Everything moved too quickly for Andrea... Her airway was suddenly clamped shut by an arm.. she could hear water, and then see water as it leaped up to surge around her. Then, the arm was gone from around her throat.. and her snakes were huddling close to her- reacting to the sudden appearance of the water wall. She felt little droplets of water, heard gun fire, and did the best she could to support herself on weak legs within the liquid cyclone.

The man who had held her was not so lucky. Everything came crashing down around him, his friends gone, plan of escape thwarted. The officers bullet ripped through his shoulder before he even had his finger on the trigger properly... who would'a figured- seems the cop was a quick draw. All he could do was drop to his knees, then plop back against the wall behind him. The pain from hos wounds was over whelming... and for some reason he couldn't move his right arm. He briefly recalled what he had seen the green chick do to his buddy way back in the other room, and panic filled his chest. Sure, he could take getting sent back to prison... but from the lack of movement and feeling in his arm? He liked having both fully functional... With the hand that was now minus one gun, he reached over- though it hurt like hell due to getting capped in the shoulder- and let his fingers tell him the damage that had been done.

In three places, the crook of his elbow, his wrist and in the meaty part of his forearm, he had been bitten. On the surface he felt nothing, even deeper down into the arm was dead... but the arms that remained fleshy hurt like bloody hell, and he knew just who to blame. "What the @&%#! Do you SEE what she did to me?!" If he couldn't escape, he was sure as hell going to try and talk his way out of a lengthy stay at the big house... His eyes were trained on the cop at he drew closer and kicked the fallen gun out of the way. "I have half a mind to sue her, IN FACT, I want a LAWYER." He was no idiot... he had heard of cases in which criminals had won against people who had used excessive force in retaliation... maybe he could even get the cop to kick him a few times, and add another charge to the growing list in his head. "Ya hear that 'Honey'?! What was her name... Andrea...right?" He laughed, one that was strained with pain, and spat at the officers feet.

Andrea on the other hand, was regaining a small amount of strength. She was alive... and in one piece for the most part, but that wasn't the end of her problems. The protective water shield dropped slowly, and she was able to get a better look at her rescuer. He looked kind... if professional... but she couldn't trust him. Cops were people of the law.. and she was very much breaking it by simply being in the country...not to mention a few other things. She stared at him, slack jawed, and felt adrenalin pumping back into her arms and legs. Her breathing was too heavy, she'd surely pass out if she wasn't careful, and fingers, toes and the occasional eye were twitching from her nerves being shot. Then, what the man said struck her. Lawsuits... courts... more law. More threats to her well being, her secrecy. She felt a panic attack coming on, and did the only thing she could think of... She bolted for the door.

It wasn't much of an exit though, the stairs than led down had been robbed of its ladder to the street below, which only left up. "Ha, you see how grateful she is?... Guess no one likes cops these days, Eh piggy?" The man jeered, pondering on if he should try and drag up the energy to spit at Jorge again. Outside, Andrea ignored the rain and the chill from it splashing against her T-shirt and jeans and pushed herself quickly up the stairs until she was forced to climb onto the roof. Her situation went from bad to worse, when she realized that the only other exit down was on the side closer to the red and blue lights, flashing up from the street below.

>> "What the @&%#! Do you SEE what she did to me?!...I have half a mind to sue her, IN FACT, I want a LAWYER…Ya hear that 'Honey'?! What was her name... Andrea...right?"

“Gee, I’m sorry sir, and here I forgot to bring my world’s smallest violin.” He muttered with a gruff snort.

Jorge then proceeded to read the man’s Miranda rights, word for word as he had it memorized. The last thing he wanted was for the man to get off some technicality because he “did not know his rights”. He’d seen it happen too many times to other cops and it was not fair to those who did a good job to suffer because someone could not finish a few words.

Once he was done, he leaned down, handcuffed the man to large, metal pole that was running from the floor, through the ceiling. He would not be getting out of that one anytime soon. But before he could turn to check on the girl, something must have indeed spooked her. Whether it was his presence or the simply the words that the man threw at her, Jorge did not know. What he did know was that she was apparently running for the hills now. He cursed under his breath as he jumped up to his feet.

>> "Ha, you see how grateful she is?... Guess no one likes cops these days, Eh piggy?"

Jorge sidestepped to lob of spit and shook his head as he looked down at the man. God how he wanted to just kick him between the teeth. But he was better cop than that and instead of doing so, here merely beamed back at the man with as condescending a smile as was humanly possible:

“Don’t worry buddy, you’ve got far more things to worry about than just a couple of bite marks.” he said. Already the sounds of the rest of the police began to storm down the hall, orders shouting, gun’s being holstered. “Already two of your buddies sang the second we showed up, most put the blame squarely on you. Trust me, no competent lawyer in the world is going to seriously take your cause with that many plea bargains and eyewitnesses.” He winked then and stood up. “Get this guy outta here,” he said as a few more officers came, uncuffed the criminal from the pole only to cuff him behind his back and take him away to the ambulance that had already arrived. As they checked the second man he had flooded into the other room, Jorge stepped out into the fire escape.

“Detective, where you going? Any sign of the other girl?”

“Just…wait here,” he commanded as he looked down and saw that the ladder leading down was gone, then looked up to see that could have been her only course of action. At least he hoped so.

The rain made it difficult to climb, leaving slippery spots of water and dirt on nearly every rung of the ladder. But Jorge kept going, forced himself to stay strong and keep climbing. He had to keep climbing. If that girl was up there, he had to made sure she was okay, he could not just let her disappear into the night with that man’s threats still ringing in her ears.

Step…step…step…

Once Jorge made it to the top of the ladder, he surveyed the top of the roof. It was flat, filled with the usual roof-type things, but most were dilapidated beyond repair. Pipes were broken, vents had been smashed in, other little alcoves and nooks and crannies were too dark to see anything inside of them. So far though…he could see no idea of young woman he had just saved from the man downstairs. She did not seem like the type to jump to her death, then again, she did seem awfully scared.

Immediately he pushed that thought out as he began to walk around slowly, and none threateningly.

“Andrea?” he said calmly. “Andrea, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a police officer, okay? I just want to help you get home so you can forget what happened tonight. Don’t be scared of that man, he’s not going to do a thing to you, understand?”

He spoke calmly and as gently as he could, really pouring his heart out into wanting to help this girl. She was scared and part of him began to wonder if she really had some fear of adults? After all, why would she run from the cop that had just saved her life? He shook his head…why kind of past did she have. He sighed as he looked about again…

“Andrea…listen, you…you don’t have to come down with me, okay? I just want to make sure you’re okay. That’s all…” he said as he looked around into the dark corners and hidden away spots on the roof. Where was she?

She could hear people down below... chatting, talking... someone was barking orders and another was whining about getting shot. Probably one of the gunmen... She had darted across the roof and took shelter behind a large metal box, which had probably some kind of cooling system for the building at one point, that by the time the officer had followed her up she was out of sight.

... She hadn't wanted him to follow her, either.

“Andrea, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m a police officer, okay? I just want to help you get home so you can forget what happened tonight. Don’t be scared of that man, he’s not going to do a thing to you, understand?”


Damn... damn, damn! A hushed Greek curse slipped past her lips, and she was thankful that the falling rain covered it up. She knew she was safe... at least from that oaf who had assaulted her earlier... but... She wasn't safe from the law. Not until she found a way to become a citizen, at least. The man continued... and mentioned something that made her fear lessen... a little. She didn't have to come down? Maybe, just maybe things wouldn't work out in the way that she feared. She shifted a little as her legs threatened to buckle, and stumbled over a bucket with a wrench in it that she hadn't noticed in her panic. The clattering of noise no doubt brought his attention her way... and she cursed again under her breath.

There was no use hiding anymore, it seemed. Slowly, she creeped to the corner of her hiding place, and peeked out. Sloth chose to do the same, with his hand sized white head poking out from around the corner. She spotted Jorge, toward the middle of the roof, and took a moment to let herself catch her breath before she took a few nervous steps out into the open. "...You do not need to worry about me.. I am fine." From behind her glasses, she studied him. He seemed relaxed... unimposing, non threatening. His words had felt sincere, just as they had when he had been speaking to her before. She on the other hand was a mess of conflicting emotions. She wanted to thank him properly... but she also wanted to run. Her posture was defensive at best, and she was still shaking like a twig in a windstorm.

What else could she say, to make him leave? Avarice curled up over her head, inadvertently bumping into the gash under he bangs. The wound was jostled just enough that new blood creeped out and a little dribble dripped down into her left eye. She hissed under her breath, and raised a gloved hand to wipe the substance away from behind her glasses. Sloth took an interest with the male out before him, and slithered around Andrea's shoulders until he could support and reach out toward Jorge with a long pink tongue licking the air for a scent. "...I... will be fine.." Perhaps she was anemic... she always seemed to be bleeding .. more red meat would be required in her diet from now on.

The rain was slowly beginning to let up, now instead of a downpour, it was only sheets of drizzle that flowed down like blankets. But he felt none of it, instead he stood there, staring into the empty space of the roof. For a moment he really thought that maybe, just maybe she was not actually on the roof. It seemed as if she really had just disappeared into thin air. Then again, where could she have gone? There was no ladder to the ground, she could not have jumped, it would have been suicide. Maybe her mutation helped her. He did not know how, all he remembered seeing was snakes…

The possibilities were endless when it came to mutations. Some people looked like every day people could do the most magnificent of things, while those who did look different could have some of the most surprising abilities. Jorge had an inkling that maybe, just maybe the girl had been able to skip out. If she did though, he hoped that she would be okay, that she was not harmed in any way throughout the incident.

Clang! RAAAATTTLE!

That definitely got his attention. He snapped towards the direction he had heard it and studied the darkness. For a moment he was not sure what he was staring at...something long and white peeking out from around a metal cooling unit that had long since stopped working. Jorge was a little startled at first, but it did not last long. Before his eyes, the smaller, meek looking appearance of the green skinned girl he had seen downstairs had finally shown herself. He smiled warmly at her, but made no motion to step towards her. She reminded the detective of a skittish animal. One wrong move and she would bolt…

…which was why he said nothing and waited for her to speak first…

>> "...You do not need to worry about me.. I am fine."

He gave her a small smile and nodded his head. She had those defenses up pretty high, he could see that. But he hoped that he could at least get through to her in some way.

But as he stood there watching her, trying to look as bold as she could, he could only watch as since winced and a small trickle of blood began to roll down her forehead and down her left eye. Immediately the caring part of him wanted to jump in and take her down the ambulance, but a sudden more and she was gone. He could not let her just disappear, at least not until he was sure she was okay.

>> "...I... will be fine.."

“I’m sure that you will be,” he said honestly. “But, I am a cop, I can’t just leave you here, bleeding on the rooftop.”

He watched the large snake slither from her hair, but he did not show fear or repulsion. Instead he seemed more concerned about the blood that was on her face. Looking down he patted at his coat, until he found what he was looking for in an inside pocket. Upon opening it, he produced a crisp and very clean handkerchief. Thankfully even the drizzle was letting up enough to not soak the piece of cloth all the way through. With a well meaning look, he reached out and offered her the handkerchief.

“Come on, you can take it. Not a trick.” he said with a nod. “I can’t afford to be uncouth and not offer a lady the opportunity to wipe the blood from her brow, now can I?”

“I’m sure that you will be, But, I am a cop, I can’t just leave you here, bleeding on the rooftop.”

And that was precisely the problem. He couldn't leave her, and she was pretty much trapped on the roof top. Unless she tried to jump the gap to the shorter neighboring building- which probably wouldn't end on a good note. She dropped her hand from her eyes and watched, on the balls of her feet as if she would make a break for it at the slightest of movements, as he reached inside his coat and withdrew a.... a handkerchief. The clean white linen almost mocked her... and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Her father had been the one to press the habit of always having a handkerchief on her person.

She nodded mutely and moved to take a step toward him. Maybe he wasn't a bad cop... like in the movies. Maybe he wouldn't drag her back to the station, plant her under a light much to bright for human eyes, and interrogate her until she broke. She knew she would... Maybe she had put too much movie lore into the situation? Another step, and she heard one of her serpents hiss. Her confusion was wearing off on them... they were dangerous.

"...I cant..." She murmured, back tracking toward the shadows. "...It is too dangerous." But, oh, how she wanted to. It was cold standing by herself... in more than one way. The conversation, no matter how strained, was at least some form of socialization... and he was so nice, too. Nicer than most she had come across in her short time on the streets. Laying a gentle hand of Sloth's body, she attempted to pull him back to her. Now that her burst of energy was wearing off, she was left with the shakes... and more and more dizziness. One hand returned to her head, which was kind of throbbing... Glancing off to her left, she noticed the open door of a shed not far off. "... I think... I need to sit down." She started toward the shed, but stopped and turned guiltily toward Jorge. It would be rude of her to wander off and leave him alone, without offering. "...Would you mind sitting with me?"

The shed itself was big enough for a few people sit sit around, and thankfully mother nature had worked her magic on one of its walls. Andrea moved on in, and sat herself on an upturned bucket in the corner closest to the torn down wall. She didn't want to be too close to the man, least her serpents try and attack him...

>> "...I can’t...It is too dangerous."

At first Jorge could not understand what the problem was. It was a simply enough gesture; he was simply handing her his handkerchief. But there must have been a serious lack of trust in her to refuse something so small, even to simply dry herself off and wipe the blood from her. It really did break Jorge’s heart. It reminded him of too many times when he was working vice back in the Miami. The conditions he founds kids in, the stories he both told and heard, they were all too terrifying to really comprehend.

Was that what happened to this young girl? Was there something she feared in men? Maybe it was the fact that he was a cop. Did a she herself or a family member have a bad run in with the authorities? Maybe a dirty cop attempt to extort her or her family? Whatever the reason, it really did make his job that much harder. He really did want to help this girl, but if she really, really had a prejudice against him, his profession, whatever, then it would be extremely difficult for her to accept his help.

Slowly his hand fell to his side as he felt the sheets of rain flowing across his body. The water felt good, but he still feared for the girl. There was no way she would go with him anywhere and he really could not stay up here the whole night. What was there to do?

Quietly he thought this over until he noticed the girl, looking slightly upset, as well as tired began to look about.

>> "... I think... I need to sit down."

He spied the shed at nearly the same time that she did. For the moment he figured he would have to leave…but an invitation soon followed.

>> "...Would you mind sitting with me?"

He responded with a gentle nod of agreement and smile, “Of course.”

Quietly he walked, letting her keep a safe distance from him. He wanted her to feel comfortable so he gave her as much space as she needed. The rained had practically soaked him through, but Jorge paid no attention to it. Instead, he looked extremely comfortable and natural under the down pour. Silently he remained standing outside in the rain as Andrea made herself comfortable, having found a bucket to turn over and take a seat. Once she claimed her spot…he finally joined her.

Stepping into the dusty, leaky, old shed, Jorge gave her a grateful nod before as he walked by. He heard the hissing, and though it did grab his attention, he made no mention of it. Instead he moved over to the opposite end of the shed, found an old, wooden box and took a creaky seat upon it.

Though he loved water, obviously, it was good to get out of it once in awhile.

When he saw the blood still on her forward, and her tiny, shaking self, he sighed knowingly. Must be a tough day for you,” he said as he stood up and slipped off his coat. He then reclaimed his seat and held up the coat for her to see. “Having to hide from those guys, then the loud police officers suddenly breaking into the scene. Lot to process in a day…” he said knowingly and held up his coat. Eyes closed, he held up his hand and, with a wave, slowly drew all the water from its soaked fibers. The liquid collected into a floating, swirling sphere in mid-air. “Especially tough when there’s an old cop man who simply won’t leave you alone. I apologize for that…”

Once he drew as much water as he could from his jacket, Jorge let the ball of water fall with a tiny splash onto the ground. He smirked as he opened his eyes and felt over his freshly dried jacket. It would have to do for now.

He stood and slowly made his way closer to her, but before he gets too close, the man lays out his jacket as near to her as he can get. A nod towards it, he turned his back to her and once more took his seat across the room. Once he was seated he nodded to the jacket he left near her once more.

“Go ahead, put it on,” he said warmly. Can’t risk you catching your death of cold, can we?” he then pointed to the jacket once more. “The handkerchief is inside if you care to wipe away that blood on your forehead,” he smiled. “My name is Jorge, Jorge Cervantes by the way. It’s lovely to meet you Andrea.”

In a way... she found that his agreement to follow her both made her happy, and it relaxed her. "Must be a tough day for you, Having to hide from those guys, then the loud police officers suddenly breaking into the scene. Lot to process in a day…”

"...You have no Idea.." She muttered back, watching intently as he showed his powers once more to dry out his jacket. It was fascinating, how with just a wave of his hand he managed to draw out all of the rain that had soaked into the cloth. A power much more useful than her own, that was for certain.

“Especially tough when there’s an old cop man who simply won’t leave you alone. I apologize for that…”

Andrea stared at the shifting orb, before he let it go and it crashed to the floor. It had looked so beautiful, for a moment... and now it was nothing but a shallow puddle on the floor.

The Greek smiled weakly, baring her sharp canines unintentionally and shook her head. "Do not apologize... I appreciate it. It is just... that things ares so very complicated.... It is best that I am left alone." As if they knew they were being talked about, her serpents withdrew into her hair shamefully. Even Sloth slunk back into position around her shoulders. She watched him, her eye lids feeling a lot heavier than they should have, and waited to see what he was going before she reacted. As it happened... he was offering her his coat.

That startled her a little, and also reminded her that her own coat was still floating around downstairs somewhere. Andrea eyed him for a few more moments as he settled himself back down, then dropped her eyes back down to his coat. Rising from her makeshift chair, she stepped over and picked up his jacket. She was hesitant to put it on, and was half tempted to hand it back to him... but habit kicked in and she found shelf slipping her arms into place within its relative warmth.

The kerchief she found as directed, but it proved to be much more distracting. It was clean and white... perfect against the contrast of her dark gloves. She didn't want to dirty it. Listening to him talk, she reclaimed her own seat and nodded her head in agreement. " I wish we had met under more pleasant circumstances, Jorge... You seem like a very caring individual." ...And perhaps another person to avoid in the future. "I am sorry that... that I ran from you. It was as you have said... too much to process."

She shifted in his coat, feeling a little awkward, and turned her attention from the handkerchief to the man who owned it. He was a mutant, one who was either proud of his powers... or who simply held no shame for them. Most were like him, she had noticed. Andrea lifted the clean white square of cloth in her hand, and wiped away at the little gasp on her forehead. Most of the blood had thickened or dried by then, but just the feeling of cleaning the mess away made her feel tons better. "Thank you for saving me..." She added, a little to distracted to keep her voice level. "...Do you know if...the other girl got away alright?"

>> "Do not apologize... I appreciate it. It is just... that things ares so very complicated.... It is best that I am left alone."

Jorge gave her an appreciative look of understanding. He knew what it was to have a complicated life. Maybe not nearly as much as she had, but he did know a thing or two about complications. Look at him. He was uprooted from his home at 15 because he actually raised the ocean! Talk about your traumatic experiences. So it was needless to say that the man knew a thing or two about having a hard go at life and trying to tackle it solo.

But that did not mean that one could not accept a giving hand every once in awhile. Apparently the girl shared his mentality.

She looked almost scared of his coat as he laid it nearby for her to take. Maybe she was not used to that type of kindness, maybe she simply was still unsure of his motives. If she had such a deep seeded fear of him, he doubted a small gesture like offering his coat to keep her warm would suffice. Then again, even small steps can be worth a lot. That was why he smiled encouragingly when she finally decided to take him up on his offer, take his coat and slip it on. It definitely looked a little big on her, which made him crack a smile but it turned into one of appreciation that she trusted him that much.

It was then that she found the handkerchief and almost seemed to get misty-eyed…

>> " I wish we had met under more pleasant circumstances, Jorge... You seem like a very caring individual...I am sorry that... that I ran from you. It was as you have said... too much to process."

“I get it,” he said with a nod. “What you went through could not have been easy. But…I am glad you let me see that you are okay. And thank you for the nice compliment,” he replied warmly. “You’d be surprised how many people think I’m a jerk,” he chuckled.

>> "Thank you for saving me...Do you know if...the other girl got away alright?"

“We got her, she’s going to be just fine.” Jorge said as he adjusted his positioning on the crate. A glance outside showed that the rain was finally beginning to let up. That was at least good for the time being. “EMT’s will take a look at her, make sure nothing is broken or out of place, then she’ll be free to go.” He looked at her closely. “Andrea, I know you say that you’re fine, but it really would make me feel better if one of our emergency guys at least gave you a look over, to make sure you’re alright.” There was tension in the air as he said this and he immediately tried to set to fears at ease. “You don’t have to come down with me, okay? Just…let me call up one EMT…let him take a look at you, then you can go too. Scouts honor…but it’s your decision. I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to, okay Andrea?”

His kindness was beginning to break her shell, because of this her snakes visibly relaxed. He was kind... and he wasn't prying. It was like he understood her on some level, which made her smile. She found the situation kind of funny, once her nerves had calmed down- or maybe it was the fuzziness in her head. She couldn't really tell anymore. Focusing on the dizzy feeling, she recognized it vaguely. She had felt the same thing when she had been abducted from the mall with Saph. To this day, she still couldn't remember why.. or what had transpired after ward.

"You, a Jerk?" She snorted, a little unbecomingly, and dropped her hands to her lap. "You would be surprised how many people think I am a monster, but that does not mean it is true." She nodded her head at her own words, as if the action validated them, and toyed with the handkerchief in her hands while he explained how Amber was doing. The knowledge that she was safe lifted a good chunk of weight from her shoulders. She sighed happily and let herself relax a little more. "That... is very good to know. I know the girl... it surprised me greatly to run into her under such circumstances."

Jorge mentioned his concern again... and medics. Instantly she stiffened again, and her eyes flicked behind her glasses to the door of the shed despite herself. The subject made her nervous, which made her snakes wiggle anxiously. She reminded herself that she had no reason to act in such a way, since the man had been nothing but kind to her. That... and she could always lie if someone asked her any questions.

"...It... would be silly, for me to make someone climb all of the way up here, when I need come down eventually. Besides," She turned her attention back out to the rain as well, and forced herself to calm down again. Stress would only bring about bad things... ".. I must gather my coat, so you can have yours back, right?" The smile she sent him was... not her best, but it would have to do. The only thing that still bugged her was the concern that weighed heavily on the idea of letting someone get close enough to inspect her injury... She couldn't fathom what she would do if she injured someone while surrounded by police officers... She could imagine the good cop in Jorge, swiftly becoming the bad cop. "Do you think it is a good idea though, for one of the EMT's to get close to me? " She laid a hand on sloths bulky white form around her neck, and frowned at Jorge. "Though I will admit that it is not very often, they have proven that they do not like people getting close to me... especially when I am nervous."

Which was precisely why she was sitting as far away as possible from him, and why she was going to maintain such a distance on the way back down to the street. "...I do not wish to harm anyone, when it is avoidable."

>> "You, a Jerk? You would be surprised how many people think I am a monster, but that does not mean it is true…”

He chuckled, a little sad twinkle in his eyes. “Trust me, I’ve seen monsters…you don’t look anything like one.”

She then seemed pleased to know about the other girl’s help. He was glad he could at least deliver some good news to her. It helped to break the tension in the room to know that the second girl they found in the building was well. Apparently they had known each other. Well, thank god they were both okay…and they would each get a story to tell out of all this.

Jorge noted, though, that she still seemed just a bit reluctant about seeing the EMTs.

>> "...It... would be silly, for me to make someone climb all of the way up here, when I need come down eventually. Besides.. I must gather my coat, so you can have yours back, right? Do you think it is a good idea though, for one of the EMT's to get close to me? Though I will admit that it is not very often, they have proven that they do not like people getting close to me... especially when I am nervous."

They?

For a moment Jorge was genuinely confused as to what she was talking about but the second he looked over, he saw the snakes in her hair begin to hid, in shame perhaps , back into her hair. He had to admit that that did seem rather problematic. If she were harmed on her head, there would be no way for the EMT’s to be able to check that out. Her nerves made that impossible, apparently. Not that he could really blame her. Lord knows he did not want some stranger touching his face, even if they were there to help. Sometimes people could be hard things to trust.

Still though, he really did not feel all that comfortable about just leaving her behind without being checked out. That would be irresponsible on his part. If she were injured internally and simply did not know it, she could keel over the second that he left her alone.

Hmm…Maybe Dr. Amos the new MRC doctor could help…

That was at least an option.

He smiled warmly and nodded his head. “You do have a point there, Andrea. You know, I do know another doctor, a mutant doctor that works for the precinct. He can finds out if there is anything wrong without having to get too close to that noggin of yours. Would that put you more at ease?”

He really was just trying to help. He had no problem letting the nervous mutant run off on her own, but he really did not feel comfortable letting her run off without being checked out first.

“Like I said though,” he nodded warmly. “You call the shots here, boss.” He grinned in a parental and friendly manner.

“You do have a point there, Andrea. You know, I do know another doctor, a mutant doctor that works for the precinct. He can finds out if there is anything wrong without having to get too close to that noggin of yours. Would that put you more at ease?”

A mutant doctor? She was reminded of the mansion, in a small sad way. "...That would, actually, thank you..." Her tension eased again, and she smiled at him- a true smile this time. Sloth tugged at her neck, as he was still interested in the male... and being attached to Andrea was proving to be a problem when he wanted to state that curiosity. Clicking her tongue at the serpent, she tugged him back with a gentle hand. "...He is very interested in you, Jorge. His name is Sloth... he's a... bit more kind than the others."

If only because of the trauma he had been dealt after being newly born. Andrea stood, feeling drenched through and through.. but at least warm. She owned him for that, as well as for saving her. Which... brought to light another thing that was bothering her... "Jorge," She started, as she stepped from the shed and turned her chin to the sky. It was only drizzling a little now- a misting of rain. She started across the roof at his side. "...Then men that caused all of this... are... they okay as well?"

An odd question, she knew... It did feel a little weird to worry about a group of people who had tried to injure others, even kill... but she had done harm to two of them- and she felt just terrible for it. She also did not wish to start sprouting tails, or scales due to her actions.. "I know.. that I hurt one of them, maybe two... I was not able to judge what damage I left behind..." Descending the staircase that led back down into the building seemed easier than climbing it had been. She stopped just inside the doorway, glancing down at the small smudge of blood that had been left behind from the man who had held her captive getting shot.

He was gone though... as was the other man who had vanished shortly before Jorge had shown himself. They continued on, past the staircase, far away from the room she had Amber had taken shelter in, and eventually to the next floor down. Someone had picked up and folded her coat- she found it sitting upon the bottom step. "...Ah.. My coat~" With a little thankful smile, she slipped out of his coat and handed it back, before stooping to pick up her own. A little shake cleaned off most of the water that it had collected and she slipped it on. It was good to feel them reassuring shelter of her old raincoat... it was, in a way, like a security blanket to her. With it on, she felt safe.... and hidden. As they moved on, she pulled her hood up. The last flight of stairs brought them to the last floor, and Andrea's nerves were suddenly on edge again.

People were everywhere. Red and blue lights flashing against the walls... she saw people out on the street and moved herself behind Jorge. She could see a new's van out there.. behind the cop cars. The last thing she needed was her face plastered all over the tv back at the mansion. "... There are so many people..." She whispered uneasily, keeping her voice loud enough for Jorge to hear. "... and cameras..."

She agreed to meet with the MRC doctor. That was at least some progress. Maybe the idea of being seen by a fellow mutant who was also a medical professional provided her with some peace of mind. He knew it also provided him with some calm nerves, after all, who better to understand the problems with a mutant than a fellow mutant? Whatever the case maybe though, at least it got the girl moving. She was garnering some more trust towards him and that definitely made him feel just a bit better about the situation.

The rest of the trek down into the building was uneventful. Andrea stayed a generous distance away from him, maybe because of her snakes, maybe because she still wanted to have room enough to run the second she got a chance to. He would have to gamble and trust that she knew what she was doing.

Once they had climbed back into the building, he saw that the inside did look even more deserted. No one was around. The shambles the rooms were in hid most, if not all evidence that the police and criminals had even been there. How easily stuff like that was forgotten, it was a fact that always astounded the police detective. The turned over furniture, the piles of rotted away floorboards and plaster, the water damaged wallpaper, there was barely any signs that they were in there.

Then the girl seemed to catch onto this and ask him a surprising question…

>> "Jorge...The men that caused all of this... are... they okay as well?...I know.. that I hurt one of them, maybe two... I was not able to judge what damage I left behind..."

He smiled a little at her sincerity. She really was a good egg, he could appreciate that about her, she was just a little scared.

“You don’t need to worry about them. They’re going to be fine.” he said earnestly. He did not know if those snakes in Andrea’s hair were poisonous though. If they were, he felt that the thug they had bitten would be in for a world of hurt until they could pump him with anti-venom, if not, well, he would just have to live with bite marks on his arm. “You just relax, okay? He can’t sue you. You were merely defending yourself. Besides, trust me, after everything that has gone down today, no one lawyer will take his case.”

A bit further down, their footsteps echoed in the creaky, dusty, silent building as they descended another level. Once they reached the bottom, he chuckled a little as he watched the girl grab her neatly folded jacket from the floor. Instantly she slipped off his, handed it back and recoiled to the safety of her own clothing. He could see why it was so important, the hood it had provided excellent protection from being seen. With a mutation like hers, he was not surprised that she would attempt to hide it from the world.

Then, they returned to the outside. Once there, all their senses were assaulted. There was a localized mayhem as news reporters tried to find something, anyone with information onto the case, the ambulance was there, as well as several officers bustling left and right. And of course there was an impenetrable ring of curious people all around them. Vultures…

>> "... There are so many people... and cameras..."

He did not make it this far to get her trust in order to lose it to a mob of news hounds. Before they were noticed, he smiled gently to Andrea and nodded for her to follow him.

“Don’t worry, none of them are going to come near you. Just follow me.” he said as he lead the way, trying to keep in front of her and block her from any news cameras. After only a few steps, them came up to his shiny, black Chevy Impala where he popped open the passenger side down and stepped back to allow her to climb in. “Just have a seat, okay? You’re behind the police tape, none of the cameras can get a clear shot of you from this point. Just let me go get the doctor okay? Just sit tight, I will be right back.”

Another encouraging smile and Jorge walked away to one of the nearest officers. He was still within eyeshot of the young Andrea. He really did walk her out into an absolute circus. If she really did not want to be seen, it might be better that he drive her wherever she needs to go instead of letting her run off after. Last thing he was sure was wanted was to have a legion of news reporters attempting to track her down to get the inside scoop.

Once he got the officer’s attention, he called in for the MRC doctor, Christopher Amos. The man, thankfully, was already at the scene. He was called in the second they found out about the two mutant girls that were in the building. The man could respond quickly and Jorge was definitely thankful for that. Before he knew it, he heard the familiar black loafers of the doctor as he walked into the scene, a small smile on his face as he caught sight of Detective Cervantes.

“Well, well, Detective Cervantes. Are you watching that cholesterol?”

Jorge chuckled. “Nothing but salads and veggies, Amos.”

Amos chuckled warm heartedly. “I’d believe that if I weren’t so sure that you were lying. They say you have someone for me to look at?”

Jorge nodded and led the man back over to his car where the girl waited. He nodded to her, glad she did not take the opportunity to run. “Andrea, this is Dr. Amos, he’s just going to check you out real quick. He can-“

“Tut, tut, Detective,” the man grinned happily as he shook his head. “I believe I can introduce myself.” He walked to the side of the car but made sure not to get too close so he did not frighten her. “My name is Dr. Amos, but you can call me Christopher. Now, I hear you’re a little afraid of hurting me should I check head, correct? Well, if you give me your hand, a toe if you like, I can diagnose just like that,” he chuckled as he snapped his fingers. “So how about it? Trust me?”

His words set her at ease a little... but not for the same reasons he apparently thought. She would have corrected him, set his mind at easy by letting him know that she was purely worried for their health, and not about getting sued in the distant future... but it was probably best that he figured she was afraid of such consequences. He once again calmed her nerves when he put himself before her and the cameras she so feared. Jorge... was turning out to be a very nice fellow. She couldn’t imagine someone thinking he was a jerk, unless they had done something wrong and incurred his wrath. They approached a car swiftly, his car, she assumed... She could feel eyes on her- probably from the media...

“Just have a seat, okay? You’re behind the police tape, none of the cameras can get a clear shot of you from this point. Just let me go get the doctor okay? Just sit tight, I will be right back.”

He didn’t have to say it twice. She slipped into the seat without a word, and brought her knees to her chest to further hide herself from the people around. Her human shield wandered off while she watched... and she felt all of the courage she had mustered up wash away with the drizzle of rain still coming down. She was alone... and surrounded by news piranha. The flight response reared its ugly head once more, pushing at her to jump to her feet and make a break for it, but there was very little chance she’d get away before someone caught her, or a mic was shoved into her face. Squeezing orange eyes shut, she shook her head and turned her attention back to Jorge when she realized he was still within sight.

He was speaking to another man. They were sharing a laugh... she felt her heard sink for a moment. Insecurity and a smidgen of paranoid rang in her ears. She tried her hardest to bury those feelings as Jorge headed back, with the Doctor on his heels... A short introduction was interrupted, and she head the man speak for the first time.

“Tut, tut, Detective, I believe I can introduce myself.”

The new man came closer, and her eyes shifted warily from the doctor to the cop. He seemed to have been warned of her snakes- either that or he was well used to dangerous mutations and knew to keep a safe distance. She eyed him once more, refusing to uncurl her knees from under her chin.

“My name is Dr. Amos, but you can call me Christopher. Now, I hear you’re a little afraid of hurting me should I check head, correct? Well, if you give me your hand, a toe if you like, I can diagnose just like that,”

She was already shaking her head, before he even finished. The expression on her face wasn’t one of fear though, but a sad little smile. “...I cannot.” She paused, unsure of exactly how to explain the situation. “I cannot give you my hand, because I cannot touch things without my gloves on.” As if to prove a point, she raised one and and wiggled her clothed fingers apologetically. “If you so wish, I could give you a toe... but that seems a little unsanitary...” Not to mention comical. The very idea made her laugh a little. Never in her life had she ever considered letting someone, especially a perfect stranger, touch her feet. Not even with dire circumstances in mind. Not only was it a little gross, seeing as she had been walking around all day in somewhat unclean shoes, but she was cursed with being horribly ticklish. She had to remind herself that she was doing this as partial pay back to Jorge, for all he had done for her, and forced herself to drop her legs from her chest.

"Or any part of my leg, really.... I am sorry to make things so difficult, Doctor."

>> “...I cannot…I cannot give you my hand, because I cannot touch things without my gloves on…If you so wish, I could give you a toe... but that seems a little unsanitary...”

“Ah, don’t worry about the unsanitariness, but I understand if it makes you a little ticklish.” He laughed and nodded over to Jorge. “Big scary detective over there giggled first time I gave him a check-up”

Jorge’s face burst into a shade of red few thought possible in nature and cleared his throat audibly. He gave the dark skinned doctor a mock-angry look.. “Why don’t’ we just stick with your current patient, shall we?”

This whole time Jorge had figured that maybe she was only afraid of getting her head touched because she feared what the snakes in her hair would do to any of the EMTs, but apparently there was more to this young lady. She could not touch anyone with her hands. That was interesting. He did not know what could happen: would the victim be poisoned? Would they turn into a snake? For a moment, he figured maybe they would turn to stone since the snakes in Andrea’s hair reminded him of a creature from Greek Mythology…

Nah…that was a little out there.

Jorge said nothing though as he stood back, watching and make sure that none of the news hounds or the other officers got too curious about what was going on in the car. Dr. Amos did not seem the slightest bit taken back by the girl’s commentary. Apparently the man had dealt with many mutants before so it was no small surprise that harm lurked around every corner when inspecting.

>> "Or any part of my leg, really.... I am sorry to make things so difficult, Doctor."

“Oh shush, it’s no trouble at all,” the kindly doctor said as he shook his head. “We can comprise. Just pull up your pant leg a little, and I will remain at the ankle. Simple as that.”

Jorge watched as Andrea seemed to take this as a better idea than having the man touch her toe. Slowly she rolled up her pant leg just a smidge, just enough for the doctor to touch her green, bare skin. Once she had, Dr. Amos carefully leaned down and placed his fingertips on her ankle. The man closed his eyes and seemed to run into a trance. His eyes moved rapidly behind his closed eyelids as he looked as if his brain were downloading a large file. Within a few, painless seconds, he was done.

He smiled appreciatively as he leaned back, and looked at the girl closely. “Except for that tiny cut on her head and a very minuscule concussion, you’re healthy as a horse.” He said as he leaned back took out a notepad and turned to the detective and then back to Andrea. “Listen, you need to take it easy the next couple days, okay? Get yourself some pain relievers with ‘acetaminophen’ in them. Tylenol is a good one. Don’t take any aspirin or ibuprofen, that could end up make things worse. So just take it easy and give yourself time to heal.” He nodded encouragingly to her. “It was lovely to meet you Andrea,” he said as he then turned to Jorge. “Detective, lay off the red meats please…”

Jorge shook his head and chuckled as the man walked away, heading back to the EMTs to see what other service he can be. His attention back on Andrea he had a look of relief on his face that she was okay. So far from what he heard, Amber was just fine, just a couple of scratches, and now this meant Andrea was fine too. All around victory in his book.

Still though, the news people were packed in a bit too closely for his likely. “Listen, Andrea, if you don’t mind, I would like to drive both you and Amber home. There are still a lot of news people around and I’m sure they smell a story. I would rather you did not exert yourself too much trying to walk home. That sound okay?”

“Ah, don’t worry about the unsanitariness, but I understand if it makes you a little ticklish.”

'...Mind reader!' Andrea laughed, enjoying how red Jorge's face could turn, and kept her suspicions to herself. It was nice... sitting on a comfy car seat, being protected from the prying eyes of the media. She felt herself start to relax...

“Oh shush, it’s no trouble at all,”“We can comprise. Just pull up your pant leg a little, and I will remain at the ankle. Simple as that.”

With a nod, she wordlessly set about rolling her pant leg up so he could get to her ankle, all the while watching rather expectantly. She didn't know exactly what was to happen, whether she would feel anything or if it would just be over in a snap. The Doctors eyes closed, and a few moments later they re-opened. He smiled at her.

“Except for that tiny cut on her head and a very minuscule concussion, you’re healthy as a horse.”

He was lucky she had heard the saying before, otherwise she might have mistaken it as some sort of odd insult. She nodded, her expression one of wonder, as Christopher filled her in on how she should spend the next few days, as well as medication she should take. She was happy to hear that it was something she could get from a drug store, because not even the hounds of hell would get her to step inside a doctors office. Too many questions, too much paperwork. "Thank you, Christopher." The doc moved off, after dropping one last piece of advice on Jorge. Andrea grinned. "....Red meats?"

and then he dropped a bomb... “Listen, Andrea, if you don’t mind, I would like to drive both you and Amber home. There are still a lot of news people around and I’m sure they smell a story. I would rather you did not exert yourself too much trying to walk home. That sound okay?”

Crap... She shifted, rolling her pant leg back down, and turned her eyes to survey the scene. She couldn't see where Amber was, but apparently she was still there. That.. was not so good. Amber, she assumed, lived at the mansion.... and she couldn't afford anyone bringing back information to certain mansion about her whereabouts. She was more than absolutely sure Saph would be on her heels the moment he got word of her... "Uh..." She started, very eloquently, "...There is a problem with that." She couldn't say she was homeless...could she? Didn't that usually bring about more questions? "...we... do not live in the same...er...area?"

There wasn't much else to say... if she opted to walk- she'd no doubt be devoured by cameras and mics. She was backed into an imaginary corner...