Another day in the bookstore.

Krisz was fond of his new job. When people showed up, he would haunt; when there was a lull, he would read. He got to read all the books in the store for free, and he got food for his work. In exchange, he did everything he could to make the store famous. Self-entitled ghost hunters were already starting to frequent the store. He usually remained silent when they were around. Playing hard to get was the surest way to keep up their interest. Eveny once in a while, he would whisper. Usually quotes from books. Then they would go crazy and look for the quotes, and buy books, and do research, and come back, and then he could do it all over again.
Fun times.

Today was a slow day; most people were working or in school. Krisz hummed around the shelves, trying to figure out what to read next.

It was Mina's day off. Or more specifically she had no job for the day and didn't feel like spending the entire day cooped up in her apartment. Being as active as she was it was difficult for her to stay cooped up like that unless a mission called for it or she was incapable of leaving. Sometime during the morning hours she'd decided that she could use a few books for her bookshelves. Both for reading material and to ensure that the shelves in question didn't look quite so barren.

Thus she was at a bookstore. At that particular moment Mina was wandering through the sections picking up anything that caught her eye. Her selection of books was currently mostly classic literature. In contrast to that she was currently browsing the stock of comic book trade paperbacks. Over time Mina had found that when she did read she didn't have a preference for any one genre or type of book. So the comic trades would occupy the same shelves as the classics without a hint of disparity in her mind.

Glancing about the place seemed quiet for the moment. Mina had no clue as to the name of the bookshop she was in. She hadn't paid much attention. Books were books no matter where you bought them.

Well well well.

Krisz chuckled to himself as he zoomed closer to the familiar figure at the comic book shelf. Really? Her? Here? Now? Reading comics?
Even the worst day can get better with that...

"Business or pleasure?" he inquired in a cheerful whisper, taking a peek at what she was reading "Working another case?"

Well, he had had his experiences with self-entitled undercover agents. But Mina was not like that, surely. She was much prettier.

"We can't help but run into each other again, huh."

That voice! Irritation flared within her at just hearing a few syllables in that wretched voice. Taking a grasp of the wilder desires that the voice provoked, such as a near undeniable urge to shoot first and bury the body later, Mina forced them into the back of her mind and smiled as though she was greeting an old friend.

"Hello again. This is personal. I've a couple of new bookshelves that need filling you see."

Krisz, that damned annoyance. Why did he have to be here of all places? Why? Mina cursed her luck. The thought of strangling him yet again arose but was shunted aside just as quickly. It hadn't seemed to discomfit him all that much the first time she'd done it. Aside from a lack of ability to breathe anyway.

"We do seem to meet fairly often."

And oh how she wished that wasn't true.

>>"Hello again. This is personal. I've a couple of new bookshelves that need filling you see. We do seem to meet fairly often."

"It must be fate" Krisz agreed "Or just a coincidence. Who can tell them apart these days? I believe I can help you with finding books though. Books are my specialty. I work here. Not officially, of course. I am haunting the store. But you already know me, so there would be no use pretending, you are smart enough to figure it out anyway. I am not trying to flatter you, it just comes with the job, right? So, what kind of books are you looking for?"

She was reading comics. Talking to a hot undercover cop about comic books? Pics or it did not happen...

Fate? Oh please. Either he was trying to be charming or he believed in that tripe. Mina restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

"I don't believe in fate. It's either coincidence or planning. I'd guess coincidence on this one."

In order to keep up this ruse, one that Mina was beginning to regret now that this mutant was no longer a threat, she'd have to play nice. So regardless of her desire to watch his blood issue forth while he screamed soundlessly Mina smiled at him in a kind fashion.

"That would be lovely, thank you. I'm not looking for anything in particular. My taste is rather eclectic. Would you otherwise see A Tale of Two Cities in the same stack as Batman and Spiderman?"

Though it should be known that Mina read various Batman comics more for the villains than the hero.

>>"I don't believe in fate. It's either coincidence or planning. I'd guess coincidence on this one."

"Smart girl" Krisz chuckled. She really was. She was smart, and strong, and hot, and an undercover cop to top all that. She was smart enough not to believe in fate. That was a very modern attitude. Krisz approved.

>>"That would be lovely, thank you. I'm not looking for anything in particular. My taste is rather eclectic. Would you otherwise see A Tale of Two Cities in the same stack as Batman and Spiderman?"

Oh, and she was in a good mood too. Any mood that did not make her try to strangle him (and she could, given her powers, fairly easily) was a good mood.

"That sounds like a bookshelf made of awesome" he agreed, buzzing along the shelves "If we stick with comics, I can help you a lot. I am kind of an expert on comics. So, that's your type then? Lonely superheroes?..."

Well of course she was smart. Mina wouldn't have survived in her profession up until this point if she wasn't smart. Ignorant little floating radio man. Still, she kept a serene smile on her face. This was significantly more public than the women's restrooms at a restaurant. So unfortunately she couldn't materialize and strangle him without making a scene.

Pity.

"Staying in comics works for now." Mina glanced over the shelves, "You'd think that from my choices wouldn't you? No, I ready Spiderman for that whole responsibility theme and Batman? Well I like Batman's rogue gallery to be honest. And reading about how old Bats brings them down every time."

You'd think one side or the other would have won with how long they'd been fighting but Batman never seemed to just lay down and die. Plus there was the fact that he was powerful, physically and in other ways, and rich when Bruce Wayne was behind the mask. Just a pity he was only a figment of paper and ink.

>>"Staying in comics works for now. You'd think that from my choices wouldn't you? No, I ready Spiderman for that whole responsibility theme and Batman? Well I like Batman's rogue gallery to be honest. And reading about how old Bats brings them down every time."

Leave it to hot nerd girls to be all over Batman. Krisz was not even surprised. Filthy rich, dark, handsome and strong, Bats was an all-time favorite among female comic readers. Most of them, anyway.

"I can see why" he chuckled, humming along the shelves "Good guys have to win, but that doesn't mean everything's gotta be shinny happy, right? Those are the best stories, the ones written well enough to surprise you. I always say, a well done villain is at least half the success... sometimes even more. I mean, is there a person on the planet who watched the last Bats movie for Bats? I don't think so..."

He looked at the titles. The bookstore was pitifully understacked when it came to comics.

"... but I am pretty sure you have met some of those villains in real life. You're the expert on this one."

Mina forced the smile to stay put. The good guys didn't always win. In fact, they frequently lost or gained Pyrrhic victories at best. Her work most of the time was proof of that. That she'd been at it for so long and had yet to get into any trouble with the law that she hadn't been able to wiggle out of with her identity intact was only further proof of that.

"Of course. There is little use for a strong hero without a compelling villain. One can't really exist without the other. Bats would just be a nutter in a suit without the Joker, the Riddler, or any of his other gang of antagonists."

His comment about having met the villains in real life coaxed a laugh out of the mercenary.

"True enough. In real life the best villains, the ones that last the longest, are the ones that don't seem like villains at all. Hard to catch those."

>>"Of course. There is little use for a strong hero without a compelling villain. One can't really exist without the other. Bats would just be a nutter in a suit without the Joker, the Riddler, or any of his other gang of antagonists."

Oh, this conversation was getting great. Krisz hmmm-ed happily, agreeing with what she said, and enjoyed the fact that he was talking comics with a girl. A woman, even. And she had good points on heroes and villains as characters. There had to be some artistic talent there. She was certainly smart enough to be a writer.
Or, be a cop, with a writer sidekick. Now there's an original idea.

>>"True enough. In real life the best villains, the ones that last the longest, are the ones that don't seem like villains at all. Hard to catch those."

"Yeah, tell me about it." he sighed "I mean, the ones that pose as cops and agents? How is one supposed to tell them apart, hm? Ran into one the other day, I am sure you heard about him. Concert, music, shooting, two dead? Yeah. Would be three if it wasn't for me, not that I'm bragging. I was scared out of my wits, but hey. At least he will be locked away for good."

To tell the truth, Krisz was not entirely sure what happened to Chimera. But he was pretty sure Mina would know.

So Krisz was getting mixed up with other dangerous mutants as well huh? Mina chuckled quietly to herself. He certainly seemed to gravitate toward the dangerous ones didn't he? Mina vaguely remembered hearing about that incident. The man she'd worked with once and Mina couldn't say that she was sad to see him caught.

"I know the guy you're talking about. I attempted an arrest on him before. I'm glad he was finally caught. He probably won't stay long but I'm glad he was caught."

If he was anything at all like her then he had people willing to get him out if he was ever caught. Mina had no delusions that the man would have stayed in custody this long.

"But good for you that you helped out. It might be the cops' job but I'm not going to be stingy if it saves lives."

She smiled brightly as they combed the shelves. Playing at being an undercover cop was harder than she'd originally thought it would be. Being nice was difficult!

>>"I know the guy you're talking about. I attempted an arrest on him before. I'm glad he was finally caught. He probably won't stay long but I'm glad he was caught."

"I am too" he agreed. There was no end to how grateful he was that the Chimera was behind bars.

>>"But good for you that you helped out. It might be the cops' job but I'm not going to be stingy if it saves lives."

"Damn right" the voice rang out with bady concealed pride in his... voice "I mean, I couldn't just let him kill the woman too, could I? Good thing I, khm, arrived in time. And you have no idea how glad I am he is behind bars. I hope they keep him there. He did make an awful lot of threats to hunt me down. Not like he could hurt me, but... well, it is not a comfortable feeling to know that someone is out to get you. Certainly not that guy. He is a freakin' psycho."

Oh she wanted to laugh. So hard. She would if it wouldn't blow her cover to the buzzing annoyance that held more secrets than she'd like.

He would really have to die sometime soon.

Though hearing that that man seemed to find the little sound just as annoying as she did made her feel fond of him for the space of a few moments. Only a few moments though. Then she was back to disliking him. Krisz's pride and fear still made her want to chuckle even though her character at the moment demanded that she praise and comfort him.

"I would have done much the same in that position." Mina smiled gently as she plucked another title off of the shelves, "But I wouldn't worry too much about him. He might get out but you'll be fine. Hard for him to kill what he can't touch right?"

The fact that she'd glad aid in making Krisz vulnerable to the man didn't escape her mind.