The temperature was really beginning to cool. Or maybe it was the rain that had dropped temperatures into the fifties. Emily wasn’t bothered by it at all. She was doing what most people wouldn’t think about in this weather: taking a swim.

Swimming was something Emily really enjoyed. The fact that she didn’t have to come back up for air allowed her to enjoy it even more. There were no interruptions in her watery world. All of the pools had been covered up or emptied. The dead girl decided to take a swim in the New York Harbor. Because of the rain, very few boats were in the open water. Emily had it all to herself.

In water, your senses are dulled. You can’t see well in the murky depths and sound is muffled. When you are awake for eternity, getting a break from the bombardment of your senses is a welcomed change.

Emily had been below the surface for around two hours. She wore a diving suit to keep fish and other sea creatures from biting her skin. The rest of her body was bare. In front of her, something seemed to fall in the water. It could be a purse, a body, even a car. The water was too murky to tell. She swam closer to take a better look.

SHe had just arrived back in the city or did she have to hit land for that? Her image was very well known as well. SO she had avoided planes and taken her time getting back. SHe was sure the order would have provided for his transport but it had been awhile since she had been back and Aura liked to take care of herself when she could. To make matters worse it was raining and while she could keep most of the water off of her it still made the harbor air cold. The fact the ship was running was more a testament to the amount she had paid.

Still the trip would soon be over and she was glad. While she could swim and she was not afraid of water, she was far less effective in it. The rain looked to be lasting awhile and despite it she stood on the deck, having wanted to see the city upon her re-arrival.

SHe was unsure what happened at first, as she was pitched forward across the deck. SHe had a moment to consider the boat had stopped and she had not. She saw the metal railing pass beneath her and her grab for it missed, the tip of her aura scraping it noiselessly as her weight carried her well over the side. It never even occurred to her to scream as she plunged into the water, as it was she let out a gasp not from the cold of the water but because she hit the water much like a brick wall. Protected from the impact the cold water poured in through the tiny gaps in her aura, the same ones that let her breathe. She flet her body slide beneath the wave's. SHe could see almost nothing from the murky water and was having trouble finding which way was up. She felt her Aura flicker as fell deeper, looking for the water surface.

Emily butterfly swam toward whatever fell in the water. Whatever it was, it was sinking fast. Upon further inspection, it looked like a person. The dead girl swam faster, heading toward the bottom of the bay. She grabbed the limp figure by the wrist and pulled it up to her chest. She held the slim woman close to her body with her left arm and used her other limbs to get up to the surface.

When she broke the surface, Emily frantically looked around to find somewhere to put the woman. The sides of the river were too steep. A few yards away, a pontoon boat was anchored. She swam to it and shoved the fellow brunette onto the boat. Emily scurried up the ladder. The small water-vessel was slippery from the rain. The wind almost knocked the dead girl off her feet.

Emily leaned forward on her knees and put her head on the woman’s chest. There was a strong heartbeat, but the woman wasn’t breathing. Emily used her palms and did a few quick, hard pushed on the woman’s chest. She took in air and tried to force it into the woman’s lungs. She continued switching between the pushing and the breathing, until she heard several coughs from the unconscious lady. Emily turned the woman’s head to get the water out. “Madame, are you alright?”

Aura had no idea how long she was out, but she snapped back to reality in a fit of coughing. SHe tried to answer the woman but instead coughed up some more of the ocean water she had swallowed. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked over her savoir before she replied. The woman was very pale which seemed off to Aura but she dismissed it for the time, as she forced herself to sit up.

" I am...alive thanks to you." she said as she looked around and regathered what had happened to her. Swimming had never been her strong suit, she could do so but avoided it where she could.

"I am Aura and you, my friend?" she asked curiously. Their were no police or sirens so either the girl did not recognize her or simply did not care. Either way she believed herself out of danger for the short term at least. She would reward whoever this woman was for saving her. "The impact knocked me out when i hit the water and then it was so cold...." she said stopping to consider the other soaking wet woman. She had to be cold and maybe that was why she was so pale. "Perhapse she should get somewhere warmer. your as wet as i am" she said, casually flicking her wrist, as she did her transparent pink aura came over her hand, then with a smile, she formed the aura into a hammer, then a dagger and finally a spatula.

The woman was no worse for wear. That was good. But she was going to catch a death of cold out here if she stayed out in this windy weather. The pontoon was tied about five yards from a pier. Emily could easily lure the small ship into port. Then the woman did something strange.

This strange pink smokish thing surrounded the woman’s hand. It seemed to solidify a little and shaped into three objects. That was strange. Not as strange as other things she had witnessed since living in New York, but still strange. She reached out to touch the spatula as she spoke. “My name is Emily.” Then she realized how rude she was being and looked away toward the dock.

“I’ll pull us into shore then we can find a cab to take you home.” She grabbed the rope and began to pull. The rain was beginning to come down heavier and it was difficult for Emily to see. The winds were no help either. It was a blessing that the biting weather barely affected the woman. “I wish I had a coat for you. Maybe this pontoon has something.” She glanced around at their vessel as she continued to pull them to the dock. “That looks like a life-vest over there. Maybe that can keep you warm. The cold doesn’t bother me. So don’t worry about how I’m doing.”

When they made it to the dock Emily gabbed onto a wooden pole and wrapped the rope around it. It was difficult to maneuver off the small boat because of the waves, but Emily managed. Once her bare feet were steady on the dock, she reached her hand out to help the woman out of the pontoon.

She had dropped her bag when she fell and with it her phone. Which water proof as it was, was now under a lot of water. She had no idea what any ones actual numbers were either, she mostly just added people to speed dial. "Pull us to shore...in this?" she asked even as her aura flickered to life around her. As she did she angled the surface of her aura, so the rain ran off away from her eyes as much as she could. She was still soaked however and upon that thought she glanced back at her new friend.

"You are a Mutant then, like myself? A human could never do this" she said pieceing together that her savoir here was very likely a mutant. This idea made her very happy. "My aura will keep me dry but thank you for your concern" she replied. As the got closer to the dock Aura smiled, this was one was good, kind and gentile.

She had no idea what her exact power was but whatever it was weather was certainly no issue. Taking her hand she looked around, the sky was not letting up ans she found herself wishing for snow. Stepping onto the dock Aura looked at the woman and decided to ask.

"Have you heard of Sanctuary? I live there" she said already trying to consider her best route. Alley ways most likely, a cab was not a good plan in her eyes. To many cabbies kept track of the really dangerous people. "But it would be a better journey on foot. I have a slight reputation you see" she said to Emily. It was true if not vague. Not that she was not proud of things she had done for her people, but the amount of blood on her hands certainly scared people.

A human could do this. A stronger one who had training in difficult weather conditions and could stand almost freezing rain. But as long as Emily could bend her arm, she could pull on the rope and ignore the weather. “Yes I am. A mutant I mean.”

Emily was glad the rain wouldn’t bother the other woman. But she was far from dry, her clothes were soaked through. She hoped the pink wisps could warm the woman. She listened to the woman ask about a place called The Sanctuary. Was that a church? “No, I haven’t heard of it.” Now that she was on the dock, Emily looked around to see if she recognized the surroundings. “Several blocks that way is my car.” She pointed to the left of her. “We can head that way and I can take you to wherever you need to go.”

Emily was in a skin-tight water-suit with bare feet. She didn’t want to go trapesing around the city in such ridiculous attire. She began to walk in the direction of the car, wondering what kind of reputation the woman had. The lady didn’t seem to be harmful. Maybe she was famous in popular culture, like a singer or a news-anchor that was notorious in her ways of uncovering the truth. Emily didn’t follow the fast-paced trends as much as she should. Well as long as the woman didn’t try to harm or interview her, Emily would treat her as well as she would anyone else.

It was still too early for most people to be going to work, so the road to her car would be almost free of cars. And with the torrential downpour, the few who were on the road would be paying attention to what they could see in front of them instead of two women walking on the side. “I like your mutation,” making conversation even though the rain was ridiculously loud. “So the pink stuff hardens then?” The subsistence reminded Emily of smoke, but Aura had said it would keep her dry, so it must solidify.

"Sanctuary is a home for mutants, many of which have nowhere to go. It is a lovely place where we can be safe and simply be what we are." she replied glancing up at a bolt of lightning. She could make Sanctuary on her own but in the weather and trying to keep from being to public it would take awhile. A warehouse would be quicker and easier but the woman offered a better solution yet.

"That would be great" she said following the other woman. Her eyes scanned around them just in case but it seemed mostly deserted. Glancing at her new friend she wondered if she had any idea how many people would have preferred Aura to have drowned.

"Right i can cut through metal's with it and it stands up to bullets quite well" she said cheerfully for someone who was almost dead not ten minutes ago. "Do you always rescue damsels from a life as fish food or am i just special?" she said joking. It was good to be alive and she could do so much with it. She had no idea why she was apprehensive about returning to her home maybe it was becuse she knew the woman she loved was no longer there.

Emily listened to the woman’s explanation of The Sanctuary. “I remember visiting some sort of mansion for mutants. I think it was a school. I was only there for a few minutes during a Valentine function. I had to leave so I didn’t really get to look around. Are you affiliated with them?” Emily felt like she was walking through a waterfall. A very long waterfall. “It’s nice there are safe places for mutants. You see too much violence and discrimination against us.” Emily didn’t want to get into a political conversation with a woman she just met. But she had a feeling the woman had similar views, many mutants did.

“So it is a shield and a weapon. Very nice. My mutation isn’t as impressive.” She had a similar conversation with a certain alien-type who could break through walls with his body and slice through almost anything. Emily envied him.

Emily shrugged at the damsel comment. “What else would I have done? Let you drown?” She thought of how horrible a watery grave would be. She thought of how a body decomposed in murky depths. Would anyone look for her body?

The girl could barely see her white hearse a few yards in front of her. She sped up when the thought of being dry was so close. The doors were unlocked. Emily was very trusting. She climbed through the hatch in the back. “You can get in the front if you want. I’m just going to change back here real quick.”

"No, the school teaches that Mutants and Humans can coexist and get a long. Sanctuary takes all Mutants who have need of it's shelter." she said proudly. She loved her home and she would likely die still living there. Then again she mused to herself she had lived this long.

Her next statement made Aura consider the fellow Mutant further. She was right of course their was a lot of it, even with the Order and Sanctuary. "Our people are filled with very sad tales of violent and mistreatment. I hear them every day living at sanctuary" she replied recalling the past and assuming nothing had changed and she was sure it had not, those terrible stories continued.

She was about to reply when the girl climbed in thrue the back window and told her to get in. She did get in the passanger side before commenting back. "You would be surprised how many people would have preferred you did just that, you might have gotten a parade if your brought back the body" she said cheerfully. Aura was sure the humans would make a hero of the woman who killed aura, human or not.

"Look the truth of the matter is i have killed a great many humans in the name of our people. I figure the less humans left alive the less harm can come to our people. I have killed a lot of low life scum as well as other people over the years. I only hope i can make the future a little easier for those who come after us even if it kills me" she said with a shrug.

"Know that i try not to hurt other mutants where i can and even when i have to, i try and ensure they survive the experience." she said which was true. Unless ordered Aura did everything she thought she could to ensure no mutants were harmed whens he fought. It somtimes happoned when a mutant did die at her hand but she hated those times.

    Acuamo was relieved when the rain eased up a bit. "Control water without being impervious to it. Hah what a rip." He mumbled to himself.
    He was on a street and all of the homes and shops around him looked like dark gloomy shadows of a city he was unfamiliar with. New York wasn't his first choice of cities to live. He wished he could live in Ireland. The hospitality along with the beautifully green colored pastures were a welcoming thought in this foreign place. As if snapped from a trance he startled himself when he heard two feminine voices. He looked to the direction of the noise that could only be human, or not so human... Unfortunately being a mutant didn't always come with a mutant radar. So he never knew who was friend and foe. He really needed a friend right now. He watched as two women got into a car. Is that a hearse? He wondered. How unusual... Humans didn't usually drive unusual cars, unless they were filthy rich of course. "Nothing worse then a rich human" Acuamo shivered at the thought. 
    Acuamo had been disgusted with rich people from the time he had worked for one at an EconoLodge. The owner would always complain about not getting business and losing money, then he would turn around and buy some ridiculously expensive car for one of his kids. Maybe Acuamo was just jealous.
    Snapping away from his thoughts again, he realized the ladies were getting in the car. "Hey!" He shouted to them hoping to get there attention before the pink woman closed her door.
    "What was that around her? An aura? Way cool!" Acuamo thought to himself. He often found other mutants powers to be cooler than his own. "If I can just talk to them..." Acuamo muttered.

“I’m glad your place offers safe haven for all mutants. I’ve met a few that don’t get along to well with humans.” She was thinking in particular of a certain boy with a black tail and armor growing from his body. Emily wondered what he was up to now. Hopefully not robbing someplace.

It was strange to hear someone speak so casually about murder. It was interesting to hear the reasoning for her crimes. Emily suddenly felt glad she was a mutant. The thought of turning the woman in crossed her mind. No, then the news would have a field day. They would report on the capture of a dangerous mutant. Mutants didn’t need such bad publicity. Besides, this woman didn’t look like she would go into police custody without a fight, then Emily would be on her bad side.

For some reason Emily liked this woman. No reason to upset her. “You do what you have to do.” Just take her back to her place and have lovely conversations on the way. It seems the woman had no luggage or other pieces of property. Looking in the back of the hearse, there were no extra clothes but the ones she brought for herself. But Emily didn’t suffer that annoying feeling of wet clothes sticking to her skin. “Would you like my clothes? It’s a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. I’m sure it would fit you. You can change back here.”

Emily was about to close the back and hand her clothes to Aura, but a voice called out through the rain. What if it was someone who didn’t like her new friend? She waited to see how the other girl would respond.

SHe considered the offer, she was cold and the other girls mutation did not seem to let the weather bother her much. The wet clothing she was wearing now that the girl did mention it felt terrible. SHe shivered some, or maybe she just noticed she was, she was not sure. Either way she was about to accept the girl's offer when she heard a voice from behind them.

WIthout further thought, Aura pushed the door open to the car while leaping out of it looking in the direction she heard the voice. Her aura surrounded her like a shell, and from her hand a blade was already starting to form. Her eyes scanned the area untill she made out the likely speaker, he did not look like a cop and it was true he had not started shooting yet.

"WHo are you?" Aura's voice almost growled her question. Her day had been pretty bad already and the last thing she needed, or had strength for was fighting the police force or somone else with a grudge. SHe moved to put herself away from the car in case the man had a ranger power but not so far as to not be able tod efend her freind quickly.

    Jon was startled by the sudden hostility. He watched a blade form from the girl's aura. The liquid in his eyes turned rapidly as he broke down the rain drops in the air to form a thick fog. He didn't mean to upset anyone. Here in New York, hardly anyone was friendly anyway. He waited for the fog to completely envelope his being and cloud the girl's view. 
    "My name is Acuamo! I'm not here to hurt anyone." Jon shouted above the rolling fog. The fear in his voice was very apparent. Jon had only been in one fight in his life. That was back in high school. Someone had insulted his dead father. That wasn't okay. 
    Now here he was, facing down some chick that made her aura turn into a blade. Jon reached for his pouch and let the water flow into a ball floating on top of his hand. The ball grew bigger as the rain fell. Being caught off guard by the Aura lady in front of him made Jon decide that being overly defensive is a good idea. He stretched his ball of water until it became two balls. The first ball remained floating above his hand, the second ball was dropped into a puddle on the ground. The puddle slowly began inching toward the woman ready to become a watery shield if she decided to attack. 

Well this is not how Emily was hoping this would go. It didn’t seem that the two knew each other, but Emily didn’t want anything bad happening between the two. A fog rolled in from nowhere. The dead girl spoke out into the air. “Forgive my friend, she is a bit jumpy at the moment. Those who hate mutants are after us. If you are unfriendly, I suggest you leave in this fog now. Otherwise we will have to cut straight through you.”

Sure, Emily didn’t have a gift that would help in a fight, but this man didn’t know that. “If you are friendly, come out of the fog. We want to trust you. My friend promises not to hurt you if you come close.” Aura hadn’t said that, but Emily hoped she wouldn’t go against her word.

She spoke softly to the other brunette. “He seems scared. Don’t hurt him, please. He may need something.” Emily stepped out of her hearse to try to hear if the man was coming closer or if he had decided to retreat.