Life had been pretty amazing lately, Lee couldn’t help but think as she ran along the darkened path in Central Park with her music playing through her headphones. It had been quite warm lately, though Lee had found a couple nights earlier that running in the park at midnight had a slight chill to it. So Lee had opted for a light, long sleeved shirt on top of her white tank top and black leggings.

It had now been about a month now since her son had said that he was alright with her having a relationship.

At least that's what she assumed ‘you do you, mum’ meant.

And that also meant that these runs were becoming much more frequent and needed in order for her to sleep even semi-regularly.

Though, if someone had told her two months ago who was now a large part of her life and how, she would not have believed a word they said.

Lee was on her second lap when she felt someone up ahead of her, just to the right. As she moved herself over to the left side of the park path, Lee let her eyes become much more focused on the path ahead. Now that there was someone there, she needed to actually watch where she was going more than needed to simply follow the path.

”Look, clearly we got off on the wrong foot.” he heard some footsteps behind him and everything was screaming at him to move, to get out of the way. ‘Fight!’ his bestial instincts was telling him to fight, to kill. Carrick looked up while holding the bridge of his nose. ”Why does everyone go fer the nose!?!?” he said with a wheeze.

“Shut up.” there was another punch to his face. One he could have dodged with ease. The shifter grabbed his nose again. ”Mate, that last one is the last one.” he had the reflexes of a cat, he could have dodged. He had instincts yelling at him when to move, but all he did was groan.

This was supposed to be a quick buck too. Someone was looking for feathers. More specifically feathers of a Gryphon. Or rather a Griffin, it was all semantics at that point though and he figured beggars couldn’t be choosers. Either way he had them.

”Look ya want the feathers or not?” there was more movement behind him. There was only supposed to be one person here. Carrick was looking at three now between his fingers and the bridge of his nose and his instincts and enhanced hearing and smell was telling him there was more. At least two more. One smelled like fish and the other lavender.

Carrick was outmanned here and landed into a precarious situation. ”Got half a mind ta leave right now and you’ll get nothing.” The wings opened up and he was tempted to flap but then felt himself hold still when someone said, “Hold” his legs felt like weights and his mismatched color eyes shifted to the lack of a person at the source. They were... invisible. It was the one that smelled like lavender.

Despite the situation Carrick still held the air of unearned confidence. “Silly for you to come alone especially because you’re a mutant... selling to us.” ”I’m first and foremost an entert- Business man, I have the product yer looking fer. Be silly fer ya ta try anything to scare me off.”

“We see that.” the one that smelled like fish and was also invisible said as he felt a finger touch one of his wings. A wing that was just preened by the princess a few hours earlier. ”Ya didn’t ask permission.” Carrick said cooly as another fist was launched into his stomach. ”Come on.” the thief grunted as he doubled over. While his legs remained held in place.

Lee quickly slowed down to a walk as she realized that it wasn’t just a couple people she was sensing off to the side of the path. It was a whole group of people. At least a half dozen, if she had to guess.

Yet, as Lee came to a stop somewhere between 10-15 feet away, Lee only saw 4 people. Including a mutant with large wings.

And a bloody nose.

But no, there was definitely more energy than there should be from four people. Most were surrounding the mutant, who had just been punched in the stomach and was doubled over now. Though his feet didn’t move. At all.

That couldn’t be good. But Lee also couldn’t just leave this young mutant here to receive a beating and continue on her run.

But there was one person off to the side. Lee couldn’t see them, but there was unmistakably the energy from a person standing about ten feet in front of the group. And who also happened to be about ten feet from Lee.

”Alright, I think it’s about time for you all to disperse,” Lee said as she moved slowly. Appearing to be keeping her distance from the group. Actually slowly walking toward the solitary invisible person. Keeping her eyes on the visible group, Lee focused on her siphoning to keep track of those she couldn’t see.

”The cops are actually patrolling tonight,” she continued. ”I doubt any of us want this to become a bigger thing than it is now.

”Are you ok there?” Lee finished, speaking directly to the obvious mutant as she came to a stop just behind and to the side of the invisible figure; definitely within arm range, but hopefully not obvious to them.

Air exited his lungs as he slumped forward after the second strike. Maybe he should stop selling to mystics? Or rather find someone to do his trades for him? Maybe not as lucrative when you add a third party to the sale. Why did they always want to fight him? Was it his accent? People normally loved it!

Carrick’s cat like tail flicked with irritation, before he could add in a snarky comment about the last punch another voice sounded from the direction of the other scent. It was different than the one that cast the spell to keep him grounded. Slitted Iris’s gazed in their direction to find the source of the new voice. The Irishman was doing his best to hold off the shift. She was a welcome distraction.

>>>”Alright, I think it’s about time for you all to disperse,”

”Perfect timing, love” Carrick wheezed as his lungs filled back up with air. Another grimy hand touched a wing. This time it was rooting around for a feather. The air in his lungs turned into a low rumble as he started to growl.

>>>”The cops are actually patrolling tonight, ”I doubt any of us want this to become a bigger thing than it is now.”

The growl got louder as Carrick opened his mouth. Then quickly covered it. He cleared his throat fighting the urge to turn and maul these idiots. After a second he added, ”Look at that a voice of reason.” his eyes shifted to the person touching his feathers.

>>>”Are you ok there?”

Carrick stopped holding his stomach and waved a hand, ”Do I look it? I think I am. We were just discussing terms of sale... right after this one stops touching the merchandise.” there was a scream and the one touching his wings let go as his fingers started to gush blood. “What was that!?! A knife?”

”Close, razors.” there were only a few hiding in his wings tied to them with a paper clip. Not something he did often but it was making more and more sense the amount of times someone tired to rob him. There were also lock picks and a few other things hiding in there but they weren’t what cut the man. That was the razors.

”Look I’m starting ta think this won’t be worth my time.” Carrick said while trying to hold back a chuckle. ”Why don’t we call it a night like the nice lady said? No one wants ta deal with the police. We all ‘ave somewhere else ta be right?” he asked patting the guy on the back as he held his bleeding hand.

Another one of the mystics shouted “I said Shut up!” there was another punch at Carrick to the jaw. The invisible one shifted slightly as Lee approached but remembered the invisibility spell was still up and as long as the spell of holding was up they’d get their prize.

That was twice now the same person hit him in the face.

Lee shook her head as she heard the mutant speaking. That kind of attitude and behaviour had probably gotten him in trouble many more times than just that night.

”You might want to go into a different business,” Lee told him as her eyes roamed the visible figures around the winged man. ”This one doesn’t look to be going too well for you.”

Before she was able to say anything else, there was a scream. The guy who had been feeling around the mutant’s wings had pulled his hand back, bleeding badly.

“Really,” Lee asked, shaking her head at the man who’d been cut. ”How would you like it if some random guy just started groping you?

“But yes, I had just wanted to have a nice, quiet run to tire myself out so I can go home and sleep. But instead,” Lee continued, lifting her hand and pointing at the winged mutant to start, then moved her finger to each of the other men as she counted. ”One, two, three…

“Hey, how many of them are you going to be able to handle?” Lee asked as she turned her eyes back to the mutant who was still standing exactly where he had been since she’d walked up.

”Instead, I have to deal with people who think that it is acceptable to beat a mutant who is outnumbered 5 to 1.”

As Lee said those last words, hopefully before any of them realized she’d included the invisible people in her count, Lee kicked out to where the man’s legs beside her would be, fully expecting the surprise and the force against the back of his legs to knock him to the ground.

”Trying love, show business is tough ta catch a break in. Got the talent just not the exposure. Not yet at least. Hoping ta springboard meself with a little extra spending cash. Need a new guitar.” it wasn’t a lie. It also wasn’t exactly truthful either. ”At the haggling point right now but I’m starting ta think yer right on this one. You got any interest in magic feathers?” he asked seriously. ”Maybe they just need a bit more urgency ta solidify the deal?” his jaw was clicking now. It was clear by the way he was opening his mouth to make sure it wasn’t broken.

”Right? Be surprised how often it is someone tries ta touch the merchandise. Me being an angel and all.” his tail flicked behind him mischievously. Despite being outnumbered, Carrick continued to ooze confidence.

”Ummm what?” Carrick asked seriously as she asked how many she could handle. ”Well, I’m more of a lover than a fighter.” he said flirting a bit continuing the bravado he usually held to show all other than the Princess. She knew him better than that. She also accepted the real him.

The amount of beatings he got from Ranger and his healing factor he was pretty sure he could walk away from a five on one fight. Ranger hit harder. ”I can make an exception though. Let the beast take over so ta speak.” he flashed his teeth with another jaw click and a snarl. His canines were already more pointed than a typical humans. When he snarled it was more apparent. In fact the one that hit him took a step back. The way someone would back away from a feral animal.

‘Fight!’ his instincts were starting to take over. His irises turned to cat light slits his voice shifted a noticeable octave lower. ”Ya sure ya don’t just want ta buy some feathers at market value?”

“We’ll just take them off your corpse.” one of the mystics said as his hands started to glow.

Next to Lee, the invisible person who was standing next to her stumbled backwards to the ground after being kicked. “S-he S-he she can see me!?!”

”You were hiding?” Carrick asked as he leapt backwards and snapped his wings open in two mighty flaps sending him to the air along with a bunch of dust and debris everywhere. Just like that Carrick was airborne.

He was in showbusiness. Well, trying to be, and was trying to get the money for a new guitar by making a deal of some sort in Central Park in the middle of the night.

Then, when she asked how many of the guys he could handle, he claimed to be a lover and not a fighter. But being a visibly obvious mutant who was being this cocky in a situation like this, Lee suspected that he had to at least somewhat be able to take care of himself in a fight.

He certainly didn't sound as naive as Slate.

"So one. Got it," Lee replied with a slight nod. "Guess I'll handle the rest of them, then."

And then things started to actually happen. One of the men's hands started to glow just before she kicked the invisible person. The mutant made a comment asking if he had been hiding. "Who said I was able to see you?" Lee asked as she stepped closer to the man again, bending down and reaching out to him as she felt sometimes energy from the main group lift up into the air.

That was a disconcerting feeling here in the park, where there were no elevators. But it made sense with the wings that the younger mutant had.

Her hand coming to grasp the front of the man's…well, whatever it was he was wearing on his torso, Lee lifted him slightly off the ground. She then focused more on her siphoning as her other hand shot out trying to figure out where his head was based on what she was feeling.

And she must have been accurate enough because her hand did connect with something fleshy, something that did feel similar to other faces that she had punched before, and a moment later, the body went limp.

Dropping him back to the ground Lee turned back to the rest of the group. "Who's next?" Lee asked as she eyed them. "Or have we decided to call it a night?"

The invisible goon was lifted into the air fought for a moment trying to break free from the woman’s grasp to no avail. Moments passed and the man went limp was placed to the ground and then seconds later became visible. All of this was not lost on Carrick with the vantage point from above. He circled quietly high above and waited as the woman asked who was next.

“She’s a mutie too! This was a trap!” one of the goons said as he bit his finger breaking the skin then placed his bleeding thumb to his forehead and drew something. Goon number two doubled in size right after that and waved to the others. “I’ll take her down you guys get our friend!”

Bronzed wings snapped shut and Carrick dove as he eyed his next target. Not the big one, not yet anyways. The way the lady who joined them lifted the other off the ground and her carefree manner which she approached the situation Carrick was pretty sure she could handle the big one. If not well, Carrick could shift if it became a problem. There was a grunt, a heavy thud and Carrick was on top of one of the goons now face down buried into the dirt.

”looks like the trappers became the.... trappees?” he cocked his head to the side as he thought about it, ”Trapped?” he asked out loud as another one of the goons charged him and tackled him off the his recent pounced prey.

”Get off!” Carrick said as he started to roll kicking and hitting the one who was now trying to restrain him.

“Let’s go lady!” said the hulk of the man as he charged at her trying to grab her in a bear hug.

As Lee let the invisible man drop limply to the ground, she saw him become visible again. About the same time that one of the men who had been surrounding the mutant cried something about this being a trap. Because she was a mutant, too.

"The people who thought to gang up 5 to 1 on a mutant are calling this a trap?" Lee asked, slightly amused though mostly offended by the comment. All because she was a mutant.

"Not a trap," she continued, eying the remaining men to see who would come after her first. She had a feeling that they would have no issues with (trying to) hitting a woman. "No, you all were just stood enough to do this on my running path."

Suddenly, one of the men was growing very large. Saying that he would take care of her. This had to be that damn magic stuff that had appeared. Hopefully, it had simply made him larger and not also stronger. But even if it had, Lee knew she still had her speed as an advantage, plus her siphoning. Neither of which anyone here had a clue about.

As the large man started toward her, Lee felt energy dropping out of the sky toward the remaining men. If she hadn't seen the other mutant take off shortly before, the sensation would have been extremely shocking. As it was, it still felt weird, but Lee was able to keep her attention on the giant.

"Do you really think that simply being larger is going to make this easier?" Lee asked. The size difference between herself and trained MMA fighters had allowed her to sleep out of grapples and holds on multiple occasions. With the size difference being even greater here, and doubting the man had any level of actual training, Lee didn't see the odds being very good for him.

Arms held wide, in an attempt to get her in a bear hug.

Lee scoffed to herself slightly as the man charged. She was so much smaller than him now. Did he really think this would work?

As the giant was reaching her, leaning down in an attempt to grab hold of her, Lee quickly moved to avoid him, ducking under and around his arm.

Once she was behind the man's arm, Lee pivoted, turning toward him again. And shot a leg out in a strong kick at the back of his knee.