"Good morning, New York City! This is the wake up call, so if you aren't awake... WAKE UP!!" the alarm clock was blaring throughout the room.

Brandon awoke with a startle. He fell back into the bed, hoping that the day before he set the clock wrong, and it was Sunday. He crawled over to the opposite side of the bed and reached out to the alarm clock and mashed the Sleep button. He didn't understand the point of having a part-time job... he goes to work, gets paid, pays the bills, and he is broke again. He walked into the bathroom, and turned on the shower. He decided to let the water warm up a bit before he stepped inside. About a minute passed by, and he stepped inside. As he continued to wash off, he thought about home. He missed his older brother and mother. What could they possibly be doing right now? Probably the same thing he is doing... working. Brandon remembered what his mom used to say when he asked her if she could stay home, "Another day, Another dollar". Now, he understood what she meant. He got out of the shower, dried off with the white towel, and slipped on some underwear. He put on some slacks, and an Oxford shirt. Brandon realized that he liked being at home in the morning. After he turned the alarm clock off, there was silence, something that you rarely get in the noisy city. He continued out of his apartment, and walked down three flights of stairs. He reached the door to the apartments, and opened it. The sun blinded him, momentarily, and he stepped outside. Brandon looked down the street to his right and noticed that there were police cars on the corner.

"Another wreck?" Brandon questioned himself.

He decided to take an alternate route to work today, to avoid police, though he hadn't done anything. He ran across the street and into the alley. As he continued down the alley, he thought that maybe.. he had made the wrong choice. The alley was exceptionally darker than the streets, and much more creepy. Rats scurried around the smelly dumpsters. A shadow flashed across the wall, and Brandon flinched. Brandon could tell that something unknown was lurking around the corner. He wasn't going to ask if anyone was there, like in all the classic movies, because whenever someone said that, the big, scary killer would pop up. Instead, he was going to stay silent, and approach the next turn.

Crack!

Saph growled as the rather large man somehow ducked his blow, and he instead wasted most of his collected force on a pallet stacked against the wall behind him. The man took advantage of his new position, and charged forward into Saph, slamming his shoulder into his ribs on the left side, and crushing him against the opposite wall.

Saph caught his breath quickly, and sent his left knee into the man's lowered face, causing his head to jerk up as he stumbled back. Saph grinned as he raised a fist to send it into the man's face, but caught someone entering the alley out of the corner of his eye and turned to face him. His opponent made him pay for getting distracted; he jumped up and used his greater weight to press the vigilante into the ground, wrapping his meaty hands around the hero's neck.

Saph struggled under the man, and slowly looked to the kid that had entered the alley, choking out, "Help!" in his direction. Hopefully the kid would give him a hand, but just in case, his other hand reached for a piece of the pallet he had shattered.

Brandon turned the corner and saw a brutal fight taking place. The larger man was choking the other on the ground.

"Help!"

Brandon looked into the eyes of the victim, and heard him scream for help. Brandon started ro run down the alley and began to consider every tactic of how to help the man. There was not any sand around for him to manipulate, and he had no time to search for any. The only thing he could do was to fight the thug, without his mutation. He arrived at the man and faked a left hook. The thug ducked, giving Brandon the perfect oppurtunity for a kick to the head. Brandon raised his leg with full force against the man's temple. The kick connected, and the man fell to the ground, perhaps knocked out. Brandon went over to the other, attempting to help him up.

"Are you okay?" Brandon said as he held out his hand, to help the man up.

Like that; the man was off of him. It took him half a second to realize what had happened, but when he did, a smile grew on his face.

"Thanks, buddy!"

Saph reached up and pulled himself to his feet quickly, dusting himself off. "I'm fine... yeah... little beat up, but i've been worse!" He reached up and rubbed the left side of his neck, which was beginning to bruise.

"Hey, thanks for giving a hand, man... most people nowadays just... one sec." The man had slowly started to get up, and Saph sent a full force punt right into his face with a 'crack', causing him to fall back, out cold. "Most people just walk right on past!" He seemed to be in a good mood as he knelt down next to the big man, reaching into his coat for some zip-ties and restraining the man.

He looked up after he was done, and grinned, holding out his hand to the young savior. "I'm Saphirus."

"I'm Saphirus."

Saphirus... an interesting name. He looked like he was somewhat capable of fighting, after he kicked the thug in the face.

"I'm Brandon. Is your neck okay?"

Brandon looked around, checking to see if anyone was around. The officers from down the street, were passing by.

"We better get out of here, knowing my luck, they'll think we're the thugs." Brandon suggested.

He started to walk briskly towards the opposite end of the alley, turning slightly to see if Saphirus was going to follow.

"Oh this?" Saph kept rubbing his neck for a few more seconds before dropping his hand to his side again, "S'nuthin."

He turned and took a peek around the corner, and then nodded slowly.
"If that's a problem, then we better hurry... I called the cops before I went to chase him... He was knocking over a quickie mart a few blocks back... unloaded his gun into the shop owner." Saph turned to follow Brandon. The older mutant felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned to look, seeing nothing there... Strange... He shrugged it off as his imagination, and then hobbled to catch up to the younger man.

"I suppose that was lucky for me, though... He was tougher than I expected, but at least he didn't have any ammo left." Saph rotated his head around as he walked, feeling another tap, but ignoring it... He swore to god invisible people had been poking at him all day, or something; it was crazy. "So, eh... You got a place around here? I hate to be a bother, but some ice would be nice... Hey, I rhymed." He seemed just a little amused at himself for a millisecond, and then went about like nothing happened.

"Yeah, but my apartment is on the other side of the alley, if we go back, the cops will want to question us. We can get some ice at the general store I work at. My boss doesn't get to work for another hour, so he shouldn't be a problem."

Brandon arrived at the end of the alley, and took a right.

"It's just a few blocks down. By the way, why were you chasing that thug in the first place? I don't mean to be rude, but it isn't your responsibility to protect the store owners... is it?"

"Sounds like a plan." Saph stated as he followed the young man. So he worked at a store around here, huh? Well, store ice was just as good as house ice. The older mutant raised an eyebrow as the kid questioned his heroing.

"I suppose I just did it cause it was the right thing to do. I don't mean to brag, but it's kinda what I do. I go looking for crime, and then I beat up the criminals... I guess I'm a super hero." He was a bit more proud of it than he let on. Something about making someone pay for their bad deeds made him feel warm and fuzzy inside; and the rush he got from gathering force didn't hurt it at all.

"It's a good enough life. I get to live at a mansion with people like me, and fight crime in my off time." He paused for a second as he wondered to himself if this kid even knew he was a mutant... He hadn't thought of that... Part of him wondered if the young man would think any differently of him if he came to that conclusion.

A mansion? With other people.... sounds like a high-class old person home, but Saphirus didn't look old at all.

"Why are you and the other people living at the mansion?"

Brandon wondered what Saphirus meant by a super hero... was he just talking, or did he really mean it? Brandon pondered if Saphirus had powers as well. If he was, he was probably more skilled.. Brandon had only just discovered his powers recently. He suddenly had the urge to go to the beach, just to life a grain of sand. He got a tingly feeling everytime he used his powers... and he liked it.

Once the question was asked, Saph realized that the part of him that cared what other people thought of him really didn't have much pull in his inner democracy.
He spoke flatly. "I'm a mutie, kid. The mansion is a place where mutants, like me, live and learn." He felt another poke, and turned again, suddenly getting grumpy. "Why all the questions, eh? Got something against mutants?" He paused, shaking off the sudden anger, and silently wondering where it had come from.

Maybe it had something to do with the invisible person that seemed to be following him around and tapping him left and right(there is no person)... He took another glance around, and then sighed, looking to Brandon again. "Sorry, I'm in a strange mood today."