Disclaimer: "It's a shame I have to suffer because you can't reach your goals." –Yuki from Fruits Basket.

Profile time again! This chapter, it's time to take a look at Andi's right-hand woman and the resident dhampire, Vampira!

Vampira

Full name: Kristen Taylor Mortisson

Nickname: Kris, Fang

Age: 14

Birth: Septermber 4 Sign: Virgo Element: Earth Planet: Mercury

Hair: Jet black. It's cut short and spikey in the back with long bangs down to her chin in the front.

Eyes: Very pale silver-blue

Family: Nathaniel (father, last name unknown) Cameron Hastings (birthmother) Paul and Cara Mortisson (aunt and uncle/ adoptive parents) Kimberly (older sister)

Mutation: Kristen's odd in that her powers don't all stem from an X-gene. Her mother was a vampire, so Kristen inherited many basic vampiric traits (i.e., enhanced strenght, heightened senses), including the need to drink blood in order to survive and remain mentally sane. Her x-gene mutation manifests as full control over her body's molecules, which combined with her vampiric abilities, allows her to become a smoke cloud or a swarm of bats at will. She can also alter her physical appearance. Her skin is naturally a pale grayish-white.

Personality: Unlike the dark, mysterious stereotype that surrounds her race, Kristen is usually perky and eager to chat, even if she is obsessed with death. Slightly ocd, she sometimes follows around after her housemates and cleans up their "messes". Doesn't particularly like Brownie the pig or Virus. She wants to keep a pet scorpion, but Zartan won't let her. And she thinks all squirrels are evil.

Note: She is bi-polar, which causes her to undergo violent moodswings at the drop of a hat. Also, due to a neurological defect, she cannot express the emotion of sadness, which has profoundly effected her mental state. These psychological problems appear to be hereditary, but officially it remains undetermined.

Learning to Breathe

56. Westside Wonderings

That night, Kristen, Andi, and Bryan stared out at the street from the roof of an empty building.

"Do you think she'll show?" Bryan asked.

"She knows we're here and looking for her." Andi shrugged. "She'll come out."

"I wonder what she's been doing beside defending Morlocks." Kristen mused. "I mean, if she's homeless, she probably doesn't have a job. And with no relatives and no employers…"

"You don't think." Bryan stated.

"It's one possibility." Andi sighed. "I mean, if we hadn't gotten this job, there's no way anyone else would have taken us."

"That seems so dirty, though." Bryan said.

"You gotta do what you gotta do when you're on the run with no job skills." Kris shrugged. "Rona wouldn't be the first teenaged mutant to do so."

"Speaking of Rona, is that her?" the resident shapeshifter asked, looking at a figure wandering out of an alley below.

"Certainly smells like her." The dhampire stared. "Who wants to confront her?"

"We let her come to us." Andi said. "Don't give me that look. I left her a little memo."

Down below, a teenaged girl crept slowly out of the dark alley she'd crashed in for that day. Her shoulderblade-length brown hair was slightly messy, and her clothes were ripped. Still, she had found time to bathe at one of the local community centers, so she didn't smell too bad. And besides, ripped clothes now helped her attract business. Maybe she'd even get to stay all night at someone's house this time. Who knew?

"Still, this is no way to live." She said, a Spanish accent invading her words. She looked down at the ground and noticed something. A fake white rose with a note attatched to it. "What on earth?" She asked herself, bending over to retrieve the silk flower. She unravelled the note and read it aloud.

"Look up?" She blinked, staring at the paper. "But what would be worth seeing on the roof of a…" She stopped mid sentence, noticing for the first time a pale figure with dark hair standing atop one of the vacant structures.

"Guess the rumours are true after all." She sighed. "Better see what the crazy bat-girl wants." She began to walk to the building when someone floated down to her.

"Hello, street-trash." A man's voice mocked. "Took me long enough, but I finally found you."

"Go away, Razor." The girl glared at her pursuer. "You have no idea what's going on around here."

"Oh, I think I do." The Ohio native sneered. "Your little friends have been looking for you. Causing me one massive headache. Especially that blue bitch. And since they've stolen from people, the best way to return the property is to use you as bait."

"That won't work." She stated. "Atlantis won't fall for it and you know it."

"I also know you've been engaging in the world's oldest profession, Corona." He said. "I can bring you in for Solicitation right now."

"But with whom?" She asked, her golden brown eyes gistening. "You have no proof. There is no client. No exchange of money. Not even me standing out on a street corner flagging down traffic. The charges will never stick."

"Maybe, but at least you'll be out of my hair."

"She would be if you'd just get your crazy ass back to Cleveland." The pair looked to see a tall girl with blue skin. Corona noticed Razor do a double take. She rolled her eyes. As she well knew, people and places looked much different at night. Dark seemed more shadowed, and anything light glowed. This was true for Andrea Creed and her physical appearance.

The light blue patterns running along her hairline, neck, shoulders, and arms radiated some kind of inner light, while the dark scales on the rest of her seemed almost navy. Her red-blond hair looked more washed out in the harsh artificial light of the streetlights, but the black stripes in front had a bluish violet sheen to them. Like her vampiric companion (whose pale skin and eyes always glowed at night), she became transformed into something otherworldly when the sun went down. Something that Corona knew that Razor wanted. Bad.

"Do you ever stay home?" The rocker asked.

"Not really, no." Atlantis replied, staring straight at him. "Although the same could be asked of you. What are you doing in Chicago, Razor?"

"None of your damn business." He snarled.

"The lady asked you a question." A boy about Andi's age in a black and green uniform said as he floated down with Kristen. Corona didn't know him, but wagered that Andi and Kristen must.

"You don't have any right to ask either." Razor sneered.

"Actually, we do." Kristen said. "We're here for a paid gig. You're not. We have a base. You don't. If anyone doesn't have the right to be here, it's you."

"What do you want?" The "Kid of Rock 'n Roll" sighed.

"We just want you to butt out of our business." Atlantis said. "Go home and tell those blues buddies of yours to leave the Morlocks alone. They aren't hurting anyone."

"If we're making demands, I have one of my own." Razor smiled.

"Since when did you have the right to demand anything of us?" Kristen glared.

"Since you three decided to ride my ass about finding your 'friend' here." Razor stated. "Now, let me make my demand."

"Whatever." Andi waved. "Demand away, then leave us alone."

"I'll only leave if you go out on a date with me." Razor grinned.

Atlantis' jaw dropped to the floor. Corona burst into a fit of giggles, while Kristen and the new boy both tried to remain serious.

"What?" The hydrokinetic girl yelped.

"One date with you." Razor stated. "Then I'll leave."

"You're an ass."

"And you hardly qualify as a lady, but I won't complain about having dinner with you." He grinned. Andi furrowed her brows and stared him down.

"Fine. Six o'clock sharp tomorrow and Tony's By-the-Slice. Don't be late." She said. "Now go."

"With pleasure." He smiled, took a bow, and floated off. "Another time, Corona."

"Not if I can help it." The Hispanic mutant grumbled. "Jerk."

"No objections here." Andi stated. "Rona, We've been looking all over for you!"

"Well you found me, now go." She snapped back. "I'm doing fine on my own."

"Oh really?" Kristen raised an eyebrow. "And you're reallly okay with living this way?"

"It's stable." She snapped.

"No, it's not." Andi countered. "You've been homeless for months, and now you're resorting to this? Why didn't you contact the others? Surely one of them…"

"They're all busy." Rona said. "And Van's got more hands than he needs trying to open that shop of his. Nobody wants me."

"Then you haven't asked the right people, Rona." Kristen said. "We want you. We've always wanted to keep in touch with you."

"And we all see how well that worked out." The brunette snorted.

"How were we supposed to call when you never gave us a number?" Andi asked. "Look, why don't you just crash at our place tonight and we'll talk this whole thing over in the morning. There's no sense arguing at this hour."

The energy-wielder thought the offer over. She wasn't the type to impose on anyone, and she didn't like to owe favors. But it would give her a chance to have a hot shower and a bed not shared with some creepy middle-aged man. Besides, Andi'd never led her wrong before. The blond may be crazy, but she wasn't much if not loyal.

But did she want to go along?

"Just tonight." Corona managed a resigned sigh. "But I'm not joining some superhero league."

"Who said we were heroes?" Kristen grinned.

"Who is your friend?" Corona asked. She still didn't know the name of the young man with the two girls. Andi looked flabbergasted.

"Oh, how rude of us! Bryan, Corona. Corona, Bryan."

"Hey." Bryan nodded. Corona grinned.

"Hey yourself, now where exactly is your base?"

"Follow us." Kristen smirked. "We'll be there in no time."