I was trapped with my thoughts in the inky blackness for a while, my chest tightening as it tried to get used to breathing in the bubble. I knew that I had to be moving, but I couldn't tell how, or where. I didn't feel cold, but I knew I shouldn't have been warm, with all of the snow outside.

My chest started to tighten more. I tried to keep breathing slow and thinking slow, but my body had other plans.

What if this isn't Nadia? What if she's controlled by someone? Alone with my own thoughts. I hated it.

What if you were wrong about her? Tears started to flow down my cheeks as I thought that. My body started to shake, though I couldn't tell if it was me or the ink blob. I kept my eyes shut, waiting for it all to end.

Hoping it was just a dream.

But, it wasn't. The next thing I knew, I was blasted by a wet, cold wind, and I lost my footing on what was now mostly solid ground. Before I could hit the ground, however, a pair of arms wrapped around me, and I felt my head rest against someone's chest. Opening my eyes, I looked up to see Nadia's face, her eyes gazing softly into mine. She was calm, but her face was splotchy, and there were dark streaks running down her cheeks. I never realized she wore makeup.

"Nadia, what's going on?" The cold was already starting to set in, especially with the snow still falling around us. I slowly started to secure my footing in the snow, as my socks became soaked through. That's a pleasant thing.

"People are trying to hurt people close to me. They killed my parents at work. I saw them." Nadia's grip on my waist grew tighter, stopping me from being able to stand up fully and pull away from her.

"Nadia I, I'm sorry." I wiggled my way to turn towards Nadia, placing my hand on her cheek. Snow quickly began to collect on my hand, making me feel even colder. There was no way I was going to be able to stay out in the blizzard for very long. "Maybe we should go to my apartment, and--"

"No! We can't!" Nadia's eyes suddenly became a bit darker, her grip on my waist beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. "We need to get out of here, Gi." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I'm keeping you safe."

"But, we aren't allowed to leave." I knew that I should've pulled away from Nadia, that I could've made a point that stopped her from continuing any of this. But it was cold. I didn't know what was going on. Her grip began to feel more comfortable again.

"I know a place, though. I have this all planned out." Nadia caressed my cheek with her hand, which somehow, felt warm. "No one is going to hurt you. Ever."

"It's cold, Nad."

"I know. Let's go." Nadia moved her hand from my cheek, taking out her vial of ink and popping it open.

"What do you two think you're doing?" I froze as I heard another voice, a voice that I had heard from before. Not the worst voice in the world, but not one I would have prefered to hear at that moment. I looked behind me, and saw a figure's outline through the pelting snow. Nadia let go of my waist, shoving me back so she could stand between me and the figure.

After gracefully face planting into the snow, which was really what I needed at the moment, I squinted into the blizzard. The figure was closer now, and I could see his face.

He was one of the most feared people in the city. An outrageously powerful Superhuman, with control over the life and death of plants. He could choke out whatever he wanted, if that's what he really desired. He was known, as Roopal.

And he was honestly the weird uncle to us "younger" Superhumans. Which meant that while we were not going to die, we were about to get into a lot of trouble.

"It's not your business," Nadia snapped, becoming agitated again. "Leave me alone!"

"Well, if the two of you are out, in the middle of the night, in a blizzard, in truly inadequate clothing, it is completely my business," Roopal said, keeping his tone even as he slowly approached us. He looked at me. "Don't you have a curfew?"

"Shoot, I, uh..." I had totally forgotten about that whole complication to this scenario. They didn't always check up on me at curfew, and sometimes they were a bit more lenient when it came to the rules, such as me being in someone else's apartment in my building. But if they couldn't find me tonight? And when they finally discovered where I was, they would realize that this is basically an "illegal meeting of criminal thoughts between Superhumans"?

I was dead meat.

I felt heart start to not function properly. Stupid adrenaline.

"No, she is not going back home." I was drawn out of my slightly panicked daze by Nadia's voice. "Don't you realize? They're going to kill her!"

"If you mean the government, I don't think they're checking up on activity in this storm." Roopal almost chuckled a little bit as he spoke, seeming to misunderstand the situation. "Now, kid, I don't know why you two are out here, but you're blowing this a bit out of proportion. If I were you, I'd be a bit more worried about—"

"I know the government doesn't do shit! Do you think they did anything as my parents were planned to be murdered? Or the fact that everyone I care about is in danger right now? I'm getting Gi out of here, and I don't care what you think!" Nadia opened her vial of ink, and I felt my eyes go wide.

"Nadia, wait—" I tried to stand up and stop her, but my legs didn't want to move.

"I'm doing what's best for you, Gi."

"I don't think you're thinking straight, Nadia. And it's cold and my feet are numb and I'm starting to think this isn't a good idea." I felt my thoughts spinning, and I knew that I was beginning to make just as much sense as Nadia was.

"What?" Nadia's shoulders slouched slightly, before her entire body tensed up again. "No. No, no, no, no, no." She uncapped her ink, sending it out. But, it wasn't soft and fluid like it normally was. It was sharp, jagged, almost like a knife.

And it was pointed straight at me.

"Nadia don't do that, please..." I felt my chest begin to tighten, and I just wished I could feel anything around me. How long had I been out there? Time was nothing to me at that moment.

"Kid, you need to calm down. Before you hurt someone." Roopal finally spoke up again, trying to walk up to Nadia. "I don't think you're thinking this through."

"You don't tell me what to do!" And what that, she swept the ink knife away from me, slashing Roopal across his chest. She then dropped the ink, staining the snow black as she backed up. "I, I didn't mean--"

"Sai!" I heard someone yell out Roopal's real name as he struggled to stay upright, as if he didn't want to show that he was in pain. Roopal held up his hand.

"Don't worry about me. Just, get that kid home." He pointed at me, and I never wanted hear that more. Home was where warmth was, and warmth was what I needed at the moment.

I felt a pair of arms pick me up from behind, as my brain was tuning out what was going on around me. More people were jumping onto the building, though I couldn't process who. A couple ran to Roopal, one was trying to restrain Nadia. A jacket was put over me, giving some sort of respite from the cold that engulfing my whole body. I was swept off of my feet, and I heard the person that was holding me shouting something. I knew that I should've stayed conscious, that it wasn't smart to fall asleep in a scenario like this. But, I couldn't help it, as I was carried away from the scene.

I fell asleep.