The shackles of Sin (R at worst)

He finally had a day off. No more of that damn suit and tie nonsense. Seriously, if he had to wear it one more time, or if he got called in for a meeting it would be more appropriately named "Shoot and die". None should be mistaken that Austyn was a patient guy, and he was, for all practical purposes, a good guy. He hated his work attire with a passion though. Today he wore his usual type of dress code. Jeans and a leather jacket, but today instead of a wife-beater he decided he would make a statement. He wore his "Mutant Equality" shirt and hopped on his Black Widow motorcycle and hit the park.

   Once he was there he had made a point to take his bike and lock it up at one of the appropriate stations as he took his ham, turkey, salami and cheese subway sub by the bridge. He literally hopped up on the stone arch bridging that sat over the little stream and sat on the siding, letting his legs fall over and dangle there as he bit into one half of the sub, keeping the other one wrapped up at the moment. Today was a good day, now so long as another one of those brotherhood idiots didn't try to kill him...or one of those X-douchebags trying to recruit his "assistance" with the eyes of the public. He bit down into the sub and the more he wondered about it, the more he realized that he would need to be prepared.

  "I'm gonna know before anyone attacks me. I'll know fifteen seconds before hand." He said, the tattoo under his arm glowing, but thickly concealed by the leather. He proceeded to nom upon the sub and eat peacefully over the waters.

(nice cycle!)

Skye loved the park, constantly being there when the sun as setting.  Her hair was tucked inside her hoody's hood and she wore the hoody so that if someone bumped into her they wouldn't be electrocuted by her skin.  It was her only source of protecting people even if she did hate humans.  But, Skye did not want to kill someone and go back o the M.R.D, not after what they did to her.  Not after the bangles they placed on her were there.  She hated the bangles, they made her powers weakened, they hurt, they were attached to her bone marrow by needles and her bone marrow was basically electrified.  The bangles thrived on electricity.  Skye couldn't make electrical balls without the bangles drawing some of it into them so the balls never grew bigger than a basketball size.

As Skye walked around she spotted someone eating on the bridge by the water.  Water, she hated that.  She drank it yes, but rain water, lake water, any body of water and she became a live wire.  She would become like an electrical wire in the water killing everything near by.  She hadto cross the bridge though to get to where se had o go and she was afraid.  She did't want to trip and fall in.  She didn't want the male on the bridge to think it was funny and push her in.  So there she stood.

Skye stood at the bridges beginning, staring across it, shaking, her eyes glowing brightly uncontrollably with her fear.  It was clear she was  mutant now to anyone looking due to her eyes brightness, as bright as a flashlight.

Sure enough today was a great day. Someone was going to attack him. Grante,d it was inadvertent, but someone was going to. He looked up and around, trying to get a glimpse of anyone and anything that might be posing a threat to him. The only person he saw was this girl, dressed in a hoodie. A hoodie...on a 78 degree day... Austyn rolled his eyes and sighed, waiting for this girl to attack him. Of course she would make her way, but it became quite clear to Austyn that she was a mutant. He stood up and watched as she began to walk. She seemed to...cowardly to be able to actually be an assailant...so what if it were an accidental attack? What if she were to trip and fall on him? That would count wouldn't it? Rather than get defensive like most people he stood up and stepped aside.

"Fear doesn't compliment pretty faces well." He said, his voice naturally soothing and suave. He smiled as he walked out in front of her and pointed to his eyes. "It's like riding a bike, just look at me and one step forward each time you breathe. One step in, one step out." He was planning on calming her down as she walked, hoping to get her the rest of the way with no incident at all. He smiled at her as she began and he decided to distract her a little, not to taker her focus away, but to bring her focus more to him and put her at ease.

"So what brings you out this way? Decided to go for a walk, did you bring a pet with ya or...?" he asked, hoping that talking about this would take her mind from the worry a little. This form of "kindness" wasn't exactly typical of Austyn, though he could never stand to see a mutant in fear...for whatever reason...

Skye noticed the young man more when he was in front of her and she smiled at his compliment.  It brought her out of her fear trance.  She looked down then at his face before speaking.  "I'm afraid of water, if I fall I could wind up killing everything around me.  I'm a mutant, electrical.  That's why I wear this hoody, if someone bangs into me they won't get electrocuted.  Plus these bangles make my curses's powerful even if they hurt. The needles are down the bone marrow, they eat electricity and my entire body is electrical.  I'm a human lighting bolt basically."

She blushed, but felt good letting someone know her issues and listened to him about taking it one step at a time and began to follow.  She gripped the railing for safety and shook the entire time.  Eventually they both reached the other side.  She wanted to hug Austyn but knew she couldn't.  "Thank you.  I would of never of done that on m own." She smiled and looked overly happy. 

"As for that question, I love central park, people watching is a great way to pass the time.  Being where I live isn't always the best influenced place to be 24/7.  Thank you for helping me.  I'm Skye, or as they call me, 'Live-Wire'"

Well that was more than Austyn asked for, but hey why not? He got her across the bridge and no one died so everything was alright. She confessed that she could have never done it on her own, which made Austyn question her mental stability, though it was mostly him wondering why she couldn't cross a perfectly good bridge. That aside he found himself slightly scared that she might jump on him, she was ecstatic, and not from the electricity. She seemed grateful, which was endearing enough for him, though he wondered why on earth she would have told him everything she had. Openly admitting that she was a mutant was bound to get her a bullet in the head, though he looked down smiling, noticing he was wearing his "MUTANT EQUALITY NOW" shirt. Well that answered one question. Then he had the pleasure of receiving introductions. He generally disliked people, and being around a mutant would absolutely RUIN his image so he did the only thing he could think to.

"So "Live-wire", eh?" He asked, scanning her over with a smirk. "Well, Luckily electricity doesn't hurt me. Nothing hurts me really, electricity or fire, or water or even a train hehe." He said, the tattoo under his arm too well concealed for anyone to see shifting as his power activated, and suddenly he was exactly like his brother in nature, invincibility taking over. He smiled and held out a hand with a huge smile, just like his brother would be commonly seen wearing. "Name's Ryan." he said after he ensured his power couldn't change him further by the statement. He swiftly moved his hand and poked the back of her hand, electricity charging into him, but his body remaining unharmed. He looked to her hand and smirked as he looked up at her with as kind a smile as he could muster.

"So those things. Do they like... hurt?" He asked with a childlike concern, even shifting tone and content along with his vocabulary to play the role of his brother Ryan. In honesty the only difference between them really was their name and the fact that Austyn tended to be a jackass to people he just met. Things were probably better for the woman this way.

When he spoke about how nothing could hut him, Skye froze, hearing those words once and then seeing a dead person beside her.  But here Ryan was, well the name he said it was, holding her hand and not dying.  She felt her body surge electricity into him.  The electrical force attacking; yet he didn't flinch.  A big smile came to Skye's face and she couldn't believe she was touching someone.

"It's been so long since I've touched someone else Ryan."  Skye said and hugged him instantly.  She couldn't help it.  It was amazing that he wasn't harmed.  She wanted to feel his skin.  Kiss his lips, rub his arms, hold hands with him. She did all of this, pecking his lips, rubbing his arms with her hands and grabbing a hand, She was excited and it showed brightly on her face.  "I'm sorry...I did't mean to be so touchy."  She let go when he mentioned the bangles.  

"These...yes.  M.R.D caught me when I first developed my curse.  I woke up behind bars, experimented on.  They pout these on surgically.  The needles go into my bone marrow, sucking up half my power.  It hurts when I try to control my powers.  When I try to use more than I am allowed.  It drains me.  They eat electricity.  I can't touch phones, anything electrical.  The bangles eat the charges.  And every time it hurts.  Why....?"  She asked and a small electrified yellow tear fell from her eyes.   As it did so, the bangles sucked it up.  The tear dripped down her face then shot directly into the left bangle like a power absorb,

Well Jesus this was a wreck. Austyn sisn't really know what to do at this point, he even managed to be taken by such surprise that he didn't remember anything that just happened. So the lady simply came to the conclusion that she can touch someone so now she can just start feeling them up? It's not like Austyn was complaining mind you, but still the sudden breech of space was slightly unnerving. She apologized for being so touchy, but Austyn just stood there and blinked, for the first time in a while he was left completely speechless. Part of him was angry, but most of him was just stunned. He found himself a bright red color, and while he'd like to say it was simply him pretending to be his brother...it wasn't.

She continued on to tell about her bracelets. Turns out those weren't just horrible fashion accessories. Though honestly the only thing on his mind was This pretty, and potentially crazy girl just kissed me... He blinked and sighed after she finished speaking. He shook his head and shrugged. He took her hand and held up he bangle as he looked to it. His mind was spinning rather quickly. He clicked his tongue as he inspected it. "This...is low. Even for the M.R.D" Austyn sneered, obviously fuming that the very people he worked to protect in the "public eye" was doing things like this to mutants. He hated his job as it was, and the bastards weren't making it any easier on his consciousness. He was literally about a year away from that nice house, but with the way things were going at the moment... he wasn't sure he could make it that long. He just wanted this damn war to stop, he wanted Brotherhood Mutants to stop trying to kill him for framing them for problems. Granted, they had every right to try, even as a human Austyn knew that.

"So... without these bangles. Can you control your mutation?" He asked, eyeing it up. He knew already that he could end this "torment" and that this suffering would be put to rest. He could effectively undo the sins committed by his "fellow" man. He smiled as he looked up to her. "If you can control your power...I....might be able...to take them off." He said, he wasn't sure if he could trust her...but he could always undo what wrong was done...couldn't he? He was more interested in her reaction to the thought that someone might be able to end her torment.

"Wait, you can remove them? Make the pain stop?"  Skye asked, her eyes going wider than before.  She once again hugged him, still excited she could feel someone else.  She backed up and blushed, "Sorry, I just haven't touched someone for two years..... Yes, I have learned to control my powers.  I can make my eyes dim or be bright, my body can create balls of electricity ow and I can control them and expand and absorb them.  I still can't have anyone touch me sadly, but I can control. The bangles just dull my curse.  And when I use any electrician power, it hurts."  She sighed and looked down wanting to touch him again but did not.  She felt she had made the entire situation awkward enough by her grabbing and kissing before.

"When I first became what I am, M.R.D captured me did experiments, put these on me... I got out when there was an explosion, I ran away.  I was found by a man and a woman and decided to go with the man so I have a place to live now.  They help me learn control.  But they can't get these off.  They hurt when moved, touched, when I use too much of my curse.  I can't touch cell phones, Televisions, radios, anything electrical.... the bangles absorb the electrical source frying it."

"Woah, woah, okay listen up. First things first, I don't mind the hugs, I completely get it, no worries. Second off, stop talking about the M.R.D alright? I don't mind it between you and I but we're in the middle of public and you're practically saying you're an escaped fugitive with super-powers, and I don't know about you but I just met ya. I'm not ready to give ya up just yet, a'ight?" He asked with a smirk as he started to walk, motioning for her to follow as he started to go off the trail and towards a large tree. He found himself leaning against the tree and crossing his arms, biting his lower lip as he thought for a second, looking around and analyzing the area. He'd listen to everything she said and take it from there. Once she stopped of course, it would be rude to cut her off mid-sentence.

    "So you can't touch electronics? That's a bummer. So when I take these bad-boys off... you're going to be able to control them right? Because I can remove them, but I can't do it if you're going to become a literal live-wire." He chuckled, looking around at the humans nearby that seemed to be distracted by other things. He nodded and looked at her with a smile, awaiting his answer.

"Give me up?  What do you mean...?  You work for them?"  Skye backed up a bit, her eyes wide, that was until he spoke again about taken the bangles off.  He would take them off for her... but why?

"Why would you help me take them off?  You don't know me..  And es I think IO cam control it, but why help me?  Don't get me wrong I want them off with the biggest passion, but why help me?"  She was nervous now, scared that he was with the M.R.D, that after he took the bangles off he'd turn her in just so they could re-torture her and put them back on.  That's how M.R.D people worked, to cause pain in experimenting.

"I was trying to- Never mind." He said with a roll of his eyes. Apparently flirting with someone makes you seem like some form of kidnapper or murderer. Though the next question was the question that really struck him as odd. Why help her? That was a good question. Though his face or body showed no indication of it, he found himself wondering this. He questioned the motives of his own heart. Why was he offering to help her? Is it because he knew he was a mutant? Was it because he knew that she must have suffered and he wanted to do some kindness? Then it hit him, like a knife to the heart.

   "I...I want to help because-" He started off, then needed to remember he was pretending to be his twin. He couldn't simply say "I" because his brother wasn't like that. He would have to say "my brother" to keep Ryan's good hearted nature in tact. "My brother's a monster. He spends every day, day in and day out twisting the glass on mutants and planting evidence on crimes that weren't even mutant related some times. Just so he and his punk-ass senator can blame us for everything. I want to help because I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines and letting my brother do get away with supporting things like these damn bangles. So why do I want to help? Because I don't want anyone else to suffer to those pricks." He huffed, giving what he deemed to be an accurate assessment of his own line of work from his "brother's" mouth. He let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, a quirk that he and his twin shared.

  "I didn't know it was a crime to want to help someone. My bad." He apologized as he leaned back against a tree.

"You have a brother?  What's his name?"  She asked and tilted her head curious.  His story about his brother intrigued her.  She really didn't see why this mad him want to help her but it was interesting to hear.  The story was interesting but something about  it seemed like he as speaking about himself by the way he said it.  Her yellow eyes narrowed a bit.

"Try to take one off.  Let's see what happens. If it hurts too much, then Maybe doing this here isn't a good place. Maybe if you can't get it off safely, you can do it in a hospital?  I can steal supplies to help knock myself out or at least numb the area so it doesn't hurt.  My mom was a nurse so I know where the stuff is kept.  Plus it isn't like they can touch me.  I learned that tazers don't hurt either.  Plus I'll just go in a belly shirt and booty shorts. They touch me anywhere and they will regret it.  We could do that.... What do you think?  Try one tonight?" Skye asked, and took a seat on a bench and smiled hopefully.  She still was confused about "Ryan", not really trusting his story 100%.  Something about it confused her but she kept silent about it.

"The solution to the situation is very simple actually." Austyn said as he sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was how one might have said "sick" of this little routine actually. He truly wanted to help, though it was quite apparent that the woman did not trust him. To be honest, he didn't care. He literally could remove these as if there was no issue, and yet here was a woman who wouldn't give him a straight answer. Damnit, do you want the damn things off or not? If not then they can't be that much of a burden. He thought to himself, keeping his composure throughout the rough and tough parts of his mind. He smiled and rolled his eyes.

   "Look, it doesn't need surgery. Here, watch." Austyn said as he sighed. He didn't care anymore. From under his jacket his tattoo shifted, hidden behind layers of clothing as he spoke the words, envoking his power. "You no longer have the bangles attacked to your wrists. There is not even a trace of them having been there, but your memories and the fact the bangles sitting on your bed." He said. By the laws of his mutation, the Bangles were removed and relocated to her bed, sitting there awaiting her. There would be no scar, no trace of them having ever been there. Only what she had in memories, and the bands which waited on her bed. "There. See, simple as that." Austyn said as he suddenly fell over and grunted as a headache set in, his mind expanding, pressing forward throughout barriers he'd never passed before. He could feel connections, tethering's and calling, a unity and hub between himself and another, and then another.

     What was wrong with him?