The New City

New York City. A city that was destroyed, but now rebuilt. To anyone else, it would have been almost identical. But to Nick Lawson, The Performer, it wasn't even close. As he made his usual walk down Broadway, he couldn't help but feel that something was off. He didn't know if it was the city or himself, but something had been lost. The great city that he loved and grew up in was gone, replaced by what he saw as nothing but an empty shell. To him, this place was only similar to New York in name. The real city had died, and this new one built over its grave. Nick shook his head and continued his walk.

Bella had escaped from her brothers sites for the fifth time this week. He was always telling her new rules and Bella felt the need to be a normal teenager, except for the fact she could smell, run, and lift more than the average teenager. Bella loved New new york as she liked to call it, from it's once great standing to being rebuilt, she loved the layout of the still broken areas and the animals that roamed about. Bella actually didn't have a clue as to where she was. She ran quite fast to lose her brother but now she was lost and this troubled yet excited her. "Maybe I'll meet someone interesting." She said to herself out loud as for she knew no one was around and then continued her own walk.

Nick smiled as he stopped to admire a poster for an  upcoming show. It was comforting to know that while the city could be destroyed, the theatre scene in New York could still stay alive. He walked over to a bench and proceeded to sit down. He looked around at all the people. Busy, as always. Acting as if nothing even happened to the city. Nick sighed as he saw a newspaper that was carelessly littered on the ground. Wanting to do what he could for the environment, he picked it up and proceeded to go towards the trashcan, but not before reading the headline. Apparently with the brand new city, many gangs were coming in to claim it as their territory. The crime rate was rising faster than it had in the old city. It seemed that he decided to start fighting crime at the right time. Nick crumpled up the paper and threw it away. It was time to go back to work. Nick proceeded to walk back the way he came. It was here that he accidentally bumped into the young Bella, as he wasn't paying attention where he was walking for a moment. "Ah, sorry, miss," He said apologetically. "Wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Bella was walking and looking, not really keeping her eyes in front of her, just looking into the surroundings but thats when she bumped into someone. She backstepped from the man from the smell and looked up to see her nose was correct. Taller than her and probably weighing more, if he started a fight a enhanced animal would have been needed. But Bella calmed down when the man apologised. "Thats alright sir. Way I see it, it was both our faults for not looking ahead." She said with a slight laugh or giggle. She was always doing that to mouse she 'played with' or male animals she suddenly freaked out by a change in appearance.

Nick laughed. "Of course." It was strange to see a girl this young on Broadway street. Lately it seemed that this generation was quickly losing interest in theatre. But then again, perhaps she was just aimlessly walking around New York. Lord knows that Nick did that on his own sometimes. He put on his best charismatic movie-star smile. "Quite easy to lose yourself in all of this, isn't it?" He said. "Either that or we're both just inattentive, but nevertheless, at least we both recognize it as a mistake."

"Yes we could have been stupid and blamed each other for bumping but at least we were smart enough to know." She said to the man as she studied him. He had a actors looks to Bella and his beard was a nice one. "While we are here, unless you have somewhere to be. "What's up?" She asked with a small laugh. Might as well have a chat with him. He seemed polite and nice and she could easily overpower him as a silver back.

Down the street from the two; Hikari Nagato walked at a slow pace, her hands dug deep into her hoodie's pockets.  Her hood was up over her head, with wire connected to ear buds retreating to her phone which was also located in her pocket.  The young Japanese girl walked with a slunched, laid back posture, as if she didn't give a damn about the world.  Her brown eyes darted around a bit, looking at people, cars, and the various buildings she'd move passed.  It wasn't long before she approached the two people talking and standing in the middle of her path.  Hikari arched an eyebrow and looked at them, tilting her head curiously as why they blocked foot-traffic.

"Well, I should be going to rehearsal...but, my director's kind of an ass, so sure, I have some time to kill." Nick wasn't lying, the director truly was an ass, and he wouldn't mind wasting some more of his time. "I was just taking a walk. I do it every day. Clears my head, you know? Well, not as much as it used to. But it still helps nonetheless." Nick then noticed the Japanese girl who had approached the two. She was just standing there staring at them. A tourist, perhaps. People all around the world were flocking to see the newly rebuilt city. She didn't say anything, so Nick assumed that she didn't speak english. "Um...konichiwa." He said to the girl, smiling.

"So you are an actor. I'm just runnin from my overprotective brother trying to clear my head before he finds me again." SHe said this jokingly but noticed his gaze shift to a new comer. "Ello their." Bella called out to the stranger with a friendly tone and smile.

Hikari arched her eyebrow at the actor, noting his greeting was in Japanese.  This guy thinks she doesn't speak any English just because she's a minority.  Her arms cross over her chest as her eyes keep on the actor. "..Dude, I speak English.." She said in a fiery, tomboyish tone.  More importantly, her statement was in perfect English, as if she had spoke it her entire life.  "Just because I don't look like sixty percent of New Yorkers, doesn't mean I'm not one."  Her eyes slowly turn to the girl, at least she greeted her in english.  Hikari gives her a nod, "Hello yourself."  Her hands dip into her hoodie pocket to turn off the music she was listening to on her phone before looking back up at them.

Nick was surprised that the girl spoke english. In hindsight though, she really didn't look like a tourist. Far from it, in fact. "Ah, my apologies. As they say on Avenue Q, everyone's a little bit racist." He said jokingly, referencing one of his favorite musicals. "Anyways, this is um..." He gestured to Bella, but then realized that they hadn't introduced themselves. "Well, my name is Nick."

Bella realised she had not introduced herself and slightly bowed to the strangers. "Sorry, I'm Bella." She said politely to Nick and the other girl. She then looked around like someone was watching before turning back to the girl to wait to see if she would share a name.

Hikari looked to Nick for a momment, his way of speech seemed theatrical to her. She was never one for plays or musicals, they were usually too lighthearted and flamboyant for her tastes. She remembered the last time she went to the theater, she saw CATS with her mother. The title should have been, "Loud people covered in ink." She didn't like it. Her eyes blink once as she notices the two were eyeing her, expecting her to introduce herself. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug as she places her hands into her pockets. "I'm Hikari.." she said non-nonchalantly, jerking her head to the side to get her purple bangs out of her eyes.

The girl seemed to be antisocial. Nick knew an antisocial person one, and knew how to talk to them. "Well, now that we're all introduced, why don't we-" Nick was interrupted by a loud noise. The noise came from a nearby alleyway. He turned and walked to the alley to see a young woman surrounded by a group of men wearing black. The tallest one, the leader perhaps, was walking towards the girl, preparing to violate her. "Oh dear," Nick said. "Now that isn't good."

"Nice to meet you Hikari." She said to the antisocial sounding girl before also hearing the scream. She followed after Nick to the alleyway where she watched what he had watched. Bella was going to knock some heads in after all. "Sorry my new friends but you're about to see a bad side of me." She said aloud to both of them while starting to walk towards the men in black. Men in black, that made Bella giggle a little at the thought. But she didn't have the element of surprise as she said her previous words loud enough to be heard.

The leader turned to the younger girl and slightly smirked. "Look at that boys, a small hero and hey now you don't have to wait." He called out to his men which in turn he received a cheer from the lot of them. This disgusted Bella and as soon as one started to move closer, she was gone and back. Now stood a huge muscled silver back Gorilla. (3+ strength, 2+ durability, 1+ fighting skills.) Her eyes went a dark Forrest green with specks of black and her fur was midnight except for the silver on her back. The goon who was walking to her now took a step back, almost all the goons did. "Run... fast." Was all she said in a nonhuman and rough voice.