The headache finally subsided, though Ty was still fuzzy on a lot of things. His powers always left him feeling like crap, but this was a whole new level of ****. He made his way through the alley, his red hair laying sloppily strewn about his head. His leather jacket had seen better days, but it was warm. Under that he had a black shirt with a skeletal fish on it, some ripped blue jeans, and a tattered pair of sneakers.

He wasn't the only one out as the sun came up, and he'd occasionally brush by a bystander and snatch their wallet. Easy peasy. He'd need food, first and foremost, but some new clothes definitely wouldn't hurt. Brushing by another innocent bystander, he dipped into an alley and stooped behind a trash can, pulling out the bills and just tucking the wallets into his jacket pocket. Except a nice reddish-brown leather one.That one, he emptied out of the personal crap and tucked into his back pocket. That one was his now.

Icy blue eyes looked around, seeing a car parked on the street. He smiled, walking up to the red sports car and trying the door. Bingo. Sliding in, he popped open the console and took to hotwiring, something he'd known how to do for a long time.

It took him longer than it would have taken his older self, but after a moment the engine roared to life.

"Bingo," he said to himself,his mischievous grin turned into an almost evil cackle.

”Are you stealing that car?” A slightly foreign-sounding voice cut into the young man’s nefarious cackle.

The source of the voice was a sixteen year-old girl in clothes that fit her a lot better than her previous outfit had. She wore sturdy blue jeans that weren’t worried, with black combat boots, and a white and red striped t-shirt underneath a reddish-brown leather jacket. There was a red stocking cap, up top. She had brown hair that hung down to her neck.

Her foreign-sounding voice? It sounded like there was a hint of Spanish mixed in there, like she’d been taught most of her English around largely Spanish-speaking citizens. It was something she’d have to learn to leave or learn to love.

”I have no problem with you stealing this car,” Lenna explained, before the boy could protest. ”I watched you get into it and mess with the wiring for, like, forever. And I didn’t flag down any policia or anything. And you got it to work, so—“ A small smile tugged at the right corner of her mouth. ”Gimme a ride?”

Ty jumped at the voice, his ass leaving the seat for a minute since he didn't have his seatbelt on. "Oh****" he murmured, then turned to look at the girl with the slight Spanish(?) accent. "Oh, well, I, uh...Oh, okay. Cool." He heaved a sigh of relief, but sulked a little when she mentioned that it took him 'like forever'. Like damn, girl, he was still perfecting that part of his craft.

When he saw the smile, that caused the grin of his own to come back. Okay maybe she wasn't half bad, after all. Besides, Ty wasn't one to turn down a pretty face. He hit the electronic lock, unlocking the passenger door before leaning over and opening it for her because he was a gentleman. Possibly. "Sure thing. Hop in."

Once she was in, he put the car in gear and started down the road. "Heading anywhere in particular? I was just gonna take 'er for a joyride, but if you need to go somewhere, or wanna go somewhere, lemme know. Though....I might not be opposed to hanging out, either," he offered with a shrug. Flirting. Another craft he hadn't had nailed down at the age of sixteen.

She got into the car with the stranger. If the two of them, one was really dangerous.

He asked her where she was headed and she said ”Nowhere, really.”

Another smile. ”Hanging out is okay. Really. Was wondering if you could show me how you hot wired the car? Good skill to have. A friend was supposed to teach me stuff like that, but. She’s gone.” She thought. Dead, maybe. But yeah. Gone, for sure.

Lenna had never been one for flirting when she had something on her mind. And clearly, right now she wanted him for his own mind. He should be flattered.

Buildings breezed by. She cranked down the window, with the button and an outdated term.

"Cool. It'll be nice to have some company," he said with a smile. "Yeah, I'd be happy to teach you later. It's not hard, once you get inside the car and open up the console. From there it's just knowing what to do with what wire, but even those are color coded," he explained, walking her through the process as he drove through the city.

He put his own window down, propping his arm on the window as he drove with his right hand. "So, where would ya like to go? Just see the sights, or I could take you somewhere private so we can work on your hotwiring, maybe make out later?" He glanced at her out of his side vision, seeing how she'd react and hoping she wouldn't jump out of the car.

Soon, the city-scape turned into a more rural area, with open roads, and Ty hit the gas, showing her what the little red sports car was really capable of. "Yeee ha!" he said, that southern drawl bleeding through as the speedometer steadily climbed.

Good. She could learn something from him. Always nice when you can learn something from someone. Life is a constant process of trying to improve one’s self.

He rolled down his window, and ogled her after asking if it was if he took her some place. And the making out.

“Yeah, sure.” She said. Making out. If that was what she remembered Eliana saying it was— had to be a joke. “And then maybe later, we can f€(¥!” She laughed, gently. Not at him. At the whole situation. “You gotta slow your striiiiide, cowboy.” She teased. Poked his arm. “Gotta canter before you ride fast.”

She didn’t jump out the car. “Sightseeing is fine. This is my first time in America, since.” She didn’t say since what. Cowboy didn’t like to canter. They went fast.

Yee ha he said. “Uh huh.” She said.

He blushed lightly as she teased him, at least she wasn't hostile. So he laughed, playing it off as a joke. "Hey, it was worth a shot, right?" he said with a slight shrug, slowing the car as he turned, now keeping a steady cruise.

"So, I was just seeing what this baby could do. Always fun to open 'er up for the hell of it," he said as they reached a less densely populated area dotted with trees and beautiful countryside. "I really will teach you how to hot-wire," he said after a moment of silence. "But first, there's a lot more to New York than the cramped city. I like to come here to relax and think, when I can," he explained, much like a kid showing the new kid his secret hideout.

He said it had been worth a try. Her response? A softly amused “Hmph.”

”Wise man once said, Cowboy. Do or do not. There is no try.”

Plenty of shooting though.

”It’s a fast car. They’ll be sure to miss it.” She would tell him if some flashing lights appeared behind them. That would be a sure sign they’d need to go faster.

>>”I really will teach you to hot-wire,” he clarified.

She smiled at him.

>>”But first...”

What butt now?

She looked out the window at the nice scenic view. It was amazing how fast dense city could turn to countryside in this massively bloated economy.

”It’s nice.” She said. ”I am more partial to bays and moon over the water, myself. And orange lights. Maybe some pollution to blot out the stars and catch spotlights. If you’re lucky. But this is nice, too.”

She eyed him. ”Even if theres no smog.” Her mouth quirked up slightly. Was she teasing again?

She really had no need of orange lights right now to see anything, seeing as her power was still kooky and painting everything red unless she focused... she was almost used to it.

Was he a ginger or just orange by default? Only she could see the orange to be sure.

"Well, the context is different. Here, I have to try. Whether I do or do not....well, that ball's in your court, my dear," he said, his voice somewhat teasing. "Yeah, I try to have it back before they miss it, but sometimes..." he winked, "Well, sometimes that doesn't quite work out." That mischievous grin never left his face as they spoke.

"That's also pretty cool; I don't really have anywhere like that, but maybe one day you can take me somewhere like that, eh?" Sure, he was laying on the charm, but he found it hard not to. After a little while, they reached a small, secluded area with a campground and parked cars. He put the car in park, and motioned to the line of cars. "Pick your poison, and I'll show you how to crack into it."

The ball was in her court, was it? ”Heh. Exactly.” Lenna agreed. That is exactly how it was. ”I prefer baseball though.” She stretched back in her seat.

More running. Men in tight pants. Psychological pitching warfare. And bats.

She briefly imagined Cartagena. He said maybe some day she’d take him, and Lenna almost frowned. It was unlikely that would work. ”It’s very far away.” She said distantly. Then she smiled fiendishly at him and said ”Bet if we drive long enough we can find better places than that.”

Did she actually want to go on a road trip? Well, no. But she was enjoying the conversation. He was cute with all his attempts. Smoother than some forty something sailors she’d encountered.

They reached a campground and he stopped the car. He told her to pick her poison.

Surprisingly enough, she did not have a vast alchemical knowledge of poisons. You don’t poison bullets. Although one mutant girl she’d known had touched bullets and imbued then with horrible memories of her own contrivance, so that when her targets bit the bullet, in the English turn of phrase, they went out screaming. Plus then she was rid of the memory and had the fun of going to find more. Which was never a difficulty in the life.

Lenna went for a car that was gigantic. A regular FordASaurus. A big old ford with large tires and plenty of pickup to it. It looked like it could eat the other cars for breakfast. And did that one over there have a bite sized chunk missing off the front bumper? What could have done that?

An off-roader SUV monster like that might have strong security. But it would handle a nuke. Now why had she picked that one?

"Baseball, eh? Well, in that case, you've gotta tell me whether I'm out or safe," he quipped, keeping the playful flirting game alive. Or as alive as it could have been between them. "That would require a less conspicuous car, or just stopping and stealing a new one every so often. Though...I can't say that I'm against something like that. It's nice to have company," he commented, being sincere for probably the first time since they'd met.

And she, of course, picked the biggest truck out there. Okay, sure. He walked over with her and jimmied the lock, and the door popped open. "Alright, I'm gonna pop off the console, like so," he instructed, doing as he'd said, and then I'm gonna hop in the passenger seat, and you're gonna do what I say. From here on out, you're in the driver's seat.[/color]"

He sat, watching her and explaining what he needed to, every now and then he'd reach down to guide her hand to the right wire. "Okay, you've almost got it. One more, and it should fire up."

>> “Baseball eh? Well in that case, you gotta tell me whether I’m out or safe.”

She smirked at him.
”All I’ve seen so far is stealing.” There. How was that for word play? She supposed that meant he was safe.

Where she’d grown up, they played a pitching game where you had one pitch, one out. Played for money. She wondered how he’d do in that game. But she didn’t mention it.

——

Lenna watched studiously as Cowboy (who had not told her his name) did his thing. And then she got in and followed his instructions.

She tried her best to follow his instructions, at least. Her brow furrowed every now and then, and he’d have to guide her hand to the right wire. It wasn’t that it was difficult, just—

She had a burning question. Before the last wire, she stopped and looked at him.

”It is a good thing this is not a bomb. Can you tell me... are they all the same color?

“The wires?” She clarified. Were the wires all the same color.

"Yeah, but that means I've got a chance of stealing third, right?"

He didn't mind helping--crap he never got her name--hotwire the car. When needed, he'd very carefully and tastefully take her hand and guide it to the correct wire. Huh? All the same--well, that kind of made things difficult, yeah.

"No? Are you seeing the same color? Here, lemme try this then..." His fingers traced each wire individually. "See where the different wires seem to go? In some cars the layout is different so just going by color doesn't always work. Now, see this one here? Disconnect this, put that here, and..." The car fired up and he smiled over at her.

"Keep practicing; I'll be glad to help if you want," he said as he sat back in the passenger seat. "Oh, my name's Ty, by the way. But you can feel free to keep calling me Cowboy if you wanna. I honestly kinda like it."

>>”Yeah, but that means I’ve got a chance of stealing third, right?

Was that silence he was hearing? It was very loud. Maybe she just hadn’t heard, looking out the open window like she was.

—

So the wires were NOT the same color. Lenna started to be frustrated. She listened carefully as he went over each wire and described it.

She would have to explain her problem to him, and SHE DID NOT LIKE IT. Admitting weakness was not something she enjoyed.

One hand dug into her pants leg as she sat there, like a lump. Very un-lump-like, she followed his few instructions and— the car came alive.

Well that had been very informative. She nodded at him, lips tight.

”I will. Thank you.” Tie.

What kind of name was Tie? Or was it Thai? Was his mutation about spicy food? Or was she being dumb, and it was Ty. Short for Tyreek or Tyson or something.

Yeah. She liked Cowboy better.

”Cowboys are cool.” She said with a smart nod.

Then, she pouted. It couldn’t have been anything else. It had to be a pout. ”I’m Lenna,” She mourned. And then, because it was explanations time. ”And I am sick and tired of all this MOTHER f(.)¥|ng orange!!!”

She gestured at the cars wiring. “Orange.” She said.

At Ty. ”Orange.”

At the sky, at the cars, at the trees and at the ground. ”Orange. Orange. Orange! Orange!”

”I randomly wind up in New York just the other day! Everything’s different. And most of the time, every thing is fskking Orange.”

And because she was totally fine with giving mixed signals, she said ”I hate it. Well. Most things.” She reached up and patted his hair. ”This, I like. Probably the only thing actually orange in the bunch.”

She had decided. It had to be. It only made sense.

"You're welcome," he replied with a small smile, which widened when she said Cowboys were cool, because that meant technically she said he was cool, and he would take any stroke to his ego that he could get.

"Nice to meet you. Lenna's a pretty name; it suits you," he said, smiling softly, which dropped into a more concerned look as he noticed her expression. "Everything okay?" And then, she went on a rant about...orange? Odd. Was that her power?

And I thought I had it rough...

"Damn," he said, putting a tentative hand on her arm. "If you need anything, let me know, okay?"

He blushed as she patted his hair. "This. I like this. Probably the only thing actually orange in the whole bunch."

"Yeah, it's the only thing really orange. Though they do have ugly-ass cars that color," he said with a small chuckle.

"Well, you okay to drive? You get to pick where we go now," he said, sitting back in the seat and finally removing his hand from her arm. Oops.