Chase winced slightly at the exclamation of his name, but as statue-man spoke more, the eight-year-old realized his mistake. The statue-guy with the flaming eyes was Aedus.

>> "Chase! It's me! I'll explain the new look. Come in, you are safe now, ok?"

Chase nodded mutely and shuffled shyly into the apartment, looking around for a safe place to sit. It looked like Aedus had been watching t.v. Chase went over and sat on the couch, tucking his knees to his chest. He didn't really watch the show that was on the t.v., but instead pressed his head to his knees and tried to calm down.

>> "I'll make you a shake. While you tell me whats going on."

Chase didn't really feel like a shake. He felt like he was going to be sick. Chase pulled the hood lower on his face, rubbing his head lamely-- he could feel his form unraveling, just as he unraveled emotionally as well. Chase's human-form slipped, and he fully surrendered to his fear. This was a safe place. He could afford to be just as he was.

"M-my par-rents came to the M-M-Mansion," Chase stammered into his knees, hugging his legs tightly, "Th-they-they're g-gonna t-take me back, a-and I don't w-w-wanna go b-back." Chase went quiet for a moment, mopping at his eyes with the sleeve of his hoodie, without lifting his head, "I had n-n-nowhere else to go-o. B-but I- I couldn't stay. I can't go back." He couldn't go back to the homes, he couldn't go back to Syracuse. He hated it there. Chase simply couldn't go back.

"Please d-don't let them take me b-back," Chase implored, pressing his hand to his head, "I-I'll do anything, Aedus. J-just don't let them take m-m-me back. Please." Chase would clean Aedus' house, run errands for him, or do anything Aedus needed to be done if he could stay there and not go back to Syracuse. It was obvious that the kid was desperate to stay here, stay hidden, and not be sent back to Syracuse, by whatever means necessary-- even if it meant going back out on the streets, he would stay here.

Aedus put the Ice cream back in the freezer and went to the couch, he turned off the TV and concentrated on what the boy had to say. Aedus had assumed that he ran from an orphanage because he had trouble there, he hadn't even considered the fact that the charming young man could be unwanted by those that brought him into the world.

"Chase, no one will take you anywhere you don't want to go." He was pretty sure that it was kidnapping if he kept the child hidden from those that were legally his guardians. screw it. "No One." Aedus hardened his tone to convince the young man. " You don't have to do anything but be yourself. I was hoping for your sake that the mansion would work out, I'm glad you came, I'll protect you. Ok?"Aedus looked at the young man.

"and you know what, you are going to protect yourself as well." It was an important lesson he was going to need to learn. " I know that your mutation causes trouble for you sometimes, but it can also be a gift. Take this situation for instance. If you don't want to be found, you can not be found. You can simply look like someone else.I mean they can't just grab anyone they want to and say that they are theirs can they?"

Aedus looked at the young man's hand the flesh almost resembled strands of muscle to him, but the shell didn't matter in the least, what was inside made all the difference, he could attest to the truth of that himself. "Now, if you don't mind me asking how do you get your ability to work?' Aedus realized he didn't have a shirt on and snatched one of the back of a chair, he slid it on over the glossy sleekness of his chest.

Chase felt the couch shift under Aedus' weight as he took a seat beside him. The television flicked off, and he wasn't bearing milkshakes. That was fine. Chase was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to hold any food down, even if he wanted to. Chase listened as Aedus spoke, his voice resolute and unyielding. He wasn't going to let Chase go, he was going to protect him. Chase nodded gratefully, sniffling faintly.

As Aedus continued to speak, the conversation shifted gears-- how Chase could protect himself. He could disguise himself, could not look like himself and not be found. Chase knew this, deep-down, but had never seemed to consciously realize this. That was true, but... fabricating forms took too much time. And, if he wanted to take a shortcut, Chase would have to steal... and stealing was bad...

"No, they can't," Chase avowed quietly, hiccuping.

Chase felt Aedus's eyes on him as he posed the final question to him, and he quickly tucked his hands under his legs so that they weren't visible. The rest of him was already well-covered by clothing, and his face wasn't visible as long as he kept his head down. Chase did just that, and didn't look up at all. His crying had quieted to uneven breaths, and he was still shaking, but he was quiet now.

>> "Now, if you don't mind me asking how do you get your ability to work?'

"W-well, there's two ways... there's, uh, me just doing it o-on m-my own," Chase began, "Or I c-could touch someone or their clothes, and t-take a shortcut." Chase lifted his head slightly, his gaze cutting towards Aedus cautiously. Against the blackness of his sclera churned a meld of frightened, sorrowful, confused colors, "Why?"

Aedus Looked the young man in his eyes, showing only careful interest in his appearance. “Well because I was going to say that you could copy me, and if someone figured out you were here, they’d only have two stone golems to answer too, but if it works with clothes, my cousin Killian left a ball cap here a couple days ago, it might be easier than trying to copy someone made out of stone. He wouldn’t mind, if you borrowed his hat. And most importantly, around here, you can relax and look like you if you want. I won’t let them lay a finger on you either way.” Aedus patted Chase on the back and left his hand there to rest trying to comfort the little guy; quite frankly it looked like he’d been through enough.

He’d try to feed the kid later, maybe something a bit more nutritious than a shake…maybe whatever the heck he asked for. First, he’d let him settle down.

His parents did not want to show up here, Chase had been in a foster home, you didn't get to one of those because your parents were top of the line, at least he hadn't heard of a situation where they had. And based on the boy's reaction...He might toss them out of his building, literally.

>> “Well because I was going to say that you could copy me, and if someone figured out you were here, they’d only have two stone golems to answer too, but if it works with clothes, my cousin Killian left a ball cap here a couple days ago, it might be easier than trying to copy someone made out of stone. He wouldn’t mind, if you borrowed his hat. And most importantly, around here, you can relax and look like you if you want. I won’t let them lay a finger on you either way.”

Chase nodded slowly, still breathing shuddering breaths as Aedus rested a hand upon his back reassuringly. The eight-year-old unfolded himself long enough to wedge himself to Aedus' side, before curling tightly into himself once again, practically eating his knees as he spoke.

"M-maybe your cousin... if he's smaller than you," Chase murmured, "I wore myself out w-with my h-human face. I don't think I could look like you very long."

Aedus nodded and got up from the couch, vanished momentarily, and returned with a baseball cap. The cap was proffered to Chase, to which Chase shyly brushed his hood back and placed the hat upon his head. He was too weak to resist the shift, so as soon as the hat was in-place, the tendrils of his skin began to move. Killian's residue was strong. His sickly, tan skin was replaced by pale, freckled flesh, his hair contorted into a brilliant ginger, and the tendrils expanded upward and outward, to a build that was akin to Chase's, but more healthy and therefore more robust than his own. It even took on an outfit that had likely been something that Killian would have worn, concealing the Chase-like attire. Killian's doppelganger studied itself, before looking towards Aedus for input. The eyes weren't Killian's, though-- they still flickered with the same colors that flickered through Chases'.

"H-h-how do I look?" the Doppelganger inquired, testing its new voice as Aedus took a seat. Its voice quivered faintly from the residual fear and sorrow, and the anxiety of shifting in front of someone. The Doppelganger adjusted its hat, tilting it backwards on its head. With a form fully secured, and hat tilted back, the Doppelganger once again huddled to Aedus' side, returning to the same, curled-up position as before. It nervously fussed with its jeans, picking at the knee-- a distinctly Chase-like mannerism.

Its movements were sluggish. All those emotions that had been running through Chase's head-- the raw terror, the betrayal and fear, the sorrow, all amounting to more tears than one eight-year-old ever deserved to cry-- had worn him out completely. And, just as any emotionally- and phsyically-exhausted person would, Killian's doppelganger was slowly drifting off.

Aedus confirmed. "Convincing, you are impressive young man. and don't you ever forget it." Aedus plopped Back down on the couch and slowly but surely Chase dozed off. As he did so the kid leaned and leaned until he couldn't lean no more. He collapsed into Aedus side,luckily for Chase, Aedus had saw fit to put a pillow in place for when the inevitable happened. he didn't want the boy to wake up when his head hit stone.

Aedus put his arm across the back of the couch and allowed himself to doze as well.Aedus let out a huge but silent yawn, normally he would have let a roar escape but he hushed himself to let the exhausted child next to him rest. It was contagious and seeing the boy so worn out made him sleepy. The door was locked twice and he was pretty sure that they wouldn't look her anyway, Agnes was the only other one to know where to look and she wouldn't sell Chase out to crappy parents.if anyone would understand it was Agnes.

Gemma parked the car a short distance away from the building; there was no use spooking Chase again, or whoever he was with. This was the only place they knew they would find him; if he ran, it would be near impossible to find him once again.
Agnes was here too; she promised she would come. The closer they got to Chase's hiding place, the better the idea seemed. Now Gemma was really glad they brought her; she was not sure Chase would trust her right now, and she was pretty sure he would run from Jorge.

"You go ahead" she told Agnes outside the door. She had explained to her what happened on the way here; she knew about the parents, and the adoption. She was smart enough to explain to Chase in a way that would make him understand. "Talk to him. Let him know we are here. I'll be right outside if he wants to talk to me."

Jorge rode shotgun. After the mansion, he and Agnes and Gemma had piled into her car and made it over to the address that Agnes had pointed out. It was a bit further, deeper into the city than he had thought. Just how would Chase make it this far on his own? By how much of a headstart did he have? His social worker had called him a runner so obviously Chase was experienced at this type of thing. He knew how to make himself disappear, and he had a direction to go. He was a kid and if he was headed to this guy, Aedus’ house, then it was obvious that he knew how to run.

He sighed. He wondered if Chase even made it to this guy’s house. They wasted plenty of time wandering the mansion in search of him, so it was quite possible. Especially if Chase was suspicious about the mansion anyways. That would just mean he had escape plans already set.

Whatever the case, he could only hope that Chase was actually there. They could not afford to lose him. Gemma couldn’t afford to lose him…

When they finally arrived, Jorge looked at the building: pretty nondescript, perfect type of location for someone of Aedus’ profession. And most of all, it was well hidden away. No one would have thought to look for Chase here.

>> "You go ahead…Talk to him. Let him know we are here. I'll be right outside if he wants to talk to me."

He glanced in the backseat at Agnes. She looked nervous. He smiled encouragingly.

“It’s okay Agnes. You don’t need to pretend. Just explain to him the truth. It’ll be easier coming from you.” he said with a nod.

Agnes sighed. Her mind was a whirlwind of activity as she say in the backseat of Ms. Taylor’s car, watching the world pass by. She didn’t want to force Chase to stay at the mansion if he didn’t want to, but if he was going to run, then he needed to do it for the right reasons. Not because he was confused and didn’t know the truth. Agnes would have run under the same circumstances, but it was not the whole truth. Chase was not being taken away by parents, he was being freed from them. He needed to know that. That way, if he still wanted to run, then he could run with the knowledge of the truth.

She sighed though. Poor Chase, to have to witness his parents come back. After all the abuse he suffered, all the bad things he had to go through that forced him to leave his home behind at eight years old? She knew the feel all too well.

Ms. Taylor stopped as she peeked outside of the car window. Yup, that was Aedus’ building from what she last remembered. Both adults turned to address her…

>> "You go ahead…Talk to him. Let him know we are here. I'll be right outside if he wants to talk to me."

>> “It’s okay Agnes. You don’t need to pretend. Just explain to him the truth. It’ll be easier coming from you.”

She took a steady breath and nodded. She then smiled back at the two of them. They were two, exceptionally sweet people. Chase would be happy with Ms. Taylor as a guardian. And with Detective Cervantes always around her, he would more than likely take Chase under his wing. It was an ending that the boy deserved. She hoped she could convince him of such.

“Okay,” was all she said in her soft voice as she opened the car door, slipped out, and headed for the building.

Dressed fairly comfortably in jeans, a black and white striped shirt, and denim jacket, she made her way into the building and up to the floor. She remembered the trip up there as if it were yesterday. She even still had the key. She never had plans to use it before but it was a nice gesture on Aedus’ part when it handed it over awhile ago.

Recounting the apartment number in the back of her mind, Agnes made her way over and peeked down the hall. All was quiet and undisturbed, of course. She really had no idea what she was expecting to be different. A trail of tears maybe? She hoped that Chase was okay.

Agnes walked up to Aedus door and knocked instead of just letting herself in. After all, that would have been rude.

Knock, knock, knock[/b]

She knocked softly, in an extremely gently way. She didn’t want to disturb anyone.

“Mmm, Aedus? A-Are you in? It's Agnes. I…I really need to talk to you, about Chase,” she said through the door. After all, she didn’t know if the boy had even made it to the apartment yet. If not then she could prepare Aedus to convince Chase to come back. If he was already there, well, Chase had to right to know she was there for him. “Aedus? Are you in?” she asked as she rapted just one more time and just as gently.

Aedus stretched a little and for a moment was puzzled as to why exactly his cousin Killian was cozied up to him, it wasn’t bad per se, just not quite like him to be so cuddly. As his brain woke up a little more he realized the days events. And how chase had come to him. He then recognized what was waking him up in the first place.

Aedus scooted out from under Chases head and settled it gently down on the pillow, and then he heard what Agnes was saying, she had to talk to him about Chase. He tapped the boy a few times on the shoulder and went to the door. It was Agnes so he wasn’t too worried about his parents being a step behind, but just in case he wanted the young man awake.

“Hey Agnes! I’m Home.,” He spoke a little bit too loudly. “I look quite a bit different then when you saw me last. Just a heads up before I open the door.” Aedus unlocked and swung the door open with a flourish. The obsidian form before her looked as if a master sculpture had taken the man and put his features flawlessly in obsidian and then there were his lava pool eyes.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Aedus felt bad about it but he was going to play dumb for both their benefit. If Agnes didn’t suspect, that Chase was in the room she would speak more freely to them both, if the boy had a reason he should go home she might say it, and if she had intentions to turn him over to the parents she might spill that as well. If she was in fact looking out for him too, then he would apologize later.

Chase was comfortably nestled to Aedus' side, head cushioned by a pillow and face tucked low. He had quickly slipped into a deep sleep once he had dozed off, with the knowledge of that fact that he was in a safe place, yet he was still hyper-vigilant. Thus far, the apartment had been silent, yet when there was a series of knocks upon the door, his conscious mind dragged itself to attention. Chase didn't stir, but made note of the disturbance of the calm.

>> “Mmm, Aedus? A-Are you in? It's Agnes. I…I really need to talk to you, about Chase. Aedus? Are you in?”

The familiar voice swam through the slumbering eight-year-old's mind. That was silly, Agnes couldn't be there-- it had to be a dream.. Aedus was getting up, though, which meant that he had heard it to. Chase huffed softly, as if annoyed, but then Aedus roused him by tapping his shoulder. The Doppelganger lifted its head, giving Aedus a bleary blink. Its eyes were bloodshot from crying, and he blearily rubbed at them, sitting up slowly on the couch.

>> “Hey Agnes! I’m Home. I look quite a bit different then when you saw me last. Just a heads up before I open the door.”

Aedus opened the door after imparting that small warning, and as Aedus did so, Chase unfolded himself from the couch, and quietly began to head for its more protected side. He didn't think that Agnes would do him wrong, but he had to be safe. He crouched down beside the couch, on the floor, and closed his eyes, listening. Chase looked like Killian, not like himself, but he still took this precaution. Just in the way that she'd said that they needed to talk, Chase was immediately suspicious.

>> “Hey, what’s going on?”

Agnes paused outside of Aedus’ door. She wanted to knock again but she didn’t want to disturb Aedus if he was busy, after all this was his home. But even if Chase was or was not there, she needed to speak to him in order to get Aedus on her side. Chase had a real life waiting for him. That was all that mattered. She was hear for the boy’s sake and she hoped that Aedus would see this as an opportunity for him actually have a life in a home where he could be loved and cared for by someone who could actually be a parent to him.

She hoped that Aedus could be convinced. But as she waited, she feared that maybe he was not home, or that Chase was there by himself, until she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

>> “Hey Agnes! I’m Home…I look quite a bit different then when you saw me last. Just a heads up before I open the door.”

She arched a brow. What? Did he get a full face tattoo or something?

The door hopened…and Agnes backed away with a startled gasp. It was obvious that she was in no way expecting what greeted her on the other side. The tall, obsidian, statue-like man with the terrifying and melting eyes was indeed a sight to see. She wanted to cry out, that maybe she was being deceived or that she had the wrong apartment or even that this was a trap. But the voice, the voice was his..

>> “Hey, what’s going on?” [/color]

She held her breath as she slowly walked up, trying to quell the fear that wanted to eat away at the inside of her belly. Could that have really been Aedus? He had the voice and, as she walked up, she could see some resemblance to him. It was almost as if someone had carved a statue out of volcanic rock in order to resemble him. But it moved, it spoke, and it blinked. Was that really him?

She finally found her voice as she stepped up to him.

“A-Aedus? W-What happened? I…I thought…I didn’t know…” she began as she looked at him closely. This was definitely a shock to the system.

“My genes were dormant, it just took waking them up I suppose, they were not active when we first met and well, now they are…It uh takes some getting used to… So, Chase he’s ok right?” Wow…that stung a little to see the panic that just went all over a friends face at seeing him. But then he did have lava for eyes. He would give her some leeway; it wasn’t like she took off or anything.

Aedus waved the young woman in. And looked at her with apt interest he would have to guide her to spilling what he needed to know. Where she stood, he didn’t think she would be helping the parents find him, not if they were bad to him. if they honestly wanted to help him they’d have to prove it long before he let it go. Agnes held his rapt attention.

Killian's doppelganger peeked over the back of the couch as he heard Agnes stammering about Aedus' change in appearance, little hands anchoring to the armrest for balance. He couldn't see much of anything, for Aedus' form was blocking the doorway. Chase listened as Aedus explained the new look, and casually asked if Chase was okay. Faux-Killian nearly retorted that he was just fine, but then recalled that Aedus was trying to get some information.

Aedus popped the door open and stepped aside, ushering Agnes in, and Faux-Killian quickly ducked back down behind the barricade of the couch, slipping out of view. It was childish, hiding from Agnes like this, but Chase was eight. When you didn't want to go somewhere with someone, you hid from them-- even if you didn't look like the person that they wanted to take somewhere. Faux-Killian pressed his back to the couch and embraced his legs tightly, scarcely breathing, as he listened to the two older kids converse. He might consider standing up, if Agnes was on their side-- but he couldn't afford to trust anyone from Xavier's, not yet. Anyone could be the enemy. Had Chase thought to run sooner, he would have run for an outward-facing window and clambered down the fire escape the moment someone knocked on the door.

A shuddering breath might have escaped Chase as a quiver danced down his spine. Tears arose once more, threatening to spill over, and the breath threatened to evolve into a sob, but Chase restrained them by furrowing his brow and biting his lips. He was so tired of running, but he would do what had to be done.

Agnes stared at Aedus…and then immediately felt bad. She knew it was him, after all she could distinctly remember his voice. But as shocking as it was to stare at this creature, she knew that she should have known better. He was a mutant, apparently, and mutants do not always get a choice on how they present themselves when it comes to their powers. It could be something invisible, like herself, or something that cannot be mistake, such as Aedus. Either way, it was his mutation and a part of who he was. She knew better than to judge a book by its cover.

She quickly stifled those feelings though as she wandered closer to Aedus, seeing that he was not going to harm her. Suddenly she was feeling silly for letting ANY such thoughts cross her mind.

>> “My genes were dormant, it just took waking them up I suppose, I weren’t active when we first met and well, now they are…It uh takes some getting used to… So, Chase he’s ok right?”[/color]

Agnes blushed, embarrassed by her reaction. But at least Aedus did not take a personal offense to it (that she could tell, anyways). She took a breath and smiled in her usual sheepish way to prove that she was over the appearance thing and hoped that he would accept her apologetic look. But before she could switch to it, he quickly switched topics.

That’s right, she was here for Chase.

She cleared her throat. “Oh! That’s right, sorry,” she said as she was ushered into his apartment. It still looked pretty much the same from the last time that she was here. “Look, I don’t know if Chase has contacted you yet, but he ran away from the mansion. He saw his parents there and apparently he bolted and told his friends that he was heading here. Have you seen or heard from him? There has been a HUGE misunderstanding and the Ms. Taylor the guidance counselor is scared for him.”