PRELUDE (Ch. 17)

Having since arrived at Belgrade Raven now stands before the blood-white hospital, exhaling before stepping through it's transparent doors, one more he goes over the 'story' he'd conjured up to tell his mother but first he'd have to get past the reception,(should be easy enough, everyone seems to make concessions for attractive people, play dumb, apologize, plead and smile by the way James should be here in Belgrade soon)

Walking up to the dark haired lady seated behind the white desk he closes in his presence attracting her attention, looking up to him her brows raise in pleasant surprise

"Hi" Raven calls while beaming her a smile showing the whites of his teeth

"Oh yes hi yes?, 'm sorry!, good morning and welcome to Heinsman hospital" her flustered voice rings out

"I'm trying to locate a friend of mine, he's been in an accident, could you please help me check for him?" Raven inquires while wearing an apologetic face as his orbs bore into hers, the receptionist holds contact to which he smiles, making the woman squint in suspicion

"His name?" She asks still sporting her suspicious gaze

"Raven, Raven Voss"

Standing from his seat at the train stations public bench he takes another look at his phone, at the location marked, he'd been shocked, elated then just as much the opposite when he'd received Raven's call, James let's out a sigh turning on his heel he walks into the busy streets to get a cab, stopping one he inquires of the neighborhood, the school, the boy...Darren? Was it?..

"Man i tell you, i tell you , no go, child gangsters everywhere" the Italian man states while struggling to articulate but supporting his claim with frantic gestures,

(Child gangsters, he must mean the high schoolers, Still, it's really getting out of hand how big of a problem these gangs have become, there isn't a way in hell that there aren't adults involved in their operations, father also suspect's that Hide is involved)

Arriving at the destination designated, James steps out of taxi before making his way around the neighboring area, Walking about just far enough to make out the school grounds

(This is Raven's old school, too too many alleyways unnecessary even, there seems to be an inadequate amount of residents, most likely caused by the 'Child gangsters' in the surrounding area), an incoming message pulls him from his thoughts as he absentmindedly looks toward the time, (there's no time to investigate i'll have to return later), walking around the area he inquires about a man named Darren joo while purposefully drawing as much attention to himself as possible, he flaunts his wallet and the wealth in his possession quite openly before eventually finding his target, coming to a halt some twenty feet away from a behemoth of a human

"So your the pretty boy who's been snooping around for me?, looking for a beating ?" An apathetic voice ring's out form Darren who twirls his finger in the cavern of his nose,

(He's quite Tall, six foot one? No two, most likely two hundred and thirty pounds plus, he's achieved a the delicate balance between the two, muscle and fat, no allies present, the five thousand credit bill should be on him.

he's still sporting the same clothes Raven described and quite overconfident, mission established, priority is to recover bill unharmed), running the data through his head within three seconds he slowly makes his way towards a still and apathetically Darren who proceeds to relieve the itch on his member while surveying James Lazily, Fifteen feet, twelve, ten, eight,

(analysis complete, estimated time :fifty seconds), pulling his jacket loose James tosses it aside with a twist of his torso he avoids a punch with inches to spare latching on to the arm he counter's with a fist to the elbow drawing a groan and another to the chin to no effect, with Darren's elbow still tensed to minimize shock an arm within his grasp James attempts to twists while locking his abdomen but Darren counters quickly grabbing his shirt while locking his body and stomping his feet for momentum to throw James down, swerving away by abandoning his shirt at the last second he latches unto Darren left arm who quickly responds with a rough right hook, James leans away just enough to feel the wind of the fist brush his face, tilting off balance he leans into falling completely opting for a snap kick, Darren's head cracks to the side. A groan escaping his lips. In response, he exhales. Steam shuffles free of his pharynx

(Shifting!?, Is he related to one of the teenage gangs?, Still i'm confused had to how Hide is involved?, Is he the one spreading Kinetic Shift?, why?, to make money?), Quickly bringing his thoughts back to fight at hand James abandons defense in favour for evasion,

(He's too fast for his stature. It's quite deceiving)

Coming to an impasse the two watch the other with guarded fevrence, Darren wipe's the blood trickling down his lip, chucking lightly as his demeanor shifts, resting his stance he strengthens his core while widening his stance, (haven't seen my own blood in years, not even when those useless seniors fought me. Though i doubt a non could hurt my kind, so he's definitely a shifter, he's weak though, systema is it?),

"Hey, where'd you learn something so impractical?" Darren inquiries

(A taught shifter would never ask such questions, systema is impractical?), " That's only applies to non's, we're shifters" James replies

Darren now done with his analysis picks up on James's glances, carefully pulling out his wallet he observes James's eye's flicker towards it momentarily, "you want this?"

"...."

"Answer me, do you want it?" James chooses not to reply while barely reacting, Darren smiles his grin going eerily wide,

"You lack practical experience" pulling all the bill's present he singles out Ravens five thousand credit bill note before placing it between his fingers, bringing his other hand to rip it, James lunges and Darren swipes to catch him, James grinds to a halt inches from Darren's fingers, but is unable to recover in time as Darren reaches for his hair before cocking his arm back and letting fly, James reels from the force of the hit battling away the spots of black clouding his vision, he remains unable to react as he's raised in a standing guillotine choke, before seeing black.

Three huge guys are seated while cradling their bruised and bloodied faces,

"I'm going to kill that bastard!", the smallest growls crushing the ice bag between his fingers,

"we should call 'him'" another offered

"We'd look weak, incompetent" the bigger interjects.

"Its better of than being dead" another replies

"Fine"

Seated on a throne like chair embroidered with golden dips and swirls and silver adornments while coated in black leather, Vin stares ahead at the pale blue-eyed girl who's seated across from him, on an identical chair

"Aylin, i know you don't want to transfer, but it's the bosses orders, your to resume at Saiyan within the month" he concluded

Looking off to the side she contemplates momentarily while remaining unresponsive,

"do i have to watch him?"

"I'll be watching too" a young man with silver hair seated of to the side interjects,

"Kevin? You'll do it?, Didn't you just get of tour?, i was going to have Vin do it" Aylin replies sending a glare towards Vin, smiling he raises his hands in a defenceless motion,

"Too busy guarding the boss"

"It's fine, i want too"

Vin's phone rings pulling them away from their conversation, picking the call with a chuckle he gives ear to the voice on the line, "you where beaten by a junior? He's a shifter?....hmm alright... what's the name... Darren huh? Darren Joo"