"Well at least the sky is pretty." He was taking the wins where he could get them. Laying on his back staring up at the sky as the red hues moved to dominate the usually soft toned blues. Normally sky watching wouldn't pose that much of an inconvenience. It was New York and people could ignore someone laying on the sidewalk. Put yourself in the middle of the road and you became an inconvenient obstacle for someone to forcibly remove and interact with. Given his vicinity near the mansion he did hold out hope for  some form of altruism to help complete his journey to people that could hopefully help him or at the very least keep him tended to while he got over whatever the hells was happening.

His clothes were in a tattered state, jeans split in half at each leg, shirt seams ripped, and all around fairly grungy as if he had attempted to pull himself along at some point and gave up. Not to mention the angry looking red that assumed itself over half of his visible flesh and most of his face leaving one eye its normal white and brown and red on black. The worst of the visible maladies was the fact one leg from the knee down was much larger and out of proportion to the rest of him. If one bothered to approach the freakshow doing his best impression of roadkill they would notice his skin visible moving and writhing about in no discernable pattern. He inhaled to take in a deep breath and steel himself to make some sort of progress when he choked halfway through coughing and sputtering as he turned his head to expel what suspiciously looked like a blood clot a ways from him and with and almost resigned slowness tried to wipe the rest off his face with his hand. "Right." How long did it take a normal person to die of thirst? Not soon enough.

The butterflies were the first to notice the blood.

Elizabeth stepped off the bus with her bags of purchases in hand and a swarm of tiger swallowtails dancing and flitting around her head and shoulders. They rested on her wavy blonde hair, they fluttered around her bare shoulders, they swooped by the sea green folds of her sundress, and otherwise created a yellow and black kaleidoscope around her. Other passengers on the bus had stared in awe and wonder the entire time.

The scent of blood reach Liz moments later. It wasn’t that she herself could smell it, not since the bus stop was a bit a ways away, but the bloodscent was taking the foreground of the minds of the butterflies and what they experienced, she experienced. “Find it,” she whispered.

She didn’t have to say anything, but she liked to. She believed that verbal commands helped train animals in ways psychic commands could not. A trained animal could be obedient long after she was out of range - a mind controlled one would not.

The butterfly swarm was already streaking ahead in a haphazard line even before the words left her mouth. As she started to jog after them, she shifted her bags to one hand and slid her other hand into her small purse to grab hold of her pepper spray. Just in case.

Even before she herself saw the body, she already had a 360 degree view of it. The smell of blood was strong and even through multi-faceted butterfly eyes, it was clear there was a problem. She set her bags down on the sidewalk and strolled over to the man, keeping back a couple of yards. “Sir? Are you okay? Sir?” she projected, her hand still on her pepper spray. This close to the mansion, she couldn’t take any chances.

Butterflies? Now wouldn't that just be the epitome of irony if the 'old gods' were real and he was about to be taken away but butterflies to some fae circle. That would be a pretty awesome way to go. Wait nope, still in intense pain and not dead. There goes another hopeful theory. Oh wait a voice!

He turned his dual colored face towards the voice and would have perked an eyebrow if he had control over it that particular moment. "Just fantastic, decided to lay down in the road for a bit to really get inside how roadkill feels." Snapping a bit and his face instantly conveyed regret. "Sorry, its been a day. No I am most certainly not okay. Was on my way up the hill for some reason I cannot currently recall when my femur and tibia decided to fuse.. er knee. Would that make it a fibia.. temur? Anyway.. it was hard enough walking with the giant size 20 on the right. I recall dragging myself into the road and hoping for help or death. Which in particular is it?" Turning his face to look at the woman as a worm like ripple etched itself across his face. "Quite alluring for an angel of death I have to say."

Shock, adrenaline? Sure why not both. He was about 200% certain his biochemistry was absolutely wrecked right this second. He attempted to snatch at a butterfly that drifted too close like a clumsy drunk, not realising he hand't caught it until he brought his hand to his mouth and frowned. "Damn I'm hungry."

Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she was relieved or even warier that the man was not dead. That was something she’d unpack later though. For now, she was running the simulations. Her immediate thoughts went to the protection of the school, which was practically in sight.

The face that looked back at her was rather horrific. Was the flesh actually crawling? Liz fought back her rising gorge and instead poured more of herself into the butterflies. They swarmed around the man in a dizzying array of colors and frantic movements. She drew upon their indifference and set her mind to the task at hand.

“My apologies,” she said clinically. “Not everything is always as it seems.” She still didn’t move toward the man, although she cocked her head as his frank analysis of his situation. She took in more of his appearance, particularly noting the asymmetrical proportions of the man. “You’re a mutant then.” She was toneless, or at least she tried to be. She still did not know if this was a threat.

….it seemed he thought she was an angel though. Liz did not roll her eyes, but she wanted to. “As pickup lines go, I’ve heard better,” she said, slowly approaching the man, like a stalking cat. “If you need help, I can get you to the Xavier Sister School for Gifted Youngsters. We have medical facilities there. Are you able to walk or is your condition more serious?” First aid usually advocated to leave the person there, but Liz also knew mutant physiologies sometimes rendered those instructions meaningless. As such, she figured even if this guy was a threat to the mansion, the mansion was also filled with people who could handle him. At the very least, she could always call her boyfriend.

Then a small surge of panic struck her. Liz blinked and immediately oriented on the butterfly caught in the hand. All the butterflies began panicking as well and they darted away into a wide circle around the man. “No no no no no!” Liz said, her eyes bugging out as she watched the butterfly head towards the man’s mouth.

Staring up at the kaleidoscope of colors wasn't about to do his own system any good so he focused very intently on his potential savior. It was pretty hard to miss how pale she suddenly got and he allowed himself a small smirk. "Imagine how it feels, take your time.. well sort of, would rather not die in the road at the very least if that is what is happening." Nodding ever so slightly at the apology and waved a hand drunkenly. "Your quite alright miss. Not exactly a predictable circumstance."

Depending on your definition man might be a bit of a stretch. He was certainly masculine, but the parts of him that weren't red or messed up didn't make him look a day over 18. "I hope so. If I am not a mutant I am sure death is all that's left. I get the feeling ill be fine. Though my while body feels like it's on fire and I can feel.. well you don't want to know the argument my livers are having with my kidneys let alone everything else.

"It was more an expectation of a skeleton with a scythe then a pick up line.. Why would I be heading for a school for help? Not remembering much at the moment." He gave her question a moments thought. "Some sharp stuff and some food would be lovely. At this point I think I need help up and someone to keep me from falling." Thenbof course he had to go and try and snack in a butterfly and stopped himself at the last moment before letting it go unharmed to rejoin the flock.

"Must be a vegetarian if your some sort of empath or bug controller, sorry. Very hungry." He rocked a bit and with way more effort then it should have taken he managed to sit up. "Whoah." Wincing painfully and closing his eyes as he suddenly got dizzy and blood ran from his nose for a moment. He opened a blood red eye to look and look at her. "I really could use your help. Promise not to bite." Extending a shaky hand towards her and tilting his head some as he wondered what she would ultimately decide.

The butterfly was not consumed. It was released to the swarm and Elizabeth ensured they stayed well out of reach of the man. It wasn’t so much that she couldn’t stand to let any of them be killed, it was more the fact that she had never felt something die before and didn’t want today to be the day she did.

But the guy needed help and at his point blank request, Liz removed her hand from her purse and approached him, the butterflies parting for her and then reforming a very chaotic bubble around them. “Help and food, we can do,” she said as she bent down to help the man up.

At this point, she figured even if they did cause internal damage or paralysis, Doc could probably heal everything up. Also, the guy nearly ate a butterfly she was in tune with, so if he hurt a little? Eh, pain was an excellent reason to learn. And he’d better be hurting because if this is just playing dead to lure me in, I’m going to be so embarrassed if I have to rely on butterflies to avenge me!

Liz moved to pull the man’s arm around her shoulders so he could lean on her, trying not to think about all the blood and gore getting on her or her dress. It didn’t help that the butterflies were excited about the blood. “I’m Elizabeth,” she introduced herself. “Come on, let’s get you to the school so we can figure out what to do next.”

It was a bit akward to get helped up as he was much denser and heavier then he looked. After a bit of hopping and shuffling to get his mismatched and semi fused legs under him it was much easier when he was settled on his own weight. Perhaps a happy side bonus for her was while he certainly did have a fair share of blood on him closer inspection revealed his skin that wasn't eastern European was actually crimson red not unlike a devils might be. 

"Its good to be upright again. Pretty sure I was laying on like the only damn rock on the road." Levity was always good in uncomfortable situations right? "Nice to meet you Elizabeth. I'm.-hssst. Ow ow ow." Putting his free hand to his temple. "Ugh nope. John Doe I guess today." Almost stumbling as he lost his Penguin walk stride. It wasn't fast progress, but they were going to make it to the school eventually.

"I do wonder why I was heading towards a school for help and why I suddenly feel.. uncomfortable about going there. As for what to do. A scalpel and some steak would be a great start.. hmm no. Something with more calories. Eh why not both? Or if that's too offensive a lovely vegetable smoothie would be awesome. Eh who am i kidding I would eat straight lard if that is all you have." A disconcerting level of grumbling escaping his abdominal region. He kept one eye closed as it was the only thing keeping him from being dizzy and ralphing whatever he did have in his stomach all over the place.  Glancing over at his helper a moment before focusing on the path ahead of them.

"Sorry about the dress I will be happy to pay for a replacement once.. whatever this is is over. Despite my bit of melodrama I feel like this is very unusual, but not life threatening. Of course I wouldn't trust the word of an amnesiac so there is that too." A small chuckle leaving his lips before a gurgle caught his throat and he swallowed whatever he was about to hack up without even really thinking about it. "Fair warning if we reach the top of this place and its a cemetery I am going to roll away as fast as I can. Way too weird late night TV-esque for me thanks."

Where was Elizabeth’s supernaturally strong and buff boyfriend when she needed him?! This guy was no parrot on the shoulder! The Mr. Hyde thing going on also kept throwing her balance off so it was fortunate for everyone involved that his legs weren’t entirely shattered, meaning he could still support much of his own weight.

“John Doe,” Liz repeated after she got used to the shock of his sudden weight against her significantly smaller frame. “We’ll get that taken care of too. What are the last events you can remember?” she asked. It looked like he’d gotten hit by a bus. Or a really big Ugly Hammer. Worst case scenario, they could perform a little mutant CSI to figure out what had happened to Mr. Doe and who he was.

Again, he brought up food. And a scalpel. “No, I think we should get you to see our doctor,” Liz countered. “You could have internal bleeding and you clearly have a concussion. He can give you a look-over and handle most if not all of what’s going on with you.” She didn’t add that he was a mutant with the power to heal. “We’ll swing by the cafeteria after.”

“Yeaaaah, don’t mention it,” Liz said with a rueful smile as she glanced at her dress. It was a lost cause. However, by this point she was realizing John Doe was slipping into a stream of consciousness, although still coherent. Good. Keeping him talking could keep him focused on moving. “We’re almost there. There’s no cemetery though - we do different things with our dead.”

Liz grinned a feral grin and the butterflies momentarily formed the rough shape of a writhing human skull in midair before breaking back into a surrounding swarm.

"At the current time I am looking forward to having a sit in in an ungodly overstuffed chair. The identity crisis can wait.. honestly the last thing I remember right this moment is just minding my own business walking down the street." Shrugging slightly as there wasn't much else he could say. "Oh wait a minute." Looking down at the ground and holding a hand to his chest a moment later a chunk of lead vaguely resembling a bullet burrowed out of his chest in his heart region and plopped into his hand covered in blood. The hole in his chest slipping closed shortly after leaving. "A clue!" Chuckling darkly at the turn of events before slipping the lead into his pocket. 

"Hey I am a doctor I can take care of myself." he grumbled out in a grumpy manner before brightening a bit. "Hey I was a doctor.. or something.. I think. Damn my head hurts. What makes you think I have a concussion?" Arching an eyebrow as he peeked over at her momentarily. 

He cyclopsed a look at the butterflies and chuckled some. "Dark humor, I like it. Though I just cant find it in me to be scared of butterflies. Being some sort of undead minion would be recycling wouldn't it?" Sure his good mood may have been inappropriate to his level of pain, but life was what you made of it. Suddenly he froze and gripped onto her for the typical wind up to a righteous sneeze. Covering his mouth and turning away from her in some modest attempt to not be an even worse memory for the poor lady. Shuddering a bit as he finished and glancing at the results and hiding it. "Uh.. Miss Elizabeth.. I don't mean to be gross, but I doubt a doctor is going to help. Last I checked being able to sneeze your brains out was supposed to be a joke correct?" Tasking a moment to show her his hand covered in bits of what was unmistakably blood covered brains. 

"I feel.. a bit better actually." Wiping the mess of on an already grimy part of his tattered jeans and resuming their walk towards the mansion. "Still hungry though maybe even more so." 

Okay, so butterflies are definitely never going to be effectively used as an intimidation factor. Noted. Elizabeth hadn’t really planned on them succeeding, but it was worth a shot. Threat displays and bluffs were very common tactics in the animal kingdom and she felt it never hurt to leave people completely uncertain what you could do or believe you were far scarier than you were. Only reason she was still alive today, actually.

She went to shrug but the weight of the arm across her shoulders prevented the move so she just grinned instead. “Obviously you’ve never encountered a death’s head moth then,” she said.

John Doe had, however, encountered a bullet. Liz blinked several times as he held up the ‘clue’. He had a mangled leg, his body was becoming some horrific thing, and now he revealed he’d been shot? Yet he was just talking about overstuffed chairs and steaks!

“Oh no, we’re definitely taking you to the doc,” Liz reaffirmed. “You’re literally losing brain cells and I’m pretty sure your head isn’t on straight anymore. Don’t worry, we’ll get you through this - Doc is the best.”

"Hinestly be more worried about the introduction of a non native species to a biosphere. Proving once again humans are the most dangerous animal of them all." Grinning right back at her. He had sort of gotten used to the feeling of fire across his body and was doing his best to ignore it.

"Ugh, I literally just pushed a bullet out of my chest. Explain how a doctor is going to help when I can do that hmm?" OK maybe he was a teensy bit hurt she implied he was crazy. "Fine, so after your doctor gives me a looking over and sends us on our way yiur no longer going to be able to dodge your responsibilities of being a good hostess and feeding your weary gun shit visitors."

How long was this private road anyway. Ah finally a gate to the school. "Looks like a third world country border checkpoint. This place filled with a bunch of rich kids? Because dealing with that sounds worse then death?" Man why did his pre discombulated self think this was a good idea?

Elizabeth watched Mr. Doe through compound eyes from a couple of butterflies. It meant she didn’t have to look directly at him to observe him. “Humans are certainly in the running for deadliest animal,” she said neutrally. It was a long debate she could dive into easily, but she decided this wasn’t the best time.

He seemed rather most insistent that he didn’t need a doctor though. Elizabeth studied his gait and posture as they walked. He did seem to be getting stronger and more balanced, and yes he was carrying a full conversation without seeming to be under excessive strain. Something clicked.

“Very well, we can save the doctor’s visit for after a meal,” she said decisively. “I do not like the way your skin is crawling, but I gather that it’s related to your mutation, isn’t it? Some form of advanced cellular regeneration?” It reminded her of a crustacean growing a new limb or a shell. That would account for the apparent hunger - in both the natural world and the mutant world, transformation, growth, and healing frequently required high caloric intakes to power the regenerative processes. If he’d been shot in the chest, his physiology could be working overtime to repair damage.

“Do you remember if this is a normal side effect of your power?” she asked. “Or are you developing…tumors or such?”

Liz pushed open one of the main doors at the front of the mansion. “We have students, faculty, and residents from all walks of life in these halls,” she said simply. “Many of them have fled persecution. We tend to take security rather seriously.” It was an explanation and a warning.

Now that they were inside, she’d dismissed the butterflies and left them free to wander the outdoors. Inside, she was already calling on other points of view. A few spiders, a mouse that had snuck by her early-morning monitoring, and several flies that had gotten into the mansion. None of them immediately showed themselves, other than the flies, as they had to make their ways toward her, but as Liz helped John Doe to the kitchen, the flies formed a dirty halo over her head.

“Let’s get some food in you,” she said.

The fact he couldn't directly answer Liz's question was only mildly frustrating. For all he knew this was completely normal though a more instinctual feeling told him he would survive at the very least. The specifics were as clear as mud however. "Yay food!" Only having to force the enthusiasm a bit. "If you don't like it you should try feeling it. Indescribable really. I also know that word, but can't tell you for sure. Everything feels.. off. Very informative I know."

"I believe my body is going through a cycle of tumoring, realizing its not right, exploding and trying again. Feels about as comfortable as it sounds." Listening intently at her explanation before chuckling darkly. "Oh yes.. the man that can barely stand on his own is such a security risk. Hmmm wouldn't it suck if I was some weird imperfect clone power created by some bad guys to infiltrate the place before I explode? Not that I feel particularly combustible at the moment." Would an evil creation out itself as being evil? He didn't think so. 

His face visibly fell then he sighed. "Or some serial killer.. or mass murderer. Could I be tried if I don't remember doing those things? Be a curious legal study either way.." Eyeballing the flies out of the corner of his eye then shaking his head and with some effort and help from Liz managing himself into a chair. "Ahhh that feels good. What's on the menu Chef Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth gave a non committal “Mmm” and nodded in acknowledgement at the pure lack of concrete information being provided by this guy. “I assume you don’t remember that much of your past either,” she said nearly tonelessly. She was holding her cards close to her chest because honestly she had no idea what was going on with the guy. Usually people who kept up conversations with her after…getting hit by cars?...were either tough enough to tough it out or about to die. Add mutations into the mix and their sheer variety and it was a gamble.

Please, God, don’t let this guy die in the kitchen and don’t let him kill me or anyone else. It probably said a lot about her that she gave that matter no additional thought. It’s not like this hadn’t happened to her before.

She arched an eyebrow only briefly at the guy’s explanation, when it finally came. “That makes sense,” she noted. “I used to date a guy who regularly shredded his skin off in order to change into something else. Awkward at first, but clearly survivable.” Well, the changes at least. Carrick’s personality was a completely different story.

As unthrilled with the line of conversation that followed as she was, Liz just shrugged as she pulled out an entire carton of eggs and started rifling through cabinets for pans and related cooking tools. “You would definitely be tried, regardless of your memory or not,” she said simply, attempting to ignore the renewed interest in his blood that the flies were giving her. “Of course, if you could convince the jury you were a new person, you might get away with it. At least in the court of law,” she said.

One of the spiders crawled into the room and she detected a single roach. She narrowed her eyes and sent the roach zooming in circles underneath the appliance so it couldn’t be seen. She’d deal with it later. For now, it would help keep watch.

“I’m thinking omelets,” she said as she started cracking eggs. “What kind of goodies you like in yours?”