Author's note: Hey there. I know I promised racing action last time, but…oops. I guess that's next chapter. Sorry. BUT! There is action in this chapter- I will say that. Actually, comments on this chapter are VERY welcome- I want to know what everyone thinks so far. Let me know how the heck I'm doing. If any of this is believable, etc. ha ha. The race will come next- I DO promise that!!! ~Captain Hilts.

'I can't quite get my head around it; either be him or be like him- which one is it that I prefer? Both sound like crazy talk. And why would I want to be like him anyway, this man who obviously dabbles in crime and gets away with it? Why would I want to be his equal? I've only had my license for a few months and already I have these stupid delusions of winning the Grand Prix and looking good in everyone's eyes- him included.

…I think I need to get a grip…'

The cable car came chugging to an abrupt stop, throwing him forward into the seat ahead. A few passengers gave him an odd look as he rubbed the spot on his head. Oskar snapped the tattered notebook shut and scrambled to his feet. He shuffled down the narrow aisle, slinging his backpack over his shoulder as he headed for the exit, jumping down to the cracked street. He watched the cable car crawl away before turning to head down the sidewalk. He slipped the old green notebook into his bag, expertly hiding it amidst his school items. Shouldering the bag once again, Oskar continued down the street, unable to hide the smile that came to him as the familiar checkered flags of the racing garage came into view. Almost excitedly, he jogged across the street to the building and pushed open one of the doors, hearing the banners snap above.

It smelled good inside: motor oil and gasoline. Oskar smirked knowingly to himself as he walked through the dark hallways, absently trailing his fingers along the wall. He could hear the conversations of the mechanics, hissing of machinery and the strange high-pitched whine of drills.

It was the sight of the cars that made his heart pump faster and caused his mouth to dry. Stifling a strange little giggle, he followed the lines of vehicles, ignoring the confused expressions he received from the drivers as he went. His stomach had knotted slightly and his palms itched, awaiting a chance to graze the smooth surface of a nearby car with sand-colored armor. Before he could lay a finger on it, a deep voice boomed behind him.

"Get away from there!!"

Oskar jumped, eyes wide. He took several steps away from the vehicle and folded his arms.

"What were you doing?" demanded the racer.

Oskar looked up at him and flinched, unnerved by the fact he couldn't see the man's face. He remembered hearing about this driver, but his mind was a blank at the moment; his heart thudded against his chest as he fumbled for words.

"I…uh…I'm sorry…"

The man grunted, moving to inspect the car just in case. Oskar's fingers nervously fiddled with the key necklace he wore, moving to take a few more steps back. To his dismay, another racer appeared, seemingly angry.

"Cutter, I need your help back there and you're still messing around with your fucking car!"

"Look, it's not my fault some punk-ass kid found his way in here!"

Oskar felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably as the orange-haired racer turned to look down at him. He was heavily tattooed and missing both ears.

"Um…hi. I'm looking for-"

"Must be one of the girls' kids," Cutter interrupted as if nothing had been said.

The other seemed unconvinced. "No way. He looks too old."

"No he doesn't. These brats all look alike."

Oskar scowled as Cutter grabbed him roughly by the arm, dragging him along through the corridors past several cars and machines. He struggled.

"Let go of me!" the teen shouted, voice cracking, "I'm not-"

"Shut up!"

Oskar growled, but did as he was told. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be marched through the garage, jumping as the earless racer slammed open a door off to their left. The narrow hallways widened into a lounge area, where several TV screens flashed along the walls and leather furniture surrounded them. Oskar tripped once his sneakers padded on to the carpeted floors and Cutter had to wrench him upright as they walked. Through the screen of his bangs, Oskar could make out the figure of another person sitting on the long couch ahead. He gulped.

It was Razer.

Their eyes locked briefly before Cutter shoved Oskar into one of the leather chairs.

"You wait here," he barked.

Oskar struggled to right himself, sinking too far down into the cushions, accidentally kicking pillows to the floor. He glared after Cutter.

"I tried to tell you! I'm looking for-"

"Kid, if you back–talk one more time, you might not live to regret it. Understand?!"

Oskar clenched his teeth, still awkwardly trying to get situated in the chair, the leather groaning beneath him as he moved. He could feel the redness creeping up his cheeks, knowing that Razer was studying him from across the way; he could smell the nicotine coming from his cigarette. Oskar hung his head and kept his gaze firmly on his sneakers, hearing the muted tones of the televisions around him.

"Shiv, what's going on?"

Oskar pinched his eyes shut. He couldn't believe he was about to be ridiculed in front of Razer. It was bad enough he was probably going to be literally thrown out of the building once they realized he didn't belong to anyone they knew. As if on cue, the orange-haired racer said,

"We found him snooping around the cars. Cutter thinks he's one of the girls' kids."

Oskar wrung his hands nervously, tapping his feet on the floor.

"Really? Are you sure?"

Razer sounded confused. After receiving no further reply from Shiv he heaved a sigh, stabbing out his cigarette in a nearby ashtray. Oskar tried not to cough as thin wisps of smoke wafted through the air. He could feel Razer's eyes on him.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Oskar, sir," he replied, forcing himself to look up.

Secretly, he was mortified by the sound of his voice, the way it made him seem like such a little kid. Razer gave him a slight nod, propping his foot up on his knee as he leaned back against the couch.

"I…came here to find Jyil. You…you guys know who she is, right?"

Razer grinned. The racer named Shiv rolled his eyes, moving to take a seat at the small bar behind him. Oskar winced at how stupid he'd sounded.

"Oh, yes. Of course we know Miss Jyil." Razer moved to stand; the teen mimicked him, teetering slightly on his heels.

"Follow me- Oskar, was it?"

He nodded, attempting to swallow the lump in his throat. Razer guided him up a few steps back through the lounge to the garage. On their way, they ran into Cutter who stopped, seemingly puzzled.

"Boss- I can take care of him."

Oskar scowled; Razer sighed.

"The next time you bring someone back here, make sure you know what they want," he said through gritted teeth.

Cutter shrank back against the wall as the crime lord brushed past him. The boy followed behind him, looking smug.

"Yes, sir…"

Oskar sniggered, tagging along after the retired racer. His anxiety had worn off for the most part as they stepped back into the garage, though he still couldn't bring himself to believe he was walking around with his hero at his shoulder. Oskar could understand every word scribbled in the ratty notebook hidden in his backpack. His aunt may have had a slightly different perspective, but Oskar knew of the strange fascination all too well.

"Jyil never mentioned she had children," Razer said.

Oskar laughed. "That's because she doesn't. I'm her nephew."

The racer fixed him with an interested expression.

"Is that right?"

Oskar nodded, his eyes scanning the cars longingly once again. He followed Razer in silence around a corner, hearing tools clattering and static-ridden rock songs blaring on a small radio. He caught the familiar sapphire of his aunt's hair and ran ahead to greet her. She was sitting on the counter rifling through a box of tools. Her eyes widened once she saw him and she slid from the worktable to pull him into a hug. Laughing, she ruffled his hair.

"Hey, kiddo! What're you doing here?"

Oskar shrugged. "I took the trolley after school. Got nothing better to do."

Jyil arched an eyebrow doubtfully as she leaned back against the table.

"You better not be skipping a detention again- I can't keep saving you from those."

Oskar laughed somewhat nervously, scratching the back of his neck. His eyes flitted back to Razer, who was standing behind them, watching the interaction. Jyil's smile faded as soon as she saw him; Oskar felt her fingers tighten on his shoulder as he turned to look back at the ex-racer.

"He looks like you," he remarked.

"I have work to do," Jyil replied.

Oskar wondered why she looked at him that way; her eyes had lost their warmth and her lips formed a tight straight line. Razer dipped his head.

"I'll leave you both to it."

He leaned forward from the wall, crossing his arms. Oskar heard his aunt mutter something under her breath as Razer gestured to him.

"Nice meeting you, Oskar."

He smiled. "Likewise, sir."

Razer soon disappeared from view, giving them a small salute as he left. Jyil growled slightly, moving to step over to her vehicle. Oskar followed her, dropping his backpack on the workbench. His eyes scanned the car critically, wrinkling his nose at the odd yellow color of the armor.

"Oh, wow. Is this an old Falcon?"

"Old is right," his aunt sighed, "I couldn't believe Razer even had one."

Oskar climbed up the side and plopped into the seat. Even though the gauges and displays were blank, he could picture everything lit up perfectly. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and grinned.

"Look at the turbo gear on this thing!" he laughed.

His fingers drummed on the rounded lever and Jyil shook her head.

"I admire these cars, but I liked my Javelin much better. This hunk of scrap needs to more than just a tune-up. I took it out for a practice run yesterday; I managed to get two laps in before it died on me. They all came running to see if I'd blown something up."

"What's wrong with it?"

Jyil beckoned Oskar to follow her. Grunting slightly, he heaved himself out of the driver's seat and ran to join her, brushing the bangs from his forehead. Jyil popped the hood and pulled it open, propping it up with a rusty support bar. Both of them leaned forward; she pointed.

"See the color on the spark plugs?"

"Yeah."

"The fuel's too lean. That means we need a new carburetor. The car won't start now without one."

Oskar folded his arms, sweeping his gaze across the old engine. He chewed thoughtfully on his lip as Jyil shook her head.

"I'm gonna get my ass laughed at when we race the Freeze Rally this weekend."

Oskar made a face. "Yeah…but Blitz's dad used to drive one of these, right? They're supposed to be really fast- some of the best ones out there; as fast as the Havoc."

His aunt looked at him crookedly. Oskar shrugged. He watched as she left the car to reach for something in the tool box on the counter. Strangely, she walked with a slight limp. Before attempting to ask her anything, she'd tossed something at him, which he automatically caught.

"Since you're here, you can help me take out the carburetor."

Oskar smiled at the idea of working on a car with her. They hadn't worked together on something in a long time; he'd always liked the conversations they had. She joined him at the hood once again, placing her hands on the frame.

"I need you to tag each of the fuel lines for me so I can remember where they go," Jyil told him, reaching into the engine.

Oskar nodded, opening the little box and pulling out a small colored sticky tag. He leaned forward to tape one to the first hose that was removed.

"Did they give you a rough time?" Jyil asked, pulling a second line.

"Not…really. One of them thought I was somebody's kid." Oskar smirked as he taped on an orange tag. "Razer thought I was your son."

Jyil raised her eyebrows, yanking out a round of lines. Oskar tied yellow, green and red tags to them as she paused to wipe the grease from her fingers.

"You didn't annoy the hell out of him," she observed, "Must've clammed up, huh?"

Oskar stuck his tongue out at her. "There's no way I could've asked for his autograph. Do you think I'm crazy?"

His aunt smiled, taking a socket wrench from her back pocket. She leaned over the Falcon, her long ponytail spilling over her shoulder.

"You're my nephew- you've gotta be a little crazy."

Oskar rolled his eyes, tossing the box of tags on to the worktable, hearing the wrench clicking away. He let out a small sigh, scratching his head. Jyil pulled off one of the nuts keeping the carburetor in place, holding it up for him to see.

"Hands, please."

He cupped his palms and she dropped the greasy object into his waiting fingers. As she cranked the wrench for the next one, the teen asked,

"Do you like working for him?"

Jyil paused in her work, but only for a moment. It was enough for Oskar to notice an odd flash of emotion in her eyes.

"It's only been a week, Oz. I think it's too early to tell…all I can say now is that it's a lot of work."

Another nut popped into his palm, clinking against the others. As Jyil worked on a third, wiping sweat from her lip, Oskar watched other mechanics pass them by. Occasionally, they'd pause to give them a good stare before continuing on. A particularly attractive girl suddenly appeared, wearing a pair of short shorts and a midriff t-shirt. She fluffed her blonde hair absently, and Oskar's cheeks reddened after she noticed him standing there.

"Aw, he's so cute," she giggled, "Where'd you find him, Jyil?"

Oskar heard his aunt heave a sigh, knowing she was rolling her eyes. She wrenched another piece of metal free and said,

"This one belongs to me; I'm sorry, but you can't have him."

The girl laughed, walking forward to tousle Oskar's hair. His face turned a deep scarlet.

"You're funny."

Jyil rolled her eyes again as the girl exited. Oskar narrowed his eyes in thought as she dropped the next nut into his hands.

"So have you made any friends?"

Jyil snorted. "Are you kidding? The Umbrella chicks are the least of my problems. Between people continuously bothering me for tools or whatever, I've got a bunch of weirdoes ogling me for no reason."

She gnashed her teeth and pulled the wrench one final time, cracking the final nut from the aged carburetor. She tossed it to Oskar and he caught it.

"And I didn't even tell you about the all the rookie pranks they've been pulling on me. Before I could get the Falcon on to the track, they'd let all the air out of my tires. I looked like such an idiot! Even Razer was laughing…"

Oskar smiled. "I guess Rayn's guys were nice to you."

Jyil shook a dull pain from her hands, shrugging. She reached for a bottle of water and took a sip. Oskar frowned in thought.

"So, did she like, fire you?"

"…In a matter of speaking."

Oskar pursed his lips at the vague answer, attempting to juggle the objects in his hands. He strangely enjoyed seeing the grease marks appear on his skin. Jyil leaned back toward the Falcon and reached for the carburetor, pulling it from the depths of the engine, grunting from the effort. She rested it up on the edge of frame, looking around it curiously. Oskar stuck his tongue out in disgust.

"That's the crappiest looking thing I've ever seen."

Jyil puffed the loose hair from her eyes, holding up the device for closer inspection. Rust flaked off and floated to the floor as she moved it.

"Yuck. I got a guy downtown that can get me another one." She glanced down at her nephew invitingly. "You up for a little trip?"

Oskar grinned. "Sure."

He clattered the nuts on to the worktable, snatching up his backpack from the bench. Jyil threw the defunct piece of machinery into a cardboard box, clapping the dirt from her hands. She tucked the box under her arm, balancing it on her hip. Oskar wrinkled his nose as he felt her affectionately squeeze the back of his neck. They stepped from her working space, dodging other racers as they went. Oskar noticed Jyil still walked with a slight limp, and he found he was getting a little worried about her. She reached back to pull the elastic band from her hair, shaking her head as the locks came tumbling back to her shoulders. Shrill whistles suddenly sounded off to their left. Oskar turned to see the drivers Shiv and Cutter, along with a third man. He scowled as they hooted after his aunt.

"Hey, babe-how's repairs? Need any help?"

Jyil rolled her eyes; the men gurgled laughs. As they passed by, Oskar could feel them staring at her. His blood surged with anger and he surprised himself at the sudden protectiveness he felt.

"Where you off to, baby doll?"

"Go to hell, Edje," Jyil replied sweetly, complete with a sarcastic smile.

The men laughed again; Oskar's scowl deepened.

"C'mon, we're teammates!"

"Yeah, give us a kiss."

All three puckered their lips and made mocking kissing sounds after her. Oskar moved to say something, but Jyil put a hand on his head, nudging him forward. Her cheeks had darkened to an angry scarlet as the men continued to call after her. When they were finally free from the derisive laughter, Oskar turned to face her.

"Why do you let them do that?!" he demanded.

"Because it's been going on since day one," Jyil replied, raking her fingers distractedly through her hair. "I can hold my own against them, but…I didn't want to get nasty with you there."

"Please." Oskar paused to roll his eyes dramatically. "I'm fourteen, Aunt Jyil. I hear worse things on the bus."

"Don't remind me."

They left the racing garage without any further distractions, heading for Jyil's old car parked outside. Oskar slid into the passenger's seat, tossing his bag to the floor. Jyil plopped the box into his lap and he sighed. As they pulled out of the parking lot, she asked,

"So, how's school?"

Oskar squirmed slightly in his seat, watching the scenery blur around them. He preoccupied himself fiddling with a flake of the weakened metal on the carburetor. The best thing about being with Jyil was that she didn't always want to know about stupid things like school or his grades. He could talk to her about racing or music and never feel like he had to bring his faults in along with everything.

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure…anything in mind?" Jyil asked with a smile.

Oskar looked thoughtful. "Well…what did you have to do in Haven last month?"

He felt the car slow slightly; Jyil's foot must have unexpectedly hit the brake pedal after his question. She searched for words, her fingers flexing strangely over the steering wheel.

"I, uh... it was pretty boring stuff, really. Nothing worth mentioning. A lot of it was just, y'know, stupid things. Like paperwork and meetings and…things like that."

Oskar snickered, stopping a laugh with his palm. She was acting so weird; clearly evasive. He would have asked her more, but a turn caused him to lean heavily to the right and he fumbled to keep the cardboard box in his lap. The car pulled into a fairly small parking lot surrounded by a chain-link fence. Oskar could hear the roar from the overpass nearby as they coasted into a space. The downtown sector was lit almost blindingly by neon and bright LCD screens, flashing ads and video clips of the races past. Jyil took the keys from the ignition and turned to face him.

"You can stay in the car if you want- it won't take long."

Oskar realized being alone in this sector of town bothered him. He could see strange-looking people milling around the parking lot, most with chains dangling from their clothes and odd piercings along their ears.

"Uh, no…I'll come with you," he said.

Jyil shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

Oskar popped his door open and hurriedly went around the car to meet her. She took the box from his hands, a smirk tugging at her lips. Oskar hoped she couldn't tell he didn't want to be alone, but he had half a mind she did.

The auto parts center looked like a bunker; a flickering blood-red sign glared out at them as they waked toward it. There were even bars covering the front windows. Hearing police sirens in the distance, Oskar followed his aunt inside the store, wide eyes taking in the scenery around him. The sight of machinery seemed to clear his mind, but only slightly; the room smelled faintly of cigarettes and diesel fuel.

The man behind the counter was tall and gangly, chewing apathetically on a piece of gum. His hair was styled in a great electric-yellow Mohawk and a large hoop was stuck through his left nostril. His dark beady eyes fell to Jyil, tracing her figure briefly before he said,

"Whaddya need?"

"Is Spider here?" Jyil wanted to know.

Both Oskar and the man fixed her with an odd look. She waited patiently for an answer, tapping her foot on the tiles. The strange-looking clerk heaved a sigh, as if moving from his space was so taxing.

"Hold on a minute."

He walked from behind the counter and shouldered open a door labeled 'Employees Only.' Oskar was beginning to consider waiting in the car, disliking the barred shadows the sunlight cast along the linoleum tiles. He fidgeted where he stood and Jyil frowned at him. The door opened again with a squeak and Oskar looked up, feeling his stomach lurch.

An immensely tall man stood ahead of them, his thick arms folded over his massive chest. His head was shaved and his nose looked as though it had been broken several times in the past; the sleeves of his t-shirt had been cut off and plastered to his bicep was the image of a large black and red spider, venom dripping from its fangs. A spider web spread over his elbow and more tattoos covered the rest of his arms.

Oskar visibly gulped as the man's hardened eyes settled on them. Jyil leaned against the counter calmly, setting the cardboard box atop it.

"Well, well. If it isn't Johnnie's little girl," the man named Spider said.

Oskar edged closer to his aunt; the guy sounded like he gargled with razor blades every morning. He stepped around the counter and cackled a loud laugh.

"C'mere, kid!"

Jyil beamed, holding out her arms for an embrace; Oskar stood rooted to the spot, his mouth hanging open stupidly as the man swallowed her up in his arms, lifting her from the floor. He gave her back a few hearty slaps and she giggled. They parted, Jyil dropping back to the tiles. Spider held her at arm's length, teasingly nudging her chin with his knuckles. Oskar blinked.

"Haven't seen you since you were in High School! What've you been up to?"

"I'm in the sport," Jyil told him happily, "My first race is coming up in a few weeks."

Spider shook his head, crossing his arms again. His laugh came out in a strange 'hurgh-hurgh, hurgh.'

"It's about time. Always knew you'd fight your way in. Who you racing for- or are you doin' this solo?"

Jyil laughed. "You're gonna blow a gasket when I tell you."

Oskar winced; he really didn't want to see this guy mad. Spider scoffed.

"Hit me."

Jyil tucked her arms behind her back and teetered slightly on her heels, purposefully keeping him in suspense.

"I'm currently a driver for none-other than Razer himself."

Oskar jumped a foot after Spider burst into a long disbelieving laugh that was essentially terrifying; had he not known the man was laughing, he would've already bolted right out the front door.

"Oh, I can't believe it!" Spider guffawed.

Oskar noticed he was missing a canine tooth and made a face. His aunt was still grinning broadly. Spider clapped her heavily on the shoulder with his giant hand; Oskar flinched instinctively.

"Good God. I'm happy for you, kid. Johnnie's little girl's grown up alright. I ain't gonna ask how you did it, but I'm sure you impressed him."

Jyil's smile faltered slightly, but she dismissed it with a wave of her hand. She slung her arm across Oskar's shoulders and he guessed it was to show him she hadn't forgotten he was there.

"Well, I'm finally right where I belong. And I've come to ask you for something."

Spider nodded. "Sure thing. What's up?"

Jyil thumbed the air beside her in the direction of the cardboard box.

"A new carburetor; I need one for an old Falcon model."

Spider's thick brows knitted and he put a fist to his chin. "Is that right? I might have something in the back…lemme check."

He left to inspect the new parts and Jyil followed him. She made Oskar promise not to break anything and left him to roam around the shop. As he stared at his blurry reflection in the displays of silvery hubcaps, he let out a small sigh. He hadn't asked her what he'd wanted to. Part of him thought it was completely stupid, but the other part knew he had to ask. He'd already decided it wouldn't bother him no matter what she said; she was his aunt and he loved her…

Spider's gravelly voice sprung him from his thoughts and he turned to watch them reappear from the back room, a new carburetor cradled in Jyil's hands. She purchased the machinery, and the clerk boxed it up for her tightly in another cardboard box along with the receipt.

"Good luck with racing," Spider told her, "You've got my vote to win the Grand Prix this year."

"I won't have to let you down, then," Jyil laughed.

Spider winked after her as they reached the exit, bidding her farewell. The air was cool as they stepped back outside, able to hear the roar of the street once again.

"Who was that guy?" Oskar asked, taking one last look at the store.

"He's a friend of your grandpa's," Jyil told him as she fished for her car keys. "Whenever he brought me to the garage, Spider would keep an eye on me; give me candy, let me watch some of the races from pit row…stuff like that."

"Really? THAT guy?"

"Mm-hm."

Oskar shook his head in disbelief. He's heard many a story from her about going down to his grandfather's shop and meeting with the Blitz's; the gentle-giant named Spider was never before mentioned. Oskar sighed, burying his hands in his jean pockets. He looked up at his companion and she smiled back at him.

"Aunt Jyil…"

"Hm?"

"There's something I want to-"

He stopped his sentence short after spying three men ahead of them, all gathered around Jyil's car. There was the brief flash of a pry bar or something similar being pulled from one thug's jacket. Oskar scowled.

"Hey!"

He moved to step forward, but Jyil stopped him with her arm.

"Go back inside, Oz."

"But-"

"Go. Please."

Her voice was soft, yet firm. Oskar attempted to argue against it, but he couldn't find any words. Jyil's fingers pressed against his chest and she gently pushed him back a few steps. He watched in worried silence as she started forward, still holding the carburetor in both hands. Oskar turned to head back for the shop, looking over his shoulder as he went.

The men were muttering amongst themselves, occasionally cursing as the crowbar slipped and they were forced to reposition it. Jyil studied them all briefly, taking in their relative heights and body types, which were somewhat concealed by their baggy leather and canvas jackets. She guessed they were natives of the downtown sector, judging from their unkempt appearance and ragged clothing.

And they were doing a very poor job of stealing her car.

She waited a moment before dragging her shoes along the blacktop to catch their attention. They spun around, somewhat startled by her presence.

"Hey," she whined, "What're you doing?!"

All three fell into laughter, revealing yellowed teeth. Jyil squinted at them in mock confusion.

"What's it look like we're doin', sweetheart?" one of them said.

Jyil's eyes settled on the man with the crowbar in his hand and she gasped, putting a hand to her cheek.

"Oh, please don't take my car!" she wailed.

The guy on her left had taken a step forward; she sensed the movement, but kept her eyes on the other two, watching the crowbar.

"I hate to break it to you, but we're gonna have to take it."

They all laughed again at the sarcastic imitation of her voice. Jyil let out a few worried 'sobs,' shaking her head.

"But you can't!"

"We can and we will," the thief snapped, "You better get out of here if you know what's good for you."

She didn't move, instead gripping the box tighter in her hands. The group of thugs were irritated, now, obviously upset with her ruining their poor attempt at stealing her car.

"What part of get out of here don't you understand?!"

The man stepped foreword, tightly snatching her left wrist and yanked her toward him. Jyil gritted her teeth, using the momentum to further propel herself in his direction. She swung her free arm and drove the box containing the heavy carburetor as hard as she could into her attacker's head. There came a sickening crack, and he howled in pain, releasing his hold on her wrist; the others jumped into action to help him. The man with the crowbar moved in next and Jyil jammed her knee straight into his groin. He groaned and sank to the concrete. The crowbar hit the ground with a metallic ring; Jyil dropped the carburetor and snatched up the metal in her hands, taking an automatic batter's stance. The third thief was almost upon her, having not had any time to realize what she had done. The bar flashed dully as Jyil swung it like a bat, shrieking. It struck the man in his temple, and he stopped where he stood, blinking dumbly for a few seconds before falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. Jyil stood over him, panting.

Someone grabbed her from behind and she let out a short scream of surprise, struggling. The crowbar clattered back to the ground as she thrashed around, trying to pry herself from the man's grip. The crook she'd bloodied with the carburetor had moved in for one more try, attempting to drag her off some place. But Jyil wouldn't have it. She hooked her foot around his leg to prevent him from lifting her up, squirming and shouting. One of his arms suddenly broke free from around her and she quickly snatched it in her hands. With one powerful shift of weight, she yanked his arm hard over her shoulder and he flew over her emitting a strange yelp, landing painfully back to the concrete. Jyil seized the crowbar back in her hands and held it high, prepared to deliver the final blow.

"No! Just wait!!" the thug blubbered, holding up his arms.

"I told you not to take my car," Jyil hissed to him.

"I didn't take it yet-"

Jyil held the bar higher and he whimpered, trembling pathetically before her.

"HEY!"

She looked up only slightly at the familiar voice, trying to calm her ragged breaths. Spider was jogging toward them, scowling. His eyes bounced from each incapacitated man to Jyil and back again.

"What the hell is going on?"

Jyil passed the crowbar to him and sighed, brushing the hair from her eyes.

"Just a bunch of idiots wasting my time."

The thief was still trying to talk his way out, not having moved from his spot on the ground. He reached for the cuff of Jyil's slacks pleadingly.

"Hey, lady, hear me out-"

She drove her foot into his stomach and he gurgled into silence. Spider laughed his 'hurgh, hurgh, hurgh,' shaking his head.

"Guess I'll take it from here."

Jyil wiped her dirty hands on her clothes, returning her friend's laugh. Her smile soon faded once she saw Oskar standing a few feet away, his eyes wide, mouth open in a slight 'o.' Jyil could feel a violent chill travel the length of her spine and she let out a small gasp.

He'd seen everything.

Distractedly, she gathered up the dropped car part, briefly opening the box to check it over for damage. Not surprisingly, it was fine. She grabbed her dumbstruck nephew by the arm, muttering another good-bye to Spider.

"Have a great day, Jyillie," he laughed.

She slumped behind the wheel of her car and started up the engine, dropping the new carburetor in Oskar's lap. He hardly reacted. They pulled out of the parking lot and traveled through the downtown sector along the scenic highway, passing several piers as they went. Fishermen had already made their posts for the day and gulls screeched as they flew over the ocean.

"I knew it!" Oskar suddenly cackled, "I knew it!!

Jyil gave a start, causing the car to swerve slightly.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him, her voice slightly shaking.

"You are a spy! I knew it!!"

Oskar leaned back in his seat and dissolved into laughter, kicking his legs a few times. He banged his head on the seat a few times, grinning broadly. Jyil frowned.

"A spy?"

"Yeah! Y'know- like a secret agent?" Oskar paused to point and shoot imaginary pistols around them. "It makes so much sense, now! All those long trips, the random bruises and cuts- I was going to ask you, but I thought you'd laugh in my face! Look who's laughing now!"

Oskar giggled and shook his head. Jyil couldn't help smiling.

"I'm not a secret agent," she told him.

He looked disappointed almost instantly; she watched as he crossed his arms and leaned against the door, the breeze blowing his hair into his eyes. He looked like the pouting toddler she remembered in that moment.

"Then where did you learn to fight that way?" Oskar wanted to know.

Jyil pursed her lips, staring back out the windshield. The tall wind turbines twirled rapidly over the ocean, casting strange shadows along the highway. There was no sense in hiding it from him anymore; he deserved to know the truth. She heaved a sigh, pushing herself back in the seat.

"Remember when I was supposed to go away to a two year college?"

Oskar looked thoughtful, then nodded. He cocked an eyebrow.

"I was like, six, but I remember. What do you mean, 'supposed to go'?"

"…Well, I sort of…didn't go," Jyil explained, briefly squeezing her eyes shut. "In fact, I left Kras altogether."

Oskar gaped at her. "Then what the hell did ya do instead?!"

He seemed so excited, bouncing in his seat a few times. Jyil sighed once more, fiddling with the watch straps on her left wrist. She pulled the leather from her arm and held it up for him to see. Oskar gasped in disbelief. He snatched her arm so quickly she barely had time to react as he yanked her wrist closer for a better look.

A red-orange tattoo of a tribal flame showed brightly against the pale skin of the underside of her wrist.

"Eco pirates!" Oskar blurted, "Holy shit, my aunt is a pirate!! OHMYGOD. So cool, so cool!!" A sudden thought came to him after he finally released her arm. "Aw, are you branded?!"

Jyil laughed, though she wasn't very amused.

"You're only branded if you get caught, Oz."

The teen rolled his eyes. "Oh, right- duh. Whose crew were you with? Did you get to fly any of the airships? Oh, oh- did you fight any Metal Heads?!"

Jyil winced. "…Yes, I did fly a few airships, and no, we didn't run into any Metal Heads." She looked over at him seriously. "I left them after two years. I haven't seen any of them in a long time- I'm not a pirate anymore, so don't act like I am."

"But it's so exciting!" Oskar admitted, trying to catch another glimpse of her tattoo, "I mean, we only hear stories about them; they rarely come around Kras. No one really knows what they do- and my aunt was one!!"

Jyil shook her head. "Oskar…"

He squiggled in his seat slightly and laughed again. "How'd you get involved with them?"
She didn't answer, listening to the engine hum as they drove. A peculiar mixture of relief and worry pulled relentlessly at her conscience; her nephew seemed to accept her flaws already, but he showed an actual interest in them- something she was not expecting.

"Aunt Jyil?"

"Alright…" she took in a breath and continued. "After my mother died- Grandma-, your mom, Aunt Maddy and your grandpa wanted me to go to college instead of get into racing. I really didn't like that idea, but the truth is I lacked one important thing anyway…"

"Which was...?" Oskar asked, drawing out the words.

"…I wasn't a criminal. Nearly all the racers dip into crime, but I didn't want to, of course." Jyil pursed her lips, fastening the watch back around her wrist, pulling the straps tight. "But at that time, I just didn't care anymore; I wanted to get the hell out of Kras. So…long story short, I noticed an airship docked at one of the atolls, and decided to hitch a ride."

She looked back at Oskar and smiled grimly. "And so began my 'two year college' experience."

He was silent for a moment, processing her story. Fiddling with the key necklace as he spoke, Oskar asked,

"How'd you even get on the ship?"

Jyil shrugged. "If you want something really bad, anything's possible."

"And they taught you how to fight and fly planes, and steal things?"

His aunt nodded silently and he grinned.

"Oh my God, that's awesome! That's the coolest story I've ever heard! So what else-"

"Before you ask anymore questions," Jyil interrupted, "You have to promise me something, Oskar."

He grinned. "Sure. Anything!"

"You cannot tell anyone what I just told you, alright?"

The teen rolled his eyes, shaking his head. Jyil pursed her lips.

"Please, promise me. I don't want your mother to find out, and I don't want Aunt Maddy to find out, either. They'll kill me."

Oskar waved his hand. "Okay, okay. I promise." He moved his hand over his heart and added, "I swear on my life, is that good enough."

"Yes," Jyil answered with a slight smile.

Oskar suddenly erupted into guffaws. Jyil didn't know how to react, praying her heart would stop hammering against her chest. Her nephew wiped tears from the corner of his eye and shook his head.

"Oh, wow," he sighed, "Today is officially the coolest day of my life."

Jyil wasn't expecting to feel scared. "No, Oskar, none of what I've done is good- it's nothing to be proud of!"

"Sure it is! Okay…I can see how some people might think it's not the most honest job in the world, but being an Eco Pirate is totally something to be proud of!"

Jyil couldn't help giving him a small crooked smile. Oskar fiddled with the new carburetor in his lap, pulling absently at a few strands of plastic. He shrugged.

"I'm glad you trust me, Aunt Jyil. And…I love you, y'know? It doesn't matter what you did or what you do- I...I love you…"

She'd never heard a more touching sentence in her life. As they left the bridge and pulled to a stop at a light, she looked over at him. Oskar made a face, flicking his necklace.

"Ugh. I just heard how stupid that sounded. Sorry…"

Jyil smiled, reaching over to tug lovingly on his ear. She pulled him into a one-armed hug and kissed the top of his head.

"No, kiddo. That's exactly what I needed to hear. I'll hold you to it."

Oskar grinned sheepishly, slumping back into his seat.

"Well, hey. I guess I'm almost as cool as you."

Jyil made a face and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

*******

'I'm certain there's a reason behind all these silly feelings. I like to call myself a good judge of character, and perhaps I am; I think I get it from Mom. She can always tell Dana and Maddy's boyfriends are chumps before they can even set foot in the door. She's the only one I can ever talk to about my crazed love for racing; Daddy's proud of it, but Mom understands the love behind it. She understands what I see in Razer.

She told me that people are all born with an honest heart; maybe that's what I know about him. I guess…even if he is from the wrong side of the tracks, even if he has done things I can't really admire him for…There's still some good in him, somewhere.

I can see it in his eyes.'