Iris pushed her way out of the clothing store and out onto the busy streets. She didn't often splurge on clothes, but for some reason, when she had passed by the store window and noticed some of the mannequins, she'd paused. One of them displayed a lovely blouse, the kind that folded one side over the other in a faux wrap, and had flared sleeves. Victorian-style, the display announced. Not something she'd usually consider, but the bright geometric pattern attracted her interest. One thing led to another, and ended with her leaving the store with her new purchase.

Back on the busy streets, she attempted to dodge the crowds. Her constant 'Sorry's likely labeled her as a tourist, but she just couldn't help it. It just didn't feel right to not apologize.

The crowds thinned a bit as she neared her apartment. She was about four blocks away when someone bumped her hard enough to nearly knock her over. Her bag skidded across the sidewalk, and she dove to retrieve it. By then she'd had enough.

"Excuse you!" she snapped, looking up angrily.

Kaz had been trying to get out and do more recently, beyond cooping himself up in the warehouse. It wasn't too hot outside and with a gentle breeze the day seemed calm, a perfect day for a stroll. Besides, maybe he'd find something to do.

"Excuse you!" <That sounded familiar.> Kaz looked up in time to see a bag skid across the ground and a man walking by a familiar face. The man didn't seem to care about bumping into Iris. With little effort he stepped behind the man. "It's considered polite to apologize after knocking into someone. Especially a lady." He didn't wait for the man to respond as he twisted the man's arm and dragged him back towards Iris.

The man's frame was larger than Kaz, so as the two approached Iris, Kaz was out of sight. "What do you say?" He spoke as he tightened his grip on the man's arm. "Ah..I'm I'm sorry!" Letting the man's arm go, Kaz gave him a swift kick in the rear to get him walking away. Iris' bag was near him, which he retrieved for her. He held his hand out to her to help her up.

With as much falling on her butt as she'd been doing recently, Iris was seriously considering buying a cushion. She'd seen weirder things in this city, and having a pain-free backside would almost make the embarrassment worth it.

"What do you say?"

Iris blinked, and looked up. A large man stood in front of her, no doubt the source of her current location. He had one hand behind his back, and the oddest look on his face. Instinctively Iris leaned back warily.

"Ah..I'm I'm sorry!"

"Oookay.... No big deal...." She watched warily as he stumbled on by her. Still sitting on the ground, she leaned as far away from the man as possible when he passed. Deciding it best not to ask questions she looked around for her bag.

She found it, in someone else's hand, someone whose other hand was extending in a help-up gesture. She looked up in surprise.

And immediately felt her mind freeze when she saw those red eyes. Her body reacted on its own, and she scuttled backwards several feet.

"You??!"[/i] she squealed in an amazing imitation of a choking rat. She scrambled to her feet and behind the nearest light pole. "What are you doing here??!!" She looked around frantically; the last time Kaz had appeared out of nowhere, that giant red man hadn't been far behind.[/color]

Kaz raised an eyebrow at Iris' outburst. Her scuttle and attempt and putting something between them wasn't helping Kaz suppress his laughter. He clasped his free hand over his mouth in a bad attempt to stop his chuckles.

"What are you doing here??!!"

"Well, I was going to help you up, but ahh," He snickered lightly, "I guess you didn't need any help with that." She seemed frightened by her body language, and rightly so considering their history. He could hear her heartbeat, it had risen in just a few short moment. Kaz felt bad, he wasn't trying to make her nervous. He held the bag out towards her. "Do you want your bag back?" He kept his voice soft and as non-threatening as he could.

He was laughing at her. Why was he laughing at her? What did he know that she didn't?? And why wasn't her back hurting??? Any other time, something as simple as a car backfiring would startle her mutation active. At least the ice gem, if nothing else. But, no! The one time when her mutation might have actually come in handy, it decided to take a break. Great. Just great....

"Well, I was going to help you up, but ahh, I guess you didn't need any help with that."

He was still laughing at her.... She frowned.

"Do you want your bag back?"

She stared at the item in question, then back at him.

He was being nice. Why was he being nice? He'd been nice before. Mmhm. Real nice. Smooth, too. Smooth and nice enough to back her into a tree, scare her silly, light the park on fire around her, drug her, and finally drop her in a lab to be experimented on.

Uh huh. Real nice. Like a python. Pythons were nice huggers, too....

She looked back at her bag. She really wanted that blouse.....

She came from behind the pole, and cautiously stepped forward, arm outstretched. The instant she could reach it without getting to close, she snatched for the bag before rapidly retreating again. The little voice in the back of her mind told her she looked like a cartoon character.

At that point, she really didn't care. She glanced around again, expecting Syn to jump out from around a corner. Or something equally panic-inducing.

Kaz pursed his lips as she frowned at him. He kept chuckling. "I'm sorry....I don't mean to laugh...." He cleared his throat and pushed the chuckles down. When she came out from behind the pole he held the bag out further towards her. Once she had it in her grasp he dropped his hands into his pocket and took a step back. "You looked so...silly just now."

"It'd be nice if people watched where they were going, or at least learned some manners, no?" Again Iris looked around the area, to which Kaz sighed. "Would you stop looking around like a frightened rabbit? I'm not gonna do anything to you. And to my knowledge, no one is...cept for people bumping into you that is." Again, he kept his tone level.

"I'm sorry....I don't mean to laugh.... You looked so...silly just now."

Iris felt her cheeks warm, and her frown deepened. She knew that full well; he didn't need to point it out.

"It'd be nice if people watched where they were going, or at least learned some manners, no?"

She eyed Kaz warily. What was he up to?

"Would you stop looking around like a frightened rabbit? I'm not gonna do anything to you. And to my knowledge, no one is...cept for people bumping into you that is."

"Uh huh. And you expect me to take your word on that?" she snapped angrily. "And I'm not acting like a scared rabbit."

And she wasn't. Scared rabbits bolted at the first sign of danger. She was acting more like a scared opposum. They froze in place and played dead. The rabbit was smarter.

Deciding not to stick around and see if he was telling the truth, she backed away a few more steps, then turned, intending to hurry away. She hadn't taken more than a stride or two, before she stopped again. She didn't want to lead him to her apartment, or even the general area. And going back the way she'd come meant passing closer to him. So where could she go?

She hesitated, and bit her lip.

She was angry, she had all right to be. But, her words irked Kaz. His face grew tight and serious, and so to his voice. "My word? I'm not lying to you now, nor have I ever." He took a step closer to the woman, closing the distance just slightly. "Think about it Iris. Back to the park, our scuffle, KP. I've been nothing but straight to with you. My word's as good as gold." He stepped back again and chuckled lightly. "Not trusting my actions...eh, I can understand that."

It was Kaz's turn to watch. Iris' mind seemed to be in overdrive. He could practically hear the gears turning. Every look of her eyes, the turn of her head, even biting her lip. "Calm down or you'll blow a gasket." He said jokingly as he flicked one of his pointy ears. "If you want to leave, go ahead. I won't stop you."

"Think about it Iris. Back to the park, our scuffle, KP. I've been nothing but straight to with you."

"Straight??" Iris's head snapped back to look at him.

"My word's as good as gold."

Iris didn't hear much else of what Kaz said after that. Her jaw hung slightly open. Surely he hadn't just said what she thought she heard. He couldn't be serious! Straight? 'Good as gold'?? 'Scuffle'?? He'd shoved her around and practically blown her up!!

"Calm down or you'll blow a gasket."

"Calm down?? Calm DOWN??!!"[/i] There was no 'practically' about it; she yelled at him, loud enough to draw the attention of a few wayward pedestrians. "You jumped up out of nowhere, scared the living daylights out of me, drugged me, and nearly killed me! And you want me to CALM DOWN??!!"

Her back had finally caught up to her emotions, and she felt the familiar sensation of one of her gems preparing to flare to life. It wasn't the one she expected though. Without realizing it, she had backed away toward a nearby alley, shaded from the sun by the height of the buildings. Her eyes flickered momentarily, darkening then lightening again as she fought to bring herself under control.[/color]

Kaz rubbed one of his ears, the woman had a very distinct tone that his sensitive ears caught very well. It kinda hurt. Kaz shrugged and threw his hands up. "No denying that. Though you were the one who put your own life in danger by not taking the pills for so long. If you had taken them when I told you, you would have been fine."

Kaz sighed when he saw Iris' eyes flicker into shadow then back to normal. It took a moment for him to realize, there was nothing around that would have casted a shadow over her and only her eyes had been shadowed. <What is she thinking.> Kaz looked around then the direction Iris was backing up to.

"You want to get back at me Iris....That's fine. Just do me a favor, aim for my right side," Kaz smirked. "Hunter already got be on the left, his payback for you." Kaz didn't move from his spot. The curiosity Iris had caused from the people walking by was still there. <Humans, too curious for their own good.>

"No denying that. Though you were the one who put your own life in danger by not taking the pills for so long. If you had taken them when I told you, you would have been fine."

"Wha-??" If she hadn't been so shocked, Iris would have laughed. Was he seriously trying to turn this around and make it her fault??

She found her tongue and snapped back, "Well, if you hadn't given them to me in the first place, we wouldn't have had to worry, now would we?"

She saw him rub his ear, and realized she was shouting. Did he have sensitive hearing? She couldn't remember. Though if he did, she hoped her voice was causing him extreme discomfort. It would be a minor payback.

"You want to get back at me Iris....That's fine. Just do me a favor, aim for my right side. Hunter already got be on the left, his payback for you."

She narrowed her eyes at him. By that point anger had begun to overshadow fear, adding fuel to the fire burning in her lower back. Payback would have felt wonderful right then, and several months ago she would have gladly taken him up on the offer, foolish at it might have been. But for some reason, the thought that Hunter had already gotten to Kaz irked her.

She straightened up and crossed her arms, lifting her chin proudly. "Whatever Hunter does is no concern of mine. I'm not going to lower myself to his level. Or yours," she added acerbically.

She turned inward, toward the alley and away from the crowded street.

"Well, if you hadn't given them to me in the first place, we wouldn't have had to worry, now would we?"

Kaz laughed and again, shrugged. "Again, no denying that." Kaz stepped forward though he kept his hands out wide. <She's defiantly has grown a spine. Just like I hoped.> Iris walked into the shadowy alley. "I'm glad you feel that way Iris. I'm not here to fight, physically nor verbally." He spoke as he followed her. "It was by chance we met today. So don't think otherwise."

"Again, no denying that."

Yeah, she would've loved to hear him try it.

"I'm glad you feel that way Iris. I'm not here to fight, physically nor verbally. It was by chance we met today. So don't think otherwise."

"Thanks for clearing that up," she snapped over her shoulder, not looking at him. "I've already got one creep on my tail. I don't need you or your psycho boss adding to it."

She'd assumed he was still working with Syn.

Kaz nodded, even though she wasn't looking at him. "You're welcome." He loved sarcasm, it was a beautiful thing. He toyed with the thought of continuing on the path of being a smart-aleck, but stopped as Iris said two interesting things. "I guess I'm not the only one not in the loop. I don't work for anyone anymore, haven't for a while. Though I have to say I'm curious to who you were referring to as my 'psycho boss'."

As an afterthought, "Wait, are you saying I'm creepy?" He asked in a puzzled tone.

"You're welcome."

<"Smartass."> Iris clamped a firm grip on her thoughts and her tongue.

"I guess I'm not the only one not in the loop. I don't work for anyone anymore, haven't for a while. Though I have to say I'm curious to who you were referring to as my 'psycho boss'."

"Skinny woman about yea big? Pale skin, ugly hairstyle and an even uglier attitude? Ring a bell?" She rolled her eyes. A passing worry hoped that description wouldn't get back to the red-and-black haired femme fatal.

"Wait, are you saying I'm creepy?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Kaz.

He was serious. She couldn't believe it!

"Well, let's see. Red eyes, silver hair, ability to appear out of nowhere and blow things up at will." She snorted and raised her hands in a fake apology. "Oh no, not creepy at all. Sorry, my bad."

She shook her head and turned around again, but paused. Why was she suddenly feeling guilty?