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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.

>> "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.

Chase had managed to put away a little more than two plates of food. It was a difficult balance, eating enough to eat your fill, without eating far too much. But, Chase had done well. He'd only consumed one glass of orange soda, though, which he had nursed throughout the two-and-a-quarter plate-fulls of food. After they all had eaten, the trio made its way to Aedus' residence.

It might have been small, but to Chase, it was a dream. They received the grand tour, which was given with the attitude that Agnes and Chase would actually be staying there, or at least drop by to visit at some point in time. And, true to his word, Aedus handed Chase a key, complete with its own chain.

With a quiet reverence, Chase accepted the key, its residue fizzling as it hit his hand. Rather than pocket it, Chase lifted the chain over his head and tucked the key under his shirt. It would serve a his reminder that he had somewhere to go.

They then piled into the cab once again. This time, Chase paid close attention to the road, memorizing the turns and landmarks. He didn't do so consciously, it simply didn't do any good to have a key to somewhere if you didn't know its location. Chase silently watched the city flick by, keeping his eye out for this Mansion.

Chase once again grew reverent as the taxi coasted through grand gates and off of the city streets, his excitement becoming uncontainable.

>> "Look out past those trees. The second we round the bend, you’re going to see it."[/color]

Chase followed Agnes's gesture and her instruction, leaving in close to her to look out the taxi's window. He didn't dare inhale. She hadn't lied-- just as they rounded the second bend and emerged from the thick, impenetrable foliage, the Mansion came into view. The eight-year-old grinned, his eyes lighting up as if it were Christmas. There it was.

"Wow," Chase breathed unabashedly, "It's beautiful... Like a castle..."

>> "There is nothing to freak out about. I mean, it is weird to see myself copied so well. But it is more amazing than scary."

Chase smiled graciously, combing his hair back with his hand. He wanted to explain that it wasn't anything special-- that the real trick was doing it without something to hold on to, and that by borrowing her bracelet was kind of cheating. It was hard for Chase to put that argument into words, being only eight years old, so he simply replied, "Thank you, Miss Gemma."

>> "Hey, are you feeling all right? Does your ability have side effects?..."

Gemma placed a concerned hand on Chase's shoulder, and the boy tried to stop his shivering. It didn't work as well as he hoped.

"I'm okay," he assured her. But, chills and feeling woozy was not okay. How much of it was nerves, though, and how much of it was shifting so quickly? And, Miss Gemma was probably smarter than to believe that he was okay, after shifting like that and now trembling and looking slightly nauseated. Thus, Chase confessed, "I just don't shift that fast. And, going from short, to tall, to short again... I'm just feeling a little dizzy."

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."

>> "I know... I just never have seen an eight-year-old with an ability like yours. Yes, you can shift back. No need to confuse my students."

The doppelganger smiled and nodded, readily sliding the bracelet off before delicately placing it on the countertop. A soon as the trinket left the doppelganger's hand, the form slipped.

Reverting came with greater ease, the tendrils unraveling and contacting until what was left standing in the place of the Doppelganger was only Chase, in all of his natural glory.

He gave Gemma an uneasy smile, looking a little queasy. You'd look sick, too, if you'd just grown and then shrunk two feet, and then went from being a little boy, a full-grown woman, and back again. It could have also just been the fact that he'd just shifted for someone, for the express purpose if doing so. Using his sweater's sleeve like a glove, he picked up the bracelet and meandered over to Gemma's side, delicately handing it back to her.

"Thank you, Miss Gemma," Chase mumbled, carefully picking his way back towards his stool. He was shivering slightly as he clambered back into his seat, "You're the first person I've ever showed that to on-purpose, so I'm really glad you didn't... Hmm, freak out."

He drew his hood again, not to hide, but only because Chase had gotten the chills. He couldn't understand why he was so panicked-- Gemma had been impressed-- but he'd been brought up to be so hush-hush about his powers, that he was beginning to feel subconsciously ashamed for showing off.