>> “Time to grow some and get guy time."

Chase was silent as the car accelerated under Hokee’s lead foot, but he smiled. Hadn’t they been having guy time all day? Chase was enjoying it, regardless. He got to hang out with a big kid, and older guy, and he’d managed to not got kicked out of the car yet, or teased, or ditched. He was holding-up rather well.

>> "Back in the day it was red, yellow, and green.....but people were chumps and couldn't tell the difference between yellow and green lights. Some places changed it to blue instead of green. Either way colors that are hard to tell apart at a glance can be good, just use it to your benefit."

The light looked green to Chase. Chase looked at the traffic lights as Hokee veered into a parking place along the side of the road, his car coming to a halt. The boys unbuckled their seats, and both climbed free, though Chase did so with a little more awkwardness. He pushed the lock down on his door and then pushed it closed.

>> "Ever take your scooter on a skate park? Do tricks and stuff?"

“It’s not my scooter,” Chase confessed, “My friends and I were racing around the Mansion and I borrowed it from one of my friends… he had a skateboard.”

Chase would have rather had the skateboard, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

“Yeah, I can jump on the scooter,” Chase said with a nod. Which was a big deal for a kid, getting air on a scooter, “I can almost do that thing where you jump and kick the bottom part around in the air when you’re in the air, but I always hit my shins.”

The scooter Chase used to crash into him wasn't even his own. Now this was classic. Kid didn't even know he was committing grand theft auto, or in this case grand theft scooter. There was potential for the kid after all, though he would have to manipulate things slightly so he wouldn't notice what he was doing. This was a key element to being the older one, or just him and his survival tactics. The world was a dog eat dog world, and with that in mind, he really had to make sure before anyone could take a go at him, that he had first shot. Chase wasn't a threat, the kid seemed to unaware of reality still. Eventually it would hit him like a brick wall.

"Nice."

He personally hadn't messed around with a scooter much at all. Just didn't have the thrill factor for him, that and they were never tall enough for him to feel like they had enough give to them. Cars were better, much better. Sure there were things that you could do with more ease on a scooter compared to a car but considering his age and all, the car fit himself better.

"Can't do that, my legs are to long." Poor excuse, but he didn't ever really try. "Maybe spin it faster?" There were somethings he just couldn't give much advice on at all. Anything really right now was more of whatever he could pull out of his own butt. Pretending to know something he didn't know much about, typical teen in action.

"Your pal wont rat you out for taking a joy ride, huh?"

>> "Nice. Can't do that, my legs are too long. Maybe spin it faster?"

Chase shook his head, “Then it hurts more when you hit your legs.”

Which was indeed true—the faster or harder you swung something, the more it would hurt when it connected. Chase leaned against the back of Hokee’s car, unsure why of why they were talking about the scooter, of all things. Weren’t older boys all about skateboards?

>> "Your pal won’t rat you out for taking a joy ride, huh?"

Chase frowned and bent his head contemplatively, scratching his head, “I don’t see why he would care. I mean, he said I could borrow it.”

Of course, when Chase’s friend Terence had lent him the scooter, he probably hadn’t expected Chase to pull a disappearing act like that. Chase shrugged. They didn’t talk about how long Chase would borrow that scooter, so the little shapeshifter didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It wasn’t like Chase was going to keep it, or anything.

"Yeah, until you get it right." Now this was funny, he was actually talking talk with Chase. "For fun I jump off buildings and run up walls and sh--stuff. Broke a few bones here and there but I kept at it." With a shrug of his shoulders, his fingers flicked at the side of his leg. "To nail the tricks, you go all out. Make it big or crash big. Got to go all out if you want to do it." That had to be the most he said to Chase all in one shot. Well, it was true though what he was saying. He might not be the smartest guy out there, but he did truly know a few things.

With a shrug of his shoulders, the older teen looked around at the street. Hanging outside leaning on his car wasn't to bad. Not like they were doing much of anything, but he could represent like this. Chilling by the laser tag place outside with your own car would give them rep points once they got in there. They weren't stuck with parents hovering over them or relying on the subway to get from one end of the city to the other, they had a car, so much better.

"That's good......just don't think I'm letting you borrow my car anytime soon. This is my life right here. " A slight exaggeration of sorts, but in another aspect it was very much so true. Without his car many things just wouldn't be the same. Where would the fun and excitment be if he couldn't go where he wanted to go and when he wanted. Sure he had school and work to do, but there were so many other hours in the day devoted to his freedom.

>> "Yeah, until you get it right. For fun I jump off buildings and run up walls and sh--stuff. Broke a few bones here and there but I kept at it. To nail the tricks, you go all out. Make it big or crash big. Got to go all out if you want to do it."

Chases’ eyes widened as Hokee spoke of his harrowing endeavors of jumping off of buildings and running up walls. That was pure stuff of superheroes. Except the bone-breaking. That just sounded painful. Chase didn’t like the sound going all out if it entailed “crashing big”.

“Ow,” Chase said sympathetically, his eyes wandering over the street and areas surrounding as Hokees’ eyes did just the same. He might have stopped to stare at an interesting-looking individual, or perhaps a dog, but when Hokee replied to him, Chase looked back towards him.

>> "That's good......just don't think I'm letting you borrow my car anytime soon. This is my life right here."

Chase giggled and retorted, “But I can’t drive.”

It was true. If Chase drove, he would have to be Hokee. If Chase was Hokee, it didn’t make sense to ask yourself for permission to borrow your car… so Chase could drive and be just fine, because he would be Hokee… at least in his mind. It made sense.

Ow. Breaking a bone was way more then ow, but the response was fine. It was understandable as well. The chances of Chase breaking bones in his life seemed to be rather low, Taylor didn't seem to be the type of mother to let him go out to play outside without being covered in every padded form of equipment available. He could already see it in his mind, much like Ralphie's little brother in that annoying movie played all day long on Christmas. Stupid movie, but the day was never complete without watching it.

Chase was lucky though today, he wasn't garbed like a waddling boy in a bubble. Plus he got to get a gun and a cup. That was a day, though a woman under his arm would complete it more. Maybe he could find some little chick for the guy. Mac daddy him all up. Taylor would really flip at that one. Her little boy walking in with a paintball gun and a girl all cozy with him. Wait. Why was he gonna get Chase a woman when he needed one for himself. Maybe he was getting sick or something, this couldn't be normal thinking.

"Yeah, sure you can't." With a half throat cough, the corners of his mouth curved upwards. "You would never drive a car at your age, or a license." Theoretically, he shouldn't even be driving himself, but that meant nothing to him. Laws were just a suggestion, not really anything more then that. "Ready to go in?"

>> "Yeah, sure you can't. You would never drive a car at your age, or a license."

Chase nodded in guileless concurrence, and cheerfully agreed, “I’d have to be older.”

Like… Hokee’s age, however old Hokee was. In Chase’s mind, obtaining a driver’s license was a matter of asking and receiving. He wasn’t wholly aware of age restrictions, or driving tests. So in his mind, getting a license couldn’t be that difficult.

>> "Ready to go in?"

“Yeah,” Chase agreed, pushing himself up off of the car’s side and back, firmly, onto the sidewalk. He was totally psyched, but had no idea as to which direction they were supposed to go.

Kid learned fast, that was good. Leading the way, Hokee went with a swag right to the door. "Oh...if anyone asks say your like 12, just short or what ever for your age." He had no clue how old Chase was, but it was clear as day that the place was for kids at least 12 years old. "This place rocks, they have both paintball and laser tag. We'll do the laser tag here...good gateway for ya. They modified paintball guns into laser guns." He had to admit, this was way better and much cooler then hiking on a bus to Shoppingtown Mall to play laser tag there. This place was 'the bomb'.

"Sup." Giving a head nod to another teen decked out in all black, Hokee was soon doing a crazy handshake with him. "Hows the field today?" The other teen gave a slight shrug. Responding back with his own nod, Hokee reached behind him. "Nitro, Chase. Chase, Nitro." The other teen gave a questioning look. "He's cool, training him to be a snipe. I can't cover your as--, dude he's cool, serious." Hokee's hand soon flew up to the side of Nitro's head making contact. "Your to slow, cut back on the Wendy and get the Golden Arches. Way better for ya."

Nitro took a quick look over Chase. "You fast Shorty?"

"Faster then your sorry self." With another swing, Nitro soon was taking a hit on the other side of his head. "You up for Zombies or Asylum?" Hokee looked back at Chase. "He's a bit slow but brutal on the field. Last week slaughtered everyone in paintball. Major skills at paintball but plays like girl with lasers. Can't cover me to save his life. You'll cream him for sure."

>> "Oh...if anyone asks say your like 12, just short or what ever for your age This place rocks, they have both paintball and laser tag. We'll do the laser tag here...good gateway for ya. They modified paintball guns into laser guns."

Chase bobbed his head excitedly. So for now, he was twelve, in the double-digits—he could work with that. Chase pretended things very well. As they made the approach towards the laser tag place, Hokee seemed to spy a familiar face, greetings and words exchanged between them. Chase gave a faint nod to “Nitro” when Hokee ushered him forward and introduced the two of them. Nitro gave Chase a skeptical look, and Chase looked back at him before looking up at Hokee. More one-ended discussion… up until Hokee smacked the other older boy up the side of his head, at which point, he turned his attention to Chase.

>> "You fast Shorty?"

“Yeah,” Chase said simply.

>> "Faster then your sorry self."

Another blow to Nitro’s head, and Hokee redirected his attention to Chase again.

>> "He's a bit slow but brutal on the field. Last week slaughtered everyone in paintball. Major skills at paintball but plays like girl with lasers. Can't cover me to save his life. You'll cream him for sure."

Chase grinned at the strike of confidence. He only hoped that it wasn’t misplaced. He didn’t want Hokee to think that he wasn’t cool.

"Told you."

Smacking Nitro across the back of his head was turning into a second hand nature thing. It wasn't his fault the guy was a bit slow on the up take, he just needed a bit of a rattle to get the gears moving. It wasn't nice, but there was no other choice. With a grunted response to the hit, things were ready to fall into place. Making his way further into the establishment, Hokee's voice lowered as he talked to a clerk behind the half wall counter.

Running a hand through his dreadlocks, his head flicked to the side looking over where Chase was. With a few more exchanged words, he was strolling back to the duo. "They'll let us catch the next laser round. No zombies today, which sucks but whatever." Shoving his hands into his pockets, the squinted eyes looked about at the different kids lingering about in the waiting area. "So here's the plan, Nitro will be the human shield and we'll do all the work."

The response from Nitro was slow, and it didn't seem like he got an idea of what was being said. It was fine with Hokee, sometimes it paid off having someone around that just didn't catch on that quick. "You only get 100 shots, so make them count, and don't get hit." Simple enough, Chase could handle that, and he was sure a lot more then his other counter part. "Bet we got enough time for a race on the games over there, that is if you wanted to drive." With a wink, Hokee was already strolling towards the arcade.

>> "Told you."

Another blow was dealt to Nitro before Hokee left for the check-in counter. Chase lingered beside Nitro uncertainly, hands wedged in his pockets, and he glanced aside at him. He was an unfamiliar, he didn’t know how to talk to him, or if he even should. The older boys’ eyes cut towards the shapeshifter, and Chase averted his gaze to his shoes, shifting uncomfortably. He didn’t feel safe without someone familiar to gravitate towards. After what seemed like eons, Hokee finally turned around and returned to the two of them.

>> "They'll let us catch the next laser round. No zombies today, which sucks but whatever. So here's the plan, Nitro will be the human shield and we'll do all the work."

Chase nodded his head, grinning mischievously. Awesome. As long as Chase wasn’t the human shield, he was all-for it.

>> "You only get 100 shots, so make them count, and don't get hit. Bet we got enough time for a race on the games over there, that is if you wanted to drive."

Chase nodded his head with the same, impish grin, and at the announcement that that they had time for video games, Chase seemed to jolt to life.

“Okay!” he agreed, forgetting to be cool in his momentary excitement. He jogged to catch up with Hokee, then slowed down to a stroll alongside him.

“This is the coolest day ever,” Chase announced, as the two of them crossed the threshold into the arcade.

Arcades, the wonderful world where age didn't matter and males of all ages could equally turn into wild savage beasts yelling and cursing at a virtual world. This was what life was like. The squinted eyes flickered back to the counter before stepping in front of the change machine. Pressing his left knee into the machine slightly, he gave a smack of a fist on the right side of the machine. The clinking of coins fell down into the silver cup and his fingers quickly wrapped around them. With a swag in his step, he slipped onto one of the motorcycle games. "This game has a glitch in it, ya gotta know how to use it to your advantage."

Leaning back on the bike, his fingers played with one of the coins. "Guy name Axe showed me. Since then he can't beat me. Stupid lard, but okay guy." Holding out the coin, his eyes looked over the younger mutant. Who would have ever thought he'd drag around the kid like this to all the good spots. Eh, things were what they were. Chase was a guy, and he wasn't stupid. That was what mattered. He couldn't help it, there was just this unwritten code between them, when you came from their area you had to tag up.

"No gas peddles to stretch for." It was a joke, but not a joke. One of those kind of things. People wouldn't understand, but that wasn't what mattered. Not much mattered, just some things. He couldn't explain it and would deny everything in a heart beat. This was just what he was like, unpredictable but fully predictable. "Should be a breeze."

Chase followed Hokee into the arcade, towards the coin machine. The older boy leaned into it on one side, and then swatted it on the other. The coin machine coughed-up coins in protest, which Hokee snatched up and marched away with proudly. That was… really smart. Chase would have to remember that, if and when he came back to the place.

>> "This game has a glitch in it, ya gotta know how to use it to your advantage. Guy name Axe showed me. Since then he can't beat me. Stupid lard, but okay guy."

Chase clambered up onto the second motorcycle next to Hokee’s own, teal eyes drifting curiously over the video game controls. He and Russell had been fans of video games, so Chase knew what Hokee meant when he mentioned that there was a “glitch”.

“What kind of glitch?” Chase mumbled, accepting the coin from Hokee quietly. He surveyed it quietly, and then pushed the coin through the slot.

>> "No gas peddles to stretch for. Should be a breeze."

Chase smiled and giggled, “So I don’t have to steal your shoe?”

Chase tilted through the main menus... he wanted... that bike. He looked at the motorcycle contemplatively, found the control to "select" the motorcycle, and zeroed-in on it. Now Hokee had to choose.

A half laugh came from the older mutant. What glitch, there was an open ended question. He could tell Chase, but at the same time, he didn't want his own butt handed to him by the guy. Nothing worse then getting a smack down from the person you just told how to cheat. "Just look for where things don't look right." A hint, that was something. He couldn't just give it away, what good would that be. Chase needed to figure this out on his own, or at least a bit on his own. "Got to watch where you are going, but at the same time not watch your character." Now if that wasn't confusing advice, he didn't know what was, but at the same time it made complete sense.

"No stealing shoes needed." Now that was a joke that most people wouldn't understand. Heck he might not understand the joke in a day or two. Memory was a funny thing like that, sometimes it just got very selective in what it would retain verse what it needs to retain. Using his leg, Hokee gave Chase's ride a jolt. With a smirk on his face, the older mutant went through the motions to get his game on.

"Watch the colors." Odd advice to give, but if Chase paid attention, it would make sense later on. Video games were cool like that. The best part of them, was when you get to that point where the controller pretty much floats in the air. Not literally, but there is a point where you just become one with the game and the controller just doesn't exist anymore. It would be interesting to see if such a thing would happen for Chase, the kid either way should be entertaining for a bit.

>> "Just look for where things don't look right. Got to watch where you are going, but at the same time not watch your character."

Hokee laughed at Chase’s inquiry, to which the child only gave his senior a puzzled look. Expression blank, he looked back towards his own screen. It didn’t make much sense, not when someone was verbally describing it. Deep down, maybe, but in actuality, it made no sense whatsoever. One of those things that someone would no inherently, but yet couldn’t be taught to somebody else.

>> "No stealing shoes needed."

The two shared a grin, and Hokee kicked at Chase’s motorcycle. Chase attempted to kick back, but his legs were too short. Instead it looked more like a flail of his leg, and then he was back to hugging the motorcycle.

>> "Watch the colors."

“The colors?” Chase echoed. Hokee was trying to be helpful, but the child was blatantly baffled. What colors? Chase flexed his hold on the grip as the game rumbled through the opening scenes, towards actual game-play. There were too many residues on the grips to pick-out someone who could actually drive, or to pick out anything useful, really. Chase was flying blind.