Saph was largely silent as he absorbed his words, and responded on the topic of the media dubbed 'Red Wedding'. He didn't like to talk about it. Most people didn't like reliving the moment in their life in which they felt the most useless, and for someone like him, who had a lot of pride in his strength... It was a moment that showed him just how weak he could be.

And Andrea... He'd spent a lot of time reflecting on that... He couldn't think about it any longer. It was something he'd locked out of his life soon after she left and never came back. To be honest, he hadn't been worth staying around during that time... He didn't blame her.

They walked for a moment, they sat. She started talking again. He gave her a strange look at she mentioned why she'd apologized. "Uh... So... Gotta get this straight... I got myself in trouble saying something earlier, and during a Q&A session with random strangers, somehow managed to get myself out of trouble?" He paused for a second, and then shrugged. "#$%^, I'll take it." No sense digging there. He might actually get into trouble.

She asked about the tiger thing. He chuckled a bit. "Yeah... All for her... That was just the icing on the punch cake... Hell, I smacked down the the doors of the most dangerous place in New York for her. Fought a giant who could lift mountains if he wanted to... Won. There was a time when I woulda done anything for that woman..." He leaned forward in the seat, placed his elbows on his knees, and looked to her. "Even pretend to be something I wasn't... Some kinda... I dunno... Version of me that I thought someone like her could love. Guess that was why it all fell apart in the end.."

He took a moment to center himself, placing his palms together, and tapping his chin with them a few times in a slightly anxious motion. "Well, that's all very @#$^in depressing. Didn't you have some stuff you were interested in? Let's go do something that's not this." As he spoke he broke out of the position, leaning back and getting a little more comfortable.

Shelby smiled slightly at him. If he was fine with the barest of an explanation she offered, she was fine with it too. No need to try and condense her thoughts any further. Or make herself feel any sillier for having them in the first place.

In regards to the Most Dangerous Place? "... So... I'm assuming you're referencing a specific place and not half of the state, then." Also, he'd fought a giant and won? Someone who could lift mountains? Why they hell hadn't that been front page news across the country? Sounded like a fight scene ripped right out of a comic book.

After he'd finished talking she sat back in her seat, swinging her feet in the air slowly. "Been there, done that." She muttered, then paused and added, "... the 'trying to be someone else part', not the punching giant mountain hurling people part. Obviously."

When he suggested they get going, she nodded mutely and wriggled to her feet. "Sure." There were things she wanted to do, or wanted to show him... but mostly she just wanted to relax. She hadn't want to have to deal with complex thoughts too much... but, well... it was probably way past that at this point. Not only had she struggled with her own demons, but now she was aware of some of his. He'd been married... very dearly loved someone enough to be willing to change himself for her, while recognizing that he had done it. He'd lost her, had what sounded like a pretty severe drinking problem at some point (which explained why he was currently completely sober), and on top of it all he was now dealing with all of her issues as well.

"There is one thing I need to ask, though." She paused, watching as a very elaborate cosplay walked past in search of the bathrooms. How was he supposed to get out of the costume to pee? Maybe he'd build in a special panel?

"...Do you still love her?"

She glanced at him then, expression serious as she waited for an answer. "I ask because statistically, going into another relationship while you are still hung up on someone else is romantically suicidal."

Part of him wondered if he'd said too much, but he also knew that she didn't have a lot of context for a lot of this stuff. Honestly, he'd come close to telling her about the Judge a few times, anyway. At this point it felt like that part of him was so far in the past that he hardly felt like it was him behind that mask.

The tight sporting super hero tilted his head a little bit at her 'been there' response. For Derek? No. That didn't seem right to him. "What, for Olivia? I guess that sorta makes sense... Weren't you young, then?" He shrugged. "I figured around that time everyone was trying to be someone they weren't. Parta trying to find out who you are at that age."

She acknowledged that they should get up and do some other stuff, but clearly wasn't done talking. He looked about a bit, staring at a Juka Cosplayer for a second... Neat, but it had to be a pain in the ass to walk around with that whole bubble apparatus set up. The man struggled to get into the bathroom.

His bemused smile at that was interrupted by her asking if he still loved Andrea... His eyes shot to her, and he stared for a moment, looking her face over.

"I dunno. It's not something I think about. I don't think I could ever be with her again, knowing what I know about myself. I'm more for someone who likes me for me, and who I don't feel like I gotta be someone else for." He set his gaze on her eyes for that last part. He was firm in his words. Certain. He then grinned and got a bit of a mischievous look in his eye. "Also, they would have to be a pretty cool girl... Cute. Spontaneous. Smart. You know... You. I think I'm doin alright."

She blinked at him when he mentioned Olivia, but nodded none the less. "Yes... and no." She cleared her throat a bit. It hurt to think of Olivia, or Derrick. "We were young, and We were together for a while. She was the first person I've ever romantically loved. But, as i've no doubt you are aware, Olivia is not the type to stay settled down for long with one singular person. She gets bored easily. Moves on to something more exciting... new and shiny, right? For a while I attempted to be new and shiny for her. Obviously that didn't work."

"But... there was another instance I have never been proud of." One she couldn't ever apologize for, either... "About a year after Olivia and I broke up Derrick let me know that he had feelings for me. We'd been friends forever, but I'd never envisioned that happening." She sighed slightly, "Long story short, I agreed to date him even though I didn't necessarily reciprocate those feelings back. I basically used him to dig myself out o my pity hole, and when I moved here to attend college our relationship, and friendship, dwindled. We didn't talk for a long time." She shook herself slightly, keeping depressing thoughts more or less at bay. "I've been on both sides of that particularly shitty street."

She stopped and actually looked at him when he gave her the answer to her last question... One she hadn't exactly expected an answer too, considering the subject. If she were being honest with herself, his response pretty much blew her away.

She could feel her face heating up as a blush sprang to life, and she clenched her hands in her hoodie pocket. Flustered, she struggled for words for a moment.

"...S-shut up! You'll blow your own damn cover." Try and she might though, she couldn't fight the redness that had crept into her face.

He acknowledged her past relationship motivations and failings with a nod. All of that was in the past, and derrick was a fresh wound. It was better to change that subject.

He was happy to see her getting all flushed. It had been a rough month, but things were starting to feel a little more normal. He'd been hoping for this to be a normal day out, but even something as innocent as a convention had a few hooks to throw, apparently. Still, he was determined to enjoy today. Get something good out of it.

They both could use it. The hero stood up, yawning and stretching. "Hey, I said we would need to talk about it... Would you wanna be my public girlfriend?" He chuckled, and pointed to a map. "What class were we looking at again? If we don't hurry we're gonna be late for something important."

The Masochist looked back to her, and then turned as a little girl walked up and asked him for his autograph. He chuckled, and complied, asking her name, and signing something. Looking up again, there were a couple people waiting with something to sign as well. "Ah, great... Maybe I could charge for this stuff. Might be able to get a car!" He looked back at Shelby with a grin and a wink as the next person walked up.

POP! POP-POP!

The world went dark.

Ahh, that all too familiar, and much loved look of surprise when you've shot someone several times and they weren't expecting it! Not that anyone ever expected someone to place a small pistol against the part of them that wasn't practically invulnerable and pull the trigger.

It almost made up for all of the humans who had congratulated him on a wonderful costume, and asked who he was pretending to be! It was almost enough to drive a visible mutant insane! He pushed the shocked Masochist, who had reacted to the shots by clutching his coat, to the ground at his feet, removed his hat and made a sweeping bow to his single most important audience member.

The people around them that heard the noise all looked, saw red, and started running. Started panicking. "Yes! Yes! Panic little monkeys! Fear my buggy violence! The show is reaching it's boiling point, and I would hate for you all to be bored!" He cackled, and shot into the crowd a few times, turning back to Shelby. "Well! Might I say it's quite a treat, seeing you here! I knew the oaf would be, but I had only hoped you would be in tow! After all, where would you be safe without him?!" He gave the silent man on the ground a kick, and then danced over him toward the girl. Leaning in to growl in a gutteral grind.

"Nowhere, Shelby. You will never be safe. I will kill everyone you love. And then I will maim you terribly. Everyone will know what it means to cross me."

"Hey, I said we would need to talk about it... Would you wanna be my public girlfriend?"

She sputtered at him for a moment mutely. "Just maybe I do!" She was flustered and having a hard time controlling it.

He asked about the class, so she turned her attention to the map. What had she been wanting to attend again. "Jeez, this place is big. Uh... gimme a minute." She peered closer, until he started talking with the child. It was sweet... she smiled at him for a moment before turning back to the map.

"Ah, great... Maybe I could charge for this stuff. Might be able to get a car!"

She snorted and started to turn just as the gunshots rang out. To her utter horror she watched Saph buckle and fall, and then her eyes focused on the figure looming above him. Her chest clenched painfully and she sucked in a horrified gasp of air.

"Yes! Yes! Panic little monkeys! Fear my buggy violence! The show is reaching it's boiling point, and I would hate for you all to be bored!"

More shots were fired. People screamed and ran. A few bystanders were hit by the randomly fired weapon. Shelby was rooted to the spot in terror. Her heart was hammering loudly, deafeningly, in ears. Roach approached her after a moment and she watched in mute terror as he grew closer, within reach...

"Well! Might I say it's quite a treat, seeing you here! I knew the oaf would be, but I had only hoped you would be in tow! After all, where would you be safe without him?! Nowhere, Shelby. You will never be safe. I will kill everyone you love. And then I will maim you terribly. Everyone will know what it means to cross me."

It felt like roots had grown through her feet into the floor. She couldn't move... couldn't budge an inch. Her greatest nightmare was back, out in public surrounded by hundreds of terrified people. He was so close she could breath on him if she wanted too. Yet... she had no words. There was no door separating her from him this time. No protective steel walled room to keep her safe. And Saph... saph...

Her upper lip curled slightly, nose wrinkling as her terror slowly mixed with rage. Shelby, unable to form the words building in her mind, did the only thing she could think to do at the moment. She spat directly in the giant insects face.

Then she attempted to throw herself around him... she needed to get to Saph. She needed to make sure he was okay. To protect one of the few important people left in her life.

Above head a shrieking alarm sounded suddenly to life, followed swiftly by a surge of water from over head sprinklers. Someone, somewhere in the building had pulled the emergency fire alarm.

There she was. Frozen in place like a deer in headlights. This was how he wanted her to be. Terrified. That parasympathetic reaction kicking in. Pupils dilated, palms sweaty, heart beat racing. Seeing it made him slightly hungry, actually. Maybe that said something about his devolution into a more base, primal being. Who cared! He was having fun!

And then she spat in his eye.

He froze for a moment as she slid away and scrambled for her boyfriend.

She did that. Her look. It went from pure, exhilarating horror to... What was that? Defiance. He hated that look.

"Are... you... @$#@ing SERIOUS, B@#$%?!" In that moment he lost all of his strange, horrifying charm and composure. He turned on her, wiping his carapace free with a shelled hand, and stepping toward her with the most heinous intentions. "What will make you stop fighting?! WHO DO I HAVE TO KILL?!"

He giant bug loomed over her, reaching out to try and grab her by the hair. He just... He just wanted to shake her... Maybe just until the handful of hair fell off!

She tripped and it resulted in her scrambling to Saph's side. There was blood on the floor... pooling under him from one side. He didn't seem to be responding to the alarms or the downpour of water currently raining down on them. She reached out for a pulse, but when she heard Roaches furious outcry she changed courses. She couldn't freeze up again now, after she'd only just gotten free.

As he quickly encroached on her space again, horrible insect like hand reaching like a claw, she had started to turn toward him. A good chunk of her her hair was captured, but she didn't wait for the shaking to start. With a sharp turn she propelled herself toward him and up from the floor. In her hands sat Saph's crowbar. It was heavy and awkward, but she had it in a death grip and she was aiming straight for one of his gigantic buggy eyes.

"ME!!" She screamed back, expression filled with that look of defiance he so hated. "YOU WILL HAVE TO KILL ME! I WON'T EVER STOP FIGHTING!"

His hat was getting wet.

HE was getting wet. An uncomfortable moistness that started with spit in the face had quickly turned into being soaked via horrendous little nozzles, ignorantly fighting a fire that wasn't there.

This was supposed to be fun. This was miserable. She was going to pay for that... Maybe he could break a hand... Which one was the one she didn't paint with? Imagery of the act calmed him down. He made a sound of satisfaction as his hand found purchase on her blue locks, and he opened his mouth to speak, when an instrument made for prying things open was weakly shoved into his eye.

He jerked her wildly, swinging his inhumanly strong arm to fling her into a glass display case. "FFFFFFFFFFFUUUuUUUUuUUuuuuuuUUuU-" His gun weilding hand covered his eye as he cursed loudly. She'd cried out in defiance, and he bellowed in a harsh voice. "ASK FOR IT ONE MORE TIME B@#$%! I WILL MAKE YOU WISH YOU WERE DEAD!" He wretched and clenched his free fist and opened it a few times, and then switched hands covering his face with the free hand, and aiming the gun at her leg.

POP!

He just... had to shoot her. She hit him! What a terrible person!

In frustration, he tossed the empty weapon onto the ground, and turned to flee. He'd secured a route out of a service entrance that would quickly lead to a safe escape. A bug on the wall told him security forces were quickly incoming. Damnit. He turned to give her the middle finger. Not very gentlemanly of him, no, but he was under duress!

He then disappeared through a door off to the side. The little bug gave the scene one last glance, and then skittered after him.

She'd hit him! Yes!!

Inwardly she celebrated for the better part of a second, before she was swung like a toy across the way and into a very hard glass case. It shattered on impact, and a few larger shards managed to find purchase on her as she crumpled to the ground. She hissed, trying to struggle back up as he screamed at her.

POP!

... and then pain. Fire raced up her left leg and she shrieked and the damaged limb in towards her chest like it would stop the agony. His bullet had struck her at the base of her left thigh, just above the knee. It was bleeding freely through her jeans, and through she pressed her hands against in it desperation it didn't seem to have any intention of stopping.

The thundering sound of many feet approaching masked Roaches quick escape, as a small force of officers poured into the hallway with guns drawn. She saw some of them head for Saph as a chunk of them broke off and headed in the direction Roach had gone. She attempted to get up on her one good leg to reach her boyfriend, but soon found herself surrounded by two other officers, who quickly stooped and easily lifted her by her arms.

She spotted a few others hunkered down by Saph as she was dragged out of the open hall. one of them was checking for a pulse, while the other was radioing for paramedics.

----

END