<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="font-weight: bold">It was almost as if the unsettled weather was an omen of things to come.</span></span><br/><br/>The sky was dark and overcast - despite it only being late afternoon - and the thick, heavy quality of the air carried the promise of thunder and lightning, though quite when it would hit, was a mystery. In the town plaza, people were rushing past, eager to get home before the storm struck and this sense of urgency seemed to be as equally present in the winds, which whipped open coats and long hair into faces. <br/><br/>A small, crudely built stage was erected in the middle of the town square and a huge, hand-painted banner was hung above it declaring the name of the current anti-mutant protest group - there was a different one every week; anything to get attention. A surprisingly large crowd had gathered; normally, people steered clear, afraid to anger a race that was more of a mystery to everyone, than anything. But not today. Today, the atmosphere seemed almost...reckless. <br/><br/>A red-headed guy was shouting from the stage, though a megaphone but his words melded into an undecipherable buzz to anyone who wasn't in the immediate proximity of the stage. The gathering were nodding along with his words eagerly and the adrenaline ripe in the air seemed almost palpable. <span style="color: #800000"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;">Annmarie Stephenson </span></span>was past as quickly as a casual pace would allow, an uneasy feeling stirring in her gut. She could feel the weariness of a 12 hour shift, working at the local chemists' as an assitant, seeping into her limbs and the strong breeze was weaving its way into her thin coat, causing her to shiver slightly. She had her hands thrust deep into her coat pockets but she could still feel her fingers being seized by numbness. <br/><br/>Her target - the coffee shop across the road, with a familiar figure seated by the window, as usual - still seemed painfully far away.<br/><br/><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #000080">Anthony Foster </span></span>took a sip from the steaming mug in front of him, wishing he could see its contents rather than live in the world of blackness he currently did. His blindness didn't usually affect his mood to this extent but he could feel the doubts, the negative thoughts, buzzing in his brain. And it didn't help that the only current use for his mutation - his enhanced hearing - was to amplify to cries of hatred from the mutant protesters in the street outside. The bell above the door rang and Ant listened as the lithe footsteps made their way over to his table, pulling out the chair opposite.<br/><br/>Annmarie took a seat. He smiled tiredly, beneath those opaque, black glasses. <br/><br/>"How's everything going?" she said, sighing as she wriggled out of her coat as the warmth of the coffee shop chased away the cold. Her expression grew concerned; she worried for the guy she had almost grown to think of as an older brother. Lately, he seemed to have grown more and more withdrawn - his sunny outlook on life had grown determinedly bleak. <br/><br/>He shrugged.<br/><br/>"Fine, fine," even though they both knew it was lie, and he lightened his tone as he joked "Those idiots outside are beginning to give me a headache"<br/><br/>Annmarie didn't say anything. They were persistent and naturally, the authorities did nothing to cull the rally. The shouting was becoming more passionate and intense, now. A murmuring was snaking through the crowd as everyone's anger seemed to mingle, fashioned and directed towards their cause. The two at the table in the coffee shop shivered. Ant took another hasty sip from his mug, nearly burning his mouth and Annmarie winced internally. Hopefully, the crowd would break away soon, driven inside by the biting cold. But Annmarie knew as well as anyone else that another set would be out tomorrow, parading their hateful views. She sighed and when a waitress appeared, she ordered a coffee. Ant said nothing.</div>