Only a few months... of course. Poor girl... she'd had to live most of her life without a carapace! An antennae bent to pat her shoulder lightly; it was the only limb he had available if they didn't want to fall a good... four stories now.

He would openly admit he was pleased when his sweet little hostage clung to him not unlike a cat hovering over water; sure, she had little choice in the matter, but he could settle for that. They were getting quite high, after all, and she wouldn't want to slip; he would also be quite careful not to drop his precious cargo. Contrary to what this girl might believe, he had no intention of harming her, which was why it almost hurt when a shaky voice called out:“W-What’re you doing? Are you going to kill me?”

"Why ever would you think that, my dear girl... Actually, given the circumstance, I can understand why you might. Never mind, then. I brought you up here to chat in a nice, open atmosphere where you couldn't escape me; simple as that!" Finally they reached a long ledge with enough room to sit, with a little wiggle room. He deposited the young woman on the ledge, and climbed up himself, picking a small angry roach from his compound eyes, and handing it to her. "I really wish one of my little friends were here... You would simply adore them, I'm sure." And that was it; above the roar of wind, he chatted as if he hadn't just carried her half way up a skyscraper.

>> "Why ever would you think that, my dear girl... Actually, given the circumstance, I can understand why you might. Never mind, then. I brought you up here to chat in a nice, open atmosphere where you couldn't escape me; simple as that!"

Her question was answered but the young runaway could scarcely make sense of it. She was not sure she actually heard it, after all, the whole thing was just too crazy. Who would climb up the side of a skyscraper with a hostage just so that they could have a talk? Oh yeah, maybe a giant Roach with an ego complex!

But as angry as Agnes was, her fear from being at this great height was far more powerful. She held on tightly, despite how much she didn’t want to, if only because their two carapaces were not exactly gripping. Agnes felt herself feeling slippy against him but with the combined effort of the two of them holding each other tightly, it seemed like more than enough to keep her secure. Oh god, at least she hoped so.

Fingers curled tight, she held onto her own hands while her arms tensed to a painful level. All she wanted was to on solid ground again, preferably not after suffering a long fall. But, seeing as she had no choice, she simply tried to hold on for the rest of the ride.

Finally, when they reached a height that Agnes assumed was comfortable for the Gregory, he plopped her down onto a ledge and Agnes did her best to keep from screaming. She scrambled back, trying to escape the ledge and that view of the plummet that would surely follow if she did look. Eyes closed tight, she pressed herself as against into the wall behind her as she could.

Of course it was then that the roach decided to start up a casual conversation…

>> "I really wish one of my little friends were here... You would simply adore them, I'm sure."

She ground her teeth as she narrowly opened her eyes to look at him. Was he really that absolutely insane? He spoke so casually! Agnes tried to keep her whimper in as she remained as far back and away from Gregory as possible.

“W-What…do you want to talk about?” she asked urgently. She wanted nothing more than to be off this ledge.

“W-What…do you want to talk about?”

"Why... you, of course. I would like to know about you." He noticed her apprehension when it came to the the whole falling off of the ledge and dying a horrible death, thing, and it drew a long sigh from him. "Don't worry about how high up we are, really... I promise you that should you fall, your death it would be completely painless. It's honestly best if we focus on the matter at hand."

He stood on his ledge, wiggling a bit as the higher wind tried to push him about, and then turned to take a paced away, and lean against the wall. "The real matter obviously being that you are lying to yourself in a dreadful way. I would like to start by asking... Why are you lying, Agnes? Why are you trying to deny what you are?" It wasn't asked in a accusatory fashion, but more like a statement of a fact, and an inquiry into why that fact was true. He seemed pained by her reluctance to show off her beautiful skin.

>> "Why... you, of course. I would like to know about you."

Agnes ground her teeth as she tried to press herself as far back from the ledge as possible. It was difficult because, really, there was only so far she could press against the wall and, no matter what, it didn’t seem to help quell her nerves. She was still a basket case because she feared at any moment a strong gust of wind would lift her up and send her hurtling off the side of the building. But she was also aware that this creature was not going to let her go anytime soon. No, he probably would have been content to keep her there until she starved to death and shriveled up into a prune.

She grumbled as she cautioned to open her eyes but winced when she saw the impressive height of the buildings around her. They sunk down so low below the ledge that started to get a case of vertigo.

>> "Don't worry about how high up we are, really... I promise you that should you fall, your death it would be completely painless. It's honestly best if we focus on the matter at hand."

“Very…comforting…” she managed to squeak out as she closed her eyes tightly once again and protectively wrapped her arms around her knees.

The cold chill of the air was whipping by her face, causing her hair to tousle and flair about in a wild manner. The breeze felt good but it was also sickening considering the source of it. She really just wanted to be back down and in Jasmine’s arms once again…

>> "The real matter obviously being that you are lying to yourself in a dreadful way. I would like to start by asking... Why are you lying, Agnes? Why are you trying to deny what you are?"

Slowly she opened her eyes. Crystal blue orbs peeked out into the open air as she tried to force herself not to look down. She turned her eyes onto Gregory, eyeing him as he casually stood near the edge, curious (and maybe even enjoying) everything that was going on. Agnes just had no idea how he could be so cavalier.

It was only then that she realized he was accusing her of lying. She would have snapped back and she was doing nothing of the kind, but it slowly dawned on her what he was speaking of. He had attempted to get her to open up about her mutation down at the café, now he was outright calling her out as to why she wouldn’t.

She tried to stifle a sniffle as she hugged herself. Quite honestly she hated how she looked in this form. The carapace was itchy in places, it slowed her down, and, most of all, she felt like it made her look like a freak. She was only barely getting her life in order and she didn’t want to have days like this where it was harder to pass off as human. Why would she want to do that? The answer was simple…

“Because…I…I just…I just wanted to be human,” she muttered softly. “I…I’m tired…of people staring, pointing, accusing me of being different. I…don’t want to look like a monster…”

“Because…I…I just…I just wanted to be human. I…I’m tired…of people staring, pointing, accusing me of being different. I…don’t want to look like a monster…”

His antennae noticeably drooped as she spoke; his body soon joined. Even the thickest person could tell that he seemed so... tired. The chitinous creature, already leaning against the wall, slid to a sitting position slowly. "It is tiring, the weight of the world's eyes. Still, if you consider yourself a monster, I consider you a fool... Perhaps when you see the world a little more, you will know what a monster looks like. Most of them have pink skin, and wear finely tailored suits." He leaned down a little, spying the ground below... Cop cars and ambulances were already gathering. Little clumps of people gathered, and still some walked past quickly, too busy with their lives to bother with their present situation.

"Look at them... Scurrying about down there, running in lines... They act as drones moving from hive to hive, carrying out simple tasks, and yet they view insects as inferior. All they did was make it larger, and so much more selfish; so much more... hurtful." He looked up at her. "Do you really want to be... like them? Why would you want to be like something that looks at you and me, and rejects us right then and there? Why would you want to be so small?"

The little drones in their specialized worker suits were doing their jobs below... They were up to something... Oh well. He had a feeling he wouldn't need to be up here much longer.

Agnes sniffled as she just wanted this whole experience to be over. She didn’t know what Gregory wanted. He was keeping her here, to talk (or so he said), but he didn’t seem satisfied with any of her answers. Instead he was fighting her on them every step of the way. It was almost as if he just couldn’t believe half of the things that she said regarding her mutation and her view of the world, but whatever the case, he didn’t seem to want to give up. Though he was obviously getting a little tired of banging his head against a brick wall.

The runaway frowned as she tried to keep herself curled up. Waiting for him to say something, anything…

>> "It is tiring, the weight of the world's eyes. Still, if you consider yourself a monster, I consider you a fool... Perhaps when you see the world a little more, you will know what a monster looks like. Most of them have pink skin, and wear finely tailored suits.”

Her, a fool? Now that was a bit much. The look of shock on her face caused her to raise her gaze to meet him. For that fraction of a second, she forgot all about the height and the power winds, instead she was actually searching his face, looking to see if there was real honesty there. Did he think she was a fool? Was she wrong as to who the real monsters were? Agnes had a hard time believing that, but…he was so convincing…

>> "Look at them... Scurrying about down there, running in lines... They act as drones moving from hive to hive, carrying out simple tasks, and yet they view insects as inferior. All they did was make it larger, and so much more selfish; so much more... hurtful…Do you really want to be... like them? Why would you want to be like something that looks at you and me, and rejects us right then and there? Why would you want to be so small?"

A lot of what he said was beginning to sink in, and a lot of it was clinking. The “monsters” he spoke of, she had met plenty of times before. As a matter of fact…her parents could definitely be such demons. They had attempted to exorcise their own daughter because they thought her mutation meant that she was possessed. They scarred her, for life…and yet she wanted to be like them…

If there was one thing that the young girl had learned in her life of living on the streets, it was that there was a misconception of “normal”. People held onto these beliefs that they were normal, that they were happy that way and they could judge others because of it. But Agnes knew, she knew exactly what was in their trash, the secrets they all tried to hide.

She shuddered at the memories and pry herself back to the present. As she did so, she blinked and slowly looked up into those compound eyes that eyed her. Meekly, she shook her head…

“I don’t want to be small…and I don’t want to be like them,” she whispered. Tears tinged to corners of her eyes as she reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. “I just want my fair shot at being happy…”

His eyes rested on her as she clearly went through an emotional journey in her head... She was just as tired as he, if not more, wasn't she? In fact, she was so close to being like him. A glance down to his hand, and then to the thick reflecting glass next to him gave him pause. It was painful, sometimes, to look into the mirror. It wasn't because he considered himself ugly. He didn't, not by a long shot; it was just that the way he looked meant that he would always stick out in a crowd. People would see a bug; not an artist, a complex being, or even a person. He reacted by not only accepting it, but being damned proud of it.

This young woman, barely more than a child in his eyes... How could he ever expect her to do the same? His eyes moved up to her. "Do you know why I brought you up here? I must admit I didn't when I first scaled these walls. You see, I am a creature of compulsion. Part of me desires something suddenly, and I gladly cave. In the end, though, I always find that my odd decisions come together to create something... perfect."

He looked to her once more, and hopped to his feet elegantly. "Just like now... Think about it... How could a monster ever be the victim of a cruel beast such as myself? When two freaks walk down the street together, the eyes will always be on the worst of the two, and the other seems so much more... human." His hand slowly reached out to her, not aiming to invade her personal space, and not moving suddenly as if to spook her.

"Come Agnes... Let's get you down from here."

Agnes was a little shocked at the words that had come out of her mouth. If she had been asked almost two years ago what she wanted for her life, the quickest answer that she would give would be that she wanted to be normal. Whatever the appreciated sense of “normalcy” was, that was what she wanted. Not because she envied people, but because she wanted to have that power to just fade away and not be pointed out or stared at. She didn’t want to stand out; she wanted to be like everyone because everyone fades into a sea of faces.

When someone is like her, there is no wonder that she would dream of such a thing. Then again, when compared to someone like Gregory, it is obvious that he suffers a far worse treatment than herself. And yet, he manages to keep his composure and appear nonplused by it, almost proud of it.

In a way…she really did envy him.

She sighed as she continued stare off into the distance. The need to get down off the building as quickly as possibly was beginning to wane and soon Agnes was actually a little comfortable. The height didn’t scare her as much, the feeling the wind ripping through her hair didn’t bother her, and she didn’t feel the panicked beating of her heart inside of her chest.

She was feeling good.

>> "Do you know why I brought you up here? I must admit I didn't when I first scaled these walls. You see, I am a creature of compulsion. Part of me desires something suddenly, and I gladly cave. In the end, though, I always find that my odd decisions come together to create something... perfect."

Agnes looked up at the roach and blinked as began to relate his plan. Of course he didn’t have a purpose at first, made her feel good to know. But, as he continued, she had to admit there was a type of poetry in his voice. Before long, she didn’t look at him like he was a despicable monster, but someone who just drew the short straw in life and was making it work for him.

>> "Just like now... Think about it... How could a monster ever be the victim of a cruel beast such as myself? When two freaks walk down the street together, the eyes will always be on the worst of the two, and the other seems so much more... human…Come Agnes... Let's get you down from here."

He jumped up and offered his hand (well, one of them), and gently Agnes took it. Once she was on her feet, she smiled a little sympathetically with the creature. His execution was off, but the message was pretty bright and clear. Slowly, a smile appeared on her greenish face as she patted his hand.

“You’re not a freak, Gregory,” she said with a smile. “You're just an individual.”

She really was such a child, wasn't she? A beautiful one, and one that awoke a primal attraction that he was sure wasn't natural. Ignorant and naive as she was, be couldn't help but want the best for her; some mixture of pheromone and mutation made him feel like not throwing her off something high.

Still, as she reached out to grab his hand, giving him a look of sympathy that was simply... priceless, he found that sometimes it was really best to go against your feelings.

His finger tips wandered past her hand, and clamped onto her wrist in a way that was almost painful. He then yanked her up close, so close their faces nearly touched. "You're right, Agnes... I'm no freak. I'm something much, much worse." His mandibles snapped in her face once, as if to solidify his point. His hand was slowly elevated, at its apex, perhaps even lifting her up off of her feet.

The giant bug let out a loud, echoing laugh, causing all of the eyes below to shoot up toward them.

"HEAR ME, HUMANS! I am, and always will be the monster you fear! When you lay down at night, I will linger in your closet, or under your bed. I will find you, and when you think you are safe, when you let your eyes close... I will eat you! I will eat your kids, and then I will eat you!" Yummy... kids. "BEHOLD! MY FIRST VICTIM!" He turned to his trapped prey, and clacked his mandibles merrily, lowering his voice so that the crowd far below couldn't hear. "Goodbye, Agnes. It was so nice meeting you." He then nonchalantly tossed her off the edge.

She had a good fall ahead of her. He supposed it was rather lucky the police had been inflating a suicide balloon below them. He figured it would be ready by now, right? There was no way they could look at her as a monster now. She'd just nearly been killed by one.

The giant bug turned to make his exit whilst the crowd was busy checking to see if the young woman was alright.

Agnes was actually beginning to feel pretty good now. Gregory actually turned out to be rather sweet, if not a bit unsubtle. A lot of what he said rang true with the young runaway so there was little wonder that she was now beginning to trust him. Anyone who could look the way he did and still try to help others who had less worse maladies to deal with, must have been an absolute saint.

Maybe she would keep in touch with him after all this was over…

>> You're right, Agnes... I'm no freak. I'm something much, much worse.”

Suddenly the storm clouds filled her eyes. Before she knew it, she was grabbed forcefully by the arm as the large roach had leaned in and whispered. Immediately, in response, Agnes eyes grew wide as saucers as she saw the truth behind his words. He was no saint, he was not looking out for her, he was every bit the monster that she had first perceived him to be. And, now, she was caught in his grasp with absolutely no way to get out.

“What? No! NO! GREG!!” Off her feet she was lifted and hauled out into the open air. Agnes screamed as she felt the bitter pull of gravity at her feet, struggling to not look down at all the people below.

>> "HEAR ME, HUMANS! I am, and always will be the monster you fear! When you lay down at night, I will linger in your closet, or under your bed. I will find you, and when you think you are safe, when you let your eyes close... I will eat you! I will eat your kids, and then I will eat you! BEHOLD! MY FIRST VICTIM!"

Agnes gasped as she struggled to hold onto his arm, while attempting to kick her legs forward to reach the ledge. She would feel the air whipping about her, hear the screams from down below, but it seemed that no matter how she struggled, she was not getting anywhere. Was this really how she was going to die? By the hands of a giant and psychotic roach? For now, fear overwhelmed her sense of irony as she cried and screamed, attempting anything and everything that would set her free…

>> "Goodbye, Agnes. It was so nice meeting you."

It was to no avail. In that half second he let go, Agnes felt her hope evaporate from her body like water in the desert sun. Weightlessness filled her stomach, churning the butterflies within. Her arms flailed as panic stole away her voice. Then, as she felt the pull of gravity go ever stronger, she screamed the bloodiest scream that she could manage.

She didn’t want to die like this. Nobody deserved that, not even her—

FWHOOOP![/b]

Agnes ground her teeth and closed her eyes as she felt herself hit. But there was no bone breaking, or spider-webs of pain like she imagined. Instead, she felt the soft cushion of air encased within something pliable. She cautioned to open an eye and saw the still sky. She was not falling anymore, she had stopped, only now…she was safe? But why didn’t this feel like ground?

“AGNES?! AGNES!!!!”

Jasmine’s voice immediately sobered Agnes up as she sat up, noticing the puff air cushion all around her. Jasmine was struggling to maneuver through the cushion before suddenly collapsing into Agne’s arms. Other authorities began to climb in, wanting to make sure that Agnes was okay. The runway, meanwhile, could only struggle with the numbness in her. She had almost died…and all because of a roach…