Scottish heritage. Thick gray hair pulled back in a ponytail.
Arms covered in faded tattoos. A permanent scowl etched into his weathered face.
He looked up when Magnus and Finn entered. Squinted at the boy.
"This the kid?"
"This is Finn. Finn, this is Wrench."
"Best mechanic west of the Mississippi. He built my Road Glide from the frame up."
"If it has an engine, Wrench can make it sing."
Wrench grunted, set down his tool, wiped his hands on a rag that was probably dirtier than his hands. "You know bikes, kid?"
"No, sir, but I learn fast. I want to learn."
Wrench studied him for a long moment. Taking in the bruises, the bandages, the way Finn stood like he was ready to bolt at any second despite the obvious pain it would cause.
"Can't teach someone who don't want to learn. But if you want it, I can teach you everything."
He gestured at the workbench. "Hand me that torque wrench."
"The one with the red handle."
Finn looked at the array of tools hanging on the pegboard. His eyes scanned the shapes, the sizes.
Something in his brain just clicked. Pattern recognition, spatial reasoning.
Whatever it was, he grabbed the correct tool on the first try.
Wrench raised an eyebrow. "All right."
"Now, hand me a 3/8 drive socket. 10 mm."
Again, Finn's eyes found it, grabbed it, handed it over without hesitation. Wrench took it, looked at Magnus.
Something passed between the two men. A silent communication.
"Kid's got hands. Good hands."
"Natural hands." Wrench turned back to Finn.
"You ever taken anything apart? And ever fixed something?"
"I used to fix my mom's toaster and her radio. She couldn't afford to buy new ones, so I'd take them apart and figure out what was broken."
Wrench grunted again, but this time there was something that might have been approval in his eyes. "All right, kid, you heal up, then you come back here."
"We'll start with the basics. Oil changes, brake pads, work your way up to engines."
"You pay attention, work hard, don't me, and I'll teach you everything I know."
Finn felt something unfamiliar blooming in his chest. Hope, purpose, the sense that maybe just maybe he had something to offer the world beyond just surviving it.
"Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet. I'm a hard teacher."
"You'll be sore, frustrated, and covered in grease, but you'll learn."
Magnus put a hand on Finn's shoulder, gentle despite its size. "Go rest."
"Doc wants you taking it easy for another week, then you start."