Titans - March of Progress

Sain shuffled after the broad youth leading both he and Ricky through the series of alleys that led towards what he thought was the dock district. Every now and then he would look sideways at Ricky, noting the occasional apprehensive glance sent his way from his friend in turn. Sain imagined his own apprehension showed on his face as well.

Swallowing nervously, Sain focused his eyes on the broad youth in front, and summoned the courage to speak. As he opened his mouth to speak, nothing came forth finding his mouth dry. So, he swallowed again, before working some saliva in his mouth. After a moment, he opened his mouth once more, words coming forth.

"Um... So Jalel, just what is it you want us to do today?" Sain asked timidly, a slight tremor to his voice, hinting at his fear of the youth.

"I didn't tell you to speak you little shit. So shut the fuck up. I'll tell you when I am ready" Jalel grunted back, his voice muffled somewhat by his position ahead of Ricky and Sain, who both looked straight down at the ground and indeed, shut up.

For what seemed like the better part of a half hour, the trio walked in silence, taking a path that twisted and turned through the alleys and small streets as a slight drizzle of rain began to fall around them. Sain instinctively lifted his hands to his coat and pulled it tighter around him, doing up one of the upper buttons, and then flicking the collar of the coat up to protect his neck from the weather. He then checked his shoulder bag, making sure it was shut tightly, to protect the precious book inside. His master would be furious if it got wet. Once he checked it was safe, he just fell into a silent walk, still somewhat downcast, water starting to wet his hair and run down his face.

Eventually, the smell of the sea tingled at Sain's nose, mixing with that of the rain, and he looked up sharply, confused for a moment as he looked around, focusing his gaze mainly on the walls, and the scrawled or painted pictures that adorned them. All crude images of a white fish, the symbol of the local gang. Sain gulped and looked sideways at Ricky, seeing him looking around nervously as well, most likely having noticed the images himself.

Sain opened his mouth to ask a question, and then remembered the previous order to shut the fuck up from Jalel. So, he closed his mouth and gulped. Are we in another gang's territory? What are doing here? It can't be good. Sain's thoughts ran rampant as he flit his eyes forward once more, and saw Jalel speed up, and then turn sharply to the left, into yet another alley. Sain followed silently, his nervousness setting his heart beating rapidly.

The alley opened up into a small yard with no other entries or exits, save for a small bulkhead that no doubt ran to some sort of cellar beneath the building that flanked the yard on three sides. Seated on the sides of the bulkhead were two other male youths, who on seeing Jalel, stood up from their positions and approached him, grins on their faces.

Sain looked them over, noting their appearances. Each was dressed in a knee length brown overcoat, and a dark grey skull cap. Clothes that one might expect someone to wear when they were out late at night, and at the mercy of the cold sea wind, or the cold and wet weather that now plagued the small group.

"Youm, Merte" Jalel stated and nodded to each in turn as he came to a halt and raised a fist to bump with each of the youths in turn who each seemed to be in their late teens. They were likely the same age as Jalel, and some of his trusted gang members.

"Is Corey watching the place?" Jalel queried and one of the youths nodded as he crossed his arms before speaking.

"Yep. The shit bag came out once in the early morning for a smoke and has stayed inside since. Probably due for another one soon I'd say" the youth replied and then sneered, his eyes flitting over Sain and Ricky for a moment. "These our helpers? They look like a light wind could bowl them over" the youth stated and sneered a second time. Sain just scowled and he heard Ricky scoff next to him.

Jalel looked back to Sain and Ricky and smirked at each before returning his gaze to the others. "Yeah, they are. Can both use magic too. The shrimp is Sain, the lanky fucker Ricky" Jalel stated and then looked at the sneering youth. "Alright Youm, go get Corey. We are gonna do this now" Jalel ordered, and Youm nodded, uncrossing his arms and heading to the right back corner of the yard, where a ladder was fixed to the wall.

Sain fixed his eyes to the wall as Youm climbed up it rapidly, and he watched as the youth reached the top and climbed onto the flat roof of the building, disappearing over the walls lip. Sain frowned, guessing the ladder was used by chimney sweepers to gain access to the roofs of the multi-story houses in the area. A few moments later, Youm reappeared, and climbed down the ladder, another youth following behind. That must be Corey. When the pair reached the bottom and joined the group, Jalel stepped back, sort of forming the group into a semi-circle.

Jalel looked around at each of them, his expression blank. Then he just slipped his right hand into a pocket of his own coat and pulled out a fist sized leather ball. Something generally used by kids to play a variety of games. He tossed it at Ricky who caught it quickly, if not awkwardly from having to react rather quickly.

"In the next alley, there is a green painted door, with a single window on the left. You two kids are gonna pretend to be playing a game and throw the ball through the window. Use your magic to punch it through" Jalel stated and pointed at both Sain and Ricky in turn. Sain gulped and nodded, Ricky following suit.

"The shit stain, a bald, fat mother fucker is gonna come out. He has a thing for beating kids and breaking fingers. He will probably try to break yours. So, break his legs with your magic. That's when we will appear. Simple. Got it?" Jalel finished and looked between Sain and Ricky, his face impassive.

Sain felt suddenly sick in his stomach, and guessed it showed on his face, because Jalel narrowed his eyes. So, he straightened up and nodded. I have done jobs before for Jalel. Don't say no Sain. People don't say no. Well, unless they are stupid. Sain just gulped, trying not to let his thoughts show on his face. Jakel stared a bit longer, eyes narrowing a moment before he continued.

"Good. Now lighten up and get fucken to it. Keep an eye on me. I will signal when to do it" Jalel stated and then without explaining what the signal was, he walked past Sain and back out into the alley. The other three older boys followed after wordlessly, Youm sneering again, and when he walked past, he put a shoulder into Ricky's left shoulder, causing him to stagger. Whilst Ricky looked to be only a little shorter than the older boys, he was nowhere near as heavy. So, he just took it silently and straightened up after the trio passed, his right hand going to rub his shoulder as he rolled it.

Both he and Sain then simply fell into step behind the trio as they entered back into the alley and turned left to walk along it. In a few moments, the group came to a halt at an intersection, and Jalel turned to face the group. "Merte, Corey, go down to the end, and stop people from interfering if they get nosy" Jalel ordered pointing down the alley on the groups left, and the pair separated from the group wordlessly, not even asking a single question of Jalel.

As they went, Sain looked down the alley, noting it was not very long, and appeared to run between houses, before reaching a main street. He saw a mule go by, and then the wagon it pulled, followed by a few workers, who appeared to be watching the cargo stacked upon the thing. It disappeared from view just as Merte and Corey reached the end of the alley, and the former turned left and the latter right, both disappearing around the corners of the buildings making up the alley to take up their positions.

"Sain, Ricky, go do your thing. We will stay here till fuckface comes out" Jalel stated bluntly, and Sain blinked, his gaze returning to the thug. He focused on Jalel with a frown as the thug moved to hide behind the corner of the building, Youm following suit. And Sain just stood there, staring, seemingly still trying to process the order. He felt a thump on his left shoulder and refocused, to see Ricky walking backwards, away from him, ball in hand.

"Come on bro, let's do this" Ricky stated, a smirk on his face and excitement in his eyes. That got Sain's attention and he just scowled before following after his friend. It looked to Sain that Ricky was actually excited now, past his earlier nervousness and dread of being brought to a job by Jalel. Both emotions Sain still felt. He clenched his hands though, feeling them clammy, and even shaking a little.

"Yeah, yeah ok let's just get it done" Sain stated quietly, not exactly relishing the possibility of hurting someone with magic. He felt he didn't quite have it in him really. His thoughts evaporated though as Ricky tossed the ball at him, rather lazily as he continued to walk backwards, and Sain reacted sluggishly, reaching out to try to catch the ball but failing. The ball bounced out of his hands as he fumbled it and fell to the ground.

"Fuck..." Sain just muttered and stooped down to pick it up, his right hand brushing some cigarette stubs carelessly tossed about the alley. Picking up the ball, Sain just stayed down by the ground, squatting as he looked up, and down the alley. His eyes went past Ricky who stood in the middle looking at Sain expectantly. Sain's gaze locked on the green door that belonged to the target, just a few meters past Ricky, and then the window just next to it. The one they had been told to smash.

"Let's just get this over with. Quicker the better" Sain repeated, the words followed by a sigh as he stood up, somewhat defeated. He didn't really want to do this, but Jalel was not exactly someone you said no to. Not if you wanted to live anyway. So, casting his gaze back over his shoulder, he looked for Jalel, seeing him peeking out from the corner. The broad youth simply gave him a thumbs up. Guess that was the signal.

So, still feeling dread and a now sense of impending doom, Sain looked back to the door and window and cocked his right arm, gripping the ball as he pulled on his magic, starting up a low nonsensical chant, muttering under his breath. He tried to focus on wrapping the ball in his fist with magic, and frowned, not quite sure how to do that. It was not something he had done before. His chanting halted and he just took on a confused look, Ricky mirroring it as he looked at Sain.

Sain saw his friend open his mouth to say something, perhaps to offer encouragement, right as the green door burst open into the alley, and the sound of laughter reverberated through the area as a trio of individuals spilled out into the alley.