First thing you learn is you always gotta wait;

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is you always gotta wait
I'm waiting for my man

At the tender age of sixteen, Audrey still failed to fully grasp the concept of “in walking distance.” If a location were within ten miles of her person, she would be hell-bent on forcing her skinny legs to carry her there. Case and point, the young blonde was rounding the final turn into the center of downtown Pilot Ridge, which was at least a few miles from her dormitory, and she had made her way there in insufferably tight skinny jeans and heavy combat boots… Combat boots being a rather inaccurate categorization. At $1750 a pop with crystal embellished Italian leather, these biker boots clearly displayed fashion over function.

“Here.” Audrey typed quickly, pressing the send button with her thumb before shoving the smart phone back into her jacket pocket. It was almost 7:00 pm and she had arrived at least fifteen minutes before the time that she had agreed upon with her dealer: A Vandergraaf was never late to a business exchange or social engagement.

Fishing a bony hand into the opening of her leather purse, Audrey groped about until she reached the smooth plastic film of her cigarette pack and angled it out carefully. Earlier in the day the blonde had managed to knock over the pack inside of her purse, spilling cigarettes everywhere. There were still flakes of tobacco floating around the Marc Jacobs satin lining, and needless to say, she wasn’t looking to repeat the incident.

Balancing a cigarette carefully between her pouty lips, she struck the gear of the Zippo and brought the flame to the cigarette’s rolled paper end, casting it aflame. The teen sucked greedily, filling her lungs with the harsh smoking and allowing the surge of nicotine to rush straight through her synapses. Feeling light-headed, she set down her bag on a rusted bench and shifted her feet to third position. She then raised her right arm gracefully and slowly exhaled as she tilted her head back.

Plumes of wispy smoke dissipated into the misty night sky, floating up toward the heavy fog that stood against the stars. Vermont nights were bitter during this time of year, but Audrey would never allow the weather to stop her from venturing outdoors: There was no sweeter taste than the moisture of nighttime air.

The gusts of cigarette smoke pushing down her throat quelled the hunger of her stomach, the sudden adrenaline confusing her body’s chemistry, making the young girl feel as though she were sated. The stereotypes were true. Ballerinas were the athletes that were most commonly associated with smoking cigarettes—Sure, it depleted one’s supply of fresh oxygen, but more importantly, it helped to keep the weight off. A full breath became irrelevant if you were too heavy for the lift.

After taking a final drag, Audrey tossed the finished butt into the dewy grass and crushed it with the toe of her boot. It was officially 7:15, and the blonde’s dealer still hadn’t responded to her previous text message. She shrugged her bony shoulders in aggravation, the sinews of her back resembling the wings of a bird; there was no point in harassing the dude, he was bound to arrive in his own time.

Sighing exasperatedly, Audrey bowed her knobby knees and attempted to move into a grand plié. Unfortunately for this ballerina, her pants were far too tight and wouldn’t allow her to drop any further after lowering herself just a few inches. “Ugh…” she moaned absently to the wind, annoyed that she couldn’t spend her down time stretching.

Admittedly, it was somewhat bizarre to practice ballet on a public sidewalk on a Saturday night, but this street was practically deserted save for a few pigeons and a homeless guy, or a drunken hipster, it was somewhat hard to differentiate the two. She scoffed, at the young man, proving her lack of sympathy toward the derelict… On the other hand, she wasn’t particularly sympathetic toward the wealthy either, so at least she wasn’t discriminating.

Audrey’s phone finally buzzed and the girl hastily grabbed it and stared at its too bright screen, her large eyes frantically scanning the text: “Sry, running late. B there in 30.”

The teen continued to scowl, appearing more than frustrated as she tugged at the ends of her long sandy hair. Audrey resisted the now overwhelming urge to call her dealer screaming, “Just give me my goddamned Adderall you incompetent fuck--I should’ve known better than to cop from some illiterate cocknose who can’t even get his fucking GED.” She was his best customer after all, and definitely deserved better treatment than this… Anyway, it looked like she was going to be here for awhile…

[Lani Hunter]

The night sky was broken with clouds, blotting out a lot of light that the moon would have otherwise spilled over the town of Pilot Ridge. It was on a night like this that Lani slipped out his window and climbed like a spider to the roof. Always practice, it was a hard thing to motivate sometimes, especially when it was getting dreadfully cold outside. The first snow hadn’t yet fallen but if experience told him one thing, it wouldn’t be long now. It made his blending easier. He had a dark pair of loose jeans and his favorite boots. A flexible and durable creation, one he’d liked so much he’d lifted right from under the nose of the man who’d told him about them. They were perfect for roof running. For one, they looked like normal boots to the untrained eye, but Lani had thinned the sole and wear had enhanced their flexibility and now they were warm and well equipped for Lani’s profession.

He shivered a little but didn’t want to wear anything more than the light dark gray jacket he had on. It wasn’t his favorite hoodie, the Celtics one that he had grown so fond of over the past few years it had become something of a soothing safety blanket. No, that would be to noticeable. So Lani pulled on a pair of black gloves and a gray beanie over his ears and started moving. Moving heated his body more than a fire would and soon the cool night air was invigorating and he was soaring over the roofs like he had no fear of falling. And well, if he still had a fear of falling he wasn’t quite as good as he thought he was, power or no power. He’d taken a few lessons and picked up a few things from Odion and now he was moving faster and making instant decisions as to his path, which allowed him to look one or two steps ahead instead of five or six.

Panting and smiling Lani listened to no sound but his heart beating in his chest. This was the life. A life that required no ties, no bosses, no cages. This was the sweet taste of freedom and Lani wouldn’t give that up for the world. His eyes wandered to the stars peaking here and there through the clouds. It was too bad they were so covered, he loved the stars. They were always so peaceful. Now the thief turned his eyes to the street and smiled as he watched them mill about, unconcerned and unaware of his presence. He was always surprised by the lack of vigilance of the average person, but then again, not many people down there knew the underbelly of the world, and fewer still who knew wanted to believe it existed at all. His eyes scanned and his eyes were attracted to a target.

Lani’s eyes saw one thing when his eyes fell upon the girl walking on the street below. Rich. Very rich, and young, so it was probably her parent’s money. Interesting… So he’d followed dancing rooftops like a shadow, never causing any need for someone to even think about glancing up. It was light and Lani’d just been roof running, he actually hadn’t planned on stealing anything tonight but this pretty little girl changed his mind. Something nagged at the back of his mind. Namely, what was she doing out so late and by herself. He shrugged telling himself that wasn’t his problem. Lani watched her as he followed his curiosity raising. Well, a thief was never going to take an offered gift, which was what Lani very much saw this girl as. She didn’t even look up as she walked, it was almost too easy. Well, lessons hard learned.

When she stopped so did Lani, he dare not probe her with his power more than a gentle brush that would (hopefully) be passed off as a breath of wind. He smiled and watched. She was waiting for someone. Who? Before he’d had more than a few moments to consider the question he wrinkled his nose scenting cigarette smoke. A smoker too? What a piece of work, he thought. She looked annoyed, even from his vantage point he could tell. It wasn’t very good to be standing about in the dark on her own agitated like that. People might take notice. And a rich girl like that practically was a neon sign to thieves. He smiled slyly and backed away from the roof edge. He went to the opposite side of the building and slithered down the side landing as softly as a cat in the alley. Not even the homeless man slumbering stirred.

Lani traced back a few blocks and paced the other way, backtracking to her position. That was, he was assuming she hadn’t moved, and to his delight she hadn’t. He dodged the young man, giving him a slight gaze of pity. He’d been lucky and skilled enough to never have to take up permanent residence in the street. But he knew several people who hadn’t been so lucky. He had since removed his hat and relaxed his posture. She would probably think he was just another college student or something heading home late. He ran a hand through his hair putting on an air of confidence. As he approached he skillfully let his eyes flicker over her briefly before giving her his most dashing smile. He doubted that she wanted what she was doing out here explained and so he didn’t worry about her seeing his face. And besides, by the time she realized she’d been robbed blind he’d be long gone. “Excuse me,” he said sweetly, “I’m hopelessly lost, you wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest bus stop is?”

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

Looking off into the distance, Audrey noticed that a few blocks ahead a male figure stepped into visibility, seemingly rising out of the darkness and edging closer toward her. She let out a deep breath, her expression softened with relief; finally that lazy dealer had gotten his ass into gear. She scooped her purse up off the bench, fishing into its cavernous interior until her palm brushed against the embossed leather of her wallet.

She bit her lip in concentration, blindly getting the payment in order, not wishing to draw too much attention through actually removing the cash before G arrived. Her narrow fingers sifted through the stack of bills as she mumbled under her breath, “100… 200… 300…” Like any fiscally responsible buyer, Audrey made her purchases in bulk.

As the man drew nearer, Audrey narrowed her pale eyes, scanning his dimensions critically. G was a chubby guy that didn’t stand at a hair over 5’7”, and this sure as hell wasn’t him. Shit. Dropping her wallet back into her purse, the blonde straightened out, her face now bearing a cold facade as the unknown figure approached.

After spending a few years in Manhattan, Audrey learned a thing or two about discouraging strange men from engaging in conversation: Smoke a cigarette, put on your nastiest bitch face, and stare at your phone as though you’re engaged in something far more important than a pick-up line. If all else fails just scream at the top of your lungs, “I’m only sixteen!” before kicking the dude in the groin and running away.

Audrey casually popped a cigarette between her lips, only reaching step one of her plan of action before she had been interrupted: the obstacle presented with a devilishly handsome smile and unforgivably baggy denim. “Lost?...” She began, silently recalling the young man’s direct approach as he moved toward her. She didn’t see where he came from, but she knew sure as hell he walked up to her without hesitation; not once did he look over to a street sign at the intersections... Not exactly the behavior of someone who is lost, but rather someone who knows exactly what he’s doing... Too confident…

Deciding to play along, Audrey shot a coy tight-lipped smile back at the boy, lighting her cigarette slowly before taking a drawn-out drag. “I wouldn’t know, I’ve never taken the bus in my life.” She chuckled to herself, feet subconsciously moving to second position, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful… But how did a boy like you end up stranded here?”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani knew that there were people out there that would have done a lot worse than he was going to do. Well, rich girl probably needed to be knocked down a few pegs anyways. Always feeling entitled and always looking down at those less fortunate. It made Lani sick, and it took all of his possible hesitations and tossed them out the window. Lani wondered what had her all excited. He was just walking, he wasn’t even looking at her, at least not initially. He knew she was there, he didn’t need to check. He glanced up to look as though he just noticed her before he closed the distance enough to speak. She lit another cigarette. What a queen, he thought bitterly. He could have laughed out loud as he imagined her realizing it too late he’d pulled one over on her. As much as she was watching him he was watching her.

She shifted around quite a bit when Lani approached and he felt a twinge of uneasiness knowing she watched him. When he paced up to the girl, none of that uncertainty showed on his face and he paused giving himself a chance to look around before he declared himself lost. He ducked his head as if to hide his embarrassment. Which was probably actually what Lani would do if he were lost. But Lani was never lost, nor would he ever admit to being so. But he wasn’t playing Lani right now, right now he was a smooth talking if somewhat absent minded soul. Lani was as good as any actor, better in some sense, he thought. He wrinkled his nose a little bit as she lit the cigarette. He bit his tongue against nagging her like he nagged Odion. Why was smoking something people even did? It was a quick way to the grave in Lani’s opinion.

Lani let out a soft laugh. Of course not, he thought with a bitterness that didn’t show on his pleasant face. Lani noticed a lot more than she let on. She was wary of him, it showed on her face, but then she would be a fool not to be. After all being approached on the street by a stranger at night was not exactly something that was disarming. He shrugged and shook his head turning away from her for a moment, to hide the distress that crossed his eyes. His confident act shattered as his shoulders slumped slightly. Lani knew very well how men were supposed to act, so it was easy to feint confidence when he had little or none. Now it worked into his act very well and the confident shell cracked slightly “No, no, it’s okay, thanks anyways…” He said. Giving a breath he straightened back into a confident posture. He smiled and prepared to wish her farewell when the question stopped him.

He flushed and gave her a sheepish grin, quickly formulating an excuse. “I seem to attract bad luck,” Lani explained with a chuckle that fall flat, betraying his disheartened state. He wanted her to think that he wasn’t a threat. He wanted her to think he was innocent and just happened to fall on bad luck. He scoffed, “I was working late and I go to get my bike and it’s gone! Not only that! My phone died!” He pulled it out and showed her the blank screen. That was a convenient coincidence that he just never worked with his phone on, it was far too dangerous. He pocketed the device and ran another agitated hand through his hair then something occurred to him. “What’s a girl like you doing out here?” He asked putting a twinge of suspicion into his own voice, turning the tables. He loved these games, it was the best part of the whole thing.

He took a moment to really look at her. She looked far too nice, far too put together to be on these kind of streets. That in and of itself would have made someone suspicious. She was young, but not as young as he’d initially though, a few years younger than he was, but certainly no younger than Caroline. She was pretty, but Lani could tell that the dim light didn’t do her much justice, he had a feeling she would probably be stunning in full sunlight. Another danger for her out here. Against his better judgment, Lani was starting to feel protective. She didn’t belong out here, she belonged safe at home. Behind his mask he schooled himself, she got herself into this position, it might do well for her to learn her lesson.

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

Audrey’s forehead wrinkled slightly as she furrowed her brow, her inability to read this strange man etched into the subtle movements of her face. She couldn’t decide if he was outgoing or reserved, composed or bewildered; everything about him, aside from his obvious handsomeness, was frustratingly nondescript. Taking in another sweet inhale, she studied his hand gestures (or lack there of) as he spoke, explaining to her his predicament. His shoulders slumped, but that action alone wasn’t enough to break this man down into neat predictable parts. Audrey needed patterns, a sense of order to make sense of the universe. The moment she laid eyes on another person, she immediately summed them up, deducing who they were and what they wanted. Everyone has an ulterior motive.

Nodding her head gently in time with the man’s explanation of his missed transport, Audrey felt her nerves begin to relax; her anxiety about the stranger was dulled by his charming laugh and animated story telling. He even brandished his battery depleted cell phone, which reminded Audrey of her own phone that was currently experiencing radio silence. G was such an unreliable asshole.

“What’s a girl like you doing out here?”

The question caught her off guard, whipping her straight in the face like an unexpected gust of wind. Before she could blurt out “Oh, you know, buying my weight in pharmaceuticals...” she brought that cigarette straight to her lips, sucking at it languorously, providing herself with a few moments to gather her thoughts.

“A girl like me?” she began, cocking an eyebrow and tilting her dainty chin, “Well, a girl like me has a very unreliable brother that was supposed to pick her up…” she pulled out her cell phone, no texts from G, “about thirty minutes ago.” She sighed gently, dropping her cigarette to the pavement and snuffing out the stray embers with the toe of her boot.

Audrey shifted her elongated legs back to third position, her narrow feet pointed in opposing directions, her gaze still fixed on the comely yet rugged stranger. If she ever brought a guy like him back to the estate, mother dearest would pitch a fit. It was an amusing thought.

“So I suppose I’ll give him another 15 minutes to stumble out of one of these dives, slurring about a girl before apologizing profusely for being so goddamned drunk.” Her expression softened, pale eyes wide as they caught the reflective phosphor beams of the bordering streetlamps; her pretty lips pressed together, creating a downturned slope.

The trick to a convincing lie was to conjure up a story but keep the feelings vulnerable and true. Yes, her brother was pursuing a higher degree in finance at Harvard (and wouldn’t be caught dead in a town like Pilot Ridge,) but he was also an emotionally unavailable lush. They only spoke during the holidays, and even then each conversation was stilted. During Audrey’s final stint of hospitalizations, he didn’t visit or call even once, despite her multiple attempts at reaching out to him. He was “busy with school” and didn’t have time for her “adolescent dramas.” Needless to say, Audrey had a difficult history that could be drawn upon easily for emotional conviction.

Deciding she had provided enough information—rambling with unnecessary details during a lie was a beginner’s mistake—Audrey turned the focus back to the mysterious man, “So what’s your next move?”

[Lani Hunter]

It was nice night for working like this. It wasn’t a high stress situation, not like most of the things Lani did. He didn’t get a lot of opportunities to think on his feet, usually he went in with a plan, an escape plan and a plan for the worst case scenario, the best and everything in between. Behind his calm and pleasant exterior he was working through each one of those situations. Ranging as far as her being an undercover cop to her being some innocent child who was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Lani planned for her confronting him and he planned for her never realizing it. He was never caught unprepared and even as he danced these word games with her he was a step ahead watching her facial cues and body posture. She was starting to relax, disarmed perhaps because it was a easy to believe story. He wasn’t convinced she was going to be an easy target anymore but if anything that made it all the more fun.

He didn’t raise a brow or twitch his lips, but internally he wanted to snatch that cigarette right from her mouth and tell her she was killing herself. She was biding her time, he calculated, waiting to see if there was something else up his sleeves. They were both sizing each other up, deciding what kind of threat the other was. Lani waited and while he waited his power roamed. No cameras, it was dim, but the light was enough to see her by which mean she could see him. He wasn’t in the shadows and he knew that and he was cautious. There wasn’t much else going on on this dark stretch of road. The bodies milled around inside the bars behind the stone but none of the sound seeped through. It was quiet, even for a low traffic day. This fool girl. Someone with darker wishes than Lani could have spirited away with her and no one would ever know.

He raised his chin and tilted his head so he was looking at her with critical gaze, now his mask was taking on one of caution and the more she spoke the more of that was mixed with a genuine feeling of concern. To Lani who lied as easily as breathing he could sniff out holes in a story like a bloodhound. It was technically part of his job, or it had been when he was a seller of information. He crossed his head and frowned at her. “So you’ve been out here for thirty minutes?” He asked, shocked, “I’m sorry.” Lani scoffed it was easy to pretend her statement was true and he didn’t hide his displeasure with this ‘brother’ she claimed to have.

She shifted and Lani realized she couldn’t be feeling too uncomfortable anymore, not with that stance, if anyone rushed her now, she’d be tangled in her own legs before she got a chance to run. He knew nothing about ballet, and had no idea of the agility that could be mastered from such an art. The telekinetic cocked his head and turned his sharp gray eyes on her. “So let me get this straight. You’re waiting for your drunk-ass brother to stumble his way here, to pick you up?” He didn’t believe it for a minute. Even if it was true, if her brother was drunk then he wasn’t going to be much use, she was either waiting for someone else or she was picking up her brother, not the other way around. Either way, if Lani had been in her shoes he would have left about a half hour ago.

He watched her as she looked up and gave a sympathetic smile. “You should kick your brother’s ass for leaving you out here like this,” he said with a conspiratorial smile for her. Lani cocked a brow at her becoming more and more interested by the moment. “My next move?” He wondered aloud, “Well… I suppose I should find that bus stop,” he laughed sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair scratching the back of his head and squinting at her, suddenly overcome by indecision. “I mean, but I don’t…” He looked at her with genuine concern showing on his face. He had a little sister, he wouldn’t want her out here by herself (and if he ever found out that she was doing things like standing in dark streets on her own he would skin her alive). He ducked his head and offered her a sweet smile, “I don’t want to leave you out here on your own. Would you like me to wait with you?” He asked, taking a nonphysical step back and offering his help instead of insisting it.

If she wanted him to get lost, well, he’d do just that. Either way he’d leave with something of hers. He’d felt the paper tell of money in her purse, he was sure that he could do some damage with her wallet, what with her bold enough to walk around with that many riches bedecking her, she was bound to have a fat wallet.

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

Audrey nodded in tandem to the man’s words, relieved that her tale of inconvenience and delay had landed smoothly. “It’s not so bad,” she began, her gaze shifting briefly toward her own carefully pointed toes, “at least I’ve had the opportunity to get some stretching in.”

It was true, since coming to Hammel the ballerina’s schedule had been impinged upon by an influx of training sessions that took quite a bit if time away from her usual dance-centric agenda. She was forced to adapt, becoming more creative with her time management; she practiced pliés in line at the coffee shop and kneaded the arches of her feet beneath her desk during class. Audrey didn’t mind if it made her seem peculiar, her relentless pursuit of perfection was far more important than public opinion.

Continuing the conversation, the girl met the stranger’s incredulity with confidence, gently shaking her from side to side with a laugh, “Yep, he’s a real keeper. Speaking of the devil…” She felt her phone begin to vibrate in her purse, and she continued to listen to the man as she reached for it, the touch screen lighting up with a text from G, “2 minutes.” Thank God. Audrey stifled her desire to let out a sigh of relief, still maintaining the façade of the unreliable drunk brother, the broken family.

“I think I’ll be alright on my own,” Audrey began, self-assured as she straightened herself out, shoulders back and head held up high. “Here he comes,” she announced giddily, silently motioning toward the approaching male figure, his large lumbering stride all but devouring the sidewalk a few blocks down. “But I appreciate your concern.”

Before a proper parting could be issued, the man Audrey presumed to be G began to quicken his pacing, his movements aggressive and without pause. As his appearance became discernible beneath the dingy glow of the streetlamps, it was clear that again, the approaching stranger was not the familiar face she had expected. Maybe he was one of G’s middlemen? He was a bigger guy, well over 6’0”, with broad shoulders and a hardened face. His expression was sour, and the outline of a teardrop was tattooed just beneath his left eye. He didn’t seem very happy as he walked up without hesitation, ignoring Lani as he hovered over Audrey.

“So, your boy G owes me money.” He opened with no pleasantries, his voice a low growl, “And by that I mean, you owe me money. So hand it over, bitch.” Before Audrey could react the thug wrapped a meaty hand around her delicate upper-arm, his grip hard and tight, bruising her flesh and thumbing her bone.

“Just take it!”

[Lani Hunter]

Lani gave his head a slight shake, not understanding her meaning. “What for?” He finally found himself asking. Curiosity killed the Lani. He cocked his head at her interest lighting his eyes. He knew very little about ballet, or dance in general for that matter. Both Adrianna and Odion had attempted to teach Lani to dance, but well, it had ended with them being satisfied with him being able to shuffle on the beat. He didn’t recognize her stance and he found it very peculiar that she would put herself into a strange stance that had the appearance of being very difficult to hold. It wasn’t like Lani’s current relaxed stance, but it was a ruse, Lani was ready to spring off in any direction if he needed to.

He inhaled the cool air and breathed out deeply watching his breath puff briefly in the misty sky. What a pleasant night. He smiled at her and chuckled along with her. “Charming,” he agreed sarcastically. Initially, it seemed like something that would never happen, but then, he supposed he did know that if he needed her, Caroline would be waiting like this for him. He would never ask his little sister to wait on such a street, nor would he be late. Temptation to know what communication was being exchanged nagged at Lani’s consciousness but really there was no way to subtly stretch his neck to see what she was typing. He wasn’t quite that tall. This girl was hard to read. Her expression hardly faltered, he couldn’t tell if she was onto him or not, either way he was sure she was lying.

The telekinetic nodded, as if understanding. Alright, he thought and let his power shift around, he was going to make off with her wallet before he went. He worked being the scenes, no sign on his face that he was using his power, nor that he had ill intent. He smiled and turned his head to look at what she said was her brother. “Oh good,” Lani replied and shrugged at her thanks. It wasn’t his business. At least he kept trying to tell himself. Don’t get attached, he was here to steal, here to do a job, granted he didn’t need to do this. Gah, this was why he stole from places and not from people. People were complicated and he was far too curious more often than not to just let things be. Lani backed away from her so he didn’t have his back to either her or this man who was approaching. Lani didn’t like the looks of it. The man came up fast, which made sense, if he was running late.

The pace and the approach were vicious and Lani found himself standing there, making no move to leave, though he’d completely intended too. Don’t get involved, he told himself, get the cash and get out of here. Lani’s eyes flashed briefly with recognition. He’d seen this thug around before. It wasn’t like Pilot Ridge’s criminal community was all that large. But like everywhere, lowlifes like Lani and like this man had a tendency to come out of the wood work. They could be shady like this man, or appear completely pleasant and normal like Lani. Lani’s lips tightened into a frown as he backed off and watched. Don’t get involved… Then he spoke and Lani’s alarms went off. He didn’t know what she’d down to get mixed up with this guy, but she was in a load of trouble.

Leave, he told himself but he knew there was no way he could leave her alone now than he could have left his own sister. Lani moved like a flash. He calculated it carefully and swiftly and when he lunged it came in one smooth motion. His hand closed over the man’s arm pressing mercilessly into his wrist’s veins forcing his hand to open. His other arm guarded and pressed the girl back. He was smaller and weaker than this man and so when he shoved he put his power behind it. It was a little stronger than he intended and the man stumbled back and ultimately fell on his rump. Lani’s eyes were vicious and he stood firmly between the girl he had been intending to rob and the man who had threatened her. The man looked startled more than frightened, but recovered quickly and jumped to his feet. His eyes fell on Lani with vicious intent. Lani’s teeth barred in a snarl. “Who the fuck do you think you are? This is none of your business!” the man shot back holding his arm and glaring.

“Coward,” Lani snarled in a low icy voice. His lips twitched up into a smirk. “What you’re too scared to take on this ‘G’?” The telekinetic straightened and looked at the man with an amused expression. So maybe Lani shouldn’t have taunted the big scary man, but really, when has Lani ever been wise about what came out of his mouth. He didn’t take his eyes off of the man but spoke to the girl. “My suggestion would be to run,” he said nonchalantly. Lani wasn’t stupid enough to be brave, he’d be right behind her.

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

The ballerina winced; her pretty face distorted with a surge of pain as she bit hard on her lower lip. She scrunched up her nose, a smattering of wrinkles crossing the bridge between her brows. Her breathing accelerated, ribs pushing against the confines of her sweater as her lungs expanded rapidly. She attempted to concentrate through the fear, her psionic abilities sitting latent despite this obvious need to perform. Any minute guys, if you’d like to kick in right now, I would really appreciate it…

Before this thug had the opportunity to break her arm, Lani moved in swiftly and caused the man to lose his grip, forcing open his oversized grasp. “Fuck.” She huffed breathlessly, immediately bringing her hand to the injured appendage and assessing the damage; it’s just a bruise, just one particularly nasty bruise.

Looking on wide-eyed, the blonde watched as Lani sparred with the man. She clearly underestimated him. Her lips parted in shock as she watched him throw down the thug, a man with at least 50 pounds on him, with relative ease. Holy shit.

Her fight-or-flight response was kicking in, and she held her purse tightly to her chest, her toes digging into the ground as she was prepared to move. The sounds of the verbal spat floated between her ears, muffled by anxiety and terror. The only phrase she could make out was simple, “Run.”

Without missing a beat, the ballerina lunged down the sidewalk, not looking back or taking a breath as she sped forward. She was heading in the general direction of the Institute, but she wasn’t concerned about heading back to school as much as she was just attempting to get out of dodge. Despite her fragile appearance, Audrey had quite a bit of stamina. She had no idea how many blocks she had covered by the time she paused to catch a breath, her lithe figure winded as her chest rose and fell.

“Well, that was, something…” Her cheeks flushed, but it wasn’t from running.

[Lani Hunter]

He told himself over and over not to get involved with people, he liked his island away from people but he never could turn his back. He couldn’t walk away, not when he could do something. He rose to his full height, towering over both the girl and the man confronting them. The man’s face was a wicked twist of rage and Lani couldn’t say his expression was any kinder. Lani’s eyes were chilled like ice and his glare struck like blades. The man regained his bearings and at Lani’s taunt the man puffed out his chest and growled out a series of foul curses. Lani stood unfazed but constantly thinking. This guy was going to lunge and there was only so much Lani could do with his power without accidentally severely injuring this man or killing him. Neither of those were things Lani wanted to do.

He wasn’t sure if this man knew who he was but he hoped that whoever it was he was working of, if he wasn’t working for himself decided Lani was just a punk. After what happened to Lani’s boss in Boston, well Lani had an odd assortment of people who praised his actions and strong allies, but he also had a great deal of people who would happily see him taken down a few pegs. Lani had barely instructed her when she took off like a bullet down the street. For a moment he was distracted by her rapid departure. It probably would have been humorous watching her quickly retreating body if there wasn’t a dangerous man about to attack.

Taking that as an opening the man rushed. What a coward, Lani thought again coldly. Lani didn’t move until the man was about two paces away. Lani reached out his hands and his power grabbed the man’s clothing. “You go get your money from the person who owes you,” Lani snarled and flung the man back before he could reply. He put strength behind it and the man telekinetically skidded on his feet back a block before Lani let him go and he stumbled to the ground. Bruised and probably with a great deal of hurt pride but alive and well. By the time he manage to lift his head Lani had vanished after the girl. Lani sprinted after her, she had indeed taken running to heart and for a moment Lani thought he had lost her, but then he rounded a corner and saw her quite a distance ahead.

She indeed had some legs on her, Lani was fast but he was having to push himself to keep up with her. Finally she stopped and Lani caught up, his breath panting as he paced toward her. He stopped a few feet away and scratched the back of his neck. “That’s some brother you’ve got,” he said casually giving her a slight smile. His mask held but he was about ten seconds from asking her what the hell she was thinking. If he hadn’t been there or if he had decided he just didn’t care where would she be now? Face down in the snow if she was lucky. He crossed his arms and held his tongue. How quickly it had changed, Lani’s only goal in meeting her had been to rob her but now she was in more trouble than she probably even realized. “So do you want to tell me what you’re really doing out here?” He finally asked. It was probably hypocritical of him, after all he was a thief and probably had his own addiction (not that he’d admit it), and he was going to scold her on making good decisions.

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

Audrey slumped against the brick façade of a vacant deli, comforted by the neon illumination of traffic lights as she had successfully escaped the seedier alleys of Pilot Ridge. Her hands trembled with adrenaline, fussing with a lighter as she struggled to keep her grip steady. Eventually she managed to strike the gear, her lungs filling with calming smoke as she relished in her newfound safety, ignoring the aching pulse of her left her arm.

It took Lani longer to catch up than she had expected, but she wasn’t willing to inquire about the events that had followed her absence. She was relieved her new acquaintance had fared well, but she didn’t doubt his fortitude after witnessing whatever meta-human tricks he pulled out to send that huge thug flying across the pavement.

She fought off embarrassment as Lani returned to the topic of her brother, and she grinned sheepishly before giving a playful reply, “Yeah, he can be a real handful at family functions.” Audrey knew she was busted, although the thrill of not getting her bones broken kept the disappointment of the failed drug deal at bay. G was still an incompetent ass.

Deciding she had nothing to lose, this guy clearly was not an officer of the law or a distinguished affiliate of the school board, she shrugged her narrow shoulders and spoke through an exhaled plume of smoke, “I was attempting to cop, but my dealer is a useless buffoon who just lost a very valuable member of his clientele.”

So what, clearly this guy wasn’t up to any good himself. “What about you?” She giggled before continuing to speak, “Oh, excuse me, I forgot—You’re helplessly lost and your bike was stolen. Clearly, someone who has trouble fending for himself.” Audrey poked out her pouty lower-lip, giving the boy a mocking puppy dog face, a signature look that she had perfected.

[Lani Hunter]

The telekinetic ignored the pain in his skull and focused on getting away. Lani hadn’t, so he thought, done such a bad thing that it would bring ramifications down on him, but it was possible that he’d also drawn focus from her to him. Or even more focus to her. He had half a mind to find this ‘G’ and rob him blind to get that man his money. He pondered for a moment, not a bad idea actually. It wasn’t like Lani’s services weren’t for hire. Oh well, too late now, if he ran into him again later perhaps the man would look beyond the altercation, probably, since all men like him wanted was the crisp greens that could be so easily burned.

Even under the circumstances her failed attempt at a joke make his lip twitch but not smile. Under other circumstances he probably would have laughed. Why did he get involved? He was asking himself again as she started blowing her smoke and sticking her nose in the air. He had half a mind to teach her a lesson anyways since it seemed the thug had little to no effect on her. He clenched his jaw and turned his eyes on her and shook his head in disbelief. Now he laughed, but it wasn’t a humorous sound, but rather a shocked sound. “You think so?” He cocked his head at her his expression analyzing and his eyes bored into her. What an idiot! “That buffoon just outsmarted you, so what does that make you?” He challenged. Didn’t she know that meeting a dealer needed to be done in broad daylight, a dealer that asked to meet in the dark had dark intentions. Lani loathed drug dealers, of course his boss had had some and they were all cowards.

This girl was just like the rest of the aristocracy. She was obviously the smartest thing ever and this was probably just her way of rebelling against her parents. She was just another poor rich kid addict. Her parents would probably ignore her addiction in the preference of keeping up appearances. She was the type to look down on people like her dealer, people like that thug and people like Lani. And yet she’d been set up by one, attacked by another and rescued by the latter. Yet still! She saw herself so untouchable! It made Lani sick. It reminded him why he hated those rich doctors who had lamented that there was nothing they could do for his sister. Nothing at all… unless the right price be made. And they called him scum.

Lani raised a brow, finding himself again surprised. He wasn’t sure if he should be furious or impressed. He decided not to raise to the bait she threw out. “I said I was hopelessly lost, not that I was helpless,” he retorted, “At least I know how to not make myself a target.” She wasn’t going to pull a confession out of him. He couldn’t believe she was making fun of him now, after he’d helped her out! Not that he’d expected anything, but hell a simple ‘thank you’ would have been nice once in a while. He was starting to see why Odion saw no purpose in helping people.

[Audrey Vandergraaf]

As Audrey settled into the lull of temporary sanctuary, her relief turned to bitterness, her little lips pulled into subtle scowl. She had done this routine numerous times, not that she was an expert of the trade, but back in Manhattan she knew that as a walking trust fund with a Birkin bag she was essentially untouchable.

Back then Audrey didn’t deal with these small-time crooks; she would have middle-men pull up in their black SUVs right on schedule, picking her up at Union square and dropping her off a few blocks down with the exchange completed in a neat and timely fashion. The drug business thrived there, and no one would waste his or her time with petty thievery; she was a long-term investment, a valued customer, and she also had the benefit of a last name that can screw you six ways in a court of law.

Around here, there was only chaos. These men didn’t understand the nature of business or a long-term operation; they were thugs that needed quick fixes and that probably got high on their own supply. Number one rookie mistake. Audrey was an ideal patron, buying her pills in large quantities at scheduled intervals; she wasn’t necessarily an addict, but she dabbled in and collected both opiates and stimulants to aid her academic or athletic needs.

“He didn’t ‘outsmart’ me,” she began, her pretty face becoming sour as she took a long drag of her cigarette, “Say you weren’t here, that what’s-his-face got my purse or whatever…” She exhaled, listless, “My credit cards would be cancelled before he could hit an ATM and my wallet holds a limited amount of cash...”

Audrey was grateful that Lani had rescued her from a tight spot, but she was not a fan of infantilization. She was attempting to be playful at first, but now he was responding to her in some protective brotherly tone that she was not fond of, “Anyway, what I have on me is nothing compared to the long-term financial gain he would receive from our previously established client-seller relationship. His gross income is diminished, he is at a monetary loss, done.”

The blonde hated talking money, it just made her think of her father. Her father made her think of her mother. She didn’t like to think of her mother.

Looking up toward her handsome rugged savior, Audrey noticed a raised eyebrow and a distinctive gaze that was all too familiar for her. As a performer, she could sense when another’s eyes lingered on her for too long, evaluating her from head-to-toe. This examination wasn’t physical, but rather an internal probing, as if Lani was reading the inscription of her insides; she doubted he garnered much beyond spoiled, blonde, money.

“I was just joking around, you know, you don’t have to be so serious all the time.” If he was expecting some ‘Oh, my hero!’ routine, this guy was shit out of luck. “I mean, I appreciate you preventing a broken bone because, well, I wouldn’t be able to perform too well in a sling…” Audrey didn’t do flattery, it just wasn’t her color, “but yeah, I made myself a target, I fucked up, etcetera. ”

She put out her cigarette and looked the man in the eye, briefly admiring their iridescent color and how they reflected the light, “So are we done with the lesson learned, because you still haven’t told me what you’re doing here?”

[Lani Hunter]

Manhattan was a whole lot different than Boston and a whole lot different than Pilot Ridge. And if she thought her fancy clothes would protect her in the underbelly of any city, she was a fool. The only thing that kept her safe from people like Lani in the big cities was probably the fear that the only person who would dress up so nicely and go to shady streets was the daughter of a mob boss, but that could also make her a target in its own way. Lani was just flabbergasted by ordinary humans and their assumptions of safety. No one was safe, not ever. And Lani thought she might have learned something but well, not everyone learns easy.

Lani was still sure she was vastly underestimating her dealer. He didn’t know anyone who went by ‘G’ but that could be because Lani stayed as far from the drug market as possible or it could be that he was really good or it was also possible he was new to the game. Lani did know how drug dealers work and so he smiled at her as she started listing off the things that would have happened. He shook his head the minute she started talking about her purse. How could she be this calm about it all. “Hold on, hold on,” he said holding a hand up to her to stop her waterfall of confidence. “Let me get this straight. You are saying that that guy would have stolen your purse and it would have been all fine because you could cancel the card in no time…” He let that hang in the air for a moment as if he were considering it and he shrugged as if he couldn’t care less, “Okay.” Clearly not convinced.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the brick wall, getting out of the way of her cigarette smoke. “I hate to break it to you, but you were set up. I bet your ‘G’ even told you he was running late, right?” He said raising a brow to her. Some people had no clue, he wasn’t inclined to let her into the dark world in which he traveled but he was just glad he’d come along when he did. Granted his intentions had been no more honorable than that man’s but at least he hadn’t been willing to beat it out of her. His eyes wandered over her frail body and stopped on her arm. “Is your arm okay?”

Lani watched her icy fingers crept through his heart. She kept talking about money, it made Lani want to scream, do you know what I had to do to get money for my sister’s life? And worse it was probably just about as much money as she would have casually laid down on drugs. They had very different lives and views of the world but in many ways they had the same view of money. She saw it as abstract, something that was just always there, never a thing to worry about, but a thing to be had and calculated. Lani also saw it as abstract but because he could always obtain it whenever he wanted it, he didn’t calculate or possess a lot of money just for himself. It was why he was living with a roommate in meager quarters and not in a mansion. He was content with what he had, he didn’t need more money.

She was watching him just as closely as he was watching her. He wondered for a moment if she was thinking he was some poor street urchin. It made no difference to him what she thought. That was a lie. Sometimes he wondered why he did get involved in people's problems. He tried his hardest to help people. But why did he really do it? Was it really because he wanted to help them? Or was he just desperate to prove to himself that he wasn't the terrible person society thought he was? Or was it because the thief had problems of his own and when he helped over people his own problems could be ignored. If there was one thing Lani hated it was being forced to turn and look at his flaws. After Odion well, both times after Odion had split Lani'd found himself looking at a demon in the mirror, he thought he was seeing himself for what he truly was, after all that Odion had done to help him see that there was go inside of that monster, he'd gone and left and Lani'd turned darker than before. He'd been so close to cutting out everyone, so close to becoming ice. He supposed Odion tended to leave when Lani needed him most and just when Lani accepted his life at rock bottom Odion appeared again and pulled him out. Lani shook the thoughts off, he loved Odion, but he wasn't sure he could have him again because if he left again Lani didn't think he'd recover.

"... don't have to be so serious all the time." She knocked him out of his thoughts and Lani’s brows jumped in surprise. Well, where had he heard that before? Caroline? Odion? Adrianna? Pretty much everyone who knew him. Lani couldn’t help it a smile flashed across his face and he looked away to hide the expression. Lani looked back at her and found he was surprised again, here he was not even expecting anything of the sort, but even in her off handedness it seemed genuine. “I’d say anytime, but I hope you don’t make this a regular thing,” he said and his smile faded back into a serious expression. “So long as you admit it, I’m fine with that,” he said and gave her an impish grin. Lani couldn’t help but chuckle, he doubted her lesson was learned at all. She was far too cocky and even though Lani had helped her out he couldn’t say he wouldn’t enjoy knocking her down a few pegs.

“I thought we already covered that, or are you just slow?” He asked as if he were teasing, with that sly grin still on his face. The old lessons were still deeply engrained, don’t ever admit to anything, even if caught red handed. It wasn’t you, you don’t know what’s going on. Admit nothing. “So you’re a performer?” He asked, curiosity taking hold of him and not letting go. He wasn’t just using it to change the subject. Not entirely. “What is it you do?” He looked her over, she didn’t look very young, very petite, but not young. Very delicate looking, far too thin, short, but by Lani’s vantage point most people were. What the hell was she thinking being out here?