The anniversary of the end of the world was celebrated with fireworks and parades and so much confetti it was amazing there were trees left on the earth at all. The whole world proclaimed it a holiday. Everyone was off from work. Drinks were given out for free.

It was impossible not to feel happy.

Unless it was Zara Woods. The woman was feirce with eyes of black obsideon and an expression of no-nonsense. She hadn't worked as a MDO agent in months, but her stance was far too stiff for anyoen to mistake her as a civilian. Her hair was neatly pulled back and her clothes, bought fresh from WalMart.

While the rest of the world celebrated the continuation of the living world, Zara strolled the sidewalks, unnoticed as she followed her watch.

"Somewhere around here..." She murmered, sidestepping a couple of kids running by with sparklers and laughter. Her watch beeped lowly, almost impossible to hear over the cacophony of the cheering crowds.

Of course it would be this city, wouldn't it? This was the one that was tested above all others. Where a year ago the alien Hivemind Xerxes had started his takeover. Where Andrea Lancaster had taken her final breaths, before she was crushed under her own safehouse lab by her brother.

"Zara!" A voice called, "Zara Woods!"

She glanced up eyes darting the stranger faces around her until she caught sight of the one she recognized. It wasn't relief that flooded her veins, but something near to it. The cold chill that had been with her for months seemed to wither at the grinning face of Chance LaMay and his little sister Destiny.

Last year Chance had saved her life...by taking the life of his best friend, Oliver Lancaster who had been possessed by Xerxes. It had taken a toll on him-- on both of them really-- but they had managed to get through. One way or another. Chance had his little sister to live for.

(Zara Woods simply couldn't die.)

Destiny squealed, "Zara!" She was riding on Chance's shoulders, clinging to his blond bangs. It couldn't have been comfortable for Chance, especially with the way she was kicking her feet, but he was grinning anyway.

"Chance didn't think we were going to see you Zara!" Destiny laughed, "But I told him he was stupid! I was right! I know everything!"

Chance rolled his eyes, "Hey, What's up, Woods? You handling everything okay?"

His eyes were soft and knowing. He might not have been conscious when Andrea had been killed, even though he had been standing just feet apart from her, but everyone and their mother knew that Zara had promised to be Andrea's bodyguard. And that she had failed to protect her in the end.

"I'm fine," Zara said, glancing at her watch, "I'm acctually in a hurry--"

"I heard you dropped out of the MDO."

Fireworks exploded overhead. The night sky was alight with colors and the flares painted all their face in awe. Her watch beeped again, urgent.

"It's not...I'm taking personal time." Zara told him, and it wasn't entirely a lie. "Now if you excuse me--"

Chance frowned, "Hey that's a new watch! I think...have I seen that somewhere before?"

Zara's back straightened. "No!" she hissed maybe a little too quickly.

Chance snapped his fingers, "That's Andrea's watch. I remember she wore it the first time we talked. She kept checking it."

Zara huffed, "It's really none of your business." She shoved her hands into her pockets, and turned away, "Enjoy your night Chance. Goodbye."

"Zara!" He yelled, grabbing her arm before she could get too far. She flinched; when she looked back at him there was murder in her eyes. "Sorry- I just....You'll tell me if something's wrong right?"

There was a lie on the tip of her tongue. Because he was a civilian who had no reason to get himself involved in this mess again. Because he had no clue what was coming and she didn't either. Because he had no powers and could die and Zara wasn't sure she would be able to handle the death of another person she was close to.

But that was the moment when Destiny screamed, and tugged heavily on Chance's bangs, "Look! Chance Look! It's so Pretty!"

The night sky, ripped itself open, like the seams of reality striping apart one by one. The whole world was flooded with a brilliant white blinding light. The crowds screamed and backed rushed away in a panic. Chance was shoved into the wall, Destiny screamed again. Zara could hear her watch shrieking.

Then all at once everything stopped.

Zara blinked twice the light in her eyes fading but not fast enough. The air was completely silent. Unnervingly so. Had whatever happened, deafened her? Her heart thrumped in her chest. She felt her body reject the idea: she was immortal, anything that broke, ripped, burned, or severed was put back together by her mutation.

She could feel the sidewalk beneath her fingertips, the air with it's fall chill nipping at her face. The taste of sea salts that wafted from the beach miles away and the ashes from exploding fireworks.

Her eyesight returned. She was on the ground, and all around her were figures, strangers frozen in mid-panic. unbalanced and mouths open in unnaturally silent screams. Confetti hung in the air, as if gravity had taken a break for the moment, bottles and cups and objects lost in the riot littered the ground.

Zara looked to her left, scared of what she might see. Chance pushed up against the wall, Destiny shifted into his arms. There was a look of horror on his face, his arms braced to protect his little sister from whatever he was seeing.

"Chance." She whispered, nearly jumping out of her skin at the sound of her voice. She wasn't deaf: the whole world had just frozen itself in time.

Chance didn't react.

She whipped back around, racking her brain for something that she could do. Was it a mutant power? Was it some type of posion? An illusion? What type of defenses should she have in place.

There was a little girl crying in front of her.

Zara startled back, at the sudden soun, at hte appearance of the girl. She was small, with brown eyes and brown hair, wearing a ripped red T shirt and jeans with holes in the knees.

"I'm sorry!" She cried, before Zara could say anything, "You're not one of the ones I need. I'm so sorry!"

She couldn't have been older than ten.

"Wait!" Zara yelled, "Hang on!"

But the girl was already gone: running like her life depended on it. Zara chased after her, dodging between the crowd of people. The little girl moved like flowing water: she burst through small gaps between the statues, rolled under a parade float, and evaporated before Zara could catch up.

Zara stood atop the float, panting. From there it looked like the whole world had been turned to stone. The night sky was darkened again, confetti hovered in the air, but all the comforting cheer was gone.

It looked as if Zara was the last person alive on the planet.

Her watch read the time as 00:00. She reached for her phone, and was dialing the numbers before she could stop herself.

"I can't be alone." She whispered to the ringing line. "I can't be alone, I can't be--"

The line picked up, "Zara? Thank god you called!"

***

Welcome back to the great big game of RolePlaying.

If you wish to pick up the phone when Zara calls, let me know via PM. I promised the original cast first dibs, but I'd love to try this one with more people! I have the character forms for knew and returning players ready!

If you wish to raid the world while it's frozen and mess with some of the people (steal some food, draw mustashes of people with sharpies, catch up on sleep, do the homework that your teacher assigned now that you have an infinite amount of time to do it) by all means go right on ahead.

The choice is yours.

(Gameplay won't begin for a day or two because your DM still has to write some of it, yay!)