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.