Kealey looked around in horror at what was unfolding in the grocery store as she externalized everything she was feeling. It took time for everything to sink in. There were dead people laying around, and so many others were on the ground in pain now….Kealey could feel it, but it was numbed. It was a shock when she realized that she was the one causing it. Bacchus was feeling it too, Kealey could tell, and as he walked towards her, terror of her very own released everyone present from the grips of her powers. He’d figured out that it was her causing it.

Bacchus grew and Kealey’s eyes grew wider and wider as he grew taller and taller. First he deflected bullets, and now he was growing to the size of a small building. Kealey closed her eyes, waiting for the blow that would put her in the same place as the other dead guys on the tiled floor, but it didn’t come. Up the blond looked, as Bacchus apologized, and then he grabbed her.

Kealey didn’t know that sort of thing was possible, and she screamed at the top of her lungs. One moment she’d been standing, sure she was about to die, and now it felt like she was flying. There was noise, and more gunfire, and the smell of the outdoors, but Kealey’s head was spinning so fast and hard that she couldn’t figure out up from down, let alone what was really going on. There were so many emotions, so many noises, and they were moving around so much.

It was too much for the blonde’s mind to handle, and as she exhausted the last of her physical strength to try and get herself free, she sagged in Bacchus’ grip and reached out for her powers, it was all a wash, the same wash as before. Kealey’s head spun again and her eyes rolled with it, the jostling and motion pulling her deeper into the swirl before her eyes closed and her body went limp.

It was raining metal and Bacchus shirt was starting to heat up, this either meant there was nothing left of the back of his shirt or his shirt caught fire. Regardless of the situation Bacchus focused on his chest and back and caused it to expand to the point of the shirt ripped apart leaving nothing but torn pants and work boots on his person. His large forearms continued to protect the now limp woman in his arms; he couldn’t tell if she was shot, hurt or she just fainted. Either way Bacchus had to get her and himself out of they’re before more and more police get the idea to shoot tear gas or flash grenades.

Despite the public show they were putting on Bacchus wasn’t really surprised to see them give little remorse for any who were watching, he was a wanted criminal and seeing as no one was in the line of fire they would keep shooting. But unfortunately for them Bacchus could get out of the rain of fire before they could respond fast enough as a group. His bad eye still watering due to the gas from earlier Bacchus crouched down and cratered into the pavement only to explode in a fast jump straight up from the ground, the bullets stopped coming his way for a brief second or two till he managed to turn his body and aimed his feet towards the nearest police cruiser.

He could have gotten out of there fast but he didn’t really see much of a need to, the police needed to be taught a lesson, their law verses his, and his laws were backed by bigger guns than they could ever get. His feet managed to go right through the front of the first two police cruisers and from there all hell broke loose, bullets started to rain on his face just like it had earlier this time he was standing on two cars, cars which were perfect for kicking or throwing about. Lifting one leg Bacchus kicked the first car towards a small group of officers as the car he kicked leaked gasoline everywhere. He didn’t know who cause the spark but as soon as one hit the gas another car blew up which cause more chaos, at which time Bacchus kicked another car to a few oncoming officers trying to help their own who was now caught in the fiery mess.

Hearing the screams in the fire Bacchus laughed and said loudly, “Nothing like the smell of bacon to get your heart pumping!” Crouching down again Bacchus deemed it a good time to make his exit and tend to the injured or fainted woman in his arm. One jump and then another and then he was out of the 5-0’s view. After another ten minutes of building hopping Bacchus decided that the building they landed on was a safe as place as any seeing as it was so tall. Setting the woman down Bacchus remained in his gorilla looking form and gently nudged the woman with a large stubby finger, “Wake up Sheila!” Bacchus said nudging her once again.

The smell of burnt clothing was obvious from Bacchus’s blackened pant legs and even blacker feet, he didn’t think it was blood maybe it was just from stepping of the car then kicking it, some kind of grease he guessed but seeing as it didn’t really hurt him he didn’t pay it to much mind.

The next few minutes for Kealey went by in a blur of darkness peppered with moments of heat, noise, and movement that made her stomach hurt on top of her already spinning head. It was too much effort to move, so she just stayed where she was. With all the gunfire and the grip that Bacchus had on her, she wouldn’t be able to get out anyway. Suddenly, it was quiet, Kealey stayed where she was, but silent panic started to course through her body as they moved further away from the police and the ruined grocery store. Away from help.

Why had this man snagged her in the store and why was he carrying her off into the night like some sort of rag doll. Absolute havoc had been wreaked and from what Kealey could tell, and the police who’d shown up had taken heavy casualties. Some as a direct result of Kealey’s powers. She didn’t want to know what the explosions and heat had meant. They were still moving and the air was getting cooler and cooler, the sound of sirens had faded completely, and then they stopped.

Down Kealey was lowered, onto the ground and she kept her eyes squeezed shut, hoping that maybe Bacchus would leave her alone now that he was away from the police. The man was still exhilarated from the fight and the run, and it made it hard for Kealey to be still as she laid on what had to be a rooftop. There was nothing in the man’s emotions that Kealey could use, and her own fear was doing its best to override anything she’d be feeling. Then he touched her, and spoke. Kealey’s eyes flew open and she rolled, skittering backwards across the rooftop until her back came up against something hard.

Bacchus was still there, and he was still huge. It also looked like he’d been caught on fire or something. It didn’t matter, Kealey was looking for a way out.

”Please don’t hurt me…” she stammered, ”You got away…”

Kealey took a couple of deep breaths, a siren from below drawing her attention as the fire truck zoomed past the building they were atop. ”You killed all those police officers…” As she finished the sentence, something occurred to Kealey and she was on her feet before she knew what she was doing, marching right up to the giant and looking up at him. ”SWAT wasn’t there…were they?” she said, planting her hands on her hips and glaring up, all thoughts of fear evaporating in her sudden worry and anger...it might have had something to do with the giant sized emotions coming from the giant sized Bacchus too, though. "And why are you so amped up? You can't be pleased with yourself! I mean, I'm glad you saved me...but you killed people down there!" she exclaimed, accent thick with emotion as she faced down the giant.

Blinking as the woman awoke frightened as a bunny during hunting season she looked at him with awe struck eyes and fear of which he was used to. It was then he wondered why he saved her in the first place, she was nice to him when they first met but that didn’t matter he was normal unaltered by his mutation back then, why was it whenever he had no intention of killing someone he came off as a monster, reasons like this just made the act of murder that much easier. He was after all a monster in the eyes of others so why not act like one. He hated America for this reason everyone was so judgmental, he was the victim not the ones he killed at least that was what he told himself.

”Please don’t hurt me…””You got away…”

“Ummm, why would I save you only to kill you?” he asked curiously not entirely sure how he should have responded to her in her groveling state. “Bit counterproductive if you ask me, if I wanted you to die I could have left you behind in the gun fire or done you in myself so you wouldn’t get shot to death, my way is quicker and less painful.” Bacchus said calmly as he watched the woman’s composure revamp itself to a more confident one.

” You killed all those police officers…” Bacchus nodded without any sense that he was trying to deny that, “Sure did, but in my defense if I did nothing more was going to happen.” he said again quite calmly as if killing police was no big deal, which in his mind it wasn’t anymore, he never did have a problem doing things that horrified or disgusted anyone else, something that he figured attracted him to his current love interest for she was like he.

””SWAT wasn’t there…were they?” And why are you so amped up? You can't be pleased with yourself! I mean, I'm glad you saved me...but you killed people down there!"

Watching the scared little bunny back into the wall and realizing that she had no where to run except down or to him she decided that she would grow a back bone and start questioning him like he was a child getting disciplined by a teacher or something. “Didn’t really notice the S.A.W.T. team being there… which was weird seeing as they were usually the first on the scene when I am at a bank…” shrinking his body down to his normal height his forearms no longer massive enough to carry a person without a problem he looked at to the woman and asked her his accent now going as well, “Don’t get all high and mighty on me, Sheila! I saved your sorry arse from getting all swissed with bullet holes, and it’s adrenaline nothing else, why are you freaking out so much?” Bacchus asked with a smug grin on his face, one that said ‘I can tell why you’re upset but I feel like pushing your buttons.’

Bacchus’ words made sense, now that Kealey wasn’t quite so terrified. Of course he would have just bulldozed her if his intention had been to kill her…or maybe he’d have smashed her head like he’d done to those police officers. Kealey suppressed a shudder; she had to remember that he was dangerous…even if he was calm and talking now. Calm, and talking, and…and…smug.

Kealey had never met anyone so willing to admit to murder as Bacchus suddenly was. He pointed out that something worse would have happened if he hadn’t killed them and Kealey looked at him, blue eyes nearly as wide as dinner plates, ”They were the law. If they say stop…you stop. It was a misunderstanding with witnesses. All of this would have been straightened out! You killed people’s family members.”

Kealey was ranting, ranting to a man who had just killed several people and destroyed an entire squad of police. It didn’t matter though, she was so amped up that she couldn’t stop. The man had killed in a violent and bloody way…and killed the police, who were only there doing their jobs. That brought Kealey’s mind back around to the SWAT team and that same tendril of worry worked its way through her as she waited for Bacchus’ answer to her question.

Kealey visibly relaxed when the giant mentioned that he didn’t think SWAT had been there, but was buffered again by the irritation he was starting to feel , as well as the adrenaline and as he shrunk, Kealey walked closer to him. The man was still incredibly tall, but Kealey reached up and poked him right in the chest, ”You’d better hope they weren’t here. Someone I care for is on there, and if you’ve hurt him, I swear…” Her finger hurt and she held her hand close to her chest, it felt like she’d poked a piece of stone.

The giant spoke again and Kealey looked at him incredulously, ”Gee, I wonder why I’m all amped up…” she said peevishly, still feeding off Bacchus’ emotions. ”I was grocery shopping…trying to make a nice dinner that I've been planning all week…and all of a sudden I’m getting sprayed with brains and shot at. Then…I snap and my powers go nuts and you carry me off into the night… and on top of it all…you’re such a bundle of manly vigor and adrenaline that I can hardly feel myself think.” Kealey was out of breath by the time she finished and her cheeks were pink with irritation, if it was okay for Bacchus to feel like this, it was okay for her to feel that way too.

”Where are we anyway?” Kealey asked, wrapping her arms around her mid-section and hugging herself to try and block out everything that had happened. ”Are you going to let me go?

Not really sure how he should interact with the new Kealey he just watched her puff out her chest and act all high and mighty, she believed in the law, and believed that they would have just let him go if he didn’t hurt anyone today. His current composure left as he fell back onto the floor and laughed slightly, sure it was over reacting a bit but still he needed to get the point across, he didn’t know what was funnier the poke to the chest or her overall speech of threatening to do something her friend was hurt. “Look love, within my first week in the states I was marked as a criminal, all because I was a mutant that could become dangerous if left to roam around.” granted Bacchus wasn’t being entirely truthful with this statement seeing as he actually robbed a bank then was shot at by the police, but that was a story for another time and if Kealey left him on a good note.

Standing up and brushing off his pants slightly as he was influenced by Kealey’s scent once again he laughed again this time more sincere than his previous bout of laughter. “I don’t know if you fainted at the beginning but did you see the bullets bounce off my body? If not the bullets how about the cars I kicked at the police or the fact that I ran through a solid brick wall?” finally opening his bad eye which was no longer burning Bacchus frowned at the woman and said, “Even if he was there, you could have done nothing to stop me, if it comes down between my life and his or anyone else’s I’ll pick mine over theirs every time, I have people back home counting on me not to fail, their lives depend on it!”

He didn’t really care that he just outed a big secret to Kealey, she didn’t know anyone important and even if she did, she had no proof with what he just said so he could just deny anything and everything about what he just said.

”I was grocery shopping…trying to make a nice dinner that I've been planning all week…and all of a sudden I’m getting sprayed with brains and shot at. Then…I snap and my powers go nuts and you carry me off into the night… and on top of it all…you’re such a bundle of manly vigor and adrenaline that I can hardly feel myself think.”

Blinking at the woman who was now freaking out Bacchus grinned and said, “I am full of the manly vigor…” he could have responded more to her freak out but he only added, “You need to calm down, and maybe get out more! part of him thought about mentioning her needing to go out on the town with a real man but he figured that she would have got her feathers even more ruffled up, which he would more than likely would like to see.

” ”Where are we anyway?”

Bacchus looked to Kealey and thought that the question was fairly obvious. “We are on a building… thought you’d be able to figure that out at least, and your free to go whenever you want, think the door might be locked though, I was just going to jump only a few stories…” said Bacchus as he looked over the edge of the building like it was no big deal.

On one hand, Bacchus’ logic made sense. Of course he had distinct dislike for the New York Police department. Apparently they’d treated him very poorly since the time he’d arrived because he was a mutant who could be dangerous. The rolling around on the ground bit…that was a bit much. Kealey could gauge the overreaction in his emotions and she wasn’t amused…well beyond what her powers forced, ”So heaven forbid you prove them wrong.” Kealey said, ”Any of us are dangerous if we misuse what we’ve been given.”

Kealey’s stomach dropped when Bacchus pointed out everything that he’d done to the police at the grocery store and how helpless any of them had been to stop it. The worst part was, the giant was genuinely amused. It was a stretch for Kealey not to point out that not everyone was necessarily helpless against mutants who liked to run amuck with their powers. She kept her mouth shut, though. It wasn’t her place to be spreadin’ Jacen’s business around like that. It was hard to keep the smile off her face with Bacchus’ current delight at everything she was saying and Kealey was getting frustrated. This was not helping her get her point across. Then something Bacchus said, caught Kealey’s attention.

”That’s why I’m here too. Not so directly that peoples’ lives are on the line…but I’m supposed to be on a mission too. Sometimes though, the only way to save everyone else is to sacrifice yourself. If you’re ever going to help someone…you’ve got to realize that. Otherwise, you’re wasting your time.” Those words were soft, it helped that Bacchus’ amusement had calmed, only to reignite when she simply answered his question. Oh, and he was smug now, too, and making fun of her.

”I get out plenty.” she snapped, only a little petulantly, ”I’m just not used to being around someone who’s a walking ball of testosterone fueled emotion. If you could calm down…it would help me calm down.”

He said she could leave whenever she wanted, but that the door to the rooftop was probably locked. Kealey walked to it and tried it, then clenched her teeth as Bacchus explained that he was simply going to jump. One thing was sure, Kealy wanted out of there, but somehow she didn't think jumping would be her best option.

It wasn’t a terribly high building though he was debating which size would cause less ruckus when he landed, if he went full size some one would notice it and if he only did a partial growth he would have to determine which limbs to grow in order to keep the crash as small as possible. Ears now twitching as he turned his attention back to Kealey and he raised an eyebrow his general mood not wavering not so ever.

“Now tell me why, oh why any ones lives are more important to my friends or my own? I won’t pretend to be something I am not Sheila, so why on earth would I not kill those getting in my way, those who try and prevent me or try and hurt my friends will be crushed under my thumb,” to make his point he raised his left hand and increased the size of his thumb a few times it’s original size. “I only value the lives of people that I care about in the slightest, you showed me kindness, the only reason your alive right now.”

A small chuckle escaped his mouth as Kealey snapped at him, “Oh really?” he said in a mocking tone, she also wanted him to calm down something he found just as funny as her previous outbursts, “Sheila I was just shot at by well over two hundred bullets, I was tear gassed and pepper sprayed, I frankly find it mind boggling your more worried about me, you should be more worried about how your going to get down from here,”

A smirk touched his face as he looked back over the edge, if Kealey asked nicely he would have been more than happy to help her out, if she asked. There was still one more thing Bacchus wanted to know about the woman how she made everyone hurt like she did, “Sheila, one more thing, how did you make those piggys hurt like you did? Cause I think it was starting to work on me…”

This man was simply frustrating, Kealey decided as she stood on the top of a building with the man who’d just killed a number of police officers. Besides the fact that he probably should have been behind bars, he was absolutely and completely unremorseful about what he’d just done. His words played right into the blonde’s hand, though.

”You’re right. Their lives are no more important than those of your friends or loved ones…but they’re not any less important either. That poor man who you threw in the store…his wife and children are probably getting notification right this moment that their husband and father is dead. You’re careless with life, and to paraphrase someone I didn’t necessarily agree with, but respected a great deal…karma is a bitch. These evil deeds are going to come back to you tenfold some day.”

He was arrogant, confident, sure of himself, all dangerous things on their own. They were spilling over into Kealey still, and she shook her head, running a hand through her mussed curls. Bacchus spoke again, and Kealey shook her head again, ”I don’t understand your reasoning at all. You expect others to value the lives of those you care about, but you’re absolutely careless with others.”

He was mocking her again, and Kealey glared. ”I’m not worried about getting down because you’re going to take me down Bacchus.” she said, planting her fisted hands on her hips, ”You got me into this mess, and you’re going to take me down…and I’m not worried about you. I’m worried about me, I can feel everything you’re feeling.”

Bacchus walked away, and Kealey thought for a moment that he actually intended to leave her standing on the roof. It was ludicrous and she was just about to do something to stop him when he turned and asked her a question. Kealey frowned as the words left the Giant’s mouth, ”I was scared…really scared. There was so much pain in that place…you were feeling it, the police were feeling it. I made it worse.” She paused after that and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing, ”Can you take me down now? I’d like to try and salvage the dinner I was going to make…”

As Kealey started up on her lecture again on the importance of human life Bacchus simply responded with a shrug and a finger in his ear, ”What makes you think I’m not just dishing out some karma payback my self, you have no idea what kind of mess my life is right now. I’m simply taking what I need to get it back in order, and frankly, I do believe that some lives are more important than others…” frowning slightly as he gazed down at her his size growing a bit more and more with each passing moment. ”Your telling me that your willing to let go your boy toy the po-po simply because his life isn’t worth anymore than someone elses?”

Letting out a loud hoarse laugh as he slapped his knee and caused the roof to shake slightly as he brought it down hard into the concrete floor, ”Cut the shit love, you’d sooner cut someone’s throat before giving someone close to you up, and if you say you would never do such a thing, your just lying to yourself, it’s the bonds that we have with our loved ones that make them more important than anyone else.”

Walking closer to the spunky little Irish woman Bacchus then added, ”And I expect no one to care about my loved ones, which is why I have no problem doing what I do, I do everything for them!” now standing inches from Kealey and bending his knees so he could try and be eye level with her but failing due to his size,”So your what, an empath or something?” he asked curiously as he brought his hand forward and set it down by her feet only to sweep her from under her feet and then catch her in the same hand.

Bringing his hand and in turn her to his face as he stood upright his height now standing at fourteen feet, ”Thought empaths could only feel not dish out the pain?” he didn’t give her much time to respond before he started to move towards the edge of the building and started to walk his way down the side of it slowly as he braced his free a hand and his other leg against a building that wasn’t too far from the one they were now descending from.

When they reached ground level Bacchus’s body started to shrink before he let go of Kealey, setting her down gently Bacchus looked to the woman and nodded slightly, ”Your welcome.” a grin trailing across his now normal sized face.

Exasperation, that was definitely a feeling that Kealey owned all on her own. Especially as far as this giant was concerned, the man was absolutely infuriating with his slanted ideas about right and wrong. He was one of those people who thought they could simply realign right and wrong to suit their particular needs. He also asked questions that made Kealey uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. Her eyes narrowed as she faced the man down, then poked him squarely in the chest. It was like poking a stack of bricks, but it hadn’t been that hard, so it didn’t hurt her finger too badly.

”You make some pretty hefty assumptions, sir. “ the blond said, jaw setting in a hard line, ”You don’t know what I’d do if the situation warranted it.”

Kealey paused in her tirade to listen to Bacchus as he admonished her for what he apparently thought were her lofty ideals. ”And of course I’d do anything to protect the people I love. It doesn’t meant that I’d simply kill any and everyone who stood in my way without a thought, though!”

Bacchus bent, and Kealey stared him right back in the face, blue eyes not wavering in the least. He might be huge, and she might have just watched him demolish an entire grocery store of New York’s finest, but she definitely wasn’t feeling anything like malicious intent coming from him. Just passion behind what he was saying, real feeling. It was a bit of a shock to Kealey, but this man really believed what he was saying. He asked about her powers and Kealey nodded her head.

”Something like that. Closest term I’ve ever come across for what I can do.” she said…

Then he picked her up. Again.

”ARGH! she yelled as suddenly she was floating again and they were making their way towards the edge of the building. Kealey clamped her eyes shut and tried to focus on his question instead of the fact that someone was actually carrying her down the side of a building. This whole night had simply gotten too bizarre.

”I told you. I’m like an empath. Is there a word for what it is you do? I’ve never seen someone with giantism or dwarfism who’s been able to control it.” she paused for a moment and her voice got softer, ”And I’ve never really done it on such a large scale before…at least not for a long time.”

Then they were down. Bacchus set Kealey down and she instantly skittered a few feet backwards, putting what she considered a safer distance between herself and the giant, who was busy congratulating himself on walking. ”I didn’t thank you.” she said, just a little testily as she started stepping away.

”I guess I should be grateful you didn’t smash my head like a grape though.” she said, eyes narrowing slightly in thought, ”I guess I’ll leave it at this. I hope that you work out whatever it is that has your family in such a precarious position that you’d start to devalue life like you do…and I hope that your actions never come back to haunt you. “ an encounter with someone who could actually see those hauntings made her shudder slightly. That would definitely be bad for the giant.

Despite his general mood Bacchus frowned slightly as Kealy’s mood seemed to get more and more snippy as the time went on but to be fair she was shot at then picked up then carried across a twentieth of the city. She obviously didn’t know where she was so he held his tongue for the time being. After she started to step away from him Bacchus shrugged slightly to answer her question from before. ”Body shifter would be your best bet, giants can’t shrink and dwarfs can’t grow.” letting out a small chuckle of the statement he just made he smiled and said, ”I only smash people who deserve it you on the other hand do not, so count your self lucky or nice what ever you please.”

His body started to shrink as Bacchus took a look at his current wardrobe and frowned slightly, pants that were all that was left and those seemed to be tattered with small pinpricks that were once bullet holes in his giant form. Looking around and eyeing a nearby dumpster. Turning his attention to Kealey as he yanked a long ratted out trench coat that smelled like last night Prom vomit Bacchus slipped it on and smiled at Kealey and said, ”I thank you kindly, and let me offer a piece of advice myself, Life has little meaning if there is no point living it, so I’d suggest you cozy up to your piggy boy toy, cause with the way things are going around here…”

Letting out a sigh and a small headshake Bacchus turned into the street now dressed like a bum and smelling like puke he waved his hand backward and called out, ”Your on fifth and main!” that being said he realized that all this talking about values and such made him want something from a value meal burgers perhaps. He turned on to the street and lost himself in a crowd silently thanking the like Empath for showing him kindness when others didn’t.