As far as Shula could tell, there was a direct positive relationship between the floor of a skyscraper, and the workload of the secretaries on it. The graph representing the workload of the higher ups on that floor was exactly the same, but upside down. This was why Shula was out front, caving to her cravings, while her secretary (who was pushing two months in her employment) was inside working through a mountain of paperwork. Not that he complained. He was good like that. Good and scared. Though she just knew he was up to something. The cameras she'd had installed in his apartment didn't show anything yet, but she was sure they would eventually. Men like him were always up to something, all humans were.

Shula would never forgive them for how they had treated mutants. It had been the holocaust all over again and she would not stand to be treated that way. Not by something so inferior. She would make sure humans were put in their place, one way or another. In fact she had already starter, promoting mutants, subtly filling the upper levels of the building with her own kind. The humans there were outnumbered, and they didn't even know it yet. It also helped that they all knew exactly who to thank for their fast tracking to success.

Another mouthful of hot liquid, barely palatable, from the little stand ll of ten feet from the office doors. It was still better than what they had inside, ever since the executive lounge had been hit by a freak storm. That particular executive had taken a dip in his salary, but she took it easy on him, after all, he was a mutant. The lack of control though, that had to be dealt with, and she had told him that. She would not excuse another such outburst within her building. Especially not when it ruins so much good coffee, and the coffee machine (and, to be honest, her day, because there was some paperwork her secretary couldn't do....). It had been two weeks already since that incident, and the repairs were still ongoing.

I'm about to kill the moron with the drill up there too...

Her doctor had warned her off caffeine. She had warned him off molten glass to the face. He had assumed she had been making a joke. He really ought to have known better. That one had been harder to cover up than any of the others. Doctors had a way of being important. Still there was no denying the constant stress and paranoia were only made worse by the addition of stimulants.

The dentist agrees with the doctor though, and the constant grinding of my teeth gives me a headache.

Still, she couldn't resist. She was addicted. This addiction was precisely the reason she was outside in the slush-covered street drinking the vilest substance to have passed for coffee since Nescafe instant blends. It was cold, it was wet, but it beat working. Another long drag from the cardboard cup. Another rush of relief. Another craving given in to.

Jupiter strolled down the street with a grimace on his face. He didn't care for this part of town. such a bunch of hoity toity types all about in their nice cars and their smug looks, they still got out of his way all the same, but it was a part of the world that he didn't understand and didn't want to. He had been asked politely by Lori sometime ago to avoid trouble in cetain parts of town that would bring bad press down on them. He was too big of a figure in the papers to go unchecked about New york destroying as he pleased. He could do what he wanted with little Russia so long as he behaved around parts of town that would draw ire. he didn't care for the arrangement,but she did simply ask him to try. it wasn't as if she forbid it to him.

His crimson eyes rose to a figure, elegant, sipping coffee and looking displeased, he couldn't say what made him rush to her aid, perhaps it was that she didn't see it coming. Peta....He didn't notice what fur or lack there of had warranted their attention all he knew is that he hated their means to an end. He bound forward five steps and planted himself to the woman's back and the eyes of her would be assailants opened wide in fear even as the paint flung from the bucket. Red. It was his favorite color. That said He had spared the woman from receiving a drop of it. he made a good shield wall.

The traffic that had parted before they made their attack was now speeding through the street once more. He leaned forward and let a guttural shout out at the group of activists. They fled like scared ducks, not looking where they were going, only fearing the certain death in front of them.

The screech of tires and screams that rang out left a small smile on his face. Jupiter stripped off his shirt and tossed it into a nearby trashcan, the fact that the poor little protestor stopped mid attack meant a lot of the paint hit the side walk and while it would have covered the displeased bossiness woman's head. it didn't even hit his chest.


He began to walk away, but couldn't help raising an eyebrow at the little woman who's day he just spared. he might not feel nauseated if he knew she was a mutant.

The commotion behind her tipped her off to something; she assumed it to not be her problem. She had, of course, assumed incorrectly, but she was spared the consequences of her mistake and subsequent inaction. Shula turned when she heard the roar and the screams that followed.

Oh good, a show.

Before her stood a mutant. There was no way that it wasn't a mutant. He towered above her, facing the fleeing protesters, and when he removed his shirt his skin was red. The tail also kind of gave it away. It seemed, from the paint dripping off the freshly removed shirt, and the substantially greater amount that covered the pavement, that he had just spared her an attack by PETA. She had nearly walked into him turning, which now seemed like it may have been an extremely painful process.

A fleeing protester had gotten himself injured in his hurry to flee, and was limping away slowly, though clearly as fast as he could. Sadly it would not be fast enough. Sad for his family, that is. Moments after the red mutant had stepped out of her way a series of three glass 'fragments', each no further across than a quarter, made a beeline for the fleeing protesters head. He turned just in time to see the cooling, but still extremely hot glass hit his face and neck.

Die like the vermin you are, human.

He collapsed on the ground, and never stood again. In the panic and confusion no one had seen the source of the glass, and after an impact with bone the fragments were likely nothing more than a group of glass slithers. Shula was satisfied it would never be traced to her, especially not after the car accident his collapse on the road caused. She turned to the large red mutant, who she caught with an eyebrow cocked at her. "Thank you, friend, I think my company may have offended them. Pitiful bunch of humans trying to deny natural selection and the food chain."

There was no one nearby to hear her, they were all busy screaming, dialling emergency services and trying to help the man who had just collapsed. It likely didn't help him that a car had gone over him. A smile crept over Shula's face knowing that another human had been punished for not knowing its place. Perhaps she would have been subtler, under different circumstances, but they had attacked her, and more than earned any retribution she could reap upon them. She would have complete files on them within twenty-four hours. The power of having power.

Jupiter’s eyes jumped to the man limping away as he received a face full of molten death. A smirk rose the corner of his lips. Someone else was taking advantage of the chaos to get a few mortally efficient jabs while there was still madness in the air. When the woman that he just blocked for politely thanked him and degraded the filth as what they were, the need for Tums evaporated.

“My pleasure, if I immediately realized you were a lady of your caliber, I wouldn’t have let them flee.” His smirk turned into a frightening smile of wicked sharp teeth and malice that only seemed to brighten at the pleasure in the woman’s face upon hearing the screams. They were the only pair not rushing forward to help. The only pair smiling, the only pair that mattered on the whole damn street apparently.

Let the ants try to rebuild their hill.

“My name is Jupiter, if you are interested; I know others that have similar views on the state of things. If so feel free to come by the sanctuary sometime.” He wanted to make a reason to keep talking to her, but for the life of him couldn’t create a reason for his shirtless self to ask her out to lunch and she was already drinking coffee.