It had been four days since his adventure started, an adventure ending in the stolen truck in a ditch and a residence in a cardboard box. Foolish as it was, it seemed like the only option out there, school was worthless and his behavior kept climaxing to a point where his own home aggravated him to no ends. Sure his grandparents were amazing enough to let him live with them instead of his worthless dad, but old people didn't understand the importance of going out at 2am to spray paint or how the workings of teenagers mind functioned. Roof over his head and food in his stomach wasn't enough, where were the things a teenager needed like high speed internet or being able to ride in a car without gagging on the smell of mothballs. He couldn't tell them about how he was a mutant, they would only accuse him of toying with some substance and make sure his ass ended up back in juvie. That was not going to happen.

Popping the old red pick up into neutral in the dead of night and booking out of town across the state in the early starts of winter wasn't exactly smart. Driving without a license in a stolen vehicle on I90, that was until he rammed through the fence meant for emergency vehicles to get access to the thruway. With obvious damage to the front of the truck, he was wanted, in more then one way. Running on pure adrenaline, he took the truck as far as he could with the peddle to the metal. How he didn't end up flying out of the truck on a winding forest road where the truck was now left abandoned in a ditch was a miracle in itself. Stiff and sore, Hokee had gathered his black duffel bag and hiked through the woods keeping an eye on the road.

The first night in the woods was colder then a meat locker. With frost on the fallen leaves, he was sure his ass would literally fall off. All the running around in gym class seemed like crawling now, how far had he walked? By the second day he found a decent size town to crash in, mainly climbing into a garage in some suburban house. The pavement was cold, but at least in the garage it was warmer then frosty leaves. Waking early he had slipped out and kept an eye out for any poor fool who would start warming their car up and leaving the keys in the engine, thankfully he did manage to catch a Sedan.

Stolen car number two didn't last long, between his chattering teeth and cranking the radio in the car he soon was ending his own joy ride by spinning out on black ice. Raiding the inside of the car he couldn't find anything of great worth but there was a pocketful of change he did take for himself before ditching the car.

Counting his cash, he managed to pull enough together to catch public transportation in the direction he needed. This was how he ended up where he was now, commercial box for supplies to the wonderful world of Walmart. The dumpsters had a smell to them that left his stomach twisting in upheaval, but the ones for cardboard weren't to bad. He didn't dare try and pinpoint the smell, but at least he wasn't going to be staying there for long.

Daylight was running out and his time to shine was peaking. The plus side of the winter months had to be the early bedtime of the sun. He was a child of the moon, a child of the darkness, the walker or shadows. From the dumpsters, he could keep an eye on the garage part of Walmart, he just needed to wait for a car to be moved back out into the parking lot and there he could jump into a new car and hopefully get himself closer to his destination without a stop to the police.

Seeing his opportunity, Hokee sprang from his box and lurked about the parking lot with his bag dodging between parked cars. He had noticed through the day one of the garage guys tended to take excessive smoke breaks upon driving the car back into the lot. He just needed to slip into the car quick enough. With the guy's back to him, he took the chance. Diving into the car, Hokee tossed his bag towards the back. Quickly searching out shadows within the car, he squirmed his way uncomfortably to the backseat floor.

SLAM

He was in. Waiting for a few moments, he bared his teeth and started to peal off the layers he had on till he was in the bare minimum. Things would be a lot warmer and useful if his mutant ability would make it possible for his clothing to shift with him. Shoving his few belongings under the seats, he tried to move quickly enough without moving to window height. Already feeling the difference in temperature, he could only hope the owner of the car would fetch their car quickly. The rush of adrenaline pumped through his blood bringing a bit of warmth to him. With a deep breath, Hokee slowed his breathing and watched his body start to blend into shadowed carpet floor.

Waiting.....waiting....

I really need to get some of the X-kids to help me with the shopping.
Or just learn to drive the friggin' jet.

A week before Thanksgiving, Gemma was starting to feel like a squirrel on a sugar rush. She probably had enough food piled up in the Mansion to feed New York City's entire mutant population, and then some; she knew it was probably not going to be enough. Every time she looked into the fridge and the kitchen cabinets, she had to add things to her shopping list that never ended.
Hence, another trip to Walmart. Food, decorations, and a bunch of other things nobody else thought about in the Mansion; she was guessing most kids didn't even know where soap and towels came from. They just took them for granted. As kids do.

Loading an endless amount of shopping bags into the trunk, she walked around her car and got in, checking her phone as she did so. It was getting late, and she still had a few stops on her agenda. Sitting back with a sigh she wondered for a few moments, musing if she should do all of them today, or leave some for tomorrow; she was getting tired...

Glancing in the rearviwe mirror, she blinked. Did something just move behind the car?
...
Now she was seeing things. Great. No more stops today.

The realization of winter continued to work its way through the teenager's body in a chorus of natural reactions to being a tid bit nippy. The shadowed skin of his continued to break out in goosebumps as the hairs on his body stood. Life seemed to drag on but race at the same moment. The thrill of his covert operation, the knowledge of knowing he was a fugitive of the law and a runaway..nothing could take this away from him. Watching his body carefully, the delinquent flexed his fingers in and out trying to distract his mind from the cold. Watching for the glimmers of his fingertips, Hokee was a bit distraught when his shadow skin harshly returned to his normal coloration. Eyes darting quickly, he couldn't see any light that might have blown his cover, had it been an hour already? No, there was no chance in that at all...why was he normal? The car shook slightly as the trunk slammed shut, he was screwed.

As the door opened in the front and flooded the car with the dome light, he knew his cover would be lost even more now and had to hope on dumb luck that maybe he could go unnoticed. Staying as still as possible, the teen held his breath waiting for the dome light to go off. He just needed to stay still long enough so he could charge back up. How long was he in the shadow? Would he be able to get back in camouflage before it was to late. Chilled, he couldn't stand it anymore. Reaching under the seat by his head, he wiggled his fingers into the fabrics seeking out some warmth. It was still warm...this was a good sign, it meant soon he would be able to morph back.

Slowly he pulled he body up into a half sitting position. Drivers couldn't see directly behind their seat, or he hoped so. Kicking a snow brush in the process of adjusting his body, Hokee held his breath. Shit. The bristles stuck under his calf started to chaff his dried winter legs. The feeling on his leg could be compared to laying on a bed of nails, even the dried out grass in the heat of summer felt more comfortable then this. So not all his ideas were all that thought out. If they were he would have remembered the stupid dome lights in cars. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

The car wasn't going anywhere, nothing. Shit, shit, shit.. Did he jump in the car of some old lady? There was no talking, no cell phone chatter or beeping noises of texting. The air didn't smell old and stuffy like his grandparent's car. It had a sweeter smell to it, like in the early fall up in the apple orchards past Lafayette. What he would do for a gallon of fresh Apple Cider or pumpkin fudge. Leaning into the door slightly, a few of his dreadlocks tangled into the seat belt and between the door and front seat.

Soon, hopefully soon he would be able to fade back into the shadows again. With the dome light dimming out, he knew it was only a matter of time. Just a quick shift was all he needed, then he could figure out a better way to stay hidden in the car. That was until his body decided to work against himself and not morph back. The car was just not warm enough, if the driver didn't hurry up and get the engine going, he was going to turn into an Eskimo.

If he couldn't morph soon, he was going to have to figure out something else. Gritting his teeth down, he moved his leg slightly. The snow brush was not comfortable, risk or not he didn't feel like having the slight leg hair he had ripped out in a grotesque brush. When was the last time this person bought a new snow brush? With the winters in New York, the slush, the snow....his luck the snow brush was older then him.

Someone was moving in the back seat. Gemma sat very, very still, her mind racing, trying to decide what to do. She had heard about cases like this; that's why she always made sure to lock her car when she left. Still, someone was in there, and the last thing on her mind was figuring out how the person got there.
She thought about her options. The phone was out of question. Her only comfort was that even if it was a mutant, it was well within her aura. That, however, did not mean he or she could not have a gun. Or a knife.
But, then, why was the person not threatening her? Now that she was listening, she could hear breathing from behind her seat. Her brain kicking into survival mode, adrenaline flooded her body.
She needed to talk her way out of this. Like a professional.

"It's okay" she said in a calm, but confident voice, without turning around "I am not armed, and I don't usually hurt people. Is there something you need?..."

A string of curses flew through his mind, words and phrases that would make even sailors blush. He was screwed beyond a doubt. Unless....unless he stayed very still and didn't move at all. In time he could get his ability back and the driver, female from the voice, would shake away the feeling that there was someone in the car and then he could just get going. But at the same time, how long would it take before he could shift again? Shit, shit, shit. It couldn't have been that long he was in the car, his clothes were still warm that were shoved under the seats of the car.

Exhaling down into his chest, Hokee could feel the warmth of his breath riding its way down his chest. Under his skin, his heart thudded along pushing blood to his chilled body. Rapid heart beat, check, freezing his nads off, check....typical day in New York. Just drive lady, start the engine, turn on the heat and drive... Why did women have to be all paranoid in a car, so what he was hiding in the backseat of a vehicle that wasn't his...this was just a small minor detail.

The words lingered in the air. What did he want? Obvious, for her to start the car and get moving. What he'd give to have a deep husky voice right now. Was that why people drank so much, to get that sounding edge in their voice that could make the marrow in your bones quiver? To think, all this time he thought drunkards were worthless, perhaps there was a bit of wisdom in what they did. Would the sound of his voice matter much right now if he could scare the living day lights out of her?

Watching his skin carefully, he knew it had to be soon before he could shift in the darkness again. Would it freak her out if a shadow swept around her face? The lady wasn't armed, or at least she said so...he had to have something he could use. Damnit, why aren't you working? Curling his fingers into a fist, the eyes continued to flicker about to the seat and his own body. He should be able to fade away into the shadows now, but it wasn't working. Was he to cold to function properly? No, he was able to shift the first night in the woods when he heard the sirens blaring.

The smell of apples taunted him. A nice warm apple pie from McDonalds sounded like a feast. He could almost taste it in his mouth already. Twisting his head, he could see the glimmer of the buckle for the seat belt. She hadn't even buckled up yet. There went that idea, if she had already buckled up, he could have pulled it at his end to restrain her, just to shake her up enough till he could morph. Risking being seen, he leaned forward enough to take a hold of the blasted snow brush. Pushing the brush side into the back of the car seat, he went with the rush. "McDonalds, two apple pies and a number 4....."

Grand theft auto, running away and now he was taking a stranger hostage for a meal at McDonalds. On the list of stupid stuff he did, this had to be near the top. Keeping the snow brush into the back of the seat, Hokee's head rested on his arm. He needed his abilities to work or he would have to get dressed fast and run like a bat out of hell. Would she listen to his demand? A double cheeseburger was looking so good right now, very good...

>>"McDonalds, two apple pies and a number 4....."

Okay. This was a kid. A teen, judging by the voice and Gemma's experience. Also, he was holding something against her back. Was that a gun? She bit her lips. Might as well have been, she had no way of telling. That was the bad news. The good news? She could deal with teens. She raised two by herself and survived.
And he was hungry. He was not demanding money, or the car. She glanced into the mirror again, and tried to catch a glimpse at him. Runaway, her instincts were telling her. He must have been as scared and confused as she was. And hungry.
The only difference? He was armed, and she was not.

"Sure" she nodded, calmly, pulling out the seatbelt and buckling up "But you don't need to threaten me for that."

Show them trust.

"Are you sure you want to eat that crap, though?" she asked in a light conversational tone "I could always just invite you for dinner. I'm going to be cooking more than my kids can eat."

She was not mocking him. Her tone made that very clear, even though she felt amused inside. Was she a magnet for runaways or something?...

The tug on his head meant one thing, his dreads got yanked in the seat belt as it was pulled and clicked into place. Reaching behind his head, he pulled his hair free from the feed port of the seat belt. His demand was going to be met, thank goodness. Sitting up a bit more on the floor behind the driver seat, his eyes flashed to his flesh. Nothing. His talents weren't working, was there something in the car stopping him, some magical key of sorts? To tired and hungry to really think about it, he was left with option two, instill fear and run when he got the chance. He was not going to let some set of knockers stop him.

Fishing for his clothes he released the pressure in the seat long enough to cloth himself. Screw not being able to fully hide in shadows, it wasn't worth it if he was going to freeze himself to death in the back of a car. Feeling warmer, his brain was thinking slightly clearer then it had. Picking up the snow brush again, he jabbed it into the seat for more fun then anything else. "McDonalds, two apple pies and a number four." His eyes rolled slightly. Honestly, did she take him for some sort of fool? He might jump into a random car and crash two other cars but he wasn't stupid. If he went in her house he would just find himself behind the bars again. No, he wouldn't fall for it. He just had to get her someplace where he would be able to get free and then slip back into the shadows.

McDonalds meant buildings, buildings were good for him. He just needed to cross his fingers there was enough of a crowd wherever the fast food chain was, that or lots of buildings. His bag was light enough and easily toss-able on his back that he could jump if needed. "McDonalds, two apple pies and a number 4." Poking the snow brush into the seat again, he pulled his hood up over his head and started to tuck his locks into his hoodie.

So she had kids, just his luck. Searching the back seat of the car, he couldn't spot any car seats and didn't see let over baby snacks. If she had kids, they weren't the young type. She could be bluffing, didn't women do that? Make themselves seem all more fragile or important of sorts. Plus if she had kids, she wouldn't leave them to go shopping at Walmart alone, would she? No, there was to much thinking going on, he just had to ride the thrill of the moment and not think about things.

"No funny business." The car was warmer then the cardboard box, but sitting on snow was softer then the floor of the car. Looking up through the window across from him, he sought out the sky. It didn't look to bad out, at least it wasn't snowing or anything horrible. He should be able to get away with a free meal and then find some place else to hop to until he found where he was going. He should have made this trip in the summer, it would have been a lot more comfortable and less of a chance he'd freeze to death in the process of going where he needed to go. Then again, since when did the logical methods ever go about in practice. "No cops, no nothing, just McDonalds two apple pies and a number four."

>>"McDonalds, two apple pies and a number 4. No funny business. No cops, no nothing, just McDonalds two apple pies and a number four."

Whatever he was holding in his hand, he was still poking at her back with it, and that made her very uncomfortable. She was pretty sure he was not going to shoot her, though. He would have done it already, and taken the car. He was a runaway, not a murderer. Murderers did not demand to eat at McDonald's.

"All right" she nodded carefully, starting the car. She had to come up with something. For one, her survival instincts were kicking in, but at the same time, the kid was a runaway and obviously needed help. But she couldn't help him, unless she gained his trust first.

Reaching out, she started up the heat in the car. It was cold out there, and if the kid really was on the run, she was pretty sure he was freezing by now. She could catch a glimpse or two at him as he got dressed. Why was he undressed in the first place?...

"I'll take you to McDonald's if you want me to" she agreed, starting to drive out of the parking lot "But are you sure you do? I mean, those places are full of cameras..."

She was pretty sure one or another would catch a glimpse of him; or even a person, if they really looked. She was trying to think with his head, trying to figure out what to say.

"I really meant no funny business" she assured him, keeping her hands on the steering wheel "It's just kind of funny you stumbled into my car. For some reason, this keeps happening to me... I am kind of getting used to it."

Finally, the car was actually moving. With a bit of a jerk, he could tell the difference between going backwards and forwards. Women drivers, he'd be lucky if he made it to McDonalds without tossing out whatever might be in his stomach on the seat next to him. Irritation sank in as for yet another time the lady tried to convince him to not eat at McDonalds. What was so bad about the food, it was good stuff and well worth the grease that slid down your throat. The salt left over on your finger tips after eating the fries, the warm melting sensation of the apple pies dancing on your tongue....he was eating McDonalds end of story.

Cameras....she had a point. There were cameras everywhere now a days, of course this was something he had to think of. More so now since for some unknown reason he couldn't get himself to blend away. There were other ways to get around cameras, he just had to figure that out. If he stayed in the car, and close to the floor he should be okay. It wasn't like the cameras would be looking down into the car where he was. This might work, that or he would just have to keep his head down.

The car was starting to heat up in one way or another. He didn't have patience to battle verbally with the woman on if it was right or not to eat fast food, maybe she really was a mother after all. He certainly didn't take the debate seriously from his grandparents and he wasn't going to think much more of it with some broad, even if she was his set of wheels and source of food right now. If she knew what was right, she would just hurry herself to McDonalds and drop the subject, didn't she realize he was armed with a snow brush? So it wasn't exactly a weapon, but what she didn't know only made things better on his end.

Blab, blah, blah, blah, blabbing....so what if other people ran into her or whatever. Did it really matter to him at all? If she kept running into people and was held at snow brush, it just meant she was stupid and didn't pay attention to her surroundings. Sure, he was a mutant and had an edge over most people, but how much worth was behind her words. For all she knew he could have been roaming the states from car to car doing what he was doing now, but she didn't know. Not like he was going to tell her in one way or another.

"I'm not your psychiatrist." She talked to much, or was she just nervous and she talked a lot when she was nervous. Either way, he didn't care. He was going to end on the better end of the deal and he certainly wasn't going to let her stop him. Sure she had control over the car and she was the one who had the money to pay for his food, but he had the snow brush and he was the one controlling the situation. "McDonalds.....use the drive-thru."

>>"I'm not your psychiatrist. McDonalds.....use the drive-thru."

She kept driving. He was not trusting her easy. That either meant he was really smart, or really angry, or both. Probably had some bad experiences with grown-ups. Most of them did.
Still, she was driving. He was not going to shoot her until she got him some food, she was pretty sure about that.

"I know" she smirked, looking ahead and paying attention to traffic "I am a guidance counselor in a school for mutant runaways. Whatever you can come up with, I have probably seen worse. Just sayin'."

All right, so not every kid at the school was a runaway. And there was no way of telling if this kid was a mutant. He kept shifting on the back seat uncomfortably, which was usually a dead giveaway for mutants losing their powers around her; then again, he might just have been nervous. And hungry. Still, she put the information out there, and he could do whatever he wanted with it. For the rest of the trip, she was quiet.

Arriving to the first station of the drive-thru, a voice in a microphone greeted them politely, and asked for their order.

"Two apple pies and a number four" she said calmly "And a cheeseburger and some fries. No, that's all. Thank you."

Driving along to the window to make a payment, she glanced into the mirror again.

"Now would be a good time for you to duck." she said with a half-smile.

Slipping up off the floor upon seeing the lighted sign for McDonald, he drew his hood around his face and kept his head down. It was the words from her mouth that caught his attention. Guidance counselor....mutants...she had to be bluffing. Even if what she said was true, that wasn't going to make him all gush inside. Guidance counselors were full of nothing but crap, thinking they knew everything and trying to say things weren't as bad as they seemed.

While the woman took care of ordering the food and such, Hokee got fast to work. He needed to ditch the car soon and had to figure a way to keep her in it so she wouldn't go after him. With the ride to McDonalds, it had to have been enough time for him to be charged up again, but try as he must nothing seemed to work yet. Solution to his problem was to get the hell away from her. Sure she turned the heat on in the car and actually ordered the food correctly.

Adjusting the middle seat belt to its full length, he let it drop to the floor. Turning his head from the window, he looked to the floor while the transaction completed. Waiting for the car to move away from the window, he picked up the snow brush and poked it into the seat leaning forward. "Two apple pies and a number four, pass it back and park the car." Now what could he do? He needed the food but he needed to run as well.

>> "Two apple pies and a number four, pass it back and park the car."

She put the paper bag onto her lap. They packed everything in one, but she really did not care. She knew he was going to run as soon as he got the food; otherwise why make her park the car?
As she played along, she was less scared and more interested. The kid was determined, she had to give him that. Desperate, even. That made him sound less dangerous. She didn't say anything until she found a parking place away from other cars; she was not letting him go just like that. He thought he was in control of the situation; and maybe he was right. But Gemma was not new to this game, not at all. She thought about what Jorge would say or do in this situation; but Jorge was a guy, and a cop. She was all on her own now.

Parking the car, she kept the engine running; paper bag still on her lap, she turned around and leaned to the side. Looking straight at him.

He did not have a gun. He had a snow brush. That almost made her smirk, but she was not dumb enough to assume that could not be used as a weapon, and the last thing she needed was a broken nose.
Instead, she just used her own non-mutant secret power.
And looked. Calm, and confident, not trying to be friendly, not trying to pity him or lecture him or persuade him.

"Are you sure this is all you want?"

Now that was a loaded question.

Shit. He should have told her to stay looking forward. Mistake number one. Was his name even in the news yet? If it was it shouldn't take a genius to put his face to any that would be broad cast across the airwaves. Being an ethnic minority had it's draw backs, more so when he was distinguishable by the long hair and dreadlocks. On the plus side, at least his face wasn't full of piercings and weird horns, that would majorly suck right now. With his slit eyes, he kept his face determined.

"Two apple pies, and a number four."

The food wasn't being handed back to him, no the broad had it ransom in the front. If she wanted to play dirty, then two could play at that game. Sure his snow brush was now reviled but he had other things up his sleeve. Reacting instead of thinking, he reached for the seat belt feed for the driver. Giving a hard tug on it, he was desperate. He needed that free meal and now he really had to get out of there. Or maybe he should just run and forget about the meal. The smell of the hot fresh pies though, they were calling for him.

Letting go with one hand, Hokee pulled the door handle and kicked it open. Sure he was hungry, but he didn't want to get stuck in the car if she was going to keep pressuring him asking if he needed something else. What mattered right now was that he just cost her a good six bucks and he would have to live with that. Grabbing his bag, he let go of the seat belt and bolted. If there was one thing he could do well, it was running.

The ground was slippery, but he could do this. If he lasted this long already on the run, then he could certainly get out of this situation. He just had to find either some good alley to slink off into or wooded area. There had to be a place he could go and make sure his powers still worked. He most certainly wasn't going to go cuddle up with a supposed guidance counselor even if she said she worked with mutants. She was crazy, pure crazy.

Of course he ran. He didn't even wait for the food.
Gemma sighed and sat back, just starting to wake up from the shock. That brush could have been a gun. Jorge would have called her reckless and all kinds of other things. He might have been right. But Gemma was generally good at reading people, and the kid did not strike her as dangerous. In fact, he did not strike her at all, and he could have. And could have taken the food. And the car. And her money. Teenager or not, he looked strong enough.
But he ran. So he was not dangerous. He was just desperate.

"Dammit." Gemma unbuckled her belt and stepped out of the car. She needed air. Taking a few deep breath, she looked after the figure running away from her. Who knows where he was going.

She was just starting to wonder if she should send Jorge, CPS, or the Xmen to find him, when she noticed the other figure moving towards the kid...

The slick ground was not agreeing with the pounding feet. "Shit." Practically loosing his balance, Hokee abandoned the pavement jumping into the remains of an early winter storm. The snow was mostly melted and held the grudge of over plowed parking lots. Twisting his ankle slightly, he was forced to run it off and keep pushing. Sure he had the advantage of being able to run into smaller areas a car couldn't go, but that woman saw his face and it would be only a matter of time before sirens would be after him again. Turning his head, he quickly glanced back to see if he was being followed.

Focus back on pushing forwards, he saw his opportunity. Chain fence blocking the way. All he needed to do was climb up over it and he would be clear, he would be free and then have to find someway to collect himself. Pushing himself to run faster, he could feel the thrill rushing through him again. Apparently though, he wasn't exactly blending into the normal crowd. Running from a McDonalds had caught someone's attention. Not knowing yet that he was being followed, he made the leap to the fence only to feel his leg being pulled.

Kicking his leg, Hokee tried to free himself from who ever it was that took a hold of his leg. Trying to hold his grip on the fence was proving pointless as he found his grip loosening. He was going down. Great, this was just his sort of luck. Bolting from a car only to get caught by someone else. If only his powers had worked in the car, then he wouldn't have to be in this situation now. Why did he even talk in the car. He could have just stayed quiet and maybe she would have just driven without doing a thing.

All because of his big mouth and grumbling stomach. If the women didn't smell like Cinnamon apple sauce, he would have been fine. Damn, he really wanted that pie right now. With one last pull, Hokee's fingers left the fence as his body was pulled in by his chaser. Using his arms, he tried to send his elbows back into the person. Hopefully it wasn't a cop trying to wrap around him, no bars for him, he'd rather starve in the cold first.