Miami, Florida.(For Mature Readers)

The beach side markets streets of Miami were bustling with activity, despite the warn summer heat thousands of tourists and locals crowded the streets, taking in the sites, and enjoying the sandy white beaches. The majority of the people were dressed down to soak up the rays and enjoy the water, wearing bathing suits and using little modesty. At most, a few wore button up Hawaiian patterned shits, left undone.

However one individual was bundled up like it was fall in Canada, a young male teenager wore a large bulky sweatshirt with cargo pants and sneakers. His sweater's hood was up and his head was tilted down to hide his face, his hands were kept in his pockets.

Needless to say, the many tourists, sweating and enjoying the various cool treats stared in shock at the boy, bewildered by the fact he wasn't passing out from the heat.

The boy ignored the stares and move from stall to stall, never stopping, never buying anything until one of the vendors suddenly grabbed the boy. "I saw that!" The giant man said, he was at least 6'4, his arms were extremely muscular despite his beer gut. His whole head was shaven, and slightly sunburnt. He had a mean look about him. "You took that apple." As it so happened the man was running a fruit stand, mostly selling things like pineapples, oranges, and coconuts which were all grown locally, but he had other products.

The muscular man pulled at the boy's hood and gasped in shock, releasing the boy. The boy was covered in bight green scales, his eyes were bright yellow, and he didn't have a hair on his head, not even eyebrows. The boy freaked and reached for his hood, but it was too late. All around him, people saw and were screaming. The muscular vendor had regained his senses and reached for a base ball bat.

The boy was so shocked by everyone seeing him, he didn't notice the muscular man swing the bat, the wood strong the back of the boy, and snapped in half from the force, the wood splintered everywhere. The man screamed in pain as he cradle his hand, it was like hitting a cement wall. Despite this, the body did fall to his knees from the shock. His back ached, he may not have broken anything, but it still hurt.

A few other guys took the initiative from the vendor and began to kick and punch the reptilian boy and began forcing him to the ground. Many people started calling the cops on their cell phones, not to report a beating, but a monster attacking vendors.

''Wynowski, Nina.'' she said politely, submitting her name along with her food order at a small stand surrounded with wooden benches and tables. The cashier took her counterfeit bills and slid them into the register, handing her a receipt with her order listed on it in neat black print. Hot dog, fries, and a malt shake; vanilla.

She slid onto a bench and pulled off her backpack, letting it fall to her feet as she slumped over the hot wood of the table. Seagulls cried out above her, tourists meandered and mixed around her, and even though she looked exactly like everyone else, she felt exposed. Her skin pimpled with goosebumps in the humid weather, her hands balling into fists as she was slowly overtaken with a fear that crawled up her spine, sliding into her veins like ice water. Her number was called, and the nervous inkling she felt fell away like sheets of thule. A sun burnt teen brought her her order, and she devoured it happily. The only downside to living on the road alone was the fleeting opportunities for a good meal, especially when you have to walk everywhere. The hot food and cool drink were filling to her shrunk stomach, and once every morsel had been eaten, she threw her trash away and began to walk down the sidewalk.

Sweat beaded and slipped down her under her down and fur vest, her combat boots now a nuisance as opposed to an asset, heavy and bulky on her small feet. The sun threatened to burn her forehead and scalp, so, against her better judgment, she pulled her hood over her head.

Soon after her walk had commenced, she came upon what looked like a mugging. No She thought Its too many people... Her hero instincts piqued, and she raced over to the knot of people, shoving pedestrians aside as if they weighed no more than a sheet of paper. ''Hey! Stop it!!'' She bellowed, knocking more people aside to reach the victim. ''Fuckin' savages!'' she growled, showing no care as she threw them aside like forsaken dolls in a playroom.

The victim was green.

She paused, the rest of the surrounding attackers fleeing from the violent girl who could toss them around like bits of string. ''Damn...'' she said quietly, grabbing him by the upper arm and hoisting him to his feet. She soaked in the look of him, raising an eyebrow before exhaling with relief. He was freakier than her, and she took solace in that. A fellow outcast. ''You alright brother?''

A rib cracked as one of the boots found a sweet spot, despite his tough hide, being continuously kicked in one post finally dealt it's damage. Voth Groaned, but no one stopped, in fact, his painful moan seemed to be a fuel to their fire, the kicks seemed to come faster and faster, then all at once they stopped. The pain was great, and with the kicks stopping he could truly appreciate how badly they had hurt him. To his great surprise he was suddenly lifted to his feet like a rag doll, his ribs cried out in pain, and so did he. It was a woman who had picked him up and scared off his attackers.

He could see one man, sprawled out on a collapsed wooden table, she had clearly thrown him a side and he had crashed into a vendor. Voth focused on the woman, she was cute, really cute. Same height as him, a brunette. Her eyes were grey, which were kind of odd, the yellow eyed lizard man though with out realising the irony.

She asked him if he was alright, Voth immediately came up with several clever retorts, but all he could do was groan in pain. Suddenly his left eye began to sting, Voth realised his head was bleeding, but he couldn't tell how bad or wear, all he knew was blood was getting into his eye.

His scales instinctively turned a dark brown, no longer covered up, or in the shade, Voth's reptilian DNA began to absorb the energy of the sun, he instantly felt a jolt of energy run through him, he felt more active, but the pain in his ribcage was stopping him from running anywhere.

"Thank you." The lizard boy finally managed to say, before sirens could be heard in the distance. "I... have to run." Voth said through great pain.

Nina grinned and gently put his arm around her shoulder, looping hers around his stomach. ''No offense, but I don't think you will be running any time soon.'' She slowly took a step forward, guiding him away from the mayhem that was now this street and its shopping stalls. People groaned as they rose from where they had been thrown, massaging bruises and tending those more wounded than themselves. Some backed away or parted in fear, others glowered. She stuck her tongue out at them, then flipped her hair in defiance.

''So...'' she cooed, careful not to test his injuries, ''What's your name?'' As they made their way, footstep by footstep, it began to dawn on her just the lifestyle she had chosen for herself. She could be a hero now, and even with small little events like this, maybe she could make a difference. ''I'm Nina. Nina Wynowski.'' She gave a soft smile this time, earnest as she peered into his face, saddened as it contorted in pain. Even though he was a bit scratchy, scaly, and can change color, he was attractive, and she felt her cheeks heat and flush. Are these the kind of guys a heroine gets...? She pondered, before quickly realizing she didnt really care all that much.

Suddenly the woman's mannerisms became gentler, kinder, she seemed to realise his pain and quickly gave him her shoulder. She was more than just strong for her size, she was super strong. Appearance wise, she looked like a typical girl, though above average in looks, she just didn't look tough. Her arms were toned, but not bulky, yet some how they supported him like he weighed nothing. Still this was hardly on his mind at all, what was truly on his mind was a mixture of fear and arousal.

Any minute now, police could descend upon them, releasing a hail storm of bullets, yet part of him couldn't get over how close she was to him. Their bodies were pressed against each other and her face was only a few inches from his, she smelt good. Had he the ability to blush he probably would.

She asked his name which snapped him out of his trance, he give himself a mental shake and smile weakly as she introduced herself. "I go by Voth." He said as he noticed the pain was starting to subside. His healing factor was kicking in and the cracked ribs were already well on their way to the mend. Soon he would be able to walk on his own. He looked Nina in the eyes and cursed his healing factor for the first time.

"You got a place we can hide, Nina? Get out of the public eye?" Voth asked with a smile, still holding on to the young woman.

She paused, taking in his name, his face, all of him, before continuing on their slow progression. ''Sorry, I don't, but...'' She looked around the many buildings, searching for a hotel. ''I can get us a cheap room if you'd like, but probably further away from our little scene.'' A siren bloomed, quietly, but present. The warmth left her, and suddenly her nerves turned steely, her grip more tense and solid. ''Excuse me.'' she said flatly, tossing Voth over her shoulder like a pillow before running down the remainder of the street, using the strength of her legs to push them forward with great force and speed. Her heavy footfalls left spidering cracks in the sidewalk.

In minutes, they had left the town behind, as well as an obvious trail, and once she was satisfied with the distance, she slowed, turning her sprint into an even walk. ''Sorry about the ehm... jostling'' she said sheepishly, using her free arm to scale the wall of a cheap motel, her fingers digging into the wood like ice picks as she climbed. Once they reached the third floor, she eased them both onto a balcony, resting her companion against the railing before touching her hands on the frame of the door. Her fingertips gingerly brushed against the handle, trying it only to find it locked. She cast a nervous glance back at Voth, then back at the door, bending the handle like hot butter before pulling it back, opening up an empty suite.

''Here we are then.'' She smiled and took him upon herself once more, leading him in to sit on the edge of one of the two queen-size beds.

A cheap motel? Voth's mind went to a naughty place faster than the Flash does dishes. He quickly recovered, the ever looming sirens keeping him in reality. "We need to-" She suddenly excused herself and tossed Voth over shi shoulder. To say the very least, this was humiliating.

As Voth was carried like a child, he had plenty of time to think about his situation. He could have thrown a punch at the vendor before he even thought twice about reaching for that bat, if had however, he probably would not have been able to control his strength enough and he probably would have killed the man. Still, if he had just been more, alert, more assertive he wouldn't be the one being rescued by a girl.

Voth looked down at Nina 's... He cleared his throat, maybe it wasn't so bad being rescued. Before he knew it they were standing on a balcony of an empty hotel room. She apologised and busted her way in. Voth shivered as he entered cool air conditioned room. He preferred the warm, humid heat of the beach, still a normal human would enjoy it.

"Thank you, Nina." He said again, his healing factor had repaired nearly all the damage now, "You really saved me. I owe you a lot." He smiled shyly, he had learned in the past to be nice to those who didn't think him a freak. Still, he was eager to change the subject of his embarrassing situation. He walked over to the mini fridge in the room and opened it, fully stocked. Nice. He grabbed a can of twenty dollar mixed nuts and began eating, he was famished. He paused, remembering his manners, swallowed and turned to Nina.

"Want anything?" he asked with a small smile, "They have lots... though mostly alcoholic drinks." Shit, I hope she doesn't think he's trying to get her drunk.

She stretched out her arms high above her head, then slipped her pack off onto the bed, kicking off her shoes. The air conditioning was a refreshing breath of cold, feeling delightful as she took off her down and fur vest before looking back to Voth. His cheeks were full of nuts like a squirrel, and she giggled, hiding her flushing smile with her hands. ''Nothing for me, thank you.'' she peeped out, unzipping the main pocket in her pack before tipping its contents onto the bed.

Bottled water spilled out, along with packs of chips, plastic wrapped cakes, candy bars, and other things like vitamin pouches and protein supplements. She pawed through them slowly, selecting a cream-filled cake and began unwrapping it slowly, as if to savor its feel and scent. As she took small, delicate bites of the moist cake, she dropped the remainder of her treats and supplements all back into her pack, all except a bottle of water, which she opened and took a sip of. ''I'm all set.'' she said, her mouth full of the cake, and as she took a second bite, cream as well.

(By the way, I just want to clear up something I noticed you post earlier. Voth actually has very smooth skin, like a snake or a gecko, not rough like a bearded lizard or iguana)

Voth at down on the bed, "So, you clearly have super strength, and a good amount of endurance, that's pretty cool, no that's a lie, it was really cool. You tossed those jerks like they were children. Not only that, but you still look so... normal... No that's not right, you're definitely pretty than a normal person, but..." Voth got all flustered and shut up. Why did it had to be so awkward to be young? Please tell me it gets easier...

After a minute he composed himself and continued, "Clearly... I am a Lizard man." He smiled as a she took a bite, getting some cream on her lips. It was really cute. "I owe you, a lot. Either that crowd would have killed me, or the police would have hauled me off to be dissected. I really want to know more about you, your powers, and why you helped me... But to be fair, I'll go first. As far as I can tell, I'm a mutant, and a runaway. Apparently it's pretty cliché."

He examined her worn back pack from afar, "You also seem to be on the move, Nina." He nonchalantly commented, not really thinking about if it was something he should talk about or not.

She nodded and shoved the rest of the cake in her mouth, chewing frantically before washing down the remainder of the cake with a few sips of water. ''Well... where to begin.'' she sighed, leaning back on an arm as she took another swig from her bottle.

Nina glanced at him before taking a heaving breath. ''I saved you because you're like me.'' she said simply, her gaze steely and her cheeks pale. ''You're different, people are afraid of you, but you're not bad. At least, I don't think you're bad...'' Her brow furrowed slightly, then she let go of her suspicion. ''Sorry,'' she waved a hand ''I'm still very new to this, so I can't quite tell friend from foe yet.'' The gears in her mind turned slowly, chewing over the possibility that Voth was a hitman, maybe sent to kill her or recruit her for something else, but she let it go; she was too small a hero, only in the paper once, in Ohio, after stopping a bank robbery. Aside from her own lack of fame, he seemed too nice, he's had dozens of chances to take a shot, but he didn't. He offered her canned nuts instead.

''I ran away from home, two years ago...'' she muttered, looking at her own feet. ''I always had my powers, but it's like... the older I get, the more powerful I get. I stay on the move so I can cover more ground, find a place to settle down. One single city where I can stop. Protect it, spend my life fighting for my people.'' She took a long gulp of her water, draining half the bottle before she capped it and set it down beside her, folding her hands in her lap. It was a few moments before she spoke again, this time more stable. ''Haven't found a place yet though. I want to be one of the big-time heroes, one of the greats, you know?'' Her eyes lit up, her fists now clenched, punching at a villain in front of her that wasn't really there. A grin spread across her face as she stood up, this time engaged in a full fight with an apparently invisible foe. ''My name will be mentioned in the same breath as all the big shots, just watch!'' she giggled, giving a high kick that connected with the pole of a lamp. As it began to topple, she stopped her one man fight and caught it, straightening out the kink in the metal stand her boot had left with her fingers. She chuckled nervously before setting it back in it's place. ''Expect to see me in the papers pretty soon.''

Voth watched the girl with amusement as she started to destroy the room fighting an invisible fore, she was too cute for words. She caught herself before she did any real damage and calmed down a bit. He leaned back on to the bed, it was a nice queen size with a calming green bed sheet set. It was considerably softer than cement, which Voth greatly appreciated "Hero..." He said the word casually.

"Super heroes in real life are nothing like the comics." Voth frowned as he spoke, "Sure there are a few who genuinely want to help, but really there isn't much we can do. While on the run, I did a lot of research in public libraries."

"In the comics, heroes rarely die, usually only for a ratings boost, and eventually come back in a story a few issues later. Hell, some die more than once. For some, it's a staple of their character." As he spoke, his scales slowly faded, the were instinctively starting to change to the same green colour as the sheets he laid on. "In reality, heroes die a lot. Very few are bullet proof and all it takes is a skilled sniper or a bomb in a car... Hell most villains are killed by the police snipers before heroes even show up on the scene."

He stretched out and stared at the ceiling, "I don't mean to bum you out, but most of the "Greats" these days are only thought of as being great because they are basically sold that way to the public. They sell themselves to Hollywood, agreeing to do all the publicity stunts they can. They have surgeries to be as attractive as possible, most girls end up with breast implants. They do guest appearances at big profile events, and talk shows. Hell, most of them have sponsor logos on their costumes like NASCAR drivers, and do commercials."

Voth glanced over at Nina, "I met a super in New York, but she spent most of her time doing community services, and helping the less fortunate to just get some food or clothing. Do you know why?" He laughed a little, "Cause we do more harm than good when we fight crooks. A good example is you, you helped me out a lot, and I will be forever grateful, but did you notice? At least three people had broken wrists or ankles from being thrown by you, and that's the only the things I could see through the blood. Not only that, but you took your time, you weren't overly rushed. Imagine if they had a gun to my head. You would have dashed at full speed, tried to stop them before you took my head off. You know what you would have done? Probably killed someone by mistake while trying to disarm them."

He sat up, why was he lecturing her? He had no idea, but he couldn't really stop. "That's why more than 80% of cases caught by vigilante super heroes are thrown out before they each reach court, and less than half that do actually get a conviction due to some technicality. Not only that, but all it takes is one accidental kill, hitting a normal human just a little too hard, and we're the criminals."

"You want to be great? Go to Hollywood. You want to do some good? Join the military super division, you'll be a tool of the government, doing things that are probably sketchy, but at least you're doing it for your country. Me? I just don't want to be killed in my sleep, and most of all, I don't ever want to hurt anyone again." He looked down at his sneakers in disgrace.

He didn't tell her, but he had killed someone, and paralysed another, a few weeks ago. He too wanted to be a hero when his powers first appeared, and it ruined two lives. All over 42 freaking dollars.

"I'm sorry. Really I am, you were very kind to me, and yet I said all that to you. You probably think I'm the most ungrateful person ever. Truth is, I am grateful you played a hero. You saved my life, that's a debt I probably could never repay. If you really want, you could try and change everything. Be a real life Wonderwoman. Or hey... if you do go to Hollywood, at least you wouldn't need any surgery. You're naturally really pretty and photogenic." Voth tried to smile, and hope she wouldn't be too mad.


(slightly editted to make more sense)

She settled herself against the wall, folding her arms across her chest as she listened to him speak. She barely breathed, her eyelids didn't even flutter as she took in his words. After he had finished, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair.

''Death is necessary, as is injury.'' She said steadily, no waver or inflection in her voice now. The pleasure, the manners, the girl had been stripped away to reveal the cold soldier underneath. ''I fully intend to bring this place to its pinnacle. There will be no more need for people like me when I am done, but until then, I will be breaking legs, backs, skulls, and the lives of those who try and hurt the innocent.'' Her face slowly fixed itself into a mask of anger, her fingers digging into her arms, leaving red welts. ''All of these fakes and posers will fall just as easily as the villains they fight, and everyone will see it happen.'' Her eyes flitted wildly about the room, her feet squirming in her boots. ''This world is rotten, full of death, fornication...''

Dozens of scenarios played out like movies behind her eyes, what she could do and how, when, what would happen to her, her fledgling reputation. A saner voice inside of her stilled this rage and confusion, reminding her that all of this was much bigger than herself, how what she wanted to do was so much less than what needed to be done. She didn't even notice as she began to pace; her childhood idols were no more that sculpted billboards? Impossible, they saved people, they trampled the evil to uphold the good. Right...? Her internal turmoil caused her fist to shoot out into the wall, sending plaster powder and dust into the air in a soft plume as wood chunks and paint fell the floor. She paused before slowly slipping her hand out of the splintered gap near the door, the only damage were a few superficial scratches to her glove.

''I'll be... I am a hero god damnit.'' she spat out bitterly, already conflicted between her love for the greater good, and the heartlessness in herself that had just been brought to light. Her eyes welled with tears as she backed into the corner, hiding her face in her arms as she watched her hopes, dreams, and youth slowly collapse to the ground, just like the painted wood of the hotel walls, or the tears that streamed down her face in hot rivers.

Voth watched with a mild horror as she began pacing. He had pushed the topic too far, he didn't think his words would effect her so much. In fact, all he had done was think about himself. Then she smashed her fist into the wall before moving to the corner and making distinctive sounds of crying. Voth rose slowly, carefully. He knew she could crush him if he made the wrong move, but he couldn't leave a girl hurting like that.

No matter how powerful, how strong a woman appears, they can still be hurt emotionally, and some how, Voth had found her Achilles heel. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, not trying to scare he came closer and gave her a small hug from behind. "I'm so sorry. I... I didn't mean to... I'm sorry. Look, I could say I was lying, I could try and spin it so they don't seem so bad. But the truth is, a lot of them are just in it for the money and fame. But... I believe that you want to make a difference." His eyes fell on the whole in the wall. "I really believe you mean that, so maybe you can change how things are. I mean, you are already a hero, you saved my life, remember? You're a hero."

He kept hugging her, hoping it would some how stop her tears... There was no fathoming the deeps of regret he felt for making her cry.

Nina slowly turned, resting her head on his shoulder as her arms snaked around his back, clinging to him. It took restraint to not hurt him, but she couldn't help but squeeze.

Her lungs burned as she plugged up her sadness, her eyes ached and her temples throbbed from her mind battling itself for what to do. It all seemed so broken now, so simple and so bare. True heroes were hard to come by, if they existed at all. Would she become one of them? Would she fall into the temptation that is money and attention, or would a greater darkness swallow her up like an hors d'oerve? The fragility of her future felt like a bird, its tiny chest pounding from fear in her open palms. She had the strength to hold it until it was ready to fly away, or crush it into a mass of fluid and pulpy, splintered bones.

The tears stopped, but she still snuffled and whimpered, her lungs heaving like bellows. She didn't want to move, the warmth of another body against hers was too tempting to simply release. It had been years since she had been truly embraced, and the solitude had eroded her somehow, making this simple hug a complicated knot of need, want, depression and pleasure. An urge to cry welled up in her again, put she pushed it down into the pits of her stomach. ''Sorry...'' she peeped, nuzzling her face into his chest. His skin was smoother than she thought, and she ran a hand over it, perplexed by it before realizing what she was doing. ''Sorry.'' she said again, this time a little louder.

Voth was surprisingly durable, he had been shot a few weeks earlier, and despite a bruise, he was fine, The baseball bat didn't even really hurt, in fact, it took ten or so men continuously kicking him while he was down to finally hurt him. On top of all that, he had the strength to tear through stone with his claws, and pick up a small car and toss it. Yet this girl, she made him feel weak, both literal and metaphorical.

As she returned the embrace, and used his chest as a pillow, her squeeze was strong enough to bring a man to his knees, but is was her tears that truly weakened him. Voth relaxed some as she suddenly became gentler, she apologised, Voth felt it unneeded and he prepared to tell her when he noticed her hand was gently stroking his chest in awe, she was clearly intrigued by it. A shiver ran up his spine as her soft fingers touched his skin. She apologised again and Voth smiled slyly. He looked into her eyes, she was cute, she was hugging back, she was clearly smart, though a little too innocent(though that was good too), and she obviously had a good heart. "Don't be..." He said softly, "It was... nice... really nice..." he noticed his gaze was now focusing on her pink soft lips...

Oh Voth, think carefully, if you kiss her now, you might be taking advantage of an emotionally hurt girl... Still, he found himself leaning a little closer to her... she smelt good. Really good.