Return *HF* by Shockwave
ShockWave huddled under the awning of the classroom building and watched all the students and faculty walk past clutching their umbrellas. The rain fell in a thin mist rather steadily. Weather gave the California air what passed for a chill up in the mountains where she went to college. She watched couple’s huddling beneath a common umbrella for warmth. Not for the first time, her thoughts drifted back to the BHC and the life she had left behind. Her hands went unconsciously to her hair and she twirled a strand around her finger. The green streak was gone now and her hair was just fiery red all over. She had left everything behind in order to return to ‘normality’ Her mutant powers? Waves of warmth to keep her blankets cozy on cold nights, that was all her powers were used for anymore. Flying was a pleasure now reserved for when she was completely alone.
“What happened to us?” she whispered to herself. She wondered if the BHC Mansion still stood were it once had. Some of the same people must still be there, but they likely wouldn’t welcome her. It wouldn’t be the same anyway. That was why she left. She thought of how it all fell apart. First Nemesis slowly withdrew and left them all alone. But Silver, strong, handsome, brave Silver whom she had secretly had a crush on had kept them going for a while. Gomurr had been there too. Gomurr who had been her confidant and mentor from her stint as BHC Headmistress before she had moved on to become Bishop. But the mage had gotten caught up in other affairs and practically vanished. Perhaps he had indeed been sucked into another world or dimension without notice and no clues so that they could rescue him. And then Silver just left. She had been sucked into the vacuum then. The BHC was ending for her with the loss of those who gave it life. She had decided that it was time for her to move on. ShockWave chose to go out into the real world as just a person her age and get an education, discover her place. Now she knew Aristotle, had read Descartes, became a scholar and read the Great Books. She knew herself better now too, but she still missed the life she once had; the challenges and the adventure of it all. But could she still go back?
ShockWave was walking down the road in the dark that evening, she wanted to get some flying in and soar above it all. She heard a rustle and old instincts kicked in. She spun around and crouched low in a fighting position. She laughed at herself as she did it, knowing that it was probably only one of the campus couples on a rosary walk and she would look very strange to them. But it wasn’t. A figure stepped out of the shadows and held his hands out in a non-threatening gesture. “ShockWave?” he asked. She didn’t recognize the voice. “Who is it?” she asked. She wondered it the Dragon’s Guild was unhappy with her severing her ties and had finally sent someone after her. Her hand burned where once the magical tattoo had been. She’d show them that her mind wasn’t the only thing she had been working on while she was at school. “I am RedKnightBishop, from the Hellfire Circle. Come back to us.” He held out his hand to her, offering it for her to grasp. Was this her chance? She stood and gazed at him. “You’ll find you are a bit of a legend now,” he said with a jovial grin. She smiled back. “Nice to meet you.” ShockWave grasped his hand.
