CIRCLING PASTS IV (Ch. 55)

"What is it?" Nathan inquires, his ever stoic face looking down towards Oren who brings forward his bag opening to show even more cash than the box had held, 

"How'd you get this?"

"The box plus some smart work" he replies with a smile,

"What exactly is 'smart' work?" Nathan questions,

"I simply used a hot girls picture then i tricked some eager kids i found on random chat to give me their location" he states with obvious pride,

"Why are you doing all this?"

"Because i want to be like you"

"Why would you ever want to be like me?, I used to jump Infront of cars and get hit inorder to get money off the drivers in order to pay those bastards, i pretended not to know how to walk, sometimes talk in subways to earn money inorder to meet my quota so let me as you again, why are you doing all this?, Do you really want to be like me?, My life's a mess and i'm not even remotely happy.

"Yes!" Oren states with avid conviction, "if i knew you then id have all those things and more!", 

Nathan's shock is quickly erased off his face as a large number of teens walk up to them before surrounding them as a muscular teen with a menacing face and red lipstick on walks up towards them,

"What a fine think you are, i could just eat you up!" He states feigning a little girls voice as Nathan now notices his painted nails, Nathan throws a punch that connects but deals no damage as the teen before him chuckles, 

"My my what a rough one you are" he murmurs, a fist crashea against Nathans face

"Nathan!!" Iren shouts watching Nathan's head recoil at an almost impossible angle, 

"You're next cupcake" the teen states turning to adress the now restrained Oren, 

"Boss!" They exclaim as the hulking teen swerves on his toes delivery a skull shattering punch to Nathan, hugging Nathan who staggered back he whispers lowly into his ear,

"You're such a pretty little thing, I'll be sure to play with you after i break you" he states before crashing him against the asphalt ground as Nathan gasps windless, the teen crouches down towards him and Nathan grabs his long chain with both hands pulling with every ouce of migh he had to spare, Oren watched laughing madly as the teen slowly choked to death, his subordinates jumped to assist him, the three guys pulled against Nathan who bit, kicked and screamed as an animal would but refused to let go of the chain now soaken in his hands blood, eventually teen fell unconscious while his men murmured in shock as Nathan kept the pressure against the chain,

"He...he killed him" one murmured causing the rest to flee as Nathan finally released the unconscious boy. 

Oren watched Nathan worshipping him with renewed fevrence,

"Warden!!" Elaine screams as tears burn down her cheeks, the girl crouches near the seemingly half dead teen covered in blood,

"S..st..op...sh..out...ing" he croacks his reply finally calming her down, behind her are a sea of bodies all bloody and beaten.

        "Stay still!" Elaine chides as she puts the cutton against his Wardens injuries, while the duo clean theirs by themselves, to the side Nathan's injuries are being cleaned by Hailey who cleans the sharp cut at the top left of his forehead,

"It's goin to scar" she frowns,

"That's alright" Nathan replies 

"I said stay still!!" Elaine bellows, 

"You sound like you're my mom wjen you shout like that" Warden mocks,

"If not me who else would it be?" She mocks in return,

"If you're the mom then I'm the dad" Nathan calls,

"then we're the uncles" Drake and Josh state.

"Hell we're a family arent we?, Why the hell not?" Warden replies.

      "Who did this to him?", Vin inquires staring down at the absolutely traumatised teen,

"H...his name is Nathan sir, Nathan smith"

"Nathan Smith?" Vin inquires, "interesting", 

(are they a new crew?, Well it doesn't matter much), as of now Heaven's keys has officially failed the four major crews selection process" he states, 

"I can do it" a voice comes up from behind him, "i can handle Belgrade too"

"You already have Jhevo" Vin replies,

"I can do it" he reiterates

"Very well, i'll take a look at this Nathan Smith first then decide what to do".

      "Guy's i have an idea!" Elaine states, 

"I'm sure its grate!" Warden states

"what is it?" Nathan and the rest inquire,

"Well we still have a lot of rooms left, out financial situation is a lot better now too, i think we should take in kids like us, kids with no where else to go, runaways" she states, 

"That's true but how are we going to afford the expenses long term?" Drake inquires, 

"He's right, ultimately where still middle schoolers"

"I have an idea" Nathan states and that began the formation of The Runaways, with Nathan getting the R tattoed over his scar the rest got theirs tattooed to with Warden getting his on his neck, Elaine getting hers just under her ear and Drake and Josh getting either half of an R on their fore arms joining to form a complete one.

"Wait when did you guys get matching tattoos?" Hailey questions, 

"Yeah i want one too!" Oren exclaims

"What are you both going to yell your parents?" Warden questions

"But we're part of the family too aren't we?" Hailey questions 

"Family friends" Nathan calls with a rare smile,

(That's not fair!!!, This isn't fair!!, I did everything for you!, I want to get a tattoo too, I'm going to get one too!)

"That's right!" Hailey exclaims 

"What is?" Nathan questions 

"You never mentioned what that big idea of yours was" she replies 

"A point organization"

"A wha...?"

"Basically several parts of an organisation that aren't directly linked to each other, we accept runaway kids have them pay rent and give them no way to contact us only when we deem it fit do we establish contact",

"Then where will they live? Abd how will they make money?"

"We have enough rooms on the lower floors to spare and enough to rent at the rural areas"

"Then the rent pay?"

"They'll figure that out themselves, it doesn't matter of they do something illegal as far as they pay, even if they're caught they can reach us"

"There's still alot to work out" Josh states

"And no crimes!" Hailey reprimands, "you promised remember" she pouts, Nathan gives a rare smile causing Elaine's eyes to widen in slight jealousy, Oren on the other hand glares Hailey down

(This bitch!, Stop trying to change him!).

         Night falls as Warden watches the stars at the apartment entrance, he rises as he hears a series of footsteps approaching, 

At the head is a lean teen with blonde hair and a face cap on, behind him is an older teen in black shades with black hair and behind them is a man he was sure was middle aged wearing a middle school uniform.

"Who the hell are you guys?" He questions

"Are you Nathan Smith?"

"What's it to you?" Warden replies,  "if you're here for a fight then id rather just tale your boss and be done with it" he states looking towards the 'middle aged' man nonchalantly, the bulky 'man' Warden had estimated to be at least two thirty pounds steps up before crashing a punch straight into Wardens unmoving face as a trail of blood runs down his nose,

"You see I'm quite heavy myself" he replies crashing his fist into the 'man's' face who copies his previous feat, the two's brawl becomes a battle of strength as despite their distinctive rather difference in size,

(Impressive endurance) Vin mules as he watches Warden go toe to toe with Tobi till he finally drops,

"Why did you go easy on thst last punch?" Tobi inquires 

"Does it matter?" Warden replies, "just leave my family out of this, we're just a bunch of kids with no where to go"

"I see, as a fellow protector i will respect your wishes, and Dealers will be taking over Belgrade" Yobi states preparing to deliver the finishing blow, a punch from Daryun stalls him momentarily before he send his fist at Daryun who backs away, 

"Protector my ass, you couldn't even protect your hair and your hear talking shit, Cerberus will be the one's taking over this state" he states, "let me just go take care of that Nathan Smith" he states

"Leave my family out of this!" Warden shouts.while slowly struggling to his feet, a kick from Daryun floors him again 

"A weak fucker like you is claiming shit about protecting shit, it's pissing me o..." Daryun crashea against the floor groaning from the spear hed recieved, Nathan bites into his nape drawing out blood as Daryun fights him off, Nathan lays into Daryun repeatedly but the latter eventually gets him off before getting to his feet, 

"Who the hell are you?" He questions grabbing his bleeding nose then neck, he lunges for Nathan who swings a punch, dodging under the blow he replies with a fierce uppercut before following with a spin kick, with Nathan now on his back Daryun crashes a down kick against his skull watching the body go limb he turns around only to be struck by a stone to the head, he battles for consciousness as his vision fades,

"You really should work on thst hardware of yours" Vin states l, " you need to be able to detect shit like this and have a strong enough body to react or take it and keep going" he advices mockingly, "and you, why the hell would you use a weapon in a fist fight?" He seethes, "tell me, why are you so desperate"

"It's a dad's job to protect his family"

"What bullshit, no ambition no drive no talent, Tobi take Daryun, from now on Dealers and Cerberus have joint control over Belgrade" he declares, "i'll clean up the trash myself" he states, Drake and Josh arrive and help Warden up both blocking a fist that pushes all three of them back, 

"What are you two going to do now?" Vin questions

"Two?, Have you forgotten how to do maths?" Warden mocks as Vins eyes go wide with shock as Drake sends a flying kick at him, Vin blocks it but him but Josh sweeps his feet, Vin catches himself with his palm before pushing against the ground and rebalancing with inhuman strength, the four gather around him as he lights a cigarette and takes a puff, Warden swings Vin raises his free hand to block after noticing that Drake and Josh had locked his legs, Nathan swings with a rock but Vin weaves, Nathan spins grabbing his hair before pulling and crashing his knee against his plexus, Vin is quick to counter sending his fee hand crashing towards Nathan's jaw, he grits his teeth after noticing Drake and Josh had locked his arm preventing it from connecting properly with Nathan's jaw, Nathan crashes the stone against Vins Skull leaving a bloody mark on it as Vin's shoulders slum, 

"Is he unconscious?, I hope we didn't kill him" Warden calls, as the guys regroup,

"Kill me?, You over estimate yourselfs" Vin replies his snapped shades dropping to the ground in two halfs as his black sclera and white irises glow against the dark night,

"The hell?!" Warden exclaims catching Vin's eyes as steam envelopes him, his injuries steam and heal with the scar Nathan left sewing itself shut and disappearing, the duo waste no time in attacking only to find their perception and bearings spinning before they go crashing against asphalt, Warden lunges throwing a fist, Vin ducks under executing an uppercut that downs him before twisting away from an incoming stone, Nathan uses the delay to send a flying knee kick but Vin's shoulder and elbow contorts inhumanly to allow his palm catch it, grabbing Nathans knee while his hand restructures returning to it's original shape Nathan finds himself spinning as he crashes hard against asphalt, 

"individually you're all excellent, you lack numbers, you lack ambition, you lack talent and you lack a .....hmm?" He pauses before allowing steam out his body as steam as it envelopes all four of them, 

"I see i see he murmurs, just a little more and you'll all be shifters, it seems you started a life of constant life and death battles young", (they're all so close with just a little guidance....), "A shame really..." He states preparing to deliver Nathan the finishing blow,

"No!!!" The guys screamed

"Wait!!!" Oren shouts exiting the complex, "we...we have a way, we have a way to make moey too!" He shouts explaining the point organisation format to Vin who's sinister smile grows wider with ever passing second,

"Tell me tell me, who's idea was this?"

"N..N.. Nathans" Oren replies watchin as Vin turna his attention back to Nathan, 

(Talent, Loyal subordinates and excellent business acumen), "yes! yes!, You're the best candidate of the lot!" He grins maniacally, "take this" he states droping a phone beside Nathan, "I'll reach you when the time is right" he states as he walks away while they watch him disappear into the night.