As the plane touched down at Brask International airport Vander pulled his hoodie over his head and pulled out his IPod and put on Malchishnik the most recent of his newest uploads. He shuffled forward slowly as the crowd exited the plane; eventually he stepped off the plane and took his first breath of the cool Russian air.

The wind stung his face and immediately his eyes began to water, he bowed his head pulled his hood up and started walking down the steps. Together Vander, James, Miles, Bella and Kerry made it to the bus that would take them to the terminal. They grabbed their bags; they only had five, and headed out to the taxi stand. James hailed a taxi and gave the man the address; it was a small apartment in the center of the Russian "ghetto". The man shook his head "I don't go there, not many cabbie do." He said

James sighed and hailed the next taxi, he pulled out some rubles, more than necessary. The taxi man was short, fat and was smoking a cigar. He had one the typical cabbies uniform, black jeans, white shirt tucked in and a hat. The taxi man nodded and started to load their bags inside the car, once the bag were loaded, which took sometime, they started piling inside. As Vander made to step in James barred his way, he turned angrily "James, let me in."

James smirked "Drop outs don't get to ride in cars." He said and hopped in closing the door. Vander was furious; he hadn't realized he would be walking all the way to the new house. As the car pulled away he saw Kerry looking back. Inside the car Kerry turned on James and, in English asked him "What the hell was that for?" she whispered furiously

James turned and gave him an I'll explain later look, she sighed "He doesn't even have his gun, you fool." Then she turned and stared resolutely out the window. Miles and Bella shared a look, they two were nervous about Vander. They knew that he would be able to handle himself, but still.

Vander watched as the taxi pulled away he was freezing cold. All he was wearing was jeans, a black t-shirt, his РОССИИ ПО ФУТБОЛУ jersey (the Russian national soccer team) and some tennis shoes. His gun was sitting in his suitcase and the only weapon he had was his hands and it was a long way to the apartment.

He began to jog keeping his head up and alert, he looked knew, with his IPod and new trainers he was practically begging to get mugged. He first ran through an industrial zone, he scaled some fences and dodged out of the grasp of a fierce looking guard dog. Then was a posh neighborhood, lots of clubs, bars and huge houses. Finally, he hit the "ghetto" gang symbols were everywhere and immediately Vander slowed to a walk. There were people, teenagers everywhere. They were in groups, all had the same logo tattooed somewhere, a double H with an X over it. They were the Berkshika, an uprising gang in Brask. AS he passed through one of the boys, a tall stocky boy stepped in front of him.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, his voice deep and menacing

"Vander, how about you?" Vander asked stopping just short of the thug.

"Stop being a smart ass and empty you pockets." It was not a question, it was an order.

Vander almost did as he was told, maybe coming home half dead would show James right but this was not the time for proving points. He need to gain a rep and the Berkshika was not the place to start, they were new, puny and insignificance. Joining them was not what he needed to do, he needed to beat them. He backed up, there was an ally to his left and he made his way towards it but one of the guys grabbed him. Vander sprung into action, as the guy raised him into the air Vander swung his leg backwards, kicking him in the groin. He dropped Vander and two other guys stepped forward, most had disappeared. They didn't want to get involved in a fight, at least not this early in the evening. Vander gave a roundhouse kick and an uppercut to the temple to one and used one thug's momentum to use him as a battering ram into the other one. The leader stepped forward, eh wasn't the leader of the Gang but he was clearly above the rest of these guys. He pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, aimed and fired. Vander dove left and hit a garbage can. The rough edge but his hoodie sleeve open and made a deep long gash on his arm. The thug walked forward and aimed the gun at Vander, but lucky for Vander someone had called the cops and the sounds of sirens were blaring, the thug looked at Vander "This isn't the end Vander." He spat disgust on his face.

Vander leapt up holding his bleeding arm and began to sprint, just as he rounded the corner the cops pulled up. Vander didn't stop running, not until he saw the dim lights that illuminate 576 W. Kershaw Street. He rang the doorbell furiously and waited as Kerry came down and opened the door. "Vander!" she cried out and grabbed him inside, then she saw his bloodstained hoodie and his hand covering the gash.

They ran upstairs and she lead him into the bathroom "Where-is…..everyone?" Vander asked

While digging through the medicine cabinet, which looked quite empty, she sighed and turned "Bloody useless, this house, no first aid, no hot water and barely any electricity. Anyway, come one Vander, I want to get you cleaned up before James, Miles and Bella come back with dinner. They tried to find a chippy, Bella said she knows what you like."

Vander sighed and allowed Kerry to lead him through the house by his good arm. Once in the kitchen she turned the tap on and watched as it made gurgling sounds. "Shit," She said then a stream of rusty colored water came out. "I'm going to call Zara, this is ridiculous." Then a steady stream of normal water came flowing out of the tap, Kerry reached down and a grabbed a dish rage. It was so dirty that Vander was unable to tell the original color.

She dipped it under the water and before she brought it out she turned "Take off your shirt. It'll be easier to clean up your wounds."

Vander complied and lifted off his hoodie and t-shirt in one, hid upper body was covered in bruises and scratches. But beneath it all you could see the six pack and amazing upper body muscles he had. Kerry reached over, rung out the rag and started to clean the dried blood of the wound, which was covered in a layer of fresh blood. As she inspected the wound she sighed "This might need stitches."

Vander winced as se started to clean the wound thoroughly, "Hold on, I'm going to get my sewing kit. It'll be safer just to give them to you."

She walked out of the kitchen leaving Vander standing alone in the flickering light. Then he jumped as the front door opened, he froze as he heard quite footsteps coming up the stairs. He winced as he reached for a knife with his bad arm; he grabbed it then ducked into a shadow. Kerry came back in and saw Vander with the knife and she wiped out her gun, she waited as the door opened, the put it down as James, Bella and miles walked it. "Warning us might have been a good idea." Kerry suggested

"Sorry Kerry." James said holding up two bags of steaming food "I got us provisions."

"You!" Bella exploded laughing "You sent outside chatting up that girl while we went in and ordered."

Kerry shot James a dirty look then motioned for Vander to come over "I need to give you some stitches."

As Vander stepped out of the darkness his cut oozed a new trail of blood down his arm. "What happened?" James asked "Can't you not get in one fight! Jesus Vander." He said and set the food down.

That was it; Vander could not take it anymore "Really James! I don't care who you are or what your reputation is, you don't just tell me to walk home form the airport. In case you didn't notice we live in the middle of the biggest Turf warzone ever. I'm new; they see me as a threat."

Kerry grabbed his good arm and pulled him back before he attacked James. "James, out, now." She said and pointed to the kitchen "I'll be back." She said and followed James out.

"Once they were in the living room she turned on him "James Adams, in case you didn't bloody notice you sent him out, he didn't chose. Maybe you need to go back to CHERUB, if you can't handle this properly."

James sighed "Sorry, it's just, being on a mission again and worrying about Lauren, its really getting to me. I should go apologize to Vander."

Kerry stopped him and closed the door to the living room "James, don't you understand? Vander is just like you; he is independent and can handle himself. Would you want anyone to talk to you if you were like this?" she asked

James was startled by Kerry closing the door "No I guess not" Then he leaned forward. The old sparks he had felt for Kerry were flaming up inside him as if as if started by gasoline. They leaned forward and began to kiss, Kerry's mind flashed back to her days as a CHERUB, of the moments they had shared together and she kissed all the more furiously. Then they pulled apart "Maybe acting as your girlfriend wont be so hard James Adams" James smiled "But as long as you promise not to talk to any Russian babes." Kerry added as a sort of after thought, she was dealing with James Adams.

Then the door opened and Vander walked in, his arm was covered in blood again "Sorry to rain on the reunion but this hurts like hell, though I suppose that getting shot at was so much easier than taking a taxi."

James stepped forward "Listen kid, do you get the magnitude of this mission?" he asked, this kid just didn't seem to get it

Vander scoffed "Hmm....I think I must have missed it when Zara said that the fate of CHERUB rested in this mission. But that doesn't explain why you ditched me at the airport. All I want is a damn answer."

James turned to Kerry, "Can you give us some privacy?"

She turned to him "Fine, if you start screaming I will kick your arise so hard you wont be able to sleep." Then she walked out of the room closing the door behind her.

"Look Vander, I'm sorry about leaving you, I really am but I've worked missions in Russia before. Word travels fast, so fast you wouldn't believe it and it travels fast because of cabbies. Well, cabbies and gangs; so I left you because that cabbie will tell all his mates that there is some hard ass family moving into the ghetto. That gang is out for revenge, other gangs will notice try and see why a gang is focusing on one person. I can promise you that you are the biggest news right now. A single punk managed to outwit an entire gang, gangs will be trying to recruit you. You are the perfect type for a gang member. Young, a rebel, and best of all you can fight."

Vander was stunned, utterly and completely stunned, it was all true. Word spread fastest by cabbies and gangs, by ditching him....it all made sense. Vander now realized why James Adams was one of CHERUBs best agents. "Thanks for explaining James; I would have liked to know that before though. But now I got to get cleaned up by Kerry before I loose to much blood."

As he walked out Bella just leaving, she saw him come out and she held up five fingers. It was there code that they needed to talk; he nodded then walked over the Kerry who hadn't noticed. "Finally" she said and set about cleaning the wound "Alright, I'm going to start stitching. We don't have anything to ease the pain, sorry." Vander grimaced, he had only received stitches once before when on a mission and it had hurt like hell. He felt the first prick, his body tensed and he clamped his teeth together. After two more he let out a roar of pain, Kerry jumped then regained herself and tied off the stitches. "There, all done." she said and started to clean up all the stuff.

"Thanks Kerry." he said and walked down to what he assumed was his and Miles' room. His suitcase was there and perched on the bed was Miles; Bella sat on the other bed. As Vander walked in he closed the door "Okay, whets up?"

Bella sighed, she felt her pulse racing. Vander looked so hot without a shirt, especially with the stitches; she shook her head and started "we want to know what happened."

Miles nodded "I also have some news, I want to get it out here in the open." he turned to Bella "You know when I was talking to that kid I the chippy? Well he was telling me that there is something big going down tonight a few blocks down. He told me that if we want to make a splash to come." he pulled out three tickets "Some sort of smack down type thing. It is generally a gag thing but this has expanded to any teens who want to come. All you need is a ticket, either spectator or fighter, I got three fighters so we are fighting. I think we should go."

Bella nodded, "sure, I'm game. Making a splash would be a good idea, I mean Vander you already have. But we need to get ourselves on to the map."

Vander nodded in agreement then turned as the door opened, James and Kerry walked in "Planning to sneak out?" James asked

"Yeah because best friends talking behind a closed door is totally a neon sign flashing go listen at the door. How much did you hear?" Miles asked

"Look just tells us what you want to do and we will say yes, we are not your parents." Kerry said slightly annoyed

Bella stood up "Look, things are not going so well between us. Kerry, we want to go to a smack down a few block over, we think it is the best way to make a splash."

James smiled "Those things were the bomb! I went to a couple when I was here, seriously hard to get into though. I dont know how you guys are going to get in."

Miles held up the tickets "I was talking to a guy in the chippy and he gave me the tickets."

James looked at them 'Lemma see those." and grabbed them as Miles' handed them to him. He inspected them "Dang, this tickets are only for king pins types. YOu are really gunna make a splash. These are king of the ring tickets, you fight person after person until you get knocked out, or die."

Bella cocked her head a bit "So, those are really hard to get a hold of?"

"Yea basically." James said and handed them back.

"Well, can't say Im not excited for a rumble" Miles and Vander said at the same time, Bella burst out laughing "You guys are such creeps!"

20 min later they stepped out of the apartment, Vander had a knife strapped to his leg as did Bella and Miles. They started walking towards the address and saw three boys come out of the apartment next to them. "Oi! You three going to the smack down?" one of them asked

Miles nodded and held up the bright orange tickets, the boys tickets were yellow. When they saw the orange they turned away and began to jog towards a small ally where they took a left. The three followed and saw a line of people waiting to get into a warehouse, an huge 18 year old saw the three orange tickets and walked them to the front of the line "I've never seen you three before. I hope you know what you guys got yourself into." he said laughing. They walked into the warehouse and saw chaos. It was a mad house. Vander was grabbed by a bouncer and dragged towards the ring. "You're up Vander." the same kid who had the gun spat out. He ripped Vander's shirt off and threw him into the ring, Vander looked up to see none other then Daemon Spitnovac standing opposite him, ready to fight.

Sorry it took awhile....school and sports take up most of my time

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE :)