The Harbor

Where the land meets the sea, or more accurately, ocean meets the concreet wall which forms a base for several areas. A shipyard and a building where they are built close by. Several werehouses, and some offices associated with them. Several large rust stained building litter the area.

From the docks, one could look out and see the island the Statue of Librety stands on, even the statue itself.

Anju's travels through the city was nonstop for thirty minutes, her boots leaving little proof of where she was going or has been as the snow has been worn away from the cement under her feet. She showed signs of knowing what she was doing by not looking up or creating attention. She walked at a normal speed but with purpose, a little more intense of a purpose than the people aorund her, but not so much anyone would notice. She had no idea in the world that she was being followed either.

From street to street to street, Anju kept her momentum and never looked back. She hardly even looked up until she was out of the city's limits, crossing train tracks and unmaintained concrete streets that lead her into a corner of the harbor. Her tracks could be seen in the snow as she makes her way towards a high fence that was covered in rust and bent in places all over. There were no cars or even people, the place looked like its been abandoned for years and years. Behind the fence was a two story building with boards nails across the doors and the windows full of dirt so think no one could look inside, except through some of the ones that have broken due to time.

She makes a straight line for the building. It was hard to tell what kind of building it was, big enough to be anything, but too small to be a factory. Yet there was some kind of pump to one side, a tank near the building(empty of courese, and a few towering... Towers. One was a water tower of some kind, but the others just looked like metal sculptures of another time and life.

Moredecai looked at her and realized why she wanted to take the subway. Being less and less rooftops for him to walk on, he jumped down into the deserted area's floor. Not making a sound he watched her head for the building in the distance. The area was too open for him to just run across, He decided to wait for the night fall. Then he would sneak across in the darkness. "I want to know her name, to show human aren't all alike." Tell me why must you do this, we fail to realize your...reasons to do this, like that child thing, back there...why save it...why waste your energy something you need to survive...we, ask this out of curiosity...

"Sometimes people...well we do these things because it set's us apart from the rest...no...I mean we do this because we can, it does not make me feel better about myself, it shows that I am not just for myself and myself alone, maybe that mother and girl will remember me and think twice before doing something unlawful...not out of fear but to feel the way I feel...I can't explain it...maybe that's why you don't understand...because no one understands...maybe not no one...I don't...animals don't kill for sport they kill because they have to survive...like you, you are what's considered a parasite using me as a host...you do this out of survival..." Moredecai said this not really knowing himself what he meant.

We, are beginning to realize this purpose...perhaps we need to study it more...

Anju had a way into the place that didn't require her to pull the boards off or open a lock. She dissapears by circling the building to be on the opposite side. There was some kind of metal pole with spoke on either side that made great steps and hand plcaements as she climbs up the wall of the place and enters a unlocked window, which is held up by hinges and it lifts outwards. She climbs in and closes it up tightly, but doesn't lock it.

Looking on the outside in, the place was a dump. But between cash she's earned, thefts of certain people, and the dump, the inside looked really good.

With the sun still up and more windows than walls, there was no need for light, but there were several lamps through out the entire top floor. Metal desks that were here before she got here line the back corner, makeshift counters for her kitchen. She put in a kitchen sink, but there was no pipes, just a drain for the dirty water to run into when she's done using it. She had an endless supply of water next to her, but she collects rain water and snow for bathing purposes, and she pays for gallons of water to drink. All of it stored somewhere in certain places. Her kitchen had a radio that works on batteries and a table that looked like it would exist in a cheap resturant and a set of matching chairs.

The livinroom was a collection of mis-matching funrniture. There was a three cushion couch that she had to fight to get up the stairs, a decent coffee table, and two different side tables. On the table there was a small stack of books, under it were piles of different types and kinds of magazines. There was no t.v.

The corner across from the kitchen and diagonally from the livingroom was was resembled a bathroom. A large porciline lion claw tub sits against a wall. A filing cabinet sets on the other wall that makes up the corner, it has been emptied but never moved. Inside were her soaps and towels, as well as extra linning. There was a long full length mirror in the area as well.

The last corner of the place was the bedroom. A hammock hangs infront of the corner, a unknown ammont of comforters were on it and pillows as well. Under the hammock was a floor rug and even though the wood floors didn't get too cold, it was comfortable to step on that every morning. A rack made from metal pipes painted a sparklying gold stands against the window side of this corner, it had clothes hanging from it, dress clothes and that kind of thing, while her folded clothes were in a extra desk, a lamp on top of it with another small stack of books.

Somewhere in the background was the sound of a generator that runs on fuel.

Anju takes her coat off and hangs it on a hook on one of the other windows, one only you would know was there if you were accustomed to the place. When she was comfortable she goes to her kitchen and poors a glass of water from a jug that was half froze. She didn't mind the ice so she carries it to her livingroom and puts it down on the table before picking up a book.

Anju spends next hour reading, sipping water, and unwinding from the day. When it became too dark to read without light she puts the book down and turns the radio on, listening to the news and some music while she made herself a meal. She had mini fridge that could keep the nessecities cold, but she was limited in space, but it worked. In the winter though, the cold air was enough to keep leftovers. Tonight was McDonald's. She has to plug her microwave to use it, but it was better to do that than leave it plugged in.

It was dark by the time she was done eating, and she turns on some lights before she looks for something else to do. She eventually settles back on the book, clearly interested in the story.

Mordecai ran across the area as silently he could, once at the building he tried something he could not do before. "I saw spider-man do it once..." He put his hand up on the wall but it did not stick. "Not yet it seems, I once saw a lizard climb a wall before maybe if I think of a way, perhaps suction." Try...again... Mordecai shrugged and put his hand on the wall and it stuck he slowly climbed up the wall chuckling. He went around the wall looking for weak points. He saw a wooded up part of the wall. He pulled it off and crawled inside. He webbed it up thickly keeping the draft out."There that will keep the draft out." You may have sealed us in here... "Crap your right let me open it up." He looked around in the inky darkness. As he climbed back up the wall he inadvertently knocked loose a board and he came crashing down. He slammed on his back hard. Now you got us into the oven human...

Before Anju could return to her book, there was a loud crash in the area downstairs. Anju jumps to her feet and stands there for a short time. The hum of the generator continues, but she knew that kind of crash wasn't some lost squirrel. She rushes to the top of the stairs and peers into the darkness. The behind her only reaches half way down the stiarcase, but she had a good idea how to light up the downstairs. Her eyes change again as fire appears at her sides in her hands and jumps the whole set of stairs. Her wings spread open but only to catch her in mid fall and land her safely on feet. They tuck into themsleves and behind her as she makes herway though the shadows towards where she thought the noise had come from.

Morecai saw light, if he would try to escape she would see him. "okay...." he whispers. He jumped on the ceiling and attempted to hide in a corner. It seemed he would be caught if she came over and looked up. Then he had an idea, but then she would know if it was him. He had planned on making a noise elsewhere in the room. He silently would wall crawl if she came to close to him. "Way to go...Mort...day was good...but I think your night is going to end up in flames..."

Anju moves in on his corner, and holds out her flames to light the way, she looks around but on the ground level. Behind unknown objects, under dusty tables, burning cobwebs up as she looks into things that someone might hide in. Her final search leads her close to the corner he hides in, but not in the corner itself. Her eyes glow with anger and her face was slightly twisted with frustration, all which he could see because her flames. She stands up from a crouched postion with her arm raised. While he had a nice view of her back and the folded wings, the fire comes dangerously close to his suite as her arm is raised to light up the way.

the suit began to hiss at the flames. "yeah that will help you and I alot..." In almost a moment he jumped clear across the room. "Hey you listen, i followed you for a reason, so don't set me on fire okay." Having this human as a host is dangerous. He shushed thee suit as he wondered how she would react. He could just burst through the wall but that would destroy her home. "I'm out of ideas, how about you." I think we should just burst through her wall... "Yeah and then she will destroy us."

Anju hears the angry hiss and whips around to see the masked man on the wall. Her face goes from anger to shock as she sees him. She takes a step back, her wings naturally opening slightly to be ready to run. But suddenly he was on the other side of her, explaining that he's followed her. The fact that there was a reason behind it made her tense up. She was frozen for a minute, desperate.. She needed to get away. NO! She needed to fight! Her eyes were wild as she was poised to do just about anything.

She could hear him speaking to someone, like a mad man, but her mind filled in the blanks and fear overwhelms her. They've found her. She starts to breath heavily and then tosses the ball of fire in her hand in his direction, but it lands more to the left and into a metal container full of cobwebs which crackle in the fire until it burns out. In the meanwhile she flees, quickly she makes her way towards the light of her home, not yet thinking about how she may not see it again. Rusty metal slices through her jeans and leaves bleeding gashes in her legs, but she ignores the piercing pain to get away.

"Hey wait...I just wanted..." He saw the fire ball miss completely. He quickly jumped away and web swung in front of her. "I just wanted to tell you, you have a friend, we aren't all like that. Look I willing got in front of your blast range to say that." Moredecai seemed to be not afraid of her but respected her. He could see the rage in her eyes. Hopefully it will calm her down. The suit retracted to under his clothes but it covered his face still. "Need more proof I have no protection."

Anju stops when she see's the shadow block out the light from upstairs in front of her. She stops hard enough for her hair to fly forward and into her face slightly. Her eyes were now a cold steel color and were full of fear. When he grabs her by the shoulders she flinches and throws his arms away from her."Don't touch me!" She demanded, but her flames were not seen. Just a frightened child. She grabs one of her shoulders as the other arm wraps around her stomach and she hugs herself. She turns away from him and tries to recall what he was going on about..

"Who are you?" She asks from over her shoulder. The light from upstairs made her just viseable to see, but not her face anymore. "What do you want, why did you follow me?" She didn't trust him, she didn't trust anyone anymore. "What do you want from me?"

"I want nothing from you, just to let you know, you have a friend and shouldn't be alone out here..." He jumped over her head and began to walk away. "I saw your wings they are beautiful they remind me of my owl, Wade, speaking of which I have to feed him." He turned back to her and walked up to her. He took her hand and put a card on it. "If you need help just call me maybe." You are awful...just awful... "He you can find another host...I look silly now don't I? Well let me explain, the suit that I wear is a live, a parasite if you will. I am his host, in return for being his host he gives me abilities. I am human you see I am not like you gifted by genetics, or gifted by science or magic, just a ordinary human." He looked at his feet and then up at her face it was shrouded in shadows. "If I must I will forget this place..." He turned again but as he stood he realized he didn't have a way out. "Could you do me a favor and let me out hehe errr...." He twiddled his fingers.

Anju only tenses up when he mentions her wings, suspicion coming back to her. She didn't know what he was saying after that meant, but she knew what a host and parasite was. From the shadows she was sizing him up. At the end of the speach she didn't know what to think, he was either a very foolish man, or a very good actor.

"They aren't beautiful.." She says coldly and then looks at the card in her hand. It was too dark to see.. She returns her hand to her shoulder for a long minute, before turning around and leading the way upstairs.

Mordecai followed her up the stairs. He clicked a button on his beeper. "I will show you Wade, my owl, and then you can see your wings as I do..." He wanted to not ignore her but to encourage her. He bit his lip and the suit came over him again. "There that's better lovely home you have here...is there a place my owl can come in and greet you?" Mort had a feeling she would like him he was sure. He was a Great Horned Owl. "he will be coming soon, when I'm out he follows me around, the city. He pushed a button again to give off a sonar. "There that should be suffice, wait until you see him hehe."

As she moves up the stairs Anju looks down at the paper he had given her. However when the attention was back on her wings she felt anger and suspicion bubble up inside her again. And not even his casual compliments to what she's done with this old piece of crap building didn't help to put it aside. Why was he so obsessed with her wings if he wasn't a part of them. "They're not beautiful!!" Her wings extend a forth of the way as she tenses up. They were stone grey, and dull, but with a dull shine. They were shaped like ordinary wings, with feathers and everything, but as they moved just the slightes sounds of metal. While the moved like hair standing on end on a cats back, she bangs both her hands on the metal desk. It echos through out the fairly empty room. The lights start to flicker before the they go out, in the distance the generator could be heard stuttering. Anju's head had been down but her head quickly comes up when the lights go out. A soft gasp comes out of her as she looks back over her shoulder, moving the wing so that she could try to make out her univited guest's silohett. The moon was full and beautiful and shown through the dirt caked windows enough to give the sahpes in the room a different shade. He could see her like a shadow, or sepcfically the large wings.

Anju begins to have flashbacks... Her breathing quickened and she began to break out in a soft sweat, only making the cool air in the room feel colder. Her body was tense and she tightens her fists to the point of crushing the card that was still in it. It and her slightly paniced breathing was the only thing that could be heard.

He looked at her wings."They aren't that bad...but if you insist. Are you all right...I know you are scared." Mordecai thought what he did best and what he would want when he is scared. He thought about it then decided he would. he hugged her exposing himself to danger once again. "That's what would make me feel better." He could feel her shaking from the panic attack. "You can hug back if you like you don't have to be alone anymore, i know it seems strange for a person to act like this but I've been here before, scared and alone. Why don't you come and live with Wade and I? I could use the company and it's a nice place. I take care of young animals as a job." He continued to hold her until she asked him to stop.

Anju watched as the shadow of the man moves closer. And she flashes back to the past. She wasn't afraid of the dark, but what was in the dark. How many of them were there just waiting for her. It didn't help that she could light up the sky and reveal them all. The floor creeks under his weight as he moves towards her. She could hear him talking, a man's voice, a gentle voice. Something in it she could believe, even if her past told her to not.

A few seconds later she feels his arms around her. Her first instict was to get away, and she does try to escape, but he hadn't been done with the hug yet and pulls her into his arms. It didn't stop her from panicing, and she trembles still as she looks up at the man that held her. She has her hands folded between her and him and she pushed against his chest but as a reaction not trying to get away (bracing herself). Her eyes were wide but only a sliver of moonlight from a broken out window would show in her feared eyes as he tried to sooth her. He'd feel her arms relax a little bit as he continues to talk, but she doesn't answer.

Moredecai felt her relax her arms. the air seemed to be cold as he left from the hug. The cold air around them rushed in and put an icy grip around them "You don't have to answer and you don't to trust me, but I ask you give me a chance." A beeping sound came from his beeper. "He's here I love that bird." He walked a bit downstairs hearing the floor creak beneath him realizing the danger she was in if she lived here. He also saw a little bit of blood there. he nodded and looked at the webbed up area, moved it away. He waited a moment then saw Wade circling the building. He called out to him and he landed just inside the house. Mordecai held his arm out and he leaped onto it. The suit exposed his arm to reveal a padded area for him to stand on. He brought him upstairs to show her. "This is Wade." He smiled a bit behind the mask. The bird opened his wing and cleaned them with his mouth. "I was thinking of making him a costume as well. What do you think? I'm sorry my name...is Noctuam...you can call me Mor...Noctuam. Would you like to hold him?"

Anju looks back at him, her eyes couldn't find his so she just stairs at the things that best represent his eyes on the mask. She felt the brush of his hands against her bare shoulders and felt the comfort in his arms. She backs up though when she hears the beeping, and right into the desk behind her. She was more startled than scared, but tenses up when she hears him comment about 'him' being there. Her heart pulsed again and she follows him to the top of the stairs and watches him dissapear completely in the shadows. She lets her eyes look up at the moon through the dirty windows, or at least the light of the moon.

As she stares out the windows she thinks about what's happening. Actually, she didn't really know what was happening at all really. A strange guy saw her at the subway and followed her home, and after he breaks into her home he asks her to come live with him? And the funny think about all of this? She honestly believed she could trust him. For now at least...

She glimpses something shinning on the steps, somethint that was liquid that shimmers under a broken window's light. Blood. She tenses up and looks down at herself, remembering the painful scratches on her legs, sure enough her boots wore torn up, but her skin was already healed up. Though the blood remained. She curses under her breath and goes to the bedroom corner and sits on her hammock to quickly get rid of the boots and blood before he can see it. Her pants and socks were ruined as well, but she could do nothing about the pants. She manages to get the boots and socks off and the blood cleared up before he comes back.

Anju was pushing the legs of her pants back into place when she hears the stairs creeking under the masked man's weight again. She stands back up pushing her wings back into place as she gets to her bare feet. She kicks the bloody boots and socks back into the shadows of her bed before he was at the top of the stairs. If his eyes were already adjusted he'd see be able to see her semi-clearly, in any case she moves closer to him and his pet so that both of them could see her. (Not that it's hard to see her pale skin in the moon lit shadows)

As he came closer she noticed the owl fairly quickly. "So this is Wade." She says as he introduces him, she watches as the owl naturally cleans his wings. He was right, Wade's wings were beautiful, and she didn't even have to touch them to know they were soft. But her's were nothing like Wade's. She was thankfully distracted by the stranger's comments about making him a costume. But she didn't really know what to say about that. She was able to push it aside for now the moment he also introduced himself. 'Noctuam..' That probably wasn't his real name.. That only leads her to think about her own name. She couldn't risk giving him her real name yet... "Black Phoenix.. You can just call me Phoenix if that's easier." She says then turns her attention to the owl again. She was still on the fence about all this.. Really, she wasn't even sure what she was thinking by thinking about really going through with it. He was a stranger, and he could be worse... A spy, a tactic, or someone they've tricked. If so, this place wasn't safe anymore..

Mort could see she was still skeptical over him, but that was expected. He pulled out a perch for Wade to rest on, as he set it up. Wade flew around the room a bit stretching his wings. He looked at Phoenix and then flew down and rested on her wings. Mort did not realize this until he finished setting up the perch. Wade hooted in response to him as if telling him "no I like it here".

"Wade you can't sit there it's rude." Mort wanted to reach for him but feared he would make a mess as he may be scared and release his bowels and ruin her wood. "I'm sorry about this Phoenix, if he bothers you try to nudge him off. In any case, we should talk on living with me. This place is dangerous, I noticed your wings, like me this suit can be dangerous and people will one day chase me for it. whether I am alone or not I will fight for my freedom. Don't be ashamed of your gift Phoenix, you have a friend in me..." He looked down and gathered his thoughts realizing it was getting late and he must leave soon. "You can leave with me now or drop by with Wade later?"

Anju is slightly startled as the owl lets go and flies up into the air of her dusty old place. The top floor was kept as clean as what a barn could be with a trained animal still in it. She watched for a moment then turned to watch Noctuam start to put up something. But then she felt the weight of something land on one of her shoulders, the talons gripping something on her wing and making the faintest scratching noise. She looks back at what it was, half worried a hand came from the shadows to grab her again. The wing reacted much the same way. But she saw and heard Wade, and the wing relaxes somewhat. The wings were implanted and acted much like real wings. She was fortunate to never have them clip, but there was a clear sign of aged technology. Or there would be had the light been better.

She was surprised that an animal would feel so comfortable to stand on one, but it was not much more different than if the owl landed on a statue or sculpture that was meant for decorations in a park or lawn.

It was apparent that Noctruam did not intend on this happening, and he looked worried as he saw the owl perching on her when she looked up again. She wasn't really bothered by it, his talons didn't eve hurt... They weren't real wings after all. Just a mechanical modification forced upon her one cold winter Ireland night. That's why they couldn't possibly be beautiful. Sure, vaulable, but not beautiful.

Anju watched as Mordicai talked brought up living with him again, and expressed a litlle more on why she should come alone. How it was dangerous to be alone, how her place was dangerous.. She drifted back into her past again, thinking about how she may actually put him into more danger if she comes with him.. "They aren't a gift either." She says quietly, a hint of coldness returning, and then leads the way to what seems like an ordinary set of windows. She twists a handle and then pushes op the door that she used to get in here tonight, and all the other nights before that. She pushes it up higher and then moves a bar to hold it in place. This was her door, and the way out. She puases for a moment, looking out at the water next to her home. The moon's reflection on top of it. Then, not making eye contact, she speaks again. "...What if I choose not to come... Will Wade be able to get back to you just fine?" She asks, reaching up and trying to pet the owl. Even now, she did not know if she would follow him out of the door.

Mort climbed into the windowsill and turned back to Wade and Phoenix. "Wade you be good, watch out for her. There may be rodents in the harbor area. Sure he will find his way back if he chooses to come back. Just don't forget about me ok?" He jumped out and ran to the nearest building to web-swing. As he swung by he saw in an window a t.v. playing. A child laying on the bed watching the news. "The News in a kids room." The reporter began to talk about the reality T.V. show starring the New Warriors, and she talked about M-Day, and the Hulk recent rages. "I think that guy get's a bad rep...I bet he is a cool guy."

Anju watches him climb through the window and puase to anwer her. She leans on the frame of the window, looking at him as he spoke. The cold wind brushed her hair back over her shoulders. She listens to him talk to the bird, the last bit catching her attention..

She leans over and watches the stranger leap down and take off. Then the place was empty again, only her and the mejestic owl for company.. Part of her questions how long the owl will stay before flying off after his keeper or just flying away. Even at that moment she wonders if he was even there still. But she only needed to glance back to have proof he was.

Anju looks back at the ground, the man was already gone, but her mind was more about what she was going to do.. She looks back at her home, it was a nicely put together place, but he had a point. It was a good wooden floor, but she was not dilussional about the condition this old building was in. 'Dangerous'.. She initially thought this accusation was silly, how she could just heal anything that cut her. But then it occurs to her the roof could cave in..

She looks down at the ground and then back at the window. She wanted to follow Noctruam, and for more reasons than a new place to live. All that he said spins around in her head.. She sighs and closes the door, not wanting her decision to be hastey, she chooses to sleep on it. And seeing how her generator was out of gas, sleep was all she really could do at the moment.

Anju moves over to her pretend dresser and finds a change of clothes. A nightgown. She reaches over her shoulder and coaxes Wade off her wing and onto her arm, then onto the railing close to the stairs. She pulls the perch her guest left over to her bedroom and then changes into her night clothes. It was a silk gown that reached her knees, a light pink color. Nothing too special about it, except she could pull the straps up over her shoulders. She then climbs into the hammock ammong the blankets and settles in. Comfortable she invites Wade in by putting her arm out of the covers. However, she quickly falls asleep, thinking about what she planned to do.

It was late afternoon when Devon first heard the police radio talking about mutants in a New York Subway. It was across town, but he didn't hesitated in gearing up and heading out. He kept his helmet off, but that wouldn't help him hide the rest of his suit. For that part, he wore a long, dark brown trench coat, one that completely covered his body. The suit underneath made him look a good deal larger then he really was, but nothing too out of the ordinary. At best, it would make random street thugs think twice before trying to mug him.

As he threw on the old coat for the first time in a year, he still remember the day he had bought it. Or, rather, the original one, as he had had to replace many coats over the years. Back then, he had thought this added to the image he had been trying to create, a dark spirit of revenge, something intimidating to give credibility to his goal. Now, he actually hated it, it felt more like a symbol of what he had done. But he couldn't erase the past, and the coat was all he could do to hide the suit underneath.

Traffic in rush hour New york did not lend itself to driving, and even a motorcycle that could move in between cars and down alleyways had a hard time moving through the city. By the time he arrived, everything was over. For the police, it might start a short investigation. For everyone else, it was a startling event that would cause excitement for a few days and then be done. For Devon, it was the start of a long night...

As he tracked the two through the streets, he considered what he knew. He was fairly sure they were working together. There was too much coincidence in the two of them just happening to be in the same place at the same time. However, he wasn't entirely sure of their motives. Starting a random fight in the subway seemed a little... minor. But it had almost led to the death of child, and that's why he wouldn't just let them go. They would be held accountable for their actions; No mutant was above the law.

It took hours for Devon to follow the path of the fiery mutant and her spidery friend. Night had long since fallen, and the full moon didn't help his task as much as he would have liked. When he finally arrived at the old abandoned building, he wasn't even sure he had arrived at the right place. It wasn't until he saw the webbing covering a hole in the wall that he knew.

With a little work, he managed to cut through the webbing that was covering the hole that the currently unknown spider mutant had made. Despite the uneasiness he had sneaking into the lair of a pair of mutants, he couldn't help but feel a bit pleased he had even found the place. A year out of the game hadn't slowed him down much, and it helped boost his confidence in his task. As he climbed through the hole and into the building, he issued the silent command to his suit to pull the helmet over his face, protecting him completely.

The dark gloom of the building was pierced only by the faint light of Devon's helmet, but it was enough for him to make his way through the place. He moved silently and precisely, doing everything he could to keep himself hidden. For a long time, he began to believe the place was abandoned, that he had only found the spot where they had taken a temporary refuge. Even when he saw evidence that someone was clearly living here, he was doubtful he would find his prey.

It was with some surprise then that he did finally find one of the mutants. He knew it almost the moment he saw her, considering the wings on her back. In her arms was an owl, which amused Devon at the very least. A winged mutant with an owl as a pet, he supposed it was fitting.

With careful precision, and no small amount of thought given to where her partner might pounce from once Devon revealed himself, Devon withdrew his only weapon from within his coat. There was the faint sound of metal clinking and shifting as the weapon folded itself out to it's full size, and then a thin green laser shot out of the tip and rested itself on the mutants midsection. He took a short breath, held it, and then squeezed the trigger.