On the other side of the world, a pair of kick boxers squared off in the teen league championship fight. The two girls had already fought hard, it was the last round, and beads of sweat streamed down their faces, their ponytails matted against their backs. Mia took a swig of water, and stepped back into the ring. The other girl walked over, and they stood, facing each other. The referee held his hand in between them. "Ready...FIGHT" he yelled, and the two moved in.
Mia ducked under a punch, and brought her fist around in a right hook, only to have it blocked, and she took a kick to the side of her knee. Not about to lose her balance, Mia moved forward again. This time, she was prepared. Mia moved from the first punch, then caught the kick she knew was coming and brought her other foot around, catching the other girl on the side of her helmet, and she hit the ground hard. The girl coughed up a bit of blood, but stood up again. This time, she stood and waited. Mia advanced, and took a swing at her helmet. The girl ducked low, and moved forward fast, catching Mia in the chest, but Mia moved back in, and with a swift kick hit the legs from under the girl. She stayed down this time. "Three, Two, One...Winner!" Yelled the ref, and pointed to Mia.
The other girl got up slowly, and congratulated Mia. The crowed cheered, and Mia accepted the trophy, along with lots of congratulations from her friends who had come to watch. After the trophy was presented, Mia was walking out. "Mia!" called Ari, one of her friends, and Mia turned around to greet her, when she saw a Raven perched on one of the corners of the ring.
"Hey, Mi, nice match. See you tomorrow!" called Ari. Mia smiled and waved to Ari, then turned around and looked at the ring again, but the raven was gone.
"GET BACK HERE YOU BLASTED STREET RAT!" screamed the shopkeeper. Khaka raced down the dusty streets of Casablanca, Morocco, with the necklace he had stolen, knocking more than one person out of the way on his way back to Beggar's Alley, where he knew no respectable person would follow him. He bounded up a fire escape, and onto the sandstone roofs of the houses. He ran across four roofs, and stopped at a clothesline, almost falling over, as a large flock of Ravens flew up from one of the lines, one scratching his face. Khaka grabbed a shirt, and clung to it, sliding across the clothesline to the other side, then, dropping down through some sheets, and through the cloth roof of his small shack. "Hey! Khaka! What'd you get this time?" asked a group of children, not at all surprised to see him drop through the roof, as he had done so many times before. "Not much, just some jewelry, I'll go back and get some food for you later ok? Be good while I go talk to Naiami ok?" "O.K.!" chorused the kids, and went back to playing with a tin can that he had nicked the day before.
"Those kids...they depend on you don't they." Said a voice behind Khaka. He turned to discover Naiami standing there, watching him. Naiami was fifteen, same as Khaka, and lived a couple shacks down the alley. They had played together since Khaka's parents were killed in a raid, when he was seven, and since then he had called the alley his home.
"Hey, Naiami, I brought you something!" He said, and produced the necklace from his pocket. It was a silver chain, and it had a ring on it, also silver, and had a jagged 'Z' in the band. Naiami's eyes widened.
"Wow, Khaka, this is really a beautiful necklace...I hope it wasn't too much trouble to get."
Khaka grinned. "Nah, no trouble at all, you know ill do anything for you..."
"Khaka, I..." stammered Naiami, reddening. "Don't know what to say? A thank you and a hug would do just fine." Said Khaka.
Naiami smiled. "Thank you, thank you very much Khaka." She embraced him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek, at which he turned bright red, and hurriedly said, "O.K., well I'll see you around."
Naiami giggled. "Bye Khaka," she laughed.
"See ya." Said Khaka. He grinned, and disappeared back into his shack.
Jack lunged at the cloaked man, and 12 curcular objects flew at him, surrounded him, and his spine jerked back. He couldn't move. "Well, now that I really have your full attention, Jack, you know what I can do, and we won't try anything stupid like that again, will we?" Jack dropped to the ground, gasping.
"Why in hell do you think I'd help you anyway. I've only ever helped myself, and that's all I care about." Gasped Jack.
"Well I guess that's all going to change, because you're going to help me, weather you like it or not. Come." Jack lurched forward again, and found himself fifty feet above the ground. Police lights flashed in the distance. "That's why you're going to help me, because if you don't, you get a cozy cell to spend the rest of your miserable life in...Feel like cooperating now?"
Jack knew he had no choice. Taking one last glance at the bike that lay on the ground, he turned to go with the cloaked man.