This night was supposed to be special a sort of special night out, to forget, to dance and just to have fun with her friends. But, things didn’t pan out that way, it never did for her, she should have known better by now, the pure and terrible feelings that went through her were almost too much for her to bear. Once again, the girl found herself hurt, wounded from the latest blow her heart had taken tonight.

Emerald,

I'm sorry to tell you that I had to leave. I wish I could have told you in person, but I'm writing this in the middle of the night because I have to leave in a hurry. I got word that my mother is really, really sick, and that she doesn't have much time left, so I need to go and be with her.
I wanted to go to the dance with you. I was going to ask you. I got a tux and everything! But, I was told that I couldn't wait that long. I'm really sorry, Em. I'm sure I'll be back within a few weeks, and then we can go beat up some thugs together or something. Sound fun?

~Ilari

At first, Emerald was planning on just not going to the dance, but then Ruby had convinced her that maybe something magical or some such nonsense would happen there and she would find someone who really cared about her. Unfortunately, at the time there was only one person Emerald was thinking about and that one person was Ilari. The two had been visiting each other again, talking once again and the boy had accidentally slipped out, “See you tommrow night.” He knew that she was going to the dance the next day and once that slip up happened and judging by the embarrassed look on his face, her heart nearly leapt up into her chest. It didn’t take much for her to figure out that he was planning on taking her to the dance, or at least seeing her there, so true to her style she became determined to find the right thing to wear as well as the right things to say for the big night.

It was the night before the dance was when Emerald got the letter and at that moment, she felt her whole world crumbling down around her. She understood why he wasn’t going she really did but…the night before the dance? Really? Out of all the days to receive that thing, she received it a night before the dance. At that moment she had been wavering between bursting into tears or tearing apart the next person she saw.

So on the night of the dance, Emerald helped primp her little sister and once Ruby was off and running to the dance the wolf girl decided to have her own sort of fun tonight. From what she had heard on the news, a dangerous criminal had escaped from custody of an armored truck and was currently on the run from the police, a mutant with the ability to reopen old wounds if touching the area they were inflicted on. The woman was a real psychopath and had killed at least twenty people during her last escape.

Normally, this would have been a job for Shred, but this time, this night, Emerald felt like kicking some ass all on her own. She wasn’t in the mood to wear a mask to hide her anger anymore, she was in a foul mood and she didn’t care who saw it. New York was a fairly large state and it could take days, even weeks to locate one person.

What a good way to take out all pent up rage!

So Emerald got herself suited up, sliding on a green sleeveless top with a black star on it, green cameo pants, combat books, and her old dog tags and just because she felt like it a beret. The wolf girl took a second to gaze at herself in the mirror, looking over the very visage of a warrior that stood before her. A number of her scars on her arms were visible and the ones on her neck were as well. If one moved her sleeves over they would see a tattoo of a seven on her left shoulder blade with barbed wire twisted around it as well as chains. Underneath it, the word Ira was written.

Into the night, the wolf girl drove on her speedy motorcycle and would not stop until she found her prey, which turned out to be sooner rather than later.


Local 7 News at 7 am Breaking News Bulletin!

“Hi I'm Josephine Marquis, Head Anchor of the Local 7 news crew and I have interrupted your normal programming to give you this special report. The infamous Scar faced killer has been apprehended and detained. Last night around 11 pm the escaped convict, known as Mary Johnson, better known as the scar faced killer was apprehended and returned to the authorities. Upon arriving on the scene of the 911 call from a young Miss Janie Brown and her eight year old son Michael, were found sitting next to their overturned vehicle, with Janie’s arm broken and young Michael unconscious. But this was not all they found they also found the killer herself, bounded and gagged next to the van. While we couldn’t get any information from the officers or get our cameras in their we did hear from the Police Chief that there was a good deal of blood on the scene, not all being from the killer. At first it was believed that Janie had defended her son from the killer but in a later statement she had told our anchor that she was pulled out of the car once it had flipped over by a very strong person as was her son. She went unconscious for a moment or so and heard sounds of fighting and once she woke up the officers were already there. We are not allowed to show any footage or interviews at this time but we managed to get a clip of sound from Janie’s cell phone that just happened to be on as the fight was going on, but all we hear is one sound.

*A loud wolf like howl was heard on the tape causing the TV studio to go into stunned silence.

“We believe that this may be the mysterious giant wolf beast that has been seen around the Finger Lakes area, where this incident occurred. Multiple sightings of this creature suggest that it is no threat unless it is threatened. But now theories are circulating on the internet that the wolf beat did not like this crazed killer lurking in its territory so it decided to do something about it. Whatever the case may be, whoever apprehended this criminal saved countless of innocent lives today and all we can say here at the studio is, We Salute you Mysterious howling creature.”

Meanwhile at a dinner sat the mysterious howling creature, which was rolling her eyes at the newscasters over exuberant manner. It had been a long day for her and she really wasn’t in the mood for someone broadcasting her exploits. The wolf girl looked terrible, the fight really taking it out of her, her scars had become large cuts that roped all the way up to her neck, all of which were covered by bandages. In fact, most of her was covered by bloodstained bandages every piece of exposed skin was at least, eve some parts of her face were protected by bandages.

Even though she looked like hell, even though she hurt like hell, there was one good thing that happened that night of the dance. She sure as hell had a lot of fun destroying one criminals chance of hurting more people. And that’s all that mattered, she could care less about fame, just the fact that justice was served. Problem was, now she had all of her old wounds reopened up..and other wounds that would take much longer to heal.

Every once in a while, Mirror wondered who was the unfortunate soul who had to clean up the common rooms of the Mansion. If it was not done with a mutation, it had to suck.

Like, for example, when Maya sprayed the living room couch with a mouthful of coffee, watching the 7am breaking news.

Mirror. Stairs. Room. Phone. Emmy.

Once the click on the other end of the line indicated someone answered the phone, Maya took a deep breath.

"Mysterious howling creature?!" she demanded "Ems, are ya outta your freakin' mind?! Where in the F*** hell ARE YOU?!"

Yeah. Not the best way to approach the issue. But Maya was worried sick, and felt a pang of guilt too, since she was supposed to check on Ems the night before. She kinda forgot.

This is how Twyla must feel when I get into trouble.
It sucks.

Emerald had managed to fall asleep in the booth at the back of the dinner, finally getting some rest after the hours it took bandaging and sewing her up. Once her phone started ringing, she groaned, getting a couple of looks from the other patrons, she let out a low growl and they quickly went back to their meals. After picking up the phone, Emerald was rewarded with a loud yell from her adopted sibling, causing her to hold the phone away from her ear.

"I'm at the dinner downtown and quit yelling at me it's not like I went after Serial rapist and Murderer like you did." Emerald replied coldly on the phone, clearly not in the mood for this right now. She had been in such a good mood too. The other patrons gave her a look, but Moe, the owner of the dinner gave his own sort of growl and they all began eating again.

>>"I'm at the dinner downtown and quit yelling at me it's not like I went after Serial rapist and Murderer like you did."

Maya paused, and blinked.

"Point taken." she sighed "Stay where you are, Ems, don' make me hunt down y'r *ss too."

Half an hour later, Maya showed up at the diner, and joined Emerald in the booth.

"Figured ya'd be here." she smirked "The Diner to I-got-dumped-and-got-the-crap-beaten-outta-me-because-of-it. Ems, ya look like somethin' that's been through a meat grinder. Are ya... nevermind."

Of course she was not all right.

"What's his excuse?"

Emerald waited for her adopted sibling to come, readying the note that Ilari had given her in her pocket. Once Maya came in and said her normal piece the wolf girl withdrew the note from her pocket and slid it across the table. She winced a little, clearly not all her wounds were healed from the previous night, but at least she wasn't too badly injuried.

"The criminal I caught was an old commrade of mine back in the days of the labs. Has the ability to open reopen any wound that leaves a scar and if concentrating enough cut you open by just running her hand across your bare skin." Emerald explained, knowing the former company she kept wasn't exactly normal. Then again back then she wasn't normal ethier.

Maya read the note, then read it again. She listened to what Emerald said.

"Well, at least ya chose the target right." she smirked, sliding the note back to her "Ems, did ya notice he didn' dump you?"

He really didn't. It might have been a sorry excuse for not showing up, but might as well have been true. They could always go and check if he was home or not. But as long as there was a chance he might be telling (writing) the truth... the situation did not look awful.

Not half as awful as Emerald.

"Ya need to get those wounds healed, ya know that, right?"

Emerald knew he didn't dump her and she knew that it was possible that he would come back but she doubted it. That was how things worked for her, normall when a guy left her out cold, he wouldn't be comming back. Or he would try to kill her whatever worked for him, that was just how things always were. Emerald didn't like it but she had a hard time finding a guy that would stick around her long enough for her to finally find someone she could depend on.

"I know that, how could he dump me when he wasn't even dating me?" The she wolf replied coldly, leaning against the back of the booth. Her body ached and hurt, but she didn't mind it to much, it distracted her from other things. "I'm fine, these wounds were opened up once and healed over just fine."

While there was irritation in the wolf girls voice, it hid something else, something that sounded like sadness and inner pain from once again being so close to something, only to have it taken away from her again. She let out a sigh which turned into a grunt of pain when she moved too quickly, causing pain to streak through her body.

>>"I'm fine, these wounds were opened up once and healed over just fine."

Maya rolled her eyes, then shook her head with a smirk.

"Ems, I'm the queen of 'I'm fine'. Ya'll need to get those healed, or Doc will hurt you much, much worse, believe me."

She stood, and moved over to Emerald's side of the booth, looking at her. She looked annoyed, tired, beaten up, and sad. Mostly, Maya realized with a hint of surprise, sad. Dammit, Ilari.

"So. Hugs, drinks or walk?"

"Damn right I'm the queen of I'm fine, I can go through any sort of wound and come out of it smelling like roses," Emerald laughed a little, though not too hard, her ribs hurt really bad. She wasn't sure if one got broken in the fight but it sure as hell felt bruised at the very least. Once Maya moved over to her side of the table, she had a feeling what was coming and she braced herself for the hug, knowing it would likely hurt because of her wounds. Luckily though, Maya asked beforehand, giving the wolf girl plenty of warning.

"Walk, I can walk now that all the glass that was in my feet has been removed. It shouldn't hurt too bad." Emerald replied rather nonchalantly, her pain tolerance being far higher than the average person. Considering that the average person would be most likely screaming in pain if they had suffered through wounds like her. But Miss Lupin was a battle hardened veteran and she wouldn't let tiny wounds like that drag her down.

>>"Walk, I can walk now that all the glass that was in my feet has been removed. It shouldn't hurt too bad."

Maya chuckled at the wolf.

"I ain't givin' you a choice, I just wanted to know which one ya'd like to do first. We can start with the walk I s'pose." she winked. Drinks and hugs could wait. They usually came in that order anyway.

She stood, and held a hand out to Emerald to help her up. She still looked like hell, but walking was her choice. Kinda.

"All right, sista." she sighed, once they were outside the diner, and walking in the general direction of 'out of trouble' "Talk to me."

Emerald took her friends hand, allowing herself to be pulled upward towards her friend. Once the two started walking, the wolf girl only felt bits of stinging pain on her bandaged feet as she walked, the pain hardly even registering in her brain. She waited for te order to talk, knowing it was comming sooner or later and once it did she nodded a little.

"Not much to say, what happened is what normally happens to me, I meet a nice guy, something happens, I go beat up some random shmuck who thinks they can fight me," Emerald replied, having a "Same old Same old" tone to her voice. But the way she talked about it was actually quite sad, the fact the wolf girl was so used to getting her heart broken. "I'ts not like I need anyone or something like that. I don't mind being the protector all the time, I can take care of myself." A lie, Emerald did need someone. She wanted a mate more than anything else in the world, if she got a mate then he would help keep her pack safe, to keep her safe. Her voice, depite her faux confidence had sadness in it and judging by how her tail did not wag or move was another clear sign. Emerald's tail often told her emotions better than her face did.

>>"I'ts not like I need anyone or something like that. I don't mind being the protector all the time, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, but that's not the point is it." Maya sighed, glancing at the wolf girl "People don' want someone to be with them because they need them. It just, feels good."

It really did. And Emerald would have deserved someone to look after her, more than anyone.

"I never thought I'd find someone either, not with the gender shiftin' and all" she confessed "But you can never tell. And this is the point when I stop talkin' and spare you from all the clichés. Be grateful, okay?" she added with a grin, putting an arm around her shoulder as they walked.

Ouch, Maya hit the nail on the head and judging by the wolf girl's stiffer posture and clenched teeth the other girl pounded the nail through the board with that comment. Being with a mate was a big part of a wolves life and Emerald was around the age (in wolf years anyways) that she should have found someone suitable to be a mate by now. Sure she didn't have to mate with them right away but dubbing someone suitable enough to be the Alpha's mate was a big deal. And the fact that not only was Emmy mateless but also an Alpha did not help her situation very much.

Emerald sighed, continiuing walking with her friend, she knew that it was very possible she would find a mate but it was rather unlikely unfortunately. At least in her mind it was. "I'm supposed to have a mate by now, thats how wolves work, at this age wolves look for a mate. Thats what bugs me is that I'm supposed to be the Alpha and males should be trying to prove themselves to me to show they are worthy mates. And the only one who is doing that is the damn Psychopath with a blood fetish!" Emerald growled irritably, rubbed her temples a little her head begining to ache. "I probably sounded like a crazy person just now didn't I? Stupid wolf mutation, making me speak more like a wolf than a person."

>>"I probably sounded like a crazy person just now didn't I? Stupid wolf mutation, making me speak more like a wolf than a person."

Maya pouted, and shook her head.

"Nah, ya're still makin' more sense than some girl talk I've heard." she assured the wolf "At least, you have an excuse for lookin' for a decent mate. For one. So, let me see if I understand this: ya're not pissed 'bout Ilari, ya're just pissed about guys in general? I mean, the lack of them."

Maya had never been on that side of the game. She could think like a guy and act like a guy (well, she was a guy, every other day), but had no idea how girls were supposed to hunt them down. She usually only noticed it when she was caught. That one time.

"Ya're half wolf, Ems. It's only natural to think like that. But ya're also half 21st century lady, and as such, ya're entitled to your own opninion, and freedom. Ya'll find a balance. I'm sure of that."

"Wow, Wolf talk makes more sense than girl talk, maybe I should talk like a wolf more often then people would understand me better. Like the "Leader" of the X-men." Emerald replied, saying leader as if she really didn't view him as such. Which she didnt, and she probably would't unless he proved her otherwise. She had been told of his exploits and listened to rumors amoung the alleyways and other places in town about the new X men leader, who seemed too good for her taste. She didn't need a damn badge to show that she was a girl who was going to get the job done.

"I am mad at Ilari for standing my ass up, but I get his reasoning, If my mom was sick I would do the same thing, except I would do it in person and not in a god dammned note, Okay maybe I am a little mad," Emerald admitted, shrugging her shoulders a bit. She gave a half smile, the wolfish grin clear on her face. "I perfer the wolf side of thinking better, that way I have an excuse to to maul my mate if he cheats on me."