[ it takes luke a moment to realise he's lost clarisse. he stops and takes a few steps back to see clarisse push a guy up against the wall with a strength that's not too kind. he thinks of pulling her away — there's no need to make a scene, and people are beginning to turn their heads in her direction as they shuffle by — but it's over before any real damage is to be made. (and it's not damage done to her that he's worried about.) ]

[ the last thing he needs is for her to be cuffed by the new york police department. he doesn't doubt that that won't go down very well, either. clarisse la rue is a fire that can't be tamed, not even by the presence of authority. but he doesn't particularly want to deal with those kinds of mortals. he doesn't exactly have a record, but he doesn't doubt that someone out there still has information on a missing luke castellan (if his mother had been able to pull herself together to file a missing persons report). ]

[ he grabs her wrist and gives her a gentle tug. ] Come on, La Rue. If you beat up every street urchin in the city, we're going to be out here for longer than a day.