It was late afternoon.  The sun was hanging low in the sky.  A soft breeze carried a liter of leaves briskly down the street.  People were walking, laughing going about their daily lives.  It made Kendra feel guilty.  Guilty for not having a life of her own.  She had her camera and that was enough for her most days.  Still, the twinge in her heart, hurt more than usual seeing people with healthy functioning social lives.  She raised the lens to her eye and shuttered a few pictures of a man walking his dog.  She liked capturing normal.  It was a sad hobby, but it still qualified as a hobby.  When she uploaded the pictures to her computer she would sometimes make up stories for these people.  Imagine who they were, what they were like.  Kendra worked for a magazine that published articles about mutants.  Her pictures were always very telling.  Sometimes a single picture could encapsulate everything you needed to know about a particular mutant.  What their powers were.  Who they were as people.  The magazine always filtered them in a slightly more sinister light.  Readers ate that up.  It was almost as poisonous as celebrity gossip magazines, but people were fearful idiots by nature.  They felt safer knowing what kind of mutants were out there.  It didn't really matter that Kendra always tried to bring out the best in her subjects.

There were no mutants here.  Not that she knew of at any rate.  Kendra worked as a freelance photographer and her job could be tough.  She felt guilty about her trade as well.  She knew the magazine was going go spin whatever she submitted in some article perhaps titled "Are the streets safe with this guy walking the streets?"  Or some equally click baity title.  Kendra was a mutant.  Not that her vicious little gossip rag would ever find that out.  Her powers were for the most part harmless.  She got a little out of hand sometimes, but she wasn't a violent person.  She didn't consider herself an evil one either.  Maybe some small part of her hoped to do some good by presenting photos that cast a positive light on things.  She hated that her subject matter was taken out of context, but the money was good and a girl's' got to eat.

Sitting down on a park bench she brushed the hair away from her face.  Gracefully she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at the pictures she had taken today.  Guy walking his dog, Old couple holding hands.  She scrolled photo after photo.  A slight smile lit her face; breaking the tension that threatened to tear her apart.  Kendra set a police scanner down beside her and clicked it on.  Maybe she would hear something about a mutant causing a disturbance nearby.  Public menace paid big.  Also, she figured, if she could shed light on the bad ones maybe she could make people feel safer.  Help get the bad mutants off the streets.  As she sat there she allowed her mind to drift back to the people she had met.  Her heart fluttered a little seeing Rebecca Grey's face in her mind's eye.  The smile widened at that, dimples touching the corners of her face.  She hadn't been at the mansion long, but her time there was fondly remembered.  She remembered.....  Wait.  Kendra scrolled back a few photos and saw a shady looking man standing around with his hands in his pockets.  She had accidentally snapped three photos of him.  The first photo showed him looking left,  The second looking right.  The third showed him reaching for something from the trunk of his car.  She didn't know why but her heart began to race as she stood up and looked around for him.

Her gaze focused on the direction of the man with his dog, because the shady man was standing behind him in the photos.  That's when Kendra was thrown backwards through the air.  The distant sound of screaming faintly reached her ears as she struck a tree.  Something hard and jutting crumpled her spin.  Kendra cried out as she slumped down the side of the tree before collapsing in a heap.  She didn't even realize that she had snapped another photo as she was sailing through the air.  The photo showed the shady man, blurry surrounded by a green glow.  Kendra blinked a few times.  She was in tremendous pain and still she found herself reaching for her camera.  The lens was cracked and it was pointing in the direction she was thrown from....  She felt herself fading from reality.  The conscious world slowly cartwheeling through her fingers.  More screams and suddenly a shadow falling over her.  Kendra tried to turn her head to see who it was but her neck was still.  She laid there whimpering weakly Her back felt hot and wet.  

The icemancer needed a drink. He shouldn’t have one but the feeling of needing it was still there. A few months sober now, after the loss of the mansion to the mystics and a few other things leading up to and what happened after he justified the drink. Now he was trying to better himself again. It was always a struggle. He didn’t need to call Rex to give him a pep talk. Or Cora. They had their own stuff to deal with.

Which was why he was in the park. Somewhere he came often since getting into a fight with a mystic who laid him out and got away. Part of him hoped he saw the mystic there. Waiting for him instead of just remembering how he failed his friends yet again. That drink was sounding better the more he dwelled on it. Whiskey. Irish. He had the bottle already picked out sitting at the bar he owned. Another reason to be in the park.

There was screams. Getting out of his head he looked up and saw a flash of green. More screams. His pretzel hit the ground as he hopped once, then again. Each time he stepped an ice pillar rose up lift him higher and higher until the last one launched him upwards and forwards towards the screams. He saw a woman fly into a tree and slump down. He sped up moving his legs to speed up his momentum.

Jumping from the slide and landing near her he darted over to her his body already coating in his thick ice armor. ”What happened? You okay?” the temperature dropped several degrees as frost started to coat the grass around them.

Sam didn’t know what he was dealing with, it could have been magic. Something he was still trying to understand and counter. His thermal sense reached out around them illuminating all of Sam’s blind spots.

What Kendra did not know was that she had angered the man.  He was, in fact a dangerous fugitive.  She had accidentally taken his photograph and he had noticed.  He was here for something.  What that was Kendra did not know.  She hadn't even really seen who hit her.  Her mind was a fuzzy haze that seemed to jump from one thought to the next.  One moment she was reaching in her pocket for her cell phone and then the next she was trying to remember were she was.  A thin trickle of blood dripped from the back of her head.  Kendra could feel the wentess there.  Reaching up to the back of her head she hissed.  It stung and when she drew her hand away her fingertips were stained red.  

It was hard to make sense of it all with the screaming and confusion.  People were panicky idiots by nature also.  They panicked when things went off the rails.  Things were going off the rails now as more light flashed across the sky.  Kendra looked up, willed her eyes to focus on anything but only saw blurred lines weaving in and out of shape.  Her vision was doubled and suddenly there was a handsome face above her asking her if she was alright.  "Huh?"  She somehow managed.  Kendra was loosing consiousness, and fast.   Kendra nodded to answer his question.  Her tongue felt heavy in her mouth which was suddenly devoid of spit.  The last of her saliva was running down her chin with a faintly pink tinge of blood.  Oh god am I seriously fucked up?  She thought dazedly to herself.   Then she allowed her eyes to close.  

Her head fell in the dirt and her breathing was shallow and hard. 

Suddenly she was outside of her body.  Standing over herself.  Well, it's official old buddy put my lights out.  She thought.  Kendra took stock of things.  She was wearing exactly what she had been wearing when she passed out.  A black leather jacket and a pair of jeans ripped at the knees.  On the inner lining of her jacket was a tranquilizer gun on a shoulder holster and a collapsible police baton.  Kendra pulled the tranq gun and shot the scary guy with the weird powers.  The dart buried in his shoulder but he didn't seem to notice.  Really getting a good look at him now she realized just how big this guy was.  

When Kendra astral projected whatever was on her person at the time became invisible in her dream state, just like she was.  She could only be seen in reflections.  She could only be noticed if she picked something up in the world that she hadn't already had on her.  She stashed her gun and grabbed her sleeping body.  She began to drag it away behind the tree that she struck.  She had to get her physical form to safety.  Her eyes kept glancing back between the handsome stranger and the danger stranger.  Kendra's physical body seemed to float.  She was pulling herself by grabbing under the arm pits.  Her arms kind of hung in the air like she was a sleepwalking zombie, scooting back on her butt by unseen forces.  "Don't worry about me! Take care'a that creep!"  She instructed.  Her dreaming voice had a slight echo too it as it carried on the soft breeze.  She didn't know Sam, or why he wanted to help, she thought he was outmatched, but that wasn't her immediate concern.

After she stashed herself Kendra looked around for her camera.  It had come out of her hand before she passed out so it was clearly visible for all to see.  She teleported too it.  Using her dream teleport to blink to the new location; Kendra picked up her camera and blinked away back to her body.  Back to safety.  She could feel her head pounding as the danger stranger began to speak.  "Walk away pal.  My business is with the girl.  Not you.  No need to ruin that pretty face of yours."

Kendra felt bad for getting this guy involved.  She didn't know why the guy had a problem with her, but if he did it was her problem to deal with.  She had dealt with bullies, before though Kendra did not usually think of herself as much of a fighter.  She was capable under the right circumstances, but in order to gain any confidence she had to think.  She had to clear her head.  Her physical body had taken a blow to the head and back.  Both were throbbing in her astral form.  It was hard to focus, hard to think with her pounding migraine.  Just run away she thought.  He won't be able to see me and you can just get the heck outta here!  Kendra thought quietly.  She forgot about the camera she was pulling up to her eye taking pictures with.  The handsome hero vs. the big bad mutant.  At least she could get some good pictures out of it.  Kendra hadn't seen Sam use his powers.  Hadn't even had the focus to take notice of his ice armor or the frosty mist around him until she saw it through the camera lens.  The camera lens always brought things into sharper focus.  Who the heck is this guy?!?  She thought taking a few pictures of Cold Steel; thinking now he may not be as outmatched as she thought.

The ice fully encased his body now, including his face as he studied the downed woman. Clearly a head injury. She seemed dazed, Sam was about to move her then she spoke.

>”Huh?”

”You’re gonna be okay.” he said calmly. His attention was on her but his thermal sense painted a picture of everything going on around him. Someone approached. A man. Big. Not Hercules big but big enough where he knew he was out classed in the weight department.

The icemancer didn’t bother turning to look until he was spoken to by a voice that didn’t match the shape. It seemed distant. Sam wasn’t sure if he heard correctly then watched as the woman’s body started to move as if it was dragged by an invisible force.

”I don’t have time for Ghosts.” he said to himself really wishing he had his flask with him. Maybe after.... no. Sam sighed loudly clearly irritated by the whole situation. She had a head injury and had to be helped.

>>> "Walk away pal. My business is with the girl. Not you. No need to ruin that pretty face of yours."

”Well... no... It’s with me now.” he said stepping forward in between them as he moved the ice armor remained in place until Sam stepped out of it fully. The armor now an identical ice clone of Sam placed a frozen hand on the back of the woman’s head.

Out of his armor he folded his arms. ”Thanks for the compliment, what do you want with her?” not that it would help the man out in this situation.

Kendra watched from behind the tree.  She was still taking pictures.  She wasn't taking them with the intent to sell them to her magazine.  They could take a short hop off a big bridge.  She was documenting the heroics.  She had dealt with mutants.  She had even almost become an X-man at one point in her life, though that was long behind her and almost might have been a bit of a stretch.  Kendra however, had never seen actual heroics up close in a live situation.  They were all simulations and hypotheticals.  She had been in some scraps herself, but never had a hero stepped out of nowhere to save her like a damsel in distress. 

A part of her was really taken aback by this.  Surely had nothing to do with the man's very ruggedly handsome face.  Surely not at all. She snapped a few more pictures watching the ice man and his unreal power.  She watched him make two of himself and suddenly one of him was placing a cool hand on her head.  She felt his touch on her astral skin.  It was dampened, as all her feelings in this state were, but it was soft and tingly.  It made her coo a bit.  She closed her eyes and nestled the air embracing the touch, from behind the tree where no one was physically touching her astral form.  It was weird, granted.  And if she hadn't been invisible she would have looked quite silly.  Kendra never thought about that stuff.  She spent a good portion of her life invisible to other people so she had little in the way of self consciousness.  

Clearing her throat and recomposing herself Kendra made a sour embarrassed face just the same.  She ignored the fact that a handsome guy was coming to her rescue and checking on her at the same time.  Not many people like us that can be in two places at once.  She thought musingly.  She watched the big guy become annoyed.  Obviously he wasn't used to people telling him no.  It seemed like he was much more used to people telling him "Please don't hurt me!" Instead.  

The man finally dug the tranq dart out of his shoulder.  He looked at it a moment and then tossed it away.  "Listen, Elsa.  Im not going back to jail.  So you need to just "Let it go!"  I won't be telling you again nicely.  In fact.  You're starting to piss me off."  Kendra could see perfectly find from here.  Though she would see better from in the tree.  Blinking away, an invisible cloud of red and cream colored smoke reappeared in the tree above her body.  The light pink aura around her skin brightened vibrantly as she smirked.  Only the smirk did not last.  The man shot an energy beam that went wild.  It was thrown with haste and anger, or maybe a warning shot.  It struck the tree with a blunt force.  It was light energy but it seemed to hit like a physical blow.  It didn't cut or burn it bludgoned.  Interesting.  The whole tree shook.  Kendra almost fell out of it onto handsome guy's head.  

Blinking away again, this time she landed right beside her body.  Right beside the man.  She didn't have time to slow walk someone into the realization that she was real, and she was there and she was a mutant in trouble.  She pulled out a pocket hand mirror from her bacck pocket and opened it.  Angling her reflection so so the man could see her face in the invisible floating mirror.  The mirror was just barely small enough to fit into her back pocket; so the resulting reflection was enough to see all of Kendra's face.  It floated by the clone.  The mirror itself was invisible like Kendra's astral form but her face floated there in front of him anyways.  "Hey, honey.  I thank you for com'in to my rescue'nall but we gots to move my body before a tree falls on it.  I'm too heavy to lift ma'self."  Kendra wasn't even sure if he could hear or understand her.  He didn't seem to be moving a whole lot.  She could still feel his cool touch on her body.  His cool touch on her head.  "You hearin me darling? We gots to get along lil'doggy."

He didn’t answer his question. Much to Sam’s irritation. He didn’t want to go back to prison though... that was a start to figure out who he was and what he wanted to do with the girl behind him. Instead of giving him more information he pulled something out of his shoulder. Even with his one eye he could see it was a dart. Someone shot him.

Sam took a second and looked back over his shoulder and guessed the woman shot him. There was no one else around. The temperature around them was chilled meaning it would have been next to impossible for anyone to sneak up on him. Unless they didn’t give thermal readings.

>>>"Listen, Elsa. I’m not going back to jail. So you need to just "Let it go!" I won't be telling you again nicely. In fact. You're starting to piss me off."

There was a loud audible sigh. Another reference to that movie. It was good, the movie. Since it came out however Sam had been hearing nothing but jokes from it. Most of them from students. Was this guy a former student? No, he wouldn’t have gone to jail. ”Attacking someone isn’t the best way to stay out of there.”

There was a flash of heat and light coming from the guy in front of him. Checking the direction, he ducked and armored up again pulling more water moisture from the air and turning it into ice. The man missed, hitting the tree behind him near the girl and the clone. The tree made a thud sound and he smiled, almost hopeful. It seemed straight forward. Meaning it wasn’t magic. He was sick of magic.

”Move.” on cue the clone scooped the woman and started running in the opposite direction from Sam and the goon. Meanwhile, Sam charged throwing a beam of blue cold in his direction as he closed the distance prepping for the next blast.

Kendra was in no shape to fight herself.  Her back was screaming at her and her head was woozy.  The clone was fast.  He scooped up her body and said run, but what he really meant was fly because he was gone!  Kendra had to teleport to keep up.  Though, blinking to new locations was difficult.  She kept landing way off the mark of where she wanted.  As the blood started to pump harder in her body her head pounded.  Her vision doubled again.  Do I have a concussion?   She thought.  She felt a sick feeling rising in her stomach.  She couldn't even offer a loook back over her shoulder to see how the fight was going.  She hoped that the cold guy kicked his ass.

Kendra teleported rapidly.  BLINK BLINK BLINK BLINK.  Each time she felt closer to throwing up until she actually did.  Her stomach was doing cartwheels in her throat.  Breakfast came up.  A super fruit smoothie and some crackers.  She wasn't the best at taking care of herself.  As Kendra's astral form leaned over and vomited; her body threw up as well.  You're not supposed to move someone with a head injury.  But it was better than being murdered.  When the ice clone guy slowed and put her down again.  Kendra walked over to her body.  She couldn't afford to teleport.  There was nothing left in her stomach to come up, but it was a sick feeling just the same.

"Thank you."  She said out of breath.  "I'm Daydream."   She said offering her hand.  When he didn't take it right away she reached out and took it's hand and shook it.  She really did appreciate the heroics, but she was hesitant to just offer up her name to a stranger.  It was something she had learned.  Being careful that was.  She wasn't always that way but lately a lot of crazy things had been happening.  Kendra realized she was still holding the mirror.  She put it away.  Crouching she gently began trying to wake herself up.  Shaking herself by the shoulders until she began to stir.  As her eyes cracked open astral Kendra disappeared.

Kendra leaned up and looked around.  She was fully awake now.  Her head still hurt but at least the double vision had subsided.  Kendra reached into her jacket and grabbed her collapsible police baton.  She thought about joining the fight, but in her current state she would only get in the way.  She would let the stranger handle the danger.  He seemed capable of taking this guy down quickly.  Kendra's fingers fell away from the baton and she just sat back on her hands on the grass.  Her camera hung around her neck, though she didn't want more pictures.  She just wanted to know that the ice man would win and be okay.   She'd feel awful if someone else got hurt because of her.

The ice clone of Sam tilted its head to the side as the woman spoke. After a moment it’s frozen hand was lifted and shook. It didn’t say anything 3for another moment as if wanting to choose it’s words carefully. ”Safe” it said finally in Sam’s voice as he stood over the limp body of the woman. Crouching down as she started to move it said again. ”Safe.” then raised it’s hands to slow her down from getting up.

The clone had Sam’s feelings, thoughts, and actions. Years of being in the field and seeing people get injured gave the clone some knowledge on how to help people who had head injuries. They weren’t supposed to move or be moved.

Looking back over in the direction of where they just left Sam and the goon the clone spoke again. ”Safe.” before holding up two fingers in front of the woman wanting her to count them.

There was several beams of light erupting out from over the trees followed by some snow. Sam himself made short work of the guy. He was a mutant. A strong one, not as strong as Ranger, Javi or Hercules but enough where a punch to the shoulder managed to dislocate it.

After a painful relocation of the shoulder he managed to make short work of the guy. Another clone formed during the fight and froze the guy in place. All except his mouth.

“I’m not going back.” he said again almost if he was on repeat. He was shivering. Lips were blue and his whole body shook under the weight of the ice encasing him. ”We’ll sort that out later.” he said wondering if the woman wanted to press charges or at the least get a restraining order.

”Stay here. I got to go check on the possessed chick.” he said thumbing in her direction before launching himself into the air in the direction of her and the clone. ”Safe!” the clone said again as Sam landed near them. His ice armor falling to soften his land.

Kendra watched the hero land in front of her.  She was wearing a smile on her face.  Even despite her injuries.  Her injuries might have been more intense if she hadn't lost consciousness.  Though when she entered her astral form, she woke up with a healed over scar on the back of her head and a barely existent ache in her back.  Pain was more numbed out in the astral plane.  When she woke up whatever pain she had felt was still there, but mostly healed.  It was a good thing too.  Kendra stood up when Sam approached her.  "Preciate you takin care''o thangs."  Kendra said with her heavy Georgia accent.  She hed out her hand unsure what to make of the guy but wanting to thank him properly all the same.  "Kendra."  She said humbly.

She didn't offer her mutant name.  He didn't know she was a mutant.  Or at least he wasn't sure if he did ot not.  The one to her right didn't seem likely to tell him.  He seemed to be stuck on a loop repeating the word safe.  Kendra turned to the ice clone.  "Thank you kindly too."  She added giving the clone a kiss on it's cold cold cheek.  Kendra smiled brightly showing the dimples in her cheeks.  Her eyes seemed to twinkle and light up as she did this.  She supposed she didn't want this guy to think of her as a mutant.  It wouldn''t have been the worst thing in the world.  He was a mutant, but for once in her whole life she just wanted to be seen as Kendra.  Not Daydream.  The girl with the quirky powers that always got a million questions.  And rightly so it took a while to explain them.  

"What happens to that guy?  I don't even know that guy.  He just started raging out."  Kendra said.  Unaware that she still had her hand on her camera.  Leaving the fairly obvious conclusion that the guy who kept crying about not wanting to go back to jail, might have gotten his picture taken.  Kendra was a sweet girl, but she wasn't the shaprest cookie in the box of light bulbs if you know what I mean.  Sometimes she daydreamed literally and her mind would subvert to the craziest fantasies.  Like how she saw Sam standing in front of her just now with a flowing cape and his hair blowing in the wind.  Sam turned his head and slightly so the sunshine could strike behind him.  Catching his silohuette in an amber glow that made him look like an angel.  He smiled at her with his balled fists pressed neatly into his hips in a classic hero pose.  When he smile a twinkle shinned off his perfect teeth.  It was dazzling.  Blinding really.  Somewhere behind him, somewhere in the park the national anthem was playing.  "It was nothing ma'am.  Just doing the work of America, for freedom and and all that.  I would love to take you out for dinner and a night of dancing."  Sam said to her.  Kendra blushed and giggled out loud.

Blinking her eyes a few times Kendra realized none of that was actually real.  Sam was standing in front of her staring at her, and a deep heat rose in her cheeks.  "Sorry.  Drifted off inta'ma head there for a moment."  She apologized.  She still stared at Sam's teeth wanting to see if they were as dazzlingly white as in her fantasy, but she also took a shy step back feeling a little dumb in the moment.  She also felt very hot despite the very cool guy in front of her.  He had a very strange effect on her indeed.

She healed fast, the mystery woman was already on her feet ready to thank him.

Her name was Kendra and she was thanking him for helping take care of things. ”Safe.” the clone said in his voice greeting Sam. Kendra thanked the clone, Sam didn’t have the heart to destroy the thing right away. So he let her thank it. She even kissed it on the cheek. ”Saaaffeeee...” the clone said tapping it’s lips.

The clones were more like him than he wanted to admit. ”That’s enough of that.” the X-man said knowing he should stay out of trouble. The icemancer looked to the clone and waved his hand. The clone took a step backwards and waved to Kendra as it fell apart.

Instantly the information the clone had seen was information that Sam had access to. Day Dream? The name was said with a spectral voice. Was that her name? So why was she introducing herself as Kendra? Could she turn into a ghost? It didn’t matter. Not now at least. He had a different series of questions. Manly why was she attacked.

She didn’t know. ”Well, depends on you. I’d recommend pressing charges or at least getting a restraining order if you don’t recognize him. He seemed to know you at least.” looking to the camera he wondered if that was what got her into trouble. Someone who got caught doing something on camera but didn’t want to do the time for it... at least that was what Sam was assuming because Kendra didn’t know who he was.

She was zoning out. Maybe the concussion? She did have a head injury... or at least she did. ”For a moment?” he smirked and took a step forward towards her as she backed up.

”You hit you’re head... should you be standing? I already called the police to pick up that guy... I can call an ambulance for you. I got plenty of field training but I’m not an expert. Mind if I take a look?” he asked wondering if her head was still bleeding. He shouldn’t have moved her. Something he was hoping he wouldn’t come to regret.

Kendra's smile deepened.  She shouldn't be such a rube.  She was in fact used to things going off the rails.  They always did around her.  It wasn't just that Kendra was accident prone.  She was an accident magnet.  She was always finding herself accidentally in dangerous situations.  LIke she attracted them.  Her code name should be fatal attraction.  "Yeah... I tend to do that."  Kendra said about his comment of her fast healing.  Screw it.  He already showed that all he cared about was weather or not she was okay.  So what if he knew she was a mutant.  "It's part'o my mutation I thank.  Some people call me Daydream.  Most just call me trouble."  She smiled weakly and allowed him to get a closer look at her head. 

He wasn't much of a conversationalist, but at least he was cute.  And he seemed to be genuinely worried.  There were worse ways to spend an afternoon.  "  Kendra watched as the clone fell away.  Here one minute and gone the next.  "He didn't feel that did he?"  Kendra asked with actual concern in her voice.  She felt bad for the clone.  Her eyes searched his face as she waited for him to reply.  Man this guy seemed really to be worried about her head.  "I dream walk.  If i go unconscious I astral project.  Thangs are healed by time i get back to my body.  I don't know how it works but I'm fine I promise.  What about'chu?  Are you hurt?  I didn't see the whole thang, but sounded like he was giving you a wallop."  Kendra eyed him thoughtfully.  She hadn't considered the police but she nodded when he suggested filing charges.  Kendra's mind was a tight wire of bouncing ideas.  She was going into a million different directions.  Everything from having to show up in court that would be a drag, to wondering if every part of this guy was cold to the touch.  As clumsy as she was she was always falling down and being sore.  This guy was one big icepack to sooth her aching muscles.  How nice would that be?  She bit her lip and flicked her eyes back up to meet his.  "Can we skip all the boring parts and just go get a drink?"  She asked.  Kendra was never this forward.

Then again, she was in the mood to take a risk and be a little risky.  She lived her life as the good girl who always kept her nose clean.  And she still got launched into a tree.  Maybe living on the wildside was called for.  What Kendra didn't know was that blow to the head WAS a concussion.  It was making her micronap.  The daydreams were a part of it.  They weren't just zoning out, but full fledged micronaps.  Only a few seconds and never something that would have raised an alarm bell in her head.  

Her brain did this thing when her already terrible sleep schedule got messed with.  The chemistry of her brain made her cognitive function go out the window.  Inhibitions? Forget about them.  The idea of risk?  Wasn't even a factor anymore.  She had a name for this phenomenon.  She called this altered mental state Dream.  It was a whole other side to her persona.  It slipped out little by little as her brain chemistry worsened.  The blow to the head did her no favors.  Dream didn't care about the consequences.  She didn't care about her nuclear fallout.  She just liked to watch the pretty explosions.  Dream did whatever she wanted.  Whatever was fun.  "I'll buy the first round." Dream said walking over to the bad guy Sam had caught.  He was still in cased in ice.  He watched her though as she approached.

Dream saw his wallet on the ground.  She bent and picked it up.  Rifling through it she grabbed a few bills.  "To cover my medical expenses big guy." She tossed at him over her shoulder.  Also tossing his wallet over her shoulder as she walked way.  The mutant became angry.  "You little witch.  I will find you and end you.  Trust me."  Dream stopped for a moment.  She was fully awake.  This was the first time her Dream persona had taken over when she was fully awake.  She turned and smiled.  And blew him a kiss.  "Then find me."  She said and turned back towards Sam.  "Shall we?"

Daydream. The spectral voice replayed in the memory of the iceclone which was now Sam’s memory. So she wasn’t a ghost or at least maybe her power was to ghost? Astral projection? At least it wasn’t magic. He was sick of dealing with that. ”Trouble it is.” he nodded his head and then introduced himself by tapping his chest, ”I’m Sam.” he said not sure if he introduced himself yet.

”No, they don’t feel it. They are made of ice.” he looked to where the ice clone was, a few pieces remained but they would melt in the sunlight and the heat from the season. It was then she explained what her powers were. She healed and astral projected. Which explained her body being dragged around. No magic. Good.

”No.” he said in response to him being injured, ”I’m pretty good at not getting hit. Ice helps.” he might have been hit a few times but the ice armor protected him and kept him out from most of the danger. Harder to hit a moving target. ”He tried.” Sam said watching ‘trouble’ to see if she still seemed out of it. Healing or not head injuries were never something to take lightly seeing as he experienced one or two recently.

”Uhhhh...” was he response to getting a drink. He was supposed to stay sober. It had been at least a week since his last drink. Before he could give her an answer she started to walk towards where the goon was that had attacked her. There were many reasons as to why that was a bad idea but he was curious to see where this went. Maybe it would give the X-leader an idea as to why she was attacked.

Sam chuckled when she lifted the wallet and removed the money. The chuckling stopped when the man threatened her again. Some of the ice climbed up further over the man’s mouth making it more difficult to threaten her.

”.... coffee... first round.” he said. Cora wouldn’t mind. He was making sure she was in the right state of mind. She was just attacked after all.

Kendra almost beamed at the sound of coffee.  Weather she was Kendra, or Dream, or Daydream, she never turned down a cup of coffee.  It was the life blood that gave her the ability to keep living.  She supposed she could live without it, but why would she want too??  Having sleep based powers was for the birds.  She was always tired, or just waking up still tired.  She couldn't remember the last time her body didn't radiate with a faint numbness.  That pins and needles feeling when one of your limbs was falling asleep.  She lived in a constant stay of conscious awareness.  It was a miracle she hadn't gone slowly insane by now.  But who was to say that persona of Dream wasn't her insanity peeking out to say hello every now and then?

Kendra walked ahead of him.  She had a slight skip in her step.  Her hair bounced lovingly around her shoulders with each step.  She was a looker.  Even when she was dog tired, and had bags under her eyes Kendra oozed this radiant positivity.  It wasn't Kendra he was dealing with however.  It was her fun loving alter ego Dream.  The trouble maker from deep within her mind and heart.  The girl that Kendra would have become if she had a slightly different upbringing.  Instead she was mousy and shy most days.  Quiet and clumsy.  Unassuming and timid.  Dream was her complete opposite.  Choosing to do what she wanted when she wanted.  Dream didn't konw what this guy's story was, but she would get it out of him.  She had already decided she liked him.  He was handsome.  He had saved her.  That was enough for her.  

"Keep up honey.  I thought i was the one with all the bumps and owies."  She smiled at him as she crossed the street.  Dream didn't slow even though traffic had decided not to slow either.  A car, which almost ran her down in the street screeched to a halt.  A horn blared out.  It was followed by a slew of obscene words that a lady would never repeat.  "Blow it out your ass!"  Dream opened the door and held it open for Sam to walk in first.  Dream  quietly wondered how many times she had sat on this stool.  The coffee shop was called.  'Deja Brew'  A fitting name seeing as she practically lived here.  Dream took a seat in a booth, leaning confidently back on her elbows.  

She was aware that  her shirt was slightly ripped at the top, it showed a modest bit of skin and that was more than okay.  "First round coffee..  Then a couple of cold ones for an actual cold one."  She laughed.    The place next door was a bar.  Even in New York, you weren't likely to find a combination coffee shop bar.  And while this shop was cutesy and respectable.... The place next door was a dive bar.  It was dirty, loud and full of unsavory types.  The type of place you were going to find degenerates and low lives.  If she was going to be completely honest.  Next door was the place to be.  But she could play along.  She could be the damsel in distress a little bit longer.  She allowed her features to soften a little.  He seemed oh so worried about her still.  It was written all over his face.  Poor Sam might've been a lot of things, but she doubted very much if one of them was a poker player.

She patted the seat neat to her with her hand.  "Sit here sugar.  I don't bite.  Even if'n I did.  You look like you could use a bite."  She laughed coyly.  She raised an eyebrow.  "I meant food."  She proclaimed innocently enough.  That absolutely was not what she meant, but she played it off well enough handing him a menu.  When the waitress came around Dream ordered a coffee black and a double cheeseburger with everything on it.  A side of fries, a slice of pie, a rootbeer float and a three slices of cheesecake.  She batted her eyes looking at Sam.  "Order what'chu like.  It's on me handsome."  She said.  Kendra would not flirt with this man.  She would have quietly and shyly just thanked him for the help and left.  She would have thought of him all the rest of that day, but she wouldn't have taken a risk.  Kendra was not in the driver's seat however.  

Dream's smile broadened.  She knew she was being playful and dangerous, but wasn't danger the spice of life? She for the life of her did not understand why Kendra never took any risks.  Why she never let herself actually live a little.  She had her body most of the time, she was always in control.  Dream found it very frustrating to be shoved deep down within the girl's sub conscious.  Dream knew she could give Kendra a better life.  They were basically the same person, but Dream considered herself, much like Kendra a different beast all together.  "So what's your story anyways?  You always go around looking for cats to save out of trees?  Or am' I just special?"  She smiled at him showing all her dazzling teeth, her dimples and her bright brown eyes.

She didn’t care when she walked through the streets, even told him to keep up. Sam was a little more careful, he waited till the street was clear then walked across. He'd been hit by a car several times before. It hurt. A lot. Something he didn’t want to repeat. He did however have a beam of ice on standby to launch ‘Trouble’ into the air should someone get close enough to hit her. There was a close call but she managed to skirt it then curse at the driver. Was she always this much of a New Yorker?

The coffee shop was a place he’d never been before. The bar however... he had many long nights fighting self-loathing and depression there. He could go for just one.... coffee. That was what he was here for and that was it. He didn’t respond to a couple of cold ones, even if that sounded refreshing.

She was flirting with him. A year ago, he would have been all about it. Even before the de-age. Before Cora. He however just smirked and sat down next to her on the stool and then looked at the menu. He had a big breakfast. However, the fight did work up a bit of an appetite.

Raising an eyebrow at her order he looked to the waitress and smiled, ”Coffee black. Burger with bacon and I’ll try the pie.” looking out the nearest window he half expected someone with a camera or a sniper rifle locked on him. This was almost... to perfect. Good looking girl he saved taking him to lunch... was he being honey potted? His lone eye traveled around the room along with his sixth sense. She would have felt a little chill in the air.

”Happened to be in the right place at the right time. Was looking into another crime scene I was a part of. Looking for clues.” he said honestly. Sam reached into his pocket and produced a badge he got after completing the police academy. Any X-man who did so had one as well. It was to decrease the amount of vigilantism.

”I think you might have snapped some photos of the guy who attacked you. My guess doing something he knew was illegal.” Sam said honestly.

Dream was growing bored of Sam already.  He was one tight mouthed, close liped, son of a gun.  He didn't give you more then the bare minimum as far as conversations went.  He didn't offer up the extra juicey details.  She wanted to know his story, but she didn't want to have to pry it out of him with a crowbar.  She leaned back in her seat allowing her head to rest against the window.  It had started to rain.  She turned her face to the glass and enjoyed the coolness of it on her hot skin.  The tiny feeling of the raindrops vibriting the window as they pelted it.  It was really coming down now.  She breathed deep and could smell coffee.  The waitress sat her coffee in front of her.  She reached down and touched the cup enjoying the warmth in her soft hands.  Dream, was alive.  

She hadn't been outside of her slumber with her hand on the wheel in awhile.  She had never been out to play when Kendra's body was technically awake.  Was she really going to waste her new found freedom in a coffee shop?  There were other customers enjoying their lives.  Sitting in the other seats of the coffee shop Basking in the mundane.  Dream thought about how fun it would be to pull out her tranq gun and dart herself right here. To watch the panic and confusion wash over Sam's face as he tried to do the right thing.  She could dream walk away and get into some more trouble elsewhere. 

Meanwhile, Dudely Do-right would be busy trying to take care of / explain her unconscious body.  He'd probably try to take her someplace safe.  Like back to his place perhaps?  She raised an eyebrow at this and a smirk placed across her face.  Her eyes were still closed.  Her head still on the cool glass.  "So, you always do the right thing then?"  Dream asked out of nowhere.  He had showed her the badge.  He was bound by justice or the side of good or something equally boring.  "Don't you ever want to do the bad thing?"  Dream thought about the possibilities of waking up as scared confused Kendra in a strange man's apartment.  The idea was simply too good to pass up.  She patted her jacket where her tranq gun rested.  She just wanted to feel it's reassuring weight beneath her fingertips.  

The gun hung on the side farthest away from Sam.  She smiled as her food came and she was a girl who could put it away.  I can fall sleeping into his arms in a bit.  For now let's eat.  She thought.  Dream began to put it away. Bite by bite she barely stopped to breathe.  She wasn't finished chewing one thing before moving on to the next bite of something else.  One thing she had found was that being awake 24/7 meant you burned a lot of calories.  Her body may be physically resting and not actually moving, but muscles ached in her bed if her dream self lifted too much.  If she ran her legs would throb.  

Even when dreaming Kendra burned calories.  It meant she always had a not so lady like appetite.  She shoveled food in reaching across to steal one of Sam's fries because she had forgotten to order some with her order.  Truthfully Sam hadn't ordered any either, but the waitress added the fries no extra charge because she recognized him.  Dream looked at Sam with a mouth full of food.  SHe raised an eyebrow.  "You going to eat that?"  She asked pointing at his burger.  Most of her food was gone already.  Sam simply hadn't started eating yet because Dream's arms were flying all over the table.  Grabbing napkins, picking up and putting down utensils, reaching for glasses to wash it all down and moving plates out of the way to get to the next one.  It was quite the spectacle.  She didn't rightly care.  She batted her big brown eyes at him as she swallowed what was in her mouth.

There was stains of ketchup and mayo at opposing  corners of her mouth.  Her hair had been pulled back into a ponytail before the feasting began.  She didn't want to have it in her way.  When she ate this way she found sometimes she found herself accidently chewing on hair that had fallen in the way.  She looked at him a long moment.  She felt no shame.  She did what her body needed of her and she liked to eat anyways.    Dream still planned on bailing not only on the check, but the date in particular.  Let this guy take care of her body while she went out for a night on the town looking for something dangerous to get into.  Dream wasn't a hardened criminal, but a little crime could be fun.  Especially the kinds that ended in a high speed chase or the use of leathal force.  Pushing peoples buttons was almost a hobby for her.