Chapter 3: Guilty

In a nearby wing shop, an older man with black, and gray hair, dark brown eyes, and wrinkles stares at a tv. “See you later!” A few drunk college students say before walking out the shop. Playing on the tv is the news showing replays of  the annual meteor shower. The man checks his watch, “10:30” he thinks to himself as he turns to the kitchen. “This year's show was better than last years don't you think?, Iko”. Washing the dishes was Iko, a 13 year old boy, with a buzz cut, peach skin tone, and hazel eyes. “YEAH! We had more customers, and there were new colors this year.” He says, As the man smirks. “Hey go home Iko, I got it from here.” Iko turns around in excitement. “You being serious Micheal?” He asks. Micheal smiled, “yeah go hang with your friends, enjoy the night…This is a celebration” He says. Iko, taking off his kitchen robe, Turns off the water, and rushes to the door, “Thank you, Micheal!” He yelled running out the door. Micheal, locking the door behind him, walks over to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes. Hanging over the sink is a picture with Micheals, late wife, and son. Micheal smiles at the picture, remembering his son, and wife, all the memories they had together. “I’m so sorry” He whispers. “ I would do anything for another chance” He continues to say, "A brief moment of silence is had as Micheal closes his eyes, the only thing being heard is the water from the sink.  Suddenly as Micheal opens his eyes the front door slams open, followed by footsteps running to the bathroom. The bathroom door is slammed and locked. Micheal looking out the kitchen, in shock walks over to the front door. Picking up the lock from the ground he inspects it, “It's broken..” He thinks to himself, turning to the bathroom he sees, a path of blood leading. “What ... .the ... .hell” he whispers before grabbing the broom, slowly creeping to the door. In a state of panic Ronin turns on the sink, begins to wash his face, “ahh, it stings” He says washing the cut on his face. Ja taking off his jacket holds it up, “Hey, do you think the blood will wash off?” He asks, Ronin turns to him confused, “Wasn't he just panicking a second ago” he thought to himself. “I don't know,” he replied. Ja shrugs his shoulders, putting it back in his backpack. Micheal creeping up to the door begins to knock. Ronin turns off the water, and Ja stops moving. “I know you're in there” Micheal says, Ja and Ronin look at each other. “Maybe if we don't move he will leave us alone” Ja whispers to Ronin. Micheal begins to knock on the door harder. “I'll call the cops if you don't come out now!” He yells. Ja eyes widen as he quickly opens the door, and raises his hands. “ Sorry about the mess,” Ja says. Ronin in shock peeks around the door. Micheal looked at both of them, covered in blood, and with scratches. Taking a step back, He widens his eyes in shock. “ their kids” he thought to himself, slowly lowering the broom. They stare at each other for a moment, seeing Ronin twitch his eye, Ronin covering his scratch on his face. Micheal getting a slight peak at the wound sees its depth.  “That's gonna need stitches.” Micheal says as he walks over to Ronin to look at his wound. Ronin turned his face away trying to hide the cut. “Please let me help you.” Micheal softly says. Ronin slowly faces Micheal, following him to a booth. Micheal going to the closet pulls out a medical kit. “This is gonna hurt a little” He says putting alcohol on a towel, and cleaning his wound. Ronin grunts as Ja watches the tv. “What happened to you boys?” he asks, Ja giving Ronin a side eye, as Ronin looks down. “We fell down,” Ronin says. Micheal chuckles, while he cleans the needle to give stitches. “Must have been a hard fall.” he jokingly says. Ronin stares off into the distance as Micheal continues to give him stitches. “Where did you learn how to do this?” Ronin asks. Micheal smirks as he carefully continues to give him stitches. “I was a paramedic for the military,” he replies. Ja nods his head, giving a thumbs up to Ronin. Cop cars drive past the shop, as the news begins to play. “Breaking news! Two men murdered in a nearby alley way” The news reporter says. Ja's eyes widen as he changes the channel. “Hey can you go back” Micheal asks, Ronin looking at Ja gives him a death look. “I think your batteries are dead,” Ja says, taking the batteries out his remote, and into his pocket. “ I swore I put new ones in,” Micheal says. A few minutes pass as Micheal finishes the stitches. Ja quickly gets up, and grabs his bag. “ Thank you for the help” he says as he begins to head towards the door. Micheal tilts his head as he checks his watch. “Where are your parents?” He asks. “We don't have any,” Ronin says as he walks towards the door. Micheal, looking at them walking towards the door, makes a decision. “How about you come with me….I have a guest room, and can give you a ride wherever you need” He offers. Ronin shakes his head no, but Ja stops half way through the door, turning around with a smile. “Well take your offer” He said excitedly.  Micheal smiles, “Great!” he says while he takes off his apron, and walks towards the kitchen. “What are you doing?” Ronin asks him, Ja turns around with a smirk on his face. “Getting us a place to stay while things die down” He whispers. Ronin shakes his head no “Are you an idiot, Hes a grown man taking in two kids, might be a pervert” he says to Ja. Smacking his lips Ja, Flicks Ronins forehead. “Relax, we need to lie low… we were attacked, and almost killed” he whispers. Micheal walking out the kitchen looks at them, giving an awkward smile. “So uhhh ... .Are you boys ready to go?” He asks them. Micheal then snaps his fingers. “On second thought you two broke my lock, So give me another second.” he says going to the closet he pulls out another lock, and some batteries. “Gonna change these while I'm at it” he chuckles. Ja eyes widen, “shit Shit SHIT!” he repeats to himself. His hands begin to sweat as Micheal begins putting in the new batteries and turns on the tv. “Well it looks like I didn't even have batteries in here” he smiles, rubbing the back of his head. The news begins to play behind him as it shows the alleyway where Ja, and Ronin were attacked. “Here’s a witness from the crime scene, and what he has to say.”  Micheal, crossing his arms, is glued to the screen. Watching as the story is being told. “Yeah maan, I was just you know chillin…then wham! Dead bodies, scary stuff dude” The bystander said, The news reporter looks at the camera with a confused face. “Uhh ok, thank you so much for that” She says, walking past him she walks up to the cops. “Hey officer, can you tell us what has happened here”. The officer yawns, looking at the camera “ Yeah it was a very gruesome sight, we’re still trying to identify who these people are, but we will keep the city posted on updates”. Turning off the tv, Micheal looks behind him, seeing both their faces in shock. “They must be scared…” He thought to himself, as he walked over to the door. Setting the lock,  he claps his hands, and rubs them together. “Alright, we're finally good to go,” He says. Ja and Ronin sigh of relief, Realizing Micheal can't figure out it was them who killed those men.  “Now let's go….” Micheal stops mid sentence as someone bust through the door behind them. “My lock…” he says in a defeated tone. “I’m looking for Ja, and Ronin,” Morales says, flicking the cigarette on the street. “Ja and Ronin?” Micheal questions. Turning around to ask the boys he sees nothing, “Did they run?” He questions himself. Micheal rubbing the back of his head turns around to Morales. “Uhh it seems they left” He says jokingly, but to his surprise Morales was gone. “What the hell is happening?”  Micheal says to himself. 

“Who was that Ronin?” Ja yells, as they both continue to run away from the wing shop. Ronin, looking everywhere, begins to panic. pulling Ja to the side, He grabs Ja shoulders. “I don't know what's happening anymore Ja…I’m not gonna act like I know anymore” he says in a panic state. Ja hugs Ronin, and smiles. “It’s ok Ronin, all that matters is that we got each other right,” he says. Ronin for a second freezes, trying to calm down, and get his mind on track. “You're right, everything we go through will just make us stronger” He says to Ja. Hearing footsteps approach them they both dash away putting their guards up, as they face Morales. “You two are great brothers,” Morales says, with an evil grin. “Who are you….and what do you want?” Ja asks as his eye begins to turn a bright blue. “ I would control this little outburst you're about to have” Morales sarcastically says, cracking his knuckles. “I just want to talk to you two” He says to them. Ja and Ronin, both locking eyes with Morales, don't make any movements, like when lions find their prey. “You two activated an ability that you guys aren't supposed to have yet, and you cause a lot of people to turn their eyes to you two.” Morales says as he leans against a wall. “Abilities” Ronin says confused. Morales chuckles, “Yeah the abilities you used to run away from the cops, and the abilities you used to kill those two men, those abilities are very unlikely to be used by young adults….especially kids like yourselves.” Morales says. Ja smacks his lips, “We've had a very rough day, mister ... .And this fairy tale bull shit isnt what we need now” he angrily tells Morales. “Fairytale bullshit…..Fine” Morales says under his breath. “ I think I'll give you a taste of this fairy tale bullshit ... .maybe that will change your mind. ” He says menacingly, as his eyes go from dark brown to a bright red. Morales lifts two fingers in making direct eye contact with Ja, he whispers “First wall:Rotate”. Ja feeling a weird sensation almost as if he's between time and space, looks around. “What the..”Ja whispers. Ronin, seeing Ja where Morales was with a quick reaction, turns to his right, just barely blocking a right hook. Ronin holding his fist back with all his strength goes for a leg sweep dropping to the ground. Morales unamused lifts his foot dodging the leg sweep. Grabbing Ronin from the ground he tosses him over to Ja. “Come on Show me what you really got!” He says, Standing in a face off, they all put their guards up. Taking deep breaths, Ronin looks at Ja who looks pale, and dizzy. “Give me a sec Ronin, Im feeling sick” Ja says trying to stay on his feet. Ronin, becoming more angered, begins to run towards Morales.  “I have to keep him busy ... .No I have to win” Ronin says, as everything around him slows down. 

End of chapter 3