Ty was propped up against a street sign; at the intersection of two back-alley, not-the-best-neighborhood kind of roads. His gloved right hand clenched tight around the 13-inch blade in his black leather jacket's pocket, just in case. He was tense, and getting more tense by the minute. Why?

Well, it wasn't the best location, as mentioned. But that, coupled with the fact that Ty was asked to meet here by a certain Roach. Who was running late. Very late.

The redhead let out a sigh, though the blade-handle in his pocket made him feel better; eased his mind quite a bit. But it didn't help his frustrations. "Leave it to a bug to leave me standing on a street corner for an hour..." Well, at least he had good taste in knives.

"Leave it to a bug to leave me standing on a street corner for an hour..."

"Oh? Do bugs tend to keep people waiting?"

He'd been standing behind the sign staring at Ty for fifteen minutes. Why? Because he could. Before that, he'd been slowly sneaking up on the man. Why? Because he could. Even before that, he'd been reading a book on a nearby roof as his bugs watched the young man find the place. Why? I think you might be seeing a pattern here.

"The thought is rather offensive, actually; I like to think of my self, and my kind, as quite punctual. I was here on time. I simply chose to let you know I was here after you did a good bit of sweating over it. Before you get frustrated, there is a point to this. On a scale from 1 to very suspicious, how out of place do you think you look right now? I'll give you a hint. You look like a frightened ginger on the wrong side of town, waiting to meet someone he isn't supposed to be meeting. I have just given you a perfect example of how not to approach a meet-up."

Did he just create a reason for being late out of thin air because he was just that good? Yes. Yes he did.

Did he care if it was a good enough reason for Ty? Pie.

"Now, let go of the knife I gave you, and take a deep breath; you look like you're about to have an aneurysm."

He stepped out into the street, and waved for the younger man to follow. "Walk with me; I have a lot to teach you, and little time in which to do it."

"Actually...no," Ty murmured as he heard the familiar voice he'd been waiting on. Then, he let out an audible sigh as he found that it was merely a test, which the ginger had ultimately, undoubtedly failed.

The young man exhaled, letting go of the knife and shaking his head as he followed his...friend? No. Acquaintance? Maybe...The giant bug. Ty followed the giant bug.

"Okay, fine. I admit. I'm not very good at this. Kinda used to being on my own, ya know? I can get better. Maybe even past the phase where I'm ready to stab the first person who looks at me wrong." He spoke quietly, but he had his usual attitude, which was that of a smart-alecky street-punk.

"Okay, fine. I admit. I'm not very good at this. Kinda used to being on my own, ya know? I can get better. Maybe even past the phase where I'm ready to stab the first person who looks at me wrong."

"I know all of these things. I know you are inexperienced; you are young, and easy to manipulate. I could tell you were a loner; I met you alone and angry, venting your woes in a way often done by people with no one to talk to. That's why I picked you. Those who are easy to manipulate are easy to mold, and when you mold them right, they become master manipulators themselves... Those that are attached to others rely on them too much... I can tell you this much now; I plan to be there for you as I do all of my shadows, but always be prepared to be alone. I believe you already know the feeling, and thus you will not suffer more should I not come to your aid."

Did he always reassure someone by telling them the honest, and somewhat painful truth about them? No, but when he did, he was sure to make good sense of it.

"Now, come. Walk. We will be moving through enemy gang territory. They will be wearing marks; their colors. Often in bandanna form. This is foolish, and we will never do the same. They will openly look at people they don't know. You will not do the same. You will not avoid looking at them, but they will never see you seeing them. Do you understand?"

He was walking quickly, and not checking to be sure Ty was on his heels. "Do be sure to walk next to me, and not behind; Walking behind would mean you are following me, which would in turn mean we are going somewhere important. When ever you walk, you must look like you are going nowhere anyone would care about; this makes you someone not to care about as well."

"Alone I can live with," Ty answered as they walked. "Yeah...I've sorta learned to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. That way, if everything turns to s***, I'm not only ready for it, I'm prepared to handle it, for the most part." He shrugged, being one who was used to being let down by people.

Maybe that was his problem. He needed to be more reliant on himself instead of others. If others needed him instead of the other way around, maybe he wouldn't get hurt so bad all the time...

The boy walked beside Roach as instructed, taking in what the other mutant had to say. He didn't know what exactly his...let's say mentor...wanted from him, but he was willing to help Ty, even if it was for some price. "I read you loud and clear. The hardest army to fight is the one that isn't in uniform. Especially in times like these. It strikes me as more of a target and less of a way to identify each other. Not to mention I have a certain gift that allows me to see after the fact. Then again...I'd rather play with the stacked deck than buck against it." Ty nodded at the rest of Roach's instructions.

For some reason, Ty knew this ordeal would be helpful to him too.

I read you loud and clear. The hardest army to fight is the one that isn't in uniform. Especially in times like these. It strikes me as more of a target and less of a way to identify each other. Not to mention I have a certain gift that allows me to see after the fact. Then again...I'd rather play with the stacked deck than buck against it

"This is exactly true, especially the part about it being a target... Which is why you and I are going to kill one of them. Silently. Without anyone else knowing... And when I say you and I, I mean just you." He turned a corner, and it was suddenly very clear that this task would not be easy. There were a lot of people, all wearing red bandannas on some part of their body. They were crossing streets, standing in circles talking, hanging out on door steps, dealing in alleys.

"Busy day. We'd better not get caught; they'd definitely succeed in killing us. And by us, I mean just you. Oh, a bench! Let's have a seat and talk this out, shall we?"

He skipped merrily on over to a bench located next to a bus stop within glance distance of several groups of gang members. "Mind you, they aren't very bright, This would be the easy mode of murder, if you'd consider it a game. Take a look around, observe. Are there any you can single out? How would you approach them? Tell me which decisions you come to."

He yawned just a little, waving to a passing group, and garnering many suspicious looks.

Ty followed, becoming a little uneasy by the 'I mean just you's Roach was throwing out. They were more than a bit disheartening. But this was motivating, in a sense. He surveyed the surroundings with his icy blue eyes from the bench. Red bandannas everywhere.

"I'd say the key is to find one that's more isolated, he said quietly as he looked around. "Like that guy, leaned against the building....though....the key isn't to approach him. At least not directly. You approach him quietly, and from the shadows. Like that alley right there. From behind. For the kill, do it not only quietly, but without being seen. I like the idea getting him behind that dumpster and using his own bandanna he wears around his neck. And in my case, disappear. Take to the rooftops and make myself scarce. Fast." He scratched his chin, having come to this conclusion, making sure they weren't heard. "And I'd take the bandanna. Fingerprints."

Gregory sat silently as Ty spoke, staring at him blankly as we went on.

"I'd say the key is to find one that's more isolated, he said quietly as he looked around. Like that guy, leaned against the building....though....the key isn't to approach him. At least not directly. You approach him quietly, and from the shadows. Like that alley right there. From behind. For the kill, do it not only quietly, but without being seen. I like the idea getting him behind that dumpster and using his own bandanna he wears around his neck. And in my case, disappear. Take to the rooftops and make myself scarce. Fast. And I'd take the bandanna. Fingerprints."

". . ."

He sat up in his seat, and looked at the man Ty had hinted at.

"... Yes. You really are a quick study, aren't you? I'm truly proud. Go and accomplish this task; I will view from the rooftop, and help you should your plan go awry! Go now, but take your time; it is important not to rush, lest it be to your death."

He stood slowly, and stretched his buggy limbs, speaking quite audibly. "Well, I don't know about that. We've only just met after all... Good day, sir." He then turned and walked away from the park bench, opting to take the long way around to climb up the building unseen.

Wait...Ty admitted he should have seen that one coming but...crap. From the corner of his eye, Ty surveyed the target in question. He almost looked...nervous. And he wasn't in a group like the rest of them. Maybe he was new. Then again according to Roach, he was in the heart of this gang's turf. Home-field advantage definitely did not go to the ginger in the jacket.

Slowly, Ty stood to his feet, casually walking down the sidewalk and slipping into a side alley. Sticking to the shadows, he snuck around until he was behind the target in question. Then...he struck, gloved hands grabbing the bandanna and pulling it tighter around his neck and dragging him by it into the alley.

The man let out a yelp in surprise, and a gasp for help before he died, but it was almost as quiet as Ty had planned. Removing the body's bandanna, he slipped it into his coat pocket, tucking it away as he started up the nearest fire escape.

Did someone on the crowded street full of gang members notice when one of the new guys was suddenly grabbed and choked to death in an alley?

Of course they did! Hell, a group of them had been talking about the guy!

Roach watched with the bug equivalent of a bemused smile as one of the members standing in a circle swatted the guy next to him, and pointed at the alley. He waved some of the other guys over, and then flicked his cigarette off to the side, heading across the street with a gathering wall of dangerous looking people.

Ty was already on his way up the fire escape when the reached the mouth of the alley. "Shit, I seen some bad decisions, holmes, but this takes the f#^&in cake. You gonna die!" The man, obviously one of the people in charge, spoke up loudly, directing a couple of men to check on Ty's victim. He was dead.

Roach leaned on a chimney spout next to him, and watched in an interested silence to see how Ty would react to the situation. People were already climbing up after him. The gang leader reached into his coat and pulled out a small revolver.

"...You gonna die!"
"If I had a nickel..." Ty muttered as he finished his climb up to the roof, brushing himself off and surveying his surroundings. Of course he'd been spotted, why wouldn't he? And now...he was in a mess. Hell, he and Roach just declared war on an entire gang! And by Ty and Roach, I mean just Ty. He pulled his jacket closer, feeling the bandanna--and for added bonus, the guy's wallet.

As the guy reached for his revolver, Ty picked up a loose brick and hurled it down onto the nearest gang member before turning and running. He knew he wouldn't get far, but that wasn't the goal.

Ty knew a thing or two about gangs, having lived on the streets of New York for a year or two. He just had to survey his surroundings. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, he found another fire escape and shimmied up a taller building.

If there was one thing about gangs Ty knew, it was turf. But he was in the heart of this gang's territory...He pressed against a chimney, cursing under his breath and planning his next move. In a nutshell, he and his 'mentor' where royally screwed. And by that I mean Ty was royally screwed.

Roach was amused. He watched from a relatively safe position as Ty struggled. The red haired Order newbie tossed a brick into the crowd of gang members, smacking a man who was looking up in the face, and causing him to stumble back into the leader with the gun.

CRACK!

He shot, but his aim was off, and he ended up hitting an unfortunate pigeon. Gregory realized he was feeling a bit peckish. The rabble of discontent and frankly murderous young men was up the ladder after Ty with little delay, and the leader cursed, running around to try and get a vantage point from the ground.

Roach's amusement was put on hold as he realized Ty had decided to climb up the very building he had been watching comfortably from. Well, there went comfort. He sighed as he moved to hide behind the chimney, and before long, Ty plopped around the corner of him to do the same.

"Have we learned our lesson? The proper approach to killing someone in this situation would have been to tell me I was insane for even asking. You cannot guarantee a quick and safe murder in public. That's stupid. I know because I've done it a few times. I'm a unique case, though. Tell me, now that you've placed yourself in considerable danger, how do you plan to get out?"

They'd lost sight of the group, though the gang members were already spreading out to search for them; It wouldn't be long.

Ty stayed low, flipping the hood of his jacket up to hide his bright red mop as he hid behind the chimney. Then, he heard Roach's voice, and looked over to see the bug. "You mean you...and...I'm...s***...." he muttered under his breath, surveying his surroundings. Okay he knew there were dumpsters in an alley below, but that was about as dangerous as staying up there and waiting for the gang to find him. But there was one thing he could do. It was risky, and also stupid, but there went nothing. First things first however.

The redhead looked at the roach. The mutant he'd seen as a mentor was looking more like some deranged bug who loved to see Ty squirm. And debatable was whether or not he wanted the thief dead. But nonetheless. Time to Santa Claus it outta here.

"You're an ass..." Ty grumbled before nimbly and quickly hoisting himself up and into the chimney, his back pressed against one side, and his feet against the other as he slowly shimmied down, mostly buying his time. Listening.