"Yeah. I can tell you. But...I haven't told anyone before. It's just..." He looked at her. "I hadn't even realized I pulled it out. I got this when I was ten. My Mom gave it to me for my birthday. A month later, she was killed in an accident with an 18-wheeler, and my whole life spiraled out of control from there..." He paused, looking out into space.

"Everything that's happened, I held onto it. One thing I've always had with me. I know....it's childish. But I can't help it."

"It's not childish..." Tses said, surprisingly gently. "If I had something to hold onto, I'd probably do the same. But I really haven't had anything worth holding onto..." The bitterness returned to her voice a little bit, but it was a personal sadness, nothing to do with his comment.

"I keep looking for something worth sticking around for. But having good memories gives you something to fall back on at least." She thought of her sister, and wished their father hadn't ruined their family the way they had. Perhaps her sister would have been that thing in her life she cherished. But this far down the road, she hardly remembered her sister's face. Or hardly remembered a happy memory. Except now. This, this was almost a happy moment worth keeping.

Living from day to day out of the back of a vehicle, with little to no income to survive off of, was a cramped and altogether unpleasant experience for Sylus. But it was not one that he had not faced before. After his brief brush with destruction (and causing quite a bit of his own), it was no longer safe to stay in any one place in Phoenix. Instead he hit the streets, and if the weather turned for the worst, he would shack up in some vacant home or a broken down shack. Anywhere to keep out the wind and rain.

With warm clothing on his back and fire at his fingertips, Sylus survived on what he could find, steal, or work for. In a couple years he had learned more street smarts than in the rest of his entire life.

The knowledge gave him many options, but it didn't make him any younger. He had hoped that his first winter in NYC would be one spent with a place to live. This cold city was supposed to be his new home. So far, it only felt like a maze of malice and metalwork. This city was another animal than Phoenix. Of the same species, but a whole nother environment. Winter here would be an enemy all by itself. With that in mind, Sylus had set out just after noon in search for a place to shack up for the winter. Something that would remain untouched and quiet for the upcoming months.

The sun shone through open patches in the cloudy gray sky, the bleak weather made it easy for Soot to fly in daylight hours. His smoky form blended near perfectly as he raced above the rooftops. This city was big, and it was easiest to survey its regions from above. He had already checked out several sections of the city. Mostly slums that were a bit too dangerous to reside at in the first place. Eventually he had settled onto a rooftop overlooking a block of the city that was mostly under construction. During Winter months work here would be at a minimum, and with several renovations under way, Sylus was bound to stumble into a location that had well built walls and maybe even working plumbing.

It was as good a place as he would ever find to shack up and settle down for at least a few months. Shifting once again to his vaporous self, he descended towards an alleyway cut off from normal traffic. In this form he could see buildings and feel their airflow without ever having to walk them. He could not hear, taste or smell, but these were all possible issues that were easily dealt with. Soot flowed into the first building he saw, an abandoned place that seemed unlikely to have any visitors. Which told of his surprise when the first thing he laid eyes on were a young man and woman who looked like the streets had handed them the worst, and they came out on top.

Sylus could have drifted off right then, ignored the two and gone away. But the two of them had peaked his curiosity. It wouldn't hurt to have a little info on the area, or even someone to look to when shit hit the fan. But still, in the streets one did not go around asking for favors, or showing weakness. He chose a bold and confident approach. Inciting fear and respect.

He made his cloud as wide and voluminous as it could appear for his entrance. It shrank slowly as his body reformed, from head to toe. As soon as Soot could speak, he did. A resounding baritone that attracted the immediate attention of everyone in the room.

"Well well, looks like you two have had a hell of a night. Lets not make it any worse." A twinkle of madness touched his eyes, giving only a small view into how dangerous this man could be when pushed.

Sitting next to Ty had been surprisingly relaxing, and Tses had let her guard down, admittedly. So things were doomed to be ruined, right? She knew better than to sit and talk, knew better about getting somewhere safe. But if there was one thing Tses learned living on the street, it was that reflexes were everything. One second she was talking to Ty, the next, something smokey and threatening was coming into the room. It was as if the someone opened the chimney and blew the contents into the doorway, before that grime settled into a form. Not something she really wanted to mess with.

Her feet were under her in a flash, and her hands took on a green glow as she crouched, eyes hard and emotionless. Whatever vulnerability she had a moment before was gone. Like a bird who masked it's illness to turn away a predator, she pressed away her pain and put on the defensive. She didn't like to be cornered, and this was definitely not a place she chose for her escape root. She mentally chided herself for this, wishing she had stuck to her training.

Already knowing Ty's powers afforded no real battle advantage, Tses took the offensive, glaring at the stranger. "I'd avoid trying to make my day 'worse', if I were you. I really don't feel like taking anyone else's shit right now." While she spoke, she was building an orb of energy in her left hand, letting the energy lace around her right. The moon had little to offer her today, as did her body, but she was tapping into reserved strengths and adrenaline. At least they had rested for awhile. It made her feel stronger than she probably was. "Unless you want to test how immaterial that body of yours is."

She had fought shadowy people before, but smoke could be a problem. It was like trying to hurt the air. This was something you couldn't really train for, thought it wouldn't be past her to try. She needed to figure out this guys strengths and weaknesses, starting with her powers. She wasn't sure if explosives could harm this guy, but it was worth trying to stand her ground.

Well, she was still crouching, but that was another thing entirely.

Instead of waiting for the stranger to move, she let the energy condense in the palm of her hand, and tossed the grenade like orb of energy at his form in the doorway. The glowing object rolled across the ground like a glass ball, seaming to float across the surface without much bounce, then exploded with pure energy outwards.

Ty too, acted solely on his reflexes. The tiger went safely into the pockets of his jacket, and his jacket hit the ground as he shrugged it off. Great....some smoke-being decided to make itself at home too.

Tses went on the offensive, but Ty did otherwise. He stood off to the side, knowing her powers would serve them well right now. The psychometric's cy blue eyes scanned the area, looking for something he could use if he had to fight.

Oddly, part of him hoped he would have to fight. This guy had ruined a moment.

I took less than ten seconds for the young woman to be on her feet, ready for anything unfortunate that might come her way. The boy was only slightly slower, whipping off his jacket and apparently ready for fisticuffs. The look in his eyes was defiant, yet he moved off to the side. Maybe he was lobbying for a better position, using their numbers to their advantage. This was of little matter to Soot, in a hand to hand battle it could be 5v1 and he would never be touched. He ignored the man and focused on the girl. She had reacted first, and had probably been suviving on her own the longest between the two of them. In his mind that made her the most dangerous.

His theory was proven true when her arms became covered in a green light. It swirled and danced briefly before coalescing into her hands, and with a simple toss she put the ball into his proverbial court. In most situations, this light show may have seemed like a game to him. An entertainment. But the young lady's actions were that of an attack, something to be feared. So after a brief stare at the liitle bright orb, Sylus looked up......and got blown away. A bright light was followed by the whoosh of displaced air , and it carried with it a large wave of thick black smoke. Soot fought against the gust, his rage giving him extra reserves to draw from. His vaporous form surged up to the ceiling, and then down towards his assailant. Half way through his rush he transformed once again to his physical self, carrying the momentum of his brief flight while adding the solidity to make it potent. The result shoved her against against the wall, Sylus's left hand wrapped around her throat.

His torso shook with anger and his voice dripped with malice as Soot snarled into her ears.

"Do you always greet those you first meet with explosives? Its not a very nice way to welcome someone of my status Try some discretion, or maybe some diplomacy next time. Cuz you never know who may be on the other end of those little firecrackers of yours. They may be stronger than you could ever imagine. They may want to burn you alive and dance in the flames. But what do you know of who i am? How could you ever guess that i have a god on my shoulders? ."

Tses watched the explosion with an intense gaze, as the form seemed to be scattered by the blast. Before she could feel any form of joy over the mild 'victory', however, the smoke condensed in a figure that appeared far too fast, and slammed her back into the wall. Stars exploded behinds Tses's eyes, brighter than the light from her energy blasts, and pain sliced through her side and her head. In an odd moment of afterthought, she realized he was holding her throat in a painful grip. It was almost hard to notice, considering the pain in the rest of her body already took away her breathe.

Discretion... diplomacy? What am I, a liaison? Tses thought bitterly in her mind, and her hands clawed at his hands, the glow of energy moving around his hands like snakes. Until it condensed, it was harmless, more like a static tickle you could barely feel. But it was all she could muster as her head started spinning. Her consciousness was slipping away like water through an unplugged drain.

"I never know who will be on the other end. All the more reason to strike first." She snarled, driving her knee upward in an attempt to kick him and free her airway. She didn't know if she managed to or not. After she tried, everything went dark.

Ty watched Tses with her explosives. Even when hurt, she was one tough chick, that was for sure. Then, the smoke materialized into a figure, not only slamming Tses against the wall, but gripping her throat. At that...something in the normally peaceful pickpocket snapped.

In a flash, the gloves were off, hitting the ground as Ty broke into a full sprint at the mutant's figure, fists clenched tight. Lunging forward, the light frame of the redhead seemed to take flight as it dove at Tses's attacker. Though he'd never fought another mutant like this before, he knew he had to. No matter what happened, he had to defend his new friend. At least, that's what he hoped would become of this, anyway...

As he collided with the stranger, his left hand drew back, aiming a hard, rage-filled punch at his jaw. Once that would connect, he intended to follow through with a right. He didn't notice Tses had blacked out. All he knew was this son of a bitch was going to pay.

The rate at which the young woman had collapsed surprised Soot quite a bit. He did not think his attack had been that brutal, and he had used little enough pressure to allow her to breathe, if painfully. She had thrown up a knee at his midsection, but it landed feebly, ending with her slumping into him like she had been hit with a tranquilizer instead of a charging body.

Sylus caught her briefly in his arms before she fell to the ground. His hands came away sticky and red with blood.

"What the hell...." He uttered to himself, wondering where the wound had come from. No sooner had the thought hit him that she had to have been previously injured, then he was hit by a whole nother entity. The boy, whom Sylus had left aside in his fit of rage, charged him head on. They both hit the floor in a tangle of limbs, one of which had found its way to his chin during the rough housing. The taste of blood filled his mouth, tangy and metallic. He shifted to smoke, rising above the boy and reforming in a standing position.

Sylus spat the blood out of his mouth and spoke once more.

"Can't believe I let some fool get the jump on me." He kicked the boy lightly in his side. "I also cant believe that you and your little friend decided to attack me while one of you is so grievously wounded. Get up! I wont have the two of you dying without good reason to it."

His manner had changed completely, no longer angered but in fact a bit worried. It seemed that these two had attacked him in defense, a reaction to his big entrance. With the facts all lined up, he had no reason to hurt these two, not without a large pyre involved.

Ty's first punch may have landed, but the second punch taught him two lessons. One: Don't punch smoke. And two, concrete is quite unforgivable. He let out a string of curses as his right fist scraped the concrete floor, opening it a bit as the rest of him hit the ground and was met by a kick to the side.

"Maybe that's why she attacked," Ty replied defensively, rolling to his feet, wiping his bloodstained fist onto his pants leg. "Maybe...you should think before you make a threatening entrance. We've had our fair share of bullcrap for the day, trust me."

His eyes focused on the stranger, then glanced to Tses. "Sonofa....Now look what ya did..." he said to him, stepping backwards towards the fallen mutant. Eyes still on him, he adjusted her so she was lying flat on her back, and used his jacked as a pillow of sorts. Jackass...

He stood by the unconscious Tses, watching the both of them. He didn't trust this newcomer. Not one bit...

Soot raised an eyebrow at the young man's last comment. As far as he was concerned, what had just transpired was the result of the couple's poor choices.

"Look what I did? From what i saw, i was attacked and then responded accordingly. I even granted you mercy by not beating you senseless after our brief bout. Regardless, i have no need to harm you further. I only require information, and if you won't give it to me freely, then perhaps an exchange will do." Sylus began to gather random scraps of cardboard and a couple of pieces of 2x4 from the surrounding area. Arranging them into a structured little pile, he reached into his pocket for his zippo. His fingers met empty air, and he fumbled through the rest of his pockets, coming out with a look of disappointment and a box of matches. He scanned the room for a glint of metal but found nothing.

The loss of that lighter was like that of an old friend, but in a city like this, the likelihood of him finding it again was slim to none. With a sigh, Sylus struck a few of them and lit some of the kindling, breathing lightly on it to build the flame. The warmth and glow of a fire soon spread outward. As a final addition, he took a knife from the sheath at his waist and laid the blade across flame.

"I have a couple questions that you may be able to answer. Promise to respond to the best of your ability, and i will teach you a more permanent way to fix her wound. Otherwise, i will leave you alone. Though without help, she may end up leaving this place as well." He squatted down and warmed his hands over the fire. Watching as the young man hovered over the girl defensively.

Ty's eyes narrowed, though he never really made eye contact with the stranger. He was keeping his eye on him, that was for sure, but eye contact was something he only made when he trusted someone, or when he felt the moment called for it. Right now though, the fallen mutant was the source of his focus.

"You made a threatening entrance," he spoke calmly and coldly. "After the day we had, if I could, I'd have shot something at ya too, to be honest. After being chased, shot at, falling through a hole in a roof...I'm sure you'd be pretty tense too." He watched as the man built the fire, but still keeping an eye on him.

Ty then took the opportunity to move his fallen friend a little closer to the fire for warmth, but not much. He didn't want to disturb her or make the wound any worse. But when he moved her, something caught his eye. Behind Tses, was a zippo lighter, and his fingers closed around it. Putting his hands in his pockets, he looked at the stranger, making eye contact this time.

The lighter tucked into his pocket, he waited for the man's questions. Trying to see if he could read the man's intentions. He'd just have to wait and see. "Okay...shoot," was all he said, occasionally glancing down to check on Tses.

"I guess we can start this simple. I'd rather not use pronouns for the rest of the time we have to....enjoy each others company. You may call me Sylus. I would like to be able to address you in some similar form. The names you give me do not have to be real, just something for me to know you by. " He turned the blade over in the flames, the metal slowly gaining an orange glow to it. "I guess the honesty of your answers to all my questions remains in your hands. But i tend to trust the human spirit , so i trust that your answers will be given to the best of your ability, and i promise that none of my questions will pry further into your personal life."

Reaching once more into his multiple pockets, Sylus brought forth a small flask filled with whiskey. He took a large swig and set the container on the floor between him and the boy. "Normally I would use that to clean the wound, but it also steadies the nerves. Anything that can kill the adrenaline and let me work with a calm disposition is a useful tool in my book. Take some if it will help you, and then use it to clean the wound yourself. I doubt you want me anywhere near your girlfriend there. Hell, sometimes even I think such things are a bad idea." A strange smile touched his face.

"Its a screwed up world when you start betraying yourself, when the monster in the mirror is just a much more terrifying version of the man you once were." A deep lunacy shone bright on his features. "Stay Gold Ponyboy." Sylus's laughter rang harshly on the walls. Its rhythmn swaying with the light of the fire.

"That bit of advice was free, but now i wish for my payment. What do you know of the construction in this area of the city? Does it remain busy, are there any areas they plan to take down soon? How far does it stretch and where is the current work at?" Sylus waited eagerly for his answers. Even though there were more questions to come.

Tses felt like she was drowning in darkness. No up, no down, no direction. Just darkness. And then there was a flicker of voices that broke through her thoughts, and made her thoughts come back alive.

"[...] the honesty of your answers to all my questions remains in your hands." A voice was saying, and then the words grew more fuzzy and distant. She tried to frown, but her mouth hardly seemed to move. Her body felt weak, drained, and even as she came back towards consciousness, she felt unnaturally helpless and confused. She tried to assess her situation, but her bodies signals were coming back fuzzy and distant. The one sensation that registered the strongest was pain, and that licked from her side like a fire, where the bullet wound had reopened, and blood was starting to flow again.

Slowly, her eyes flickered open, and she frowned, gazing up at the red headed boy above her. For a second, all she had was confusion, then she slowly glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the stranger with the knife. "Why does he have a knife?" Her voice was weak, but there was a tiny squeak of fear in it as she started to sit, then flinched and sank back down, face wrinkling with pain. She was confused by everything she was taking in, and felt herself wishing for the darkness again.

Ty looked at the man as he introduced himself, assuming it was because he was tired of being called names. "Ty. It's my legit name," he said simply. "And I'm sure you mean 'adjectives,' not pronouns," he added, just sort of stating a fact. He watched as Sylus brought out the flask as the knife began to glow in the heat of the flame.

Ty wasn't really much of a drinker, so he opted to just take the flask and not drink any. Besides, he wasn't too keen on drinking after this....Sylus. Ty blushed when he called Tses his girlfriend. "She's not my girlfriend. Just a friend," he murmured, then Tses began to stir.

"I'm not entirely sure what he's up to. But he gave me this to clean the wound," he whispered, then looked at the man.

"Payment...?" Huh...This guy sure seemed to knwo what questions to ask. After all, someone with hobbies like Ty had would know their way around the city.

"This area's not as busy as most. Though most of the buildings around here are being built, not taken down. There are a couple buildings several blocks away if ya find a sleazy neighborhood," he said thoughtfully. "That's really all I can tell you."