To one with particularly sensitive hearing a gentle buzzing sound reminiscent to the static created by an old analog television was briefly audible. Suddenly, where there was once open space now stood a young man of around 15 to 16 years of age with cropped black hair and frosted tips. The teenager's sun kissed complexion provided a striking contrast to his bright azure orbs and deep set dimples. He was quite fashionably dressed in a red and white hoodie and coordinating sweatpants coupled with a pair of red trimmed white jordans. A small candy cane stud earring in his right ear completed the look as he lifted his hands to the sides of his head.



"What a rush, that's going to take some getting used to," the teenager mumbled to himself as he dug into the pocket of his sweatpants to withdraw his iphone. As a name flashed across the screen, the young man quirked a brow as he breathed "Really?" Offering a casual shrug, the boy tucked the device back into his pants pocket and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a square shaped box wrapped in shiny silver paper and tied with a shimmering red bow hovered in front of him. Snatching the box from the air, the teenager's gaze swept the area before landing on a pair of students lurking about a building.



Sighing and shaking his head, the young man started off in their direction. The duo were so engaged in their task that they didn't even seem to notice their peer approaching despite the brightness of his clothing. Clearing this throat, the teenager began "Uh... sorry to interrupt... whatever this is but I got something here for a Melody Newton." Directing his gaze towards the girl with the odd colored eyes he added "I'm going to assume that's you." Not giving the teen meta a chance to respond, he extended the box towards her.

As she retrieved the box from him, the phone in his pocket beeped three times in succession as it updated his delivery list. Chucking deuces to the couple of wayward students, he offered the pair a mischievous wink as he closed his eyes and vanished from sight.

Melody Newton

The sudden quiet was deafening. This was, after all, a school canteen; even when the school was one for Metahumans, many of whom were expected to one-day go on to be heroes and protect people, teenagers in sufficiently large quantities would always produce a near-deafening din, regardless of how quiet each individual thought they were being. But now, if only for a few moments, there was silence.



The main double doors swung open, and a man stepped through. He was dressed as a school janitor, blue overalls and gloves, but no member of staff would recognise him, and his uniform was far too clean and neat to be that of a long-term cleaner midway through his workday. He was perhaps average height, with a substantial stomach, and both the biggest white beard and the sharpest, brightest blue eyes that the girl had ever seen. Most incongruously, he carried in his hands a package wrapped in bright red paper, with snowflakes dotted around and a red ribbon tying it all together.



He strode into the room, his every step carrying weight beyond that of silly jokes about his stomach. He had gravitas, was the kind of man to which all eyes were drawn. But they weren’t. Somehow, everyone’s eyes simply slid over him, like he was just another person in the background. No one could look at him, it seemed that no one could even see him. No one except the girl.



It was to her table that his stride brought him, and as she looked up at him he looked down at her in turn. His blue eyes, so bright, twinkled like stars even as his down-turned head threw them into shadow



His voice was deep, and gentle, the words spoken slowly. “A gift, from a friend of yours.”



He handed the parcel in his hands to her, a small square of paper, then straightened even as Melody turned her eyes to her gift. When she looked back, the man was gone, the doors closed, and everything as it had been. Everything that is, except the small box in her hands.


Melody Newton

It was eerily quiet on this brisk winter evening. Perhaps a little too hushed for a neighborhood known for its high crime rate and random bouts of senseless violence. In fact the only sign of life on the block was the faint roar of an Electra Glide as it sped down the street. Seated atop the motorcycle was a pot bellied older man of an indiscernable age with flowing snow white hair secured by a striped red and white bandana. A pair of dark ray ban sunglasses concealed the rider's twinkling cobalt eyes as the unrelenting wind whipped viciously at his face prompting his plump cheeks to redden.



Clad in a fitted white t-shirt with the words 'Merry Christmas, you filthy animal' scrawled in black font across the front and a pair of faded jeans with large, gaping holes in both knees, the biker eased his Electra Glide up to a run down old building. Beneath his sunglasses the man's bushy eyebrow quirked as he warily eyed the ramshackle structure. Killing the engine of the bike, the crotchety old man dug his cellphone out of his jeans pocket and peered down intensely at the screen that displayed a grid with a flashing red dot.



For a moment, a befuddled expression crossed the biker's face as he studied the positioning of the dot before realization suddenly dawned on him. The dot wasn't in the building it was...ON the building. Son of a... the ill tempered man swore inwardly. Shoving the phone back into his pocket, the rider slid off the motorcycle turning his attention to an oversized jacket nestled behind the seat, he removed the jacket exposing a neatly wrapped box. Grabbing the box, the biker pressed it against his torso while using the sleeves of the jacket to secure it in place.

Sighing, he advanced towards the building her bright eyes scanning the area before coming to rest on a fire escape. Shaking his head he murmured "I'm getting way too old for this sh*t." Irked, he started up the fire escape pausing every other flight of stairs to catch his breath. "No one uses sleds anymore, they said" the biker grumbled. "You have to blend in, they said" the man griped as he continued up the final flight to the rooftop. As he reached the roof, the old man leaned over his hands resting on his knees at he took several deep breaths.



Once his heart rate returned to normal the man glanced up and spotted a figure near the edge surveying the ground below. "Hey kid, I got something for ya," he called out. Advancing towards the masked figure, the biker began untying his shirt allowing the parcel to slid free into hand. Placing it on the ground next to the vigilante, he abruptly turned and headed back towards the fire escape. Pausing just before descending the stair case, he turned back towards the vigilante and said "Oh yeah, Merry Christmas."



With that he was gone back down the fire escape and out of sight. The only evidence of his presence being the sound of the Electra Glide's engine as it peeled away from the curb.

Coryelle Wilde