Jacob listened intently again, everything being absorbed and his battle plan coming together with razor precision. They were coming up on his shop in a short while, and he would have to pull over and use a hat he had stashed under his seat to cover Jack’s eyes. No need in the man knowing where they were going exactly… and he could talk while blind. Slowly coming to a stop, he fished the hat out after everything had been said. He only needed one more piece of information. “Is he bringing anyone with him to this meeting? Or is he going to do the dirty work himself?” It wouldn’t fit his profile to do the meeting alone unless he had a good reason to keep it a secret, but anything was possible. Once Jacob had gotten his answer, he shoved the hat over the man’s head, a skull cap of sorts, so it was covering his eyes. “Roll yourself over so you are facing the crevice of the seat, and stay quiet.” Once he complied, he would resume driving, if he didn’t, he would get a swift punch to the gut, and Jacob forcibly rolling him over. Either way, he would be blind.

He looked over at Tses, giving her a look, and then looking at Jack for a moment. He then tapped once on his ear, and made a slash across his neck. He didn’t want Jack hearing the plan, but the plan was formed. After a few more minutes of driving, he pulled into his shop’s parking lot, which was empty at the moment. No customers, no employees… good. As he pulled into his spot, the junked cars neatly to the right of the shop, he parked, and keyed the engine off. Both car doors swung open, and Jacob stepped out, moving quickly to the back seat and grabbing Jack with deft ease, hoisting him up and onto his shoulders, and then moving towards the shop, which the front door opened automatically. Setting him onto the couch in the waiting room, he removed the blindfold, and looked him in the eye. “You will be spending the night here. Are you supposed to check in with Kystler at any point?” The question was simple, but needed answered.

Once that was addressed, he would return outside where Tses would likely be just getting out of the car, if at all. Looking at her dead in the eyes, he made the question that would shape her very direct future quick and to the point. “You have a choice… you can either be conscious or unconscious when I kill this coward, but I need to know which it is going to be.” The decision was up to her… it was her life, and if she wanted nothing to do with this murder, she could be unconscious the entire time and it would be over when she woke up. Inversely, if she wanted either the satisfaction, or the assurance, of his demise, she could stay awake, but the choice was up to her.

Jack shifted in the back seat, starting to look irritated with the demands. But he didn't argue. Few men did in his position. He was a fair-weather ally: working when it suited his better interest. Right now, it was in his interest to work with Colt, so beyond a few annoyed expressions, he answered the without issue. "He isn't bringing anyone to the meeting. One quick shot of gas into the apartment, and then it's just her and him. Why bother bringing someone else? Doing it alone gives him more gloating rights." Jack flinched as the hat was shoved over his head, but he didn't seem to be completely surprised by the action. Perhaps enough time being a villain made him used to the distrust. Tses glanced at him now that his eyes were covered, and childishly made a face at the man. Jack sightlessly grumbled and did as he was told. Then she turned back at Colt in time to see his last motion. She felt a odd sort of chill at the sight, and then watched as they pulled up to the shop.

She had never seen so many vehicles, and it intrigued her a bit. Part of her wanted to just get out and nose around, but she would likely break something. Plus, from experience, explosives and cars did not do so well together. While she glanced around, she watched Jack get carried away out of the corner of her eye. The thug looked like a giant bag of dog food being hauled away by Jacob and she couldn't resist a small chuckle.

Inside the building, Jack grunted as he was set on the couch, and glared at Jacob slightly. "Whatever. And no, I'm not. Full moon is tomorrow night, he said make sure no one leaves until he gets there. He doesn't want to see me when he shows, because if he does, then that means the girl might notice me as well."

Outside, Tses had gotten out of the car, and was nudging the snow with her boot in boredom. She glanced up as Jacob approached, and tried to avoid his very direct gaze. She hated looking people in the eyes; it always felt like they were trying to suck out her soul. But she knew this was serious and tried to keep the glance for a few seconds.

"I'd rather be able to see it.... Know it's really over. I can't just let someone else fix my problems for me. No matter how bad it is." Tses said firmly, and managed to look right back as she said it. Her glance had a level of defiance to it that never seemed to go away.

Jacob nodded soundly at her decision… she wasn’t a coward, and that was good. She was ready to look at this man in his eyes as he died, and show him that he had truly lost. She had become a good friend, like a little sister to Jacob, in a very short amount of time, and if there was one thing about the mechanic that should have been a warning label, you NEVER messed with his friends or family. That being said, Jacob started in on the plan.

“Alright, so it’s going down tomorrow night… you are going to be the bait. He’s going to throw the canisters into the window, and we are going to put on a pair of Gas Masks that I got from my time in the Army. When he comes in, you will be lying on the floor, facing away from him, and I will wait until he is near you to make my move. Once I do, I give him his last right, and it’s over.” It was that simple. He would wait a moment now, allowing her a chance to ask any questions she had.

“I will have to make sure the mask is sized for your face… and show you how to seal it so you don’t suck in any of the gas.” Without further ado, he moved around the side of his shop to the back, and moved to a large vault-looking door. Without touching it, mechanical latches and such began to clank in it, and there was no visible handle or unlocking mechanism. The heavy door swung open, and he entered the garage-sized vault that he had all his valuable stuff in. Rifles, handguns, and an assortment of Army and civilian gear littered the walls in a very organized fashion.

Moving inside, he grabbed two medium sized green bags that had the masks, as well as a medium sized black bag. He also grabbed a teal colored skull cap, and placed it on his head, covering the exposed skin from the elements, and a large knife that looked like it could have been home in a Hollywood Thriller, and its sheath. He didn’t plan on spilling any blood, but it was there, just in case. Moving back out of it, he grabbed two large black trash bags from the wall, rated to carry 200 lbs. Should be enough for the body. Without another word, he moved back out of the vault, and shut the door, the locks re-engaging and the door cleverly hidden yet again. He then looked to Tses, and handed her one of the green bags. “See if that mask forms a seal around your face… it should fit.” It was a guess, but considering her size, that medium mask should fit fine once the straps were tightened.

Tses had never heard of a gas mask before, but at least it was pretty self-explanatory. Although, as he explained the plan, she started to wonder if she was going to like wearing one... It seemed a little uncomfortable, and she couldn't imagine wearing such a thing willingly. But if it meant saving her life, she'd tolerate it.

For some reason, the idea of being bait didn't bother her. But the idea of having any stranger in her apartment did. The only person she ever willingly allowed to stay at her place was Ty, and he always snuck out before she could get mad at him for being there. "Sounds simple enough, I guess." Tses said, and then followed him to the door. While she lacked a small level of observation skills, the door unlocking without any sign still peaked her interest. She was starting to feel that her guess that this guys powers had to do with something mechanical was right, but figured now wasn't the time to really start interrogating him with it.

Accepting the bag, she put the mask on and it fit, although she couldn't resist making a face at him through it. The straps needed to be tightened a bit, and she fiddled with them, muttering slightly as she did. "How long do I have to wear this thing?" She asked as she tried to get it right, and glanced at him trying to remind herself this was for her own good. Jacob didn't have to help her, and she was grateful for it. But she had never really been good at thank yous and stuff like that... With time, people learned to read her emotions and learn when she was being nice and when she was using her snakriness to protect herself. She wasn't sure how good Colt was at reading her yet, but he seemed to pick up on everything else, so she suspected he saw through it at least a little.

Jacob watched as she fitted the mask… it had been made by the Army, and as such, made to where even an idiot could figure out how to put it on, so the rather intelligent blonde in front of him had no difficulties. Reaching over, he synched down the straps that were a little harder to see or feel, until it had a good fit. “Alright, hold still.” He muttered, grabbing the back of the mask, the square piece of leather that held all the straps in place, and carefully stretched it over the top of the mask, delicately placing it in front of the mask, so the straps would stay taunt, and she wouldn’t have to wear it the entire time.

“You only have to wear it long enough for me to check and make sure that the air is clear. Your job, once I have a hold of Kystler, is to throw the canister back out of the window. As soon as you hear the canister hit the floor, that’s going to be your cue to move to it and try to get it out of there before it starts spraying. The masks are just in case you can’t get to it in time.” That was her only job, besides being bait… of course. He then took out his own mask, took a deep breath, and placed it on his face. “Alright… you need to know this to make sure the mask has a seal… You will probably have 30 seconds from when I tell you to get the mask on, he started, placing a hand on the mask’s air outlet, on the opposite side of the canister, and blowing out, forcing the air to rupture the seal all the way around the mask. Then he quickly moved his hand to the other side, sealing the hole of the filter canister, and sucked in, and the mask’s edges visibly adhered to his face, creating an air-tight seal.

He had done all this while blind, as the straps were in front of his eyes on the mask, so if he could do it blind, she should be able to do it without any problem. He let go of the mask, and it stayed on his face, the suction allowing it to stay in place, and then he ruptured the seal with his hand, and pulled the mask off. “It’s real simple. For you, though, I want you to practice putting it on all the way, with the straps. It’s fitted to you, so it shouldn’t be hard… just don’t let your hair get in the way. All you have to do is take a deep breath, put it on your face, pull the straps over your head to the back to keep the mask there, blow out covering the exhale hole, and then breath in covering the inhale hole, just like I did. Practice it a few times… and you will feel when you get it right. I have to go handle Jack.”

Turning, and allowing her to practice, he walked back around to the front of the store. Once he entered, he didn’t turn to the man at first, but instead went behind the counter, and fished out a MRE (Meal Ready to Eat) that should provide enough food to sustain him the night. He then approached him, pulled out his knife, and reached down…

And cut his restraints for his legs, allowing the man to walk. “Tuck your hands under your legs so they are in front of you,” he said simply. He threw the MRE on the couch next to him and waited for him to sit up. “Public bathroom is right there,” he said, pointing to a ‘male’ sign on the door, “but if you try to go anywhere else, to include leaving the shop, you will get electrocuted. I can control which tiles, door, and windows are electricly charged, and I have wires running through all the windows. Don’t go anywhere, and don’t make me come back here to handle you, and I will gladly take you back to your car, and you will never have to deal with me again… unless you try to mess with Tses or Ty. They are under my protection, and if I so much as get a hint that you are messing with them again, I personally guarantee that you will wish for the mercy of Death before I get through with you… so make sure to tell your goons to leave them alone, and any other lowlife that might be a problem. Am I Understood?” His tone was even, cold, and as true as Death himself. Without another word, once he got a signal that the man understood him, he moved out of the store, and closed the doors. The locks engaged, and there was a barely audible hum as the electricity coursed through the floor, windows and doors.

He then moved back behind the shop to see how Tses was fairing with her practice on getting the mask on.

Tses tried to stay still as he finished adjusting the mask, and had to resist making faces. She didn't like how it felt, any more than she liked the seat-belt. and it made her feel restricted in some way. Her breathe inside the mask felt warm on her face, and when it tightened there was a slight pressure sealing it in place. She listened as he explained the plan, and nodded, trying not to fidget, but was grateful when he left. She yanked off the mask, sucking in the natural air gratefully. Maybe some people could handle wearing that thing normally, but she doubted she'd ever do it unless her life depended on it.

After a few seconds to recover, she did as she was told and practiced putting the mask on and off a few times. She managed to get it secured fairly quickly, although she didn't leave it on for long. A few times she managed to snag it on her pig-tails, but that was easy enough to avoid once she realized what was happening. The sealing was a bit harder to manage, especially with her nervous breathing, but in the same way she'd overcome fear in the past, she focused on deep breathing, and got the task done.

Meanwhile, Jack sat in the other room, staring at the ceiling with mild disinterest. He glanced up as Colt came in, but other than that, showed little sign of emotion. After the day he'd had, a couch to crash on and a roof over his head was almost welcome. At least he wasn't huddled in the snow, trying to follow a mutant that could blow him up at any moment.

Jack watched curiously as Colt gathered the MRE, and obediently followed the other mans directions. He looked bored more than frightened by the words, as if he thought Colt were a mild inconvenience rather than a true threat. He dealt with these types of people far too often, and their threats were all the same. Death was something that would come when it came, and he just had to keep gambling he would come out on top. "Yes, you're understood." He said calmly, and watched as Colt left, before leaning back into the couch and shutting his eyes for some well deserved sleep.

In the other room, Tses had managed to tangle the mask her her hair, and fished the last few locks of her pig-tails out as Colt walked in. She tried to hide her annoyance, and gave a shrug to him, rubbing her head. "Perhaps pigtails aren't the best hairstyle for this type of accessory."[/color] She murmured.

Colt saw the situation at hand, and looking at her hair, it wasn’t long enough to put in a military bun like he would have preferred. Still, something had to be done, or this wasn’t going to work right. “When we get back to your place, just take out the pig-tails and use a hair-band to keep it out of your face… but let’s get back there. Nothing else we need to do here.” Without hesitation, he threw the green bag with his own mask secured within, and the black bag carefully in the back seat, and got into his car.

He wanted her to keep practicing with the mask, but he would only ask once, on the trip back. They made good time, as it was starting into the late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to ever so slightly dim. Considering the weather, not many people were out and about. Once they got there, Jacob moved quickly, parking his car a block away. He instructed her to go first, and he would be there in exactly thirty minutes. After the allotted time, he stepped out, both bags in his right hand, and moved to the streetlamp that was nearest the fire escape.

Placing his hand on it, this one had fallen into disrepair after not being tended to for several months. Using his ability, you could hear the circuits being repaired in the light bulb, and power flowed through it. Testing it, he controlled the street light, flicking it on for a moment, then back off, and then back on. That way, they would have some light. Reaching into his black bag, he fished out a small snowglobe looking device… a mobile controlled camera with one-way tinted black glass, and attached it to the base of the street light, facing the fire escape after he was sure no one was watching him.

He then moved inside, unlocking and opening doors as necessary before reaching Tses’ room. He knocked twice, waited, and once she opened the door, immediately and wordlessly moved inside. Looking at the window that was suspect for the man to use, and he looked for a place that was out of view. “Where would you like me to set up?” he asked, holding up the black bag. Once he was given direction, he set up the small monitor and keyboard. Before too long, it displayed a perfect view of the outside of her apartment, which would give them the warning they needed to dawn their masks.

Inwardly, Tses was starting to wish Ty was here. Even though he annoyed her sometimes, and was a bit clingy, he had a way of making her feel better when situations were awkward and she didn't know how to handle them. Trying to deal with Kystler, the gas mask, cars, seat belts, even letting her hair down out of her customary pig tails. All of these things were just ticks on a ledger, points on an endless list of problems she couldn't quite handle on her own. Jacob was ok, and he was doing everything he could to help. But the military minded technician was hard to obey and put up with at times. It wasn't that she didn't like him; she'd just grown used to Ty's unconditional support. A pang of sadness hit her chest, but she buried it. She doubted he would be back any time soon, and she had to learn to handle things without him now. He left both Tses and his sister; how unconditional were his affections after all was said and done?

In the car, Tses messed with the mask a few times, trading one evil for another. She didn't plan on wearing the seat belt, so she figured at least trying to make sure she could get the dumb thing on would help. It wasn't hard, and she didn't get it tangled in her hair once she took the little hairbands out. Outside the snowy weather had let up a bit, and invisible moon kept counting down time to the meeting the next day.

Once she left Jacobs car, it almost felt like the rest of the day had been a dream. She clambered back to her room, kicked her boots off by the dresser, tossed her stuff on the kitchen table and made sure the place was at least presentable. Not that there was much to clean anyway. Clothes were shoved into her drawers, and a piece of paper pricked her finger. Tses glanced at it for a moment, reading the name and number written down. After all the stress, Tses couldn't help but consider calling that eventually. After all, what was a psychotic mutant who tried using you as a dress up doll with the rest of the world didn't care if you existed... At least Chrys made Tses feel better about herself. She tucked the paper into her pocket, and shut the drawers, then glanced around the rest of her apartment slowly.

Her place was small, as were most New York Apartments. The one room living space was 'covy' in the nicest terms for it. When you first walked in, the bathroom was to the right, as well as a stacked washer and dryer combo in the closet. On the other side of the room was the bed, a small full sized piece of furniture with a plain black comforter. The dresser took up a portion of the left wall, a window the rest of it, and outside you could see the fire escapes silver railing glittering in the sunset. The couch on the right wall was separated from the bed with a coffee table and an end table, but non of the furniture seemed to have any personality. The walls were plain white, almost grey, and the trip was a odd blue/green color that was mostly worn out by now. At least there were no blood stains left from her incident with the cops. That always seemed to loose any deposit you put into a place.

In the kitchen, a leather jacket rested on the back of a chair, and a few cooking items still sat on the counter and had never got put away after Ty made breakfast awhile back. There were no pictures, no television, only a few books on the dresser, and a small tiger perched on the pillow of her bed. Some days, she thought about making this less of a place to stay, and more of a home. But then times like this made her long to be anywhere else. Some day, she'd find herself though. She'd figure out what types of things she liked to do, and her home would feel more... like a home. Maybe she'd have a t.v. or a video game. Or maybe she'd have a picture of her boyfriend... the boyfriend she wasn't sure she had anymore. Someday, things would be better... and it would start tomorrow, she hoped.

Sighing, Tses plopped onto her bed, and glanced over at the couch. Typically, Ty would stay there, but today Colt would be there instead. It felt odd, and made her a little uncomfortable. she wasn't one to just welcome someone into her house, but there was no way for things to work without him here. She'd have to suck up her pride, and deal with it. Although she wondered if she'd get much sleep in the end.

It didn't seem like she had been sitting long when she heard the knock on her door, and Tses moved to unlock it. First the lower two bolts, the extra lock, then the chain. Once Jacob was inside, she relocked everything, and sat back down on her bed, treating it like a chair. "You can set up your stuff on the coffee table or the kitchen table. Loft space doesn't give much room, so it's kinda up to you. Coffee table is closer to the couch though." She watched as he got his gadgets out, and her face was slightly curious. She lacked any form of entertainment beyond listening to her neighbors, that and the books she had but didn't know how to read.

Jacob moved quickly, using the arrow keys after selecting the camera, and angling it so the fire escape was center mass. Pulling up another small window in the corner, he typed in an IP address and password, and a picture of Jack, back in his shop, came to life from the security feed that he had the password to. Had to make sure he didn’t get some funny idea or try to do anything stupid, and this way he could keep tabs on him. He then ran a power cable from the workstation to the outlet, so that the battery didn’t drain. The camera outside would be able to transmit for up to 24 hours before needing to be switched out, and he had three cameras with him, providing 72 hours of coverage… more than enough.

Even with the discount he had gotten, the equipment was not cheap, but it’s quality was unmatched. He then worked carefully to conceal the power cord, and grabbed a small blanket that he could cover the workstation with so that Kystler couldn’t peer in the window and wonder get a whiff that he was walking into his trap. Before setting it next to the workstation, he held it up and looked to Tses. “Is it alright if I use this?” If not, he would simply ask what it was that he could use to conceal the workstation. “Also, you may want to grab some kind of sweatshirt that has a hood… to keep the mask’s straps from showing when he looks into the window.” He wanted his jacket back eventually, but would wait until she decided to give it back. He also had to make sure of one thing… “so no more questions on what to do? Now is the time to ask, because we can practice.”

After everything was said and done, he sat on the couch, the monitor’s image reflecting in his eyes. He went through a mental checklist in his mind, and then looked towards Tses. “I would get some sleep if I were you. You have a stressful day ahead of you. I will stay up and keep watch here.” It was more than a suggestion, there was some heart that played in his voice for the first time in a while. He did not envy the fact that she was going to watch a man die tomorrow, and the fact that he was committing the sin wasn’t something that was light on his heart. He wanted to make sure that she wasn’t overwhelmed with stress, and getting some good sleep was the first part of ensuring that wouldn’t occur.

Tses nodded as Clyde asked about the blanket, and watched as he set things up. Electronics fascinated her, and they were one of the few things she was fairly familiar with. The security cameras and video feed made much more sense than his car and even the gas mask. She could handle those things for the night at least. She just hoped this went smoothly so she could go on with her life.

Getting up, Tses moved to the dresser and fished around. Eventually she managed to find an old sweatshirt, and tugged that on over her t-shirt. She then nodded her head to where she'd set Colt's jacket in the kitchen. Ty's leather jacket was next to it, and the stranger's seemed out of place to her. "I set your jacket there, by the way." She said, and she pulled out a hair tie. Letting down her pigtails, she ruffled free the little bump from the scrunchies, and used the hairband to keep any flyaways out of her face.

"As far as practicing, I think I got the plan down pretty well. The most I think about it, it'll probably just stress me out more." Tses admitted, and plopped onto the bed again. She shrugged, and put the gas mask into her hoodie pocket where she could reach it quickly. When he suggested getting some sleep, she didn't protest. Her mind was still buzzing with everything that happened, and she needed some way to clear it.

'Thanks for your help with all this, by the way." She said, the manners clinging to her mouth a little and sounding awkward in her ears. "It helps, having someone here." She said, and then burrowed under the comforter on her bed, her back to Jacob. She curled up into a little ball, blankets bunched tightly around her, and let sleep start to take her. She didn't feel as nice as she would have if Ty were there. But in her mind, he was never coming back, so this was just how things were going to be.

Jacob almost immediately retrieved his jacket, and put the familiar leather on. His side-arm was back with him, and he didn’t really make too many other sudden movements. Once he settled into the couch, his eyes focused on the screen, and seemed to go blank at the same time. It was a state of Zen that he had mastered, that allowed his senses to take control of his mind, giving him little to think about and still allowed him to be alert for long periods of time. It was quickly broken as she thanked him, and his heart warmed a little. “I will always help my friends.” And that was about as much affection as he could muster at the moment… he was trying not to open his heart at the moment, because he was going to have to do something soon that if his heart was exposed, it would hurt him more than he cared to admit.

As she drifted off to sleep, he resumed his state of Zen, carefully watching the monitor. He no longer tracked how much time had passed, but instead listened to the wind rapping outside the window. The window had been left unlocked… and it was ever so slightly cracked, leaving little to chance. There was a solid wall that would provide the cover he needed to get the drop on his adversary, and he settled in for the night. Before he was alerted to anything amiss, hours had passed… but there was movement, illuminated by the street light he had repaired.

Movement… someone was moving towards the front door, but then suddenly diverged from that path, and moved towards the fire escape. He watched for a moment more, but the moment that the man grabbed the bottom rung and began to pull himself up, he was a blur of motion. He moved towards Tses, shaking her shoulder quickly, adrenaline coursing through his veins… “he’s here. Get your mask on and put on your hood.” Simple, concise orders. He then shut the monitor down, closing the lid, and covered it with the blanket, rumpling it to look like a pile of clothes. He then moved quickly to the wall, flattening himself against it, and prepared to do what he had to. He listened as he heard him reach their level on the fire escape, and waited.

His heart thundered in his chest, but that was the only sound he could hear, and dawned his mask, getting it completely assembled and sealed in less than 10 seconds. Holding his breath as he saw fingers curling under the seal of the window, he waited until he began to pull the window up, and he heard the pin of the canister being pulled out.

In a flash of movement, Jacob reached out, snatching his hand that was holding the window, and forcefully yanking him down, smashing his forehead into the frame of the window with a loud thunk as his skull contacted the thick wood. Not hesitating, his other hand lashed out as he pivoted forwards, grabbing the canister if he was still holding it, and tossing it into the street. He then yanked the man in through the window forcefully, flattening him against the ground with his mass, and grabbing both his arms. With his knee in the man’s back, he raised up and grabbed both his arms, folding them painfully behind his back, now able to hold him in place with one hand, and he looked to see if Tses was watching. “Do you have anyone you need me to pay your last respects to, or any final words?” His voice, slightly distorted from the mask, was steady and cold.

(LET ME KNOW IF EDITS ARE NEEDED)

Sleep took hold of Tses faster than it usually did, and she sank into a deep SWS where her exhausted body stilled and registered little of what was around her. Her dreams were a mixture of memories: a cold fire escape on New Years Eve, a brightly lit Christmas Tree in the zoo, a dress, a tiara, and a few flickering moments of fear. Unlike some of her dreams, there was no real direction; it was a novel without a plot, just pages torn from a book with no clear linear chain. She just stumbled in the darkness, searching for something she could seem to find. Guns rang out, screams echoes and mingled with laughter. It was like watching the happiest and saddest moments of life mingle, little glimmers lights and darks turning into a murky grey. She didn't feel much: not sad, not happy. Just lost.

Then something broke through; a voice calling for her to wake up, and a shake on her shoulder. Eyes flickering open, wide pupils circled by blue gazing around the darkness. With nimble fingers, she managed to get the mask on, suppressing the fear that attacked the back of her mind, and pulling the hood up protectively. Then she waited, every moment seeming like eternity.

After a few minutes, there was a distant struggle, and a thunk that was the sound of a skull hitting wood. Tses forced herself not to act to suddenly, and seconds passed before she allowed herself to sit up, and pulled the hood and mask off. None of the gas had managed to trickle into the apartment thanks to Colt's quick actions, and when Colt faced her, her face was rigid and emotions. She stood, and took a few steps forward so Kystler could see her in the glow of the moon. Her hands trickled with a glimmer of green energy, and she let it light up her face. She looked haunting, like a ghost, and that's how she wanted the man to remember her. Not the scared little child he intimidated and broke down. Not the girl he could threaten and boss around. He wanted to see her strong; he would know then he finally lost.

Kystler slowly looked up, and he chuckled ever so slowly. His eyes locked on Tses, and he gave a slow but small smirk. He didn't even glance at Colt, who was the one he should beg for his life to. The man just looked calm, determined to accept his death with grace. "They grow up so fast." He chuckled, and his head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "What a pleasant surprise. I see you fancy yourself a fighter now. But still so...fragile." He shook his head, and then set his face into a cold glare. "I've got nothing more to say." He declared. They stared each other down, expressions hauntingly similar. In some ways, there was a bit of this terrible man in Tses; she was determined to extinguish that though. Anger rippled through the young girls body, and it flared her powers ever so slightly, leaving the harmless tendrils of light curling around her defensively.

The shadows on her face enhanced her features, and her blue eyes were cold in the light. Tses was not a visible mutant much of the time, but when she was as angry as she was now, the moonlight that trickled in her veins seemed to leap to life, and sent shadows dancing across the walls. It was a sad thing to do, a horrible tragedy to take a life. But if someone was going to take the fall, it was going to be him. She wasn't going down this time.

She slowly raised her gaze to Colt, her head the only thing that moved. "Let's end this."[/color]

Jacob gained a shred of respect for him… he at least wasn’t so cowardly to plead for his life or commit any lies to try to get out of his situation. He knew what had happened, and what was coming for him, and he had made peace with that in a very short amount of time. He was deserving of the quick death he was about to receive, and whatever the afterlife was, if there was one, they would judge his fate from here. He waited patiently, holding his hands tightly still, and waiting for the exchange between the two to come to a conclusion. Once she had given the word, he reached around his head, grabbing the jaw with the inner side of his elbow, and twisted rapidly, a sickening crunch coming from him as his neck broke cleanly. To ensure it was done, he released him, and put a hand near his mouth, and felt for his breathing… seeing that there was none, he stood up, and moved to his black bag.

He finally looked to Tses. “Now your Free.” Without another word, he quickly picked up the trash bags he had stowed in the black bag with all his equipment, and put the limp body into it, one part at each end, and sealed the two bags together with masking tape. “I need to take care of this. I’ll come check on you tomorrow, around noon, here. Please be here.” He didn’t want to go into the specifics of what he was going to have to do to ensure no one ever found his body, but he also had to take care of Jack… which he had an interesting idea for. Jack was no good, that much was true, but perhaps he could be of use… after all, if he had to guess, all the guy wanted in life was money and the ability to knock some heads together… both of which Jacob could provide… but instead of trying to harm Tses, perhaps a more constructive outlet.

Regardless, Jacob heaved the man, completely concealed, onto his shoulder and gave Tses one final look. “Talk to you soon, kiddo.” And he turned to leave, the doors opening of their own accord and his footfalls silent as to not wake the neighbors. The body would be cremated, and his ashes washed away, before dawn broke, in the endless forests near his shop. No one would be the wiser.

(Do what you want to, and we can forward to re-meeting, or end it there)

Tses felt like she was in a daze, left standing in the middle of the apartment. Around her, there was no sign that anything had occurred, but in her mind, it vividly replayed. She spent so long with fear hanging over her head, she didn't know how to handle it now. Death, loss.... somehow she felt like she was broken, with no real emotions to register it. In her world, it was just part of life. She wasn't sure she felt remorse, but she wasn't sure she felt happiness over it either. It was a fact: it happened, and now she had to move forward. There was no looking back.

Moving to the bed, she sank down, and glanced around as if to verify things were real. The blanket's brushes against her arm, and slowly she reached out, and picked up the stuffed tiger sitting on her pillow. Although she was still mad, and although her heart still hurt, she clung to the little stuffed animal as she stared into the space ahead of her. More than anything, she wished Ty would show up. She longed to hear a knock on the front door, and she ached to open it to see the sheepish smile under that mop of red hair. She wouldn't care that he had left, she wouldn't care he hadn't come back; she would have hugged him right then, and forgiven it all. But there was no knock, there was no smile, and there was no figure coming back. She was alone still, and inwardly, that was the one thing that terrified her the most.