A billow of warm are resembling smoke exited Sam’s mouth as he brushed past another round of pine trees Sam stopped to investigate. Careful to examine the surrounding area he noticed that even though there was a light snow earlier that day it didn’t completely hide the imprint of the ten-inch boot that he and Jewel had been tracking. Leaning forward and crunching the snow under his own feet Sam looked to the pine tree closest to them and grinned slightly, if he was a blood hound his nose would be going crazy for the trail they were on was to him clear as day. Branches cracked and imprints on the ground lit their way to the pack of scavengers that had decided to make a profit off of mutants.

Reaching for the glove that he didn’t need Sam pulled it off and traced his bare fingers in the snow. He didn’t need the gloves nor the heavy articles of clothing that one would wear during the winter but stealth was their best option and the fact that they both looked human made things all the easier. Originally Sam had planned on bringing either Kaz, or Sara on the mission but seeing as they didn’t fit the profile of normal Sam decided to try a different approach one that required his own tracking skills mixed with one precious metal manipulator.

What was one thing that bounty hunters had? Money would have been a good answer but rings made of silver or gold, fillings earrings or better yet, some sort of necklaces. Any of them would be enough to alert Jewel to their presence and an alert was all he needed once he found out where they were he would do what he could to make sure they wouldn’t keep up with mutant hunting, even if it meant giving them another job. What that job was he wasn’t sure yet but he would think of something.

Turning his head with a small smile he looked to Jewel and asked, ”What do you see?” he was of course referring to the boot prints and the surroundings around them. ”It snowed earlier but not enough to cover the tracks, with this I think this boot print is only a few hours old, we might be able to catch up sooner than expected.” Sam looked for the next boot mark and continued on the path. ”How are you feeling today?” Sam asked figuring he know the answer after all she and Alex had a big night last night.

Jewel pulled her scarf up to her nose, which was already getting pink, standing out against the white skin of the rest of her face. Puffs of warm breath escaped through the folds of the scarf.
She wondered why Sam had asked her for this mission. He explained the part about passing-for-human, but she knew very well she was not the only one on the team who could do that. She suspected it had something to do with the previous night; although it ended quite nice on her (and Shawn's) part, she was sure it wasn't all peachy for Alex and Sam. The pain of the hangover was gone, but that doesn't mean she didn't feel all that well.
They were hunting hunters. Another thing she didn't have any experience with. But if the big boss said she had to do it, she had to do it, and she was willing to, because their mission was to help mutants, and that was all that mattered. At least she was not with Shawn. He'd worry about her too much to concentrate. He said so.
Folding her arms she waited till Sam examined the boot prints, and while she waited, she let her sixth sense work. Out here there was a lot less to show up on her radar - a few bits and pieces here and there, maybe bling someone lost on a walk, and faint lights of metal deep beneath them in the ground. Sam suspected the people they had been following had some jewelry on them she could sense, but if they did, they were still out of her range.
”What do you see? It snowed earlier but not enough to cover the tracks, with this I think this boot print is only a few hours old, we might be able to catch up sooner than expected.”
"They are leaving a clear trail" she murmured "You think they didn't expect anyone to follow?..." opening her eyes, she added "They can't be closer than a mile, I'd sense something if they were. It's very... quiet out here."
She just didn't have a better word for it.
”How are you feeling today?”
Jewel frowned behind the scarf. Here we go.
"I'm okay." she said, as reassuringly as she could manage. She was fine. Really. "How are you feeling?"

The way was clear for the most part, it seemed that the hunters didn’t fear of being tracked after all they were supposed to be top of the food chain hunting down weak and defenseless mutants who would have ever thought about a lone pair of mutants hunting the top of the food chain. ”Me I’m feeling fine, Alex on the other hand, she had a long night and managed seven years bad luck in the process.” he said simply remembering the mirror he had to clean up a few hours prior to the mission.

Passing a tree with a large amount of broken branches Sam pointed out the tree and changed his direction accordingly to follow the boot prints that continued through the snow. ”More than two that’s for sure, and no… they aren’t worried about being tracked, after all the only ones that would harm them would be mutants and seeing as the ones that would normally put up a fight are in the camps or in hiding, the only ones that they are worried about are the ones that are running.”

His pace quickened as he kept on the path the idea was to encounter the hunters before they caught up with to members of his team which for now seemed like how it was going to end up, however a gust of wind and a uplift of nearby sow seemed to make things more difficult for them. Reacting quickly Sam raised his hand forcing a person tall tunnel of control to form on the path ahead, it would be a very long tunnel and if the hunters changed direction it was possible to lose the trail.

”Did the news say anything about a storm front moving in today?” Sam asked curiously as he felt the temperature around them drop a few inches as the wind started to pick up around his tunnel of control which only blocked the snow not the quick gusts of wind. ”Regardless we have to pick up the pace, if we get caught in a snow storm without getting a lock on them we’ll have to change directions and meet with the group and play body guard from there.”

If they got stuck in the storm it wasn’t that big of a deal, he could keep moving but it wouldn’t be much good seeing as he wouldn’t know where to look for them, Jewel on the other hand couldn’t move during the snow storm her or the hunters, it was far two easy to get lost, which was why it was so crucial to get a move on before any outside distractions go to work against them.

”Me I’m feeling fine, Alex on the other hand, she had a long night and managed seven years bad luck in the process.”
Jewel frowned. Yes, it definitely was a long night, and Alex had been a lot more wasted than she was. Which, considering the after-effects of said night she experienced, must have been hell. She wondered how bad it got between Sam and Alex - she was royally pissed at him when she last saw them...
She moved faster to keep up with Sam, and she was glad for the quick pace too, it kept her warm. As the wind picked up it was starting to get colder out here, the kind of sharp cold that cuts any patch of skin not covered by layers of winter clothing.
Of course it didn't bother Sam. At least not the temperature part.
”Did the news say anything about a storm front moving in today? Regardless we have to pick up the pace, if we get caught in a snow storm without getting a lock on them we’ll have to change directions and meet with the group and play body guard from there.”
"I didn't really catch the news this morning" she murmured. She had other things ti distract her attention. Maybe it was not that great an idea...
She watched the snow move aside and form a tunnel. In this weather, Sam's abilities really came in handy.
"Not bothering about their tracks makes them move faster" she said, more to herself than to Sam, he must have already know something this trivial "But I still... can't feel them. Do you think they'd had something I can sense?..."
Catching up to Sam and pulling her coat tighter around her body, she glanced at him. "Why did you bring me?..."

((OOC: CS let me know when she'd begin to sense something ))

(OOC: Feel free to find them in your next post, the storm will set in soon)
IC:

Sam could hear Jewel muttering and mumbling about the news and the amount of time the hunters had to worry about their tracks but he said nothing to them his only response was to quicken his pace. Her next questions made Sam slow to a stop before he turned to her with her a straight face, ”In all my years as a mutant I have meant trackers and hunters of all kinds, I know their make to the point where their movements become predictable, one thing I have notice when encountering them, is the amount of bling they have on their person, it isn’t a ton but still it’s noticeable, Gold teeth, silver rings, diamond studded earrings, in fact the only sort of head hunters you need to worry about are the ones without any.”

He turned around and kept moving this time faster than before seeing as the snow outside the tunnel was becoming heavier and more energy consuming to maintain. Plus side to the amount of snow around them was the fact that the wind was pelting the snow around the tunnel of his control making it easier to tell the boot prints apart from everything else. With a quick look over his head he smiled and said, ”And I brought you hear for a few reasons first of which is a very important lesson, when we are on a mission that requires stealth don’t get drunk all it takes is a slip of the wrist and your power goes off and then your stuck in the camps.”

His pace slowed as the trail was becoming harder and harder to define as they have reached the end of the tunnel at least the area outside of Sam’s tunnel. ”The other reason I brought you hear was because I believe you might have more potential as a tracker than anyone else on the team, scents can be hidden, trails can be masked but yours, no one things of being tracked by a heirloom or a piece of gaudy jewelry.” Sam paused and looked about the area and frowned, ”Looks like there is going to be a snow storm, we can keep moving but the hunters would be smart enough to pitch camp otherwise they risk getting lost, can you feel them yet?”

"Gold teeth, silver rings, diamond studded earrings, in fact the only sort of head hunters you need to worry about are the ones without any."
Jewel shuddered and frowned. She wondered if Shawn had told Sam about their encounter with the thugs on their first not-date, and what she did to the guy who shot him. Gold teeth. Yay.
”And I brought you hear for a few reasons first of which is a very important lesson, when we are on a mission that requires stealth don’t get drunk all it takes is a slip of the wrist and your power goes off and then your stuck in the camps.”
"I'm sorry" she said, loud and clear this time, because she really was, and she wanted Sam to know it. She already got her fair share of talk about last night from Shawn, not to mention all the guilt she managed all by herself. "It won't happen again."
”Looks like there is going to be a snow storm, we can keep moving but the hunters would be smart enough to pitch camp otherwise they risk getting lost, can you feel them yet?”
Lily took a breath, and held it in, trying her best to concentrate over the wind and the snow. Sam was keeping the latter at bay, for the moment, but there was no doubt the weather was just getting started.
Letting her senses reach out, Lily finally found something that wasn't there before. Tiny objects, not bigger than regular jewelry, and not particularly good quality either, but there they were, in one group, moving around more than inanimate objects should.
"Sam? I think I got them." she said, finally opening her eyes once she was sure her senses won't lose the sign "They are not close, but they are moving around in one place. I think they are settling down for the storm."
She pulled the scarf around her head tighter and blinked away some snoflakes from her eyes.
"So, what's the plan now?..."

Nodding his head and grinning he said simply, ”Standard situation prey settles the hunter settles and while they are tracking our friends we have to do the same, though I would like to get a bit closer before we set up camp for the night.” Sam didn’t have supplies for he didn’t need them all he had on his person was the usual plus a power bar or two for dinner and breakfast and yes, he brought enough for Jewel as well, she probably didn’t think about this being an over night sting operation.

Moving forward Sam looked back to Jewel and said, ”We will get close but not close enough for them to pick up on us, just close enough so you have a constant lock on them.” she would also have to maintain that lock for a long period of time, at least till the weather stopped pouring down the snow in blankets. If it didn’t end as soon as he would like then odds were they were going to have to make a move during the storm, which would make things extremely difficult for not only Jewel but the hunters as well, it would be a double edge sword to say the least.

After a few minutes of travel Sam turned to Jewel and asked curiously, ”How long can you hold you lock on them?” seeing as it was a winter storm in the woods odds were the longest it could last is an hour or two but with the luck the have been having it would last far longer than expected. Raising his hand upward the snowdrift around them changed from a tunnel to a small seven-foot tall dome snow continued to pack onto the area of control till they were completely enclosed in a dome of snow.

Reaching into his pocket Sam pulled out a glow stick and set it in the snow as he sat down. ”Now we wait” sitting in the snow waiting for the storm to end would be quite unless he could find a topic of discussion that would require Jewel to be engaged with the topic…“So….you and Streak…been getting kind of close.”

”How long can you hold you lock on them?”
Lily watched the dome of snow form around them, and she was truly impressed. It was kind of beautiful, even though it was made for purely practical reasons. She truly believed every mutation had some kind of beauty to it, one way or another. And sitting inside a dome of snow, it felt like something she'd have enjoyed to do as a little girl.
Then she remembered she forgot to answer the question.
"Um..." she shrugged "I don't really have a lock on them, they are just there. This part of my power... it's a sixth sense. It works all the time."
Settling down, she pulled her scarf down and pulled the hair back from her face.
”Now we wait. So….you and Streak…been getting kind of close.”
Oh, great. Stuck in a snowstorm, and talking relationships with Sam. Lily chuckled and looked at him over the glow stick.
"Yeah. We've been doing this dance for a while now, and it was really distracting both of us from the mission, so... we had a talk, and figured it out." she said with a smile. Sure, they did. In a way.
Tilting her head, she was silent for a while before she dared to ask.
"How about you and Alex? I haven't seen her today, and she was... kind of upset last night. Is she okay?"

Grinning from ear to ear he smiled, ”Good, cause I don’t know how long the storm will last, and if it last longer than expected I don’t want you to lose sight of them. If need be we can start moving before the storm ends but I’d like it if we could see who we are tying down.” letting out a small laugh when Jewel spoke Sam responded with a joke, ”Picture Streak more of the chicken dance kind of guy to be honest.” Sam grinned then focused on some of the snow at his feet and formed it into a small man of snow and then forced him to move about.

”The distraction never really goes away, it is what makes being on a team with them difficult which is why I try to opt out of teaming up with Alex on a mission, I know she can handle her self but I have a tendency not to think much in a dangerous situation whenever I am around her.” he paused then smiled, ”If it is that easy to figure out you guys are gonna make us look bad.”

”Yeah, she had a rough morning.” the snow man did a flip and made smaller variation of himself in some snow which soon came to life. ”But she is alright now, and yeah I put her in that foul mood, I overreacted when I saw Kaz carrying Al to her room.” Sam shrugged, ”Kinda irritating I can snap like that,” Sam snapped his fingers and both snow men blew to little pieces only to reform a minute or two later. ”I think we are better now, if she can over look the last time I got drunk with Ghost I think I can over look her getting drunk here.”

The distraction never really goes away.
Lily nodded. Somewhere deep down she already knew that, even though she was fairly now to missions and the kind of responsibility that went with them.
She watched the small snow figure crumble and re-form itself, and smiled, thinking about all the stuff Sam just said. It was good to know she wasn't the only one who felt this way about someone else on her team.
"I know" she said, staring into the light of the glow stick "Back in the park, when Shawn got shot, I... did things I didn't know I would be capable of. And I came really close to killing the man who hurt him."
That was not easy to say; she still couldn't really admit it to herself, but denying it wouldn't have done any good either.
It was also good to hear that things worked out between Alex and Sam.
"You know, the way I see it, Alex really cares about you. She wouldn't have been that upset last night if she didn't." she pointed out with the smile returning to her lips "It's a girl thing."

Sam sighed and watched the snow figures, ”I heard about that, good it wasn’t a fatal shot, and your capable of such much Jewel it’s just your mind doesn’t work the same when someone you care about is injured, it takes a great amount of loss to have any inkling what you can be capable of…” he paused for a minute and watched a few more small ice figures form.

Once they were formed they ran at each other and started to fist fight with their little snowball hands. Sam thinking about the words before he phrased them aloud for Jewel to hear ”It’s good you didn’t kill them either, not a lot of people can handle killing, it just leaves a empty feeling of regret in the pit of your stomach something that never really goes away.”

He let out a sigh and a flick of his wrist and then all the snow figures exploded shooting out snow in every direction. Falling back in a laying position Sam breathed in and then exhaled again feeling the weight of the snow on the dome continue to build meaning the storm has yet to pass.

The smile on Jewel’s lips could still be spotted in the dim light, which forced Sam to smile as well, ”I just hope she can forgive me for it, acted like a grade A Ass last night, still need to apologize to Kaz as well.” Sam was still curious as to why Kaz was carrying Alex to her room in the first place a question he wondered if he would ever know.

”I heard about that, good it wasn’t a fatal shot, and your capable of such much Jewel it’s just your mind doesn’t work the same when someone you care about is injured, it takes a great amount of loss to have any inkling what you can be capable of…”
Yes, it was definitely good it was not a fatal shot. Jewel shuddered at the thought of Shawn getting killed. Hurt she could deal with, because he could too... she always had that feeling Shawn was really hard to kill. it was a very comforting thought.
”It’s good you didn’t kill them either, not a lot of people can handle killing, it just leaves a empty feeling of regret in the pit of your stomach something that never really goes away.”
Lily was very sure she was one of the people who couldn't handle killing. She was just that kind of person. Looking up at Sam's face over the glowing stick she wondered if he spoke from experience. She couldn't tell.
”I just hope she can forgive me for it, acted like a grade A Ass last night, still need to apologize to Kaz as well.”
"Good luck with that" Lily couldn't help but smirk "I think Kaz would need something much more severe than last night's mess to punch a hole on his ego." she chuckled "Alex will come around, don't worry. You'll just need to be... very convincing."

He smirked as well as the snow under him elevated under his back till he was somewhat upright, ”Kaz is defiantly a character, he threatened to kill me last night” Sam chuckled, ”The funny part was he was serious, defiantly going to be an interesting working relationship if he threatens to kill me every time I yell at him.” he was unaffected by death threats when they were addressed to him, it was a habit he wasn’t thrilled to have, but if he started to worry about a death threat every time he would have been dead long ago.

”I hope she comes around, don’t think she would end it but I certainly don’t want to repeat the offense.” he paused as he looked to the glow stick then closed his eyes, ”It’s weird I’m not usually the type of guy to jump to conclusions like that.”

He sighed and felt the snow continue to pile on the dome and show no signs of stopping, ”Just be sure you yourself don’t get put in a position like that, last thing I want is to see Streak cry cause you yelled at him.” teased Sam as he formed a few more ice figures with his eyes still closed.

The below in the snow was a reenactment of two small figures of snow fighting over one in a dress both of who pulling her this way and that until she split in two and the snow that made up her body turned into a tiger that pawed and mauled the two snow figures that were fighting over the female snow sculpture, ”And yes, Alex is a tigress who could maul me if she so pleased.”

”Kaz is defiantly a character, he threatened to kill me last night”
Weird as it was, Jewel had to smile. That sounded very much like Kaz. She didn't know her teammate too well, and being the sensitive girl she was she suspected there was more to his character than what he liked to show people... but it still sounded very much like him. Threatening the team leader over a situation that wasn't even what it looked like.
"He's a charmer isn't he." she grinned.
”It’s weird I’m not usually the type of guy to jump to conclusions like that.”
She didn't say anything to that, but continued grinning. Oh, there was a moment like that in every man's life. She knew better than to spell it out for him. Sam was smart, he'll figure it out soon enough.
”Just be sure you yourself don’t get put in a position like that, last thing I want is to see Streak cry cause you yelled at him.”
And the grin grew even wider. Now there was an image.
"You won't see that happening anytime soon, boss. I don't yell, and I doubt I could make him cry if I did."
Holding out her hand, she made the silver rings around her wrists move down and cover her palm and fingers. She moved her fingers, and moved the silver along with them; it was a game she usually played when she was bored. Also, it was Streak's silver. It made her feel safe.
”And yes, Alex is a tigress who could maul me if she so pleased.”
Lily watched the little show and started to laugh.
"You are quite the artist, Sam."

Eyes still shut focusing on the weight of the snow continue Sam laughed, ”Still I couldn’t help but laugh if I see that, Streak doesn’t strike me much as a crier, maybe more of a “I need a drink with the boys” type of guy.” he paused then opened his eyes and looked to Jewel, ”You know I don't think I have ever seen him drink before…” he paused and then laid his head back, ”Well I know who I’m going out with when we get back state side, I tell you Ghost drank for the first time a few weeks before her wedding.” wishing he had his phone on him so he could have showed Jewel some pictures he knew Ghost didn’t want to get out, ”She was entertaining to say the least.”

When she called him artist he laughed slightly, ”Art is only limited by the imagination,” he said quickly reciting something one of his old teachers (if you could call them that) had drilled into his skull. ”Let’s just say I had a lot of time to practice as a kid, you see I was a early bloomer, mutation came pretty early, a few years actually think it was when I was seven or eight…” he paused to think about it then continued, ”Anyways the orphanage I was at weren’t really that well equipped to handle kids like me so I spent some time seeing what I could do.”

With out even meaning to snow started to form into two large figures of ice people, one was a stocky male and the other was a long haired female, both of which had defined wrinkles on their face that reflected the glow stick. Opening his eyes he frowned slightly, he didn’t intentionally form the ice sculptures of his parents. Closing his eyes again Sam lifted his fingers and let out a loud snap forcing the two ice sculptures to melt into the snow from once them came.