Falling into the sewers had not been the worst thing that happened to Tses that day, but it had certainly put an exclamation point on things. Once more homeless, on the streets, Tses had eventually fallen back into her thieving habits. Unfortunately, luck would have it someone would catch her.

Getting beat up again had not been the worst thing that happened to Tses that day, but it had certainly bruised her ego. When her vigilante rival caught her stealing once again, he was less than gentle about reminding her why she had changed her criminal ways. Roughed up, then thrown down the manhole like a stray cat, she landed with a sloppy roll and painful splat against the ground. Her pride was hurt more than anything. But at least nothing was broken this time.

Being locked in the sewers was where things started to take a turn. Unable to climb out of the dank pungent darkness, Tses was forced to navigate the tunnels with her glowing powers, and left to find an alternate route. She'd been in worse situations, true. But she found herself questioning how much worse when she heard distant noises in the tunnels.

Getting stalked in the sewers would definitely be the worst thing that happened to Tses that day.

Unless she got killed.

She walked a little faster, green energy flaring as she searched for an exit.

Sylar had been stalking through his lair of tunnels beneath the streets when he heard some odd sounds in the distance. He closed in on the disturbance, his form making barely a sound as he traversed the moldy old stone. As he drew close, he heard the tell tale signs of life. Foot steps, breathing, an elevated heart beat. Somebody was once again lost in his domain, he seriously needed to reaffirm his role as a terrifying monster to stop this stream of people who seemed to want to invade his home.

He flanked around the girl, criss crossing the tunnels he'd memorized over the years, coming up behind her quietly to mask his presence. A slender frame, thermal figure slightly off, maybe she was afraid, or had been in a scuffle of some kind. Either way her temperature was slightly elevated, especially around her hands. Sylar was only a little more than ten feet away as he observed her, taking notes about his new prey. His tail began to swish behind him, Sylar unsure of how he needed to proceed. However he couldn't stay within visual distance for long, lest she look back and notice the monster in the dark. He stopped, checking for another escape point, and quickly scampered off into another tunnel. His claws made some noise as they dug into the rock, a clicking sound that echoed softly against the rounded walls.

He would stick to a back tunnel, matching her path for now, waiting for more information about this girl who'd fallen into the world of monsters. Was she just curious like Evelyn? No, most people had enough common sense to notice how dangerous it was down here in the dank darkness. Could be a homeless person, they wandered around this area sometimes looking for shelter, usually to be met by a terrifying creature in the dark. This labyrinth of tunnels was just big enough for one occupant, and he was that current guard dog.

Tses lived on the streets long enough to know when she was being paranoid, and when she was being followed. The sounds of claws on the walls, and the clicking of footsteps was too crisp in her mind to just be imagined. Keeping the energy on her arms bright, she hurried forward as much as she dared, eyes peeled for the exit. Even if the energy did little to protect her by itself, it usually visible enough to intimidate without wasting any firepower she had stored.

Something felt wrong though. The creature was staying back, but it didn't seem like it was out of fear. It felt like she was being watched, studied perhaps. She paused, glancing back and trying to get a glimpse of what was there. Green light crawled up her arms and curled around her face. She glared into the darkness, listening for whatever was lurking.

Sylar's vision was far different than the normal, seeing the world in a hue of colors and shapes very foreign to most human beings. Mutants such as Tses didn't register to him like they would others, her excess heat simply making her shape look a tad odd. As he watched the girl, he noticed the signs of fear growing, perhaps she'd picked up on his moments, or saw a blur in the dark. Either way, this was the first weapon in the arsenal of fear. The fear of what might be there, what might be just out of sight, a basic human issue.

Sylar turned to peek at her from behind the corner, his form blending perfectly into the dark. As she turned to face him, he instinctively vanished back into the neighboring tunnel to flank her, the faint form of his hooded face blurring at the edge of the girl's sight line. Perhaps she'd see the moment, but knowing what it was, might be impossible. The only clues he gave were an unnatural clicking noise, his clawed appendages unlike any other human's feet.

The girl seemed to be pressing through the tunnels with a single purpose, not idling studying the area. She was looking for something or someone. An exit? A lost person? Sylar couldn't know, but he didn't like her being down here. Time to put on a show and scare the girl out of his world. As he slipped further into his predatory mindset, his throat rumbled, an alien hiss echoing into the dark air, the noise growing monstrous as it bounced against the stones and made it towards the girl's ears.

Tses wasn't frightened easy, but she was cautious and knew when to be careful. Whatever monstrous creature was following her didn't sound like something she wanted to confront with her back turned, so she took a step forward and glared into the darkness. She wasn't much of a run and hide person. Some things were better if she faced them head first.

"I'd stay back if I were you. I don't appreciate being followed." She growled, seeing only shadows up ahead. Her powers flared then she let the light return to her skin slightly. Too much light would make it hard for her eyes to adjust. Too little and she could put herself at a disadvantage. She shifted her stance so she could move either forwards or backwards depending on what appeared. She wasn't sure which direction was wise at this point. She already got the bad end of a fight once today. Another instance could have fatal consequences.

Sylar crept through the darkness, staying just out of sight whenever he peeked at the girl lost in the sewer tunnels. The various other tunnels, vents, and holes through out the sewers meant Sylar had the advantage when it came to traversing the moldy labyrinth beneath Manhattan. The girl stopped, her image changing a bit, the shapes of her hands turning into something like an orb as she collected energy there. Sylar wasn't sure what this meant, some type of light, or maybe a weapon. Or she could be a mutant, his luck when it came upon stumbling into female mutants seemed a bit overwhelming lately.

She spoke, her words echoing against the walls, but easily making it to his sensitive ears. Sylar crept forward a bit, staring at the girls back down the tunnel. She looked tense, ready for a struggle. A surprise attack would have to wait just a little longer. Sylar whispered into the dark, his body resting maybe ten or fifteen feet away from the girl, a distance Sylar felt was usually enough. "And I'm not fond of trespassers..." His words were sharp and purposely aggressive, Sylar never wanted his prey to feel safe or stronger than him, fear was a weapon his mutation carved into his mindset, and something he wanted to elicit from the woman lost in his world.

The moment he spoke, his body tensed up a bit, ready to spring from this spot and flee back into the dark, and retake the girl from a different flank. A predator never attacked it's prey head on, always strike when they least expect it, and aim for the back. A ruthless strategy, that the boy had sadly had to learn to accept as his body changed more and more.

The voice was aggressive, which tended to bring out Tses' bad side. Tses wasn't exactly looking for another fight today, but if she was challenged she would defend herself. Her powers hadn't quite condensed into their most explosive form yet, which would seal their fate to disagree. Once she formed an explosive, she couldn't take it back. So she needed to make sure it was worth it.

"You act like you've had some problem with trespassers here recently. What the heck are you hiding in these sewers that people would want to find?" She found herself asking, shifting her weight and listening to his movement. The more she dimmed her powers, the more her eyes adjusted to the darkness. It would be rather painful on the eyes to explode things down here. Bright lights in dark places didn't work so well.

She questioned his defense of his home, a silly question to Sylar. Normal people had everywhere up top to go as they please, and yet people kept wanting to visit his little hole of a home. He growled a bit, his voice a nasty sound like a creature straight from the underworld. He didn't really have much to hide down here, though at some point some very dark secrets might find their way into the sewers of Manhattan.

He hissed a response to the girl as he crept up from the floor of the tunnel making his way to the ceiling, above the head of Tses. "Does a monster need a reason to guard his home?" He crept forward, edging closer to her, his movements nearly silent as his claws cut into the stone. Human's rarely looked up when they were scared, always trying to find the threat they expected from their vantage point. Sylar however, had an extra dimension to move in down here in the dark. He wasn't sure how she'd respond to an assault, but most things weren't a match for Sylar physically, and he expected little from a woman.

He had no idea of her explosive capability, and the light she generated had no effect on his blind eyes, meaning he was completely in the dark of what she was about to launch as he launched his own assault.

The growl resounded in Tses' ears clearly, and it was enough to get her to take another step back. She was starting to think whatever was there wasn't really human. It sounded much more animal, and that changed her approach. There was a difference fighting a person and something acting on instinct. People could be baited, insulted, and interactions mattered as much as fighting. When things drifted towards instinct though rage could take control, and while actions could blunder and accuracy lessened, force alone evened those sorts of odds. The claws changed direction, and she let the light in one hand condense while the other shown above her head.

Human's rarely looked up.

But Tses had been a rooftop predator. She knew that was never a safe direction.

She threw the condensed explosive, nothing too powerful, but strong enough it would be like a punch to the face if it caught him right. She backed up a few more steps, listening and assessing his reaction. How someone responded to her powers said a lot about their level of strength. If she could stagger them, she might have a chance of winning. If it was just an inconvenience, she may as well be a fly buzzing around their ears.

"So you own the sewers now? Good news is I hear the real estate market is fairly open down here, so I guess if you're staking claim no one will be likely to argue."

Humans were subject to their emotions, as well as their dulled instincts. Sylar was indeed more animal than man, his instincts strong and razor sharp, dulling his emotions instead. Sylar wasn't expecting Tses's attack, the orb cascading towards him in his unique vision as a sort of glob of warmth before exploding in a dazzling and stunning blast. Though not life threatening, it startled him, causing him to drop from the ceiling, hissing in confusion. He'd avoided a direct hit, but in the commotion he revealed himself to his target. Sylar crouched on the floor of the sewers, his tail thrashing violently behind him.

He fled for a moment, taking off down the tunnel like a blur, giving himself a moment to comprehend what had happened. He stayed close enough to stage a second attack though, coming around the opposing side where Tses had attacked him. "You're a mutant?" He growled at her, trying to figure out whether or not he was still dealing with a threat. "And yet here you are, walking through my back yard." He responded to her.

Sylar preferred friendlier contact with mutants if possible, but this girl was more aggressive than he had dealt with recently. He needed to figure her out a bit more before striking again, or letting her go.

Tses, admittedly, was a bit surprise when her attack worked so well. The creature hit the ground with level of hissing that seemed to confirm her animal suspicions about him, and in the dim light the moment before it hit she could make out the strange figure. He looked like a teenager, in a way, but somehow he was holding to the ceiling, and the trashing of his tail was distinctly mutant. Perhaps what caught her most off guard though was the question.

"Of course I'm a mutant. Doesn't the glowing give it away?" She said, loosing a bit of the edge to her face. She flared the green light for a moment the let it fade, watching for a response. It didn't add up to her. How could he look at her but not have a clue about the green light that surrounded her?

She kept the energy on hand though for a quick defense if needed. He had made an aggressive move first, and while she wasn't into the whole 'mutant family' sort of mindset some people were game for, she picked her fights a bit more carefully these days. She lost once today. A second time might end worse than a bruised ego.

Sylar had made good use of his natural speed, continuing to resituate himself as he observed Tses. She was a mutant, and could throw or cause explosions, a troublesome revelation. Sylar didn't much care for things he couldn't perceive properly, like a certain someone's blasted ghosts. Sylar took a moment, and shed the hoodie he normally wore. He balled the piece of tattered clothing up rather tightly and held it in one of his claws. Let's see how her vision was in his world.

The glowing she created wasn't as visible to Sylar as she seemed to expect. Meaning it was probably a very bright light, but not a very warm one. Unfortunate for him. He crept forward a bit, staring at Tses from the dimly light shadows. He spoke, just loud enough to catch her attention and reveal that he could come at Tses however he pleased down here. "My eyes are quite different than yours..." As he finished speaking, waiting for Tses to turn and face him, or launch an attack, he tossed his balled up clothing with a bit of force, the ball hurling quickly towards Tses, slowing down only as it neared her and folded back out, a feint.

Waiting for Tses to respond to the hoodie, either by attacking it, or catching the clothing, Sylar would use that moment to sprint forward, aiming to tackle the girl down to the ground. An explosion was a dangerous power, but if he was on top of her, exploding him would likely become a bad idea on her part...he figured. Either way, he had to restrain her, lest she start blowing apart his tunnels and bringing all sorts of unwanted attention down here.

Tses watched carefully as the silhouette moved in front of her. He had distanced himself to the point she couldn't quite make out what he was doing, but the sounds sent clues and she took a few steps backwards. Retreating wasn't a sign he was standing down. In most cases, that was just a chance to regroup and try again. His last words serves as a clue, one a smarter individual might have tried to make sense of. Tses let the situation work itself out for her though. She focused on the fight, and tried to be ready when the clothing came flying at her face.

Her hand swatted out, deflecting the hoodie, while her other hand formed an energy orb, ready to release it. The teen was there before she had time to act though, and she was knocked backwards, hand releasing the orb. Her eyes widened slightly and she tried to wriggle away before it went off, but she still felt the force of the blast against her arm, a somewhat painful sting on her skin. She threw a punch where the creature's face was, snarling in anger.

"Get off!"

His gambit had worked, creatures of sight tended to react to visual cues before any other, often leading to misdirection working as a predatory tactic. Sylar may have no finished school, but his instincts were sharp as razors. His body, though light for his size, was dense and powerful, easily able to pin the girl as he threw his weight against her. As he pinned her, another explosion popped off, the force clearly not aimed, as it slammed into both his side and hers. His flesh stung, but luckily his shoulder and forearm were armor clad, allowing his plan to work quite well.

His tail curled up behind him, seeking a position to strike, while Tses, trapped beneath him punched at his face, her fist passing through his freed red hair, and grinding against his cheek. Sylar was powerful and primal, but being punched in the face still hurt. He turned and spit the saliva from his mouth, before glaring down at the woman. "Stop squirming or I'll gut you!" He growled, though the threat was somewhat of a lie. He really didn't want to injure Tses, and he really didn't want to have to kill a mutant, he'd avoided such levels of crime for the past few years, no need to start now.

He purposely showed off his mouth full of fangs, as well as pressing down on her enough to prove he was very powerful. If he could scare her, he'd have won the battle in his mind, otherwise he'd actually have to hurt her to get her out of his home.

Most people would admit defeat when they were pinned and staring up at a stronger mutant. Fangs, claws, tail aside, it wasn't a good spot to fight from. But Tses had an ego that both got her into and out of trouble. This time, it looked like it could go either way. He was threatening, but there was something in his actions that didn't add up. If he really wanted to hurt her, he would have just pinned her. Threats and warnings often came from someone who didn't want to resort to violence. People who didn't care acted first and asked questions later. She was somewhat towards that end of things.

Forming an orb of energy, she shoved it at the kids face, giving him her opinion of his demand. The explosion would sting a fair big and possibly smack her hand back at her own face, but she was prepared, while she hoped he wasn't. At the same time she swung her right leg, trying to free it enough to at least hit him with a knee. The stench of the sewer was starting to sting her nose and cling to the back of her throat in an unpleasant way and it only made her angrier.