to you 'cause of your hair colour."

So, this is her home... He thought, then sighed softly, I'm probably going to have to find some place like this now...I'm no shape shifter, and they know what I look like. Home's not such a safe place any more.

"I guess you're kind of used to staying out of their way now, huh?" He asked, "Any tips?"

Riley - powered

Riley shrugged. "Basically just don't get yourself backed into a corner with any of the hunters around, and never attract Hunter's attention."

Michael nodded and kept looking around the room. Riley couldn't tell what he was thinking really, so she wandered back into the bathroom. She jumped at the sight of herself in the mirror. She wasn't used to being the blonde girl, never her alias of choice. She couldn't even remember when she had met this girl.

Riley grumbled and went back to Michael. "So, how have you been avoiding the hunters for so long? You didn't seem as if you had too much experience dealing with them back at the mall."

Marisol-SONIC SCREAM-Hunter

"Marisol? You there?"A voice called through the darkness and then Marisol could see again. The stream of black swept from her vision. A floating orb was moving towards her.

"Marisol?" It called again. A deep husky voice, full of confusion. She'd heard it before, but from who?

"Who's there?" Her own voice unsure. The blinding light flickered for a moment before disappearing altogether. Now a person, no a man, was stumbling her way. "Jacob..." She breathed.

Jacob, light-manipulation/illusion, hunter.

Jacob looked over at his partner. His face was pale and clammy, and he was trembling slightly. He blinked, still confused and scared. There was a strange emptiness in his chest, as though someone had plucked something out and left a hole.

"Marisol, what did she do to me?" he asked as he staggered forward. "I don't know what she did."

"Take it easy," she said. Marisol took his arm to help steady him. "We should go home and ask the Hunter. He'll know what happened."

"Hunter... she was a hunter, like us. I think... there were strings like fishing line, or a spider web, and I think they took something from me." He closed his eyes and shook his head, still recuperating. "You're right, we should go home."

The Hunter

He saw the girl look up at him fearfully. He set his jaw as he came down for another attack. He would rather the girl give up quickly. The Hunter was in no mood for a headache.

The Hunter decided he would end it quickly. He swooped down, hooking his talons in the girl's fur when he was low enough. The Hunter made a quick decision that, while being painful for him, would help to end the chase much quicker. He worked for a moment to change only his vocal cords into one of a human. The Hunter could now speak, but only for a moment. His throat felt as if it was about to explode with the extra matter inside it.

"Give up. I can and will best you, wherever you go. Best you stop while you can, and I may be merciful."

The girl whimpered under him. The Hunter quickly forced his vocal cords back into that of a falcon. His temple was beginning to throb, but never the Hunter mind. He always had shown a flair for dramatics.

Slowly, the girl began to slow down. The Hunter watched her wearily, still clutching onto her tightly with his talons. She glanced up at him nervously. The Hunter jerked his head toward a small alley between two buildings. She trotted into it.

Once out of general human eyesight, the Hunter leaped off of the girl lightly and let his body reclaim in natural form. He let out a barely audible sigh of relief.

The girl had transformed back into a human as well. She watched him wearily, but the Hunter could see that she wouldn't be running again. Wordlessly, he grasped her upper arm and guided her back onto the streets.

The Hunter hailed the first taxi he saw. Soon they were headed back to the Hunters' headquarters. The Hunter glanced at his capture. He hadn't recruited any new Hunters for quite some time now. He wondered if she would make a good one.

And judging by his Hunters' most recent actions, he may be in need of a replenishment.

Soon the pair stepped out of the taxi. Still not saying a word to the girl, he brought her into his private entrance. He called the elevator and guided her inside. Only once the doors had slid shut, the Hunter released her arm to pull out the key needed to access the Hunter's penthouse. He twisted it in the lock, and soon the elevator hummed into motion.

Michael, Duplication, Powered

Michael was looking over some of the dusty, dated equipment left behind by the former owners of the community centre, wondering if there might be any use for them. He doubted it, since Riley hadn't bothered to - that much was clear. But maybe she could use a new perspective on things.

"So," She said, "How have you been avoiding the hunters for so long? You didn't seem as if you had too much experience dealing with them back at the mall."

She received a bitter laugh in reply, Michael shaking his head a little. "Well, that's a nice way of putting it. That's all the experience I've had with them, and I'm still aching a little from it." He shrugged, "I'd only heard of them once before today, overheard someone talking about them. But that was before I had powers, so I just thought they were crazy and didn't pay any real attention. I've only avoided them this long because I don't use my powers that conspicuously. Only from time to time, here and there. I guess they just didn't notice me."

He could see she was shocked by this, which was fair enough. After all, he'd had a normal, easy, comfortable life, while she'd been hiding in this place, apparently no friends or companions, and probably changing her appearance every day to stay one step ahead of them.

Either that, or she had some kind of shelter to go to, and she'd just brought him here because she didn't trust him in the slightest. What kind of person just 'went unnoticed' by the hunters?

**Thanks, Phantom!**

Izzy - Shapeshifter - Powered

Izzy still didn't know what to do. Obviously running was out of the question now, she'd tried that and it hadn't exactly got her anywhere.
She knew that fighting wouldn't be a very good idea, this guy looked strong and he sure wasn't letting her get away.
Izzy wondered what he wanted with her. Besides bruising her arm with his stone grip, the guy hadn't done too much to hurt her. Yet.

She looked closely at his face and decided that he still looked a little pained. Shapeshifter seemed to hurt him, he'd been extremely relieved when changing back into human form.

Izzy'd taken in everything about the building they'd entered: she knew where it was, where the windows were situated and could picture the front in minute detail.
Not that it really helped, she wouldn't be able to escape anyway.

Shut up! Izzy silently berated the negative side of herself. She didn't let it out often, but when it escaped she could become pretty down.
I will escape! I will. Izzy chanted to herself as the escalator rose higher and higher.

And then it stopped. She's reached her destination.

I wont be able to post until tomorrow!! Sorry! I'm in a rush, gotta go!! :O

Riley - shapeshifter - powered

Sighing, Riley sat down cross-legged on the floor and looked up at Michael. It seemed almost ridiculous that he could have evaded the hunters for so long, but she wasn't exactly frequently visited either.

"So then I suppose you'll be needing to find a way back to your home then?" she asked. She was unsure of what he planned to do next. Now that a hunter had seen him, he would be on the radar. Surely someone would be on his trail eventually. But maybe not, he could be fine.

Remembering that the hunters had spotted her as well discomforted Riley. Now she would have to seek out a new safe house as well. Surely someone as skilled as the hunters wouldn't let her walk away so easily.

Michael seemed to be thinking over the matter as well. Riley wondered if he would want to join up with her. It had been a long time since she had traveled with someone, but she wasn't entirely against it. In fact, she secretly hoped he wanted to stay.

"So?" she asked.

Michael

Home. Family, friends, school, his old, normal life. It didn't seem like that would be coming back now. After all, the hunters had finally got around to noticing that he existed, and while he didn't want to flatter himself, he didn't think they'd leave him alone for long. Or maybe they would, he didn't know. But sooner or later, they'd come looking for him, and he'd have to give up things as they were. Might as well start on my own terms.

"Well, I don't think that'd be a safe option for me, any more." He said, finally answering her. "They'll just try to catch me again." He looked over at her, "Seeing as you've got a bit more experience dealing with them, would you mind if I stuck with you? I mean, I can't shapeshift, so I guess I'll be a bit of a burden. But I'd appreciate it."

Riley

She smiled. "It wouldn't be a burden at all. It would actually be nice to have someone else around for a while. But we can't stay here for very long, as it won't be long before a hunter shows up on our trail."

Michael nodded. "So where should we go?"

"I'm not sure." Riley shrugged. "But we ought to wait until dark to do anything. In the mean time, feel free to make yourself at temporary home."

Michael sat down on one of the grimy couches and Riley was about to join him when she remembered that she ought to fix her appearance.

"I'll be right back, don't be surprised if I don't look the same," she told him.

Back in the bathroom, Riley experimented with different looks. Nothing felt right though. She had used a lot of her aliases already and it was nearly impossible for her to change her appearance without anyone to change to. Finally, she was compelled to take away all changes and look at herself normal again.

The red hair surprised her, even though she had a brief glimpse of it that very morning. It was straighter than she remembered, and flattered her eyes and the shape of her face very well.

"But can I be this Riley...?" she wondered aloud.

She had been concerned for a while that she didn't know how to be herself anymore. She had kept up so many different personas in the past years, how could she revert back to what she used to be?

"Riley?" Michael's voice came from the doorway.

She spun around to see him standing in front of her. In her shock she couldn't think of how to shift to a different anything, so all she did was throw her arms in front of her face and turn back away.

Marisol-SONIC SCREAM-Hunter

Something was weird about Jacob, Marisol knew that. But what? He turned to her and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Hmmm? Oh, uh, nothing." She turned away blushing."You just look unsteady, is all..." She grabbed his arm and smiled at him when he looked like he was going to run away. "It's a long walk home after all.."

*sorry it's short, Buggy its up to you where to go from here**

Jacob, light manipulation, hunter

He tensed when Marisol took his arm, then sighed. "Thanks.

"No problem."

They walked like that back to the house. Every now and then he stumbled, but she kept him up. And all the time that odd feeling that part of him was missing didn't go away.

Pretty soon they walked to the apartment building and after a slow ride on the elevator arrived at the penthouse. By that time he'd gotten his footing again and besides feeling off was back to his old self.

Looking up, he saw the Hunter with a strange girl. Apparently he had just arrived in the penthouse.

"New recruit?" Jacob asked.