Gretchen
The previous night
She’d merely looked at the number engraved into the wide portion of her given keys to know where her residence was. The trick was to find the dormitory, and locating it was no more than a few seconds away, clocking in at a rapid 200 kmph to the front of the girls’ dormitory, a simply deduction to see which building looked the most accommodating. Bless the people who must’ve been shocked to suddenly see a rainbow out of nowhere, leading to her room.
Upon entering, she surveyed it, attempting to uncover any secrets or entrapments, only to be surprised to see nothing. No omnipresent mirrors or black walls to lock her in, and the lights seemed almost excessive and not at all dimmed. Those made Gretchen raise her eyebrow: could they not really know even the slightest extent of how her abilities worked, and that the lack of inhibition was only enabling her? Granted, even she didn’t know the fullest potential she had under her skin, but even surely they knew the basic. She wondered if the lights were in any way triggered to dim at a time of the day, its power source most likely from a renewable energy source, natural or not.
She looked at the clock high above opposite her bed. 7 p.m., close to dinner time but she was not hungry in sustenance; she wanted to explore the Academy’s enigmatic nature. How on Earth they managed to keep and handle so many super-powered beings was beyond her. There were surely more students than teacher/superheroes, and there was no way they could keep everyone in line. Could it be that students are actually being self-restraint and want to learn to be “better” people? Rubbish! Absolute garbage! Time to get the hell out of this joint, and with that, she ran out of her room in a blinding instant.
She paid meticulous attention to memorize the layout of the Academy as she zoomed past each building and ran on every path possible. Were the buildings locked, she ran through the mirrors, her light form enabling her to enter almost anything except certain opacity or reflection. She was so quick about her surveillance; she crossed her own rainbow trail a second time, only to end up in the centre of the main campus. She turned a quick 360°, a smirk of disappointment, her presence violated practically the entirety of the Academy. Where was the challenge “Baaatttmaaan” promised?
“Pssh, easy,” as she turned to the open gates and ran out.
A constant presence of light sustained and empowered Gretchen’s abilities, the Sun being her greatest source. So when she felt the Flash running after her, she turned her direction towards the Big Apple. The City That Never Slept because all its lights were gaudily bright and abundant. She knew the Flash was going easy on her, but she was not, and as soon as she saw the first neon sign, she turned so quickly to see the Flash only a few feet behind her. A quick blow-kiss and she was suddenly a kilometre away. New York was stunned with an enormous, brief flash of light, and Gretchen was already on her way to Chicago. She had no idea how fast she was going but she was already on her way to the next nearest light source.
But, she was still too slow, and in a time so fast it was unfathomable, mirrors surrounded her. The Flash truly earned his reputation for being the fastest being ever.
“We warned you, you’re not getting away,” talking through from behind the encased Gretchen.
“But you have to admit; I was unbelievably fast.”
“Yes, yes you were, and that’s why you’re dangerous. Haven’t you considered that your flashy running endangered the lives of others? All for your excitement?”
“Yes yes yes, but come one, it was almost like you were challenging me to break free.”
“You pull a stunt like this one more time, and we’re blocking your powers for good. Yes, we can do that.”
“I call bull.”
“Try us,” and with that the Flash broke the mirror casing open, she now mysteriously back in her room, and a gust of wind messing her hair, Flash now gone.
Could they really do that? How immoral! How ruthless and cold! How… thrilling!
So it was now a challenge for her to not break the rules, use her abilities and rid of her despicable torturous boredom and control?
Out loud, she yelled: “BRING IT!”
The next morning
She slept a good slumber, and she would have gone for longer where it not for the announcement in the speakers of her room, gym in a few hours from a voice she knew not whose.
After a quick shower, she dressed up in luxurious items, though just a polo and jean shorts. A quick pucker of her lips as she applied her red lipstick, an adjustment of her supple breasts, and her hands running down her sides, she spoke to herself: “Gotta make a good impression, you gorgeous thing.”
She ran for the cafeteria, a trail of rainbow betraying her attempt of “forced” subtlety. Fine, she won’t use her powers here and blind everyone around her. She did however push everyone out of her way, cutting the queue to get a tray of food of her own. Her tall nature enabled her to stand up against the shorter, and the taller, 6’1” perhaps a great height to accentuate her beautiful figure and face.
She sat on a vacant chair and table, her flawless legs exposed for everyone to see, her sneakers a bright red like her lips, contrasting her pale skin and bright-blond/silver hair.
