Ev's hand closed over the man's wrist, seemingly gently- until the bouncer's face turned red and his lips turned white as Ev gradually applied greater pressure. "The kid was just looking for a bite to eat. No crime in that, is there?"

"Bayonne scum," the man spat. "Elf loving filth!" Ev's smile broadened.

"Now, now, just because I don't like having my drink interrupted," he gave the man's wrist a vicious twist, "doesn't give you the right to call names. So why don't you just sit back down, and leave me in peace, eh?"

In response, the man spat in his face. Ev sighed and pulled a frilly handkerchief out of his pocket with his free hand, and wiped the glob of spittle from his cheek. "Now that, my friend, was a bad idea." He smiled cheerfully and twisted the man's wrist again, dealing him a swift kick to the groin while doing so. The brawler went down, and the bar errupted.

Ev grinned and tossed the kid over his shoulder, unsurprised that the blue haired little freak weighed more than he looked. A gleaming black pistol appeared in his free hand as he leapt across the tables, avoiding bullets and cutlery. The a bullet whizzed by one ear, and the kid whimpered quietly. A boot to the face put one snarling thug out of his misery; Ev pistol whipped anyone in range, not really wanting to kill anyone. The brawler with the broken wrist staggered to his feet, murder evident in every ragged inch of him. Ev reconsidered. Sometimes it was best to do society a favor- and his bullets would be untraceable in the free for all he'd started.

The man went down in a satisfying gout of blood; Ev ducked a thrown chair and high tailed it out the window. With any luck, it would be hours before anyone came looking for him- he'd be checked out of his motel and on his way down the highway before anyone even thought to connect the fight with him. He resettled his hat on his head and set off down a back alley at an easy, ground eating lope. The kid whimpered again, and Ev could feel wetness spreading across his shoulder. He eased his stride a little; no point in sending the boy into shock.

"You didn't get clipped there, didja?"

"...Yes."

"Aw, hells. Don't worry, kid- I'll patch you up when we get back to my place. But we gotta be outta here by evenin', or they'll be after your hide."

"What about you?" The boy had a feathery, fluting voice- it reminded Ev of the grass cats around Bayonne. The brawler in the bar had marked him well- Ev was a Bayonne brat, born and bred and mutated.

"Shit, kid, they're already after my skin. Don't you know who I am?"

"Er...no."

"You've just had the honor of bein' rescued by none other than the one, the only, Evlas Heart- The Black Heart. They've got a bounty on me worth a rentboy in Ravagad and then some. Wanted for murder, arson, and in general makin' a nuisance of myself to the law- you can call me Ev."

"That's nice, Ev. Never heard of you. Thanks, though..." Ev snorted as the kid fainted from bloodloss and shock. Just his luck to get landed with the only person planetside who didn't have a clue who he was. And here I thought my reputation preceded me wherever I went...