Hillview High
@Surtr Inc
Nothing of note was visible when Paige first stepped through into the corridor. After looking both ways, she leant against the wall, changing her facing every ten seconds or so. Hopefully, this wouldn't be necessary, but then it would be nice to finally do something useful for the group. At the end of the day, whether Paige wanted something to happen or not would not affect whether it would happen, so it didn't matter that much. Either it wouldn't happen, or it-
shit.
"Everybody! Out here, now!" Paige called out as the huge form of Scott Reese moved out of the shadows. She backed off without turning around, slowly and awkwardly, but enough so that she was towards the back of the group as they came through into the corridor.
And then Scott killed Dexter Quinto. Paige had never known him, but witnessing any death firsthand is traumatising, especially one as gruesome and bloody as that - and Paige had never seen anyone die before, not in person. Covering her mouth with her hand, Paige was wide-eyed but silent, and moving away with greater haste while the others began to attack Scott. Her hands began to shake, as did her breath.
Paige watched, frozen to the spot, now, as the group attacked Reese with everything they had. Claire was impressive, and Maddie was brave, but she still couldn't see what kind of chance they stood here. That hulk wouldn't have attacked unless it thought it could win, so obviously, it thought itself more dangerous than the entire group of Awakened gathered here. Which meant they should retreat, develop their capabilities, and play the long game so that one day they would be able to beat him. Here and now? He didn't think they stood a chance, so why should they?
Paige shook her head, narrowed her eyes, and clenched her fists so they would stop shaking. No. How dare he make her think like this? How dare he scare her into wanting to run and hide? He had just murdered someone in front of them.
This was what he wanted. If they were afraid, he could win. And Paige hated him for this - she wasn't about to let him win.
Narrowly being missed by Nate as he hurtled past, Paige tapped into an energy within herself she had never previously known about. She went totally still, and her skin paled even more, gripping her crutch with white knuckles as she stood in place. A sudden ache and tiredness in the front of her head, but she fought through it, as was ingrained in her personality to do so. And Scott would be feeling the same thing all of a sudden, as he was where her attack was directed. Silvery blue, intangible projectiles of energy darted away from her and arced towards Scott, some hitting him directly, others intercepting his own projectiles that came back at her, those that hit her driving her step by step closer to unconsciousness. She didn't know what she was doing, but she was sure she was hurting him, and could now only do her best to keep this up as long as possible. A complex design of a sun inside a cresent moon glowed the same shade of silver-blue through her shirt: she had Awoken.