A two door ford crept by, its driver's head well out the window looking down towards the street kid who could probably touch the rims of the red pickup truck if he wanted. He was a scruffy looking sort, his well worn overalls missing a clip that showed he was without a shirt beneath it and his shoes looked like they'd been handed down a few times too many already.

A beep of the horn from the slowed vehicle sounded the moving audience's appreciation before it picked up the pace on the busy street again, another quickly taking its inquisitive place, yet the kid was well into his flow state to really notice the fuss he was causing. His tongue poking out the side of his parched mouth as he added to the artistry was just one sign he was deeply embedded into his craft and his sharp, intuitive and decisive movements back and forth across the pavement another.

A mixture of yellows and reds gave the piece a somewhat interesting interpretive take, yet given his urchin status it was all he could really get his hands on, as an early morning trip into a farmer's garden is where he figured he'd lost a few of his better pieces of chalk. From the sidewalk to nearly bulging into the middle lane, the public display was causing traffic to have to crawl around where the kid was frantically working and due to the commotion from the passing cars and the chattering and crowding onlookers a pair of policeman were now approaching.

The two officers took a moment to take in the dedicated youth and his artwork before addressing the situation. One removed his hat to scratch his head, while the other coughed to clear his throat.

"Well, this certainly is to scale."

"If it's in King Kong or Godzilla's likeness."

"Or Mahoney's."

A knowing laugh was shared between the patrolman. Officer Mahoney had a bit of a reputation around their precinct.

"Hey, kid."

They waited a moment, the officer with his hat removed placed it under his arm and gave some passing observers casual glances and smiles as the other stepped down off of the sidewalk and onto the road, towards the kid.

"KID!"

A few horns beeped, some accompanied by cheers and others by jeers, depending on their take on what was transpiring given what the kid was almost done creating and the encroaching lawman.

"You have to come up off the road, sonny. It's too dangerous."

The officer's hands were now firmly on his hips with his feet a little further than shoulder width apart, his authoritarian stance in full effect just a few feet from the start of the drawing. From a birds eye view it may have even looked like the drawing was an extension of the officer.

"Come now, I don't want to have to pick you up and drag you off the road and I'm sure you don't want that either. Besides, it looks quite finished."

"Not yet, sir."

With a flash of his hand, some quick strokes put the finishing touches on the piece. Satisfied, the youngster smirked as he stood up and stepped back towards the officer, eventually standing to his right. The other officer also joined them, standing to his partner's left.

"Well, it ain't half bad."

"You really going to encourage this kind of behavior?"

"It's only chalk."

"Yes, but it's..."

"Shit, where'd he go?"

"Huh?"

Looking around, neither could spot the blonde haired maestro and as traffic picked up again, the two beat cops shrugged off the minor incident and continued on, picking up where they left off with the latest of Mahoney's escapades as they went back to patrolling the neighborhood. They were always retold a little wilder and wackier than when the man himself first shared them with the usual group of guys in the office, yet even then, they were still quite the stories.

Moments later on a fire escape overlooking the same street, the kid took in the glory of what he considered a step in the right direction. Some day he'd hope to produce better works, but for now it was reminiscent of those his mother would talk about, ones preserved in the museum she worked in. He figured all primitive species of man had at some point taken to expressing themselves with crude drawings so for now, sitting with the word DHIEN engraved into a piece of wood between his dangling legs, and as he glanced at a large veiny penis showing itself in flashes between the moving cars below, the kid savored his first foray into street art.

Terry spots an unfamiliar face in the streets. A young man sitting on a fire escape overlooking a busy street. He noticed some cops had approached him, but soon enough left him alone before he climbed onto the fire escape. He prided himself on knowing the community so when he didn't recognize someone he wanted to at least try to make a good first impression. He smiled and walked over to the young man and stood under the fire escape looking up to him.

"Good morning young man, my name is Terry. How're you today?"

"I got me some apples, Terry. Today is a good day!"

The kid raised one towards Terry, in an offering. He only had two but he learned from his father to always share, if you can, of course, and seeing as he had another for himself he figured one is better than none.

Terry smiled at the young man as he offered him an apple. This was the very type of character he was looking for. Terry took the apple and took a large bite.

"Wow thanks a lot, it's delicious!"

Terry reached in his pocket pulling out a roll of twenty dollar bills.

"Here you go, that's the best apple I've tasted in a while."

As he took the money Terry leaned in closer.

"Have you got a place to call home friend? I am part of a group... well.. more like a family and we're always looking for good people."

He stood up straight and winked.

"That is if you're interested."

"Woah, thanks!"

The kid took the money gently, looking it over a good deal, mesmerized by what it could mean. He'd seen scraps of coin here and there and even some small bills but he was still new to money in general.

Pocketing the notes, he turned his attention back to the man before him.

"Well hey, the street is my home sir. It treats me well and provides for me. See, an apple, now all these notes, it never doesn't provide. And I kind of like it by myself. Learned to be quite good out here."

After a pause, the kid scratched his head and spoke with a less sure, quieter voice.

"Say, where you from anyways?"

Terry nodded, a slight frown on his face, he would hate to see such potential wasted.

"I'm from Philadelphia, more specifically Bella Vista."

Terry scratched his head.

"I understand where your coming from, but would rather continue your life having the streets provide for you? or getting into a position to where you provide for the streets?"

He placed his hands on his hips flexing his arms slightly.

"What I mean is, someone like you can easily rise up in an organization like ours, and never have to worry about the things you do now."

"Ah, heard of that place but never been."

The kid smiled innocently. He'd been hustling the street a little while, so it may or may not be a natural innocence he was projecting.

"I like the way you worded that, and providing for the streets sounds quite like a step up."

The smile faded and a blank yet confident look took over.

"I'm out in Chicago, though, and I quite like it here." Said the kid with a sure nod of the head.

Terry could tell that something was keeping him drawn to the windy city, but what could it be.

"Chicago is a nice city that's for sure."

Terry looked over to his right and into the street, as he did he caught glimpses of a giant penis drawn into the road in chalk. He couldn't help but smirk and look back to the young man.

"So.. is that your handy work on the road?"

Terry grinned as he could see on the boy's face as he asked that this was the case.

"Well I can't say yes and I can't say no."

The kid's legs were swinging with gusto as he glanced towards the piece of street art, and a smile was being held back as the kid tried his best to seem nonchalant about it all.

"But, sir, what do you think of it anyways? Think that shithead has potential?"

Terry looked away and back at the work of art laughed and then nodded.

"I do think that shithead has potential, but they need to learn the golden rule of location."

He pointed to the road.

"Unfortunately that'll be blurred in an hour, and completely gone with the next rain."

As he looked back up to the boy he spotted a small pin with a 'Raskals' logo on it. Terry suddenly realized why he wasn't keen to leave Chicago. At least Terry knew now that the boy's potential wasn't going to be wasted and he grinned.

"Yeah. I should probably tell that to the shithead... You know, if I see him next, or whatever."

Dhien sniffed and with a slight hesitation, he took his other apple and tossed at the hulking man.

"By the looks of you, you'll need this more than me. Besides, I got those bills. I can probably buy me a feast!"

And with that, the kid pulled himself to his feet.

"I'll come and visit you in Philadelphia one day, when I get more of this money."

The kid wanted to say more, but beyond being able to draw a decent rendition of a dick, he wasn't that apt in expressing himself. Maybe when he'd grown up a bit more, he could tell Terry from Philly how grateful he was for his interest in the young man, as sometimes in life, all you need is that one person to believe in you, err, in that mysterious shithead.

After an affectionate Raskalz middle finger in the air, Dhien was off again, likely to steal some shit.

Terry caught the apple that the young man tossed at him. Before he could say anything further the boy flashed a middle finger and was off into the city. 

"I'd like that..."

Terry said under his breath to himself with a smirk. He took a bite of the apple and began walking. It was back to the normal grind, he had distracted himself long enough.

Terry stops abruptly as a man asks about some sort of crew rules. It was highly unusual for a stranger to ask something in such a public space. Terry placed a finger to his lips and shushed the man.

"Hey pal, such things are discussed in public."

He looked around ensuring no one heard or was paying attention to the man.

"You should search out someone in your organization and have that discussion with them in private."