Alex sat in the park, his elbows on his thighs he lent forward, watching the activity in front of him. He'd managed to get into America, past customs and immigration, apparently he wasn't as infamous or wanted as he'd imagined. Looks like he'd fallen into the category of just another missing person, after all he thought he was a bit old to be a runaway now.

His thoughts are interrupted by a cough that starts deep in his chest. He grabs the edge of the bench he's on as he convulses with the force of the cough, his chest is on fire as his ribs stress under the force. Finally after almost a minute the noise subsides and leaves Alex hunched over, his head between his legs, tears running down his face. His ribs are aching from the force of his coughs, a couple of years ago he'd actually broken a rib. But that was long ago, back when his symptoms were worse, back when he wasn't so used to it. He lifts his right hand from the bench to wipe the tears from his face. His fingers white and shaking from the grip he had on the wood.

He spits on the path in front of him, a dark red globule hits the dirt, blood, both congealed and fresh mixed with some kind of mucus.

"Sometimes it amazes me I'm still single"

Raising his head he leans back into his seat thinking about his past few weeks here. He bought a two way ticket to America. There was never any intention of him going back but it is easier getting into America these days if you could show them you were planning to leave again. After that he just went to ground, trying to keep a low profile while he tried to figure out what to do with his life. After all he was a mutant and not the healthiest person in the world and he could do without the attention.

He'd decided to sleep rough see if he could save his cash until he needed to use it. He ended up sleeping in alleys and back streets. Under bridges and in railways yards. He had taken up with the homeless, the unwanted scum of society, and if he was honest about it they were better than most people he knew, most of them were sicker than he was so they didn't mind his company, although what he might be catching from them often crossed his mind. Food wasn't a problem either for him any more, so far he hadn't been able to find anything in any trash can that he couldn't stomach. Hell he could now eat the crap that even the animals around here wouldn't touch.

And that's where he'd lived for the past 5 weeks, in the filth and trash that fell through the cracks of society. And that was also what had led him hear. The homeless know a lot, they hear and see a lot more than anyone else. Everyone acts like they don't exist, society doesn't want them to be there so they pretend they aren't, so they turn invisible as well as any mutant can.

And if you're not really there then people don't mind talking in front of you, and a lot gets said and done in dark alleys, secret things that no one should know about, things that can only be said and done away from the bright light of society, in the dark with the crazies, after all who's going to ask them, and if they do no one would believe them anyway.

It was these crazies that told him about New York, how there were mutants there, something made them gather there, band together, a person, or a building, or a hospital. Something that would give them help or hope, or just refuge. He didn't know what exactly but now he was here, looking to see what he could find out there in the rotten apple.

Sabrina had finally located him. She had found the case of the man TB couldn’t kill and thought that Hunter would be interested. He was. When the man, Alex McAllister according to the file she’d procured from the hospital, had disappeared she had hired a PI to find him. Finaly, over a month later, he had.

He was in New York, right under her nose. Alex still seemed to be suffering from TB according to the PI, and she could use that as a way to draw him in. The car pulled up outside the park and she got out, telling the driver to circle for the time being.

She saw a man coughing violently on a bench, and knew she’d found him. Putting on a worried expression she approaches Alex. “Are you all right?”

Alex looks up the the woman who was approached him, a concerned look on her face. She was an attractive blond in a suit, not the kind of people he usually chatted with, unless he was asking them for change which was the one way you could make suits forget you were there real fast. Although she looks like she was worried about him, there was something in here eyes, something that didn't sit quite right with him. It could have been something as simple as sympathy wasn't an emotion she practiced much.

“Are you all right?”

He smirks at her, looking light hearted through the thin sheen of sweat on his face.

"Hay fever. Kills me at this time of year, damn flowers."

He looks around himself, then waves his hand taking in the park, with its many trees and flowers..

"Then again that would make this a pretty stupid place to sit then wouldn't it? My doctor suggested somewhere with less plants, and maybe a bar..."

Not that he could get in to any bar in the city, he'd just about manage to get into a shelter the way her was dressed. Then again you can't miss the opportunity to hit on a cute blond, and she was a suit she she wasn't a real person anyway.

Sabrina could see that he wanted to keep his condition on a low profile, which was understandable, seeing as TB wasn’t something you wanted to advertise. She smiled at his suggestion of a bar.

“Nice line,” she said with a smile, “I’ve heard worse. You look like you should see that doctor of yours again and see if he can give you anything for it. I think that it’s a little early for a bar, so how about a cup of coffee? My treat.”

She wanted to get a better read on his personality before she tried to bring him in for Hunter’s scientists to have a look at him.

“Nice line. I’ve heard worse. You look like you should see that doctor of yours again and see if he can give you anything for it. I think that it’s a little early for a bar, so how about a cup of coffee? My treat.”

Looking into her brown eyes he wonders what she's up to? Taking a stray in off the street, there was more going on here than she was letting on. Then again he didn't mind playing dumb, was probably the safest bet on finding out what her game was. Then again, whatever it was at least he'd have good company.

"Well between you and me, I let my doctor go, never warmed his stethoscope."

Pushing himself to his feet he brushes ineffectually at his jacket, before trying to straighten it, wanting to at least try and make himself look presentable. He suddenly got a bit concerned as to what he must smell like, he'd kind of gotten used to it after sleeping in his own clothes for the past few weeks.

"A coffee sounds great, especially the bit about it being your treat. Hope you have somewhere nice in mind."

He smiles and gestures for her to lead the way.

Sabrina smiled and headed for a café nearby. She had a feeling that he was getting a bit suspicious, and wondered if telling him the truth, or at least a version of it, would help. Taking a seat at a table she ordered two coffees and turned back to Alex.

“Sabrina Preda by the way,” she introduced herself, but didn’t offer her hand, he may still be contagious, “And your name is Alex McAllister. Don’t be alarmed I know your name, your escape form the hospital was not exactly low profile. I work for a company that is researching into diseases and your miraculous survival has my boss intrigued. He has a proposal for you. Having seen how you were treated at your previous hospital he can see that you were uncomfortable, hence the running away. We have no intention of locking you in a room and prodding at you. The study would be totally voluntary, and we’d offer you accommodation and a large budget in return for allowing us to see if what allowed you to survive could help others.”

“If you want no part of it then we’ll have our coffee and part ways, but if you are interested then I’ll take you to your new apartment and then leave you to do as you please until my employer, Mr Antonescu, is free to speak with you in greater detail about the study.”

Honesty (almost). It was worth a shot. If it failed they could always have him picked up of the street and brought in by force, but it would be much easier for everyone involved if he came willingly.

Alex followed his new buddy to quite a nice little café just off the park. Quite a bit above the standard he had been going to of late, then again he was pretty hard pushed to try and remember when he had last had a hot drink.

As he made himself comfy at the table she ordered two coffees from a pretty efficient waitress.

“Sabrina Preda by the way,”

He looked at her as she spoke and was about to offer her his hand and introduce himself when she continues, and her words made him forget any notion of niceties and look around the room, to see if there was anyone else around that looked suspicious and if there was another door, just in case.

“And your name is Alex McAllister. Don’t be alarmed I know your name, your escape form the hospital was not exactly low profile. I work for a company that is researching into diseases and your miraculous survival has my boss intrigued. He has a proposal for you. Having seen how you were treated at your previous hospital he can see that you were uncomfortable, hence the running away. We have no intention of locking you in a room and prodding at you. The study would be totally voluntary, and we’d offer you accommodation and a large budget in return for allowing us to see if what allowed you to survive could help others.”

Her words unnerved him, he'd had a good idea there was more going on here than was apparent but the fact that she knew who he was, his background and probably a hell of a lot more that she wasn't divulging. Everyone always had an ace up their sleeve and if she was playing these cards up front then hers must be a killer.

“If you want no part of it then we’ll have our coffee and part ways, but if you are interested then I’ll take you to your new apartment and then leave you to do as you please until my employer, Mr Antonescu, is free to speak with you in greater detail about the study.”

He hadn't interrupted, or moved as she spoke apart from his looks around the café. He probably looked on edge, but the fact that he hadn't tried to run out the door the moment she mentioned his name impressed him a great deal. Either he was more stoic than he imagined or he was just to tired of running away.

The coffee arrived just before she had finished speaking, he eyes his suspiciously, wondering if it was drugged. Shaking his head he mentally slaps himself, telling himself to stop being so paranoid, if she and he boss had wanted to take him by force they could have done it, and it would have been easier than this. This way there is the risk he might run, fight, or who knows what else. on the other hand no one would notice a homeless guy going missing, well no one that mattered.

Wrapping his hands around the cup, letting it heat his hands he lifts it to his mouth and takes a long drink, almost burning his mouth as he does so and trying hard not to wince. He sets the up down again before he speaks.

"Well there's no point lying to you, you probably know more about me than I do. And the fact that you managed to find me, and here of all places, says that you and your boss have pretty good resources at your fingertips. And the money would be nice, and a nice place to sleep again. The biggest part would be finding out what's going on with me, I need to know, and i need someone who can tell me, and from what I've seen the American health system sucks, and I don't have the money to get anyone good."

He looks around again, his mind already made, his response already chosen. He just doesn't know what else to say. The one thing that doesn't sit too comfortably is the help others comment. He just doesn't buy it for some reason. He could imagine a big pharmaceutical company coming at him like that, but they are companies and they're always in it for the money, and there has always been more money in sick people than healthy ones. Then there's something like the government, maybe trying to get a biological weapon, but what's the point in a weapon that keeps people alive but makes them sick? He just couldn't work it out. Then again there was more chance of him finding thing out if he was a guest instead of a prisoner.

"So as depressed as I am to admit it. I think you've found your guinea pig."

Sabrina smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. Hunter was always telling her to try different things on different people, and this time it had paid off. “Thank you for your cooperation in the matter, Mr Antonescu will be delighted. Once you’ve finished your coffee I’ll show you the apartment.”

She couldn’t wait for Dr Ingram to have a look at him. If he had anything in his system that could aid Hunter, or perhaps even accelerate the transformation project, it was worth the expenditure Hunter was paying. It stood to reason that if Alex was kept happy then he would be less difficult, and he seemed to want answers about his biology himself.

Pulling out her cell phone she began ringing her driver, “Excuse me a moment, just going to let my driver know where to pick us up.” Placing the phone against her ear she waited for Simon to pick up. “Simon, it’s me, Sabrina… Yes, everything went well and Mr McAllister has agreed to come with us… That’s right we’ll be heading for the apartment… We’re at the café… Ok, see you in ten minutes.”

She pocketed the phone and turned back to Alex. “Thank you again for agreeing to this, we’ll try to make you as comfortable as possible, and inform you of all our findings.”

Alex sat an quietly drank his coffee as she spoke, and then for some time after. He didn't know what to do, say or think. Had he just done the right thing? Was he about to meet someone who could explain what was going on with his life? Why he was constantly ill but also way too healthy. Or had he just signed over his life, or his freedom? Only time would tell, so the only way to find out would be to wait and see what happened next.

He had finished his coffee shortly after she had finished her phone call. His nerves were giving his a dry mouth. His body shook from a cough that he tried tosuppress, a few beads of sweat forming on his brow from the effort and the hot coffee.

"I think informing me of the finding is the least you can do, it is after all the only reason I'm agreeing to be a lab rat. And before you do anything with your findings, or my blood, organs or any other part of me I want to know what you plan to use them for. I know that you probably can't tell me anything like that until you know how I tick, but when you do plan to move forward with whatever crazy plan you have I want to know."

“Of course,” said Sabrina, smiling politely to try and put him at ease. To be honest, she couldn’t blame him for being on edge, she would be too in his position. “We won’t know what we can do until we’ve managed to analyse you. Don’t worry, we have some of the world finest working for us, if anyone can work it out, they can.” And for what they we’re being paid they’d better.

Moments later Simon pulled up and Sabrina rose. “Shall we?” she asked, indicating the car.

Looking out the window of the café where she's indicating Alex sees a car slowly come to a halt at the curb. It looked as if his ride was here. Getting up from the table without saying a word he walks to the door before pushing it open and out into the noise of the street. Walking to the side of the car he waits for Sabrina to join him. He wasn't too sure of the etiquette of the situation. Was he supposed to sit with her in the back while this man, Simon she had called him on the phone, drove them to his fate. Or was he Sabrina's partner in crime and they would sit in the front while Alex got the pleasure of his own company in the back like a prisoner?

Plus he was a little apprehensive about climbing in to this car, he had the bad feeling that once he got inside there was no turning back.

Sabrina got in the back with Alex and with a nod to Simon the car drove away. Pulling out the phone again she dialled Dr Ingram’s number.

“It’s Sabrina… Yes, everything went well… I’m taking him to his apartment… Not until Mr Antonescu meets with him… You have a problem with that take it up with him.”

She hung up and turned to Alex. “My apologies. That was out chief scientist. He’s very eager to begin, but Mr Antonescu said that you were to settle in first.”

Moments later the car stopped outside an expensive looking apartment building.

(OOC: Continued in “Alex’s New Apartment”)