Alexandra walked slowly, carefully hiding in the dark shadows of New York City's streets. Finally, she had escaped from the persecution of her parents... She was feeling happy that she is in NY. The cradle of mutans as she called it. It was here where everything began. But now, that she was here, she felt... confused. Where would she go? She didn't know anyone. When she left Romania with her friends she felt safe. But now, when her friends were captured she felt alone. She wondered what she could do alone against the authorities if they realized that she was a mutant. She had said so many times that she would rather die before being captured. Now, she wondered if she had the courage to die. She stopped and hid before a corner as a police car appeared at the far end of the street. She watched them pass her by and breathed relieved. Then, she smiled. Her eyes turned blue and slightly glowed. With a wave of her hand, the tyre of the police car blew before it could reach the corner of the street and the automobile entered the sidewalk, making humans to run and jump and scream for their lives. She laughed. Well... they deserved to feel scared. Turning around, she walked deeper into the darkness, an evil grin on her lips. God! She loved New York City.

Seth had been in NYC for only a couple of days and most of those had been spent in quiet meditation or in seething in rage at the new Mutant Registration Act. Of course the law didn't apply to him because no one knew he was a mutant, having just arrived from college in Amsterdam only a few days earlier.

Most nights had been extremely boring and uneventful, but tonight's air was filled with promise...and just as the police car's tires burst for no apparent reason..Seth knew he was right about tonight. He could have sworn his impeccable eyes had caught a glimpse of a girl but he wasn't entirely sure. So being the curious person he is, he wandered off in pursuit of the girl his boots clomping loudly on the pavement as he followed the direction of which he thought the girl went.

His eyes were not wrong, and they had once more spotted a curious sight in New York. Seth took off in a full sprint, his white sleeveless trench coat billowing after him as he strode through the trees and wove infront of the girl, stopping abruptly in front of her.

"Excuse me, milady." he said softly as his bright green eyes looked the young girl over. Not a bad sight... he smirked "But I couldn't help but notice you're little display back there." he bluffed as if he knew she did it, he wanted to see her reaction. The more Chosen he found, the better off the world was.

She kept walking... Her mind was still on what she had done. She felt alive. Now, there wasn't anyone to hold her back, to forbid her to use her powers, her gift...
Suddenly, a figure dressed in a white trench coat jumped in front of her. Startled, she made a step back. Green eyes checked her.
"Excuse me, milady." the stranger said. "But I couldn't help but notice you're little display back there." he continued. Her eyes changed from defensive to offensive. Who was the man in front of her? What did he wanted? To capture her? No... The authorities wouldn't talk to her. Her eyes softened and she smirked.
"What display?" she asked, playing the innocent.

"What display?" she asked, playing the innocent

Seth smirked "The one with the police car, you could have killed them." he said softly. Of course on the inside he could care less about the mortal's life, but in the name of his bluff he was willing to fake anything.

He knew he was risking looking like a total crazy person but he was willing to piss off one potential mortal especially with the possible payoff of meeting another Chosen. He pressed further, his mystical symbols jingling in the wind as his piercing green gaze met her eyes.

If she won't admit it...perhaps she will reveal herself under pressure...if she survives...she's a Chosen...if she doesn't....then its just one more dead mortal. he smirked as he drew out his switch blade and on purpose threw it about two centimeters off course that would allow her to easily catch it.

"The one with the police car, you could have killed them." The man smirked as he told her these words. She felt a bit like laughing. Why was he trying to get her to tell if she was a mutant or not. he looked deeply into her eyes and she felt like he was planning something. She wondered what. As soon as she ended her thought, he saw him drawing some sort of blade. The metal sparkled for a mere second as her eyes turned blue and slightly glowed. As he threw it, the blade dissapeared in the thin air then reapeared in her hand.
She watched it than watched the man in front of her.
"Are you crazy or what?" she asked calmly.

Seth watched in awe, his eyes dazzling green as they tracked the blade as it disappeared and then reappeared firmly in her hand. Seth felt the magic of the gods at work as his system digested the information.

"Are you crazy or what?" she asked calmly.

"Yes I'm quite crazy, and thank you for the marvelous show." he said calmly as his iris shifted and then seemed to spin once in a circle as the blade disappeared and then reappeared into his hand...except it was blade first. He shook his hand in pain as he dropped the knife "Ouch." he said softly.

"That trick of yours is harder than it looks." he smirked as he watched her reaction.

Alexandra raised her eyebrow when the man admitted that he was crazy then thanked her. Now she wondered what did he want from her. She watched slightly confused as his iris seemed to spin. She felt he was a mutant long before he would do that. But was he friend or foe? Her eyes widened as the blade dissapeared from her hand and in the next second appeared in his'. Was he gifted with the same powers as hers? But as she saw that the appearance was made with a slightly error, she realized that he was copying her powers. She laughed as she heard him saying 'ouch' after the blade cut through his skin.
"That trick of yours is harder than it looks."
Once more, she raised her eyebrow.
"What did you think?" she asked smiling. She watched him once more, carefuly analyzing the man in front of her. "So... What are your intentions, sir?" she asked, her face changing to serious now. "Do you have a reason for following me?" She crossed her arms in front of her and waited for an answer.

"What did you think?"

"Well...I thought that I wouldn't have to bandage myself after this, I thought that perhaps I'd get a chance to look cool for once."

He grinned as he picked his knife back up and cleaned it off on the grass as if he'd cleaned a weapon numerous times. He flipped it back inside itself and replaced it within his trench coat pocket.

"So... What are your intentions, sir?"

"My intentions?" He asked mollified "Why mine are fairly constant...make mischief....and don't get caught." he smirked as he studied his wound realizing it was deep. He grit his teeth and shook his hand to try and shake away the pain.

"Do you have a reason for following me?"

He gave a less than sane smile in return for her question. "I never quite have a reason for anything I do." He said as he licked his wound forlornly as if a wolf licking its wounds.

"But I can say that I saw a potential mischief making partner in ya when you blew that cop car's wheels. Figured you could use some company...especially since they started up the camps. We special people gotta stick together." He said as he gave one last try to stop the bleeding from his hand and then gave up.

"Bah...though I must confess...getting cut this deep is not what I had in mind for tonight." he laughed uneasily.

Nigel Banks had finally caught up with the girl. It was a little surprising to find one from Mr Antonescu's homeland in New York, but this one was something special. Alexandra Leigh's escape from Romania, and indeed Europe hadn't gone unnoticed, at least not by all.

Nigel was also aware of the man she was talking to, a Nick Garsha, a doctor of occult studies with his PHD from the University of Holland. His abilities, the speed and mimicry, were know to Nigel, having been gathered from various witnesses and gossip around the world. As a mere human Nigel knew that the man had himout matched unless he got the drop on him, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Dr. Grasha's psychological profile had him as too unstable to be of use, and so was not on the list of possible recruits, despite the intreguing abilities he possessed. Alexandra Leigh on the other hand was not only far more mentally stable, but an ability which was of far more interest to Mr Antonescu than speed and mimicry.

"Excuse me," said Nigel with a smile as he made his way over to the pair, "Mind if I cut in? Miss Leigh, I have a proposition for you. One I believe that you will find most interesting." It was a risky gambit, coming over and using her name, but the potential payoff was worth it in the ex-CIA man's estimations.

Alexandra prepared to answer to her interlocutor but the interference of yet another man stopped her from doing it. She turned around and watched him as he called her by her name. She felt shivers on her back. Who was that man that knew her name? And what was the proposition he was talking about. She raised her eyebrow. One moment ago she felt alone in New York. Now, the strange man that declared himself crazy wanted her to be his partner in mischief. And this one was announcing an interesting proposition.
"And what would be that?" she answered feeling curious.

Seth had seen this man before, or rather his picture in the underground of Europe, but he couldn't put a name to the face. His eyes traveled over the man who had rudely interrupted his conversation with the beautiful young lady whom he had acquired a taste for in the past few minutes. No one crossed Seth, None.

"Excuse me sir, but that was quite rude interrupting our little exchange. I'm sure you might have such an interesting proposition for her..." He said smelling a rat. He leaned over and whispered in Alexandra's ear "This man is after something, be wary my friend." he said softly.

"And What would be that?" She answered feeling curious

Seth could take a hint, his presence wasn't wanted obviously. He gracefully bowed to Alexandra and kissed her hand "Farewell for now...I will respect your need for privacy with this man." he said softly as he stepped back into the shadows of the forest and said eeriely "If you should require my presence...merely look in the darkness." He faded into the darkness of the night, giving them the space they needed.

His greater instincts said to stay...and so Seth did, he scurried silently up a tree and watched. He would not let someone who was as dirty as this man harm another of his Chosen. He needed as many as possible for the gods will to be done. So he stayed, watched and waited.

Alexandra was still watching carefully the new man. Also watched as her new aquitance looked very displeased with him. It made her feel curious.
"Excuse me sir, but that was quite rude interrupting our little exchange. I'm sure you might have such an interesting proposition for her..." said her new ... she wondered if she could call him friend. She didn't know his name, she didn't know anything... The young man leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"This man is after something, be wary my friend."
Her curiosity was already beggining to rise. The words of her friend just made her more and more curious.
"And what would be that?" she asked, as if not listening his advice. She didn't quite realize that she had made her new friend think that he wasn't wanted there.
"Farewell for now...I will respect your need for privacy with this man." he said as he bowed and kissed her hand. His gestures left her surprised.
"If you should require my presence...merely look in the darkness." he offered. before she could say anything, before she could tell him that being there with a man that already knew her name (her false name, but well...) it gave her the creeps, he faded away in the darkness. The black haired stranger even if he threw a blade at her, well, it seemed like his intentions weren't plain evil... just crazy.
"But-" she stopped hersef, realizing that she was talking to shadows now. She breathed then turned her attention to the other man. It wasn't quite smart from her to leave him without close surveillence.
"Tell me, sir, what do you have to offer?" she asked once more. She watched him with analyzing eyes and waited for his answer.

Nigel watched Dr Grasha leave. Somehow he doubted that the man had gone far, but there was little he could do about it. He turned back to Miss Leigh, or rather Miss Iriza. Although he was aware of her real name he used her alias. It wasn't hard to imagine that she would react badly to him had he used her real name, considering the circumstances in which she came to be here.

"While I don't know what words of wisdom the good doctor imparted on you prior to his departure it was most likely a word of warning about me, so allow me to do the same for him. His name is Dr Nick Grasha, and he is a dangerous man. Fanatical in his belife's that he needs "Chosen" to help him complete his mission. I'd watch my back around him if I were you."

"Now, the reason that I am here. I'm here to offer you a job," he said with a smile, "The man I work for is most interested in people with unique abilities, and yours are very unique. He believes that you could be a most valuable asset, and that he could offer you much. Starting with accomodation and a steady income."

Alexandra listened carefully the advice the man gave her regarding dr. Garsha. She didn't really know who she could believe. For now, she decided to keep listening and hear the offer this new man had in store for her.
"Now, the reason that I am here. I'm here to offer you a job," the man said smiling briefly. Alexandra relaxed a bit more and folded her arms. "The man I work for is most interested in people with unique abilities, and yours are very unique. He believes that you could be a most valuable asset, and that he could offer you much. Starting with accomodation and a steady income." the man continued.
She smiled. Yes... she liked being appreciated. But right now, she wondered where from did 'the man I am working for' knew these things about her. Her new name, the fact that she was a mutant... But she guessed that there were lots of other mutants that could track her easily. The thought of accomodation and a steady income appeared appealing to her. She needed those indeed. Alone and a mutant wasn't promissing an easy life in New York.
She sighed.
"Well, mister, you do have an interesting proposition to make for a mutant refugee but I do not know anything about you. You haven't told me your name, or the name of the man you are working for, I don't know what it must be done once I take this job... Finally, I don't know anything. As far as I know, you might be leading me in a trap." she said suspicious, analyzing once more the man in front of her, trying to uncover any hidden intention he might have.

"While I don't know what words of wisdom the good doctor imparted on you prior to his departure it was most likely a word of warning about me, so allow me to do the same for him. His name is Dr Nick Grasha, and he is a dangerous man. Fanatical in his belife's that he needs "Chosen" to help him complete his mission. I'd watch my back around him if I were you."

Seth's anger overflowed past his gentleman senses and he quietly slipped down out of his tree. His white trench coat billowed behind him as he walked briskly off, he could appear to be walking away...but the truth was he was circling this new interloper to get behind him. Insult my honor will he? No no no this will not stand. he thought as he replayed the scene that had happened between him and the new mutant earlier. His anger sharpened his focus as he prepared his technique.

The man's back was now visible to him as Seth concentrated on his eyes, his iris swirled and he harnessed the mutation deep within his genes. He picked up a small tree branch about two feet long and three cm in diameter, he concentrated and manipulated the molecules. THIS IS FOR MY HONOR he thought as he tried to transport the branch directly through the interloper's right hand.

Not taking the time to see what the result of his attempt was, he walked slowly and surely out from the shadows behind the new man. "I believe you've overstayed your welcome, good sir." he said with a slight veiled threat in his words.

"Take your own advice...and watch your back." he said softly

He looked to the new mutant as if to say sorry with his eyes.