This was awkward.

Isaac closed his eyes and tried to forget the small cluster of homeless people standing around him. He was currently sitting cross-legged on the filthy pavement of a back alley somewhere on the outskirts of New York City, his outer layers of clothing were sitting in a pile several feet away, and he was glowing a bright red. Occasionally, a flurry of snow would blow down the alley and sizzle into steam against his radiating heat.

Stupid Cafas.

Most of Isaac’s day had been spent at Cafas’ forge toiling in a contest to see which of them was the greater smith. The forge was warm compared to the rest of the city, but not warm enough, and the contest stipulated that neither mutant could use their powers so it had been far too long since Isaac had been able to heat himself anywhere past shivering. The moment he had stepped out of the shop into the freezing night air he knew that he would not make it home unless he burned.

And so, finding a narrow alley among the buildings where he could avoid notice, Isaac shed his coat, hoodie, and boots, sat down in the snow, and started to burn. He was tired from his day at the forge and was still wearing his shirt and pants, so he didn’t rise above 500 ^oC, but it was enough to keep him warm.

Apparently it was enough to attract others who wanted to keep warm, too; before long Isaac had found him surrounded by a small crowd of people looking to stave off the cold. At first he was concerned -just how aggressively were the authorities looking for the heat elemental that had busted open that prison?- but it seemed like they were just grateful for the convenient, if unusual, source of heat. Most of them seemed to find this as awkward as Isaac did, though one man with a beard that would frighten a wookie got a little too touchy and was now crouched against the wall nursing his burned hands.

Isaac opened his eyes. They were still there.

Five more minutes and I’m out of here.

Winter was dumb and so was the dark and the damn buildings that made the wind so much harder. Hell, so was the bus driver and then the taxi drivers who denied him entry into their vehicles. Walking home was not something he wanted to do, not something he planned to do. But with his cellphone broken, he'd have to find a place with a phone he could use. Which meant walking in the cold and dark and wind. He felt like he was going to collapse soon, his skin felt frozen and he was sure it had turned grey by now.

That's when he felt it, distance but warm. He didn't know how he knew it but he was drawn to it. Moth to a flame. He saw the huddled mass around the glowing warmth and he almost snarled. A bunch of homeless folks around a burning barrel probably but it would be enough, hell he'd climb in at this point. But as he drew closer he saw it was a...burning...mutant...man...

Part of him wanted to turn around and leave the strange scene immediately. But the more animal part of him, the part currently seeking out any heat it could, led him to wonder right into the group. The people parted easily once they saw his massive dark shadow looming over them. He stared down at the man, his lone eye's pupil narrowing on him. He must have seem terrifying.

He didn't spare a moment to consider his own clothes or the man's comfort, inside marching in and just...nuzzling him. There was no other word for it. Like a dog attempting to cuddle, he nuzzled and rubbed, practically coiling around the burning man. All the while he didn't contain his purring, the pleasure of being warmed up after nearly freezing was just to intense to contain.

(OOC: For those who wish to read the fanfic pairing version of these events, go to A Ship Aflame.)

Isaac’s face blazed with rage. There were several things that could trip his temper, and invading his personal space was at the top. He hated the world and the world hated him and it would keep its damn distance if it knew what was good for it. All that hobo had to do was edge a little too close to earn his burns. NO ONE got touchy with Isaac.

And now this creep was rubbing up against him like a gargoyle in heat. God, the sicko was even purring.

“GET THE **** OFF ME!” Isaac shouted, pushing himself to his feet. He punched the man –at least, he assumed it was a man- in the stomach, then once again in the jaw once he got his footing. The punches didn’t feel like they had much impact, but his fists were roaring with heat in his anger. Isaac hoped that they hurt.

Isaac cooled and slipped on his boots before quickly glancing around for the rest of his clothes. He was done with this. With the cold, with the flea-ridden bums, with the hideous lizard-man and its repulsive affection. It could all burn.

Isaac cast another disgusted look at the creature.

“Freak.”

He aimed a kick at what he figured was the soft spot beneath its ribs.

Warm, warm, so much warmth, so good-and now pain. Victor yelped, stumbling back, and shaking off the shock. It hadn't hurt that much but it definitely startled him enough to back off. Which was a shame because the warmth was quickly leaving and he didn't want that to happen. He needed the warmth, he needed it to stave off freezing.

Still the man was getting dressed, throwing a disgusted look at his way. But why? Victor wasn't doing anything wrong. At least in his heat deprived mind that's how it was. All sense of personal space went out the window when his body couldn't produce enough heat to survive. He spent hours in the hot shower this morning but it was all gone by lunch time. That had been hours ago.

So when the man kicked him in the gut, instead of just taking it like before, he grab his foot with one hand. "Lo siento... Estoy congelando... Necesito tu calor..." He rumbled softly, pulling harshly to throw the fire mutant off balance. Victor didn't like hurting people, but he knew, somehow knew, that this mutant's flame would only come out under threat. Pouncing on him should be threat enough.

Curses shot from Isaac’s mouth as he hit the ground. The beast was strong. Probably strong enough to throw him through the air if it wanted to. Isaac didn’t like that thought, particularly coupled with the feeling that his earlier punches hadn’t done much against the creature’s hide.

It said something, but Isaac didn’t understand. He didn’t care to understand. All he knew was that this thing was disgusting and that he wanted it away from him NOW. He kicked. He clawed at the ground. He did everything he could to get out of the creature’s grasp but it would not let go.

Then, with a sharp tug, the arm around his leg pulled him under the beast as it heaved its bulk into the air and down directly on top on Isaac. The impact forced the air from his chest, and when it returned it did so in a stream of profanity. Isaac thrashed against the lizard like a wild animal, but it was no use. The creature’s weight alone would have been enough to keep him trapped, but it had also pinned him with two arms on either side of each of his and its hind legs and tail pressing his legs together.

“I said get off!” Isaac shouted. He was starting to feel desperate. Nothing had ever kept him contained, and as the lizard’s scales scraped his shirt against his chest, he began to forget how he had gotten here or what it was that had him trapped; all he knew was that he had to get free. He heated his hands to a piercing red and pressed them against the shoulders that held him to the ground.

“GET. OFF!!!!”

Victor purred, a deep rumbling in the back of his throat. The man's heat was incredible, a massive wave of burning. It destroyed his clothing, something he might regret in the long run but with this, he might be able to go days without having to lay under a heat lamp. He murmured in Spanish, a loving purr for a man who may have just saved him from the cold.

He held him close, ignoring the shouting and the fire that bloomed around them. He absorbed it, practically glowing with the heat. It might have looked strange, this glowing fire beast clinging to this cursing man. It might have looked like Victor was attacking Cal. But he would fight anyone who'd try to separate them. He would bite and claw and burn whoever would dare to try.

Yet...he could hear the sirens in the distance. Someone must have seen the fire and smoke, the light from the flames in the darkness must have been brilliant. Or maybe one of the bums who ran away went to a cop about the two fire mutants in the alleyway. In either case, they didn't have long. Victor lifted his head looking around for a place they could go to.

This was not how things were supposed to be going. Isaac felt the heat flow out from his hands- normal enough, but instead of jerking away from the burn the beast pressed into it, purring. It liked the heat. Not only that, but soon the red in Isaac’s hands spread along the thing’s body. It was absorbing the heat! That was… new.

It was also bad. Burning had always worked in the past; nothing could withstand Isaac’s heat for long. But now this creature was actually enjoying it. There was the possibility that it had a limit to its heat tolerance- even Isaac’s body had trouble coping at the highest temperatures he could produce- but he didn’t want to risk losing his clothes as well.

So burning a way to freedom was out. Physical attacks had also proved worthless. Isaac supposed that a big enough gun could probably put this thing down, but it wasn’t like he had any on him right now. When had he ever needed a gun? Isaac groaned and hit his head against the pavement in frustration. How long would he have to endure this?

And then he heard the sirens. Police. Panic stabbed into Isaac’s mind: He couldn’t be caught here, but he couldn’t get out from under this animal, either. Isaac looked up and saw the same fear in the lizard, its head tensed against danger. It lifted its body slightly, poised to run, and clutched Isaac tighter against its chest. It apparently planned to take him wherever it was going.

****! That’s worse than the police!

Isaac gritted his teeth in desperation. He couldn’t let himself become this thing’s trophy or prize or whatever. He hated the idea, but he’d have to resort to bargaining.

“Hey!” He punched the beat’s head to get its attention. “HEY! You like heat right? You like this?” Isaac waved his red-hot hand in the thing’s face. “Well I can give you more. Hell, I can get even hotter if you want. But you see this?” Isaac cooled his hand, the piercing red fading into nothing. “I’m not going to burn for another ****ing second until you let me go! Understand!? Now put me the **** down!”

Victor moved to pick Cal up, find a place for them to hide, a place to nest and rest from the cold. But just as he was about to move the man's hand hit against his head, his burning hand catching his attention. He followed the motion of heat like a fly towards a flame. For him it was utterly captivating, a source of never ending pleasure.

“Hey! HEY! You like heat right? You like this? Well I can give you more. Hell, I can get even hotter if you want. But you see this?”

The heat faded to nothing, causing the beast to whine at the loss. His head tilted in worry, wondering if the loss was because of the cold. If so, he would have to find the man a warm place for the night.

“I’m not going to burn for another ****ing second until you let me go! Understand!? Now put me the **** down!”

Victor considered this for a moment before finally putting the man down slowly and gently. He sat on his haunches to be more leveled with him. His tail thumped on the ground as he waited for Calcifer to lead the way. He wanted more heat, perhaps a nice place to enjoy it, though anything would be nicer than this ally in any case.

“Finally.” Isaac pushed the creature’s arms away as it set him down. At least it had enough sense to make deals.

Turning his back on the beast, Isaac quickly picked up his outer clothes and put them on. He looked in the direction of the sirens, then the opposite way down the alley, then at the lizard man.

It’s a dog, Isaac thought, seeing it sitting on its hind legs with its tail thumping on the ground. Then, with a grimace: A dog that’s going to follow me. That was less than ideal, to say the least. Aside from the fact that he didn’t want to be tailed by anyone, he really didn’t want this thing to grab him up again on the way.

Isaac looked back toward the approaching wail of the sirens. The issue of the beast would have to wait. Right now, the important thing was to be somewhere else. Isaac turned and marched down the alley at a brisk pace. He didn’t look behind him, but he could hear from the dull thuds behind him that the lizard-dog was following.

Great.

Isaac turned a corner and continued down a crumbling back street. He didn’t really have a specific route planned out, he was just moving in a general direction of “away.” Besides, he’d done a cursory scope of the area when he first got here, and things were laid out in a general grid. Hard to get lost in square streets. All he had to do was get a comfortable distance away from the sirens then ditch the gargoyle before heading home.

Won’t that be fun.

Victor watched the man get dressed and start walking, to which he immediately followed. Naked and cold as he was, he wasn't going to get very far without the human heater in front of him. Still even only being a few feet from him was too much and he found himself wanting to press closer. The winter cold was quickly sapping what heat he had been able to absorb. He had been so wrong about not needing that heat lamp any time soon.

Though one other thing caught his attention and that was the sound of sirens drawing closer. Even in his feral daze he knew well enough that that sound was a bad sign, one to be avoided at all cost. The beast rumbled nudging Issac along, "Quick, quick..." He was fast enough to follow, he doubted he'd loose track of the man any time soon, not with unnatural heat like that.

(Sorry for the short post, let me know if you want me to add more)

The soft thuds of Isaac’s boots drummed out a purposeful tempo down the back alleyways in what he figured to be the best direction away from the sirens. Seriously, why were the sirens even coming toward them? It wasn’t like he’d actually done anything.

Burning that hobo? Causing a scene? Isaac cast a sideways glance at the naked lizard-man nervously nudging at his back. Public indecency?

>”Quick, quick…” the beast kept repeating the words, making Isaac even more annoyed. Did this thing think he wanted to be caught? Everyone knew that, unless you were actually being chased, the worst thing you could do was run. What you wanted to do was walk briskly, but inconspicuously away, and disappear without drawing any attention to yourself.

Though….

Isaac turned and cast a quick glance at the 9-foot creature following him. Perhaps “inconspicuous” wasn’t exactly possible. At least, not while he had this thing following him. He briefly considered trying to lose the beast, but seeing how fast it had been able to pin him the first time, the idea was promptly dismissed.

>“Quick, quick…”

Isaac’s teeth ground together. He scanned the walls of the alley for some small crevice or doorway where he could lose the bulk behind him. No luck.

>“Quick, q-“

“Look!” Isaac growled at the lizard, spinning to face it. “I want to avoid the cops as much as you do. I’m doing my best. But it doesn’t do much good as long as I’ve got your giant *** right behind me. Now I don’t see you coming up with any ideas, do I? Huh? Nothing in that one-eyed brain of yours? Then either shut up or **** off!”

Spitting to the side, Isaac turned and continued trudging down the alley.

Stupid freak.

He had been trying to hurry Issac along to wherever he was heading. He was well aware of how much he stuck out and while he could have easily have run off on his own, he was loathed to leave his heat source. The cold wouldn't allow it, he had to keep Issac close. But that didn't seem to sit right with the man.

“Look! I want to avoid the cops as much as you do. I’m doing my best. But it doesn’t do much good as long as I’ve got your giant *** right behind me. Now I don’t see you coming up with any ideas, do I? Huh? Nothing in that one-eyed brain of yours? Then either shut up or **** off!”

He stood in shocked silence, blinking down at the smaller man. This guy had no place to go. No wonder! They were aimless, they had no hopes of finding a safe place if they didn't have a place in mind. He grumbled, low in the back of his throat. No that wouldn't do. Raising himself up to his full height he looked around. He vaguely remember Ambrose showing him a safe house nearby that was equipped with a heat lamp and a bed should he need it. Really it was an abandoned underground garage that was in the midst of renovations for Ragnorak. An unassuming building, but it was open to him at least.

Right now seemed to warrant a need.

With that in mind, and ignoring any struggles the other man might've put up, Victor picked up the walking heat source and place him on his back. He had enough practice with his cousins that it was an easy move to pull. "Hold on!" It was all the warning he gave Issac before he took off running, a half gallop, half sprint that set all his limbs into motions. To an on-looker he must have looked like an animal, a strange six limbed, giant, orange animal. But bestial nonetheless.

They were more or less ten blocks from the safe house and he aimed to get them there before the anyone noticed or the cold really set in.

Isaac took two steps forward then was in the air. The streetscape reeled about him as the tight grip around his torso spun him around until he landed on the lizard-creature’s back. Isaac swayed, clutching to regain his bearings, and caught just enough of a statement from the creature to know that it had said something without understanding what that something had been. And then it lurched forward.

The beast’s speed was incredible. Isaac clawed at the thing’s back before finding a grip on its shoulders, all while spewing a continuous stream of profanities.

When he finally regained his wits, Isaac’s first thought was to jump. With enough luck, the lizard wouldn’t be able to turn around fast enough and he’d be able to slip away. He looked to the side. Damn, it was fast! The brick walls were speeding past noticeably faster than Isaac could sprint. He wouldn’t be able to hit the ground at this speed without taking some damage. Well, not personally, but his coat probably wouldn’t fare to well.

****! I just got it repaired!

Isaac pulled himself against the lizard’s back. The monster was annoying, but getting his closed fixed was even worse. He probably didn’t need to jump just yet. Wherever it was going, it at least didn’t seem to like the police. Perhaps it’d just been startled and was running aimlessly out of fear. If that was the case, there would be not harm in holding on and taking advantage of its speed before it tired itself out and he could escape more easily.

Or- Isaac’s jaw clenched at the thought- it was going home. Isaac weighed his options. What kind of “home” would keep a freak like this? Not a normal one. But then, given the beast’s resources and preparedness, it probably wasn’t a dangerous one, either. The thing seemed to like warmth; maybe it was heated? Maybe.

Isaac glared ahead as the creature carrying him raced down the streets. Whatever it was, he’d figure something out.

Victor was glad to see that Issac had not decide to jump off when he started running. It was honestly the best choice, as jumping off when he was at a full gallop would probably result in a nasty injury. He was sure that nobody would want that. Definitely not him anyway, he liked Issac. Mostly in the same way a lizard liked it's heat lamp but still.

The beast kept running, leaving the sounds of sirens far behind with every new turn. He was taking a longer way than usual, just to put some distance between them and any pursuers. He took more alleyways and backstreets than anything, staying away from any crowded areas that could get them in trouble. Especially since he was rather naked at the moment.

In any case the half mile trip was short and he slowed to a trot on coming up to the seemingly abandoned building. Going around back there was a metal door blocking the entry to the garage.

Not that it mattered to Victor, he was already in the security system. All it took was opening the little hatch at the side and letting it scan his eye. There was a soft beep of confirmation and the metal garage door slide up silently to allow entry. The lights were off now but they would turn on once they sensed movement.

Isaac jumped to the ground as soon as the lizard carrying him stopped in front of the door. This would be as good of time as any to ditch the monster and head off on his own. After all, they were far enough away from the sirens now that he could managed by himself, and there was no certainty that the sirens were even for him. They could be an ambulance for all he knew.

On the other hand, that beast had turned out to be incredibly fast. It had also been very keen on keeping him close by. He’d have to wait until it was really distracted.

He shuffled impatiently to the side as the giant lizard opened a hatch on the wall. Then he saw the eye scanner behind it. This caught his attention; he’d suspected some kind of safehouse, but whoever put this together (probably not the lizard man) had some decent resources. That merited looking into. It was always good to know who in a city had ways of getting things done, even if you didn’t end up working for them.

Isaac peered under the opening door into the darkness beyond. Of course, those with means were also not people to be approached incautiously. Still, the door was just steel, and could be melted easily enough it had to. Isaac stepped inside.

Rows of overhead lights snapped on at his movement, revealing a moderately-sized concrete room in the early stages of being furnished. Piles of cardboard- and some wooden- boxes were strewn haphazardly about the interior. Some were already open with contents of clothing, magazines, and electronics partially dumped on the floor beside them. There were a few chairs and a table placed randomly in the room, but carefully aligned against one of the walls was a large metal slab of a table, easily large enough for Isaac to stretch across without touching either end. Suspended above it was a large awning that Isaac recognized as the industrial-size version of some of the heat lamps he had back at his trailer.

So whoever’s in charge here is used to providing heat. Isaac rolled the thought over in his head with favorable consideration.

Turning his attention from the table, Isaac surveyed the back of the room. In a small nook beyond two security cameras that weren’t even trying to be inconspicuous was a large steel door. There was no handle, only a hatch in the wall next to it that Isaac assumed contained another retinal scanner.

Well now. The has got to be something interesting behind that.