‘Blood! Fight! Kill!’ ”Fer **** sakes.” Carrick spat blood on the ground then adjusted his chin trying to make sure everything was fine. “You didn’t think we’d recognize you?” the man grunted and threw another fist. This one Carrick was ready for and jumped with the punch softening the blow and putting on an act for anyone who was walking by. It was a pretty crowded night in the city after all. It was Friday. Night before the weekend, and no doubt one he’d need all weekend to heal.

”Trick question?” Carrick wheezed as another hit connected with his nose. ‘Kill!’ The arms holding him let go at the last minute letting him stagger backward. He didn’t' drop. Years of ‘training’ with his father and brother. Even if he just wanted to lie down for a bit. His set was done and this was a pretty frequented place by the shifter so his instrument was safe here.

“Still got a mouth on you huh?” the one who kept hitting him said strutting forward. “You think you can just show up after all these years? After what you did?” his breath smelled of tequila. Gross. Carrick’s smelled of cheap Irish whiskey. Part of the perks of playing at the establishment. ”Oh!” Carrick snapped his fingers, his tail flicking behind him now betraying he was toying with him, ”Nah... must have been someone else.”

“What?” ”The guy yer looking fer.” Carrick said opening his jaw and closing it then blowing a bit of blood from his nostril. ”Pretty sure I’m not him.” he said raising a hand to put a little distance between them. ‘Kill! Fight!!!!’ Carrick stepped back realizing he was pinned between a brick wall and this putz and his goons.

Ignoring his more violent nature he reached up to his nose and pinched the bridge trying to slow the blood. ‘Fight!’ “I’m pretty sure you’re him. Irish kid, wings and a tail. Long time no see... Carrie.” there was venom in his voice. Clearly he knew Carrick.

Carrick snapped his free hand, recognizing the way he said his name. ”**** lost it.” he waved his hand. ”So... we gonna go further inta the alley here or ya gonna do yer magic in public?” Carrick asked hoping to narrow it down by who he crossed recently, who he cheated. “No, I don’t need magic to do this.” the guy who was twice the size of Carrick wound up for a punch to the face again.

Only to hit a brick wall when the intended target ducked out of the way still holding his nose. ”I’m sure we can work it out... Jake? Ya look like a jake!”

Kimberly was drinking, she lacked the constitution and the tolerance for it still, having rarely drank through much of her life. She had no desires to escape the ghosts that followed her or their haunted cries. Still the occasional break from them was always a plus. If not for Alex, Kimberly would have been more then happy to let the ghosts drag her into the afterlife. Not for the first time Aura wonderd if she should copy her sister Amber, and find some woods and just fade away from the world. Like Amber Aura was quite adept at woodland survival but Alex would follow her if not right then then later in life and their was always a chance Allison might come back. Aura needed her.

Kimberly glanced sideways at the louder ghosts and took a few moments to realize they were in fact real. She had slain no bird men and the ghosts were attacking him, not taunting and cursing her. She still held back, keeping an eye on the fight. Her mind dunk as it was seemed to sober a bit, her training driving her mind to analyze the fight, consider opening, note where vital organs were and the easiest path to murder the men, stab through the kidney diagonally to fish for a lung, before letting momentum rip the blade to the spine, as she brought her other blade up the spine of the second men leaving him dead or paralyzed ad the third, wait was their three or two?

Magic? Aura stood up knocking her bar stool over, she dropped her drink, which spilled and stumbled as she spun around to look at the men and the mutant. Aura had no idea what was going on, but a life time of anti human sentiment had cast the humans on a poor light before magic had been brought up. She did a quick series of hand gestures, to disguise her aura if she needed it. "All right boys, Leave the bird man alone. This is over, unless one you wants a colonoscopy with this bar stool" She said in no way hiding her drunkenness. At five seven, with an athletic build she looked strong for a woman but not on par with these two. She made a pair of fists and while she readied her aura she did not bring it out.

The man who decided he wasn’t Jake was about to swing again at Carrick then stopped short when another voice from behind them echoed the mouth of the alleyway. Shifting his weight, he tried to put a little distance between him and his attacker who still didn’t reveal who he was and how he knew Carrick. ‘Little, Irish and kid’ gave him a heading at least. Did his old self cheat this man at some point? Wallet lifted or maybe some fake jewelry sold to him? This list was long and he was starting to wonder if he should reevaluate his life choices.

No, they were pretty good. Carrick was in a relationship with a real-life princess and he had disposable income for once. If only he had his guitar on him. Everything would have turned out fiiiiiine.

“Whose the girl?” one of the guys asked chuckling. “Carrie this your girlfriend? Need someone to protect you?” not Jake said as he looked back to they others and they all started to laugh. “He needs his girl to protect him!” Carrick joined in the laughter nervously and looked over to the girl whom he had never seen before. His hand still on the bridge of his nose but he managed to look down so he could see her over his hand.

”Not mine.” he said shaking his head glad the Princess wasn’t here. The last thing he wanted was to pull her into trouble again. He still hadn’t heard the end of it since he sold some of her gems to the magic users. Apparently, they don’t forgive easily. Which was fine, his other form still wanted a word with them.

”Soooo.... we good?” Carrick asked hopeful that now everyone had a good laugh they could put this behind him and he could put everyone here behind him before anything escalated. ”Well it that’s all me and...” Carrick looked over to the shorter girl, ”What’s yer name love?” before looking back to the ones who confronted him, ”Me and her will be on our way.”

‘Dodge!’ the voice in the back of his mind was a moment too late. Carrick doubled over as ‘not jake’ punched him in the stomach.

It would have been so easy to shred the two, Kimberly thought to herself again. ""Actually I'm not into men, I just like being a knight in shining armor" Aura replied with a shrug and a smile. It really would of been easy to spill their guts and keep them alive a bit or a quick neck level slash, quick, clean and efficient. She took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts from her mind or she tried to. The booze was making it harder then it should of been.

She was about to reply to Carrick when he took a punch to the stomach that doubled him over and a second later Kimberly shot forward. Did limb removal count as bad as a death? A score card would of been nice. She shook her head again, and a she took her punch, a second before she struck her fist flared blue an inch ahead of her fist striking with the force of a brick. Her second fist struck in the same spot a second later, a blue flare of her aura appearing in front of her fist as she hit. She had made sure to bury her attacks in his stomach to avoid breaking a rib. As she felt impact she turned her aura off, quickly, trying to prevent it from being seen to well.

Under her clothing her aura turned on in a thin layer, as she stepped forward and her smile fading spoke again. "I am Kimberly my feathered friend" she said as she darted toward another of the men, nearly knocking over a table as she did, only the aura under her pants kept her from a bruise. As it was the drinks that was on the table and the food went flying through the crowded room of drunks. Kimberly never took stock who had been at the table but heard somone scream about who threw the drinks.

Air escaped his lungs in a wheeze and a grunt, his head throbbing from the punch to the nose and his more aggressive form shouting. ‘Fight!’ ‘Kill!’ ”Uncalled fer,” he coughed while a little blood shot from his nose.

”Kimmy. Beautiful name. It was me mothers name.” Lied Carrick as he coughed a bit more expelling the rest of the air in his lungs so he could breath properly. Not Jake dropped to the ground after the attacks from Kimberly holding his stomach. ”Sucks doesn’t it.” he said to Not Jake before turning his gaze up to Kim.

”My hero!” he practically swooned as he stood upright holding the bridge of his nose and blowing a bit to dislodge anything stuck in there. ”Oww.” did he deserve it? Probably, but he would have preffered to know exactly what he did to piss these guys off.

”So... We good?” he asked again a little more confident now that he didnt’ have to shift and kill someone. Pippa would have been furious with him if he did and he knew that Amethyst would have something to say about his nose.

Kimberly darted forward as the men who were surrounding him dispersed to fight her off. Was this what Zek got to see when he let Carrick do all the fighting? If so he could get used to it. ”Right... Well... if ya have any more questions fer me direct them to me knight.” his tail flicked and he looked up as someone charged and tackled him to the ground. ‘Dodge’ ”Yer late!” he grumbled to himself as he went down and started to tussle bringing his hands up in a guard as the bigger guy climbed on top of him.

It would have been so very easy to put a blade into his neck or even into a major artery if she wanted it to be quick, though vital organs were even easier. Bigger targets really but that would of been messy and screamed out her identity. The police and most of the city morgues had had quite a bit of practice identifying her kills. She was a woman of habit and efficiency after all and often used the same strikes and the same weapons.

No, this had to be different. it could not always be the easy way. "You don't happen to know a single lady bird mutant would ya? Wings are lovely." she said even as she took a punch to her ribs the mitigates some of it with her aura beneath her clothing but had not hardened it fast enough to break the man's hand. Still she saw the pain go across his face, but he still dodged her follow up punch. She moved forward her momentum carrying her forward on her lead foot, she said a few very impolite things in Japanese as the man grabbed her arm and tried to restrain her by putting it behind her back. Aura's foot struck the man's knee a small blue flare of aura appeared just before contact. Aura could not feel things threw her aura, but she could feel pressure against it change as he screamed. She was sure she had not broken his knee but the pressure had changed enough where she was pretty sure she fractured the knee cap.

"Still we could always get serious" she said casually as she twisted around and forced the man on his bad kneee to bear her full wait until he fell with Aura on top. It was meant to scare the people they were fighting against, scared people tended to fighter harder but usually much worse. She had kept the casual tone despite the bit of pain for that reason as well. The thought occurred to her that one of them had been mentioned to maybe be a mystic. This could get dangerous she reminded herself.

”Aye, know one. She’s not as fast as me. Metal wings, spews poison.” Carrick wheezed and pushed himself up. ”Can admire, mine if ya want. Just can’t keep ‘em.” the shifter smirked before looking around at the others that surrounded him.

Kimmy took a blow to the ribs and Carrick’s jaw almost dropped when she shrugged it off. ”Yer strong.” commented the shifter as he stood up and brushed his pants off. Best look presentable while being rescued right?

”Nani!?!” Carrick asked in Japanese, when he heard the woman speak in it as well. He only knew bits and pieces from the cat girls back at the mansion but knew enough that he needed to remember a few of the words that Kimberly was spouting. Himari didn’t teach him all the fun words it seemed.

”Oww!” he winced visably as he watched the knee turn and the man be forced to drop to it. Kimberly was a fighter, one that reminded the Irishman of the Texan, Sam and Maya. It was clear he was outclassed here and decided to play it safe and not get in her way. ”Clearly she’s a better fighter than yous.” Carrick said to not jake and the others who were watching the scene.

”Worth getting yer ***es handed to ya? Getting even with me? Maybe ya can run inta me at a later date, one where Kimmy ain’t watching over me?” Carrick was clearly not threatened anymore. He wasn’t really in the first place given the fact that he could have shifted and mauled a few of them to prove a point. Now that he interned for SUPER though, well mauling people was frowned upon.

She smiled "Yea, trouble controlling the force though" she said which was somewhat true, it was harder to control her powers used this way though she had been fighting long enough to know the pressure to apply. She had done what she had meant to though with the man's knee and had blocked the punch easily enough. She caught the Japanese the bird mutant said and filed that for later in her brain. She had been taught japanese through a vulgar old swords master and yakuza gang members.

She straightened up as he called her a better fighter then them. It was true but praise was always nice. She had to stop herself from mentioning she was doing this the hard way. That each of the men could have been ended with a series of quick strokes, one each. Part of her wondered if this was still keeping a low profile but it was a bit late for that now and she never could sit still when one of her own was under attack.

"I own a fighting dojo and can harden my body in response to impacts, im like hitting concrete" she said lying to scare the the attackers away from Carrick. She never considered lying about being a mutant as well her pride simply was to high in that. She kept her guard up in case one of these clowns knew a trick. Magic made her nervous.

She wonderd if she should tone the level of force down from her attacks. perhaps she would ask Her boss friend the flower lady on appropriate force levels. She had seemed like a good woman. "I really rather not hurt you guys, but bar ambushes are not the right way to settle an argument." she said trying to step more into her roal as dojo master,

”Scary! Like punching concrete!” Carrick parroted not knowing the woman before him was trying to lie about her powers. She took a punch, didn’t get hurt as bad as he would have. Carrick might have thought himself immortal but he still felt pain. ”Ya gents punch through concrete? Think ya can handle her? Lotta woman!” he added trying to hype up the fact that they were going to lose. Either Kim beat them or his other form would. Carrick just didn’t want to deal with all the paperwork.

”She’s giving ya an out. I’d take it.” the thief smirked flashing his pointed fangs as he smiled, ”I’d take it. Count yer losses.” maybe he was laying it on a little thick. A loud squeak exited his nose when he exhaled it too seemed smug now.

“You think we’d just walk away? You robbed me blind, stole money from the crew and made me look bad in front of my boss.” not Jake said gritting his teeth trying to assess the situation.

”I have...” there was a pause as he tried to narrow said situation down. Was it the precious stone racket he had given up after the princess got kidnapped or was it something else from when he was younger. ”Little to no recognition of those events. You’ll need to be more direct.” his nose squeaked again.

The anger was more visible the more the conversation went on. One of the guys behind not jake was taking off his belt wrapping the leather around his fist and letting the buckle hang low to swing. “More direct?” there was a pause from not Jake as if he was thinking things over.

”She owns a dojo?” it seemed the fight wouldn’t end even if he was trying to play up his savior.

“Call in the boys.” not Jake finally said to one of the guys behind him. The man closed his eyes and remained quite for a moment. Suddenly everything clicked. Deciding not to ditch Kim and fly away Carrick snapped his finger. ”Oh **** I remember now! Yer sister! Sara!” and that was all the man needed before charging forward again as the one wielding the belt swung on the shifters savior.

”Right! Guess, I can’t get out of this then.” he reached into a pocket and grabbed some of the flash powder he kept on him for his flashier entrances. Throwing it forward at not Jake’s feet the alley way got brighter. When his target closed his eyes and covered his face Carrick leapt forward bringing a knee to the man’s face.

They just would not break and run. They had no idea the danger they were in. She had no idea what the Feathered friend could do in a fair fight but she would not let him fight alone. Kim Sighed and let out a number of other Japanese swear words in a sentence that implied feeding them their own family jewels, . before looking at her Featherd friend realizing he also spoke Japanese enough to respond it seemed to her. "You are morons, You do realize theirs a rather scary number of mass murdering Mutant supremacists in this city.......Do you Really, think threatening a pair of them is good for your health? Theirs also the x men who would toss you to the cops, as it your outmatched, calling in your reserves when we are still warming up" she said not trying to scare the men still, really wanting them to simply go away.

She still had no idea weather the feathered one here was guilty of the things he was accused. She felt the belt strike her chest her defenses not fully coming up before it hit and she felt the sting of the metal but she moved forward planting her fist in the man's shoulder she felt it slide off his shoulder in a glancing hit, which let him to drive his fist into her stomach. She felt the wind escape her lungs as she failed to counter it in time. She felt a second blow to the side of her head as she tunred and grabbed the man;s arm flipping him over her onto the floor.

She stumbled allowing the man to start getting up. Their was a huge difference between proactive and putting things into effect after all. Aura regained her footing and drove her fist into the man;s nose, she could heard the crack as cartilage broke to the blue flash around her fist. She hoped the idiot would run off but if not, or if friends did come, well it had been awhile since she stretched.

Carrick repeated the string of Japanese words that the Kim had said. One so he could memorize the words and repeat them back at a later time and two to repeat in front of Himari so she could translate for him. She never taught him the fun words! After landing the knee to the face Carrick snapped his wings opened flapped once and turned lifting the man off the ground and throwing him. Distractions were key in his fighting style or it was keep getting hit till they tired themselves out.

Digging deep and exhaling his breath in a Lion’s roar he landed lightly on the balls of his feet. ”Ya made several mistakes today!” his facial features changed slightly his eyes turned to cat like slits and his fangs bared. ”Tell Sara, I’m sorry and that I’m happily in a committed relationship!” the princess was leagues above Sara. No offense to Sara, whom the shifter barely remembered but it was Amythest. She was leagues above everyone.

With his back turned he didn’t see the next attack but offered up a ”Oooooo she hits harder!” after Kim attacked the other attacker. ‘Dodge!’ his instincts told him and dodge he did. Carrick leaned forward into a somersault and then leapt towards the wall turning in midair and then kicking off of it. Flapping his wings twice propelling him forward into another man who was with not-jake.

Carrick was a performer, an acrobat of sorts and this was obvious to the way he moved. He even threw his hands up after he tackled him to the ground as if he just dismounted from a high beam.

She smiled enjoying the fight and unable to not let it show. She expected the man to embrace his nose and so she leaned into her punch aiming for where his jaw would be, however he recoverd quick and grabbed her arm throwing her with her own momentum over his back and to the ground she felt her shoulder pop out of its socket as well with a sharp pain. His next blow was less well timed and Aura managed to delfect most of it with a blue flicker of her Aura. She had over stretched and she knew it, to use to throwing herself into combat and willing to let her aura absorb the damage most of the time.

She rolled to her knees and prepared an uppercut to the man's stomach. It was then she heard the click of the gun and her eyes looked up top the silver barrel a mere few feet away. The man clearly thought he had her her, holding his nose with one hand and keeping the gun trained on her forhead. She subtely glanced at the other Mutant weighing the chances she would expose her secret if she let loose. Plus she was given this identity to not be in trouble with the law. Could she deflect enough of the bullet with her aura and not reveal herself? She was unsure. Hospitals were a risk as Aura has left her dna all over town.

She did not move herself but bgan gathering her still invisible aura to her preparing it to turn solid once the bullet was fired and then, she would gut the man. She was not going to die to some idiot with a gun while she had child at home. She would have gladly thrown away her own life otherwise. She glanced once more at the other mutant gauging where he was as well. She had no idea of his true capabilities but she knew he had been in a fight or two in his time, he handled his wounds well.

His knees locked under the armpits of the man he landed on. Not-jakes crewman knew it was coming. His hands went into a defensive position as Carrick started to wail on him. Typically Carrick stayed away from the face, mainly because he hated when people hit his. Like they did.

They had it coming. Carrick might have as well but that was beside the point.

His ears flicked at the sound of a gun clicking. ”A gun!?! In a street fight?!?” No, these guys deserved the worst beating. There were rules in a shakedown and revenge and they weren’t following the rules. They would have fit right in with his Da’s crew across the pond.

”Kimmie, duck!” Carrick warned before grabbing a knife that was on the ground and throwing it into the shoulder of the gunman. They had a knife in this too? Whatever happened to bare knuckle beatings to send a message? The would be gunman reeled backwards from the impact and fired upward as he tried to access the damage.

Carrick’s hands shot up to his ears and he let out a roar. ”Owww! Too loud!”

She ducked as he warned, the knife sailing over head. . The knife and his warning struck just in time. Whoever her Winged friend was is was good with a dagger. It was a skill she lacked even with gun training she had always been an awful shot. In responce the gun went off and her ears were ringing from how close it was. Kimberly brought her hand up grabbing the man;s wrist and pulling it down. She slammed her wrist into the back of the man's hand, she heard no crack so she assumed it was not broke but the man dropped the gun anyway. She felt his hand brush by her side as she twisted and brought her palm up under his jaw snapping his head back, that Kimberly thought may have been just a bit to hard.

"They really seem to like you my new friend" she said as she saw the guy on her drop and moved closer to Carrick as he roared. The cops would likely get called now though she had her new identity she rather would avoid the police. She made it half way before another man intervened, this one just with fists but as he threw his punch she flipped him over her shoulder and onto the ground. She could not help but enjoy the fight as Carrick seemed more then able to hold his own but she did fear for what may have occurred without her to him.

She brought her knee down on the man;s chest to knock the wind from his lungs. She then moved toward Carriack to try and help. "Yea these clowns are serious for your head" she agreed not entirely caring on the why just now, though she would have to ask him after.

”It’s a blessing n’ a curse really!” the shifter said stepping back as Kimmie took out the gunman and started to work on another assailant. The shifter was glad she was here but doubted they would have pulled a gun or a knife if it was just him. A punch to the face would have been fine. Even if he had to explain it to the Princess and SUPER.

”Might of hurt Sara’s feelings bad.” the shifter said feeling a bit guilty. He didn’t like hurting anyone’s feelings, seeing as he was on the receiving end of Elizabeth’s ghosting all those years ago.

There was the sound of a siren and that was all Carrick needed before shouting, ”Cops! Time to fly love!” snapping open his wings he smacked someone in the face sending them back before he kicked up a bunch of dirt, rubbish and whatever else was in a New York City alley way.

Once in the air he reached down to Kimmie to grab her hand. ”Let’s go!” a few of the assailants ran as the lights became visible reflecting off the buildings. The others reached for Carrick and Kimmie.