Red Blood

[Blood]

[Blood]

His feet dangled from over the edge as he sat, black old shoes intermittently hitting the reddish rock. A bird fluttered overhead, looking for someone to perch in the arid area. The mutant chuckled, smoothing a lock of jet black hair out of his face. The day was clear, the sun shining brightly. Even so, the breeze was strong enough to keep him cool. Blood-red eyes fixed on the bird, watching as it's yellow feathers moved against the black ones as it flew closer and closer to him. He raised an arm, his jacket slipping back on his arm as his hand moved forward with a gentle pose, his fingers relaxed.

He grinned.

His fingers started to curl toward his palm, as if he was squeezing something. He leaned back on his other arm, his back on a vertical pose so he could clearly look at the sky. He opened his extended hand again, only to twist it toward the right.

The bird started to fall, and fall, fluttering weakly against the wind, gravity pulling it down sharply. He could hear it's call, a pitiful chirping that signaled it's pain. "There there.." Blood chuckled, opening his hand completely only to stop the bird in mid fall. "You are so beautiful.." He murmured, his eyes fixing on the animal's tiny black ones.

Suddenly dark red crystals shot thorough the feathers, piercing the bird from the inside. The animal gave a last chip, the loudest of them all, as the mutant flipped a hand and leaned back on it, too.

It was a long fall, he couldn't it hear it crash against the ground.

[♦Ginger♦]

A girl with light black hair stepped away from the jeep parked on the gravel barely two centimeters off the road. She looked up ahead toward the tourist area. She had bluejeans on to shield her against any cold winds that would happen to blow in. She walked toward the area that was seemingly the only area on the whole tourist map that had railings. She walked to the edge not even taking notice of anyone any where. It all seemed empty to her. She just stood at the very edge and looked down. The drop itself was stomach and mind twisting. She made a small gasp and took a step back. She didn't want to accidentally fall to oblivion. It was bad enough her Dad wanted her back at the base in less than three hours. It made her wonder why she just didn't walk away and go live some where else..

"This is a nice view of nothing...." She said to herself trying to calm the he fear and blood pulse. Just some dirt and..." as she talked a small calming wind picked up. Ruffling the dirt in the horizon. Which to her suddenly made the sand glittery and pretty. It seemed like it was a dance. Of course the moment was ruined when there was suddenly sand in her eyes. "Crap!"

[/color] She spent about one and half minutes blinking her eyes and trying to get the darn particles out. She rubbed a few times also. Which seemingly helped none at all.[/blockquote][/size]

[Shadow]

The humid sun seemed to beat down on the girl's shoulders, making her curse the day she decided to travel to this godforsaken land. She definitely stood out among the tourists. While everyone else was wearing shorts and lightweight gear like that, this girl was dressed in dark jeans and a grey jacket with the hood pulled up over her face. She appeared to be on the tall side of average, with semi-pale skin and a heart-shaped face. A little white cat trailed at her heals, mewing softly as the wind buffeted the two of them.

"It'll only be a matter of time," the girl sighed, turning to the cat. As she moved, her hood slipped slightly, revealing her dark purple eyes. She pulled it up hastily and looked back at her cat. Ocean's techni-colored eyes stared up at her expectantly, and the girl could feel the hunger coming off of her companion in waves. "Soon." She promised, turning. The girl thought she could smell something faintly on the air, and the alarm flaring up from Ocean told her that it wasn't anything good.

"Blood?" Eliza mused, turning slightly to look down at her cat. "A bird?" Glancing up, Eliza watched as, true to her cat's suspicions, a dark shape plummeted through the air. Eliza's eyes narrowed as she moved forward, her hands planted into the pockets of her jacket and her shoulders hunched slightly as she neared the edge of the canyon.

[Blood]

[Blood]

This was a boring day. There were no humans to toy around with and the breeze was starting to drop. Anyhow, he liked the quiet. He gave up leaning back on his arms and leaned back on the ground, not before taking his black jacket off.

He folded it semi-neatly and stuffed it under his head to use as a pillow as he stared up into the sky. Humans were bound to come here any time soon.

He was sick of them, and enjoyed the solitude, but toying with a few of them would lighten his mood and then he could go back and play nice with the people higher up. The poor fools didn't suspect a thing, not that he'd expect them to. He was highly careful when it came to hiding his powers. And his eyes of course.

His eyes could as easily give him away as if he were jumping around singing "I am a mutant" being the deep red color they were. It was there that the magic of contact lenses came it, and brown was the most inconspicuous of all the colors.

Dramien pulled an arm over his eyes as he sighed, getting ready to rest for a bit before he had his fun. The receding breeze washed over him, making his gray shirt rise a little and uncovering his flat and pale stomach. He didn't bother covering it back up, as it refreshed him slightly and he knew that his skin would never obtain any other color, so getting a tan was out of the question, and he could easily deal with sunburns.

His powers were surely handy.

[♦Ginger♦]

Eventually she got the sand particles out of her eyes. Frustrated she headed back to the jeep and went to open the door. When a thought accord to her. She didn't truly want to go back just yet.. She wanted to have a sense of fun.. If she headed back to her Father's base.. There was no telling what he'll do. She chewed her lips as thoughts came up into her mind. She knew all to well which one she would pick. It just the debation that made it seem more fun.

Pretending to be frustrated with the choices in her head. She threw her keys onto the ground saying out loud to herself. "Alright. Ugh!"

[/color] After that said she made her hands into fists and stood their looking fierce her heart pounding wishing she was and strong included. She had read few.. reports over at the base. Somebody some where had reported seeing a mutant out here. She has seen very very few mutants in her life. Actually... That few would be none. She decided to investigate and find out the report was true. That and this was a perfectly good excuse for being late. Her military home was near two hours away?

She bent over picked up the keys. Pocketed them with a nonchalant face. As if she wished the jeep keys would vanish or something. Then she just randomly picked a direction in the desert and headed that way. After walking for twenty minutes the heat suddenly decided to sink in. Apparently, even blue jeans didn't protect you from everything. Maybe she ought to wear the military uniforms. It would make her father prouder.. [/blockquote][/size]

[Shadow]

Eliza stood near the edge of the cliff, glancing over her shoulder. There were no tourists in this area - it wasn't exactly the type of place one wanted to snoop around it. Making sure the coast was clear, Eliza slipped out of her grey jacket. The soft fabric brushed her arms as she tugged her arms out of the sleeves, revealing her slim shoulders and the incredible purple markings that had given her much trouble throughout her life. Tying her jacket around her waist, Eliza held out her arms to Ocean. Her cat leaped into her arms without hesitation, mewing excitedly. Ocean loved to fly, especially in ridiculous heat. Eliza closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The purple markings on her back began to peel off her skin with soft tearing sounds. Eliza winced as they unfolded and the leathery feathers began to shake into wakefulness. Ocean looked up at her inquisitively.

"That should be good." Eliza said, looking over her shoulder at her large purple wings. Gripping Ocean tightly in her arms, she ran towards the edge of the cliff and without a moment's hesitation dived off the side of it. She kept her wings close to her shoulders, so to anyone seeing her it would seem they weren't there. In that fashion, Eliza flew down the canyon, smiling as she felt the wind in her face and tugging at the chopped strands of her hair. Ocean meowed loudly, enjoying it as much as she did.

[Blood]

[Blood]

Dramien yawned uncovering his eyes from his arm. His neck was beginning to hurt from being in that position, so he sat up. He pressed two fingers to the base of his neck, making it go pop! in a muffled sound. "Ah.." He sighed, when had he fallen asleep?

Stretching his arms, the man took a peek over the canyon edge again. Hadn't at least a few humans arrived yet? Apparently not.

Movement caught his eye, and he turned to see what had caused it. What was that? Did I person throw himself off the canyon? That would be hilarious. No... this one was...gliding? Too swiftly...

His eyes narrowed. Either it was a human with special gear or... "...A mutant..." He whispered, standing up, his jacket in hand.

Well, perhaps this day wouldn't be so boring after all.

[♦Ginger♦]

The girl ventured further and further. Getting more and more bored of the sand.... When she found a small ledge. That looked extremely tempting to climb on. She looked back from where she came. She realized.. she didn't know which direction she came. She felt a sense of panick.. The most smartest thing for one to do.. Keep moving forward. She shrugged and decided to take the chance. She was trained.. Somewhat? Okay.. Maybe a little better then the average boring teen.. She did do home schooling..

She placed her foot. She lived. Gleeful and encouraged. She slowly moved down the very small ledge. Thinking mostly how crazy and maniac she is.. But while enjoying the moment all too much. She reached a ledge that was big enough to let her sit down. She sat took a few breaths.. Thinking even more how crazy she was. Sweat forming on her armpits.. She was secretly thankful for wearing a spaghetti strap.. She had a sudden idea.. From all the heat probably messing with her mind. To rip her blue jeans and make them into shorts... Only reason she was able to do this.. They had weak points.. Which she just happened to know where they were. She ripped the jeans. Badly I met add. Made caprice that were uneven. She would care if out in public.. Here in the suddenly hot steaming weather. She could careless. She just felt dizzy and dehydrated.

She sat on the ledge amazed by the location. She could see far below her and above.. Toward the pretty sun. She half heartily threw the pieces of ripped jean down the ledge. She watched as it fell becoming a small ant and vanishing. She toke a moment longer of a break and forced herself to get up. She went ahead and started back on the little ledge. It seemed easier this time then before.. Soon the threat of falling over got her blood pumping and she felt rehydrated. She had a sudden sense to look up.. To see Something big flying toward something else.. She could barely make out what the other thing was.. Then out of the blue.. It hit her and hard. She felt her body double over, from the insides.. Whether it from exhaustion of the dehydration of her stupid idea. It might have even been something else entirely. She may never find out. She ended up tilting and well.. Pretty much let go of the edge her body fighting with itself. She ended up falling to oblivion. Yep worse Idea ever.

[/size]

[Shadow]

Eliza had been free falling for a few minutes when she looked up and saw something. A dark speck above her head had fallen from one of the ledges of the cliff, plunging down into the deep canyon. With a whoosh!, Eliza's wings stretched out from her shoulders, catching the wind and guiding her towards the falling thing. The girl's eyes widened when she could make out the lanky form of a human girl. She felt Ocean's alarm as the cat clawed its way up to sit between Eliza's shoulders, digging her claws into the base of the girl's wings. Eliza didn't even wince. She was used to the feeling of the cat's sharp claws.

"I'll get her, Ocean!" Eliza called over the roar of the wind in her ears. Swooping down, Eliza fixed her arms at her sides, making her body move with maximum speed. She made it just in time to reach out and catch the girl's waist in her arms. The strain on her wings was almost unbearable, but Eliza figured she'd be able to make it back up to the top of the canyon. Frowning in concentration, she began thrusting her wings up and down in powerful strokes, aiming for the nearest dip in the canyon wall. Her shoulders were nearly screaming as she neared the place she'd set aside for landing. Curling her arms beneath the girl's back and tucking one under her knees, Eliza flicked her wings out and positioned her body with her feet first, angling her leathery feathers so that the wind hit them full blast. It slowed her descent until she landed gently on the rock, carrying the girl in her surprisingly strong arms. Ocean leapt off her back as soon as they were near land, and now the cat came racing to her side, anxiety coloring the air around her.

"She'll be fine, Ocean." Eliza told the cat calmly.

[Blood]

[Blood]

"Certainly a mutant." Dramien said, putting his jacket back on as he saw the human form spread it's wings. Fixing his hood, the man started jumping from ledge to ledge, following the sweeps of the flying form. Wait, what? He perched on a rock, leaning his arms on his knees as he watched what it was doing. It had spread it's wings for a reason.

"Oh my, someone's falling." He said, a distinctive smile in his voice. He continued to watch from where he was, this wasn't something you'd see everyday, specially not when you spent your time around filthy humans. Well, it was all in the name of information.

The hilt of his belt was starting to dig into him. Stupid thing, it wasn't even his. He'd taken it from one of the bodies of the men he'd killed last week. It was either the annoying big hilt, or having his pants slip off every time he moved. He fixed his position, straightening his back a bit more as he crouched on the rock.

Ah..the flying mutant had caught the person in time. Pity, he did love the sight of splattered human on the ground.

Oh, they were coming his way. Should he hide? No, what for? Was he going to kill them? Maybe; but it wasn't every day that he ran across a mutant.

He drew his hood over his head, it reached well below his red eyes, the white feather lining tickling his nose. Pulling it back a bit, Dramien sat down and watched the two forms descend a few steps away from him.

Now that he had a closer look, the flying form was girl quite younger than he looked. Purple wings, with a white blob jumping from her back. Ah, it was a cat. How did he love felines. It was the one creature that he wouldn't slaughter. He ran a ringed index finger over his chin as he watched, his right leg crossed over his left one as he sat. The one that had been saved was female, too. The question was, was she human or mutant?

[♦Ginger♦]

The fall was quick.. The only thing she would probably remember is the moment of letting go. The next thing she knew.. She was being held in these arms and there was a cat with odd colored eyes. Her mind was foggy and it seemed as if everything was blurry and confusing.. The wind felt good on her back. That she liked.

Suddenly the body was bent and she no longer felt a strong wind. She suddenly felt the change and was suddenly more wide awake. She realized she was staring into these intense odd colored eyes. her first thought wasn't mutant.... Actually it was.. What the!!! She panicked and quickly flailed and pretty much dropped to the ground to get away. She ran as far as she could. That's when she noticed the person had these balck purplish wings. They were pretty.... Jenna if not scared, shocked, and confused... She would've been awed by them. She suddenly noticed a guy seemingly sit there. She looked toward him and noticed these red eyes.. Really blood red eyes... Staring at him.. That's when it hit her.. These things were mutants.. Her very first meeting of a mutant.. The report was right.. But how? They already had investigators came in and everything... Her first words to the mutants.. Well.. "Your..Your.. Your.. Both MUTANTS?!"

[/color] as soon as the words were out and the shock of her words escaped her mouth.. She did the best thing on could think to do. Trust her animal instinct and try to get the heck out of there.

She turned and ran as quick as possible. Her mind thinking of only two things. Cellphone she left at home.. Even though her father made it clear never to leave without it.. Then the jeep.. She had no idea where it was at... But hey she ought to reach a touring zone.. Only.. She had no idea.. were they were all out. Next time maybe she'll get the printed version.

On top of all this.. Her mind also ran everything her father told her about mutants. How they could control and manipulate you. How they were set out to kill everyone and anything.. Which made her immediately question.. Why the mutant girl would save her.. [/blockquote][/size]

[Shadow]

Eliza hadn't noticed the other mutant until the human had seen him. Glancing hastily at Ocean, she sent out a wave of feeling, and the cat responded immediately. Bunching up her body, the little cat sprang into Eliza's arms. While she hadn't had much interaction with mutants, Eliza knew enough about them to be wary in their presence. Many of the Hunters that had chased her had been fellow mutants. They could be trusted no more than humans - in most ways even less. Ocean looked up at her and Eliza felt a wave of confusion from the cat.

"Wait!" She called out to the human girl. She had unknowingly used her power, which meant that the girl would have little choice but to obey her. It was hard sometimes to define asking and demanding, and if Eliza wasn't careful she could cross the line and force someone to do something - as she was doing now.