Jacob knew something about human behavior, and he would like to think that he could predict people to some small degree of accuracy. Granted, he was wrong a lot, but he was more often right. Now, as he climbed back into the car he expected some questions about ‘why it was his business to interfere’ or something along those lines… but he could have not been more dead wrong. He simply looked at the young woman for a moment, not really registering the question right off, and after a full second, recovered. “What would make you come to that conclusion?” His tone was a mix of curiosity and confusion, but mentally he was trying to break down the clues to figure out how she had come up with that idea.

Granted, he also realized he probably just gave it away by not outright lying to her… but it wasn’t in his nature to lie. Integrity, the willingness to do what is right, even when no one is looking, was the most important value the Army and his parents had ever taught him, and he lived by it. While he didn’t answer her directly, it was close enough that she could likely make the conclusion now without much difficulty. Still, that meant one of two things… she was also a mutant, because generally fellow mutants or she was one of those naïve kids, because between the two they were the only ones bold enough to ask. Still, it would be interesting to see her reaction.

“Are you?” he said with a smirk. It was a legitimate question, considering the general conclusions were being thrown out there, but it also was taking some enormous leaps of faith and some wild assumptions. She hadn’t provided hardly any clues to the idea of herself being a mutant, and Jacob had simply used the question as a redirect and to put her on the spot. Still, now there were multiple directions the conversation could go.

He shifted the car into drive, and pulled away from the spot they were parked at, moving towards the grocery store again, but he wasn’t in a rush, he wanted to honestly see where this conversation went.

(Not as long as I would have liked, but I have to go to the store...)

Tses looked at him, and gave a non-nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. Inwardly, it made her smurk. He seemed slightly thrown off, and a bit confused, which was always a fun combination. To her, messing with people could be a game at times. It was probably a bad habit she picked up living on her own. Dropping snowballs on people's heads, explosives in trashcans. She was a terror sometimes, but she hardly knew better. "People don't help kids on the street unless there is something personal to it. And people don't help mutants unless they know one that is pretty decent, or are one. You just seemed more like the second variety."

She watched him mule over things, then grinned when he asked if she was a mutant. It was the case a lot of the time, so she wasn't surprised, just amused. "Yeah, I am." She gave a shrug as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and put her hands behind her head, looking at his reaction. She knew she didn't look like a mutant, and much of the time, she didn't act like one. It came from having powers that lost and gained strength with the moon phases. Sometimes, she was more human than others. She had trouble understanding what would happen if she had to deal with it all the time.

"Besides, I've met more mutants in this city than I ever saw back in Chicago. It kinda seems to be a hub for trouble." Her shirk seemed almost like she didn't mind it, and the truth was, she didn't. Other than her bad experience with the cops, meeting new people and the occasional mischief was well worth the trouble.

Jacob nodded thoughtfully, but had to correct her about one thing. “To be fair, I am the type of person to help anyone, black, white, mutant, human, it doesn’t matter, if they are being bullied and disrespected for no reason.” Still, he wasn’t expecting her to outright come out and say she was a mutant… this young woman was full of unexpected reactions. She must have been very confident in her abilities to handle herself if she was able to be so open about it, as some humans have been known to do exactly what those boys were doing… hate mutants. Sometimes it was jealousy or fear driving them, but in the end it was the same… hatred for no good reason.

“To answer your question though, yes, I am a mutant.” He had finally admitted it to her, and as always with someone new, he felt a small wave of relief as the pressure of keeping that secret and dodging the questions was let go. He also had to agree with her on her last point. “I have noticed that too… there are a LOT of mutants in this city. One reason I’m kind of glad I don’t live inside the Big Apple. Too many chances of something going wrong or some kid with powers trying to cause trouble. I hate to say it, but there is a lot of people who don’t deserve powers getting them, and not enough people to stop them from hurting others… whether that power be from mutation or not.”

He coasted the last half a block and pulled the car over, settling next to the snowy sidewalk near the grocery store she had pointed out before. She would likely get out now, but for now, he merely put it in park and turned his full attention to the young girl beside him.

Tses listened as Jacob talked, and had to resist rolling her eyes. She never did understand people like him. Why put your neck on the line for someone else? People got bullied all the time. It was part of life. "It depends on the situation... someone's getting picked on, whatever. Makes you stronger. You learn to stand up for yourself. Someone's getting beat up. Yeah, maybe I'd step in. But I'm not gonna take the shirt of my back for anyone. Easy way to get yourself killed."

Tses spoke with street kid experience. In Chicago, survival was all in perspective. If you saw the things you were stealing as belonging to a person, you'd always have guilt. You have to just think it was scavenging, and the world was open to sift through. There were consequences if you took the wrong thing, sure. But unless you put faces to who you robbed, you didn't feel uncomfortable about it. Tses rarely felt guilt when she picked a wallet, because $5 just never seemed like such a big loss. She didn't know what that person needed the money for, but if it kept her fed and taken care of, she felt she'd earned it. In a way, her view of the world was twisted. She didn't feel like a bad person. She just didn't know any better.

After he admitted he was a mutant, Tses felt her curiosity satisfied, and didn't pester to find out what his powers were. Sometimes, those things revealed themselves in the long run, and asking took away the suspense. "I think power in all forms can be misused. Whether it's police, or mutants. I'd rather deal with a kid with powers than a cop with a gun." Her voice let out a bit of distaste towards the police department, and she rubbed her arm slightly at the memory of her last encounter with one. In the past month or so she'd been shot by a cop not once, but twice. It was starting to become a nasty habit, and she would rather deal with some punk kid any day of the week.

"'Sides, they are learning to turn off the powers of people who let them get out of control. It's not like the city is helpless to defend itself." She shifted, noticing the car was stopped, and started to move to get out, but paused, curios what he would say back.

Jacob nodded at her first comment. “That is where judgment comes into play. I won’t step in an even one on one fight, because you’re right. Both parties will be stronger from their confrontation, and it’s not my responsibility to stop EVERY fight I come across. But if someone is being assaulted? Yes, it’s time to make that move to assist, and having the courage to stand up for what is right.” He paused for a moment, letting that information sink in. “Believe me, the last person that took my kindness for granted, wound up wishing he had never met me.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a fact. The Specialist he had vouched for, trying to get promoted, had used Jacob badly, and then given him no credit or thanks. He wound up becoming a Private very quickly after that somehow…

He also could tell she had some real life experience behind her words, that familiar look in her eyes as she spoke about it while thinking back. He listened to her speak about the corruption of power, and chuckled slightly. He had not missed the disdain in her voice when dealing with police. “Well, when it comes to adults, some people are better than others when handling the responsibility that power brings on. I would rather deal with the cop, honestly, because even if he is corrupt as hell, he is a lot more predictable than the mutant kid who has no control.” He wouldn’t leave it at that though, as this was something he felt strongly about. “Now, I do think that there needs to be a place where that same kid can learn to control his abilities, safely. Only when a person is in control of their power can they be held truly responsible for their actions, and I think that is something that society has yet to realize.”

Jacob then finally commented on her last few words before beginning a new subject… something that had been lurking in the back of his mind for a while now. “The City isn’t a thing capable of doing anything. The City is only as good as the people who are in it, and every time you help someone, the city is better for it.”


He then shifted very quickly. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of employment do you have here in the Big Apple?”

Tses shrugged her shoulders, and thought about his statement about kids with powers. She chuckled slightly, and pushed her hair out of her face. "Oh, there are places for those kids to learn how to control their powers. Not my type of place, though. I just feel like there is more keeping mutants accountable than cops." She remembered when she'd run into a young mutant not too long ago, who'd just discovered her powers. The mansion was the place she took the young girl to, and the people there had seemed nice enough. Well, the one they encountered at that hour of the night. She wondered how Serena was doing mentally, but pushed the thought aside for now.

She blinked slightly at the sudden change in topic, and made a face that was somewhere between a frown and an eyebrow raise; "I work with acquired goods." She responded, and the statement came slightly reflexively. While it worked on most people, she had a feeling Jacob would see through the statement. He seemed intuitive enough. But there was never a pretty way to say you were a thief, and Tses never lied unless she felt a need to. She didn't think lying would benefit in this situation, so she settled for a masked truth.

Jacob was certain that she was right… some people were good hearted enough to try to teach the young mutants how to deal with their abilities… master them, and become productive members of society. He hadn’t run into one yet, but he was sure of their existence… but knew that they would be hard pressed to change the typical civilian’s view of the mutant phenomenon.

When her comment came out, Jacob put the pieces of the puzzle together very, very quickly. He smiled, and knew all too well that there were only two ways to handle a thief. She didn’t need to go to jail, and she had good morals, having proven that with her statement about stepping in if someone was getting hurt. “It might be more believable if you had said you were ‘Between Jobs’ without raising suspicion… but honestly, I’m glad you don’t have a solid job at the moment, because I have one for you. You see that guy walking across the street?” he asked, pointing to an older gentleman, engrossed in a newspaper walking slowly away.

“He just dropped an old pocket watch and hasn’t realized it yet. It’s in the snow on the curb. Ten bucks says you can’t go return it to him.” He waited for her reaction, but pulled a ten dollar bill out of his jacket pocket to show he wasn’t joking. He wouldn’t let her take it, of course, but it was on her what she was going to do now.

Tses felt her mouth twitch slightly, still mostly frowning, and she exhaled. "Hey, that is a solid job!"[/color] She started to protest, then glanced as he pointed after the old man. Her irritation turned back to curiosity. His statement took her by surprise, and she sat on the edge of her seat, glancing across the snow for the object. She was usually much quicker at noticing things like that, but it didn't take her long to find it. Her first instinct was to just snatch the watch, and retreat back to her apartment without going back for the money. After all, watches could be quite valuable. But there was something about how he worded it. It was an attack on her pride, and if she was ruled by any of the deadly sins, Pride was her vice.

"Sneaky.... Fine, don't put your money away. I'll be right back." She muttered, and jumped out of the car with a slight huff, shutting the door behind her. At least she wasn't rude enough to slam it. With a few quick but sure steps, she moved quickly to where the watch had fallen. Her fingers tingled with the pain of cold biting her skin, but that was something she was used to dealing with. She brushed it off on her shirt, then scurried after the man, calling out. "Hey! Hey, wait up!" The man kept walking, and she moved faster, feet stinging a little bit. "Gah, for an old guy you sure move fast... WAIT!" He finally turned around, and blinked at the teen who skidded to a stop in front of him. One hand on her knees, she thrust the watch out, and panted. "You left your dumb watch behind!"

To her surprise, the man let out a gasp of surprise, and gently took it from her. She could see him brush it off on his jacket, and his old face gave a genuine smile. "Oh, my goodness, I didn't even notice. I don't know what I would have done without this!"[/color] He said, letting out an exhale of relief. Tses straightened up slowly, and tilted her head in surprise.

"It's just a dumb watch though. Dollar pocket watch, they're hardly worth $10. Couldn't you just get a new one?" She crossed her arms, and her posture was that of a teenie-bopper punk, rather than a 22 year old woman. The old man just smiled wider though.

"It's more than just a watch. It was a gift from my dad when I was a little kid, and it's been part of our family for ages... I was going to get it fixed up to give to my grandson for his birthday. It may not be worth much in cash, true, but it's worth a lot sentimentally." Tses shifted a little uncomfortably under his gaze, and rubbed the back of her neck. She didn't understand the whole 'sentimentality' thing. When Ty had talked to her about his tiger, she remembered this same emotion. There really weren't memories she held onto like they seemed to, and it bewildered her. Why would someone hang onto something that had no value? Then again, Ty had managed to get her to wear a necklace and keep a dumb stuffed animal, and she was sure those wouldn't be things she could pawn. She wondered what it would feel like to loose her necklace... Right now, she felt too confused about her feelings to really decide.

"Well... glad you got it back then." Tses said awkwardly, and made the quick walk back to the car, rubbing her arms. Shaking off the exchange, she put on her pride face and covered up the confusion.

She opened the door, and stuck out her tongue at Jacob. "There. Now where's the $10?" She declared, probably a bit sharper than she should have to hide her discomfort.

Solid until you get caught, or worse… he thought to himself. His security system on his shop was not very pleasant to trespassers, and was probably supposed to be outlawed if anyone knew about it. Luckily, it wasn’t something he purchased, it was something he built, so there were no laws governing it quite yet. He hoped that it stayed that way. He watched her consider his bet for a moment, and as though Hell itself was behind her, she was off and conducting the small errand. It was more a method of teaching than anything, that she could make money legitimately.

He watched her from the warmth of his car, as she dug around in the snow for the watch, found it, and booked it to the older gentleman to return it. She had her back turned, but he could easily read the lips of the man she was speaking to, and guessed what she had said to prompt the response given. Lip reading was a useful skill, something else the military had taught him, but not officially trained, just a skill picked up through the years. English was the only thing he could read though.

She came back to the car, and without a word, he held the ten dollars between two fingers towards her. “That was your interview. You got the job. Congratulations.” He let that sink in for a moment, but the truth was, she was going to actually work for Jacob, whether or not she knew it yet. He could see right through her mask, she was having an internal battle, but hopefully his next words were the ones that would decide the matter.

“Ultimately, I need a go-for. I will pay you 300 bucks a week to do that. All you have to do is answer your phone, and grab whatever it is that I need. If you want, I can also sweeten the pot, and provide you 200 bucks a week, and a car that I can teach you to drive and take care of. Either way, I need someone who can get certain items for me and either mail them to my shop, or deliver them.” He reached into the glove box, which was full of random junk, and pulled out a small flip phone with a wall charger he kept in case his decided to jump in the toilet. It was already activated, and all she had to do was charge it.

“I only have three conditions. You get whatever it is I ask done as efficiently as you can, you don’t sell this phone and answer when it rings, and you don’t steal anymore.” Those conditions were solid and set in stone. No negotiations.

One moment, Tses was reaching out for the money, the next, she was staring at the man in slight bewilderment. Job? Her brows knitted together, and she scowled slightly as she shoved the money in her boot. "I don't need a job. I do just fine with what I do already."[/color] She said a little defensively, but then listened as he described the work. The money wasn't bad; 300 was enough to keep her out of trouble, especially considering she had some stuff to clear off her record... but then he started to give the conditions, and her frown deepened.

"I don't like rules... and I can't promise I wouldn't steal again." She said, putting a hand on her hip. In her mind, she tried to consider the possibility, but it seemed impossible. She'd been a thief for as long as she remembered. Sometimes she acted on impulse without even meaning to. Heck, even her boyfriend was a thief. It was more than just a hobby or something like that. Stealing was an addiction to her, and quitting cold turkey would probably end badly. You don't forget a lifetime of bad habits just for some tempting money

And then there was the more important issue: Kystler. The two of them had unfinished business, and if he was pulling her back in, she couldn't back down. Not unless she wanted something to happen to Ty. As pissed as she was at the kid, she didn't want him dead. Tomorrow was the day she had to decide, and after her cold walk, she'd already started leaning in a direction, and that wouldn't work well with Jacob's proposition.

Jacob smirked slightly at the look on her face, but it quickly turned back to his normal stone-cold expression when she said she was doing just fine the way she was already doing. He shook his head slightly… “Do you believe in Karma? If you surround yourself in negativity, it’s going to come back and bite you. I have seen it over and over again… I’m trying to keep you from winding up in Jail or worse. Besides, there are other ways that you can use your skills in legitimate ways. But honestly, I don’t believe you on hundred percent. You said you ‘wouldn’t’… but what I heard was ‘couldn’t’.” He let that sink in for a moment… and wondered what kind of mess this young woman was already in.

And how he might be able to help.

“I know you just met me… but I used to lead troops… I have seen every sort or person you can think of… but the way you just said that, it makes me think you have an obligation to someone… and I would like to help, but I can’t do that, if you don’t give me the intel I need to help you fight that battle.” Any war was based on intelligence gathered about the enemy, the terrain, and every other tiny little piece of information that came naturally in war. Life was no different… and a war in life, just like a real war, was won or lost based on allies and intelligence. He just hoped that she saw it the same way.

With all that being said, he set the phone he was holding on the seat next to her, and gave her his full, undivided attention.

Tses brushed her hair out of her face, a few snowflakes clinging to her locks again. She studied the man in front of her, and although she hate to admit it, she needed advice, and maybe he could offer it. Beyond her pride, there was a bit of fear that tainted her thoughts, and that fear caused her to act in ways she normally wouldn't. Seeking companionship, seeking guidance; without Ty around, she didn't know who to turn to. She'd trusted Jacob enough to get in the car, maybe now she could trust him enough to admit her situation. If nothing else, she could turn around and leave, and he would just be some stranger in the distance.

"It's two-fold, really." She started slowly, and leaned against the side of the car, letting the door close enough the snow wasn't getting in. She took a small breathe, and stared straight out the window as she spoke. "I've been stealing longer than I can remember, and old habits die hard. Promising to stop stealing is like promising to quit smoking; you can have good intentions, but its not something you can always be strong enough to overcome. I may be a thief, but I try not to be a liar, and I'm not going to tell you I'll do something when I'm not certain I can." She paused and glanced at him, then continued.

"The other part is more... complicated. When you're a street kid, there is a 'chain of command', since we're talking on your military terms. The stronger you are, the higher you rank. I worked my way up to a point I was above almost everyone in my city. But I caught the wrong attention, and got recruited by a man who wanted information; data, files.... I've always been small and quick, and I was good and getting it. But there were consequences. People got hurt, and I tried to leave it behind. But the past just doesn't 'stay' behind.

"You talk about Karma, well, this was Karma. About a week ago, my old employer came back, and he's got a job for me. I do it, he'll clear my record. I've got myself in some trouble with the police, so it'd help. But I don't help him... the few people I care about get hurt. I may be selfish, but I'm not going to put my greed above someone's life. So, yeah, I can't stop stealing right now. Because there are some lesser evils in the world you just have to surrender to."

As she spoke, she looked less like a kid, and more like an adult. She was someone who'd been through her own battles, faced her own demons. Her lines between right and wrong were blurred, but she wasn't a completely bad person. There was just a lot of misunderstandings between her and the world.

Jacob was utterly silent and completely emotionless while he listened. It was a mode he got into, when his brain was at its utmost peak, working a million different things at once, and he analyzed every word, syllable, and tone. Even her body language was under his careful gaze, but you would never know, as his eyes were locked onto hers, a sign of respect. He hung on every word, and when she finally came to a close, he knew exactly the situation she was in. “We will handle the addiction at a later time, and the job can take a back seat,” he said at first, pausing for a moment so she realized everything he was about to say had absolutely nothing to do with it.

With a cold voice, he stated a simple fact. “You know it’s never going to be over, right?” He let that sink in for a moment, the confusion likely crossing her features. “This man is always going to have ‘just one more job’. I have seen this before… and you will become his slave. There is only one way to deal with those kinds of people.” Colt reached into his jacket and pulled out a large pistol that had been cleverly concealed there. It was a Springfield 1911 that he had bought after his first deployment. It had the name SGT GREGORY JOHNSON engraved on the side, and it was fully loaded.

“You make sure they never threaten the people you care about again.” Putting the pistol away, he took a deep breath and sighed. “If you want, I can help you put this coward down and ensure you don’t get in any trouble with the law… but I need to know if you are prepared to do this.” He was still boring a hole in her eye sockets with his own gaze, and his voice was cold and precise, much like the steel of his firearm. “Maybe I am a little too easy, but I can tell there is a good person in you, and you don’t need to be anyone’s lap dog.” He watched her carefully for a reaction, but he was a serious as Death himself, and was ready to take care of this little punk like the twisted animal that he was.

"You know it's never going to be over, right?" The words twisted into Tses mind, acknowledging a thousand fears and endless realities she couldn't escape. Of course it wasn't going to end... But what could she do to someone like that? How could she make her past go away? It was always going to haunt her, and always going to come back and rip out the most important things in her life. It felt useless fighting, and felt easier just to agree and deal with the punishment. Already, it had pretty much ruined things between her and Ty, and she didn't know if they would be ok. If she already lost him, what did it matter anyway. Her thoughts kept turning over all the negative emotions, and she hated the power she'd given someone over her. She wanted to mask the fear with anger, like she always did. But then he offered a solution, and it tempted her tormented heart.

The gun glimmered the reflected light from the snow outside, and it seemed like a ray of hope in her mind. Tses had never been a killer. She fought battles, but a fist fight was nothing serious to her. The only dead body she'd seen was in the supermarket, when Ty's attempts to help her resulted in a misfire, and left a human dead. She'd seen how killing tormented him, and she wondered what it would do to her if she sought to end someone's life on purpose. But... if killing him could give her freedom, she could try to be normal, try to sort out her life. Sure, then she'd have to deal with the problem of stealing, and the job proposition, and trying to get a decent life together. that was another thing entirely. But not having to jump when someone told her too, not being a 'lap dog'. It just might be worth it.

"If someone were to kill that *******, I wouldn't shed a tear." She said with utter seriousness, but then she sighed, and her wet hair pricked her forehead with cold. Her arms were starting to get chilled with cold again, but it was a welcome feeling; it distracted from her emotional struggles. She was tantalized by all these options, all these propositions. But it was one thing to be tempted, and another to act on them. "But you'd be crazy to try. Last time I stood up to that man, I ended up with a shattered hand and a knife to my throat. Some people don't need to be mutants to be monsters." She whispered, and her face had a small glimmer of pain cross it. she was tough, but there were some things that haunted even her.

The time for playing around and life lessons was over, and it was apparent in Jacob’s eyes that he knew what he was doing. “The first thing we have to do is kill or incapacitate your friends Shadow. A coward always puts a man to follow the person that is used as leverage, so that if you do kill him, and he doesn’t hear from the boss after a certain amount of time, he kills that person. And don't worry... I taught combatives at a Level 3 tier and placed second overall in combat across the Army... he isn't going to be a problem.” Jacob probably knew a lot more about this than he should have, but honestly, dealing with Terrorists wasn’t all that much different.

“I would prefer to have one more person with us… someone who could keep the Shadow alive, just in case he calls before you go talk to the Boss, and he can say everything is alright.” That being said, he looked to her, hoping that she might be able to provide the extra person. Jacob didn’t want to involve any of his employee’s if he could help it, because this was a side of the mechanic that they had never seen, nor did he want them to see. If she had someone she trusted with this, then that would be the preferred route. Perhaps she knew someone who owed her a favor.

Regardless, he continued with the plan. “The next part is up to you… I can either end him quickly, or I can disable him, and allow you to deal with him personally. I have no qualms with taking a life, but if you have never done it before, I would recommend keeping your hands clean.” It was simple, to the point, and depending upon her choice, he would go into further details on the plan. He also was providing her an opportunity to allow her to clear up any inconsistencies with his information… and that was one more piece that he needed to know.

“When is the next time you meet this bastard?”