Like a Married Couple - Gabe & Jesse

[Willow Kovacs]

There were certain days when Willow actually enjoyed her job - the traveling and the means to change a person's life. It was sort of invigorating some of the time. This... was not one of those times. Currently, the thin, dark-haired woman was stepping carefully through the large oat trees that surrounded a popular hangout spot for many of the teenagers in Pilot Ridge. But the Lake was vacant that late afternoon, the long shadows of the trees licking across the floor of the forest in the last stretches of orange daylight. Dead leaves an pine needles crunched beneath her feet as the raven took delicate steps through the trees - she paused, bracing herself against a tree, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the luminous trees.

Willow was tracking. It was something she had done before, because no school is flawless - there are always mishaps, and undoubtedly, runaways. But it was always bothersome when she had to do this sort of thing - she hated engaging in things like this. Too troublesome. With runaways, there are sob-stories, things that she despised with the very core of her being. The reptile had even gone as far as asking the school if she could bring the student back unconscious - they had answered, only if they pose a threat. She had scowled at that. Pausing, the woman tilted her head up, a brief flash of scales quivering through her jaw, her long, forked tongue poking through her lips. Colours invaded her vision - more images than her regular human eyes could see. Blinking, she stepped forward, rounding the lake slowly, following a group of scents. Sean had been the one who had sent her on this mission - evidently, one of the problem students, Jesse Adams, had run off after attacking another student. Willow remembered the blonde teenager quite well for his lack of manners, respect, and all-around bad attitude.

But he was a student, and his family would be concerned if he had gone missing. Willow still remembered recruiting him - his family was strange, his father a very... intimidating man, who had eventually let Jesse come with her. She didn't particularly want to go back to his home any time soon. Thus, she was on this hunt to find the trouble-making dreamwalker. And getting quite frustrated with that - while going toward the destination Sean had suspected him to be at, the reptile had caught scent of the boy, but it was swallowed by the smell of many, many dogs. Willow growled at the inconvenience - she didn't particularly like dogs. They sort of bothered her. There was another person's scent with him, but it wasn't one she completely recognised. The identity of the mystery-person was wavering in her mind - where had she smelled him before?

Willow picked up the pace, her long tongue darting out again, the usually dark brown of her eyes turned an unnatural shade of yellow. They were approaching her location - the dogs were sensing her presence now. The raven let out a short growl, the sounds of panting dogs and multiple feet crashing onto the forest floor was hard to ignore. There were voices with them, no doubt Jesse Adams, and the mystery person.

As the first dog came into view, Willow hissed at it, shifting in seconds to her other form, the light popping of her joints reshaping was audible. The lizard sprung upward, into the branches of the tree above her, where pine needles shook loose and scattered to the forest floor. The gold eyes narrowed, watching as the blonde teenager, and a slightly familiar adult came walking through the trees, after the dogs that barked at the base of the tree. She sprung, the claws on her feet leaving long scratches against the old bark as she descended to the next tree, her weight causing the limb to tremble, but here landing unusually silent for a creature of her size. The lizard braced herself against the tree, leaning forward, her tongue darting again. She watched, with narrow eyes. Waiting. Plotting. If this mystery man was worth the fight, he would be smart enough to tell she was there. And as for the blonde... she just hoped to some higher power that he would come easily.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel had needed to escape the compound.

After his explosion at Jake, and more details fed in from Penny and Paulo, the MSAD leader wanted some time with the dogs, fresh air and solitude. However, after recent events, he couldn't trust leaving Jesse alone with Jake lurking about, and thus the blonde came with him, fastening leads and collars in the hall. The pair of them had walked in amicable silence, Gabriel occasionally letting out a sharp whistle, should Ein or one of the others stray too far ahead.

The lake was pleasantly quiet as they walked, the heavy smell of autumn lingering on the decaying leaves and the wind dusting past his face. Stretching out with a yawn as Solo investigated a large cluster of leaves, the man only arched an eyebrow as the other dogs began to bark. At once, Gabriel became alert, keeping one hand on Jesse's shoulder as he moved, eyes flicking about wildly. "There's something up." He said simply, lifting Frederic, who was yapping angrily, into his arms. "Stay close." He added, moving forward steadily.

As he reached the tree the dogs were yapping at, he stared up into the branches, crouching down to rest a hand on Ein's collar. "What is it?" He asked softly, looking harder, cheek resting on the dane's skull. A soft snort left his lips as he turned and looked at Jesse. "Perhaps you could do a bit of target practice, Jesse. The twins did insist, after all." The smirk on his lips told of a plan forming in the back of his mind, as the tall man gently shooed the dogs on, one hand stroking Frederic's fur.

"Unless someone in the tree would object to being shot at, that is." He added thoughtfully, reaching for the pack of cigarettes and lighting one, a puff of smoke rising up in the air. There was definitely something up in that pine tree, and Gabriel assessed the possibilities, one hand moving through his hair. Sneaky, perhaps, but this way if the intruder decided not to take the threat, then he had no part in any accidental shooting accidents.

Very sneaky.

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse was thrilled for the chance to be outside the compound.

Since his little escape from Hammel, he’d been holed up in the building. And though it wasn’t a horrible place to be cooped up in. Still, he was happier being outside the walls, with only Gabriel and the dogs for company. If he had to spend any more time around Jake, he might have to put the firearms training from the twins to good use. He didn’t think Gabe would mind that much if he put a hole in Jake. Just a little hole. He wasn’t allowed to play with the big guns. Yet.

So Gabe’s offer to take the dogs out had been taken quite happily. Jesse watched the crew bounce around, the leashes slung around his body as they explored. He bit back a little laugh when little Beta caught the scent of something and started following, nose to the ground, in a little zig zag pattern. Gambit was trotting by his side, occasionally giving his master a gentle headbutt, just to remind him he was there. The little blond smiled. Today was good.

And then Gabriel stopped and put his hand on the teenager’s shoulder. Jesse stiffened, wondering what was going on. Did someone follow them? Jake? (God, he hoped not.) As soon as Gabriel let go, issuing his instructions to stay nearby, he shadowed the older man, hand inching closer to his hip. He’d been allowed out of the house with a gun today. His first gun. Lala and Reese had fussed him a little when they’d given it to him, and he’d already had a few target practice sessions with them, getting used to the small firearm. It wasn’t big, but it did the job well.

He bit his lip as he watched Gabriel. He trusted the man, and if something was up, something was up. Even Gambit had moved in with the herd of barking dogs. A little smirk drew across his face at the invitation, his fingers drumming against the gun, concealed under his hoodie. “They did. They want me to practice.” And if that involved putting a few holes in whatever, or whoever was stalking them, so be it. He grinned. This could be fun.

[Willow Kovacs]

The reptile had to admit the very slight feeling of relief when the dogs were sent away, watching with narrowed eyes as they slowly walked out of view, only occasionally pausing to look back at their master and offer a small, nearly inaudible gruff bark back at her. The thin tongue poked out from between the rows of shining teeth, tasting the air momentarily before returning to its cavern. Willow's claws dug into the branch as she leaned forward, studying the two people standing feet below her. The dogs were finally out of view, the scent beginning to fade - now it was only them, and the light sound of crackling leaves. A cool breeze shuddered through the trees, the smell of autumn heavy in the wind. The reptile ignored the tremor going through her body - a cold blooded creature doesn't do well in the mountains during the cool months. And with the sun lowering deeper behind the horizon, she was beginning to feel the effects of autumn's bite on her energy.

Her mouth widened, and had she been in her other form, a slight, nearly unnoticeable smirk would have been on her lips - at least he was capable enough to realise her presence when the dogs gave it away. At the mention of "target practice," the reptile stiffened, catching the slight movement the blonde made to the shape hidden beneath his shirt. A slight hiss was taken by the wind, unimpressed by the man's threat - from the sounds of it, Jesse wasn't very experience with a firearm. Dodging the bullet wouldn't be hard, but being shot at wasn't on her agenda for this evening. Lala and Reese... the names stuck in her head, a mental note to research those titles later - there may have been something bigger going on here.

A sharp inhale, the lizard turned and leaped through the branches to a tree a few few away - the snap of branches and crinkling of leaves took all aspects of stealth away from the move and Willow frowned in her mind. That didn't quite go as planned. The yellow eyes stole a glance back at the two who she now deemed an appropriate distance away - she didn't know this man, nor what he was capable of. Jesse's powers were still undeveloped, but considered dangerous. The school knew all too well his "episodes" where he released his ability on other students. Exhaling, her feet slid off the branch, soon meeting the damp, cool ground of the forest bathed in orange light, her eyes sliding shut momentarily, feeling the vibrations of force running through her joints. Inhale... exhale - her body contorted, shrinking back into the form of a thin woman with short hair, her jaw thinning to a more human appearance, skin becoming soft and covered with minuscule hairs again, replacing the greenish scales. Her fingers spanned against the cool bark of the tree, hiding her form, reveling in the feeling that followed her transformation. Carefully, she stepped around the tree, her hand still resting against it, showing herself to the two people standing feet away.

Her eyes flashed dangerously at the blonde teenager, daring him to use his firearm on her. Her attention shifted to the taller man, currently giving her a bad feeling. "Good evening gentlemen." She said, her tone unreadable. "I can't say I've made your acquaintance, sir. My name is Willow Kovacs, and the young man you seem to be so close with, is a runaway." Her eyes flickered back to Jesse momentarily, "I'm not sure if you were entirely aware of this. I am one of the employees at the school he attended until very recently, and it would be desirable to have him return." An unusual smile was on her face, staring steadily at the dark man. "Do you have a name, sir?"

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel continued to keep a watchful eye on Jesse as the young blonde progressed and shadowed him. Eyes focused on the trees, he let out a soft, inaudible sigh and reached for his own firearm, fingers stroking the leather of his belt. One day that wasn't packed with some sort of drama would be really nice. Really nice. Clicking his tongue and making sure the dogs were sent as far away as possible, the man stood, waiting for whatever was in the trees to reveal itself.

As the rustling grew louder, Gabriel withdrew his gun and cocked it at the tree, hissing softly. Whoever was in there was irritating the hell out of him and he wanted to deal with it immediately. Of course, Solo refused to leave his master's side and began to pitch out sharp, angry barks, his hackles raised. Gambit, likewise, lay down and let out a loud rumbling growl as a warning to the hidden intruder. Looking over at Jesse, Gabriel nodded gently and moved his arm to hold the blonde close, protectively. "This is bad." He added in a low voice, finger twitching on the trigger of the gun expectantly.

But then the mystery person revealed herself and Gabriel relaxed his hand on the gun, dropping it down to his side. "Good evening." The man said simply, stroking Solo's domed head idly. "I am aware of Jesse's situation." He added quickly, looking back at Willow with one eyebrow arched, his free hand still playing with the gun on his hip. Letting out a gentle sigh, the man rubbed his stubble and stood slightly in front of the young blonde, protecting him wordlessly.

"Ah, Miss Kovacs, you are a Hammel employee? Then I'm sure you must know all about me." He said amusedly, looking at the woman with a light laugh. "I am afraid Jesse will not be returning with you. He has been threatened with power removal and with such a talent I cannot let that happen. Would it not be easier if you let me continue to train Mister Adams in an environment more encouraging of his abilities?" The words were soft and silky, smooth and slathered in a convincing tone. There was no way in hell this woman would be getting Jesse back, not even if he had half an arm missing.

"I am Gabriel Underwood." The man said calmly, one hand resting on Jesse's shoulder. "And I will tell you right now that any attempt to snatch this young man will be met with the strongest resistance."

[Jesse Adams]

Jesse didn’t like the idea of following anyone like a faithful pet, usually. But Gabriel was different. His orders, Jesse followed without fail. Much like Solo, he was faithful to his mentor. Gabe talked, he listened. That was the only thing holding him in the man’s shadow, his green eyes trained on the tree. He didn’t like the fact that they were being followed. Not that they were in any real danger. Not with Gabriel around. His gaze flicked to Gabe’s hand, going to his belt. Automatically, Jesse’s fingers curled against his own weapon.

He stayed behind Gabe obediently when he pulled his gun out, fingers itching to hold his own. His lessons with the twins had been incredible, and he was dying to try it out for real. Shooting at paper and targets was only so satisfying. As Gambit lay down, Jesse looked down at him and nudged him with his foot, wanting him to hush his big mouth. Growling, though threatening, wouldn’t help much. He jumped a little when Gabe pulled him to his side, his body tensing, but he relaxed after a moment. “So shoot it, if it’s bad.” That wasn’t the ideal solution, but dammit, whoever it was, they were disturbing their walk. And upsetting the damn dogs.

Funny how things work. As Gabriel dropped his gun to his side, Jesse slid his out of the holster and raised it. His finger wasn’t on the trigger yet, but he still lifted it. He recognized the woman. How sweet. She was the one to recruit him. Of course she’d be the one to go after him. How satisfying would it be to put a bullet in her? She’d been the one to doom him to Hammel, where his sadistic urges were punished, not encouraged. He was better off with MSAD. Still, he was clever enough to let Gabriel do the talking for now. Talking was what he was good at. But he didn’t lower his gun.

“Hammel knows,” he answered. His voice was oddly soft. “They all know it was you that messed with the recruiter.” His eyes didn’t leave Willow. “And the old man, the shrink, he knows. I showed him. Because he can’t stop us.” It had been his last defiant act before leaving the school for good. His finger inched towards the trigger. Just a little target practice? Non lethal, he promises. As long as he can keep his aim steady.

[Willow Kovacs]

This situation was getting increasingly more disturbing - Willow's warning lights were going off, her foot sliding slightly into a more defensive stance - this man wasn't playing around. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, jaw tightening as he outright told her that he would not allow her to take Jesse. The guns weren't helping the situation either. Pursing her lips, she tilted her head to the side, carefully processing his words - Well, he knew about Hammel, and evidently Jesse's... disruptions there. "Underwood..." The voice passed her lips, a taint memory trying to show through the shallow waters of her mind - she couldn't place it, but it was familiar in a disturbing way. She resisted the shudder threatening to tremble through her spine, whether from the cold, or in response to the nature of this visit. Exhaling, she decided how she would play this game with the unsettling Mr. Underwood and the teenage dreamwalker beside him.

"Mr. Underwood," She started, her voice even and laced with a certain humanity it usually lacked. "I can assured that the Hammel Institute is the ideal place for students such as Jesse to grow and learn more about themselves. I'm not entirely sure the nature of your ideas of how to train him, but I can truthfully say that Hammel is a much better environment for the boy." Her eyes slid toward the blonde for a moment, before back up at the twinkling brown eyes of Gabriel. She subtly took a step forward, narrowing the comfortable distance between them. "And I'm sure you'll agree, Mr. Underwood, that actions should not be made without consequences."

A dangerous flash of her eyes, "And if you are so very aware of his past, then you'll know that Jesse here attacked another student." There was a certain hardness in her voice, a disturbingly shallow tone. "Does such action not deserve a punishment? Highly distressing for a student to use their powers so mercilessly on another, especially since as far as we could tell, there was little to no previous interaction between the two." The raven stared at Jesse, her eyes burrowing into his harshly. By this point, she had taken another step forward, significantly closer to the two armed men.

Willow froze, her ears straining to hear the soft whispers Jesse was mumbling at Gabriel Underwood - they know... attacked the recruiter... the shrink... can't stop... It clicked - Gabriel Underwood, the recent attacks on campus, the wariness that had set in - it was this man? The woman looked at him incredulously, the air suddenly changing. There was no reasoning with this man, she would have to take Jesse by force, while simultaneously taking this man into custody. Willow suddenly very much wished she wasn't alone.

Jesse's finger tightened on the trigger of his gun, a flash of gold in the woman's eyes - the world in slow motion, the blink of Jesse's eyes, her sudden jump forward, the agility her ability had given her even without shifting fully, the woman silently dashing forward at an unnatural speed, grasping the gun out of the teenager's shaky grip and pushing past him, her motions fluid and trained. Willow turned, the gun in her hand for only a moment before she threw it away harshly - firearms were of no use to her. The glare settled onto her features, staring the men down. "Gabriel Underwood, I should have seen it sooner. You are wanted for crimes against the officials of the Hammel Institute by the use of meta-human ability. I suggest you not resist for your own safety." Her voice was even, dark, but secretly Willow wanted to know what this man was capable of - she couldn't say she had ever read his file. What did his ability even truly consist of?

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel nursed Frederic against his chest as Willow spoke, keeping the grumpy Dachshund close to his body. He listened to Jesse's muttered warning and smirked confidently, arrogantly. This wouldn't last very long as a confrontation. Rubbing his chin and stamping out the cigarette he had only lit a short time ago, he fixed his gaze, impassive yet unmovable, back to Willow.

"Jesse was simply training his powers." He said calmly, rocking Freddie fondly. "He was being suppressed and reacted, Miss Kovacs, surely you could understand that." His voice trailed off, eyebrows raising in surprise at Jesse's reaction to the woman, about to command the young blonde to be polite and put his gun away, when the woman moved. Letting out a low grunt of displeasure, the man unsheathed his own gun, eyes flicking back and forth as the gun fell to the ground and out of the way. "Impressive." Gabriel said gruffly, eyes narrowing. "Unnecessary, but impressive."

Letting out a low sigh and spinning the gun in his hands, the man instinctively put a hand out to steady Jesse and relax him. "Be as it may, the girl was an unfortunate casualty in a lesson in power control, and with me, it wont happen again." He said simply, dropping the little Dachshund down to the floor and stretching languidly. "It seems the Institute has lost it's touch, what with being unable to see the potential in a teenager such as Jesse and even being unable to control him." He smirked over at Jesse and ran his hands back through his hair.

Then the penny dropped and Gabriel's smirk widened as Willow gave him the whole spiel about being wanted. "My dear Miss Kovacs." He began, staring back into her eyes forcefully. "I do fear you're barking up a tree with a bear in it." The gun hand fell to his side as he leant slightly on Jesse, still staring. "I do not go anywhere, least of all with a woman who has put her nose in business that will bite her."

And then Gabriel moved.

Boring into the woman's consciousness through the link in their eyes, then forcing his way through, smothering any resistance with his own unpleasant thoughts.

Ah. A shapeshifter, Miss Kovacs. How very interesting. You wouldn't be too happy if I made you... hm... walk into the cool lake now, would you?

But then he withdrew. The puppeting wasn't needed at this point, just the message and the warning, arms folded across his chest. Willow's emotions stung irritatingly at Gabriel's thoughts and he frowned momentarily.

"Surely a woman as bright as yourself would know this will only end in tears." He added, voice slightly rougher. "Your tears."

[Jesse Adams]

“Attacked.” It was such a harsh word. Was that really what Hammel was calling his little impromptu training session with that November girl? Attacked? He hadn’t attacked her. It had been more of a... well, it wasn’t an attack. He hadn’t done it to be malicious. Once again, it was just how his power worked. He had to practice just like everyone else.

And there it was. Gabriel defended him. As usual. He gave a smug look to Willow. That was the word. Gabriel was so good with words. Suppressed. Didn’t they all feel the itch to use their powers, after being denied the opportunity. Surely she could remember that from her school days. The feeling of needing that release. He supposed it related better to voluntary powers. Things like cell regeneration, like that idiot Verax, just couldn’t be suppressed. It was a reflex, a natural reaction. He had to work to activate his powers. Under Gabriel’s watch, he was improving. He knew that. The dreams were getting darker, and the memories were staying tweaked for longer. He was doing so much better under MSAD’s instruction.

However, that train of thought effectively crashed when the gun was stolen from his hands. His gun! The present from Reese and Lala! His fists balled angrily, but that anger was somewhat displaced when he felt Gabriel’s hand on him again. He kept a wary eye on the little dog when he was put down. The last thing he needed was Freddy attached to his foot in front of Willow and Gabriel. He still wasn’t sorry about messing with November. It had been fun, up until the time travelling side effects had kicked the shit out of him. That, and facing off with Sean. Thank god those days were over.

Jesse knew Gabriel was a wanted man. And his crimes didn’t end at Hammel, no no. Jesse had stayed up for hours on end, listening to tales of murder and mayhem, of all the problems in the human world Gabriel had caused. It was one more reason he had to idolize the man. One day, he’d been promised he could cause just as much trouble in the world. So he had to snort at Willow’s speech. Yes, Gabe was wanted. But she wasn’t going to be the one to take him down. No one could do that.

He let Gabe lean on him, knowing what was coming next. He’d seen this before. He even went so far as to reach around, his arm around Gabe’s waist to steady him. He was heavy as hell when he left his body, but Jesse held strong. He would have loved to know what his mentor’s plans were. But once he withdrew, Jesse let go and glared across at Willow. “Gabriel doesn’t lose,” he cautioned. “I’d go back to Hammel with my tail between my legs, if I was you.” His gaze flicked back to his gun. If he could just get hold of it again... he could put an end to this. Easily.

[Willow Kovacs]

The woman's lip twitch momentarily, the sheer force of aggression shielded behind the brown eyes that settled a steady glare on the two men only feet away from her. Their dogs were unsettling, but significantly less so than the feeling they emanated - a raw feeling, worse than the cold that was settling into her dark skin through the thick jacket and long pants. The wind was brisk, stealing her body heat as tumbled through the fallen leaves, turning the edges of her ears a deep rouge. The silence was oddly intense, before Gabriel spoke again, his voice laced with the undeniable tone of pompous arrogance. It was hard to out-do Willow in most things, especially the haughty air that surrounded her constantly - but this man, mysterious puppetier, was somehow even more condescending than her. With the woman's normal demeanor, she'd challenge him. But now... she had the distinct feeling she should play it safe.

She growled at his attitude, wanting so badly to lash out and make him eat those words, but she stayed still - lesson one of confrontations - make them come to you. And that's exactly what he did. The reptile tensed when she watched him drop the dog, leaning heavily his weight on the blonde teenager, suddenly slumping. Her mind didn't have the time to process what had happened to Mr. Underwood before a strong sensation of wrongness took over. Willow felt disconnected, like when one is awake and aware, but cannot move their body. And no matter how much they force, they cannot move themselves, they remain weighted down, panicking. Willow did not panic. Usually. His voice startled her, fear suddenly striking through her, but she did not make a move to respond. Her mind remained blank, even as he found her power, and her other form's weakness - the cold. Reptiles, being cold blooded, cannot stand freezing temperatures - and especially not freezing water. Her eyes went toward the lake, staring at the stillness of the dark water.

"Get out," Her mind hissed, his presence leaving, his words stinging at her mind. She felt weightless for a moment, then horribly heavy. Her shoulders slouched slightly, hands shaking as she listened to his harsh words. Her mouth pulled back in a horribly animalistic baring of her teeth. Willow stared at the ground harshly, collecting herself, sneering at Jesse's words, taunting her. She was an adult, she could handle this. The reptile in her was stirred, the animal alive, clawing on her conscience - it wanted out. The lizard didn't take well it's vessel being bothered, especially not with the presence of another soul entirely.

The woman straightened, her breathing slightly shaky, but her eyes unusually calm. "For a man of your... ability, you should know." She pause, brushing her fingers over her ear. "I don't cry." The woman moved with controlled motions, her swiftness unmatched as the dragon came out - flying fully into the man that stood with a smug expression. She whipped around, her tail swiping Jesse's feet out from underneath him, causing him to land harshly on the cold ground. She didn't admit the satisfying feeling it gave her - she had wanted to do that for a long time. Going down on all fours, claws digging into the soft earth, Willow's tail swished as she came eye-to-eye with the growling and barking dogs. She let out a near-roar at the animals showing her pointed teeth, their instincts causing them to skitter backward out of self preservation. Though she succeeded in intimidated the blasted animals, she also left her defenses on low - a bad move, especially with such an opponent as Underwood.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel sensed the shift in Willow after he'd slipped into her mind, there was a change in her posture, her eyes seemed different, and her forced smile appeared to have dimmed. If it weren't for his confidence, no, arrogance, then the man would have been prepared for what happened next. "You will cry, Miss Kovacs. I will make you." He said warningly, lips curled in an unmistakable smirk. This woman apparently had no idea what she was getting herself into, and he'd be happy to knock her back down to the peg she really was at.

But then she struck.

Caught slightly off guard, the man staggered backwards, nearly falling flat on his ass in front of his opponent. Grateful for his regular body training, Gabriel braced himself down low, narrowing his eyes as the strange reptilian woman roared at his beloved dogs. Grabbing Jesse and lifting him up, he reached towards the gun that had previously fallen to the floor and seized it tightly. "Wrong fucking move." He growled angrily, aiming the gun near the lizard's feet and shooting twice.

But this wasn't enough, in Gabriel's opinion.

Moving towards Willow, the man cautiously edged towards the water's edge, triumphantly seizing one of the water logged clods of gunk beside the lake and hurling it full force at Willow's face. All the while, he eyed Jesse, making sure he wasn't attacked again. "Here." He said simply, tossing the previously retrieved gun back to the boy and sneering down at the lizard, still catching himself from being knocked into. "Gambit." Gabriel said sharply, the large dog shaking itself and running loyally over. "Heel to Jess." And willingly, the beast did so, standing, hackles raised, teeth bared at Willow.

Letting out a shallow, somewhat uncomfortable sigh, Gabriel rubbed at his chest and watched warily, finger looped around the trigger of the gun. "I suggest you leave before I make you go for a swim." He said icily, furious that the bitch had both attacked Jesse and scared his precious pooches. He was angry, and deep inside the Underwood temper flared and burnt at his ears and nose, desperate to come out. But rash moves would only seek to give Willow the advantage again, and he swallowed it down into his chest.

Thank god Jesse didn't seem to be harmed. If the blonde had a single bruise, then there would be HELL to pay.

[Jesse Adams]

Watching Gabriel work was like watching a snake strike. So still, and then he struck without warning. And seeing Willow’s reaction to him in her head was even better. He hated the woman who’d brought him to Hammel. Though, in a roundabout way, he supposed it was thanks to her that he’d met Gabriel. That he’d joined the ranks of MSAD. Still, he couldn’t stand the way she was looking at him. She’d saved him from his father, yes. (Not that anyone other than Gabriel, his mother, and his siblings knew about that.) But she’d still sentenced him to his time at Hammel, where he’d been controlled by his teachers, and generally feared by his classmates. Gabriel’s methods were so much more effective.

He was happy to leave the real combat to Gabriel. He hadn’t finished his training yet, and watching him was the best kind of training he could get. And then Willow attacked.

He stared in surprise as Gabriel was nearly knocked down. Too distracted with that, he didn’t even see her move, and his feet were swept from under him. The blond boy grunted when he hit the hard ground, wincing at the pain and surprise of the sudden impact. He’d have some bruises, that was for certain. (As long as it was nothing that required more serious attention, he was fine with them.) He braced himself when Gabriel helped him back to his feet and just watched as his mentor shot at the shape shifter. Not one part of him felt bad for this.

When the gun was tossed back to him, Jesse made sure it was loaded and held it loosely, finger inching towards the trigger. The logical part of his mind couldn’t help but wonder how long it would be before someone noticed gunshots. Pilot Ridge wasn’t exactly a crime hub. But Gabriel had ways of avoiding attention. Or just... erasing it. Hell, even Jesse could mess with memories and have the changes stick. He was getting good at that trick. His progress with Gabriel was incredible. With the freedom to experiment and train as long as he could stand it, his control and range were growing in leaps and bounds, instead of baby steps. His hand found Gambit’s back when the dog came to heel, and he grabbed a handful of his short fur.

He was ready. Gabe could say the word, and he’d fire. At least now he understood why his protégé had been so eager to fire before. The teenager stood with his feet planted, gun raised. He was ready.

[Willow Kovacs]

Even before her movements, Willow had realised what she was doing was rash - during said motions, she was debating the severity of their response. And afterward, she could only brace herself for what would come. And Gabriel lashed back fully, the gunfire ringing in her memories, her body seemingly moving on its own as it swished itself backward, nearly losing her balance as she avoided the bullets that burrowed into the ground, a fraction of a centimeter from her feet. The woman's heart thumped wildly, the vibration ricocheting violently against her ribcage, the adrenaline twisting through her system suddenly, heating her cool body slightly. Willow's eyes were wide, the gold shaking slightly as she focused on the two, taking a step backward in her large form, bracing herself. The eyes narrowed as the dog was called back, it leaning forward with ears drawn, hair standing, and a horrid sneer on it's animal features.

The woman resisted the urge to growl back. Her lizard form always brought out a different side of her regularly levelheaded and pointed composure. The animalistic instincts whispering in the back of her mind, weaving their way through her conscious and into her logic. Willow startled as the last licks of orange sunlight reflected off the silver of the gun, watching slowly as it returned to the immature and unpracticed hands of one Jesse Adams. She tensed, staring at the firearm he pointed at her, staring deadpan through the barrel of a deadly device that could very well take her life. A flash of movement in the corner of her eye as Underwood chucked the frozen slime of the lake at her. Willow hissed, shifting only in time to avoid some of it, the slick goop that coated the surroundings of the lake now dripping on her scaly skin, causing a shiver to racket through her. Disgusting.

The dragon turned, snarling at the adult, her yellow eyes shifting momentarily to send a look back at Jesse. "Childish, Mr. Underwood," The voice was different - deeper, raspier. It hissed through rows of pointed teeth and a tongue that curled out of her mouth momentarily, just to flicker back into the cavern a moment later. Provoking him wasn't her goal at the moment, but it was a reaction that Willow herself couldn't resist - antagonising the opponent. Showing her superiority. It wasn't really appropriate in this situation, but she just couldn't help but say it, "Are you really so capable, Mr. Underwood?" Her voice hissed dangerously, her opinion of the man skewing slightly at his immature form of an assault.

The reptile let out a low hiss, the forked tongue flickering out, tasting the cold mountain air, the frigid frost that had begun to settled on the damp leaves. With a growl, she moved swiftly, snaking her way out of Jesse's target range, and toward the man with dark eyes, flared with anger. Her claws dug through his right arm, spinning as she thrust him toward the blonde, causing them to crash violently together. Mainly, Willow didn't want Jesse to have a gun. She knew the delinquent child, and his general dislike toward her. She knew he'd shoot her when he had the chance. Willow wobbled in her form, crouching on all-fours as to not completely crash to the ground gracelessly. Her tail swished, helping her balance as she stared dead at the two. "Mr. Underwood, Jesse, I am going to ask you this once more." The lizard hissed, "Come with me, and we can stop this petty fighting." - It was no request. It was a statement.

[Gabriel Underwood]

Gabriel sneered as the lizard mocked him for his choice of retaliation, brows falling thick over his eyes. "Actually, my dear." He began icily, voice sharp and unkind. "I did it with the intent of lowering your body temperature. We all know cold blooded creatures move slower the colder they are." Fingering the trigger of his firearm, the MSAD leader straightened and snorted, watching every one of Willow's movements with a wary eye. The insult had indeed irked him further and he felt spite gnaw on every nerve in his body.

As the lizard turned to strike again, Gabriel anticipated some of the movement and though the claws to his arm burnt, he kicked out at her scaly underbelly, twisting to protect Jesse from any of Willow's attacks. Gambit let out something akin to a howl of dislike, seeing both his masters in danger. Bravely, the large dog launched itself carelessly at the reptile's thigh, biting down with his powerful jaws and shaking. "Gambit." Gabriel barked out abruptly, calling the dog back and away from danger. Whining, the beast returned and licked sympatheticly at the blood that bubbled from his master's wounds.

It was then that Gabriel struck in retaliation, his prone form still covering the young blonde's own.

In a swift, talon like manoeuvre, the puppeteer once more left his body and pushed, burrowing, into Willow's mind, taking the folds of her consciousness and tying them together, leaving her blind and unable to resist. The lizard power irritated his senses and he struggled, forcing the bestial nature to dim, before squaring shamelessly onto the lake.

You will regret this. He thought loudly to Willow, progressing closer and closer to the water. Eventually, shocks of cold and dislike rippled through his body, or rather, Willow's, as he forced the woman to stand in the water. Flinching at the pure unpleasent feelings that chewed at his thoughts, he moved the lizard to lie down, and in sheer disgust and horror, withdrew from her mind.

Shivering despite himself, Gabriel managed to rise once more, clutching his arm. "Now, Miss Kovacs." He began, trying to stop his teeth from chattering. "You will leave."

[Jesse Adams]

Gabriel was smart. Jesse knew that. The man was brilliant, a genius. So the mud had to have had a purpose. (Other than the entertainment factor.) Though he sneered at Willow’s assessment, Gabriel’s reply rang clear in his mind. Of course. The teenager had once been privy to Willow’s shifted form before. During a routine lockdown drill. He’d pushed her buttons, and had been rewarded with a face to face introduction to her reptilian form. It had been intimidating, yes. But back then, he hadn’t been armed. Or with a man capable of destroying her in an instant.

He wasn’t afraid.

The fact Willow wanted to question Gabriel’s capabilities just made Jesse smirk. You did not underestimate Gabriel Underwood. It would be the last thing you ever did. He’d made the mistake, once. And if he hadn’t found himself in the man’s favour, he might have been six feet under, or at the bottom of the lake by now. He watched at Willow moved, trying to keep the gun trained on her. But then she was on Gabe, and Jesse realized that this could be bad. He braced himself for the impact. The impact that never came. He glanced up to see Gabe kick her away.

Willow’s command made him growl. “Not a chance,” he hissed, just before his mentor left his body again. The teenager struggled to lean against Gabe’s lifeless body, in an effort to keep him upright. He didn’t know what was going on inside Willow’s head, but he could see what Gabriel was doing with her. The lizard was headed straight for the lake. The cold, dark lake. Despite his shaky hold on Gabe’s body, he smirked. The MSAD leader did good work.

As soon as he was back in his own body, Jesse let go and flicked the safety on his gun, slowly lowering it. Shooting Willow in the lake would be like shooting a fish in a barrel. No challenge. It looked like the threat was over. Willow could go die in the cold water, for all he cared. He just wanted to go home, now.