Murphy's Law in Effect (open)

Evan turned the knobs on his bass guitar. He was trying to find the right sound for a song he was working on, but couldn't quite hit the nail on the head. He always found this process a gift and a curse. If it were for the band, the answer would be simple: find some riffs that make them all sound more introspective and trendy. But that wasn't what this song was about. This song was far more angry than what his band played. They went for the songs that sounded almost cliche to him. But he wasn't a music expert. He wasn't an expert at much of anything, to be honest. He didn't know what people really liked, and didn't pretend to. He only knew what his heart made him play, and that was good enough for him. He strummed a few open chords on the bass, and frowned as the sound came through the amp. It was a little flat. An easy enough adjustment, but after the last hour of fiddling around and not actually achieving anything, he felt as if he should give up for now. His head and heart weren't working together, and that wasn't going to be beneficial to the creative process. He took the bass off of his shoulders and set it to the side on a stand beside his other instruments. His favorite was the acoustic. It's shiny red coat glimmered in the sunlight that came through his window. He named her "Rachel" after a girl he once loved. Still loved. But love was a burden he never learned to really bare. He sighed to himself and made his way towards the door, opening it swiftly and leaving in a hurry.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and slipped on his pair of black skateboard shoes. He tied the laces up tight and stood back up. He looked at himself in the mirror that was at the bottom landing. His hair was a mess, as it almost always was. He brushed it out of his face a bit, and tried to fix it. It didn't take long for him to give up on this, and reach for his hat on the coat rack. He placed the sun-faded black fedora on top of his head and looked himself over one more time. He cracked a half smile, but quickly went back to his normal face. That smile won't catch anyones attention anyway. It never did. He sighed and looked around. No one was home. His mother was off at work at the office. She always was working late on "the Jefferson account" or "The Thorogood Reports." or some other accounting jargon that Evan never took the time to learn. His father hadn't been home in awhile. He served in the military, so it was quite common for him to take long leaves of absence. Sometimes Evan wondered what his life would be like if his family had more time for him. It wasn't that his life was bad or anything, not by any means. He just wondered if he would have been more social. Less strange. He didn't dare say different. He would ALWAYS be different.

He made his way out the front door and onto the front steps. The sun was high in the sky, beating down brighter than he liked. He would take a rainy day over a sunny one most of the time. It helped his writing. He stepped off the porch and took a look back at his blue house. It stuck out like a sore thumb on the block covered in white houses with picket fences, and it was something he prided himself on when he talked to people. He found a bit of joy telling them he lived in the "perfect blue building beside the green apple sea" Most people didn't get the reference though, so it often only made him smile. He walked around the side of the house towards the garage to get his bike. He needed to get some exercise, so he was trying not to take his car that often. He kicked a pebble down the walkway, but was rather surprised when the slight sound of the rock hitting metal didn't follow. He looked up from the ground, breaking the trance he was in. The bike was nowhere to be found. Evan looked around frantically for a moment, even moving the metal trash cans out of the way, as if the bike might be hiding behind them. Then he saw it. The chain that he locked the bike up with had been cut. It no longer was connected to the chain link fence beside his house. He clenched his fist in a feeling of disgust. "Welp. Guess I'll take the ol' shoe leather express. No harm there." Evan turned back around and checked his pockets on his way towards the street. His phone and wallet both still in his pockets. "At least that's going right today." Evan spat under his breath as he made his way towards the downtown area to grab himself a latte and see if anything was happening at the local coffee shop...

Envy was continuing her exploration of the earth by going to west to a popular place called Los Angeles. She had arrived at the state the night before after a day of running at her top speed. Like her disgusting brother she had to sleep in the alley way for the night until the morning. Waking up from a uneasy sleep and sitting up from the ground of the dark alley Envy rubbed her eyes as most people do when getting up from bed . As she did this a common thug came towards her with a knife in hand and a evil grin." Hey baby how about you come with me I can show you a good time." Envy just looked at him and shook her head side to side knowing this man had a death wish. Standing up from the ground she stood in front of the thug and vibrated her hand fast enough to go through in to his Chest. She then grabbed his heart and squeezed it until it popped and he was dead on the ground with blood bleeding from his noise. She grinned at this and pick pocketed the dead man. Fifty dollars that'll do For now. Before going she took her sword and carved her family's emblem into the dead man's chest. A circle with a lighting bolt going through it. She put the sword in the holster and back to her side. She put her bloody hand into her hoodie pocket and walked out of the alley way to a coffee shop. She when to the bathroom and washed the bloody hand of the blood from the man's heart. She the. Walked towards the front desk to order a coffee.

Evan walked into the coffee shop with his head down like always. He knew almost everyone that went there, as it wasn't a popular location in town. He smiled at the older gentleman in the corner that was reading the newspaper. His name was Arnold. He was there every day, sipping a coffee with one cream and one sugar. The old man nodded, which was about the most he ever gave him. Evan never really was good at making friends. He made his way to a table in the back and sat down, looking around the room. Nothing out of the ordinary, from the old piano to the hipster in the corner on his laptop, pretending to type up a novel. Evan knew better. The kid was rearranging his iTunes playlist, adding in some "They Might Be Giants" or something like that. Some day he would add "Antique Skyline" to that list. But not anytime soon.

Evan sighed and again browsed the room. Thats when it hit him. A young woman with black hair that he had never seen before, and around his age. She was standing at the counter, seeming to buy a drink. His first thought was to look away, but for some reason couldn't. He tried not to make himself too noticed in the back of the room, watching to see her next move. And trying to build up courage to talk to her. He knew that second option was so far out of the realm of reality that it wouldn't happen.

As she got her coffee and payed five dollars for it she was about to leave until she was something. A teenage male around his age was looking right at her probably studying her. She decided to see what he wanted and in a blink of a eye used superspeed to sit right next to him."You were starring at me..why was that?"

Evan was absolutely awestruck. He had heard of people like him. Seen instances on the news of heroes and villains. Hell, he had seen them show up at his school. But he had NEVER talked to one. He couldn't stop his mouth from talking.

"I... uh... Well. I haven't seen you here before. Caught my attention before is all. But now I'm absolutely amazed by.. whatever I just saw. My names Evan... Just who are YOU exactly?"

As he finished his sentence he sounded almost nervous. Not a good sign, given the fact that was trying to seem a little more confident than the start of the sentence. He smiled as he finished the sentence, hoping he had just made a friend.

Envy raised a brow at the way he was talking. He boy sounded nervous. She understood why since she could have given someone a heart attack at the speed she came at him. She decided to take it slow, she didn't have a reason to kill him right now.
"I'm Envy.....Envy Mason I just got to town last night.

Evan looks on, still not sure how to take this new stranger.

"Well Welcome to Los Angeles. I wish I had something clever to say after that but I don't. This place is way darker and danker than the media gives it credit. But uh. If you need a friend here I can be that! Or uh... something."

Smooth, Evan, Smooth. He thought to himself. He wasn't sure what to say in all honesty. He thought for a moment of telling her he had powers himself, but he wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Even if she was willing to use her powers in public, he was still afraid to use his. What if someone in the cafe panicked? He didn't anna cause an uproar or anything. He kept his focus on the woman, not sure what she could do. And, given he was not much more than a human physically, didn't wanna take many chances.

Envy just gave him a strange look and got a small smile at his words."Um..ya thanks." Using superspeed she drank her coffee in least then a minute and put the cup in the trash. She then when to the bathroom for a quick minute. Running out at superspeed to hit rigt next to Evan again, but this time she had her hoodie zippered down a little showing the top of her bra top and her family emblem.
She looked at the tv infront of her with the news on. It was live right out side showing her murder of the Thug.

Evan looked up at the T.V. to see the scene playing out. The news reporter was a bit frantic, but the sound was too low to hear. Evan watched her mouth and the words on the screen, and was certain he could make out the words "Murder" and "a sign". They then showed a drawing of some sort. That was apparently carved into the man. A lightning bolt and a circle. That seemed like a bit strange sort of sign, but usually people who murder people in this town do it for gangs or for territory. Evan didn't really think much of it as he turned to face Envy.

His eyes were originally on a path to meet hers, and to start a conversation. But they happened across her hoodie first. And then saw the emblem. Could she have done this? All signs at the moment pointed to it. But he had to play it cool. If she was a senseless killer, he could be next. So he had to focus. Try and talk things out. He looked at her slightly concerned.

"Wow, that is some pretty terrible stuff, right? That murder I mean?"

Envy smiled at the work she did and how fast it took for the media to find it. At this rate Chris will find her in no time. She heard what Evan said sounding almost conserned. He must have saw her emblem and put one and one together. She decided to take it easy for now.
"It is."

He had to think quickly. If he waited, she might run off. Worse case, she might end him right here. Evan decided to try and take this elsewhere, that way there would be no problems in the small coffee shop.

"Well, hey. I can't really stay here long. Got some stuff I have to get done. But you're more than welcome to walk with me a bit. Perhaps we could get to know each other? Become friends and such?"

Evan was afraid. In all honesty, he was petrified. This woman most likely just killed that man. There was no way there was reason for that. If she could run as fast as she had in here, why didn't she take off? Leave him in the dust. No. She knew what she was doing. She HAD to have known. Evan started to stand up, awaiting her answer.

Envy look at him and shrugged her shoulders."ya ok why not in bored anyway." she would then follow him out if the coffee shop.

Evan stood up and stretched a bit before making his way out of the coffee shop, holding the door for Envy. He looked to the left and could see police and news crews a couple blocks down. She literally had to have done this within the hour. Not that that would surprise him. But why? What purpose did she have? He didn't have time to ponder that here. Not where people could get hurt. He had to walk to a less crowded area. There was a park not far from them that was usually empty. That would be his best bet.

"I'mma cut through the park to get to the other side of town. Got some stuff I have to do with my band." Evan said as he started to heading in that direction. He was lying through his teeth, given that he didn't have anything set up with the band that day, but he had to keep her attention. Keep her distracted as long as he could. At least till he could think up a plan. "So. What brings you to town? Anything exciting? You seem the type that is a bit... wild..."

Envy just kept walking behind Evan as they made thier way though the park. When he asked what she was doing in this town she panicked for a moment before coming up with a lie."I'm visiting my brother nothing special." she says lieing though her teeth.

Evan slowed down a bit. He was going to have to decide what to do now. Was today his day to try and be a hero? Or, would he sit back and cower like he had most of his life. Would he stand up and fight, or be a coward and a nobody. Evan swallowed his nerves and turned to face her, still pacing backwards slowly. "Oh? Who's your brother? Is he a runner like you?... does he do what you did to that man?" Evan clenched his fists at his side, bracing himself for what he expected would be an almost unwinnable fight. "I put two and two together, Envy. But I still don't get why. Why did you do it?"