--Rebecca's home, Eastern Suburbia, Victoria, Australia.

--Shadow form.

I looked curiously down on the human male as he worked in the garage.

It was set out more like a lounge than a garage; a T.V, a couch, and a Computer.

I was sitting on the translucent roof, wondering what it was this peson was doing.

He was on a small, red, rectanglular board with wheels, slid under his white Ford, a Ute, holding some kind of metal impliment in his right hand.

Rebecca had told me of this man; his name was Nick, and he amounted to her adoptive brother. She had said he was a real laugh to be with, and very nice. She had also said that he got on very well with Manic.

I hadn't spoken to him yet, but he knew of me as I knew of him.

He slid out from under his vehicle, and looked up, presumably seeing my silotte.

I brought in a quick, sharp breath, and hoped he had not seen me spying on him.

Please... I thought, Let him think I'm a large bird...

No such luck; Nick got up off his back, and exited the garage, a climbed up the beam, crossed the rickety wooden gate top, and stood next to me, on the roof.

"Mephiles..?" He said with a smirk. "So... you're Mephiles..?"

I got up from my sitting position, and looked at him. He had dark brown hair, and eyes to match. He appeared to be strong; muscled on the arms. His shirt was ripped, and covered with grease, as were his hands. He wore seriously destroyed jeans, holes everywhere and paint splattered on them.

Most intruging about his unusual visage was the scar that covered the whole left side of his face, crossing over his mouth, cheek, and eye.

"And you must be Nickolas..?"

"Yup. That's me." He said with a grin. "Should I ask what you're doing up here?"

"I... Ummm..."

He rolled his eyes, "C'mon. Do you know how dangerous it is up here? If you stand somewhere like you are for too long..." He imitated snapping something in his hands.

"Oh! I'm sorry..." I apologised, getting up and quickly stepping onto the mouldey gate top that was used to get up here, then slid down the beam, landing in a tree of wich I jumped down from.

Behind me, I heard Nick do the same.

"Ya know," he said as he clambered out of the tree. "You look really similar to Shadow or whatever his name is. Are you guys, like, realted or something?"

"No..." I replied, giving him a funny look.

He shrugged. "Good. I don't really like that guy."

I quizzically looked him over, "Why not? Do you even know him?"

"Not really. I've only met him once before. Annnd I don't like him because... well... you know. I really hate people who use guns."

I must have ooked curious into his reasoning, for he continued with a sigh.

"See... My dad, Tony. He was shot. When I was 5."

My eyes widened in horror, "Oh! I'm so sorry!" I gave him a gentle hug.

Apparently, he didn't really know what to make of that, so he just patted my back a few times, then pushed me away.

"But... Bec said something about the Sceptre of Darkness? It sounded interesing, but... what is it?" He asked, walking back into the garage, taking a seat on the couch.

I followed suit, sitting next to him, "I... I'd rather not talk about it. I only just met you..."

"Exactly." He said, rolling his eyes. "All the more reason to get to know each other, right?"

I blinked, confused with this logic. It made sense... kind of.

"Well..." I began. "I was created to be Solaris, but that went wrong, so Shadow and Silver came back from the future to seal me inside the Scepte of Darkness." Ipurposly left out the 'Why they did it' side of things, as to not put myself in the awkward position of having to explain my reformance as well.

"Oh...kay?" He looked confused, but I didn't explain any further.

"So... What are you doing out here?" I asked, changing the topic. He grinned.

"Oh, just fixing some stuff up with mah Ute. You know, the brakes have been acting up a bit lately."

"Could you explain that in more detail?" I asked, onestly curious on how these machines worked.

"Sure." He jumped up from the couch and stepped over the coffee table. I took the more indirest route around it.

He slid back undeer the car, and I easily slipped my head under too.

"See, it works by the cable here, but..."

I stared in astonishment as he explained how the braking system worked.

--

We must have spent an hour working on his car; after we had finished the brakes, we had fiddled with the engine a bit, the lights, and put in a new horn.

"Ya know, you're not a bad mechanic." Nick praised, looking me up and down. "Ya look like one, too."

I looked down at myself; my chest fur was matted and covered in oil, that also coated the fur down my arms. My once-white gloves were black on the palms and fingers, and dark grey everywhere else.

I mouthed the word 'Opps...' to myself, then looked up to see Nick laughing at my befuddled expression.

"Wanna try welding?" He asked, already getting the tools ready.

I grinned.

"Okay!"

Now I saw why Rebecca and Manic got on so well with him; he had an easygoing, laid-back attitude and a slack way of speech that made him seem like someone that anyone could get on well with.

I liked my new friend. I could tell that we would be doing things ike this quite often.

I smiled.

Friends...