Thevshi

View of some of the islands in the Maldives from the air.

Diego Garcia [11] Megan had been running across the surface of the Indian Ocean for several minutes, moving at many times the speed of sound. Finally, her destination came into sight, and she slowed down slightly as the approached a footprint shaped coral atoll. As had been the case in Guam, Velocity's visit to the US Navy Support Facility Diego Garcia had been arranged with the Pentagon by Captain Thunder. Located in the middle of the Indian Ocean, almost a thousand miles south of India, the remote atoll was home to several thousand US Navy and Air Force personnel. Megan figured that stopping by to help them greet the New Year was the least she could do. Making landfall, the young speedster was soon zipping along the service roads that connected the various military installations on the island on her way to the main base for the Navy support facility. Sitting only a little above the equator, the night air was very warm and humid. I really need to talk to Dr Atom about getting a morphic molecule bikini. The speedster thought to herself. Or at least a bike short and sports bra version of my costume. It took only moments before Megan reached the main part of the Navy support facility. She could see lights and hear the sound of music coming from a large stretch of beach at this part of the island, but first she had a small stop to make that had also been prearranged. Continuing on, she came to one of the barracks on the base, spotting a woman about her age waiting out in front. Skidding to a halt a short way from the woman, Megan called out a greeting. "Evening. Petty Officer Harris I presume?" The young woman jumped slightly at the speedster’s sudden appearance, but then recovered as she nodded. "Yes. Wow, it is really you, I was still having trouble believing that you would make it out here." "I wouldn't have missed it." Megan replied with a smile. "But we should get moving so we can get to the party." She then added. "Right, of course." Petty Officer Harris replied, leading the superheroine into the women's barracks. The Petty Officer guided Megan to a currently unused room that had its own bathroom and shower. As the other young woman waited out in the hallway, Megan took the opportunity to take a very quick shower and then change into another clean costume. Within five minutes, she and Petty Officer Harris were back outside and on their way towards the New Year's party taking place on the nearby beach. As they made their way to the party, Megan learned that Petty Officer Harris had actually grown up in Hanover, and admitted to having seen the young superheroine there before. Megan made sure that she thanked the young woman for her service. When they arrived at the long stretch of beach, Megan found it crowded with military personnel. Flood lights had been set up along the edge of the beach and a sound system had been set up as well. There was a bar and Megan could smell barbeques cooking from somewhere as well. Megan met with the base commander and several of the officers first, who thanked her for taking the time to stop by to meet the personnel stationed on the island. While Petty Officer Harris went to get Megan a coffee and some food, she began greeting the first crowd of service men and women made their way over to her. She shook hands, signed autographs and posed for pictures. As she had when visiting the military personnel on Guam, Megan made sure that she thanked each and every person she spoke with for their service to the country. Time seemed to fly for Megan as she meet with all the gathered military personnel , or at least those interested in meeting the superheroine. During the process, the young woman somehow managed to eat the plate of food Petty Officer Harris had brought her, and drink a couple of cups of coffee. It was not long after she had posed for her last photograph with some sailors that the music stopped and people began to gather together to countdown the final moments of 2012 in this part of the world. As the cries of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" rang out across the beach, Megan found herself in the middle of the crowd of service men and women gathered there. The young speedster kissed several of the service men nearby, and hugged a number of the women as a small fireworks display began from further down the beach. When the music started again, Megan was more than happy to join with the part of the gathered crowd that began dancing. Finally, after having been at the beach celebration for a little more than an hour, Megan started to work her way out of the crowd of military personnel. As she went, she said farewells and again was thanking those she spoke with for their service, but generally moved a little quicker as she went. After stopping to say goodbye to the base commander, who again thanked the young superheroine for making an appearance, Megan then made sure to say goodbye to Petty Officer Harris. Then, in a blur of movement, the speedster was off down the beach, sand kicking up behind her as she sped by. She traveled a little ways up the beach from the gathering before turning towards the water and accelerating with a loud *CRACK* followed by a rumbling *BOOM.* There were some cheers from among the crowd gathered on the beach at the display of her powers, but Megan never heard them, as she was already far out to sea, and moving several times the speed of sound.

Bangkok, Thailand [11] After leaving Hong Kong, Megan had headed south along the surface of the South China Sea, making her way around the southern tip of Vietnam. From there she turned north into the Gulf of Thailand, making her way towards the northwestern tip of the gulf, known as the Bay (or Bight) of Bangkok. From there, she followed the Chao Phraya River upstream, only having to go a short distance before she reached the city of Bangkok. With a population of over eight million, Bangkok was some forty times larger than the next largest city in Thailand. Naturally, there were a number of options throughout the city that Megan had considered on where to go to see the arrival of the New Year. Having a bit of time before midnight, Megan decided to stop by to see one of the other locations that she had considered. That location was CentralWorld, Bangkok's largest shopping complex (and the third largest shopping complex in the world). Some 200,000 people were packed into the plaza in front of the mall, enjoying a music and light show. Megan stuck to the edges of the crowd, taking some time to listen to the music and enjoy the light show. After about a quarter of an hour at CentralWorld, Megan moved on to where she intended to be for the arrival of the New Year, Sanam Luang in the old city. A large open field and public square next to Wat Phra Kaew temple and the Grand Palace, Sanam Luang was one of the major focal points for the New Year’s celebrations in Bangkok. Spaced throughout the square were multiple stages, featuring Thai dance performances, traditional and contemporary music shows. Naturally, the square was packed with hundreds of thousands of people, but Megan could not help but smile at the energy the festive environment generated. Slipping into the crowd, she began making her way around to several of the stages to get a chance to view some of the performances as she waited for the arrival of the New Year. As had been the case at so many other stops, Megan presence the crowd attracted some attention, but though some occasionally snapped a picture of the young speedster, most left her be as she took in the performances. By the time the final minutes of 2012 arrived, Megan had managed to make her way over towards the banks of the Chao Phraya and the edge of the crowds. The excitement in the crowd had increased as midnight drew near, and before too long the various music performances had stopped. Somewhere in the square, an announcer began leading the crowd in a countdown, which of course was in Thai, so Megan was not able to quite follow where they were in the countdown, but she did her best to try to follow along with what everyone around her was chanting. It was easy to tell when they had reached the end of the countdown, as the cheers and yells that erupted from the crowd far overshadowed the countdown. Moments later the fireworks display began, with cheers from the crowd as the bright explosions erupted over Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. However, the fireworks display was not even half over when Megan was off again, running out over the surface of the Chao Phraya as she headed south back towards the Gulf of Thailand. As she passed through the other parts of the city, fireworks erupted above her as part of other displays. While Megan would have liked to stay a little longer, the next leg of her trip was a long one, and she wanted to get to her next destination with as much time before midnight as possible.

Fireworks over the Chao Phraya (Bangkok, Thailand)

Fireworks at the Grand Palance, Bangkok, Thailand.

The plaza in front of CentralWorld, Bangkok, Thailand.

Hong Kong [11] A short while later, Megan was skimming across the surface of the South China Sea, rapidly approaching the southern shore of Hong Kong Island. Making landfall, the speedster first made her way towards the western end of the island, coming to a halt at the top of Victoria Peak. Down below her was the impressive spectacle of Hong Kong's skyline. Nearest to Megan were the massive skyscrapers that made up the Hong Kong Island side of the city, stretching along much of the northern shore of the island. Then there was the dark waters of Victoria Harbour, stretching from east to west like a black ribbon, occasionally spotted with the lights of boats and ferries plying its waters. Then, on the opposite shore, were the lights and buildings of Kowloon, the northern half of Hong Kong located on the mainland. Megan took a couple of deep breaths as she took in the sights below her as she took a drink from one of the bottles of water she had brought along. Though cooler than some of the places she had stopped thus far, at about sixty degrees, it was considerably warmer than Tokyo had been, and her micro-fleece jacket was already stored once again in the small backpack she was wearing. After a minute or so, she knew it was likely time to be moving on to where she wanted to try to watch the New Year's festivities. Speeding off, Megan first headed down towards the Hong Kong Island side of the harbor, taking a few minutes to take in some of the sites of that part of the city. Among those was Hong Kong's Times Square shopping centre, located in Causeway Bay, a shopping district of the city that was known for having the highest rental prices for retail space in the world. Following its namesake, the Times Square shopping centre used its front plaza to host a midnight countdown. While Megan might normally be inclined to stop where there was the potential for some shopping, she had selected what she believed to be a far better location to witness the most spectacular New Year’s celebration in Hong Kong. Continuing on, the young woman soon reached the waterfront, where thousands of people were gathered. A few moments later, she was running across the water of the harbor, making her way over towards the Kowloon side. Once ashore in Kowloon, it only took Megan a few moments to find the location she was looking for, Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars. Patterned after the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Avenue of the Stars was a promenade running along part of the Kowloon side of the harbor with a number of attractions honoring the celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry. It also happened to be directly across from the central business district on Hong Kong Island, making it the perfect place to watch the New Year's celebration that would be taking place. While the promenade was rather crowded, Megan was able to slip in, as she began making her way along the promenade, looking for a good place to watch the celebration and looking at some of the attractions along the way. Among those was a long reflecting pool and the Tsim Sha Tusi Clock Tower, a nearly 100 year old structure that was the only remaining part of the original Kowloon Station along the Kowloon-Canton Railway. While there were far too many people for Megan to have a chance to look at any of the plaques along the promenade in honor of the Hong Kong film industry celebrities, she did have a chance to see the two and a half meter tall bronze statue of Bruce Lee. Eventually Megan reached a point along the promenade which appeared to be a good spot from which to watch the New Year’s celebration. She was almost directly across from her stood Tower 2 of the International Financial Centre, the second tallest building in Hong Kong, and the focal point of the largest New Year's celebration in the city. The young woman turned to regard some of the crowd around her, flashing a warm smile as a few of those nearby took her picture. Eventually, it was almost midnight, and the noise of the crowd began to die down as an LED lights 60-second numerical countdown began to be displayed on the façade of Two International Financial Centre. A few voices in the crowd could be heard joining the start of the countdown, and the number grew as it go closer and closer to zero. By the time the final ten seconds of 2012 began to tick away, the entire crowd around Megan, and Megan herself, had joined the countdown. As the countdown reached zero, cheers of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" sounded, both in English and Chinese. The face of Two International Financial Center displayed "2013" in LED lights, as fireworks began launching from the sides and top of the building, as well as some of the neighboring buildings. The crowds were cheering as the fireworks display continued for a short while. Then, as soon as it ended, Hong Kong's Symphony of Lights began. With some 44 buildings, on both sides of the harbor, participating, the Symphony of Lights was a dazzling, ten minute multimedia display, involving LED and other projection lighting displays on the faces of many of the buildings;, searchlights and lasers; and music and narration which played from speakers on both sides of the harbor. Fireworks launching from the roofs of some of the buildings were also included in the show. Megan joined the crowd around her in cheering during parts of the show. As the last of the fireworks faded, the lights of the show dimming, and the music ended, many in the crowds began to start dispersing, while others remained where they were, not yet ready for the celebrations to end. For Megan, it was time to be on the way to her next stop. Zipping away from the crowds, she ran out onto one of the ferry piers and then out over the surface of the harbor, as she continued to accelerate in speed, heading for the western end of the harbor in order to start out to sea once again.

Tokyo, Japan [11] People were bundled from the cold as they made their way down the sidewalks of Minato, one of the special wards of Tokyo. Though the hour was late, the sidewalks were filled with people, making their way towards some gathering or another to greet the coming of the New Year. Suddenly, a yellow streak sped by, zipping down the street with a *WOOOSH* and a gust of wind in its wake. Megan came to a halt at an intersection within sight of the imposing Tokyo Tower. Her sudden appearance caused a bit of a stir among those making their way along the sidewalk, but she just gave them a small smile and a wave before focusing back on the massive structure. Generally resembling the Eiffel Tower, the structure was illuminated with orange lights that made the tower stand out in the dark night air, appearing almost to be a massive column of flame. Megan's breath hung in the cold night air as she pulled a yellow micro-fleece jacket from her backpack and put it on. Directly ahead of her, lying within the shadow of Tokyo Tower, was Zojo-ji Temple, the destination of many of those who had been making their way down the sidewalks, and Megan's as well. Megan could make out the main gate to the temple a couple of blocks away. With a quick burst of speed, Megan closed the distance to the main gate, slowing down and joining the crowd of people making their way into the temple complex. The temple's main gate was a large, several story wooden structure of traditional Japanese design with peaked roofs. Megan glanced at some information she had printed off about Zojo-ji Temple. The gate had a long Japanese name that she could not pronounce, but it translated as "Three Release Gate," as it was believed that all who passed through would be relieved from three human faults: greed, anger and stupidity. Megan passed through one of the three openings in the gate along with the crowd and into the sprawling compound beyond. The central grounds of the temple were lit by strings of lanterns had been hung throughout the compound, along with other temporary lighting. Just beyond the main gate, rows of food stalls had been set up, where all manner of traditional Japanese foods was being prepared. While the smell of the various foods cooking was certainly inviting, Megan choose to avoid the crowds that were gathered around them, instead making her way off to one side of the main path through the temple complex. The little detour Megan had chosen took her past the temple's cemetery. This section of the temple grounds was much darker than the main paths that had been provided additional lighting for the night's events, leaving the walkways and grounds cast in a shadowy orange light, with Tokyo Tower shinning against the night sky above. Megan's path took her past a section of the cemetery that she stopped at, looking out at rows of hundreds of small, child sized statutes. This was the jizo garden, something she had read about online when she had researched the temple as a potential stop for New Year's. Each of the small jizo statutes represented a child lost to miscarriage, stillbirth, or even abortion. Parents were able to choose one of the statutes in the garden, decorating it with small clothing, such as a hat or a bib. Many included toys as well, with quite a few having small pinwheels, which turned slowly in the gentle breeze blowing through the temple compound. The sounds of the crowds along the main walkways seemed so distantly faint in the still, tranquil air of the garden. The sight of all the rows of decorated statutes could not but help remind Megan that for all her powers allowed her to do as Velocity, there was still many things beyond her ability to help. After a few moments, the young woman started off once again along the walkway that went by the solemn rows of small statues. As she went, she reached up under her goggles to brush away the wetness that had been forming in her eyes. Megan's route soon reconnected with the more crowded main walkways, with her arriving near the temple’s massive, 15 ton bell. The balcony around the bell had been decorated for the evening's ceremony. Megan knew from her research that at midnight, the bell would be rung 108 times in order to "purify" those listening of their 108 mortal sins. Megan continued past the bell, soon reaching the edge of the large courtyard in front of the Daiden, the main hall of Zojo-ji. Thousands of people were gathered in the courtyards, many of them holding small helium balloons. Megan had read that these balloons contained New Year's wishes, and at midnight, they would be released into the sky as part of the celebration. Glancing at one of the clocks that had been set up in the courtyard, Megan saw there was less than ten minutes left until midnight, so she decided her present spot was likely a good one to wait for the final countdown. Those final minutes seemed to inch by for Megan, particularly given the cold of the night air. But eventually, the final countdown began, in Japanese of course, and though audible, it was not were near as loud as had been the case in most of Megan's previous stops. As the final second of 2012 was counted off, there were cheers and a loud "WOOO" from the crowd, though again, not nearly as deafening as had been the case in Auckland or Sydney. Like thousands of giant soap bubbles, the balloons soared up into the night air, swirling around in the wind before vanishing into the darkness. The first *GONG* of the temple bell sounded over the cheers of the crowd, hushing some of those gathered as the second followed soon after. Most of the orange lights on Tokyo Tower had been turned off, and in their place were rows of white lights, and 2013 along the midpoint of the tower. The temple bell continued to ring, as the crowd in the courtyard began to settle down as they prepared to make their way into the Daiden. Megan had read about this Japanese tradition online as well, the hatsumode, or first temple or shire visit of the year. While Megan was interested in seeing the inside of the Daiden, the crowd to get in was massive, and she had a lot more stops planned. She did wait until the final ringing of the temple bell, a process which took about ten minutes or so. Megan took a few more moments to look out over the crowd as they began their wait to get into the temple for their first temple visit of 2013. Zojo-ji Temple had been considerably more laid back than most of her prior stops (and many of the ones she had yet to make), but it had been a nice change of pace, and Megan was glad she had chosen to come to here as opposed to some of the other choices she had considered around Tokyo. After allowing herself a few moments, the young woman was off in a blur of movement, moving along the edges of the crowd as she made her way towards a side exit from the temple. Soon she was accelerating through the streets of Tokyo, waving easily through traffic that seemed almost to be standing still.

The long line for the Daiden after midnight.

Tokyo Tower after midnight (the year is wrong, but you get the idea).

That's a lot of balloons!

Getting ready for the countdown to midnight at Zojo-ji Temple.

Zojo-ji's main hall, the Daiden.

The temple bell at Zojo-ji.

A closer look at the Jizo statutes in Zojo-ji Temple's Jizo Garden.

Zojo-ji Temple's Jizo Garden at night.

Food stalls at Zojo-ji Temple.

The main gate of Zojo-ji Temple.

Guam [11] More than three thousand miles later, Megan arrived at the southern end of Guam, running up ashore and quickly heading towards the western side of the island before turning north. Yet again she found herself in rather warm and humid tropical conditions. Her path took her up through Guam's capital, Hagatna and past Tumon Bay, with it row of large hotel resorts crowded with Japanese tourists. While the hotel row at Tumon Bay looked to be set for a large New Year's celebration, Megan had another destination in mind for this stop, and continued past. When Megan had thought up with her plan for this New Year's and begun researching places to visit around the world, there were a few time zones that had proven difficult to come up with good destinations. That was until she had realized that there were US military installations in many of those time zones. So she had spoke with Captain Thunder, and he had helped her get authorization from the Pentagon for a few stops, the first one being here on Guam. A very short while later, she had arrived at the far northeastern corner of the island and Andersen Air Force Base. Megan took a few moments to stop in a woman’s restroom in one of the administration buildings to change into a clean costume and freshen up a bit. Then she was off again, and, in a matter of seconds, arrived at the base’s enlisted club. The club was crowded with US airmen and women dancing and socializing as they waited for the arrival of the New Year. Velocity's arrival in the club caused something of a stir, and she was soon facing a crowd of service men and women who had come over for the chance to meet her and maybe have their picture taken with her. Megan maintained a wide smile as she greeted each of the men and women who come over to meet her, posing for the pictures for those that wanted one, and being sure to thank each and every one of them for their service. She politely declined offers to buy her a drink, but did take a bottle of water. Meeting with the service men and women present took some time, but eventually everyone that was interested in meeting the superheroine had made their way over, and Megan was able to get out onto the dance floor as they waited for the New Year to arrive. Among the songs played before midnight was the somewhat obligatory, 1999 by Prince. The remaining time passed quickly, and soon the DJ stopped the music in the club to lead those gathered in the final countdown for the arrival of 2013. "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Megan shouted along with the crowd of airmen and women, turning to kiss or hug those nearby. After a few moments, the music started up again, and Megan joined the crowd as they returned to dancing. Among the first songs the DJ played once things started up again was Gangnam Style by Psy. After about a quarter of an hour, Megan started towards the exit, saying goodbye to many as she went and once again thanking them for their service. A short while later she was outside and heading off towards the nearest beach located on the base. It was only moments later that she was speeding off across the water towards her next stop.

And just because they are so awsome, a few more examples of Sydney's New Year's fireworks!

Sydney, Australia [11] Megan was able to spot to glow of Sydney from several miles out thanks to the technology in her goggles. At the speed she was traveling, it was only a few moments later than she was making her way into Sydney Harbour, slowing down some as she came into the congested area and zipping between boats and yachts. Up ahead, Megan could see the Harbour Bridge, the focal point of Sydney's New Year's celebration. This was going to be the first truly major celebration Megan would visit, regularly drawing a million people to watch the midnight fireworks display, and with close to a billion others watching the event on TV throughout the world. As Megan headed towards the bridge, the Sydney Opera House was visible on her left. She had decided to try to join the crowds in the Circular Quay, the section of the city just at the northern end of the central business district, located between the opera house and the Harbour Bridge. Passing the opera house, Megan steered left, speeding in towards the bright glow of central business district and the ferry wharf in the Circular Quay. The waterfronts all around the harbor and the bridge were crowded with people, but the Circular Quay seemed even more so. Megan ran up towards one of the ferry wharfs, up onto a dock and then up a ramp towards the crowded street above. As had been the case elsewhere, there was a small commotion caused by the sudden appearance of the yellow clad speedster in the midst of the revelers. But it was not long before Megan was mingling with the crowd, talking with people, signing the occasional autograph and otherwise enjoying the festive atmosphere. Though the night air was cooler here than it had been in the Marshall Islands, it certainly did not feel it among the crowd that was gathered. There was music playing at various points along the quay, with Megan stopping a couple of times to dance for a little while. With the energy and excitement that seemed to fill the air, it was easy for time to just slip by, and before Megan knew it, the music stopped and the crowds all turned to look towards the Harbour Bridge as the final countdown towards the New Year began to be displayed on the pylons of the bridge. The countdown from the crowd was almost deafening, with Megan barely able to hear her own voice as she joined in. But the noise of the countdown was quickly eclipsed by the cries of "HAPPY NEW YEAR" that sounded out as the countdown reached zero, along with the sound of fog horns echoing from boats out in the harbor. It was just at that moment, that the spectacular opening of the midnight fireworks show erupted from the Harbour Bridge and several barges out in the harbor, lighting up the night sky. Megan joined the cheers from the crowd as she watched the exploding fireworks, which continued on for another ten minutes or so. Eventually, the show came to its end, and the last echo of exploding fireworks died away. There were final cheers from the crowds, which appeared more than ready to continue the celebration for hours to come. But Megan was already off away from the crowds, running across the surface of the harbor once more as she headed out to sea. The fireworks celebration had lasted a good while, and she had a long leg ahead of her before her next stop, and did not want to delay too much more. As soon as she cleared the harbor, she accelerated to supersonic speeds once more.

Marjuo, Marshall Islands [11] Megan came skidding to a halt along a narrow strip of beach at the southeastern corner of Marjuo, one of the many coral atolls in the Marshall Islands. Whew, pretty warm again. The speedster thought as she fanned herself slightly in the warm tropical air and took a bite of an energy bar she had brought with her. The beach she had arrived at was deserted, but Megan was sure there was bound to be some form of celebration elsewhere on the island. With a population of about 30,000, Majuro was both the largest city and capital of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. It also had a number of hotels for a rather steady flow of tourists. Finishing her energy bar, Megan stuffed the empty wrapper back into her backpack and then started off at a couple hundred miles an hour to look around some of the other parts of the atoll. It took very little time for her to locate a beach party being held next to the Marshall Island's Resort. Though the average age of the tourists gathered there looked to be at least a good twenty years older than Megan, it still seemed to be a lively gathering with people dancing to music from a live band. Once again, the sudden appearance of the speedy superheroine nearby caused a bit of a stir. But Megan just flashed a friendly smile and began to mingle as if everything was perfectly normal. Eventually things calmed down some, as some of those gathered returned to dancing, while others came over to meet the clearly superpowered young woman. It turned out that quite a few of the tourists were from the US or Canada, though there were also a number of Australians and a few Europeans. After spending a little time talking and answering some questions of those who had come over to speak with her, Megan made her way out to join those dancing to the live music. As was often the case, dancing helped make the time seem to go by at a more normal pace for Megan. It did not seem too long before the band stopped playing so that the countdown of the final seconds of 2012 could take place. Everyone gathered on the beach gathered towards the stage as the countdown began. Once again Megan joined in the chorus of voices during the final countdown and the cries of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Just as the crowd was cheering, a small fireworks display arranged by the resort began, the first of the fireworks shooting up out over the water near the beach. The crowd cheered as the fireworks exploded across the night sky, the BANGS and BOOMS of the explosion echoing across the beach. The display was somewhat brief, and after the final explosion, there were some more cheers and then the band began playing once again. As much of the crowd began dancing, Megan began making her way through, saying some goodbyes to some of the couples she had talked with earlier. Once near the edge, she started off again in a blur, running off down the beach a good distance before heading back out across the surface of the water and accelerating once again towards her next destination.

More Auckland fireworks

Fireworks from the Sky Tower (Auckland)

Auckland, New Zealand [11] Megan made her approach towards downtown Auckland from the entrance to Waitemata Harbour, the lights of the skyline glowing like a beacon in the darkness. Dominating that skyline was Sky Tower, the tallest free standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere. Auckland was certainly living up to its nickname as the "City of Sails," as the speedster weaved around a few of the hundreds of yachts and sail boats that dotted the harbor on her way towards the city's waterfront. Moments later Megan arrived at the Auckland Waterfront, and what appeared to be ground zero for the city's New Year's celebrations. Though it was Summer currently in this part of the world, the night air was considerably cooler than it had been on Kiritimati. But that did not stop the tens of thousands of people who were gathered along the waterfront ready to welcome the New Year. More than a few of the nearby crowd jumped back slightly as Megan seemed to almost appear out of nowhere as she came to a halt up on the boardwalk. The young speedster just gave a warm smile and a wave as she started off at a normal pace, moving further into the crowd. The general atmosphere was one giant street party, and as Megan started off down a street, she saw jugglers, people walking around on stilts, and other carnival style attractions. Music was playing and in several places groups of revelers had taken over parts of the streets as dance floors. As Megan made her way through the crowds, she received more than a few stares. A number of people stopped her to confirm she was a superhero, a few even recognized her. Several asked to have their pictures taken with her. The young woman took it all in stride, a wide smile on her face. A couple of times she joined in the impromptu dance parties, but never for very long, as she wanted to try to take in as many of the sights as possible. As midnight approached, Megan had worked her way back towards the waterfront, the crowds there having grown as the end of 2012 drew near. When the final seconds began to tick away, Megan joined the massive chorus of voices in counting them down. The cries of "HAPPY NEW YEAR!!" were almost deafening, followed by cheers and shouts. Out in the harbor, many of the gathered boats sounded off fog horns. Then, practically on cue, the sound of fireworks launching into the air could be heard over the crowd. The spire atop Sky Tower served as the launch platform for the city's fireworks display, and soon the sky above the city was erupting with exploding fireworks, enticing more cheers and shouts from the crowds. The fireworks display lasted more than ten minutes, the crowds continuing to cheer throughout. When it finally ended, the street party atmosphere resumed. Megan glanced down at her watch, realizing it was likely time to be moving on once again. In a flash of movement, she was gone, weaving between people with ease and soon running across the surface of Waitemata Harbour. She waited until she had cleared the harbor before she accelerated once again to supersonic speed.