"Skinny woman about yea big? Pale skin, ugly hairstyle and an even uglier attitude? Ring a bell?" Kaz laughed at Iris' description of Syn. "Oh that psycho, haha! I thought you might have meant your Father. I did work for him for a bit."

As Iris described some of Kaz's attributes, he couldn't help but smile. "Aww...that's sweet. I'm glad I'm so memorable." Kaz went silent for a moment. "I could say the same thing about you Iris. You're unpredictable, your abilities...how should I say..seem erratic. I had to nearly suffocate myself to stop you once." Kaz stopped moving. "I've never had to do anything like that before. I'd say that's a bit creepy to me." He was being honest while not showing any negativity.

"Oh that psycho, haha! I thought you might have meant your Father. I did work for him for a bit."

Iris's eyes narrowed further at Kaz's confession. If looks could kill, there would be a little pile of still-smoking ash on the ground right then.

"Aww...that's sweet. I'm glad I'm so memorable."

Iris rolled her eyes, and worked her jaw slightly. Maybe she should take that free shot after all....

"I could say the same thing about you Iris. You're unpredictable, your abilities...how should I say..seem erratic. I had to nearly suffocate myself to stop you once. I've never had to do anything like that before. I'd say that's a bit creepy to me."

"And whose fault is THAT??!!"

That last little outburst was too much; it pushed her mutation over the edge. The blond and gray washed from her hair and eyes, replaced quickly by jet black, and she seemed to blend into the shadows a bit further.

She put one hand on her hip, and covered her eyes with the other. One foot began tapping the ground quickly. She took a deep breath, and began growling something like numbers under breath, as if she were counting. When she finally looked back at him, her demeanor had changed slightly.

She was still angry; there was no doubting that from her posture and facial expression. But the hysterical edge had faded. When she spoke, her tone was level and no longer glass-shaking in pitch.

"You know, Kaz, I was perfectly happy with myself before meeting you. I was perfectly content with the world thinking I was just another normal, ordinary human. Sure I slipped up once in a while, and people found out I was a mutant, but no big deal. Hey, I was even happy to be a mutant for a while when I discovered Xavier's school. Life wasn't perfect, but it was fine."

"Then you came along and dropped me in Syn's lap with all of your other human guinea pigs. If I seem 'erratic' now, it is strictly your fault."

Just before finishing her statement, she seemed to turned completely black, head to toe, skin, clothes and all, and dissolved into a puddle on the ground. The shadow blob zipped along the ground toward him, and she reformed directly in front of him. Those last two words were hissed through clenched teeth only a few inches of his face.

Kaz once again rubbed his ear, <Damn, she's loud.> At first Kaz thought Iris was trying to calm down, what with her tapping the ground and 'counting'. That thought went flying out the window when she began a small rant of her own. It was Kaz's turn to roll his eyes.

"...If I seem 'erratic' now, it is strictly your fault."

<Neat trick.> Kaz stood his ground and didn't move an inch, not even when she was right in front of his face. Two words followed hers, "Bull Sh it." Kaz moved forward, taking away any space between the two. "Your abilities have always been yours, they've always been there. It's on you that if you can't control them. No one, not I nor Syn, did that to you. The only thing you can blame us for is pushing you to your limit and you lashing out."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You were happy pretending to be what you're not. You were fine hiding yourself. You were scared of what you are. Trying to be what you are not, trying to act and blend in with humans...I don't believe it. The only thing I can think of is that you were and are ashamed and embarrassed to be a mutant, to be what you really are."

Kaz kept his cool, he didn't raise his voice, nor make any threatening motions. "You're pissed at me, Syn, and the others for what happened to you. I get it, I understand it, and I agree with it. You're upset because we upset your nice life, your life of pretending and hiding." He stepped back to put room between them. He shook his head. "You've picked up at least one new trick, pretty cool by the way, since the last time. But from the time in Central Park and now, you're still lacking something. Pride. Pride in who and what you are. You get a backbone when cornered, and even when you get nervous. I'm glad to see it.

Kaz lowered his eyes. "I hate seeing anyone of us, few as we are in number with the world viewing us as it does, have no pride and no courage to stick up for themselves or to show who they really are. Honestly, that's the only thing I wanted you to get out of all that happened." He spread is arms wide. "You want payback. Take it. Free shot. Take it now or drop it forever. I owe you for what happened. If you don't do it now, you won't get another chance....ever."

(OOC: Sorry for the length. Emotional rant ftw. ;D)

"Bull Sh it."

Even with the extra confidence boost her mutation gave her, Iris twitched backwards an inch when Kaz closed the gap between them even further.

"Your abilities have always been yours, they've always been there. It's on you that if you can't control them. No one, not I nor Syn, did that to you. The only thing you can blame us for is pushing you to your limit and you lashing out."

”Well at least we agree on that,” she snipped back, any an all previous guilt flying straight out the window.

"You were happy pretending to be what you're not. You were fine hiding yourself. You were scared of what you are. Trying to be what you are not, trying to act and blend in with humans...I don't believe it. The only thing I can think of is that you were and are ashamed and embarrassed to be a mutant, to be what you really are."

She gathered herself to lash out again, but he kept going. Keeping his voice quiet rather than yelling back proved rather effective in shutting her up. She crossed her arms and tapped her feet petulantly, waiting for him to finish so she lambaste him again..

"You're pissed at me, Syn, and the others for what happened to you. I get it, I understand it, and I agree with it. You're upset because we upset your nice life, your life of pretending and hiding. You've picked up at least one new trick, pretty cool by the way, since the last time....”

”More than one, unfortunately,” she grumbled in annoyance.

”.... But from the time in Central Park and now, you're still lacking something. Pride. Pride in who and what you are. You get a backbone when cornered, and even when you get nervous. I'm glad to see it. I hate seeing anyone of us, few as we are in number with the world viewing us as it does, have no pride and no courage to stick up for themselves or to show who they really are. Honestly, that's the only thing I wanted you to get out of all that happened."

She put a hand over her eyes again. The telltale tingle of an oncoming migraine pressed at the base of her skull.

”You want payback. Take it. Free shot. Take it now or drop it forever. I owe you for what happened. If you don't do it now, you won't get another chance....ever."

”Kaz.... ugh.... you just don’t get it.” She reached up to rub her temples, eyes still closed. ”Pride has nothing to do with it. I’m not ashamed of who or what I am. I’m hiding because I’m scared! Scared of what I might do! What is so hard to understand about that??” She opened her eyes and glared at him, her eyes shining from holding back tears. But at least she wasn’t yelling this time. She pointed back toward the street, and the crowds moving along them, totally oblivious to the world around them.

”If my sound mutation had activated just now, instead of this one, all of those people might be dead right now. You said it yourself. You almost had to kill yourself to stop me, and you’re a mutant. Those people wouldn’t stand a chance, and there wouldn’t be a single thing I could do about it except die of guilt when I woke up. And there’s nothing I can do about it now. I can’t practice working the kinks out or gaining control of my emotions with my mutation active, because I am not there. The only reason I’m still standing here arguing with you is because this-" she made a sweeping gesture from her head toward her feet, "-isn’t me! This.... backbone you think you see isn’t courage. It’s insanity! The real Iris would have been long gone! But I. Can’t. Control it. And I’ll never be able to!”

Several tears slipped out, and she closed her eyes. She stood still for a few moments, fists and jaws clenched. When she finally spoke up again, her voice was low enough to sound almost hoarse.

”Put your arms down, you idiot. I’m not going to hit you. I would love to hit you. I would love to just try and choke the life out of you right now. But the only thing it would do is make me hate myself in the morning. You’re not worth that.”

She sighed, rolling her head from side to side to crack her neck. Suddenly she felt.... just exhausted. ”Ugh.... got a headache... I need some coffee.”

She brushed by him, and walked back onto the street. She’d passed a coffee vendor on the corner, and a triple shot expresso, black, might help kill the throb in her head. She squinted in the suddenly bright light, but didn’t bother deactivating her power. The longer it stayed active, the longer none of the others could be used. And the only danger this one posed to anyone right now was herself, if someone challenged her to a boxing match. Who knew, maybe it would knock some sense into her.

Kaz listened to Iris patiently as she spoke. She was angry, but instead of trying to bust his skull open, she was talking to him. She was telling him what was what, how she felt and where and how he was wrong. <I don't believe half of what you're saying Iris. I don't think it's 'insanity' why you're still here....maybe partly, but you've defiantly developed a backbone.> Kaz only showed a small smile on his face, just slightly larger than a smirk, but on the inside he was grinning ear to ear.

He didn't interupt her, nor make a sound until she had brushed passed him. "Iris." He turned to look at her as she walked on. "I'll wait here for you. I'd like to talk to you a bit more. Please." With that he found a somewhat comfortable place to sit down and wait.

Iris didn't reply. She walked back down the street, or stalked really, and cut in front of the next person in line.

"Americano. Venti, triple shot. Iced." The person behind her complained loudly, and she turned to scowl at them. She doubted she was really that scary-looking, but maybe the woman could sympathize with another hardcore coffee addict. Either way, she decided not to press the issue. Iris turned back, drumming her fingers on the counter irritably.

She wasn't going back.

She just wasn't.

Why would she? Her apartment was only a few blocks away. She could walk away right now, and be done with him.

Maybe. Bad memories sure had a nasty habit of coming back to haunt her lately.

But she still wasn't going back.

No way, no how. She didn't need any more lectures.

Nope.

......

......

......

Iris's scowl deeped, and her head seemed to sink into her shoulders. "Make it a quad," she growled at the vendor. Upon receipt, she downed half of it in one gulp. Finally, addiction in hand, she stalked back toward the shadowed alley. It was the quicker way back to her apartment, after all....

She stopped stiffly, just inside the shadows cast by the tall buildings.

"What?" she snapped caustically.

Kaz looked up and saw Iris standing in the alley. A look of surprise was evident on his face. He honestly didn't think she'd come back. He stood up and faced her. He held up and hand. "Hear me out." He took a deep breath. "I honestly believe you can control your mutation. Every time you have used it, you didn't go berserk with no direction. You always had a purpose you may have acted differently but you were, are, still you."

"I don't think I've misjudged you, but I have misunderstood you." He went quiet for several second. Before he spoke again, Kaz took a few steps closer to Iris. He lowered his head and his eyes. "For what it's worth...."

"I'm sorry."

"Hear me out."

She kept glaring. Silently.

"I honestly believe you can control your mutation. Every time you have used it, you didn't go berserk with no direction. You always had a purpose you may have acted differently but you were, are, still you. I don't think I've misjudged you, but I have misunderstood you."

She rolled her eyes, but still said nothing.

"For what it's worth...."

"I'm sorry."

The apology, and his expression, was unexpected enough to change her expression from glaring murder to surprise.

"Um.... okay...." She wasn't quite sure what else to say.

"Um.... okay...."

Kaz sighed slightly. He was honestly sorry, but he didn't expect Iris to fully accept or believe it. But he had to apologize. He had wronged her. Silence stretched on for a long moment, a long awkward moment. He looked up at the woman and saw the wariness on her face. He opened his mouth to say something then shut it again. Shaking his head slightly, he kept his gaze on the ground and began to walk out of the alley. Before exiting he turned towards her. "I know it's not my place but I'm curious. You said you already had one creep on your tail........" He let the sentence trail off, giving the woman room to respond however she felt like without any influence or prodding.

Iris frowned, in complete confusion this time. Something was wrong here. They were supposed to be arguing. He was supposed to be lecturing her still about 'who she was', and she was supposed to be yelling back that he was a thick-headed jerk.

Something was definitely wrong with this picture.

Now that she wasn't busy trying to make more business for window repairmen, she took a closer look at the man all but slinking by.

The first thing she noticed was the scars. She winced inwardly. It almost looked like something had tried to claw his eye out. He appeared a bit smaller, or maybe skinnier than she remembered. But other than that, and maybe a slightly shorter haircut, not much had change on the outside. But way he held himself seemed.... off. Kind of.... lifeless....

Either that, or he was practicing to audition on Broadway.

"I know it's not my place but I'm curious. You said you already had one creep on your tail........"

She blinked, caught aback by the sudden distraction from her thoughts.

"Over-protective father," she replied absently.

Just before Kaz left the alley, she blurted out, "What happened to you?" It came out rather harshly, which, oddly enough, she hadn't intended.

Kaz watched Iris, waiting either for her response or for his cue to leave. "Over-protective father" She answered, Kaz imagined Iris waving her hand in dismissal as if it hardly mattered. Kaz let out a small and short lived chuckle through a smirk and turned to leave.

He began to walk out of the alley when when Iris blurted a question at him. He stopped mid-step and turned back towards her. It took a moment for him to register her question, surprised she asked something like that. Raising his fingers to the scar on his face, he traced scars, thinking that's what she was asking about. He let out a self depreciating laugh, "I don't know. When I woke up, I had these." He looked her in the eyes then away again. He spoke just a hair softer, "Pretty pathetic not knowing how your own body gets maimed huh?"

His hand went to his face, moving along the marred flesh.

"I don't know. When I woke up, I had these. Pretty pathetic not knowing how your own body gets maimed huh?"

Iris pegged him with an unimpressed stare.

"Welcome to my world."

She shifted, and crossed her arms. "But that's not what I meant. You've.... I mean, you're different. Somehow." Her scowl returned, and she looked away.

"Not that I care, of course," she mumbled about her straw.

Kaz noticed the expression Iris had a moment ago change after he answered her. "Welcome to my world." She said in response. Something about that made him curious. Before he could think about it further, Iris spoke again. Kaz turned fully toward Iris and inclined his head just slightly as he digested her words. As he thought how to respond, he caught her mumblings and smiled lightly.

He let out a deep breath and stepped back into the alleyway. Kaz looked at Iris. "My fiance disappeared sometime during that whole registration crap....and while I was in a coma. I've spent almost all of my waking hours looking for her." Feeling his emotions welling up inside him, Kaz pushed them down and blinked away the tears the threatened to show. "I haven't found anything. Loosing someone you care for with all your heart..." He trailed off as he lowered his eyes to the ground, his fists shaking slightly at his sides.

"My fiancee disappeared sometime during that whole registration crap....and while I was in a coma. I've spent almost all of my waking hours looking for her."

"Fiancee??" Whoa.... That surprised Iris so much she lost interest in her expresso.

"I haven't found anything. Loosing someone you care for with all your heart..."

Iris blinked, not quite sure what to say. She was having trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that Kaz had a fiancee. As in someone who he cared about. And someone who found this obnoxious, thick-headed, opinionated and unpredictable creep.... loveable?

.....

.....

.....

She shook her head. That just didn't compute.....

"Um, I'm.... sorry...." She scratched at her shoulder out of nervous habit. She felt the need to break the heavy silence, but honestly didn't know what to say. "You haven't found anything? At all?" she parroted. "Did you go to the police?"

It was a stupid question. He'd just said he'd spent all of his time looking for her. But the fact that he'd done so still indicated he cared about someone other than himself. That made him almost human, and that still kept hitting a roadblock in her mind.

Kaz chuckled in his mind, Iris' expression and voice was rather funny. Kaz shook his head. "The only thing I found out was that she walked out of Mondragon Labs one morning, almost as if she was going for a walk. She didn't have any bags or anything like that. She never came back." Kaz turned his gaze out of the alley, taking in the view. "I found out a few years ago..." He clenched his teeth as he spoke. "The police don't give a crap! about anything. They didn't care about Judy when she was raped and murdered."

Kaz calmed himself. "I've searched the places I own, Sanctuary. I've gone to her parents' house. Hell, I even checked out the X-Mansion, to see if she had returned there. But I haven't been able to find Nicki, or any trace of her."