>> "Accident. Don't run with scissors."

Chase shuddered sympathetically-- that was stupid. Everyone knew you ran with the blades pointing down, that way if you did trip, you only gave yourself a black eye. Chase figured that he wouldn't have to tell a big kid that, though. Since Locke had opened up the avenue of what had happened, Chase chanced a question.

"How old were you?" Chase breathed. It was all just pieces to the puzzle-- becuase, normally, little kids were given those cheap, plastic scissors, before graduating to all-metal with rounded tips. So, either Locke had been a misfortunate and not-so-intelligent older kid, or someone else had been dumb enough to give a younger Locke a sharp pair of scissors.

>> "A human shifter? Pretty cool business you've got there Chase. You could be your own best friend if you wanted to."

"I guess," Chase agreed, taking what Locke said in the most literal sense of the statement-- he could look literally be his own best friend. He couldn't understand why he'd want to, but it was indeed a possibility. The two of them went into the complex, and Chase followed Locke towards the first door, which had a green man on it. Chase stared at the door decoration crossly.

>> "Ready for your first stop? Knock on the door, and when they open it say Trick or Treat. Oh and hold out the bag. Easiest way of getting candy and a classic. Can't go wrong."

"'m ready," Chase agreed, nodding his head quickly. He grabbed the bag in preparation, moving the fake, plastic scythe aside. He glanced towards Locke for reassurance, before leaving his side, knocking on the door, and returning. Inside, he heard someone shift, and approach the door of the apartment-- Chase held his breath, glancing towards Locke once again, so that he could mimic him.

Sometimes it was easy to forget how gullible a kid can be. The younger you are the less you know about things, and the more you depend on those older to teach you. Locke raised his eyebrows as Chase accepted the bit about scissors and wanted to know when it happened. He hadn't thought that the kid would believe him, since it would have had to have been some jumbo scissors to leave the scars, and who really did run with scissors anyways? Art class never has an emergency where you have to rush across the room because someone got tied up in their Jacob's ladder. Telling Chase that it had been a car accident at this point felt wrong. It would be like lying. "Eleven," he mumbled, not believing that Chase was buying this. OK, so he was still lying. At least with the scissors there was a lesson to be learned. What could Chase get from the truth? Don't go to baseball games?

Trick or Treat Locke mouthed when he caught Chase looking towards him. There was a warmth in his chest as he remembered the first Halloween he went out with his brother and sister. They weren't able to go far, since there was a certain level of skill needed with walking, and a house with too many decorations was frightening when you are still learning letters from fuzzy puppets. Chase was certainly older than Chris and Mai had been their first time, but it felt the same to Locke.

The door opened, causing the plastic sheet to lift slightly, and a man in sweatpants with more hair on his arms than on his head opened the door. A bright orange plastic bowl held the object of desire that night. Skittles, M&M's, Milky Ways. "Who's this?" the man asked, trying to sound like he was scared of Chase's costume. A suspicious look was sent Locke's way, and the teen realized that he was still carrying the pillowcase that Chase had meant to use.

It was the age that tipped Chase off, that made him wonder if Locke was being entirely honest with him. An eleven-year-old, running with scissors, and cutting his face up like that? Hadn't his parents ever taught him any better? Either Locke was lying or just very unfortunate. Chase let it settle. Big kids usually had good reasons for telling tall tales.

Locke reminded Chase if what he was meant to say, and held up Chase's pillowcase. Chase wriggled free of the backpack, and also held it up. The door swung open, and a large, hirsute man emerged.

"Trick or treat?" Chase tried from behind the protection of the hood.

>> "Who's this?"

That enormous guy was really frightened of him? Chase glanced towards Locke again. He wanted to know who he was? Locke hadn't mentioned introductions. Or did he mean, what was his costume of?

"I'm Chase," Chase replied, opting for the safer route of covering both potential inquiries, "I'm the Grim Reaper!"

Chase was doing good for his first time. He said the necessary words for candy and played along with the door guy. A small handful of candy was transferred from the plastic bowl into Locke's backpack. "Well then Grim Reaper, I hope you're off duty," the man joked as he gave Chase the candy. Another glare was given to Locke, who promptly hid the pillowcase behind him. Trick or Treating? Me? No you're thinking of the one armed man. Beneath the cloak's hood Locke face was burning brightly with humiliation. Had it not been for Chase he probably would have knocked on the door himself and have to deal with the too old for Halloween schpeal. If Locke was going to get any sugary treats tonight he'd have to wait for the popular bowl set outside the door.

"Thank you," Locke said to prompt Chase, but also so he would look more like he was taking the kid around. Generally speaking you could get away with being in a costume and going door to door if you were a chaperon for a kid. "Happy Halloween," he said cheerfully, or at least cheerfully for Locke.

"Kid Death you just got your first piece of Halloween candy, what are you going to do next?" he asked once the door was closed, holding out an imaginary microphone to the kid.

The man dealt a handful of candy to the backpack, at which Chase grinned broadly from behind the hood, "Well then Grim Reaper, I hope you're off duty."

The miniature Grim Reaper nodded his head adamantly. Heck, he would be off-duty if it meant getting candy. The man glared at Locke, and the older boy deflated. No candy for him?

>> "Thank you, Happy Halloween."

"Thank you..." Chase echoed in mild confusion, "Happy Halloween."

The door slid shut, and the two boys were left in the hallway.

>> "Kid Death you just got your first piece of Halloween candy, what are you going to do next?"

Chase lifted his head towards Locke, momentarily avoiding the question, indignantly observing, "He didn't give you any candy."

One of the best things about kids was that you could make them happy with the smallest gesture. A smile, a piece of candy, going along with whatever fantasy they were dreaming up. Locke watched with almost a sense of pride as Chase's face lit up like the Fourth of July. Chase remembered his manners with a little nudge. It didn't occur to him that Chase would have thought it odd that Locke didn't get any candy.

So it was a little bit of a surprise when Chase questioned it once the door had closed. "For one I didn't say Trick or Treat," he explained. It was important that Chase understand what the process was for Trick or Treating. Once he had explained about that he had to explain why it wasn't that odd for Locke to not get candy that night. "And I'm getting older Chase. When a kid goes Trick or Treating it's cute and acceptable. When a teen asks, it's iffy. If they have on a pig mask and sound like Grandpa's been smoking too much, well... I'm not the most likely candidate for candy. It's cool though. Someone always has a bowl set out and I could snag a piece from there."

He gestured for Chase to start heading down the hallway to the next door. The problem with apartment buildings was that there wasn't always a clear sign as to who was giving out candy. No porch lights, and for the most part no jack-o-lanterns either.

>> "For one I didn't say Trick or Treat."

Chase sighed. Well, there was that. Why hadn't he said it, then?

>> "And I'm getting older Chase. When a kid goes Trick or Treating it's cute and acceptable. When a teen asks, it's iffy. If they have on a pig mask and sound like Grandpa's been smoking too much, well... I'm not the most likely candidate for candy. It's cool though. Someone always has a bowl set out and I could snag a piece from there."

From behind the drawn hood, Chase frowned.

"That's not fair," he huffed, still indignant. He peered into the backpack, counted out the six candies that had been dealt to him in the man's generous handful. Chase fished in and picked up three, "Here," he said simply, to get Locke's attention. And, before the older boy could protest, he dropped three into the pillowcase, "Don't try to give it back."

Chase was not a selfish child. As far as he was concerned, trick-or-treating was a team effort. It wasn't fair if his partner-in-crime didn't get candy. The two of them trotted to the next door, this one seeming a bit more bleak than the first.

"Who ever said life had to be fair?" he asked. Locke had to hand it to whoever raised Chase. The kid was decent and it bothered him enough that he wanted to give Locke some of the candy he earned. "Chase, it's cool, really," Locke insisted. At the rate Chase was going by the end of the night he'd have nothing left in his bag. Generosity is great, but Locke was perfectly fine with the kid being a little greedy with his candy. It wasn't as if candy had the same importance when you get older. "I wasn't planning on getting much anyways and whenever I take my brother and sister out on Halloween I don't get candy. Keep what you get ok?"

The next door didn't have any decorations and Locke looked at Chase for a second. Should they knock on it? He put a finger to his lips, or where the lips would be if not for the pig mask, to signal that they should be quiet. Listening he heard the muffled sounds of a TV. "Someone's home. Should we try it?" he lifted his hand up to the door, waiting for Chase's ruling.

>> "Who ever said life had to be fair? Chase, it's cool, really-- I wasn't planning on getting much anyways and whenever I take my brother and sister out on Halloween I don't get candy. Keep what you get ok?"

Chase didn't argue the matter. In fact, he made a point of not verbally arguing by puffing his cheeks out at Locke stubbornly, and clutching the top of the backpack shut by hugging it to his chest. If Locke wanted to give candy back, he'd have to force it back into the bag. Locke's comment about life not being fair was totally lost on the child-- despite a difficult early life, he still felt a strong sense of justice.

"I say it has to be fair," Chase huffed, missing the fact that it was a rhetorical question. He'd keep his candy from now-on, but he still felt indignant over Locke's treatment. They moved to the next door.

>> "Someone's home. Should we try it?"

Chase bobbed his head affirmatively. He was eager to get some more candy.

Locke sighed. Chase was going to have to learn at some point that life wasn't always fair. Maybe he had learned it already, but that didn't mean that the kid accepted it. Chances were that Locke was too cynical and was surprised when something was fair. When you are a pessimist any positive moment in your life can be a big surprise and a pleasant moment. Either way Chase was taking the lack of candy waaaay to seriously. "Hm, you're a little late to say things should be fair. Can only work for those born today and later," he joked.

This time Locke knocked on the door frame and stepped aside. The idea was to make it so that Chase would clearly be the one Trick or Treating. By being on the side Locke was also able to pin the pillowcase against the wall. He also was able to feel the approaching footsteps. So there was someone home like he thought, and they probably would give Chase more candy. You don't walk up to a door on Halloween unless you had something to give. "Get ready," Locke said.

The door opened a crack and a green bony hand slipped through. The lights were off in the apartment other than the TV, so it was hard to see the arm the hand was attached to.

Locke rapped his knuckles against the door's frame before propping himself up against it.

>> "Get ready."

Chase was. He could hear the impending footsteps. He held his breath, and waited. Gears clicked within the door as it was unlocked and propped open. A green hand unfolded around it, but little else was visible except darkness and a small television. Chase eyed the green hand. Mutant?

"Trick or treat?" Chase inquired, an uncertain lilt at the end of his tone. He might have been fascinated by cool-looking mutants, but that didn't mean he couldn't get a little spooked.

A snort. Locke really did try to suppress his laughter. Laughing at a little kid was just wrong, but Locke couldn't help it. Chase was startled by the hand and his hesitation was so perfect. Even Chris and Mai weren't immune from being entertainment to Locke when they were frightened, so long as it wasn't someone outside the family that frightened them.

The door closed slightly and there were shuffling noises behind it. Locke wondered if he had been wrong and the green hand wouldn't give a treat to Chase. They could have very well found an apartment inhabited by those that felt that trick was the better option. Back in San Francisco one house was avoided like the plague after you were in sixth grade. The owner liked to drop eggs on you once you knocked on the door if you were older.

Just when Locke decided that this door was going to be fruitless, the hand came back out holding two Blow Pops. "Thank you," Locke said, taking the candy and dropping it into Chase's bag. He wasn't heartless and figured it would be better if he took from the intimidating thing.

Locke snorted at the eight-year-old's apprehension, at which Chase only arched his eyebrows. The world was different, when you were as small and as young as Chase. The world was more of a mystery, scarier. And dark apartments containing bony, green-skinned things were not a laughing matter. Sure, Chase was curious, but the green-skinned thing was also intimidating, because it hid in the dark.

The door slid shut, the hand disappearing, and Chase deflated. He could hear movement behind the door, but presumed that the green thing was leaving. Locke began to walk away, Chase followed suit, when the door was propped open once again. This time, the bony green hand bore two lollipops.

>> "Thank you."

Locke took the lollipops and dropped them into Chase's bag. Chase stared.

"Thank you," Chase chorused in, more certain this time. The green hand hadn't tried to harm him, so Chase wasn't too scared by it. Only a little, "Happy Halloween."

There might have been a faint reply, but the door had been closed. Chase trotted after Locke as they left the second door.

"Well that was an adventure," Locke joked with Chase. The kid would eventually look back at the green hand incident and laugh. He would realize that it was Halloween and there were people that wanted to be scary. The next door Locke went right past. There wasn't even muffled noises from it. Either nobody was home or they didn't want anyone to know that someone was there. There was a lot of noise coming out of the next door however.

To Locke it sounded like a party was going on behind the closed door. Chances were that if that was the case there wouldn't be anything for Chase. "Take the lead Kid Death, I'm just here to watch over you,"

The third apartment was dead silent, and dark. Locke led Chase straight past it, to which Chase only looked at the door and followed Locke onward to the fourth door.

If the third apartment had dead silent, the fourth was its complete opposite. Noise was practically throbbing through the closed door, and loud voices could be heard over pulsating music. Chase lagged behind Locke, but Locke stepped aside for him.

>> "Take the lead Kid Death, I'm just here to watch over you."

Chase sighed and nodded, skipping up to the door and leaping to a stop.

"Will they hear me?" he inquired. Not that it mattered. Chase rapped his knuckles against the door three times, for good measure, before stepping back a couple of strides.