REAL BEGINNINGS (Ch. 42)
"The RUNAWAYS are raking in the cash"
"Well they do operate illegal business"
"Don't merchants do too?" Wuu replies
"Those two do it well, they have fail safes that make us untraceable"
"So under different circumstances you'd have let Duke go?"
"An example needed to be made, the way he ran things was way too" pausing briefly his obsidian orbs glean in contemplation, "reckless" Vin concludes sinking further into the cushion.
"I call bullshit, the crews must know by now you're looking for any excuse to destroy them"
"Doesn't it matter if they do, I'm sure they'd rather it be me than the boss"
"hey haven't they gotten a new leader yet?"
"Dealers? No, you see reckless as he is, he's a good leader, I'm sure they'll wait"
"Then what about your pet dog"
"He's weak"
"They all are"
"Whilst Duke was a good leader, Daryun rules with an iron fist, his crew is still fundamentally the same crew it was before he took over"
"As long as he makes his quota"
"Agreed"
"So you'll be handing over to him?" Wuu states donning a mocking smirk.
"....."
"Don't tell me your still hung up on that kid"
"Who" Vin frowns in response
"Nathan smith"
"Jay it's alright, I'm okay!" Maya States smiling at the hopelessly frantic boy, after several minutes of endless fussing he informs her about his new discovery.
"Daryun's a gang leader?"
"Apparently" he replies, Maya's smile dims,
"Jay..."
"I know"
"Join CERBERUS Raven" Raven stares at the sun blonde boy placidly
"Boss!"
"I'm busy Jaime make it quick" he replies returning Raven's stare.
"Are you their leader?" Darren states dumping the body he'd carried for directions aside.
"I'd suggest you don't interfere" Dennis replies waking up from behind
"You two do as you wish, that one's mine" Yanick speaks up, glaring down Jaime,
"How fitting" Daryun steps up walking past Raven, "let me show you Raven, let me show you why you should join us"
Taking off his printed jacket he walks towards the trio who continue to keep tense watch over each other anticipating a sneak attack
"There's no need for me to decide" Yanick mutters "you're all bad guys, I'll just have to kick all your asses!" he bellows with conviction
The three burst into a three-way fight each catching the other out, Daryun steps in with a Brazilian kick, forcing Dennis back, swerving pass Yanick's kick, he copies his Muay Thai low kick dropping him from his balancing leg, using Darren's body as leverage he lowers his center of gravity briefly before letting the bull charge him, meeting Darren's intended bear hug with a knee to the nose, Raven watches from the side in astonishment,
(He took three of them at once!),
{Nothing to it. He's using bone control to make up for the difference in constitution, look properly at his knees, ribs and even arms}
Raven finally taking note grows shocked, (his entire body seems made up of liquid that hardens on contact, wait you mean i can do that?)
{That's if we aren't dead by the time you stop dicking about}
"I want you to join me Raven, i can see your potential, we're the same, money is power and vice versa, don't you have anything to protect?"
Staring at Daryun's back Raven's emotions stir,
{Don't tell me your so emotionally weak boy, his words are true, but no student of mine will be a dog's DOG!}
Countless Cerberus members arrive in their dozens, and in seconds as if premeditated, they quickly number twice a hundred.
(This is more than i bargained for, I'd need to be back to my prime to take them all!), Dennis watches closely while assessing the situation
"RELENTLESS!"
"WE FIGHT TO PROTECT!!!" Yanick grins as his own crew members arrive in droves, both the first year members and main crew turn up in their jackets with Konan standing as their lead,
"Sorry I'm late Yanick"
"No problem"
Raven turns back towards Daryun before responding,
"I won't say you're wrong, but i can't say i agree with you, what you're doing, and how you're doing it isn't right, stop this madness Daryun, you need help"
"I need help?" He replies chuckling madly to himself "you think i need help?, Your help?, This world will never be fair, one day weakness like this will cost you, I'll just help you out by showing you early,...BOYS!"
Jaime standing a few feet behind Daryun walks up towards him before smashing a metal bat on the back of Daryun's head with all the force he could muster, Raven springs into action but is warded of with a swing from the same bat, Daryun groans, his hair matted with blood, "why" he groans, "we could've reached the top, i could already see the goal " he croaks, Jaime light's a cigarette as those wearing a Cerberus jacket toss their jackets to the floor,
"C'mon Daryun, was it so shocking that we stabbed you in the back?, What's more surprising is that you never saw it coming... c'mon...it was so obvious even a toddler could see it coming, i guess the broken mama's boy never did grow up, Can't you hear them?, Some of them lived off those fake accounts you tried to get rid off, y'know it was hard at first, finding a weakness, but as time passed it began to show so clearly it was practically blinding, you only care about yourself, 'you're selfish', i was going to keep the charade up till we took out Relentless and Saiyan high, to think they'd take out our best fighters and match our numbers, there's no point in fighting a war we can't win, you're a boxer right?" States while turning towards the ex Cerberus member by his side, "Break his hands" Jaime concludes before walking away,
"Daryun!" Raven sprints towards him, Daryun's up in a flash, his fist visually hardens to reddish white almost as if becoming wholly heated bone, a punch smashes the wooden bat swung at him to smithereens, his visage contorts in rage as he sprints towards Jaime's direction.
"JAIMEEEEEEE!!!!!" Roaring he beats and batters into his ex crew mates trying desperately to wade through the sea of bodies, Raven comes to a halt staring at the boy demolishing anyone and anything in his way with reckless abandon… grabbing a bat he spins before letting fly at Jaime, catching him behind the knee, it forces him into a tumble, Daryun dispatches the boys left in his way before slowly making his way towards a fearful Jaime.
"That day i took over your crew, a crew with no name, with a leader with no reputation, and made it what it is today, it was raining just like it is now wasn't it?" Daryun raises a palm as the drizzle quickly morphs into a raging rain
"Indeed it was" comes a distinct voice, a path opens for the speaker, Vin steps through the path towards Daryun who barely veils his shock, Vin takes a seat on a bench a few feet's away from Daryun before lighting cigar, "the day i sent Duke wade to prison, it was raining quite the same" he states before pausing for a puff, "Daryun won, you are hereby disqualified"
Daryun's world visibly crumbles around him as the last treads of stability snap
"Cc'mon man, ccc'cmon you can't do this. P..please i didn't have anything to do with itt!… You know how much of a good lap dog i can be, ppplease, my mom, what about her eyes?!"
"That's non of my business, in the end the only thing that matters in this world are results" Vin replies while exhaling the smoke towards Daryun's kneeling form "you couldn't even control a small crew, worse you let yourself be betrayed by your own crew, someone so incompetent could never be a candidate much less my successor"
countless images of his mother before her eyes worsened jumble his mind, then comes the hope, then it's loss, then reality of a sight he'd never see.....not again, the despair follows soon after, and with tears burning down his cheeks, he gets to his feet, and with tears still burning he takes his stance
"Good, this is what i find the easiest anyway" pulling his shades away his devilish grin makes his scar even more menacing, his figure seems to blur under the down pour of rain, raven can just about make out the fight, Daryun's punch towards Vin's face ricochet's of his guard, almost as if bone hit steel, Vin stands rooted blocking Daryun's hits with a single limb,
(I can do it, back then my punches didn't even reach him, now they do!, I can do it, i have to winn!!! I refuse to let mom go blindddd!!),
"You've even copied me?, I'll give it to you kid you've got talent, i might never see anyone with more talent than you have, that's why it's a shame, your body can't keep up" catching Daryun's punch by the wrist, he bends his hand on to the wrist before leaning back a step, Daryun finds himself spun in midair before crashing onto his bleeding head, "it's like your software is state of the art but your hardware is in the nineties, you two are polar opposites" he concludes while staring at Yanick, "your leadership is appalling and you don't make as much money as the other crews, you might be talented but overall your.....
"Raaaaaaa!!!!!!" Daryun growls before jumping high to deliver a punch.
....rock bottom" Vin concludes with his cigar in one hand and the other in his pocket, every spectating humans eyes widen in astonishment at the sight of Daryun's face compressing while in midair before being shot back like a bullet, raven though caught sight of Vin's hand flashing out from his pocket before punching the air, skidding for several meters he leaves a trail of blood before coming to a halt,
"Daryun!" Raven shouts at the boy who's left sprawled on wet asphalt, the rain washes into his inquires pooling in a disturbing mix of blood and rain, Raven's steps halt midway as he watches the boy crawl desperately towards Vin, biting his wet shoes on arrival.
"So back to stealing shoes?, Y'know its sad, so many people but not a single one stepped up to help you"
(I know, this is how it always is, my sin was being born this way, into this life)
"Duke lost a few teeth and gained a scar, tell me" Vin chuckles evilly "what should i take from you?" He concludes crouching over Daryun's frame,
"Move!" A hand on Vin's shoulder shoves him aside.
"Are you good man?" Jay states staring down towards a wide-eyed Daryun
"Who are you?" Vin states.
"His friend!" Jay replies sending a punch towards Vin's crouched form who leans his body weight unto his left hand before sending a flying kick towards Jay, Raven pulls him out of the way in time, and Yanick takes point sending a kick towards Vin who changes his balancing hand before shifting out of the way.
(Muay thai? When did this muscle head install a software?)
Raven follows up with a kick before changing its trajectory, Vin stares at raven with widened eyes, (a Brazilian kick?, Did he practice?)
Raven shifts his weight unto his hand before executing a flying kick, silver thinking to itself watches with interest,
(oh? I can't believe this kid is actually a genius, with this talent I'll make a martial master out if you yet)
Vin stares at Raven shocked, (the talent i thought only he had, here it is, he has it!, Is this why chairman told me to watch him?!)
"VERY GOOD RAVEN VOSS VERY GOOD!" Vin shouts while laughing manically, putting his shades back on, he takes another look at the trio before him
"Interested in making some money? A spot just opened up, i see someone here i had my eyes on" he states glancing towards Darren
"Not interested"
"..." Vin's grin turns to a frown but he otherwise remains silent.
"I'll destroy the four crews"
"Right on raven!" Yanick replies placing a hand around ravens shoulders,
"WE'RE WITH YOU YANICK!" The cheers sound out from withing the crowd.
(Loyalty, leadership and unrivaled talent, I WANT THEM BOTH!),
"How about you kid?" He states turning towards jay,
"Go fuck yourself" Jay replies trowing a sign towards him, smiling in response Vin exhales before turning his view towards the sky,
"You'll destroy the four crews i created?, Well that's also a way of unifying them in a sense, good luck"
They all watch as Vin walks away under the drizzling rain.