Are you busy? I am getting a ride now from strong mutant. Maybe you want to meet.


Ambrose frowned down at his phone. "Madeleine?" he called out through the slightly ajar door to his office. "Where's Panu?"

"I'm not his mother," came the slightly sarcastic response.

Ambrose scrolled through the numerous wifi networks shown on his phone, looking for the one that would indicate Panu's presence. "I just got a text asking if I had time for a meeting with a mutant he's getting a ride with. Did he not go home last night?"

"He'd left when I did," Madeleine called back, now sounding a bit worried. "Did you go home last night?"

"No, I stayed downstairs overnight, working on the blueprints for the Haxill commission - it was urgent and our entire biochemistry team is out sick." Ambrose was very much not okay with the situation, because something about it was very abnormal. Panu's wifi network was nowhere to be seen, which he probably should've expected, but it added an extra air of urgency to the situation. Maybe the strange mutant had gotten Ambrose's entire team sick just so he could kidnap Panu. But that was probably paranoia, considering the toxic mold from an improperly disposed of chemical could've done that too. "Did he text you?"

"I left my phone here overnight and I haven't checked. Let me see." Silence except for the rustling of some papers. A long pause. "Yeah, I'm going to go with Panu is definitely in trouble."

Ambrose was out of his seat and out his office door in record time, leaning over Madeleine's shoulder and reading the texts off her phone.

Being held captive a little. Do not need help, he said he does not want to kill me. Please tell Mr Jaager I will probably miss dinner but am getting food here.

And just now:

I am not drowned last night. Please put time in Mr. Jaager's schedule for Very Important Meeting. Thank you.

"What in the world is going on," Ambrose said blankly.

"Text him back," Madeleine said suddenly, and very authoritatively, and Ambrose couldn't really say no. "Tell him you're at work and to meet you here. I'll call Cail up." Ambrose nodded, taking out his phone and typing out the message.

I'm at work right now. Meet me in my office?

Madeleine put down the receiver on her desk phone, telling him, "Cail's on his way up. He'll stay by the elevator for that extra layer of defense."

"Thank you, Ms. Brass," Ambrose said briskly, straightening up. "Let me know when they've arrived, and clear my schedule for the next hour and a half or so." She nodded, turning back to her computer to make the necessary edits.

Ambrose walked back into his office and sat down at his desk, and caught a glimpse of Cail standing guard by the elevator doors just as his office door swung shut. He sincerely hoped Panu was alright. And much to his irritation, it wasn't just because Panu was a valuable asset. But that could be dealt with at a later time.

((ooc: Continued from While the Kaz is away...))

I'm at work right now. Meet me in my office?

In a Stingray Corvette that was dealing maybe too fast with New York's traffic, a little Fin became a puddle of relief on Kaz' leather seats. Soon they would be there, he could tell because the GPS was getting closer and closer.

Okay. We are coming now.

"There is underground parking spot," Panu said. It was easy to get them in. Employee pass? The sensors at the doors asked. Yes, the Fin told them, and the doors to the parking ramp folded open very neatly on their hinges. He sent a call out to the elevator as they were getting out of the car, so that it was waiting for them like a good dog when they got to it.

He told it to go up to Jaager's floor. As the elevator moved, the technopath reached a small hand out, and slipped it into Kaz'.

"Thank you for not murder me. You are maybe scary and your pool is terrible but I like you." He thought very hard for a moment, and then added, with utmost importance: "Also your cat is okay."

The doors dinged open and Cail was there and Ms. Brass was there and Jaager was in his office. Everything was okay now.

Kaz followed Panu's directions to Jaager Worldwide easily enough. In reality he followed the GPS directions, but since Panu had input the address, he gave the boy the credit. The ease with which Panu did it and how convenient it was to not have to say or type in where he wanted to go was not lost on Kaz, and he thought of it as a positive point in favor of the kid. He needed as many of those positives as he cold possibly get. His use of his abilities was just another reminder to Kaz why he needed to be careful with Panu around.

There wasn't a lot of talk between the two occupants of the 'Vet during the drive. Kaz was pointedly not thinking about what the immediate future would hold. Instead he paid close attention to the road and driving. That just meant he kept himself from driving too recklessly. Well, that and the fact there was a child riding with him. No matter what he felt for or about Panu, Kaz could not understand why people would drive crazy with children in a vehicle, it was beyond stupidity.

If Kaz hadn't known about Panu's abilities he might have thought they were expected and being watched as he pulled the car up to and into the underground parking area. As it was, he wasn't surprised when, without making any movements, the doors opened almost as soon as they approached them. A similar thing happened with the elevator when they entered it. Sure it was possible that it just happened to be sitting, waiting, on the same floor they parked when they parked, but it was unlikely. Kaz found himself wishing Panu would stop doing those things, at least for a while.

When he felt Panu's tiny, frail hand touch his and hold it the way only children can do, Kaz felt guilty, and a little ashamed. Those feelings got worse when the kid spoke.

”Thank you for not murder me.”

'Don't thank me yet kid...' Kaz thought to himself bitterly. The rest of what Panu had said registered with him, and he couldn't help but look down at the boy. He curled his fingers and held Panu's hand and smile at him a little. ”Not maybe a little scary kid. I'm freaking terrifying.” After a short, quiet laugh, ”I'm sure Kalli liked having someone new to sleep with.”

Kaz was saved from having to say anything more or letting an awkward silence fall when the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Immediately Kaz felt a bit under dressed and found himself wishing he had changed into something a little more professional before they left. His red button-up, black jeans, silver belt, and silver accented boots were quality items and would normally work quite well for most meetings. This one though, this felt like a suit and tie type place.

That aside, the most interesting thing he saw before stepping from the elevator was a humanoid white tiger...in a suit. 'That's unexpected...' Though surprised by the tiger's presence he had not missed the man standing near the elevator. From his posture and expression Kaz was certain he was what passed for security here. 'Even security is decked out...definitely under dressed.'

With his hand still holding Panu's he moved towards Jaager's office. ”Maybe we should leave and come back wearing suits so we fit in with everyone here. What do ya think?” Kaz walked right past the tiger right up to the officer doors and opening them. Inside he got his first look at who he assumed was Ambrose Jaager.

Pale skin, dark hair, odd eyes, mid 20's..maybe late 20's if he was the type to look younger than he actually was. He looked like he was in relatively good shape considering his position. Kaz had met a number of business owners who were quite a bit out of shape for one reason or another and he had half expected the same of this man.

”Ambrose Jaager I assume.” Kaz paused for a few short moments before he continued. ”I'll get right to it. Panu here thought it would be a good, fun idea to break into my property, take over my systems and threaten me with my own defenses. In most cases I would just have killed whoever did those things, but considering he's a child, I'd rather not. So I'm here to get your assurance something like this won't happen again, that you can be trusted and that you can keep Panu in check.”

Kaz inhaled deliberately before releasing it. ”It would be simple, if it weren't for how he did it. The boy controls technology, a technomancer I guess. Which makes him a liability, a security risk, dangerous, and a threat. If you cannot convince me, here and now...I'll kill him and remove the threat he poses.” Kaz said the last words while looking down at Panu. He didn't dislike Panu, and he would follow through with his words, but he hoped that Jaager would be able to convince him that Panu was and would be contained and controlled in the future.

”Maybe we should leave and come back wearing suits so we fit in with everyone here. What do ya think?” Ambrose could easily hear the man standing right outside of his door, and unfortunately, he didn't like what he heard. Clearly, this man wasn't the sort to take business seriously. The point of suits was - well, that was beside the point. The point was that he could clearly hear the man who'd kidnapped his adoptive son. And that he could clearly hear the annoyed tsk that Madeline made when the man swept past her, not even bothering to, well, bother with etiquette. And then the man burst in through the door, and Ambrose just barely held back from raising an eyebrow in judgement.

The man looked like... well, there wasn't really a better way to phrase it - wait, there was. He'd read somewhere that some people preferred the term "Appalachian-American" to "redneck." So this man looked like an Appalachian-American, to put it succinctly. He definitely hadn't gotten the memo that Panu's adoptive father was the head of a massive business corporation where you were expected to wear a suit and tie if you so much as wanted to step foot in the building. Needless to say, he hadn't made a great first impression, especially with the most absurdly long hair ever, and what came out of his mouth next didn't help.

Ambrose waited. He could be very, very patient, and he was being very patient now as he sat through what was probably the most insulting barrage of words he'd ever heard. It was infuriating, and patronizing, and if he wasn't about to say the sentence he was about to say, he would've killed the man then and there. Unfortunately, he couldn't, because that would make him a hypocrite. He just barely picked up on a sound from outside - "Kaz Corydon," he heard Madeline whisper under her breath, so quietly that no one without Ambrose's superhuman level of hearing would have been able to pick up on it. He didn't know where she'd gotten the name - maybe Panu had informed her, or she'd run his face through a database or something - but she had the name, and now he had the name, and now he was going to be a total asshole because this man literally kidnapped his son. Also, because he could.

"Mr. Corydon," Ambrose began, and then suddenly straightened up in his very comfortable chair, casting the man a knowing look. "Kaz. Can I call you Kaz? Listen, in polite society, we don't threaten to kill minors when there are -" and he gestured vaguely at the camera in the corner of the room "- cameras recording it. That kind of thing leads to a restraining order, and I assure you, as soon as security escorts you out of my building, you will be receiving a notice informing you that I've filed for a restraining order against you on behalf of my son."

Ambrose stood up, stretching his wings out a bit as he did so. He folded his arms behind his back and tucked his wings back, before amiably strolling over to the door. On the way there, he stopped and leaned in closely to Kaz's ear, so what he said next wouldn't be picked up by any of the various recording devices in the room. "You also make the assumption that I control this boy, and I assure you, I do not. But I can also assure you that if you make any attempt to hurt him, you won't just have the full force of the American justice system on your back. He's part of something a little bigger than that." Ambrose leaned back and smiled a horribly empty smile that was devoid of any sincerity whatsoever. He gave Kaz a sharp pat on the shoulder as he continued walking, saying as he smiled, "If I were you, I wouldn't try to get involved in things I don't understand." With that, Ambrose swept past to his office door, which he pushed open.

"Cail!" he called, and the man standing by the elevator turned his attention to Ambrose. "If you could please escort Mr. Corydon out of the building."

Panu stayed very still and his hand felt very cold even though Kaz' was still wrapped around it.

>> “...I'll kill him and remove the threat he poses.”

And then his new Adult started talking in that way that was supposed to be helpful. Probably it was the same helpful that had led him to take off his shirt for the internet, or to hire a stupid little boy who had threatened his whole company.

Panu had known Kaz for less than one whole day. But he had learned some things very quickly: the man did not like to be threatened. And he was faster than Jaager. And he was closer to Panu.

His hand was so cold it maybe started to shake, just a little.

“I am sorry,” he said very very quietly, and he knew that probably it would sound weak to Jaager and maybe the dragon would be angry that he was speaking at all. “Please do not kill me. You do not ever need to see me again if you hate me now, I will stay very far away, if I even feel your tablet on the edge of my range I will turn and walk other way, I promise.”

Maybe he should not have mentioned technology in that. Should not have reminded the man. But what else would he say; that he would go the other way if he saw the man? This was who he was. He did not think he needed killing, but obviously Mr. Corydon disagreed.

Panu did not like him as much now. Him or his cat.

...Maybe still his cat.

Kaz smirked when he heard the tiger woman whisper his name at Ambrose. It was always nice getting free information about those you're dealing with, and this man apparently had enhanced hearing like Kaz did. The elf eared man wondered if it was a match for his own or were those whispered words the limit of his superhuman hearing. Kaz guessed the woman had been given his name by Panu at some point. Sure it was possible they had information about him already, but he doubted that they had had any reason to know about him before this incident. He could ask Panu about it, but there was no reason for the boy to tell him the truth if he had given them his name, so Kaz didn't let himself glance down at the young boy holding his hand. He didn't want to look at the boy and think about what he could do, he already disliked what he was doing, he didn't need to make it worse for himself.

Kaz watched and listened to the man, a man he was sure had a stick up his arse. If no stick was involved, then Kaz figured there were only two possibilities: This man was better and controlling his reactions that he would have expected, or he doesn't really care that much about the boy. He could deal with the first one, though it could be irritating, but the second option...If that was the case...

Kaz briefly entertained the idea killing the man to save Panu the trouble of growing up with a shitty father. 'Obviously the boy's adopted, even if they looked similar, and they don't, he's too cute to be this man's kid.' As that thought came to Kaz's mind he barely contained his reaction to a single, brief, 'Heh'. It was quickly followed by a few more as another thought came to him, 'He's kinda pretty, in a way, and a bit prickly...I'm gonna call him Rose.'

It was just about then that Rose decided to touch Kaz. It was very possible that Panu would be the only one who'd have been able to feel Kaz's slight tension as he readied himself. Rose was a mutant, as was everyone in the immediate area he was sure, and Kaz did not know anything about the man's abilities other than enhanced hearing and his bat-like wings. Some mutants could do terrible things with just a touch and in a situation like they were in, that touch could have easily been an act of aggression. If it had lasted a moment longer, Kaz wasn't sure he wouldn't have broken the man's arm.

He had turned to face Rose as he walked past so he both saw and heard Cail's slight movement as he was given orders.

”Cail, if you're smart, you won't act on Rose's order just yet. In fact, it would be in all of your best interests not to.” There was no playfulness, joy, mirth, friendliness, or even slight respect in Kaz's voice, just irritation, annoyance, disdain, and contempt.

Kaz had opened his mouth to say more when he glanced down at Panu, who's hand seemed to have become much cooler and had begun shaking.

Kaz couldn't help but feeling like a royal bastard, he felt a bit ill looking at the boy.

As he kneeled down to be at eye level with Panu, Kaz's hair writhed and pulled itself into a number of silver spikes covering his head, none more than five inches long. He had done it for one reason, so that no matter what, his hair wouldn't obscure his vision of the others who he kept in his peripheral.

They'd probably think it was cowardly that he kept himself so close to the boy, making it obvious the boy's fate was literally in his hand. Kaz thought so too, but it was also for the boy's own good. If they thought that anything they did could and would hurt Panu, Kaz hoped it would make the possibility that he didn't have to hurt the boy more likely.

Kaz gave the boy's hand a gentle squeeze before speaking softly to the boy. ”I don't hate you Panu. I don't even necessarily dislike you. I wouldn't have trusted you with Kalli if I did. But, you're a kid, and kids do stupid things, its expected. You just had the misfortune to break into my stuff.” He gave the boy a soft, little apologetic smile. ”That's why we're here, cuz I don't want to hurt you. But your adoptive father apparently doesn't care to be a father, Kaz couldn't help but say that bit with a bit of a sneer, ”So promise or not, I can't risk the threat your pose....I may not have much of a choice. I'm sorry.”

He didn't bother rising as he looked back at Rose, Cail, and the tiger woman. ”As you can tell Rose, I'm not concerned with the threat of legal action and if you knew anything about me besides my name, you'd know it's a bad idea to threaten me. Especially with something vague and mysterious. I assure you, there's nothing you have hidden that I haven't seen before.”

Standing up, Kaz moved to stand behind Panu and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. ”I came here to resolve this without it getting ugly or unpleasant. I came here hoping you would be the responsible adult Panu said you were and would be willing to figure something out, a way to deal with the situation your son precipitated. If you're not, then there's no point in us staying here, and I'll have to deal with this my way.”

”So what do you say Rose, willing to talk like two men who care what happens to Panu?” Kaz made a motion with his head indicating the chairs and raised an eyebrow at the man.

[OOC: This thread was before Ambrose gets properly attached to Panu, which is why it may seem a little out of character for him to be so dismissive.]

”Cail, if you're smart, you won't act on Rose's order just yet. In fact, it would be in all of your best interests not to.”

...Ambrose really, really did not like this man.

Rose? Really? It didn't get the sort of rise out of him that Kaz had probably expected, but his arrogance was what was infuriating. Ambrose didn't know his mutation, assuming he even had one - and he expected that Kaz did - but he doubted that Kaz would survive a match with Cail, unless that power was "surviving black holes." Kaz clearly thought he was the smartest and strongest man in the room. Well, they'd see about that.

Ambrose raised an eyebrow as Kaz's hair contorted and stretched. Okay, some sort of body manipulation. That wasn't very threatening at all. He might've been worried of Kaz possessed an elemental power, but clearly he didn't. Body manipulation was nice, sure, but still was no match for Cail. Speaking of Cail - the man was bristling, clearly not liking Kaz either, which Ambrose appreciated. Ambrose gestured to let Cail know to stay back for now. He'd let this play out a bit. He could end it any second - Kaz's physical mutation would unfortunately work against him when it came to Cail's power - but this was the most entertainment he'd had in a long time. He didn't really expect that Panu was in any danger. And even if the boy did get hurt, he'd heard that the X-Mansion had a skilled healer mutant who undoubtedly would do whatever Ambrose said with... sufficient encouragement.

He listened as Kaz spoke to Panu. Clearly the man had even the vaguest sense of morality - one weakness to exploit. Unfortunately, Kaz hadn't quite gotten the message. Ambrose wasn't Panu's adoptive father out of love or any sort of affection. It was a purely business arrangement - Panu provided his ability in exchange for Ambrose providing protection and other benefits for Panu.

At least, that was what he told himself.

He was still standing by the office door, holding it open, so Kaz could see Cail and Madeline in addition to himself. ”As you can tell Rose, I'm not concerned with the threat of legal action and if you knew anything about me besides my name, you'd know it's a bad idea to threaten me. Especially with something vague and mysterious. I assure you, there's nothing you have hidden that I haven't seen before.”

Hmm. He wasn't worried about legal action? Well, it fit in line with the rest of his personality. He thought that his experiences made him untouchable. But if there was one thing Ambrose had learned, it was that you should never underestimate the power of the legal system. It would bite Kaz in the ass someday, and Ambrose would go great lengths to see that it would be because of this. Otherwise, it was your normal "I'm an emo badass" routine. Typical. Ambrose had been hoping for something a little more... radical? Unique? Maybe some actual attempt to attack either him or Panu?

This was turning out to be rather anticlimactic.

”I came here to resolve this without it getting ugly or unpleasant. I came here hoping you would be the responsible adult Panu said you were and would be willing to figure something out, a way to deal with the situation your son precipitated. If you're not, then there's no point in us staying here, and I'll have to deal with this my way.” Really. This again. Why was anyone under the impression he was a responsible adult? Either way, Panu wasn't really his son in any way that mattered. He thought he'd made that clear before, with subtext and all. But unfortunately, Ambrose was getting the impression that Kaz's body manipulation abilities didn't include increasing his brain cell count, so he might have to explain that. Again. And explicitly this time.

”So what do you say Rose, willing to talk like two men who care what happens to Panu?”

Ambrose sighed. The first thing he did was let the office door swing shut and go back to his desk. Madeline would feel a spike in Panu's fear, probably, if Kaz tried to do anything, and then the cavalry would come. But until then, his arm was getting tired. He sat down in his desk chair and leaned back, touching the tips of his fingers together. And then he spoke.

"I apologize," Ambrose said first, a friendly smile plastered on his face. "I don't think I made myself clear enough before, and for that, I am at fault." Well, didn't he sound pretentious today. And supervillain-y. All he needed was a fluffy white cat and the setup would be complete. "You see, Panu may be my son on paper, but what's on paper isn't what's necessarily true. Panu and I are not related in any way that matters. We are business partners, if that's easier for you to understand. He takes responsibility for his own actions. Yes, his own actions might be ill-informed due to his age, but didn't you hear him? He's made a promise to you, and I assure you, he will keep it."

Ambrose yawned. He'd stayed up all night working, and he hadn't quite gotten the sleep he should've. He idly wondered about whether he could successfully take a nap without Madeline noticing, once this unpleasant situation was over, but he doubted it.

"Anything else?" he asked, but it was dismissive. "Panu's given you his word that he won't interfere with whatever operation you've got going. I don't see what's all the trouble, anyway - you'd kill a child who saw his equivalent of a playground and so went and played in it because you're worried that he'll, what, tear down all your hard work? You seem like a smart man, Kaz." False. But nothing on Ambrose's face showed that he thought that. "So you can understand that this would all be more trouble than anything. Yes, you get rid of a three foot tall threat, but then you get attention. If you take him out of this building, the police will be called. An Amber Alert will be put out. Hell, if I make enough of a fuss, the X-Men might even get called in." Ambrose leaned forward and put a sympathetic look on his face. "Do you really want to go through all of that trouble? To eliminate a child?"

>> ”So what do you say Rose, willing to talk like two men who care what happens to Panu?”

It took a fraction of a second to translate that. Another to process it. Another to clap a hand over his own mouth so that the laugh that wanted to come out of him did not get despair all over Jaager's carpet.

...Who care what happens to Panu.

He could think of three people this described. None of them were in this room, either sitting at a desk or putting their hands on his shoulders like Bad Mafia Movie.

He was dead. It had been a not-that-great eight years of life, and now he was dead. What would he do with final moments? Maybe watch cat video so he did not need to see end of horror movie?

Ambrose Jaager smiled. This was more terrifying than anything that Kaz had done to him. Would the man really do that? Really go through the effort of avenging him, if Kaz killed him?

In stories, dragons could burn down whole villages if you stole a gold coin from their lair. Probably this was the same: it was not that Jaager cared about his Panu-coin, but if Kaz stole something that was his, things would burn.

Panu would help.

This is what the Finn did with the last moments of his life: he took a deep breath, and let it out. Then he wormed his way into the footage of the last few minutes, and started carefully editing out all of the death threats Jaager had made. By the time he was dead, Kaz would look like Only Bad Guy In Room. It would be best editing of his life.

Kaz couldn't help notice when Panu put his hands over his mouth, it was such a sudden motion that it moved the boy under his hands. He swore he could feel the kid shaking as he stood there, but without seeing Panu's face he doubted he'd be able to tell what emotion the boy was feeling. Fear was the most likely he decided. The meeting was not going in a positive direction for the boy's fate.

Kaz raised one brow a fraction as Rose sighed and let the door shut. As the man sat back down in his chair Kaz realized he was a bit surprised that the man was staying calm. A mutant with mutant security and secretary would be confident they could deal with whatever situation they found themselves in, but this situation wasn't exactly normal for most people.

There had to be a reason why he wasn't worried. What was it he had said? Running the conversation backwards in his mind he found it.

”...He's part of something a little bigger than that."

'Maybe there was more to what he said than I gave him credit for... In that case.. Opening his connection to Legion, Specter next to me. Mindjack and Blackout in the other room. Blow the electronics as soon as she arrives. Find where the surveillance is stored, then destroy it, make them vegetables to find it. Glyph, Landslide, and Replicant in the basement. Begin the quake.' Kaz knew it would take at least a few minutes to get everyone ready and into place, and for Blackout to build up enough power to fry everything when she arrived.

Kaz's attention had slipped from Rose as he gave orders to Legion, but when it returned to the winged man, he couldn't help giving him a deadpan look. It seemed that Panu had lied about the man being responsible. When it came to Panu the man seemed completely irresponsible and dismissive, as if he really didn't care about he boy at all.

As much as Kaz wanted to believe Ambrose's words were just for show, there was something in his voice and demeanor that he couldn't ignore. Kaz found himself irritated by the man's words. Panu was just a tool, something to be used, Ambrose didn't care about the boy any further than that. He wasn't concerned about Panu's life, just loosing an asset. It was galling! Kaz wanted to rip the man's throat out.

Taking a deep breath, Kaz calmed himself as much as he could and looked down at Panu.”This man is anything but responsible kid. Are you really okay with being just a tool?”

Looking back to Ambrose, ”You don't seem to be taking me or this situation seriously Rose. This boy is a child, their promises mean nothing, they're made and broken on a whim. As such it doesn't hold any weight with me, that's why I looked to you for assurances. But since you're so dismissive, I'll do what I have to to protect what's mine.” Kaz's fingers gained razor sharp claws.

Just as he was about to move his hand to Panu's throat. A figure in a dark black robe appeared at the side of the room. The disgusting scratch at the back of his mind and the feeling of insects crawling over Kaz's followed moments later. The face under the hood looked partially mummified, while the rest of his body seemed insubstantial and wispy, with a red-violet mist clinging to legs and falling to the floor.

Kaz smiled at the man, ”I'm glad you could join us Specter.”

Inclining his head the robed man spoke, his voice coming out like a rasp to scratch at the ears and mind while still being melodious and soft. ”As you commanded Sir. We stand ready for your word.”

For a moment Kaz wasn't sure what the man had meant by those words, but he got it a second later. Legion had sent Specter on ahead of the others. Kaz could only guess that Legion had understood that Kaz didn't want to start a brawl unless it was unavoidable. Since Specter was one of the most difficult Sentinels to harm or contain it was safe for him go first. 'Besides, the guy IS kinda creepy when he's like that.'

The others would be ready and in place the moment Kaz, or Specter gave the signal to Legion.

Grinning full fanged at Ambrose. ”Instead of giving me any assurances this sort of thing won't happen again, assurances that don't hinge on the untrustworthy word of a child that is, you continue to threaten me. Unless you want to create an incident, I'd begin cooperating.” Quirking one brow, ”Well?”

Outside, sitting at her desk and listening very carefully to the conversation inside the office, Madeline felt something change.

She wasn't a telepath, at all. She couldn't read minds, and so she certainly couldn't tell the exact nature of the sudden shift that she could feel. But she was an empath, and for this, that was good enough, because something told her that there was some form of telepathy being used. It wasn't Ambrose, that was for sure - he'd never shown the slightest sign of telepathy. It couldn't be Panu either, unless the boy had spontaneously manifested a secondary mutation then and there. No, the more logical option was Mr. Corydon. Which meant, most likely, that the white-haired, obnoxious, child-napping stranger was calling in backup.

This didn't bother Madeline. However, it did throw a wrench into things a bit. If the man was capable of telepathy - and without any other information, she'd have to assume it was his power - who knew what else? She knew she herself would be safe, mentally, because of the nature of her mutation. But it meant that she'd have to make her own arrangements to protect Panu - especially since it seemed like Ambrose was far too unbothered with the situation where their most valuable asset was perhaps moments away from getting killed.

She silently started typing away on her phone, as Mr. Corydon spoke to Panu. Ambrose was far too uncaring, sometimes, when he wasn't in the mood. And that was bad because Panu was an asset, and a good one at that. But it was also bad because if something did happen to Panu, that would distract Ambrose horribly from his real goals. While he wasn't really capable of affection, he was more than capable of being possessive, and he was very, very possessive. Sighing, Madeline sent the text, and the response was almost immediate. Good. She knew that man would be a valuable resource at some point, and now, he was being just that.


Inside, Ambrose was well aware of the look Kaz was giving him. If he were more self-conscious, he would've cared, but he wasn't and he didn't. So what if he was using the child as a tool? It wasn't like Panu was special in that way. Everyone Ambrose knew he treated like a tool, with the exception of maybe Madeline and Cail. (Cail was a friend. Madeline was the boss of him, though he always denied it. He was the supervillain here, dammit.) He almost laughed when Kaz tried to, what, appeal to Panu? Sorry, pal. At least Ambrose wasn't trying to kill Panu.

Kaz spoke again. Seriously, though, Rose? Ambrose didn't mind the name - in fact, he kind of liked it - but it was the fact that it was coming out of that man's mouth that made it irritating. Actually, everything that came out of that man's mouth was irritating, and this spiel was no exception. Ambrose was getting tired of this. Clearly, the man was too self-absorbed to understand when to back down. No matter how powerful he was, he couldn't be that strong or Ambrose would've heard of him before. And there was no conceivable way that the man could take on an entire faction's worth of mostly-crazed, mostly-mutant terrorists on his own. Even if he did manage to have an army or something at his back.

Seriously. Ambrose had suicide bombers. There was no honest loyalty that matched that sort of crazy anywhere.

"But since you're so dismissive, I'll do what I have to to protect what's mine."

Noooo. No way. He did not just go there.

There was no way Ambrose could've gotten to Panu in time to stop Kaz if the man had really tried to go for the kill then and there, but he wasn't going to acknowledge that. Either way, everyone was distracted by the sudden appearance of what was equally the single grossest and most melodramatic human(oid) being Ambrose had ever seen in his life. He'd played video games. The newcomer looked like something straight out of an overdramatic Skyrim ripoff, if Skyrim were set in a zombie apocalypse. Something within him felt a deep sense of unease, but Ambrose tamped it down. Aggressively. The feeling of his skin crawling wasn't actually new, so after a while - and after briefly pulling on the memory of returning to his true form - he was able to ignore it completely.

Outside, Madeline's ears twitched - the only outward sign of being affected that she showed - when the mutant teleported in. She was immediately aware of his presence, and she didn't think she could ignore it even if she tried. It was like an air horn to her psychic abilities, as limited as they were.

Ambrose listened as - what, Specter? Melodramatic, okay - spoke. Alright. "We." So Kaz did have an army, perhaps, backing him up.

Well, finally this was getting fun. Ambrose was confident that this wouldn't have any permanent damage to anything, really - if Kaz was smart or had even half a brain cell, he wouldn't start anything. One man, no matter how powerful, didn't stand a chance against an army of - again - crazed mutant terrorists. Of which Ambrose was the leader of. Granted, he didn't consider himself crazed or a terrorist, because those weren't very flattering descriptors, but anyone who knew him would say otherwise.

"Instead of giving me any assurances this sort of thing won't happen again, assurances that don't hinge on the untrustworthy word of a child that is, you continue to threaten me. Unless you want to create an incident, I'd begin cooperating. Well?”

Oh. It was on now.

"Let me tell you something, Kaz," Ambrose said icily, and all of a sudden, his entire demeanor changed. He wasn't friendly anymore, sprawled relaxedly in his chair. Now he was tensed, like a predator ready to spring, because that was exactly what he was. His face was unreadable. "You want to know what I think of you? I think you have no respect. Anyone with any real foothold in our line of business understands that this?" He gestured at Kaz, and then Specter. "This isn't how business is conducted. This isn't how deals are made. If you decided to come in here with proper respect, I might've considered making a deal. But no. You didn't. Instead, you have the nerve to threaten me inside my territory."

Something had snapped, inside Ambrose's mind. And now he didn't feel very amused at all. Every fiber of his being wanted to see Kaz bloody and dead on the floor, preferably with his insides outside of his corpse, but Ambrose's self-control was enough that he didn't lash out. Immediately, at least.

"You really don't seem to understand. You seem to think that you're so powerful, with people backing you up. I bet you're, what, planning to attack my building right now? That's an organized act of terror, Mr. Corydon, and I assure you that your operations will be more affected if you do act than if you don't. I'd like to see you protect what's "yours" when it's all sitting in an FBI lockup, and you've lost everything to the police you hold in such low esteem." And then, because he couldn't help himself, Ambrose grinned, baring his own sharp canines. "And I'll show you what happens when you touch what's mine."

Ambrose wasn't really sure what he had intended to do. Maybe he would've lashed out, seeing as his claws were out too. (He was unconsciously looking very derisively at Kaz's claws. His were so much cooler. And bigger.) But before he could even start with whatever it would've been, something snapped into existence next to Panu. It put a hand on his shoulder, and just like that, Panu and the newcomer were gone.

What.

A text alert popped up on the corner of Ambrose's screen, and his eyes flicked to it.

Mom
One of Huginn's friends stopped by

His mind instantly broke the message down for what it was meant to be. Madeline had called in that teleporter - now that he thought about it, there was one that Huginn associated with regularly - for help. Ambrose held up a finger to Kaz, his expression unchanging from its previously murderous look, and briefly turned his attention to his computer. "Sorry," he said, completely deadpan. "My mother. You know how it is." He typed a quick message back.


Coffee First
Not now, mom

Madeline nodded to Maddox Idrofobo, who stood conveniently behind Cail with his hand on the boy's shoulder, ready to teleport them both out at a moment's notice. Good. Ambrose had figured it out. Now to just get this white-haired asshole out of their building.


Ambrose sent the message, then turned his attention back to Kaz. He was ignoring Specter for now; the man wasn't enough of a threat for Ambrose to care yet.

And that was when Ambrose realized that Kaz was conspicuously lacking any clothes, at about the same time that Madeline realized that a pile of familiar-looking clothes sat at the feet of a very smug Maddox.

To his credit, Ambrose didn't react at all. He'd been distracted before, first trying to process Panu's disappearance and then responding to Madeline's text, but now he was realizing that the teleporter didn't just take Panu. It probably had something to do with Kaz's snap reaction to grab the man right as he appeared. Well, he couldn't say that he'd seen this sort of strategy before. And this wasn't really situation that he had prior experience with.

...he was just going to ignore everything and continue on as usual. But if anyone ever mentioned that he maybe didn't look straight at Kaz's face for the better part of his speech, he was going to just say it was because anything was nicer than whatever disaster Kaz had on before.

"You do realize you're just digging an even deeper hole for yourself, right?" Ambrose sighed. "If you attack - to reclaim the footage, I'd assume - you'd have to kill everyone in the building to keep every intelligence agency in the country off of you, because there are hundreds of witnesses inside alone. And that would be more than obvious. You'd undoubtedly be caught eventually, and you'd lose everything." Ambrose narrowed his eyes. Time to show this brute how real responsible adults handled this sort of situation. "Now, since we're speaking on even ground like two proper gentlemen instead of you holding my son hostage, I'll propose my own deal. You leave Panu alone, and in exchange, this footage of you holding a minor hostage and preparing to commit an act of domestic terrorism stays locked away. If I so much as smell you near my building or my son again, it goes to every news outlet in the city. I assure you that by now, Panu's likely backed it up in places you'd never be able to find even if you tried. And if you try, I'll know, and you lose everything." Ambrose leaned back, the empty smile plastered back on his face.

Then leaned forward again after an appropriate interval of silence, realizing that the view was better when he was leaning forward.

"Take it or leave it, Kaz. And do remember that you set yourself up. Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?"

The boy lowered his hand, because hand-on-mouth was undignified. These were last moments of life, probably. Last moments were special: everyone who lived after, this is what they remembered most strongly of you.

(He did not want to remember how Tounela had died. This files maybe existed but he had not kept the indexes, he did not know where they were, he did not want to know--)

(But he had seen others. Some people cried and begged and these ones people sneered at, it was like watching a bug in water that was drowning slowly but trying to swim and all it did was make things worse for itself. Others peed themselves, which was just gross, like dog who forgets it is housebroken. Running was popular option, but stupid and usually then his family would aim for legs and laugh as runners had to crawl. All of these were stupid ways to die.)

Panu straightened his shoulders and held his head up and tried not to shake very much, because this was Best Death.

>> “Are you really okay with being just a tool?”

“It does not matter if it is okay. I am eight and I am not strong or fast. I am tool or I am dead.” He translated the words very carefully. Last words were very important, too. “You think this too, or you would let me go.”

It was not beg for life. He hoped it was not seen as beg for life, he was not bug-in-water. But he wanted, really really wanted, for Kaz to understand. The silver-haired man was killing an eight-year-old like someone drowning a puppy because maybe one day it would bite. Panu was not a person in the man's head, he was a Future The Man Didn't Like.

Panu had maybe never been a person in anyone's head. Mostly he was like a special edition smart phone, except he ate more and was a bigger burden to carry around.

Kaz had claws out. They were not as big as Jaager's claws. Probably it said something about his time in this stupid country that he was becoming Claws-On-Throat Connoisseur.

But it was not claws that attacked. Suddenly, there was water on his skin. Not nice pummeling drops of super-hot shower water, but lukewarm water, like coffee that has gone gross and cold, except all over his skin, and a feeling like it was getting deeper deeper up his chest shoulders neck mouth--

This was pool and he was drowning and all thoughts of having Best Death went out of his head. Panu kicked and struggled and fought against Kaz' arm, because that is what Finns did, always their enemy was bigger and stronger and faster but they had sisu--

He did not notice the hooded man in room, even though it was on his cameras. He did not notice the other man, either, the one that touched his arm.

And suddenly he was not drowning.

And he was not in the room.

And he was not in danger.

And Kirsi's teleporter dad (who was just as real and parental as Panu's dragon dad) was rubbing his side where Panu had maybe just elbowed him. He was not rubbing very hard, and did not look very upset. Probably this was because Panu's elbow was as effective of a weapon as a skinny chicken's wish bone.

“I am sorry, please forgive,” the eight year old panted. He said this in Finnish first, and then repeated it in English, once he remembered that everything here was stupid. "Also thank you."

He stood up straight again, because now Cail and Madeline and Kirsi's Responsible Adult were all watching him. He made himself stop breathing so hard even though breathing slower felt like holding his breath and kind of hurt.

Then he went through reviewing security footage.

...Footage was soon being backed up in half-seconds intervals to Audubon X servers, file name Watch Only If TechnoBabble Is Dead Thank You For Server Use I Will Pay Next Months Bill If I Am Not Dead PS There Is Some Naked.mkv.

“I am tool or I am dead. You think this too, or you would let me go.”

Kaz had been a bit taken aback by Panu's response. That was not that he thought about the boy at all. It hurt Kaz a little that the boy seemed to believe that he was in fact a tool to be used. He knew what it was to be a tool, to be used by others.

Tara had warped and twisted Kaz's memories, even created new ones, just so she could use him and his abilities to further who own goals and agendas. She had been his sister at first, then later, after he had begun to see the inconsistencies, she was his lover, his wife. In the end he had killed her after spending a night together.

He had done something especially well and she had rewarded him, but something she said or did tickled something within his memories that let him push through her manipulations just enough to take advantage of the moment. Kaz remembered the taste of her skin, as he kissed her neck, a breath before he ripped her throat out with his teeth.

Xander... Thinking of that man always hurt Kaz's mind. He didn't remember much about what had happened to him or what he had done after Xander had literally turned Kaz into a mind slave. His will had been broken and smashed and locked away within his mind so strongly that he only had fractured, broken, and jumbled memories of that time. Even those little flashes of memories were disjointed, distorted, and incomplete. Kaz had been the man's perfectly obedient puppet, at least until someone had attacked Xander.

As far as Kaz had been able to piece together in the years since, Xander had been at war with some other group, or faction or something similar, and Kaz had been his muscle. They had finally found Xander and attacked. Xander had, at some point, crushed the attackers into submission, but let his control over Kaz slip. In that heartbeat of weakness, Kaz had punched his fist into the man's back and tore his spine out. At least that's what he assumed. He had been in such an insane rage that when he finally came to some semblance of sanity, absolutely everyone that had been in the area was dead, and Kaz still had the man's spine in his hand.

…

Kaz forced those memories from his mind. Hard. Yes, he knew what it was like to be a tool. He hated it, hated hearing that this child felt that he was a tool to be used and discarded when it was no longer useful. It was wrong. Panu didn't understand, he didn't get it. Kaz wanted to let him go, wanted him to be able to grow up to be able to make new mistakes, and hopefully those mistakes wouldn't be as dangerous or have the same consequences as he was facing now.

Though he refused to let it show, Kaz felt his frustration at the situation as something palpable, his sympathetic compassion towards Panu made him want to choke. 'How can I get him to understand?'

Panu's words had sent Kaz into his own memories and made him think and dwell, so much so that he hadn't been able to give the boy a response right away. There was no way he'd have the time to try and explain it while he and Rose were having their little pissing contest.

It seemed that Ambrose was the type of man who thought respect was the same thing as kissing his ass. And that was something Kaz had no skill in whatsoever. Kaz knew that most business men liked to posture, making people wait before meeting with them to show who had the power and who was in charge. Not to mention that that was disrespectful to the person waiting. Kaz couldn't stand that sort of thing. They seemed to want to talk in circles, taking forever to get to the point, which always seemed to be more posturing. He figured it was more respectful to just come out and say what his business was. There was no posturing or any roundabout 'my dick is bigger than yours'.

And threats? Rosie-boy was the first to threaten Kaz. There was no threat from Kaz. The boy did something and his actions had consequences. Kaz had come to him to solve and resolve the issue, something Ambrose didn't seem to have any intention of doing.

In fact as Kaz listened to Ambrose spew words, he realized that all of the threats had come from Ambrose himself. Even now, he continued to to try and escalate his threats towards Kaz.

Kaz's body tensed up when he saw Ambrose's teeth change to resemble something similar to Kaz's own. There was something different about the man's..everything. He had thought Rose wasn't a fighter, but every sense Kaz had told him that he had been wrong.

In preparation Kaz had released the mental bindings of his power, no longer holding himself to a mere fraction of his abilities. So of course that's when someone appeared next to he and Panu and moved his hand to grab the boy. Kaz moved before any thought crossed his mind, conscious or subconscious. The appearance and slight movement triggered the instinctual response. Kaz felt his hand crunch down on the newcomer's forearm. It was only after he felt bones grinding under his grip that he realized the person was male, and had his hand was on Panu's shoulder.

Before he could blink or begin to think about uttering a sound both of them were gone. Kaz blinked once, twice, and looked at Ambrose. Unless he was mistaken, the man hadn't expected that to happen either. He saw the man's eyes flick down to his desk and Kaz strained his eyes to find any reflection that would let him see what Rose looked at.

There was absolutely no doubt in Kaz's mind that the man's appearance and Panu's disappearance were not linked to whatever Rose looked at.

Kaz found a reflection quickly enough in Ambrose's own blu...gree... 'Ignore that for now. Look. Read. Pay attention moron.' And he did so. Not there was much to see. Kaz had to look away after he saw Ambrose's response to his 'mother'. He had strained his eyes to not only see the reflection, but to to see it clearly enough to read the words. Such intense, pinpointed vision, was hard to keep without looking too deep. It took a lot of effort to ignore the yellow of Ambrose's natural eyes blending through the blue contacts, which made Kaz believe he was seeing green in a few spots of the man's eyes.

Instead of answering Ambrose, Kaz crossed his arms and shifted position. 'Huginn...Huginn....that seems familiar. Don't think I've every met anyone with that name...so...' He didn't try to figure it out just then, it would come to him eventually. Instead he glanced at Specter who gave him a slight twitch of one eyebrow before flicking his eyes to the other room. Kaz understood immediately that Panu hadn't gone far and was in fact on the other side of the door.

When he looked to Rose again, he caught the man looking not at Kaz's face, but...”Huh...That was unexpected.” Kaz said softly to himself. He was completely naked. And Ambrose seemed to be enjoying the view. He hadn't expected a pretty-boy like Ambrose to go both ways.

Kaz stared at Ambrose's eyes daring him to look him in the eyes after ogling him so openly. Of course there was absolutely no way Kaz didn't have a smirk on his face the whole time Ambrose rambled on, again. He even made a point of shifting his weight at least twice during the man's little speech.

If nothing else, Kaz was confident in himself and his body. He looked good and he knew it, he worked at it, worked hard for it. Being able to augment your own body and alter it to be even better than it was naturally, that was just a bonus.

”Take it or leave it, Kaz....”

Letting out a sigh Kaz stepped forward twice, calmly and without hurry. Making a dissatisfied sound, Kaz raised his hands and looked down at himself. ”Your lighting is terribly you know.”

Those words spoken, Kaz's skin tone began to darken and change until it was the perfect shade for the room's lighting. Kaz didn't stop there though, he made sure that he looked the best he could. He enhanced his physique by making his muscles more accentuated, smoothing out his too-sharp edges, and sharpening those he felt were too soft. When he was done, he was almost a perfect, idealized, version of the human male, with just the right about of 'flaws' to keep him from seeming fake or created with an artists eyes for perfection.

”So much better, don't you think Rose?” Kaz grinned at the winged man, while at the same time giving a command to Specter. Kaz closed in on Ambrose's desk, placed his hands on it to support his weight as he leaned forward and down to look at the seated man. This put their faces quite close.

Grinning, ”Do you realize Rose that I could have dealt with Panu whenever I felt like it, when he broke into my property? That no one but I would have known what happened to him? Instead I took care of him and treated him like a person, and then brought him here to speak to you directly because you are who is responsible for him. Instead of doing the one thing I hoped for, that I wanted, which is give me a reason to trust that what he did won't happen again, all you've done is threaten me. Think about it. I haven't threatened you once since coming here.”

~~~~

Behind Kaz, Specter created a lance of red-violet light and swept it through the room where Cail, the tiger woman, teleporter, and Panu stood in. The light beam was actually shaped like a very long, thin, double edged sword. As it passed through the room and door it left no trace. The first pass sent the light blade through the adults and cut them off from their mutant abilities, the second one severed that room's ability to let anyone pass through it for 10minutes.

Specter seemed to float through the door that was barred to all but him, lancing out with a light spear at Panu before jamming the spear into the floor. Specter had just removed any distance between himself and Panu, making it possible to him to find the boy no matter where he was in the world with just a little effort. In addition, a moment after the light spear was connected to the ground the every mutant within 75ft of him, except for Kaz, Ambrose, and of course himself, had their abilities suppressed so they could not access them until he allowed it. If the boy showed any signs of freaking out, he had orders to exclude him from the suppression.

~~~~

Kaz's eyes flicked to the side where Specter had been until a few moments ago. ”Don't worry, he's just shut down your mutant friends in the other room. Only you and I are except from it right now.” Returning his gaze to Ambrose, ”Why couldn't you just work with me Ambrose? Do you hate being put on the spot so much that you'd rather fight me than work with me? Could you really not see how badly I wanted a reason, a legitimate reason to trust the boy, for reassurances from the person who's suppose to be responsible for him, so that I could let this go with a clear conscience?”

~~~~

In the other room, while maintaining the field, Specter had received words from Kaz to say to Panu. ”Panu, Mr. Corydon would like me to rely some words to you.” Specter looked at the boy, but kept the others in his view as well, even then they wouldn't be able to touch him physically. Panu, you are not a tool. I'm saddened that you actually feel that way about yourself. I know what it's like to be used that way. You are a child and a mutant, not an object to be owned and used. I want to be able to let this go, let you go free, to let you return to your normal life, whatever that is. But since I cannot hold a child to their oaths, especially one I hardly know, I need to get assurances from Ambrose. If I could get that, and believe it, I would leave you alone.”

Specter stopped speaking for a few minute. ”If you were nothing but a tool, would I have let you spend the night with Kalli, treated you to that breakfast, or tried to teach you how to swim? Tools don't need any of that, but little kids do. If I thought of you as a tool to be used, wouldn't I have tried to get you to do something for me, to use you for something? Something like, getting me full control of this company? So please don't think of yourself as something only to be used. You're a child, not on object Panu.”

~~~~

With a deep breath Kaz continued in such a low whisper only those with highly enhanced hearing would be able to hear what he said to Ambrose, ”Do you really want to start a war between you and I, right here, right now? How far do you think someone who has nothing to loose would go to destroy everything you have? Hmm? Oh, and just so you know you can take Panu wherever you want, but he'll never be out of reach for me.”

Kaz stood up straight and put a hand on his hip while waving dismissively with his other hand. ”Well? Should we start right now, or would you like to give some cooperation a real shot?”

Outside, Madeline immediately did her absolute best to turn off her power, because she did not need to know the emotions of the two men inside right now. It was gross. Her boss was apparently a total pervert, and Mr. Corydon was doing nothing to discourage it. In fact, she could probably infer that he was doing something to make himself more attractive, and that was immediately confirmed when she pulled up the security feed on her computer. Wonderful. This had gone in an unexpected direction very, very quickly.

What she didn't expect was for her power to actually shut down immediately, because that was not in any way right. Especially since she caught it when the beam of light swept through the room the second time, and then she realized her senses felt muted for the first time - well, ever. She could feel a sense of panic rising, but she tamped it down, because someone had just phased out of the office and into the room, sweeping again at Panu with the light.

And then the creepy newcomer started speaking to Panu. Madeline didn't move, assessing the extent of the suppression, as she listened to the man's words at the same time.


Meanwhile, at first, Ambrose was having fun again. Apparently Kaz had the same inappropriate impulses Ambrose sometimes did, which was the impulse to suddenly do something in a situation that really wasn't how normal people would respond. For a moment, Ambrose appreciated that, but that was immediately washed over with an entirely different emotion when Kaz got up in his face.

No, not that emotion, dammit. This was rage. Cold, blinding rage, as Kaz continued to speak, and he didn't even hear Specter speaking to Panu outside over the slowly growing buzzing in his ears. He recognized the feeling, logically - it was when his already weak control started to slip, and the monster he really was began to make an appearance. But he was already too far gone to listen to that part of his brain that told him giving in to his true side was probably not the best response.

Kaz finished speaking.


Outside, once the man was done speaking, Madeline did what any sensible human in that situation would've done - since that was essentially what she was, at that point.

She pulled the fire alarm. Everywhere throughout the building, the loud siren started screeching, and people sighed and groaned and filed in an orderly manner outside. The people on the top floor were the only ones at risk now, and even Ragnarok's headquarters were being evacuated through the connecting subway tunnels, so the only possible casualties were on that floor.


Inside, Ambrose took off his jacket. "Sorry," he said, seemingly calmly, as the alarm went off. He couldn't tell if Kaz said anything, because the only thing he could hear was a high-pitched whine in the back of his skull.

And all of a sudden, he leapt at Kaz. His wings tore through the back of his carefully pressed Oxford shirt, the clawed tips reaching for the same targets that his claws were - Kaz's throat. In that moment, he'd switched so quickly from human to what was more animal than anything, as evidenced by the inhuman snarl rising in the back of his throat.


Madeline looked at her screen just in time to catch Ambrose leaping midair at a still fully naked Kaz, and she resisted the urge to slam her face onto the desk.

His power stopped. Just stopped. Everything in his head was black and still, he could feel every hair on the back of his arms stand up straight, he could hear Cail growl some words, but no meaning in them. He could not understand. English was like crow language, loud and harsh and no meaning.

Adapted.

It was not so far to the elevator, he could make it by memory and by touch, then he could tell elevator to take him--

(no he couldn't because Adapted)

he could fumble at buttons or take stairs instead or hope that shouting in loud enough Finnish could warn his new family of incoming raid--

he could make list of best options and sort them quickly and then act--

He could. He could make list. His head did not hurt, his files were intact, nothing was squeezing in on his mind and trying to make it be stupid and inefficient and human again.

This was not Adapted.

...Adapteds. EMPs. And this. Whatever this was, it was now third on his list of Things That Should Die. This is what he told himself as he tried to get heart to stop hurting his chest with beating so fast and lungs to work again and shoulders to stop shaking.

Vision-internet-English returned. He did not know why; probably cut off was warning, another ego thing. Someone was speaking. It was Kaz-employee who had appeared in other room but was now somehow standing in front of them. (This was face of person who Would Die. All Ragnarok would be given image of this face. All METAs, too, added to their list of criminals with outstanding warrants, crime was Use Power On Wrong Person.)

Panu listened to what the dead man had to say. He listened also to things the real Kaz was saying to Ambrose. These were more interesting.

>> “I haven't threatened you once since coming here.”

If Kaz did not count holding razor-claws to a child's throat and saying he would kill him as threatening, then he did not think Panu mattered at all. From the moment they had stepped into Jaager's office, Panu had just been a pawn in the adults' ego games. Jaager had never pretended otherwise. This was what made him Best Adult.

The eight year old straightened his headphones.

“Tell Kaz this: If you thought I was real person, then you would not need to talk to my owner about shorter leash for me. If my words are only barks with no meaning, then I have nothing else to say for you.”

Breakfast and swimming and cats. Not killing him on the spot, only maybe freaking him out a little. These were things Kaz held up as proof that Panu was a human child.

Years of meals together, in houses they had killed the owners of, in restaurants with blood in kitchens. Sometimes Panu was allowed to pick the type of food. Sleeping next to Perämies on the couch when there were boring explosion movies on, the man's arm warm around his shoulders. Saunas with Johtaja and their team's women and giggling together as they sent silly taunting texts to men-who-weren't-invited-in. Shoulder rides from Vouri that made him so so tall. Parvi's silent pointing finger, and always there was was a butterfly or a jeweled beetle or something amazing to find and he knew that she was smiling even though her face did not show smiles very well anymore.

Families could be caring, could take very good care of their tools, could feed and water and walk and pet them and buy them nice collars. And if they misbehaved or did not work then they were kicked or broken. Panu knew his place.

He did not bother to talk to Kaz' dog again. He sent his next words through the intercom in Jaager's office as the alarms wailed. (Madeline was Extra Smart for pull this.)

“Fire department is on way now. Police come too. Leave and maybe Jaager will order me not to tell them your name, face, where you live, and how many weapons in your house are probably illegal. I am good dog. I will listen to Jaager just like you want, and not bother you unless he tells me to. Bark.”

There was no smile with this. Only squared shoulders on the little Finn, and hands in hoodie pocket, and headphones perfect-straight.

“...If you are rather do adult things, please move to hotel. Mrs. Brass is put claw marks in her desk.”

“What's going on in there?” Cail asked, like a man who couldn't help but crane his neck to see what was on fire by the train tracks.

Panu handed him a tablet. Live stream.

“I see,” the man said.

Panu shut off the noise on the fire alarms on their floor.

...If sounds from office got too loud, probably he would turn them on again.

Kaz grimaced as Panu's words were relayed to him as the boy spoke them. The boy was misunderstanding why Kaz wanted to talk to Ambrose, why he couldn't just accept a child's word, their promise. If he had the time and was in a place that wasn't hostile, Kaz thought he might be able to explain it well enough, but this wasn't the place or the time to try. 'Even if it were, he might be to irritated with me to listen...My own fault I guess.'

Before he could continue his line of thinking the tiger woman pulled that fire alarm. Kaz was only able to avoid flinching or being startled by the loud sound because Specter, just by being in the other room and keeping his perceptions open and flowing, had warned him of her movements. It did distract him from noticing Ambrose rising from his chair and begin taking off his jacket.

The man in front of him spoke a single word but didn't continue. Kaz waited until the man's jacket was securely placed across the back of his chair before he said anything. ”Sorry?”

'For what? The alarm?'

He gave himself a mental shrug, 'Probably, bu-'

Stopping his internal conversation he listened to the words the young mutant piped in through the speakers. Kaz cursed under his breath, ”Dammit Panu...”

'This is why kids are a chore to deal with.'

'Yeah, but it's hard to stay upset with them...'

Distracted as he was by Panu, Kaz did not miss the change in Ambrose. Even the quickest people would give themselves away if you knew what to look for. The man was keyed up for a fight, so Kaz was not surprised when he moved. He was a little surprised that Ambrose had decided to leap at him over the desk, and he did not expect a pair of wings to burst from his back and aim their hinge claw at him.

Even with the man's hands and claws aimed at him, that wasn't what caught Kaz's attention. It was his eyes. It wouldn't take someone with enhanced eyesight to see that Ambrose Jaager was all but consumed by a primal, bestial rage.

Kaz knew that feeling all too well, remembered it so clearly he actually had the insane desire to beat and break Ambrose just so he could try and help him calm that beast.

Kaz had given a name to the rage, hate, and bloodlust that he had felt years ago: Sarrus. He always knew those feelings were his own, but the intensity so so strong that, to stay sane..as sane as he could be, he had to make it into something separate from himself. In his mind he had always pictured and imagined Sarrus as one of the more feral, malicious, and evil looking types of eastern dragons that people had created in various forms of art.

Along with all of that hate and anger, there was strength, determination, and the will to carry on and push through anything, to survive.

It had taken years to understand and get control of those emotions. Had taken even longer to realize that they were his and break down the fiction of Sarrus in his mind, and then to integrate it back into himself. He knew the intensity of rage he felt wasn't normal, that he had been broken, was still broken.

Kaz felt like he was watching Ambrose's attack in slow motion, the outstretched claws cutting their way through the air at a snail's pace. He wondered if Ambrose was feeling and dealing with the same type of rage he had. If he could he ignore it? Of course he could, the man was attacking him after all. But should he?

Lowering his body and moving one leg back, his feet becoming clawed to better grip the floor, Kaz prepared to take the impact from Ambrose. He wasn't concerned with the claws on Ambrose's hands or wings, he was confident that they wouldn't be able to penetrate his skin. He'd let the man land his attack, and show him how futile it was.

Even though he expected the impact, Kaz found himself driven back a couple inches, only keeping himself from being bowled over because of his superior strength and pushing back with his rear leg. There was another similarity between the two men that wouldn't be apparent to anyone who looked at them; They both weighed a lot more than their frames suggested, and Kaz suspected Ambrose was the clear winner in that category.

Ambrose's wing claws raked across Kaz throat, but slid off, unable to penetrate his thick, armored skin. The claws of his hands did the same, but he could feel the strength in them, a strength that Kaz would have to keep in mind. Even if he was tougher than any living creature on Earth, crushing his throat would still be relatively easy when superhuman strength was involved.

From their brief encounter, Kaz knew he wouldn't have to be gentle with Ambrose, and that knowledge drew a smile from his lips.

Kaz moved his arms in a blur to break Ambrose's grip, before the man could get his feet on the ground to give himself leverage. He grabbed at the man's neck, stepped low and reached up for his waist, intending to use himself as the fulcrum to slam Ambrose to the floor. He intended to hurt the man, not kill him, but if he was less durable than Kaz was guessing, he might end up doing just that.

It was only after he started moving that a thought poked the back of his mind, 'How strong are these floors?' The image of slamming Ambrose through the floor flickered through his mind's eye.

~~~~~

Looking at Panu, Anthony gave him a sheepish smile. ”Sorry about...that,” he waved a hand in a rolling gesture, ”He didn't want anyone else to interfere. Told me to release you if you had a bad reaction. Are you okay now?”

Specter glanced towards the room he had exited when he felt the impact through the floor. Wearing a pensive expression he looked at Cail, then at the woman. ”Excuse me Miss...” He waited a moment to see if she would supply him with her name. Anthony would have used her name if Kaz had bothered to learn it. ”It seems like negotiations have broken down into a brawl. How sturdy are the walls and floors?” Even through the odd, rasping, nerve grating sound of his voice, there was a clear hint of exasperation. It was also apparent by his tone that he would prefer if this ended soon, without causing too much more trouble.