HIGHER POWERS (Ch. 46)

Raven glared down the duo who matched his stare with mockery,

"Now, Raven...or should i call you Ethan Raine?, I'm quite sorry for the inconvenience, your role here is minimal at most, my subordinate will hand you a phone, on it you will find your roommates number dialed, in my subordinates hand you will notice the presence of a board, on it what you must say abd how you will say it is written, do this hand you will not only be set free but also heavily conpensated, do you understand?",

Pausing briefly he nods once in response much to the duo's delight, the man comes close putting the phone to his ear while another holds out a small board before him, the phone dials but no answer follows,

"Oh my, it would seem you'll have to remain here for some time, Jimmy and my men will find him either today or tomorrow at school, in the mean time I'll be taking my leave", rising to his feet hes blindfolded as the click of the door and beat of shoes echos tge departure of several people,

"Raven....no Ethan, I'm sorry about this man, you know how it is, i don't want to go to jail" Jimmy called out apologetically,

"I unders..." *cough*, Raven feigns harshly prompting the boy to come in close, tensing his muscles against the resisting ropes his body heats rapidly as steam engulfs him, Raven screams as the material tears and rends his heated skin, Jimmy falls back and the surrounding men burst into action, Raven wastes no time falling against the boy before, before pulling him up and locking him in a choke hold, falling back against the wall to prevent an ambush his eyes shuffle gaurdedly,

"Call the rest if your cronies in hear and drop and slide all your weapons towards me or I'll choke him to death" , noticing their reluctance he tightens the hold causing Jimmy to flail incessantly, reluctantly they comply and Raven slowly but surely makes his way towards the door, pausing after realising his mistake he returns then picks a gun aiming it to Jimmy's skull as the boy whimpers in agitation, pulling him back towards the exit he makes quick work backtracking dowm the desolate hallway.

Extending his awareness he notices two precenses hiding by the walls to the two diverging paths, falling back against the wall again he calls in threats firing a warning shot that had Jimmy pissing his pants as the two where forced to exit their hiding spot,

"You", he signals to one of the two, "where's the exit?, And if you lie..." He trails before pointing the gun back to Jimmy.

The man proceeds to speak but is interrupted by Raven himself,

"Lead me" he commands before moving along by the wall as he keeps track of the number of men waiting to pounce and the one leading him, niticing something amiss he hastens his efforts

"Go faster!" He shouts. Prompting the man to jog lightly as Raven easily keeps pace,

Arriving at a warehouse door the man inserts a code before stepping back as the door shivers as it lifts off the ground, behind the now open door are twelve heavily armed men in suits, Raven Steels himself fighting off the slowly encroaching fear. Even with the realisation that he'd live should this body die, deep down this body was the one he'd always truly considered his own, both with the pros and cons, he wasn6so spineless that he'd just watch and let himself be subject to getting torchured or pumped full of holes.

"I thought you smarter than this", Jimmy's father spoke, glancing at Jimmy he frowns disapprovingly at the sight, "and i see you're still as disappointing as always son. Leave him be, at the very least i commend your efforts, truly impressive, it's a shame my son couldn't learn from such a friend" he states walking towards them with slow measured steps, Raven grips tge gun harder in response but John chuckles in response, your a good kid, you won't kill him, you won't even hurt him, i can see it in your eyes, youre stalling but what for?" He questioned rethorically, "we're in the muddle of no where, no one's going to come for you", Raven opens to speak when he feels the stinging impact of a dart? Into his back, turning inward he feels the foreign substance slowly coursing through his veins, one of the most disturbing things about being a Shifter was the excessive sensitivity, even to your iwn bodily functions, tuning it out took training, training that Raven luckily had but more importantly all it took to mitigate the substance coursing his veins was to isolate it and filter it out through his organs, all this taking nought but a few seconds, turning to the man who stood proud he sneered,

"Wrong choice" Raven slipped the gun between his pants and boxers before using his now free left to grab Jimmy's arm, noticing his plan jimmy stuggles shouting defiantly,

"No...no, no, no!...aaahggg" he screamed as his arm bent arkwardly, broken right between the wrist and elbow, his father's expression tyrned grim as his patients waned, Raven pulls out and repositions the gun to the boys skull before speaking,

"You're right, I'm scared, but scared doesn't mean i won't shoot if i have no choice, let me go and your son doesn't have to get more bones broke in two", Raven watches as his visage hardens momentarily before he bursts into laughter at the sheer absurdity of the situation,

"Leave, i already have what i want, do tell your friend he was warned, he forced me into doing this"

"Doing what!",

"Well, it would seem Raven Nathaniel Voss is about to become an orphan" he chuckled

"Ravens heart seized before recalling a recent reality of his,

(He's going after mom?), Raven begins to chuckle causing John's eyebrows to furrow in curiousity,

"You might want to check up on your men" sneers mockingly,

"Sir!, Intrud...",

"My, my, what a troublesome teenage boy i have hmm", a voice Raven had heared far far to much to mistake,

(Mom!), John recoils at the sudden presence at his side,

"What the...."

"John James, current advisor for Pharmasec, last i checked I'm the majority shareholder, now i'll pardon you for kidnapping my sons 'friend' as well as threatening he and i, that is after you resign and tender a formal apology by the way"

"What are you eve...", He's pulled to his knees by the same men in black that had once served him they make quick work of the duo bundling them away as Raven and hus mother make their way into a waiting black Rolls Royce phantom

"Momm..what the he...."

"Language young man" she interjected, "make no mistake, you and i have very very much to discuss Raven Nathaniel Voss" she seethes much to Raven's dismay.

"Mom...."

"I hear new you and your friends are going up against the paper toy organizations Hide's lackey created"

"The crews?....yeah"

"Very well, i will not interfere, it's a good chance for you to grow"

"Really?" He inquires skeptically, "there are reasons i cannot permit you to know of now, but essentially the three major powers of murim have agreed to take one of the three paper toys to settle a very important dispute" she spoke with a deep frown,

"Why?, Can't they settle it themselves?"

"If you want the WA in ruins within days that is" she chuckles, "this though it leaves a sour taste in my mouth is still far safer",

"I'd like for you to weaken or get rid if the crews"

(Ironically you wouldn't be the first to ask that of me, question is), "do you really think your son capable of that?" Raven inquires,

"Frankly no, not as you are now, that is why you will grow, as you are now you cannot recieve your inheritance"

"Inheritance?"

"You'll come to know when the time is right" she says as she smiles bitterly, Raven picked on that, she only ever made that smile when it involves the father he'd never known,

"And does this inheritance include Pharmasec?"

"And much much more my son, that's why you need to be strong, nothing worth having is easy to acquire, even if it's yours", Now before his apartment complex he turns to his mom who pulls in him for a tight hug,

"I'm going to be away for a while" she says

"To where?", She smiles

"If you can't reach me don't panic, in the worst case senario my trusted aid will reach you"

"Worst case? Mom to where!?" He inquires vehemently,

"Ill6be fine Raven, now head on in, i've already had my aid deliver the other one to your apartment", exiting the car reluctantly he pauses briefly

"Remember I love you darling"

"love you too mom, stay safe"

"I will" she replies beaming him a smile prompting his own, and with that she was of into the distance.

"Well, i myself have got work to do" he murmurs recalling his conversations with both Jamison and Kevin.

(Up next, The Runaways)