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While he could have carried both of them, Carrick was grateful Lenna was willing to fly Atti herself. It was good for two reasons, one he was faster with one person and while playing the role as steed it made his job easier for maneuvering and two he still wasn’t sure about Atticus. There was already one musician with an accent at the mansion. He didn’t like his toes to be stepped on.

From the sound of things neither did Atti. Carrick was already off in the air as Lenna patted him to give him direction. Letting out a loud “Sceeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!” Carrick was flapping with all his might to pull him and Lenna about face towards where Atticus just got attacked by the teleporter. Great. Carrick hated dealing with teleporters. He made a mental note to watch his own back. That was usually where they’d try attacking (the lesson was previously learned the hard way).

The mythical beast pounced where the teleporter was and right before he landed a quick flame and the man was gone. Massive claws and paws slammed into the ground tearing the dirt and flames in the process. Carrick staggered back slightly as a few of the hairs on his paws were burnt from the failed attempt to catch his prey. Carrick let out a low sigh and chirped a few more times. If anyone could speak Gryphon they would have heard the words ‘coward’ followed by a few curse words.

The teleporter appeared again on the shifters side ready to land a flame kick to the bird like face. Carrick shifted slightly bringing Lenna into the direction of the attack. He did say he didn’t want to attack her right? Carrick was willing to see how far the man was willing to stick to his principles.

The sound of his roar echoed throughout the prison cell block. Inmates dropped what they carrying and4 tried to cover their ears. Even Carrick had to cover them towards the end of it. The room clearly wasn’t built to let sound dissipate.

Grabbing the guard by the collar and helping him up Carrick began to dust the man’s shoulders a little as his supervisor grabbed someone else and threw them like a weaponized sack of potatoes and boy did they fly far.
”Cause all the small doe were taken?” Carrick asked smirking as he pushed the guard behind him. ”Don’t be scared. You can laugh.” his wings opened and flapped once giving the guard an extra push.

They started moving as Mike counted. ”Well have fun! Be sure ta tell everyone how well I listen!” ‘Fight!’ he resisted the urge to listen to his bestial instincts. He was immortal sure but it would have been well hell of an @$$kicking before they’d stop hitting him. How long would it take to heal from that?

”Anywhere ya can be put till more help arrives? I kinda want ta see the fight.” The guard tensed up as one of the exits they were heading towards was blocked by two inmates. ”Not that way, come on act like I’m gonna get punched if ya don’t start moving!” the shifter gave a push in the other direction as inmates started flying just out of view no doubt being thrown like rag dolls.

As they approached the door that was the shifter felt it. A sudden unease, the voice in his head went from ‘Fight!’ to ‘Flee’. The sudden change in his instincts caused the shifter to look around slightly panicked. He pushed faster. The voice boomed near them the deep baritone carrying the potential weight of a lions roar behind it. “Me lil’ nephew! Carrie! So good ta see ya. Where ya running lad? Come see yer favorite uncle! Been a few!”

”**** Move faster!” he pushed harder as the guard started to run and Carrick quickly followed.

”Trying love, show business is tough ta catch a break in. Got the talent just not the exposure. Not yet at least. Hoping ta springboard meself with a little extra spending cash. Need a new guitar.” it wasn’t a lie. It also wasn’t exactly truthful either. ”At the haggling point right now but I’m starting ta think yer right on this one. You got any interest in magic feathers?” he asked seriously. ”Maybe they just need a bit more urgency ta solidify the deal?” his jaw was clicking now. It was clear by the way he was opening his mouth to make sure it wasn’t broken.

”Right? Be surprised how often it is someone tries ta touch the merchandise. Me being an angel and all.” his tail flicked behind him mischievously. Despite being outnumbered, Carrick continued to ooze confidence.

”Ummm what?” Carrick asked seriously as she asked how many she could handle. ”Well, I’m more of a lover than a fighter.” he said flirting a bit continuing the bravado he usually held to show all other than the Princess. She knew him better than that. She also accepted the real him.

The amount of beatings he got from Ranger and his healing factor he was pretty sure he could walk away from a five on one fight. Ranger hit harder. ”I can make an exception though. Let the beast take over so ta speak.” he flashed his teeth with another jaw click and a snarl. His canines were already more pointed than a typical humans. When he snarled it was more apparent. In fact the one that hit him took a step back. The way someone would back away from a feral animal.

‘Fight!’ his instincts were starting to take over. His irises turned to cat light slits his voice shifted a noticeable octave lower. ”Ya sure ya don’t just want ta buy some feathers at market value?”

“We’ll just take them off your corpse.” one of the mystics said as his hands started to glow.

Next to Lee, the invisible person who was standing next to her stumbled backwards to the ground after being kicked. “S-he S-he she can see me!?!”

”You were hiding?” Carrick asked as he leapt backwards and snapped his wings open in two mighty flaps sending him to the air along with a bunch of dust and debris everywhere. Just like that Carrick was airborne.

Air exited his lungs as he slumped forward after the second strike. Maybe he should stop selling to mystics? Or rather find someone to do his trades for him? Maybe not as lucrative when you add a third party to the sale. Why did they always want to fight him? Was it his accent? People normally loved it!

Carrick’s cat like tail flicked with irritation, before he could add in a snarky comment about the last punch another voice sounded from the direction of the other scent. It was different than the one that cast the spell to keep him grounded. Slitted Iris’s gazed in their direction to find the source of the new voice. The Irishman was doing his best to hold off the shift. She was a welcome distraction.

>>>”Alright, I think it’s about time for you all to disperse,”

”Perfect timing, love” Carrick wheezed as his lungs filled back up with air. Another grimy hand touched a wing. This time it was rooting around for a feather. The air in his lungs turned into a low rumble as he started to growl.

>>>”The cops are actually patrolling tonight, ”I doubt any of us want this to become a bigger thing than it is now.”

The growl got louder as Carrick opened his mouth. Then quickly covered it. He cleared his throat fighting the urge to turn and maul these idiots. After a second he added, ”Look at that a voice of reason.” his eyes shifted to the person touching his feathers.

>>>”Are you ok there?”

Carrick stopped holding his stomach and waved a hand, ”Do I look it? I think I am. We were just discussing terms of sale... right after this one stops touching the merchandise.” there was a scream and the one touching his wings let go as his fingers started to gush blood. “What was that!?! A knife?”

”Close, razors.” there were only a few hiding in his wings tied to them with a paper clip. Not something he did often but it was making more and more sense the amount of times someone tired to rob him. There were also lock picks and a few other things hiding in there but they weren’t what cut the man. That was the razors.

”Look I’m starting ta think this won’t be worth my time.” Carrick said while trying to hold back a chuckle. ”Why don’t we call it a night like the nice lady said? No one wants ta deal with the police. We all ‘ave somewhere else ta be right?” he asked patting the guy on the back as he held his bleeding hand.

Another one of the mystics shouted “I said Shut up!” there was another punch at Carrick to the jaw. The invisible one shifted slightly as Lee approached but remembered the invisibility spell was still up and as long as the spell of holding was up they’d get their prize.

That was twice now the same person hit him in the face.

Mismatched eyes looked over the ledge and down to the city streets below. Most couldn’t make out the people walking below from the height he was standing but they were as clear as day to the Irishman. They were still ants but they were detailed, shirts, pants, accessories. A glint caught the shifters attention and he almost slipped. It would have been a long way down. Carrick’s stomach dropped for a moment and he had to remind himself he had wings. They shifted in response almost to remind Carrick there was nothing to be afraid of.

Legs dropped from the ledge, and he sat on his rear, closed his eyes and shifted with the New York City skyline wind. It was a full moon, stars were hard to find here. Below however, the city glowed bright. Lights were on and it was midnight meaning it was only going to get busier. An amber bottle swished as the shifter took a swig and lit his last borrowed cigarette. Setting the bottle down and leaning back he grabbed his guitar and started strumming.

”Well, another successful night ya lucky bastard.” there was no response, he wasn’t talking to anyone but himself. ”Closed out another gig and made off with a pretty penny. Good fer you mate.”

His fingers reverberated as they moved down the string, a loud hum echoed out as the note started to play through the amplifier he had set up behind him. The quite was dismissed as Carrick started playing, a soft tune as he started to sing.

It was a new song, a spur of the moment song so most of the words were adlibbed as he moved his fingers up and down the neck of his instrument. It was a midnight concert on the top of one of the luxury apartments in the city. He was singing about what he was seeing and how welcoming the city was to someone like him. A immigrant, a thief and most importantly a musician. It was about how easy it was to fall in love, all he had to do was steal someone's heart.

He got the thumbs up from her. She approved of his accent work. As she should, Carrick had spent years working on them when he was a kid in the circus to pass the time. It also helped with his pickpocketing. You bump into someone with a foreign accent it’s easier to remember. Well if said person ignored the wings and tail he often had on him. Which few did.

Stranger danger.

Carrick eyed the man speaking and thought he was looking at bug pretending to be human. From the looks to the sound of his voice to how he was speaking. There was a tingle in the back of his mind that told him to be careful. This man could make or break his career.

”Theeeee Lenny Kravitsch?” Carrick said adding emphasis. He had no idea who this man or bug man was but knew how to flatter someone who was in charge. ”Len, theeee Lenny Kravitsch!” Carrick mocked a bow he did when he was greeting his royal girlfriend. ”Truely an honor ta be working on one of yer projects! And we-” he pointed to Lenna and then himself ”just have chemistry.”

”Any notes? Want us ta take it back from the top? I can go extra if ya need. Maybe an accent from Texas? South Boston? Brooklyn?”