After the fight... ((Finished))

[SpokenSoftly]

Face got off the train with the three he was assigned to shadow and moved through the crowd far enough behind them that they wouldn't notice him. He'd had practice for several years tracking more paranoid Mutates than these three for Smith and Amadeus, his previous employer. Finland didn't have as many Mutates as America, of course, since they had nowhere near the population nor the tolerance for genetic drift to such a degree. Nonetheless, Face had honed his skills to the point that he even had a special Face he used when alone and tracking a target. He called it his Crowd Face, a transformative state where his body form was fluid enough to react to the ambient psychic energy that all Mutates gave off to some degree or another. So long as he wasn't near a large concentration of them at once his target would see in Face whatever they expected, mostly an empty road on account of Face's body acquiring temporary adaptive camouflage.  

[Maya Freana]

"He'll appreciate it." Amaya whispered back with a grin as they walked, Calista hanging on her arms.  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"So anything else eventful I've missed out on other than your foray into the world of literature?" Adrian asked while returning his hands to his pockets, his gaze occasionally wandering off to admire the tall buildings and gently falling snow.  

[Maya Freana]

"Not really. Calista started school and we moved out to New York. Nothing too eventful." She told him with a shrug, letting Calista run ahead a little so she could catch snowflakes on her tongue.  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"Well, I guess no news is good news after all. Rather hear about nothing than the terror that occurred in my absence or something." Adrian said as he watched Calista frolic in the snow with a small smile.  

[Maya Freana]

"I had a slight legal issue for a year with the whole, killing my parents thing, but my lawyer was able to prove insanity and I went through all the treatment in rehab already, so my criminal record was never really published. Helps when your parents are connected enough in the military that they'll just look the other way." Amaya told him with a light sigh. "Calista never noticed it at least, so for that I can be thankful."  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"That's good. I'm surprised it even came to light at all. You were a kid then, and Sikes seemed to be the only one in the know." Adrian said. "At least the whole monster half did something good. Without it you might not have had such an excuse."  

[SpokenSoftly]

Face sped up slightly and shifted into a more memorable Face as he approached Amaya, Adrian, and the little girl. He knew he wouldn't be able to tail the three of them forever, and making an impression as a more memorable Face would ensure they didn't look out for his less-conspicuous ones later. And, possibly, he could do what Smith hadn't and convince them to come to the complete safety of the City. Then they would be protected from Vamp and his goons and Face would be free to do as he liked for a time, instead of walking around New York City tailing two lovebirds and a kid.

His chosen Face was short, thickly-muscled, and slightly Neanderthal in appearance. The classic stupid-bruiser stereotype, albeit with bright pink hair. He walked close enough to be heard, but not close enough to touch Adrian or Amaya. The child was out of earshot. "Wanna know what I think you freaks oughta do? Go set up some kinda Nazi concentration camp where you can all go and get away from normal people like us. I saw that guy in the paper, whatsisname who set up that big city for you freaks out in Texas. He's got the right idea. Keep you lot away from normal society."

Face broke off at that point and walked into a store, where a quick trip to the men's room had him walking back out as his supernaturally-forgettable Face again. They would remember the conversation, but wouldn't be able to tell where he went once he left the store.  

[Maya Freana]

"Probably not." Amaya muttered before Face ran up to insult them. She growled slightly at his words, feeling her anger flare greatly, though she tried to calm her rage. "a*****e..." She muttered once he was gone, not even sure where he really went after that point, though she wasn't sure if she even wanted to follow after him.  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"He's not worth the effort." Adrian said with a glare. "He's got the balls to to throw s**t like that around, but not enough to back it up. That's what I was talking about earlier; you've still got assholes like that running around."  

[Maya Freana]

"I know I know..." Amaya muttered, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "Just...ugh. Nevermind. We're here anyway." Amaya said, nodding to the apartment in front of them.

Calista ran up and buzzed her grandparent's apartment number before the door buzzed open and she walked in with Adrian and Amaya following, the little girl running through the halls to her grandparent's.

Once they reached the door, it flew open, and two people in their late fifties came out, hugging Calista tightly before drawing Amaya into a hug while she just stood there awkwardly. "So I'll come get her tomorrow morning. Have fun and please don't give her sugar past seven." She told them once they had let her go. "Be good sweetheart, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Amaya said before giving Calista a kiss goodbye and moving off out of the apartment building.  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"So, now that we've got the night to ourselves, how 'bout that Christmas present I mentioned?" Adrian said with a smile as he looked up at the darkening sky once they left the building, looking at Amaya from the corner of his eye. What he had in mind he'd been hoping to share for a while now.  

[SpokenSoftly]

Face left the bathroom just as Amaya and Adrian walked out the door of the apartment. He yawned openly as he followed them, reflecting that this really was too easy. His last assignment had been to tail a paranoid Vietnamese Mutate through muggy swampland for two weeks, in order to find the safehouse she'd been using to stash the corpses that piled up from her habit of draining the marrow from normal humans. Tracking three casual and relaxed Mutates through the streets of NYC was almost boringly easy.

Maybe he could go back to the City for nights, and get in a few more rounds of poker with Slip and Virgin at their cafe.  

[Maya Freana]

"Right now?" Amaya asked, seeming nervous now. "Uh...I guess we can now. Just let me get ready..." She said, zipping her coat up and pulling some gloves on before a long sigh escaped her lips. "Okay, I guess I'm ready..." She said timidly.  

[Zelly-fangirl]

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna drop you." Adrian said with a small chuckle as he scooped her up into his arms. "Although I will suggest you hold on tight." he said before flapping his wings, sending the snow on the ground scattering about as he lifted them both up into the air. Soon he was taking Amaya on an aerial tour of the city, the night lit up by Christmas and city lights as the gentle snow fell around them. "It's not much, but a view like this is one of the only things I can give. At least for now." he said with a sheepish smile as he soared high above the roads and bustling crowds below. "Maybe I'll throw in a song later."